Chapter 5: Sparring

"Who is this?"

Just as Saeko Busujima was about to leave the gymnasium out of disappointment, her gaze inadvertently fell upon Lin Yi, who was standing beside Rei Miyamoto.

As her eyes met Lin Yi's, Saeko Busujima’s body suddenly tensed, like a leopard about to launch an attack.

Her hands tightened instinctively around the white oak hilt at her waist.

As a descendant of the Busujima family, Saeko possessed a unique intuition. She could sense an unusual aura emanating from Lin Yi—a signal of unfathomable danger.

Rei Miyamoto, unaware of the subtle change in Saeko’s expression, smiled and introduced him: "This is Lin Yi. He’s an exchange student from Huaxia."

Upon learning of Lin Yi’s background, a meaningful smile appeared on Saeko Busujima’s face.

She turned gracefully and walked toward the weapon rack at the side of the court, carefully selecting a wooden sword.

Immediately after, with a swift and stealthy motion, she threw the wooden sword toward Lin Yi.

The wooden sword streaked through the air like a meteor, tracing an elegant arc as it headed straight for Lin Yi.

Faced with this sudden attack, Lin Yi remained exceptionally calm.

He didn't even look up at the rapidly approaching wooden sword; he simply reached out his right hand and probed the air casually.

Just as the onlookers were worried that the wooden sword would miss its target, Lin Yi’s right hand firmly grasped the hilt.

In that instant, the surrounding air seemed to freeze.

Gasps of astonishment erupted from the audience. Although they were not professional fighters, they possessed a certain level of understanding and appreciation for combat techniques.

They realized clearly that Lin Yi’s seemingly effortless catch actually required an extremely high reaction speed and precise control of force.

Such a skill was definitely beyond the reach of an ordinary person.

And Saeko Busujima’s estimation of Lin Yi rose sharply during this process.

She realized that this exchange student from Huaxia was by no means an ordinary person.

Looking at the excitement flickering in Saeko Busujima’s eyes, Lin Yi knew that this duel seemed inevitable.

He nodded gently to Rei Miyamoto beside him, signaling that they would talk later.

Then, he turned and walked calmly down the stairs of the spectator stands, heading toward the center of the competition arena.

Every step Lin Yi took appeared confident and composed, as if such occasions were a daily routine for him, and he had long been fully prepared for the upcoming challenge.

The audience’s eyes were focused on him, curiosity and anticipation intertwined, creating an indescribable atmosphere of tension.

‘Activate detection function.’

【Consuming 10 Mana points, obtaining the following information】

Name: Saeko Busujima

Health: 100%

Mana: 40

Strength: 6

Agility: 8

Stamina: 6

Intelligence: 4

Charisma: 4

Luck: 3

Skill 1: Sword Mastery: LV10 (Passive)

Skill Effect: Increases melee attack power by 28% and proficiency with bladed weapons.

Lv.10 Additional Ability

Heart of Asura: Pain sensation reduced by 75% during combat. Each enemy killed increases Strength by 1 and Agility by 1, up to a maximum of 5 points, lasting for 72 hours.

Skill 2: Child of the World (Passive)

Skill Effect

Luck +2;

Charisma +2;

Luck increases significantly when encountering danger. When you fall into a crisis, your luck will surge instantly, helping you turn danger into safety.

Compared to Rei Miyamoto, Saeko Busujima’s combat prowess was clearly more outstanding, almost a tier above Rei.

This was evident from their respective fighting techniques.

"Are you not going to wear protective gear?" Saeko Busujima frowned slightly, her tone carrying a hint of concern.

She knew her own strength well; if she went all out, it would be easy to accidentally injure her opponent.

Faced with Saeko Busujima’s concern, Lin Yi simply shook his head, indicating that he did not need extra protection.

Lin Yi always pursued physical flexibility and agility in combat; heavy protective gear would only be a burden to him.

In the past, when challenging various martial arts schools, he had always worn only light martial arts attire.

Seeing that Lin Yi had no intention of wearing armor, Saeko Busujima took a deep breath, her entire body tensing instantly like a bowstring about to be released, ready to strike.

Every cell in her body was preparing for the upcoming duel.

She stood with her feet shoulder-width apart, her left foot stepping slightly forward, forming a fighting stance that was both stable and flexible.

This posture not only helped Saeko maintain her balance but also allowed her to react and adjust quickly when necessary.

At the same time, Saeko Busujima gripped the wooden sword with both hands, the blade hanging straight at her side, pointing downward.

Her left hand held the bottom of the hilt, while her right hand gripped the upper part, near the guard.

This way of holding the sword allowed her to control the wooden sword as she pleased; whether it was slashing, thrusting, or defending, she could do it with ease.

As the referee blew the whistle, the match officially began.

Saeko Busujima launched instantly, her figure like a cannonball fired from a chamber, rushing fiercely toward Lin Yi.

The long sword in her hand cut through the air, emitting a shrill whistle, as if signaling the impending danger.

Faced with this swift offensive, Lin Yi remained exceptionally calm.

He tilted his head slightly, relying on his astonishing reaction speed to successfully dodge Saeko Busujima’s fierce strike.

Immediately after, he pivoted his body and delivered a sharp elbow strike directly into Saeko Busujima’s abdomen.

However, Saeko Busujima did not fall.

She gritted her teeth, enduring the pain, and the long sword in her hand traced a brilliant arc in the air.

With her strength added to it, the power of this wooden sword was almost no different from a real blade.

Faced with this sudden counterattack, Lin Yi had no choice but to block with his wooden sword in front of his chest.

The audience gasped as they witnessed this thrilling scene.

After Lin Yi successfully defended against Saeko Busujima’s fierce attack, the latter retreated several steps before barely managing to stand firm.

She took several deep breaths, trying her best to alleviate the waves of pain coming from her abdomen.

At this moment, a madness never seen before appeared on her face, and a strange smile hung on the corners of her mouth, as if foreshadowing the storm to come.

At the same time, Saeko Busujima’s temperament underwent a earth-shattering change, instantly transforming from the image of a gentle big sister next door into an Asura who had walked out of the abyss of hell, her entire body exuding an aura of bloodlust and frenzy.

This sudden transformation left everyone present stunned; they had never seen such a terrifying side of Saeko Busujima.

Faced with Saeko Busujima’s drastic change, Lin Yi also put away his previous relaxed attitude, his expression becoming exceptionally grave.

He knew deep down that although the previous attack seemed to have pushed Saeko Busujima back, it had not actually caused her any substantial damage.

The moment the attack made contact with Saeko Busujima’s body, Lin Yi felt as if his force had been neutralized by a soft yet resilient power, like striking a piece of elastic rubber.