Li Yao charged toward Xiang Yu, her perfect-level movement technique propelling her with breathtaking speed. Her sword arced downward in a gleaming silver blur, sunlight dancing along its edge. To her surprise, Xiang Yu blocked the strike with remarkable ease, his knife intercepting her blade with precision timing.
In the same fluid motion, he countered, his other fist shooting toward her lower abdomen—not with the hesitation that once characterized his movements, but with deadly intent. Li Yao's eyes widened as she instinctively leaped backward. Though his fist hadn't connected, she felt the rush of displaced air against her robes, the power behind the strike sending tremors up her sword arm through their connected blades.
"He's broken through again," she realized, her mind quickly processing this development. The realization crystallized—if she continued holding back to her current level, she might actually find herself at a disadvantage against her formerly timid senior brother.
