"Sparring? With you?"

Xu Tao asked, taken aback by the sudden challenge. "Can it be later? I'm really tired right now…"

After breaking past the Lower Cultivation Realm and reaching the Soul Severance Stage, a cultivator normally doesn't need sleep anymore. Their body and mind can perform at their optimal form at any moment starting from that stage onward.

But now, Xu Tao was only at the Golden Core Stage, still three whole realms away from it. Thus, he couldn't help it if his body pestered him for some sleep.

Waving a hand dismissively, he tried to walk away, heading toward the castle, but...

"Hah! You're just afraid of losing to my Lord Achilles, right?!"

"…."

One of the ten men behind Achilles called out, mocking him.

Of course, it's not like he couldn't let such a minor verbal slight go. However, right now, Xu Tao was mentally tired… In short, he couldn't think straight, and ended up giving a damn.

"All right, I get it. Sparring, right?" He turned around, scratching his head. "Then quickly start."

Achilles's eyes flashed with excitement.

He knew Xu Tao was more powerful than he was. However, that's only if they considered their overall strength. In a sparring match, where only martial prowess is measured, he was confident he'd win!

"I'll be using a wooden sword and shield!" Achilles declared, before signaling one of his men.

The next moment, they threw a pair of wooden sword and shield to Xu Tao, hoping for him to use it. However…

"Ah, I won't use a sword. That's overkill, even if it's wooden." Xu Tao said, waving his hand as if shooing them away.

Instead of that, he began looking around and grabbed a different "weapon" off the ground. What he picked up was… a thin twig. A fallen branch of some tree left on the ground. Xu Tao checked its elasticity by bending it, then did a few practice swings before nodding.

"I'll be using this as a weapon. It should be more than enough…"

"A-A stick?!"

"You fucker! How dare you look down on Lord Achilles!"

"Hah! Preparing an excuse for when you lose already? What a schemer!"

The spectators grew noisy after they saw his weapon of choice, but when Xu Tao's gaze swept toward them, they all went quiet. They couldn't explain it, but after bathing under his gaze, they felt as if a cold blade was resting against their necks!

"An excuse for after losing?" Xu Tao growled in a low voice. "Why should I? My victory's already set in stone."

To Xu Tao, Achilles was nothing but a kid with an inflated ego. And as an adult, it might be his job to snap his long nose before it got worse… After all, he couldn't rely on the adults around him right now. They'd rather instigate him to fight than teach humility.

"What a coincidence," but despite Xu Tao's declaration, Achilles's confidence didn't waver. "I was thinking the same thing. There's no way I'd lose if it's a fight of pure martial arts!"

A smile crept up Xu Tao's lips, feeling that Achilles was acting disproportionately cute for his age. He carefully lifted his stick forward, holding it like a sword while his other hand rested behind him.

"Anyway, I'm tired. Let's get this over with. Come."

"Then, without further ado…!"

Achilles dashed forward with his shield raised, making use of his high STR and AGI. He closed the few steps of distance in a flash, appearing just a meter away from Xu Tao.

"Haaap!"

His sword swung down, power building with gravity. Even if it was a wooden sword, getting hit by it would definitely break a few bones, if not worse.

"Fast, strong, but lacking in principle."

Xu Tao sighed, waving his stick aside as if shooing a pesky fly. As he did, Achilles's sword slipped past Xu Tao without dealing damage.

"…!"

Achilles couldn't believe what had just happened.

He was looking properly, so he knew that Xu Tao didn't even use his Qi. Much less did he use Sword Intent or any other fancy techniques. His sword was deflected by the stick being casually swung, nothing else!

"No way!" Of course, he couldn't just accept such a truth. "This is a sparring match, so don't use any fancy techniques, bastard!"

He lunged forward with his shield, trying a shield bash as a follow-up. At their current distance, it'd be near impossible to dodge it, after all!

Xu Tao raised a brow, hearing his accusation. "What? I'm not using any though… If I was, then this sparring would've ended by now."

As he spoke, he pointed the stick forward, like a fencer about to do a simple thrust. The stick gently moved forward and tapped the shield's center, before…

"Wha…?!"

While the stick was touching the shield, Xu Tao casually swung it aside. Achilles, however, moved as if to follow the direction of the stick. Like a bull chasing a red cloth. The shield bash shifted to the side, missing its target completely!

But not only that.

TAP!

As if to brag about the difference between them, Xu Tao's stick moved from the shield to Achilles' forehead, letting out an audible, but harmless tap.

Everyone who was watching the fight couldn't believe their eyes. If they weren't sparring, and instead were using real weapons, then that tap possessed deadly potential!

"All right, you died once." Xu Tao sighed as he slipped past his enemy. "Still gonna continue?"

Of course, Achilles knew that this should've been his loss. However, there's no way he'd accept such a resolution, with his enemy seemingly playing around.

"Bastard! Stop dodging and fight like a man!" he shouted, readying his sword and shield once again. As if to say this spar is far from over!

"Fight like a man?" Xu Tao scratched his hair with his stick, shaking his head gently. "You've got a lot of orders but… well, let's humor them. Go on."

Xu Tao resumed his initial posture—right hand holding the stick, poised forward, with his left hand resting behind his back.

Achilles didn't expect Xu Tao to honestly accept his demands, but still grinned. Right now, Xu Tao had indirectly claimed he'd no longer dodge or deflect the attacks and instead meet him like a man.

But their weapons were largely different. Between a solid wooden sword and a flimsy stick, it was obvious which one would last longer in a direct contest!

"Take this!"

He rushed forward, raising his sword and bringing it down once more.

Another overhead slash!

An attack that maximized the difference between their weapons!

THUNK!

But to his surprise, before he could even bring the sword down completely, a stick landed on his wrist, sending the sword in his hand flying.

Right after hitting the wrist, Xu Tao's stick spun once, before resting against Achilles's neck.

"That's two deaths."

"…."

Only silence remained in the field.

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