The space between them collapsed.
No warning. No pause.
The figure moved first this time, and it moved faster than before, faster than any of its previous attempts, fast enough that Lan Yue barely registered the shift before Zhao Lingxi was already there, arm snapping up to intercept. The impact rang out sharp and clean, a hard collision that sent visible ripples through the formation lines etched into the ground beneath their feet.
Not brute force.
Controlled force.
There was a difference, and Lan Yue caught it immediately.
"It is not testing anymore," she said.
Zhao Lingxi did not look at her. "No."
The figure adjusted mid-motion, not pausing to reassess, not hesitating, just redirecting its weight the moment its first strike was absorbed. Its follow-up came from a lower angle, aimed precisely where Zhao Lingxi had been, not where she stood now.
Prediction.
