Chapter 12

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"Is it you?" Xu Lin blurted out.

Xu Ziyang, recalling the incident from that day, looked somewhat awkward, and after a bow, she softly said:

"Hello, Senior Brother Xu Lin."

Xu Lin looked Xu Ziyang up and down, then smiled and said, "You are also a member of the family?"

"Um, yes." Xu Ziyang nodded lightly.

Xu Lin nodded gently, then said to Xu Li and the others, "You go ahead. I have something to talk about with her."

Xu Li and the others were taken aback, but after a bow, they turned and left. Seeing their attitude, Xu Ziyang understood that this Xu Lin in front of her was probably from the Inner Hall; otherwise, Xu Li and the others wouldn't be so respectful to him.

This made Xu Ziyang a bit worried. She didn't know how much he knew about her situation, or what he intended to do by keeping her behind.

After seeing Xu Li and the others leave, Xu Lin politely said to Xu Ziyang, "Let's talk over there."

He then walked towards the roadside. Xu Ziyang followed closely behind and came to the roadside. The street was almost deserted, with snowflakes falling from the sky, turning everything white. Xu Ziyang looked at Xu Lin uneasily and asked softly:

"Senior Brother Xu Lin, what do you need to talk about?"

"Oh, nothing much," Xu Lin said with a faint smile. "I just wanted to ask if you've seen my junior sister since that day."

Xu Ziyang was taken aback, thinking to herself that it seemed Xu Ximei had been secretly taken away by the clan leader, and might even have been killed.

"That girl who was with me that day," Xu Lin added, seeing that Xu Ziyang was silent, realizing he hadn't been clear enough.

"It seems Xu Lin doesn't know what happened after that, or even what happened in the shop," Xu Ziyang thought, feeling relieved. She then said softly:

"I don't know. After you left that day, I never saw her again."

"Ah~"

Xu Lin frowned slightly and didn't say anything more. Xu Ziyang, recalling the scene from that day, blushed slightly. She had a good impression of Xu Lin's gentle and refined manners that day, so she tentatively asked:

"Senior Brother Xu Lin, is that young lady your lover?"

"Cough, cough..." Xu Lin was startled by Xu Ziyang's question and suddenly coughed, then said awkwardly, "No, she's my junior sister. She suddenly disappeared, and I'm a bit worried. I've asked many people, and they all said they don't know."

Seeing Xu Lin cough unexpectedly, Xu Ziyang's face turned even redder, but fortunately, it was a snowy winter day, and her face was already red from the cold, so Xu Lin didn't notice. However, Xu Ziyang knew what was going on in her heart, so she said awkwardly:

"Senior Brother Xu Lin, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

Without waiting for Xu Lin to respond, she lowered her head and ran off. Xu Lin watched Xu Ziyang's retreating back, smiled, shook his head, and disappeared into the snow.

Back at her home, Xu Ziyang quickly entered her cultivation. She was very eager to improve her strength. This world was different from her original one; everything was based on strength. After understanding this, her heart gradually calmed down. She guided her true qi to circulate through her body for eighteen cycles, then slowly finished her cultivation, feeling refreshed and invigorated.

Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door. Xu Ziyang got up and went to the door. When she opened it, she saw the girl next door, Xu Qingxue. Her expression was still cold, and she was holding a package. She gave a slight bow and said:

"Senior Sister Ziyang."

Xu Ziyang was taken aback for a moment but quickly recovered and smiled, inviting her in. After entering the room, Xu Qingxue handed the package to Xu Ziyang:

"This is for Senior Sister Ziyang."

Looking at the thirteen- or fourteen-year-old girl, Xu Ziyang took the package, thanked her, and placed it on the table. She poured a cup of tea for Xu Qingxue and placed it in front of her, then sat opposite her, looking at her curiously.

Xu Ziyang really didn't know why Xu Qingxue had come to her house. When she had visited Xu Qingxue, Xu Qingxue had been very cold. She hadn't expected her to bring a gift and return the visit. Seeing that Xu Qingxue wasn't any warmer than the last time, Xu Ziyang didn't know what her purpose was, so she just sat there silently, watching Xu Qingxue.

Xu Qingxue sat there, very quiet and cold. Her eyes were calm like still water, and she looked at Xu Ziyang and said coldly:

"Senior Sister Ziyang, I know what you mean. I'm just not good at talking. If you want to communicate with me, we can spar anytime."

Pausing for a moment, her eyes seemed to flicker, and she said softly:

"I also want to spar with Senior Sister Ziyang often. You are at the sixth level of the Later Heaven stage, right? I am too."

