The examiner moved first.
Foundation Establishment mid-stage spiritual pressure flared across the platform as he launched an opening assault.
It was a conventional but technically precise approach that tested defensive response before committing to aggressive combinations.
"Qi Art, Stone Fist Technique!"
Condensed earth-element spiritual energy wrapped around his fists, the technique standard among Crimson Peak Monastery's orthodox combat curriculum. The strike carried force that would shatter stone.
Rey didn't retreat.
His cultivation foundation—genuinely developed over four weeks of intensive practice that his enhanced consciousness had accelerated through perfect technique optimization—responded with efficiency that transcended his stage's normal parameters.
"Qi Art, Wind Step!"
