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“I’ll go talk to that boy,” Zhang Nu said. “You two go back and keep Liu Hai occupied. We can’t let him stay stuck in this peaceful stupor—he needs to get moving.”

Lin Xiao and Ling Xi nodded at his words and followed Liu Hai back to the kind woman’s house. When they returned, they saw Liu Hai preparing to lie down and rest.

“Lin Xiao, what do we do now?” Ling Xi asked, lowering her voice. “How are we supposed to snap Liu Hai out of this?”

Lin Xiao gave her a sideways glance. From his angle, he could see her youthful face and the elegant line of her neck. He didn’t think much of it, but if it had been someone else, they would have had a different reaction.

“Leave it to me,” he said simply, and strode outside toward Liu Hai.

“Liu Hai, I want to spar with you.”

Liu Hai blinked, then suddenly laughed out loud as if he’d heard the funniest joke in the world.

“Lin Xiao, are you serious? You want to spar with me? Don’t forget what level you’re at right now. I’ve got way more combat experience than you. Stop joking.”

Clearly, he wasn’t taking Lin Xiao seriously at all. But Lin Xiao didn’t plan to back down.

“How would you know how much I’ve improved if we don’t fight? I’m confident I can beat you now.”

That did the trick. Liu Hai’s expression shifted, clearly provoked. He stood up from his chair. “Fine then. Let’s go. But let’s find a clear space first—I’m not about to wreck Big Sis’s house. I’ll show you what I’m really capable of.”

Lin Xiao led Liu Hai to an open field nearby, and the two began to spar.

During this time in the village, Liu Hai hadn’t been cultivating at all. Lin Xiao, on the other hand, had been steadily improving. In the opening exchange, Liu Hai found himself actually struggling to keep up.

Seeing this, Liu Hai’s expression turned sharp. He hadn’t expected Lin Xiao to grow this strong. But that didn’t mean he was about to give up. He still had a solid foundation. Lin Xiao wouldn’t win that easily.

“I’ll admit it,” Liu Hai said. “You’ve made a lot of progress in a short time. But don’t think I’ll lose. I won’t back down!”

Lin Xiao nodded slightly, but his expression remained casual, unbothered.

That only irritated Liu Hai more. He felt like Lin Xiao wasn’t taking him seriously, and he wasn’t going to let that slide.

“You’ll regret making that face,” Liu Hai muttered.

With that, he launched another round of heavy attacks. Every strike was forceful, aiming to knock Lin Xiao down, but Lin Xiao deflected each one with precision and calm.

Ling Xi, watching from the sidelines, was stunned. Lin Xiao had grown far more powerful than she’d realized—and not just in strength. There was something grounded and commanding in him now. He was no longer the guy who liked to act cool and show off. Without anyone noticing, he’d already become someone who could stand toe-to-toe with Liu Hai.

And sure enough, as the duel continued, Liu Hai’s sword was eventually knocked flying.

“You lost,” Lin Xiao said.

Liu Hai stood frozen, staring at Lin Xiao in disbelief. He couldn’t believe what had just happened. He had really lost—to Lin Xiao.

It hadn’t even been two months since they left the village, yet Lin Xiao had already surpassed him. If this continued, he’d be left in the dust.

“I... How did you get so strong all of a sudden?” Liu Hai stammered.

Lin Xiao gave a faint, confident smile. “Because while you were enjoying the quiet life, I kept training. That’s why you lost.”

Those words ignited something in Liu Hai. His pride, his drive—it all came roaring back.

He couldn’t let Lin Xiao surpass him, not like this.

He was going to train seriously again. Starting now.