Immortal Martial Saint, something's wrong with my entry.

The longsword in Dongfang Jinghong's hand was sometimes light and agile, sometimes ruthless. With the combination of feints and real attacks, Li Youan felt the pressure increase dramatically.

"Hiss—whoosh."

Li Youan took a deep breath and did not rush to retaliate. Instead, he brought the defensive gun style of the "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Spear" to its fullest potential.

Li Youan hadn't sparred with Dongfang Jinghong for a long time. Whether fighting monsters or sparring with his seniors, the difference in their strength was too great, and Li Youan never got to enjoy the fights.

Now that he was sparring with Dongfang Jinghong, the two were not only of similar strength, but also quite familiar with each other, so he felt very confident fighting.

Under Dongfang Jinghong's relentless onslaught, Li Youan honed his defensive spear techniques repeatedly, becoming increasingly adept at them.

Of course, Dongfang Jinghong did not allow Li Youan to continue defending indefinitely; the power of her sword techniques was constantly increasing.

Li Youan understood that prolonged defense would inevitably lead to defeat, but in order to hone his spear skills, he gritted his teeth and persevered. After persisting for a period of time, Li Youan had completely mastered these spear techniques.

Seeing that he was unable to break through Li Youan's defenses, Dongfang Jinghong swung his longsword even faster.

After parrying Dongfang Jinghong's rapid attacks, Li Youan seized the opportunity and took advantage of a fleeting gap in Dongfang Jinghong's swordplay, switching his spear from defense to offense and suddenly unleashing a burst of power.

"The phoenix cries out in the nine heavens!"

In Li Youan's hand, the Bloodthirsty Spear, like a phoenix piercing through the clouds, carried an indomitable momentum as it thrust straight toward Dongfang Jinghong.

This spear technique demonstrated the peak speed, power, and momentum that Li Youan was currently capable of.

Dongfang Jinghong saw the power of Li Youan's spear move and did not take it head-on. Instead, he flapped his wings and flew backward at a fast angle, barely avoiding the spear tip.

But the enormous phoenix that followed was not something Dongfang Jinghong could avoid. Of course, she wouldn't let the phoenix fly over, so she quickly swung her long sword and unleashed a diagonal slash.

"Return to Origin Sword Technique - Return to Origin Sword".

A familiar cyan greatsword rapidly formed and slashed at the phoenix.

The cyan giant sword collided violently with the phoenix, and the resulting explosion spread in all directions, but this did not affect Li Youan and Dongfang Jinghong.

Although Dongfang Jinghong dodged Li Youan's first shot, Li Youan's second shot was already upon her.

"Phoenix Wings Soar Through the Sky!"

Li Youan changed his spear thrusting technique to sweeping, and the huge fan-shaped spear shadow blocked most of Dongfang Jinghong's dodging space.

Seeing the Bloodthirsty Spear already upon him, Dongfang Jinghong did not panic, but instead steadied himself.

She brandished her longsword and struck the spear shaft in front of her with great force, using the momentum to further increase her height.

At the same time, she raised her left hand, and three thin needles, gleaming with a cold blue light, silently shot towards Li Youan's face.

Since the two were merely sparring, Dongfang Jinghong did not use any killing moves. These three fine needles were a type of magical artifact she had crafted herself called "Frost Marrow Needles," which had a paralyzing effect and was well-suited for their current sparring.

If it were a real battle against a demonic beast, Dongfang Jinghong would switch to a red "throat-sealing needle" that she had specially extracted poison from, which had the effect of killing on sight.

Li Youan had not expected Dongfang Jinghong to have such a hidden move, and hurriedly leaned back to try to dodge, while simultaneously pulling his spear back to parry.

"Clang, clang." Two needles were knocked away by Li Youan, while the third narrowly missed his nose. Li Youan felt a chill originate from the tip of his nose and instantly spread throughout his body, even causing his movements to pause slightly.

It was Li Youan's momentary hesitation that gave Dongfang Jinghong the opportunity. With a pair of wings flapping rapidly behind her, she swooped down from the sky like a falcon, her long sword aimed straight at the open chest of Li Youan.

However, Li Youan showed no panic on his face, and even had a faint smile on his face. His movements were also not flustered. With a light flick of his right hand holding the gun, the long gun in his hand transformed into a bloodthirsty whip. With a flick of his wrist, he lashed it out.

"Splash—"

The black and red whip in Li Youan's hand lashed out at Dongfang Jinghong like a snake emerging from its hole.

At the same time, he quickly condensed several strands of vital energy at the tip of his left finger, extending them toward the array flags and array plates that had already been placed on the ground not far away.

The moment the energy threads connected with the array flags and array plates, he yanked them with his left hand, sending them flying into the air. Under Li Youan's control, they quickly flew to different locations.

The moment the array plates and flags were in place, Li Youan silently recited in his mind.

"Mist Formation, activate!"

Although the formation was hastily set up, the fog formation was relatively weak, and its coverage area was only about ten feet around.

However, this sudden white mist still completely covered the battlefield between Li Youan and Dongfang Jinghong. Although the mist was thin, it was enough to obscure Dongfang Jinghong's vision, and the mist, full of vital energy, also interfered with her senses.

Unable to determine Li Youan's exact situation ahead, Dongfang Jinghong's offensive slowed down slightly.

Just as Dongfang Jinghong slowed down, Li Youan swiftly lashed out with his long whip, piercing through the thin mist like a serpent. The whip tip struck the spine of Dongfang Jinghong's longsword.

The moment she was struck, Dongfang Jinghong sensed a gentle force traveling along the sword, pushing her backward.

After this attack, Li Youan and Dongfang Jinghong did not continue their assault, but instead waited for the white mist to slowly dissipate.

After the fog dissipated.

Dongfang Jinghong had already landed. Looking at the long whip that Li Youan was still holding not far in front of him, he suddenly smiled.

"It turns out that you've not only improved your marksmanship these past two days, but your whip technique and formation skills have also improved beyond my imagination. I truly admire you."

After a pause, Dongfang Jinghong continued to praise.

"No wonder you were accepted as a disciple by Master Wei; your talent in array formations is truly astonishing."

"I've just had some insights these past few days, and it just so happens that Dongfang happened to catch them."

Li Youan put away the Bloodthirsty Whip and hung it on his waist. At the same time, he put the array plate and array flag back into the Heavenly Pivot Ring. He moved around a bit and could still feel his body was a little cold and numb.

"Every time I see Dongfang's illusion sword technique and the combination of magical artifacts, I am deeply impressed and have benefited greatly from it."

The two exchanged a smile and chatted for a while longer. They had both seen each other's progress and new techniques during their exchange today and had gained a lot of insights.

The two exchanged some deeper combat ideas until it got a little dark before setting off back to the outpost.

"This Xuan-rank magic weapon is much easier to use than the Huang-rank one. Dongfang's skills are really impressive."

Li Youan touched the Bloodthirsty Whip at his waist and said.

"That's right. My Dongfang family is one of the top treasure-refining families on the continent. I am the young master of the Dongfang family. If I can't even do this little thing, it would be too shameful."

Hearing this, Li Youan continued, "I'm really lucky to be in the same team as Dongfang. Otherwise, I don't know how much I would have had to spend to get Young Master Dongfang to help me."