This... is absurd

This...

Is utterly absurd.

But then again...

Come to think of it.

As a responsible older brother, it's necessary to indulge one's little sister in some slightly unreasonable requests—even if they sound a tad spoiled.

Even if he absolutely doesn’t want to do it.

Not one bit.

Su Qi didn’t say anything more.

He lifted Liu Yuan off his lap and set her down.

Once steady on her feet, Liu Yuan immediately grabbed the nearby milk tea cup and took a few small sips, her little fangs playfully stirring the straw to mask her nervousness.

Though they’d practiced sparring together many times at home,

this was their first time doing it outside.

Then, Su Qi took her hand.

Her palm was slightly cool with sweat.

"Come with me."

As a third-stage proctor, Su Qi had certain privileges.

Like securing an undisturbed restroom.

Was it an abuse of power?

Probably not.

Even workhorses deserve a lunch break.

It was just past noon—what was wrong with Su Qi taking a short rest?

Couldn’t they see how dark his under-eye circles were?

Maybe a quick nap would help lighten them.

...

The two of them navigated through the noisy hallway, avoiding the crowd until they reached a secluded corner.

There, an unused equipment storage room stood.

The door wasn’t locked.

Su Qi glanced around to confirm no one was watching, then gently pushed the door open.

A faint scent of dust greeted them.

The room was small, cluttered with outdated training equipment, the dim lighting casting long shadows.

Su Qi led his sister inside, then softly closed the door behind them.

A quiet click echoed.

The lock engaged from the inside.

In the cramped space, only the sound of their breathing remained.

The atmosphere instantly grew...

Su Qi leaned against the cold wall, watching his sister, who stood before him, head bowed as she fiddled with the hem of her clothes.

Her slender legs, clad in white thigh-high socks, looked delicate yet firm.

Her cheeks were still flushed, her eyes darting nervously, avoiding his gaze.

"Um..."

Liu Yuan hesitated before speaking, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Brother... could you... sit down first?"

She pointed to a relatively clean, discarded training bench nearby.

Su Qi obliged, taking a seat.

At this height, his eyes were level with Liu Yuan’s when she stood.

Her fingers twisted together anxiously.

Then, she took a small step forward, closing the distance between them.

Su Qi could smell the faint milky fragrance on her more clearly now.

Liu Yuan seemed unused to this eye level.

Normally, she had to look up to meet her brother’s gaze.

So, she bent her knees slightly, lowering her center of gravity.

Her movements were light, carrying an unusual suppleness.

The lines of her calves, wrapped in white thigh-highs, tensed subtly.

Now, their eye level matched their usual dynamic.

Her eyes, glistening with a misty sheen, held a mix of shyness and something that made Su Qi’s heart race—

a determined resolve for pre-match training!

Liu Yuan slowly, ever so slowly, raised her hand.

Her fingers curled in midair before relaxing again.

Seeing her hesitation, Su Qi lifted a hand and gently rested it atop her head.

Her hair was soft and silky under his touch.

As if receiving permission, Liu Yuan murmured, "Brother... the pre-match training is starting..."

Since the second stage of the Martial Exam didn’t prioritize victory as the main scoring criterion,

she decided to focus on honing her techniques.

For instance—how to counter and grapple when facing a close-range opponent like Su Qi, who wielded the seventh-tier Mythic-grade [End of the Road Spear], with a staggering strength stat of over 400 points.

With his tacit approval, Su Qi made the first move.

Liu Yuan was instantly struck by a surge of force.

Though agility was her forte, she didn’t dodge.

She wanted to test the gap between her and Su Qi’s strength.

She chose to take the hit head-on.

The overwhelming disparity in power sent a shiver down her spine, a tingling sensation that made her scalp prickle.

"Brother... I blocked it."

Her voice was muffled, laced with a damp, nasal tone.

Su Qi grunted—the recoil from his own strike made his body instinctively lean back. "Impressive..."

Despite the vast difference in their strength stats, Liu Yuan had cleverly used her soul energy, wrapping it around herself to disperse the force.

Even delivering a faint sting to Su Qi in the process.

Liu Yuan seemed to realize her own misstep, pausing briefly as her face scrunched up in frustration.

This was just practice—she couldn’t go too hard.

After a brief recalibration, she adjusted her angle and force before resuming their spar.

Four ounces could move a thousand pounds.

Strength wasn’t the only deciding factor.

Her attacks were fluid and relentless, steadily wearing down Su Qi’s stamina.

The balance that had once held now teetered under her unyielding, rhythmically precise counters.