Xu Ziyang now understood completely. This girl was just a cold-tempered person, not specifically cold to her. It was probably the same for everyone. For her to come to visit and say so much was already quite difficult. Given her nature, she probably didn't communicate with others through words but through physical combat.

Xu Ziyang was naturally pleased with Xu Qingxue's suggestion. Having someone to spar with regularly was a good thing. Although Xu Qingxue was only at the sixth level of the Later Heaven stage, Xu Ziyang could suppress her cultivation to the same level to spar with her, which would be a good way to strengthen her foundation. So she quickly bowed and said:

"Little Sister Qingxue, let's do it."

"Alright, let's go now," Xu Qingxue said, standing up eagerly as soon as Xu Ziyang agreed.

Xu Ziyang was taken aback by Xu Qingxue's actions, thinking, "This girl is really a violent one! She's ready to fight right away!"

Since coming to this world, Xu Ziyang had only killed the village chief when escaping from the village. She had never fought anyone else. Now, hearing Xu Qingxue's suggestion, she was also eager. She stood up quickly and said:

"Let's go, let's practice."

The two of them went to a training ground and stood facing each other. Xu Qingxue's eyes became deep, staring at Xu Ziyang. Her calmness was tinged with eagerness, like a child seeing something they liked.

With Xu Ziyang's experience, she could easily understand Xu Qingxue's mood from the look in her eyes, confirming that she was a combat enthusiast. So, her heart immediately calmed down, focusing on Xu Qingxue.

Xu Qingxue suddenly moved, her slender hands creating several illusions as they struck at Xu Ziyang. Xu Ziyang, suppressing her cultivation to the sixth level of the Later Heaven stage, shifted her feet and dodged Xu Qingxue's hands, then punched at the gap between Xu Qingxue's palms.

The two of them moved like butterflies, alternating between defense and attack. After a few rounds, Xu Ziyang's weak foundation became apparent. Xu Qingxue's movements became faster, her defense decreased, and her attacks increased. Xu Ziyang's movements, however, became heavier and less fluid.

However, Xu Ziyang's true cultivation was at the second level of the Qi Cultivation stage, and her understanding of martial arts far surpassed those at the Later Heaven stage. Compared to Xu Qingxue, Xu Ziyang was like standing on a mountain peak, while Xu Qingxue was at the foot of the mountain. The view from the peak was much broader and more detailed.

While sparring with Xu Qingxue, Xu Ziyang continuously gained insights into the basics. She understood these foundational techniques very quickly. After a dozen more rounds, Xu Ziyang had fully mastered the basics up to the sixth level of the Later Heaven stage.

Xu Ziyang's movements became steady, like a stake driven into the ground, not retreating a single step. With a light touch, she deflected Xu Qingxue's attacks. After another dozen rounds, Xu Qingxue realized that Xu Ziyang had taken control of the situation, and she was now on the defensive.

Biting her lip, Xu Qingxue suddenly increased her speed, using all her best moves to regain the advantage. However, Xu Ziyang remained rooted to the ground, and with just the movement of her hands, she deflected Xu Qingxue's attacks. Suddenly, she struck a powerful punch, and Xu Qingxue, unable to defend properly, was hit on the shoulder and stumbled back.

Xu Qingxue stood there, staring at Xu Ziyang. Xu Ziyang's current realm was different from Xu Qingxue's, and her perspective was different. After integrating the basics up to the sixth level of the Later Heaven stage, she saw Xu Qingxue's attacks and defenses as full of flaws.

Xu Ziyang knew that from now on, there was no need for her to spar with Xu Qingxue anymore, as she could no longer gain any insights from her. However, she was still very grateful to Xu Qingxue. Without this spar, she wouldn't have gained such quick insights. If Xu Qingxue wanted to spar with her in the future, Xu Ziyang would not refuse, as long as she had the time. But in her heart, she wanted to spar with stronger people in the Outer Hall to continuously improve her foundation through combat. She had also discovered that improving her foundation through combat was a shortcut.

Of course, Xu Ziyang would not miss the books in the library or the first three days of the month when the Outer Hall gave lectures.

After saying goodbye to Xu Qingxue, Xu Ziyang watched her walk dejectedly through the gate, then smiled, shook her head, and went back into her room.

The night passed without incident. The next day was the first day of the month, the first day for the new Outer Hall disciples to attend lectures. Early in the morning, Xu Ziyang was woken up by Xu Li, Xu Tieniu, Xu Ling, and Xu Dezhi knocking on her door. Xu Ziyang walked out and saw Xu Qingxue also coming out of her room, so they walked together to the lecture hall.

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