The Challenge from Qin Ziyan

"Fight me."

Xiao Lian blinked. "Excuse me?"

Qin Ziyan grinned, his arms folded as he leaned against a cherry blossom tree. The late afternoon sun filtered through the petals, casting a golden hue over the courtyard. Several disciples, drawn by the challenge, had begun gathering around.

"I said, fight me." Qin Ziyan straightened, his expression teasing yet serious. "I've been curious about your skills for a while, and now that you're an inner disciple, it's the perfect excuse."

Xiao Lian narrowed her eyes. "So, you waited until I earned my new status to challenge me? Should I be flattered or suspicious?"

Ji Ren, who had been standing nearby, scoffed. "You should be annoyed."

Qin Ziyan shrugged. "What can I say? I have good timing."

Xiao Lian exhaled, glancing at the growing crowd. "I don't know, Qin Ziyan. A battle like this might break your fragile reputation."

He placed a hand over his heart. "You wound me, truly." Then, his grin widened. "But I like a challenge."

Something in his tone made Xiao Lian pause. This wasn't just playful banter, Qin Ziyan was serious.

She had never fought him directly before, but she had seen him in action. Unlike Ji Ren, who relied on speed and strategy, or brute-force fighters who overpowered their opponents, Qin Ziyan was unpredictable.

Because he didn't fight with strength alone. He fought with illusions.

.

.

.

The Duel Begins. The crowd murmured as Xiao Lian stepped into the training ring. Qin Ziyan followed, stretching his arms lazily.

Ji Ren crossed his arms, watching from the sidelines. "This is a waste of time."

"Or an interesting lesson," Qin Ziyan countered. "Wouldn't you like to see how she handles the unknown?"

Ji Ren didn't reply, but his gaze sharpened.

A sect elder stepped forward. "This is an official spar between inner disciple Xiao Lian and outer now inner sect disciple Qin Ziyan. Do both parties agree?"

Xiao Lian nodded.

Qin Ziyan grinned. "Of course."

The elder raised his hand. "Begin!"

A World of Illusions. Qin Ziyan vanished. Xiao Lian's instincts screamed, and she immediately dodged to the left. A shadow flickered past where she had stood, his movement so seamless it was unnatural.

"Fast reaction," Qin Ziyan's voice echoed, but the source was unclear.

The arena darkened, the golden afternoon light swallowed by creeping mist. Shadows twisted unnaturally, stretching long, shifting like living things.

Xiao Lian's pulse quickened. An illusionary domain. She had read about them, but experiencing one firsthand was something else entirely.

Her SIS (Strategic Insight System) flared to life, processing the battlefield. Yet, for the first time, it struggled.

Illusions weren't predictable. They weren't bound by logic. And that made Qin Ziyan a nightmare opponent.

So all she thought of doing nor is by only Trusting Instincts. This is probably the only and reliable ones.

Xiao Lian's breath steadied. She couldn't rely on calculations. She had to trust something deeper. A flash of movement—l

, left!

She turned just as Qin Ziyan's palm strike came for her ribs. She blocked, but his form shimmered, breaking apart like mist.

A feint. She barely twisted in time as the real attack came from behind. His fist grazed her shoulder, and she slid backward, regaining balance.

"Not bad," he mused. "Most people panic."

"I don't have that luxury."

Qin Ziyan chuckled. "Good."

The mist thickened. The shadows moved. Suddenly, she wasn't standing in the training ground anymore, she was back in her childhood village. The scent of burning wood filled her nostrils. Flames licked the rooftops. Screams echoed through the air.

A memory. No...a fabrication. Her grip on reality wavered for a fraction of a second, and that was enough.

Qin Ziyan struck. His palm aimed for her sternum, the impact sending a jolt through her body. Xiao Lian coughed, stumbling back.

For the first time in a long time, she was losing. So she had an idea to have or breaking the Illusion. Xiao Lian closed her eyes.

Ignore the sights. Ignore the sounds. Focus., She inhaled, centering herself. Then, she stepped forward.

Qin Ziyan was fast. But speed didn't matter if you knew exactly where someone would be. It was like a flash of lightning in her eyes, he was so fast.

She lashed out, sweeping low and her foot connected. Qin Ziyan stumbled.

The illusion blinkdd, reality snapping back like a rubber band. The training ground returned. The mist vanished.

Xiao Lian lunged. Qin Ziyan barely raised his arms before her palm slammed into his chest, forcing him backward. He skidded to a stop, exhaling sharply.

The crowd gasped.

Ji Ren smirked.

Qin Ziyan, still rubbing his ribs, laughed.

"You really are interesting."

Xiao Lian straightened, her breath steadying. "You should know better than to test me."

The elder stepped forward. "Winner—Xiao Lian!" The audience erupted into murmurs.

Qin Ziyan pushed himself up, grinning. "That was fun."

"You almost had me," she admitted. "Almost."

Qin Ziyan's eyes flickered with something unreadable. "You learn fast. Too fast."

Ji Ren stepped forward, his gaze cool. "What exactly are you trying to prove, Qin Ziyan?"

The noble disciple stretched. "Nothing much. Just confirming something."

Ji Ren's eyes narrowed. "Confirming what?"

Qin Ziyan's grin lingered, but there was something sharper beneath it. A knowing look.

"That Xiao Lian is special. When I mean special, I mean very very very special indeed."

And with that, he turned and walked away, whistling. Xiao Lian frowned, watching him go.

Ji Ren crossed his arms. "I don't like him."

"I think I do," Xiao Lian said, smirking.

Ji Ren sighed. "Of course you do."

As the crowd dispersed, Xiao Lian couldn't shake the feeling that this duel was more than just curiosity.

Qin Ziyan had tested her for a reason. And she pray that it's not going to be what she's deeply thinking about. He's always smiling and she hardly seen him frown or angry and it someone disturbs her but she brushed it away as an harmless battle.

And she intended to find out why.