On the arena platform, Xena Xiao and Liana Xiao faced each other, eyes locked.
"Xena, seems like your luck ran out; you're up against me in the first match. Judging by your earlier fights, you've barely reached the seventh level of the Purification Stage. Each level boost brings a huge increase in power. I'm at the peak of the eighth level, about to break through to the ninth," Liana boasted smugly.
"Is the eighth level of the Purification Stage that impressive?" Xena replied coolly. "I only awakened my Guardian Spirit a month ago, yet I've gone from the third to the seventh level. You, on the other hand, awakened two years ago, and you're just now hitting the eighth level. Honestly, with those results, I doubt you'll even make it into college. Hardly anything to brag about."
Liana's face flushed with anger at Xena's words.
"Enough talk. Let's fight!" Liana snapped, adopting her fighting stance.
At the referee's signal, Liana launched forward with a swift, intricate footwork technique, her fist aimed at Xena. Her punch radiated with spiraling energy—one of the Xiao family's renowned third-tier martial techniques: Sky-Shattering Fist.
From her mastery, it was clear Liana had honed this move to perfection.
"I'll use Vajra Palm directly," Xena decided. Given her lower level, she knew she'd need the full strength of Vajra Palm to compete with Liana.
She didn't fear exposing the technique—few in the Xiao family could grasp the subtleties of Vajra Palm. At most, they'd assume she had simply trained her palm technique to mastery.
A low hum filled the air as Xena activated the Indestructible Vajra Physique, her body faintly glowing with a golden hue. Every cell in her body seemed infused with an indomitable energy. As she channeled Vajra Palm, the golden light coalesced, forming a faint, shimmering palm shadow on her hand.
In that moment, it was as though a figure of a Vajra, a Buddhist guardian, had merged with her, guiding her right palm as it struck toward Liana.
Boom!
The air exploded as a powerful energy surged from Xena, her aura even sharper than Liana's, despite being at a lower level.
"This technique…" Bart Xiao's eyes narrowed as he sensed the unique force behind Xena's strike. He knew it wasn't a Xiao family technique, likely something her Guardian Spirit had taught her. He couldn't quite determine its level, but it was far from ordinary.
Crash!
After their exchange, both Xena and Liana staggered back several steps, nearly evenly matched.
"No way! How could you possibly block my Sky-Shattering Fist?" Liana was incredulous. She was a full level higher than Xena, wielding a powerful fist technique, and yet Xena had met her strike head-on.
"I don't believe it!" Liana lunged forward again.
But now, she had lost her composure, her attacks faltering from frustration, and her fighting strength wavering under the weight of her emotions. In contrast, Xena remained steady, her movements calm and measured, skillfully wielding Vajra Palm with consistent focus.
As the battle continued, Liana found herself increasingly on the defensive, her defeat growing more evident with each exchange.
From the audience, Xiao family elders like Elder Ao and Elder Fei shook their heads in disappointment. They had high hopes for Liana, but here she was, losing her focus and composure against Xena. Had she kept her head, it might have been a fair match.
At last, in a moment of weakness, Xena seized the opportunity. With a precise Vajra Palm strike, she sent Liana flying from the platform, claiming victory.
Seeing Liana fall from the ring, the referee announced decisively, "First match, Xena Xiao is the winner!"
Liana, once the family's second-strongest among the young generation, had now been bested by Xena. Xena's position as the second-place contender in this round was practically certain; everyone knew that first place would inevitably go to Toby Xiao.
The remaining matches were quick. Xena's opponents either surrendered outright or were swiftly defeated by her.
In the final showdown, Xena faced Toby. It quickly became evident that she wasn't a match for him. Within two moves, she was at a clear disadvantage and chose to concede.
A few hours later, the second round of the family competition ended, with Xena taking second place.
In the Guardian Spirit Space, Ethan congratulated her, "Xena, congrats! You're second place, and now everyone in the Xiao family has to see you in a new light. No one will dare look down on you."
"Thank you, Ethan. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have progressed this quickly!" Xena said gratefully.
"Of course, Xena—I'm your Guardian Spirit. I'm here to protect, support, and help you grow!" Ethan replied with enthusiasm.
"Protect me?" For some reason, hearing these words made Xena's heart skip a beat. Flustered, she quickly changed the topic.
"Ethan, the third round will be your time to shine!"
She reminded him, aware that the Xiao family's third round wasn't between Awakeners but rather a battle of Guardian Spirits.
Typically, only those who reached the ninth level of the Purification Stage could summon their Guardian Spirit for battle. However, in this era, there were rare treasures that could enable Guardian Spirits to be summoned earlier.
One of these treasures was the Guardian Disc.
The Guardian Disc created a small, contained field that allowed Guardian Spirits to exit their space and enter the Disc's domain, permitting them to battle within the field.
To ensure fairness, the Guardian Disc would restrict the power level to the ninth level of the Purification Stage, regardless of the Awakener's or Guardian Spirit's true strength, thus creating a balanced field for combat.
"Don't worry, Xena! If you missed out on first place in the second round, I'll make sure to get you first place in the third!" Ethan declared confidently, thumping his chest.
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