Noon came at last. Xie Lun and I made our way to the center of the field, and one of the judges—a senior disciple that I recognized with some struggle—came to examine our weapons and make sure we both understood the rules.
"Since this is a match between different experience levels," the judge said to me, "you'll be given a few advantages to make up for the gap. The first three moves are yours, which your opponent is only allowed to defend. You can use the talismans assigned to you, whereas your opponent isn't allowed to use anything other than his sword."
When I nodded, he turned to Xie Lun. "No other restrictions, and you are free to use any advanced techniques. But as long as your opponent can last more than fifty moves against you, she wins."
That part was a little unexpected and quite different from how we sparred last time. The fact that Xie Lun wasn't restricted to lower-level techniques would make things a lot more challenging. I calculated quickly in my head. Last time … I had lasted about twenty moves against him and twice as many against Bai Ye later on. If I could use the talismans wisely to offset my disadvantage in advanced techniques, I still had a chance.
Once Xie Lun and I both swore to abide by the rules and standards, the judge pronounced the challenge ready to begin. We bowed towards the grandstand, and I darted one last glance towards Bai Ye. Although his expression was carefully blank, I didn't miss the encouragement in his gaze when our eyes met. I fought back the bubbling warmth in my heart that tempted me to smile.
I didn't dream of winning against Xie Lun, but I was ready to give this the best I had, and I knew Bai Ye would be proud of me.
Then Xie Lun and I bowed to each other, and we began.
The first three moves gave me the biggest edge, and I had already planned ahead of time which ones to use. I kept in mind what Bai Ye explained to me about Xie Lun's style, positioning myself so that my strikes always landed at different angles: straight on from the front first; then behind; then high above. I concentrated my spiritual power on my footwork, shifting positions quickly, and I could feel that Xie Lun's defenses no longer seemed as fast as they did when we last sparred.
But of course, the gap between our experience wasn't easily made up for by small tricks like this. Once the first few moves were over, Xie Lun's counterattacks started pressing me hard. His power flow was too strong, and I struggled to hold up against its impact. Every clang of our blades sent strong vibrations through my arms, threatening to shake my swords out of my grip. I clenched my teeth. A few more turns, and I had to call on my power materialization much sooner than I had hoped.
Xie Lun met it with his. A bright slash of his sword, and I felt a sweeping wave of spiritual power pouring over me like a tide. It was in the form of wind, howling from his blade with such overwhelming strength that my starlight was swallowed whole in no time. I didn't hesitate to summon my first talisman for defense—I knew my limits, and this was not the time to pretend that I could suddenly do what I wasn't capable of. A shield of light appeared in front of me. As it blocked the impact of Xie Lun's attack and bought me a moment of break, I reassessed my situation and searched for a solution quickly in my head.
I had never faced an opponent like this before. Xie Lun was well above my league, and I knew I stood no chance if we were pitching raw power against raw power. But what if I could interrupt his pacing and not give him time to utilize those advanced techniques?
We had already gone about fifteen moves, and all I needed was to last two more rounds like this. All I needed was to hold him back a little longer.
I suppose I was taking advantage of the rules, though I didn't feel guilty for it. I moved again before the spell's shield had fully dissipated, catching Xie Lun by a bit of a surprise. My blades met his in a wide stretch, and before he could settle into the position, I swirled again and caught his sword in between both of mine.
Xie Lun had probably mastered more advanced techniques than I could name, but I knew all of them must share one thing: the channeling of power. Just like materialization, each one of them required meticulous control of spiritual power flow between the user and the sword. If I could hold up his blade and not give him enough break to command that power, then he would not be able to summon them at ease.
I kept moving fast. Ten more turns. Twenty. I felt the wind buffeting my face as the two of us switched positions and exchanged strikes quickly, over and over again. Xie Lun managed to summon another power strike only when I misjudged the distance between us, and I blocked it with a second talisman. As the shield dimmed, I swirled to deliver my next attack, but he was faster this time. A hard slam of our swords, and I was knocked off balance. The tip of his blade stopped right over my throat.
We both stilled. The result was clear.
"You shouldn't have repeated the same strike twice," Xie Lun said and withdrew his sword. I realized belatedly that I had done the same thing immediately after using both talismans. No wonder he was prepared for it the second time.
"Thank you," I sheathed my swords and said sincerely. It was rare for an opponent to share their thoughts on a match so honestly, and I knew he was doing it to help me improve. Even though I lost, this challenge was well worth it.
The judge approached as Xie Lun and I bowed to each other to end our turn. "Fifty moves," the judge said.
Fifty moves? It didn't feel like I had lasted that long at all, and it took me a moment to realize what it meant. "Fifty?" I repeated. If it had been fifty moves, then …
"Yes, five ten," the judge confirmed. "You have tied."
Tied? I had tied with Xie Lun, the top disciple at Mount Hua?
Despite what I had joked about winning earlier, I never thought I actually had a chance in this match. After all, it had barely been a month since I learned how to use a sword properly. I was so amazed at the result that the only thing I could think of doing at that moment was … to look up and find Bai Ye in the grandstand.
For once, I didn't have to hide my gaze. He was my master, and it was only natural that I sought his approval and acknowledgment at the tournament. Our eyes met, and I saw the smile on his face.. Bright, dazzling, filled with unmistakable pride.
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