Tang Xi stepped out of her room with determination, her mi on the uping training. Outside, Ah Tao, ever watchful, immediately followed her. The m seemed peaceful, but that tranquility wasn't destio st. As observant as always, Ah Tao noticed something different about her dy.

  — "Miss, is everything alright? I was worried. You asked me to call your father..." — Ah Tao said, her voice tinged with as she walked alongside Tang Xi.

  Still immersed in the ges she had felt within herself, Tang Xi turned with a soft smile and replied calmly:

  — "I'm fine, Ah Tao. But tell me, haven't you noticed anything different about me?"

  The maid blinked a few times, fused. Her initial wave way to hesitant curiosity. She scrutiang Xi more closely, and suddenly, her eyes widened.

  — "Different? Miss… you've ehe Body Tempering Realm!" — she excimed, her voice a mix of joy and astonishment.

  But as she tinued , something else caught her attention. Narrowing her eyes slightly, she tilted her head and murmured:

  — "It doesn't seem to be just that... Your eyes, Miss… they're shimmering purple. And your aura... it's different. It feels... nobler, more imposing."

  For a moment, Ah Tao became lost in Tang Xi's eyes, captivated by the mesmerizing brilliahat seemed to carry the light of stars. Quickly regaining her posure, she blushed slightly and averted her gaze, shaking her head to dispel the distra.

  Tang Xi chuckled softly, her rexed expression revealing a rare moment of lightheartedness.

  — "It's true, Ah Tao, I've ged. But I still o get used to all of this," — she said, running her hand through her now-bck hair. — "Now, I o ge. I'm still wearierday's au outfit, and it's hardly practical."

  Ah Tao nodded quickly, but she couldn't hide the gleam of happiness in her eyes. Seeing her dy finally reach a milestohat once seemed unattainable was more than she could have hoped for.

  After ging, Tang Xi returned with a determined look. Her attire was now light yet elegant, perfect for what she had in mind. She g Ah Tao, eared more excited than herself, and smiled.

  — "Let's head to my training ground," — she decred firmly. — "I o test my power and adapt to it."

  Ah Tao nodded enthusiastically, but before she could say anything, Tang Xi added, turning slightly to the side:

  — " Kai."

  From a nearby shadow, a figure emerged with silent steps. It was one of her secret guards, assigo protect her. His dark blue and bck mask cealed most of his face, but it couldn't hide his anding presehe only visible feature was a striking scar on his left cheek, hinting at stories of past battles.

  — "You'll be my sparring partner," — Tang Xi said, meeting his gaze directly.

  The guard gave a short, formal bow, nodding in agreement. His silence was no surprise; it was a requirement of his role. Yet, his eyes veyed resped readiness.

  Ah Tao, watg the se, could barely tain her excitement. Her dy, now stronger and more fident, seemed destined freatness.

  With renewed determination, Tang Xi led the small group to the training field, where the air already seemed to hum with the promise of a challenging and revealing frontation.

  Tang Xi and Kai positiohemselves on opposite ends of the training ground. The sileween them was broken only by the soft rustling of the wind through the surrounding trees. She took a deep breath before speaking, her fidence clear in her voice:

  — " Kai, let's start as usual. Restrain yourself to the third level of Body Tempering. I o gauge the difference."

  Kai tilted his head slightly in aowledgment, his eyes sharp and focused. He remembered their previous training sessions well. Even when he suppressed his power to the agreed level, Tang Xi could barely keep up. But now, somethi different.

  He was the first to move. His body shot forward with speed far beyond that of a mortal, closing the distaween them in the blink of an eye. His fist rose in a direct, rapid strike aimed at the ter of Tang Xi's defense.

  Tang Xi reacted instinctively, raising her fist to block the strike. The impact echoed across the training field like muffled thuhe force sent her sliding three steps back, while Kai, with his experiend strength, remained unmoved. His body only trembled slightly before stabilizing.

  Wasting no time, both of them advanced again. The exge of blows was fierd precise, each attack a testament to their strength and skill. Tang Xi felt her arms tremble with each collisio instead of retreating, a determined gleam lit up her eyes.— "The difference is real..." — she thought, adjusting her movements.

  In previous training sessions, she would have been forced to retreat more thaeps within moments, her energy nearly depleted after only a few minutes. Kai's true strength was at the Mid Primary in level, and even with his power restrained, he remained overwhelming for anyone of the same rank. Yet this time, she mao hold her ground. Her body, now aced to the ges, withstood the impact of each strike, a testament to how far she had progressed.

  For a moment, her thoughts drifted. She recalled the day her father assigned Kai as her personal guard, one of his most trusted and powerful men. She had protested, arguing that someone s should remain by her father's side, but he had been insistent.— "I will only be at peace if he is by your side." — her father's words echoed in her mind, filling her heart with a mix of gratitude and responsibility.

  Shaking off the memories, Tang Xi refocused on the fight. As the blows tinued, an idea crossed her mind. It was time to test not only her body but also her ability to manipute aura.

  She trated her energy, eling the earth attribute into her fists. A shimmerihy hue enveloped her hands, makirikes heavier and more solid. As she unleashed her attack, Kai immediately sehe shift.

  Without hesitation, he infused his movements with the earth attribute as well. His strikes grew more robust, his stance even more unyielding. The training field seemed to tremble uhe csh of elemental forces.

  Tang Xi retreated momentarily, her aura and adjusting it. Resolute, she unched a powerful punch aimed at Kai's arm. Reizing the threat, he shifted into a defea the st moment, raising his aura from the third to the fourth level.

  The impact was staggering. Kai slid four steps back, the grouh his feet sinking slightly uhe pressure. For an instant, he felt an acute sense of danger."If I had kept my aura at the third level, my hand would've broken." — he thought, astonished.

  Both paused briefly, their eyes meeting. The air between them crackled, not just with the tension of battle, but with mutual aowledgment of each other's abilities.

  Tang Xi, her fist still ched, gave a faint smile.— " Kai, it seems I'm starting to uand what has ged within me."

  The guard didn't respond, but the way he adjusted his stance made it clear he was ready to tihe training field seemed to hold its breath, awaiting their move.