"You’re just slow!"

Tang Yan was practicing the Phantom Step, a technique characterized by being elusive and hard to catch. When the power difference wasn’t too large, it was extremely difficult to detect his presence.

Hearing Tang Yan’s usual ridicule, Lin Dongxue felt increasingly frustrated. She gritted her teeth and said, "Hmph, there’s still time left, let's continue!"

With that, she accelerated once again, moving like a meteor as she dashed forward. She had been worried that Tang Yan might not keep up, so she hadn’t been using her full strength earlier.

Seeing Lin Dongxue’s speed increase, Tang Yan’s eyes flashed with surprise.

Her footwork was exquisite, and it would definitely be a highlight in the upcoming East Domain Grand Tournament!

With Lin Dongxue pushing herself to her limit, the distance between them grew once again.

Not wanting to fall behind, Tang Yan also picked up his pace, closing the gap between them.

As time ticked by, nearing the half-hour mark, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Tang Yan’s mouth. "Miss Lin, don’t forget your promise."

Lin Dongxue heard his voice drifting through the air, and in her peripheral vision, she caught sight of a figure like a ghost, passing right by her side and moving ahead.

No matter how hard she tried to chase, Tang Yan was always five meters in front of her, and she couldn’t close the gap!

"Hmph!" Realizing she couldn’t win, Lin Dongxue stopped and stood there, breathing heavily.

"Admit defeat?" Tang Yan also stopped, turning around with a teasing smile.

Seeing the mischievous grin on his face, Lin Dongxue instantly recalled their bet from earlier. Her cheeks flushed, and thinking about her promise, she almost wished she could disappear into the ground.

Why had she been so impulsive?

Of course, Lin Dongxue hadn’t expected that Tang Yan would possess such monstrous speed.

"What if I lost?" Lin Dongxue feigned defiance.

"I remember someone saying that if she lost, she’d have to do something... What was it again?" Tang Yan pretended to forget, asking deliberately.

"Go to hell!" Lin Dongxue’s cheeks burned, and she stormed forward, ignoring him.

"As the daughter of the City Lord, you wouldn’t go back on your word, would you? I remember the City Lord’s Mansion is known for its integrity," Tang Yan continued to provoke her from behind.

In truth, Tang Yan didn’t really care if Lin Dongxue fulfilled her promise. It had been a long while since they had seen even a second-tier spirit beast, and he was feeling quite bored, so he couldn’t resist teasing her.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Ahead, Lin Dongxue suddenly stopped. Then, her face appeared in front of Tang Yan’s eyes, followed by a pair of soft lips pressing against his. Tang Yan felt as if his head exploded, his mind going blank.

This was... his first kiss... and it was stolen by a woman?

"Here’s your kiss back!" Lin Dongxue growled as she pulled away, turning and continuing her way forward.

Tang Yan stood there, dazed, unable to recover. Having lived two lives, he was an absolute rookie when it came to moments like these, and he had never experienced anything like this. His mind was in turmoil, and after a while, he silently followed behind Lin Dongxue.

Neither of them spoke as they walked, creating an incredibly awkward atmosphere.

"Roar!" Suddenly, a red figure lunged toward them.

Tang Yan snapped back to reality. He glanced at Lin Dongxue, still frozen in place, and quickly shook his head, rushing forward with a punch.

Luckily, it was just a second-tier spirit beast. Tang Yan blocked it in time. Lin Dongxue, still in a daze, was drenched in cold sweat.

If Tang Yan had been a little farther away and she had lost focus again, she might have been in danger.

The creature before them was a second-tier Red-striped Tiger, and Tang Yan, with his combat experience, wasn’t concerned. After delivering a powerful punch that sent the tiger flying, he quickly stepped back and said softly, "You take it from here. The more you practice, the better your chances in the tournament."

Lin Dongxue, looking for an excuse to regain her dignity, nodded. This Red-striped Tiger was the perfect opportunity to break the deadlock between them. She immediately leapt forward.

Lin Dongxue’s fundamentals were solid, but battling was different from practicing martial arts techniques. In martial arts, moves were important, but in combat, one needed to deconstruct those techniques and choose the most appropriate move for each situation.

Lin Dongxue’s experience in battle was still lacking, and she used many unnecessary moves, missing opportunities to defeat the Red-striped Tiger.

"Bang! Bang!"

Having never experienced such life-or-death combat, Lin Dongxue was momentarily flustered by the tiger’s attacks. Fortunately, her cultivation had reached the peak of the Mystical Stage, giving her a natural advantage over a second-tier spirit beast.

Tang Yan didn’t intervene. By the time Lin Dongxue landed a punch that sent the tiger flying, half an hour had already passed.

After the long battle, Lin Dongxue had sustained some scratches.

"Too slow!" Tang Yan said coldly.

Lin Dongxue had expected a compliment, or at least some acknowledgment for her effort, but instead, Tang Yan was mocking her?

"You try, then!" Lin Dongxue’s patience finally snapped.

"The first attack from the Red-striped Tiger was a leap towards you. You have speed and an advantage in strength. You should have slid under its belly and attacked.

The belly of a spirit beast is its weak spot, and with a single move, you could have dealt significant damage. But instead, you chose to face it head-on."

"Although spirit beasts have natural strength, with your advantage, you still had the upper hand in the first move. At that point, you should have closed in and attacked.

The Red-striped Tiger's power is beginning to wane. If you had continued your attacks, it would have struggled to use its full strength. You could have easily overwhelmed it in three moves!"

"The third time it attacked, it tried to bite you. You chose to retreat, but the distance between you and it was just enough for a quick kick to its jaw. You missed that opportunity too."

"The fourth attack was when it stood on its hind legs and swiped at your head. You should have evaded by using your footwork. Spirit beasts are vulnerable when standing upright; you could have attacked its weak spots with ease."

"The fifth time..."

"The sixth time..."

"The fifty-sixth time..."

"In the end, you won because of your strength, but it was sheer brute force!"

Tang Yan, acting as a strict instructor, pointed out every mistake Lin Dongxue had made during the battle. Lin Dongxue, who had been extremely displeased with him earlier, now wore an expression of shock.

The seemingly harmless Tang Yan had a level of control over combat techniques that was almost unreal!

As she replayed his every word, Lin Dongxue realized that if she had followed Tang Yan’s advice, she could have defeated the Red-striped Tiger in a matter of seconds.

Suddenly, Lin Dongxue, who had always been disinterested in combat, now found herself eager to find another spirit beast to practice on.