Su Qi began to grow restless.

Prolonged stalemates eroded patience.

Fueled by frustration, his strikes grew heavier, less controlled.

The muscles in Su Qi’s arms bulged, veins faintly visible beneath his skin.

Perhaps due to the [Spear Fanatic] debuff, he never truly learned restraint in battle.

No longer testing the waters, he attacked with a single-minded ferocity.

The spear was the king of weapons, and the seventh-tier Mythic-grade [End of the Road Spear] boasted a 100% spear-type enhancement—making it the king of kings.

Once unleashed,

it should pierce like a dragon, shake the heavens, and shatter the skies in a single strike.

Su Qi’s soul energy surged, roaring as if on the verge of breaking free.

Liu Yuan, caught off guard, staggered back with a choked gasp, her face paling instantly.

A few strands of hair clung to her damp cheeks.

Strength was never her strong suit.

She tightened her grip, refusing to collapse immediately.

But she only lasted about thirteen waves of his assault.

In the end, she stumbled back two steps, hands braced against the floor to steady herself.

Her lips parted slightly, eyes still wide with lingering shock.

Liu Yuan swallowed hard. After all, she was only fifth-tier—challenging a seventh-tier strength-based weapon was simply too much.

But pushing the fight this far? That counted as her victory.

Strength had never been her forte anyway.

She kept her head lowered, not daring to meet Su Qi’s eyes.

"Brother..."

Her voice was feather-light, trembling.

"Should we make it best of three?"

Just then—

The little phone streaming their session decided to remind them of its presence.

The volume was kept low to avoid disrupting their focus.

After all, the whole point of this sparring was to improve her Martial Exam performance.

Missing the exam would defeat the purpose.

The broadcaster’s sweet voice chimed in:

"Next up—Match Twelve is about to begin! Contestants for the thirteenth bout on A-1 Arena, please proceed to the preparation area immediately!"

"The participants are—"

"A-55, Liu Yuan!"

"A-102, Lin Han!"

The two exchanged a glance.

Su Qi suggested, "Maybe we should call it—"

Liu Yuan cut him off. "Even brothers settle scores clearly—so should siblings."

"We’ll make it quick."

Su Qi understood what she meant.

She was preparing to abandon brute strength and instead rely on the nimble Fox Illusion Steps to suppress him with intricate footwork.

With the competition drawing near, their sparring sessions had intensified.

Five minutes later.

Su Qi witnessed his younger sister at the peak of her abilities.

This wasn’t a life-or-death battle.

Under these circumstances, he genuinely struggled to hold his own against her—especially when she used her card skill to transform into a young fox and combined it with the Fox Illusion Steps.

Add to that the slight burning sensation in his soul, and it was practically a guaranteed loss.

To top it off, she didn’t hesitate to taunt him verbally, disrupting Su Qi’s focus mid-fight…

Compounded by the inherent disadvantage of a strength-based fighter against an agility-based one,

every factor was stacked against him.

Of course, Su Qi had ways to counter Liu Yuan’s assault.

The gap in their ranks was undeniable.

But he couldn’t do it.

Again, this wasn’t a fight to the death.

What else could Su Qi do?

His sister’s competitive drive was just too overwhelming.

He was at his wit’s end.

She knew full well that he would eventually go easy on her—that’s why she fought so recklessly.

In the end, as expected, his sister won.

She halted the Fox Illusion Steps, gently lowering her feet back to the ground.

Then, Su Qi began putting her shoes back on for her.

Don’t misunderstand—going barefoot was simply to better execute the Fox Illusion Steps.

For instance, the softness of her small feet against hard surfaces like the floor helped mask the sound of her movements,

making her steps unpredictable, blurring the line between illusion and reality.

Liu Yuan adjusted her clothes.

It had to be said—custom-made outfits were worth the high price.

Even after such an intense fight, there wasn’t a single tear or blemish.

“Brother… my match is about to start. I should get ready.”

She walked to the door, her hand resting on the handle.

“Go ahead.”

Su Qi stood up, watching as his sister’s slender figure disappeared beyond the doorway.

He would leave a little later.

Since they’d borrowed the lounge for their sparring, basic courtesy demanded he clean up afterward.

Stepping outside,

Liu Yuan was still holding onto that incredibly long-lasting milk tea.

But even the most enduring milk tea eventually runs out.

She took one last big sip,

swishing the tea around in her mouth a few times before finally swallowing.

Then, with perfect aim, she tossed the empty cup into a nearby trash bin and strode toward the A-1 arena’s contestant entrance.