Ling Xian'er said, "Elder Sister, leave these two to me! No doubt stronger foes will appear before long."
Liu Yun replied, "Then don't hold back! Strike as you please. Villains like these fear only those whose martial skill surpasses theirs."
Ling Xian'er smiled faintly and said to the two elders, "So, the two of you are itching for a beating? Best tighten your skins!"
Her words were a deliberate affront to Elder Lin Ping of the Qilin Hall and Elder Shen Er of the Black Tortoise Hall. Shen Er, who had never met Ling Xian'er, flew into a rage."Young girl, give your name! This old man will teach you proper respect for your elders!"
Ling Xian'er said lightly, "Listen well, both of you. My surname is Ling, and my given name is Xian'er. As for respecting elders—why don't the two of you make the first move?"
Elder Shen Er cast a quick glance at her, anger burning in his chest. If I do not teach this girl a lesson, this hatred will never be dispelled.He barked, "What skill do you possess that you dare spout such arrogance? I shall test you myself!"
Before his last word had faded, he shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bowstring. As he closed in, both palms gathered inner force and struck out fiercely.
Ling Xian'er instantly unfolded the Qilin Steps, slipping past more than a dozen palm strikes in succession. She laughed aloud,"Your palm technique isn't entirely useless. From whom did you steal it?"
The Qilin Steps was a method of movement that harmonized offense and defense—advancing, striking, and evading in fluid rapidity. Ling Xian'er moved with lightness and grace; her feet traced the Qilin pattern, her palms borrowing strength to redirect force. Attack and defense flowed naturally, effortless yet formidable. Even as their palms clashed, their tongues did not rest.
Shen Er exclaimed, "What? You recognize this palm technique? Do you know who I am?"
Ling Xian'er answered, "No, how would I? Though I can see your skill isn't poor, so your status must be unusual."
Pleased, Shen Er let slip a proud smile."I'll tell you then—this old man is Shen Er, Elder of the Black Tortoise Hall of Jiuxiao Palace! This palm technique is a family inheritance!"
Ling Xian'er's tone sharpened."Elder Shen, and where exactly did you steal this palm technique? This technique is called Seven-Perfection Palms—but you are not executing it properly at all."
Shen Er roared, "Girl, cease your nonsense! This technique was handed down by my master!"
As they exchanged palms and words, Ling Xian'er snapped,"The Seven-Perfection Palms is an art of a reclusive master of the martial world—your master must have spied upon another's practice!"
Shen Er's face reddened instantly.
Ling Xian'er continued relentlessly,"The genuine inheritor of the Seven-Perfection Palms is my elder, Chen Tao! Why don't you explain how you came to pilfer this technique?"
Chen Tao was a grandmaster who had weathered decades of wandering the jianghu; none could rival his martial insight. Shen Er's master, Fu Jing, had once secretly observed Chen Tao practicing this very palm set. He memorized the outer movements but lacked the inner formulas and oral chants. Thus he had forbidden Shen Er from using the technique lightly, for fear the true inheritor would one day come seeking justice.
Shen Er's expression froze."You… you are an inheritor of the Seven-Perfection Palms?"
Ling Xian'er said calmly,"Not only that—your execution of the technique is deplorable. Allow me to demonstrate! I'll show you what the real Seven-Perfection Palms looks like."
At that moment, Shen Er thrust his palm forward. Ling Xian'er drew a small arc in the air with her left hand and released a gentle palm strike. With a resounding bang, Shen Er staggered back seven or eight steps before regaining his stance.
Ling Xian'er said,"That was the first form of the Seven-Perfection Palms—'Yielding Yet Inviting.'"
Shen Er was dumbfounded. How could such a light palm carry such overwhelming force?He murmured, "This… this truly is the Seven-Perfection Palms…"
The Seven-Perfection Palms emphasized hardness within softness, softness within hardness, combining both into a devastating unity. A gentle strike carried fierce power beneath its surface—truly a manifestation of the art's dual nature.
Shen Er nodded despite himself, praising under his breath. His eyes gleamed."In that case, allow me to seek further instruction!"
He dashed forward and unleashed 'Half Push, Half Yield,' his palm surging toward Ling Xian'er's chest. Ling Xian'er's eyes glimmered with approval. Their palms collided before their chests—Shen Er exerting all his strength, while Ling Xian'er met him with a serene smile. Her palmwork carried the essence of yin and yang, converting every attack into her own use.
Shen Er exerted his full inner strength, only to feel it rebound upon himself. His left-hand force was borrowed and redirected by Xian'er's right palm; his right-hand force turned back against him by her left.
It was as though he were striking himself.Two crisp pa pa sounds rang out—Shen Er was struck twice across the face by his own redirected power and thrown back yet again.
Ling Xian'er said,"'Half Push, Half Yield' embodies the turning of yin and yang, the mutual exchange of the real and the illusory—one must understand this well. Striking without brute force, rising and falling with ease—intent leads, strength follows. Convert the opponent's force and use it as your own—that is the essence."
This was the oral formula of 'Half Push, Half Yield.'Shen Er, despite the pain across his body, nodded repeatedly, committing every word to heart.