I alone am the Honoured One!

*cough* Pulling Zhao Tian through the open area, Li Jia clutched her chest as her eyes trembled in severe pain.

She could feel the iron taste of the blood seeping into her mouth, but she clenched her lips tightly and gulped down the blood from flowing down her lips.

'T-This much backlash? It hurts more than the first time...' she thought, her vision briefly blurring as her body screamed in protest.

Zhao Tian felt her fingers which were clutching his wrist trembling and he called her "Jia?"

However, Li Jia didn't turn her head or speak as she gulped even more blood that was seeping into her mouth because of the backlash.

She again felt the nausea feeling of coughing blood but she held onto it and gulped it again.

Soon, she pulled him into a building and hand signaled him to wait 5 minutes.

With that, she moved to the registration in that building to fetch some water, which was placed beside the reception area.

In the meantime, Zhao Tian turned to look at the enormous hall and the large number of rooms in the building.

'Isn't this the training chambers for outer court disciples? Why did she bring me here?'

Here, disciples can use credits to rent a room for a specific time and that room can be used to cultivate or train with fellow disciples.

Meanwhile, Li Jia approached the water station by the reception area, her breath still uneven.

She hastily poured herself a cup of water, gulping it down as if it could wash away the pain gnawing at her from within.

The cold liquid did little to ease the burning sensation in her chest, but it helped her regain some sense of control.

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, pausing for a moment to collect herself.

Then she straightened her back, taking a deep breath.

She forced the pain into the far corners of her mind, pushing down the backlash that was still ravaging her insides.

A short while later, she returned to Zhao Tian, her expression more composed, though her body still felt like it was on the verge of collapse.

"Come on, Tian…" she said, her voice steady but softer than usual. "Let's go."

Looking at her, Zhao Tian asked in confusion "Go where?"

Li Jia glanced at him briefly before nodding toward the corridor of rooms. "I've booked a room for the next four hours. We can train there."

Eh? Zhao Tian was quite confused as she suddenly brought him here and now she wants to train with him?

Does she want to train with me? Or… maybe she doesn't like that I've been spending time with her sister and wants to keep me away from her?
Your journey continues with m v|l-e'm,p y r

With a soft sigh, he nodded. "Alright… let's go."

...

Soon, both of them entered the training room, the heavy door sliding shut behind them with a soft thud.

The room was dimly lit, with enough space to spar freely.

Along the walls, racks of various weapons gleamed under the low light... swords, spears, and other tools for combat practice.

Li Jia walked to the racks of weapons and picked a sword "You know how to use a sword, right?" she asked throwing the sword to him.

Catching the sword, Zhao Tian gave a nod "I do..."

In the dimly lit training room, Zhao Tian and Li Jia stood a few feet apart, both gripping their swords in silence.

Li Jia's face, though calm, still showed traces of the pain from earlier.

Her grip on the sword was steady, but her body trembled faintly as she suppressed the lingering backlash.

*woosh* Without a word, she dashed forward, her blade cutting through the air with speed and precision.

Clang!

Their swords met with a sharp ring, the force of their strikes vibrating through the room.

Zhao Tian parried her first attack effortlessly, his blue eyes gleaming as he countered with a swift strike of his own.

Li Jia twisted her body, dodging and stepping to the side, her movements agile despite the pain gnawing at her.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, and suddenly, her sword glowed faintly, exuding a sharp, invisible pressure.

The air around her blade began to hum with energy, and Zhao Tian immediately realized what it was...

Oh? Sword Intent?

Zhao Tian was quite surprised as he felt the subtle, refined pressure of her sword intent pushing against his blade.

She moved with fluidity, but every strike she made now felt sharper.

Her attacks were not wild or aggressive, but they carried a cold, calculated precision.

He blocked one of her swings, but the sheer force behind her sword intent made his arm tingle.

"Sword intent..." Zhao Tian muttered under his breath, impressed.

Li Jia's lips curled into a faint smile as she continued her assault.

Though her body was still in pain, she did not let it show in her movements.

She pressed forward, each of her strikes calculated to test Zhao Tian's defenses.

As Zhao Tian parried another strike, a glint flashed in his eyes.

He hadn't expected Li Jia to show sword intent so early in their spar, but if she could use it, so could he.

Taking a soft breath, Zhao Tian focused, and soon his own blade began to hum with power.

A different kind of energy, but no less potent.

His sword intent wasn't as refined as Li Jia's, but it carried a fierce, crackling intensity.

Li Jia's eyes trembled in shock looking at the white energy humming around Zhao Tian's sword.

Huh? He has also stepped into the Realm of Swords?

As Zhao Tian's sword intent clashed with hers, the room seemed to vibrate with the force of their wills.

*clang* *clang* Every strike they exchanged carried more weight than before.

The air crackled with tension as their sword intents collided, sparks of energy flashing between them.

Li Jia's eyes flickered with admiration as she felt the raw power of Zhao Tian's intent matching her own.

His sword intent was not as refined, but there was a crude energy behind it, a force that was difficult to counter.

--------------------------------------------

I hope you guys liked this chapter!