Severing Time & Space

Wu Jian Vs. Zhou Lihua

Because he had already analyzed Zhou Lihua's fighting style, Wu Jian did not allow the girl to hold the initiative. He raced forward the moment the battle began. The distance between him and Zhou Lihua closed within seconds.

A normal person would have probably attacked the moment they were within range. Wu Jian did not. Leaping high into the air, he jumped clear over Zhou Lihua's head, allowing him to avoid the powerful kick she delivered, which would have crushed his ribcage if he had kept running. He landed on the arena floor behind her and threw a straight jab at the back of her head.

While still at the Body Forging Realm, Zhou Lihua possessed incredible reflexes and flexibility. She lowered her body before his attack could hit. His fist sailed past her torso. With the same speed and reflexes, she latched onto his hand, spread her feet wide, and used her body as a fulcrum to toss him over her shoulder. The wind whistled around him. He thought he caught a whiff of her perfume as he was tossed. As he sailed through the air, Wu Jian twisted his body and landed on his feet, bending his legs to absorb the impact.

Zhou Lihua had kept her hand around his wrist, but she let go and leapt back as though she was possessed of sharp instincts. Wu Jian stood back up as the girl warily eyed him like he was a wild animal.

"You have incredible reflexes," she said at last.

"And you have a sharp intuition," Wu Jian replied.

He couldn't see past her veil, but he thought she might be smiling. "You're also very strong. Hard to believe you're only twelve years-old."

Wu Jian shrugged. "Thank you. But you realize we're here to fight each other, right? Let's save the compliments for after one of us wins."

"Of course."

Wu Jian darted forward and started things off with a simple one-two jab aimed at her solar plexus. His attacks were swept aside by Zhou Lihua just like he expected, and she countered with a low kick, high kick combination that forced him back. Her attacks were so blisteringly fast that it felt like she was cutting the air with her foot.

Stomping on the ground, Wu Jian generated a powerful kinetic force in his leg that he used to propel himself forward. He jumped into the air before reaching Zhou Lihua and threw out his leg. His kick missed when his opponent ducked, but he landed on the ground, lowered his body, and mule kicked at the girl before she could attack him.

She backed off before his feet could land.

She's smart. She knows blocking would injure her arms, which she uses for throws, so she has trained herself to dodge anything she can't redirect.

Zhou Lihua's style was similar to but different from Wu Meiying's. The one thing they shared in common was neither relied on outright blocking attacks. They redirected them with gentle movements designed to minimize the force of any impact. This young woman had honed her instincts to perfection, allowing her to recognize when she could and couldn't redirect someone's attack.

The two continued to trade blows and counterattacks. Zhou Lihua was an incredible fighter with swift reflexes and more strength in her legs than the average Body Forging Realm cultivator. He couldn't even imagine how hard she must have trained.

Wu Jian prided himself on his strength, which he acquired from six years of back-breaking training, so he understood her power couldn't all come from alchemy pills, though he assumed she must have taken some of those as well.

Even his body had been enhanced with natural treasures and alchemy pills.

He blocked a kick that he was too slow to dodge, crossing his arms above his head, and grimaced when the dull thud of her leg reverberated through his entire body. The attack was powerful enough to nearly break his guard. It might have been his imagination, but he was certain he could feel hairline fractures spreading through the bones in his arms.