Li Lin nodded slightly and then charged forward again, saying, "Let's go again."
Li Mei and Li Xiaobai could only watch the sparring between Li Lin and Li Wushuang, knowing that even Li Mei's strength was far from sufficient. Despite her excellent talent, she was still only at the martial disciple level.
After three hours, Li Lin was gasping for breath, his physical strength nearly depleted, yet he had learned a lot.
Li Wushuang, however, was amazed. Normally, someone at the martial disciple level couldn't sustain such effort for so long, but Li Lin seemed to have an endless supply of Qi, continuing until even she felt tired.
"Alright, Lin'er, let's rest. The competition is in two days, and you shouldn't overexert yourself. You need to conserve your energy and prepare," Li Wushuang advised.
Li Lin agreed with a light response, feeling too exhausted to continue.
After resting for a while, Li Lin returned to the courtyard to meditate and recover his Qi.
The next day, he sparred with Li Wushuang for another three hours in the training ground, making significant progress with his Fury Fist and Mountain Splitting Palm, especially mastering control over the Fury Fist.
"Lin'er, prepare well. Tomorrow is the day of the competition," Li Wushuang said, somewhat tiredly.
"Okay," Li Lin responded, knowing the importance of the next day for himself.
"I've heard that an outer elder from the Yunyang Sect has arrived in Qingyun Town with several stewards. They've already arrived, and I'm about to pay them a visit. It seems the Yunyang Sect is taking this competition in Qingyun Town seriously. You might have a good chance of becoming a direct disciple of the Yunyang Sect. Make sure to perform well in the competition; it could greatly increase your chances of becoming a direct disciple," Li Wushuang said.
"What's the difference between a direct disciple and other disciples?" Li Lin inquired.
"The difference is significant, but it's a long story. You'll understand the benefits once you're in the Yunyang Sect," Li Wushuang explained.
Li Lin didn't ask further. Given Li Wushuang's emphasis, the advantages of being a direct disciple over a regular disciple must be considerable. Just the quota for regular disciples in the Yunyang Sect was highly coveted, so the status of a direct disciple was naturally even more desirable.
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After returning to the courtyard and resting for a while, Li Lin spent some time talking with his mother, not overly nervous about the next day's competition.
At night, after dinner, Li Lin went back to his room to meditate and prepare for the special day ahead, with everything else already arranged by the Li family.
For many people in Qingyun Town, it was a tense night. In a quiet courtyard, three figures gathered in a room. One of them, recognizable to Li Lin, was Yang Man from the Yang family, who had had a dispute with Li Wushuang at Tianbao Gate.
The other two were a middle-aged man in a long robe with a profound gaze and an imposing aura, clearly not a weakling, and a young girl in a tight outfit, her youthful curves outlined, her face rosy like a blossoming peach, exuding a youthful aura. Her long black hair cascaded down her shoulders, a true beauty.
"Mi'er, be careful tomorrow. You've hidden your abilities for years. This time, you must make it into the top five. Becoming a direct disciple of the Yunyang Sect would be even better," the middle-aged man said, looking at the beautiful girl with pride.
The man was none other than Yang Xiangfeng, the head of the Yang family, one of the top five families in Qingyun Town, a significant figure whose actions could shake the entire town.
"Dad, I know. Making it into the top five won't be a problem," the beautiful girl, Yang Miao, replied with a voice full of youthful confidence, her appearance a blend of innocence, cuteness, charm, and a hint of allure.
Yang Miao, the renowned talent of the Yang family and a dual-element warrior, had reached the third rank of Warrior at just seventeen, making her a rare genius.
"Sister, don't be careless. With Li Lin and Li Shaohu from the Li family and Qin Tianhao from the Qin family participating, it won't be easy," Yang Man warned.
"Sister, I know. I'll be careful," Yang Miao responded with a light laugh.
In Qingyun Town, within a large estate, a room brightly lit hosted several figures, including Wang Liang.
"Guang'er, be extra careful tomorrow. With talents emerging from other families, you, having hidden your strengths for so long, must surpass them tomorrow," a man in a yellow robe advised softly.
"Father, I'll give it my all tomorrow and won't let the Wang family down," a young man resembling Wang Liang replied with confidence.
"Hmph, the Li and Qin families are getting ahead of themselves. They'll be shocked when you step up tomorrow," Wang Liang said with a light laugh.
For many in Qingyun Town, it was a restless night. As dawn broke, people started heading towards the town square for the family competition, aiming to secure a good spot.
By early morning, the square was already packed with tens of thousands of people of all ages, with more continuing to arrive.
Li Lin exhaled a breath of turbid air from his meditation, ready to face the day that could determine his entry into the Yunyang Sect.
As time passed, the sunlight warmed the blue, cloudless sky. A gentle breeze carried the scent of spring, marking the earth's awakening after winter. The square, surrounded by a sea of people, was not noisy as everyone awaited the participants' arrival, especially those who had staked everything on the bets, anxiously anticipating the outcomes.
Among the crowd, if one looked closely, they could spot many martial artists and even some spiritual practitioners mixed in.