Chapter Two: I Want to Know Where I Fall Short

“Brother Xuan, are you ready? Watch out!”

Gu Ling’er’s clear voice echoed through the back mountain. Her palm fluttered like butterfly wings, and pale blue mystical energy instantly coalesced, transforming into a long whip that lashed toward Gu Xuan with a fierce momentum.

“Come on!”

Gu Xuan’s expression was grave, his entire focus devoted to the challenge before him. He knew all too well that, having always lagged behind in cultivation since childhood, he was at a disadvantage against such a powerful opponent and could not help but feel outmatched. Yet, even if his cultivation was not high, he was not without foundation.

In a flash, Gu Xuan employed the Gu family’s secret art—Shadow Step. His feet tapped lightly, his body shifted slightly, attempting to dodge the fierce strike. However, Gu Ling’er’s attack came from a cunning angle and was as swift as lightning. Gu Xuan felt a gust of wind surge toward him, as if it would sweep everything around into its grasp. The nearby leaves, caught up in the force, whirled like flying daggers straight at him!

His eyes darted anxiously around, but the dense flurry of leaves obscured his vision, making it impossible to track the trajectory of Gu Ling’er’s mystical whip. With no other choice, Gu Xuan gritted his teeth, twisted his body, and rolled to the side, narrowly evading the whip’s lash.

“Ling’er, I didn’t expect your speed to improve so much,” Gu Xuan said with a wry smile, beads of sweat already streaming down his forehead and tracing slow paths along his cheeks after dodging the blow.

Gu Ling’er smiled modestly. “Brother Xuan, your reflexes are good, but your combat experience is still lacking. You need to learn to anticipate your opponent’s attacks and formulate a response ahead of time.”

Even as she spoke, she seized the moment while Gu Xuan caught his breath. Her hands formed seals in rapid succession, and a vast surge of mystical energy erupted, manifesting as a giant azure palm that swept toward Gu Xuan with the force of a collapsing mountain, imprinting a massive palm mark in the air.

This technique was the Gu family’s advanced mystical art—“Heaven-Turning Palm.”

“In real combat, Brother Xuan, your enemy won’t give you a chance to rest!” Gu Ling’er’s voice came, tinged with seriousness.

Gu Xuan’s heart trembled. He knew well how powerful this palm strike was. Taking a deep breath, he hastily summoned his inner mystical energy, bracing his hands to meet the oncoming force, trying to neutralize the devastating blow.

Yet the gap in their strength was like an insurmountable chasm.

A thunderous boom resounded as the two forces collided, sending a shockwave rippling outward in all directions.

Gu Xuan felt a tidal wave of power crash into him, forcing him to stagger backward, his arms so numb he nearly lost all sensation. Meanwhile, Gu Ling’er stood firm where she was, her expression calm as she watched him.

“Brother Xuan, your mystical energy doesn’t flow smoothly enough. When defending, you must learn to allocate it properly. Against my ‘Heaven-Turning Palm,’ you should try to distribute your energy more evenly between your palms to lessen the force of the impact. And don’t just defend passively—try to redirect the opponent’s attack and cleverly dissipate its strength.”

As she spoke, Gu Ling’er walked over to him. Her gaze was clear and focused, gentle as a patient mentor.

Gu Xuan nodded gratefully, the light of determination rekindled in his eyes. “Let’s continue, Ling’er. Don’t go easy on me—I want to see where I truly fall short.”

He understood that Gu Ling’er genuinely wanted to help him improve his strength, preparing him for the upcoming family competition. If he failed to break through in three months, his fate would be just as Gu Yun had warned.

Gu Ling’er moved with fluid grace, so fast that he could barely follow her. Gu Xuan, on the other hand, seemed clumsy, giving his all to parry her attacks, each clash weighing down on him with immense pressure. Whenever he tried to go on the offensive, Gu Ling’er effortlessly neutralized his blows and quickly pointed out the flaws in his technique.

“Ling’er, you’re so fast—I can’t keep up at all,” Gu Xuan panted, his face drenched in sweat.

“Brother Xuan, your speed isn’t actually slow. You just lack agility in combat. Try changing your rhythm in battle instead of always defending.”

Taking her advice to heart, Gu Xuan began to alter his approach. He was no longer simply on the defensive, but started to look for chances to counterattack. Although his strikes were as feeble as an ant pushing a tree compared to Gu Ling’er, this shift brought a glimmer of progress.

Thus, under Gu Ling’er’s careful guidance, Gu Xuan gradually identified his shortcomings and worked hard to improve. Their sparring went on for a long time. Gu Xuan was soon drenched in sweat, his clothes soaked through, yet he gritted his teeth and persevered.

Perhaps inspired by his tenacity, Gu Ling’er suddenly unleashed a powerful mystical skill—“Swift Gale Thunder Slash.” A dazzling blue arc cleaved through the air, sword energy whistling toward Gu Xuan like a bolt of lightning, far too fast for any reaction.

Gu Xuan’s pupils contracted sharply, alarm flooding his heart. With no time to think, he braced himself and met the attack head-on. He mustered all his mystical energy in an attempt to block the deadly strike, but the disparity in their power rendered his defense futile. The sword energy broke through instantly, like a ferocious beast charging for his chest.

“Brother Xuan! Dodge, now!”

Seeing this, Gu Ling’er’s face paled with horror. Only then did she realize she had gone too far and hurriedly tried to withdraw her strike. Yet the residual force of the sword energy remained, whipping past Gu Xuan’s ear, slicing off a lock of hair, and crashing into the trees behind him, snapping several trunks with a thunderous crack. The scene was perilously close.

Sweat the size of beans rolled down Gu Xuan’s forehead as his heart pounded wildly in his chest. His eyes were wide as he stared at the spot beside his ear, still shaken by the brush with death.

Gu Ling’er rushed to his side, her face full of concern. “Brother Xuan, are you alright?” Her voice quivered, nearly choked with tears. All traces of her earlier composure vanished, replaced by the look of a child who had made a mistake. Her eyes reddened, tears brimming.

Gu Xuan slumped to the ground, exhaling long and hard, still shaken as he waved his hand. “No more, no more. I nearly lost my life here today. Ling’er, your skills are truly formidable.”

“I didn’t mean to, Brother Xuan…” Gu Ling’er said, tears spilling down her cheeks.

Seeing her remorse, Gu Xuan couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. He reached out, gently ruffling her hair, and comforted her softly, “It’s alright, Ling’er. See? I’m perfectly fine.”

After a moment, a trace of melancholy flickered in Gu Xuan’s eyes as he shook his head in resignation. “It seems my strength is just like this. There’s no way I can take part in the family competition!”

He had just tried to stand when he staggered, and Gu Ling’er quickly reached out to steady him.

“Brother Xuan, this is only temporary. You mustn’t give up. The path of cultivation is full of obstacles. Everyone has their own pace and opportunities—you’ll surely find your way to a breakthrough.”

Her voice was gentle yet firm, imbued with a magic that soothed Gu Xuan’s discouragement.

“It’s getting late. We should go back, or the Third Elder will scold me again…”

“You’re right. Go home and rest, Brother Xuan—we can practice again another day.”

Supported by Gu Ling’er, the two set out for home. Along the way, Gu Xuan was filled with emotion. Even if he had no chance to stay in the Gu family, having a friend as sincere as Gu Ling’er was, in its own way, a blessing.