Jin Shu closed the exit portal and turned to Biyu, who had been waiting nearby.

"Do you want—" she began, only to be cut off by a sharp shout.

"You! How long do you plan to make me wait?!" Ling Shi snapped.

Jin Shu blinked and pointed at himself. "Me?"

"Yes, you!"

"Uh… did you need something? I don't remember making you wait for anything."

Ling Shi scoffed. "Why else would I be standing here listening to you pour your fragile little heart out to your lovers? You think I enjoy watching that?"

He inhaled slowly, steadying his irritation. "Fine. What do you need, Ling Shi?"

"Dual cultivation. Let's do it."

His jaw dropped. Of all people, he never expected her to ask that. His eyes drifted up her giant frame—taller than him, even after his recent growth, and thick with so much muscle her modified robes were moments away from surrendering. She wasn't unattractive, just… built like someone who could uproot a mountain and use it as a towel. Still, even if she were to become the most gorgeous goddess in the world, no way was he doing that with her.

"Respectfully—and I mean this as sincerely as possible—fuck no!"

Her expression twisted, not quite angry, mostly confused, which was impressive considering her natural state was ninety percent anger.

"No? Why not?"

"Seriously?" He stared at her like she'd suggested eating rocks. "You're asking why?"

"Yes!"

"Well… I mean… I haven't even done that with… cough the others…" His cheeks burned.

"Done that? You haven't dual cultivated with anyone?"

"No. The closest we've gotten is… kissing."

Ling Shi froze. "Kiss…? Wait. Wait. WHAT?!"

"Um… Jin Shu…" Biyu said, choking on laughter. "You're mixing it up. She's not asking to dual cultivate. She's asking to duel cultivate—as in sparring."

Jin Shu's entire soul left his body, came back, and collapsed in embarrassment.

Ling Shi burst out laughing, loud enough to scare birds from miles away. "You thought I wanted to have sex with you? Me? With you? Hah! Not a chance! I like my men with a spine, not… whatever shrimp-thing you've got going on."

"I'm not a shrimp…" he mumbled, though at this point he was too mortified to defend himself.

"You admitted you haven't even gone past kissing your girls," Ling Shi shot back. "You're a wimp."

"I…" He turned to Biyu for help. She gave a tiny, guilty shrug.

"You think I'm a wimp too?"

"I didn't say that…"

"But you didn't deny it either."

Biyu winced. "...No. I didn't."

He exhaled deeply. "Fine. I get it. I won't hold back anymore."

He turned back to Ling Shi. "Alright. Let's spar. But can we please not call it duel cultivating?"

"That's just the term here," she said. "Don't blame me."

"She's right," Biyu added. "It started as a joke among disciples, but now everyone uses it."

"Great. Wonderful." Jin Shu rubbed his face. "Where to?"

"Here is fine," Ling Shi said.

Jin Shu stepped into position and drew one of his pellet guns. Ling Shi didn't bother preparing—she simply flexed her hands, entirely relaxed, as though this was going to be a warmup at best.

He steadied his breathing, planning his next moves and how to counter hers. Several quiet seconds passed—then Ling Shi lunged. Her massive size didn't match her absurd speed, but he'd already known she was fast. Fortunately, he was faster.

His body blurred out of existence like a mirage just before her fist tore through the space where his head had been. When he reappeared, the cold steel barrel of his pellet gun pressed against her freshly shaved temple.

"Looks like I win," he said, smirking.

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She didn't hesitate. Her elbow snapped backward, smacking the pistol aside, and her opposite fist buried itself in his gut.

"Oof—!" He folded over, clutching his stomach. "What the hell?!"

"Go again." She stomped back to her starting spot as if nothing had happened.

He dragged himself upright, eyes twitching from pain and irritation as he walked back to his mark. Then—because he was an idiot—he opened his mouth.

"So uh… how's your face healing up after that? Everything still in the right place?"

Ling Shi blinked. Slowly. Too slowly.

"The skin healed fine," she said in a voice that was far too calm. "But it stings every night."

He froze—not in fear, but in oh no I messed up realization—and reacted a beat too late when she lunged again. That single lost second doomed him.

Her fist came down like a falling boulder, smashing directly into his nose with enough force to take down a reinforced wall.

His body flipped backward. He would've crashed hard, but a portal opened beneath him, dropping him into slipspace. He floated there on his back, dazed, blood rolling down his face.

You lost your focus, Gold said, disappointment clear.

Jin Shu didn't bother replying. He knew. He messed up badly. He grabbed both sides of his nose and snapped it back into place with a nauseating crunch.

"Ow…"

Sitting up, he opened a portal to peek outside. Ling Shi had already summoned her spirit—her naked ape—and stood back-to-back with it, covering every angle he might appear from.

Smart. Annoying, but smart.

He flipped over in slipspace, face down, and opened an exit portal beneath him.

He dropped out six meters in the air, completely unseen by Ling Shi or her spirit. Free-falling, he aimed his descent and slammed both feet onto the naked ape's skull, driving it face-first into the dirt. Ling Shi staggered, clutching her head as the resulting soul damage rattled her.

Pop-bang! Pop-bang! Pop-bang! Three explosive pellets slammed into her back.

She barely flinched.

Snapping around, she ripped the pellet gun from his hands with brute force and flung it away before he could escape into a portal. Jin Shu vanished regardless, slipping through space, and reappeared midair just in time to snatch the flying gun. He fired three rapid bursts into her chest.

This time she slowed—but only slightly. The pellets didn't have enough punch to actually harm her.

Fine. New plan.

Landing lightly, he dismissed the pellet gun and swapped to the riot shotgun. He fired; the tear gas round detonated on her face—but she'd anticipated it. Eyes already shut, she charged straight through the expanding cloud, roaring as she barreled toward him.

Escaping into slipspace, he barely avoided her charge and reemerged behind her to fire again.

Slipspace—shoot. Slipspace—shoot. Slipspace—shoot.

The pattern repeated in a rapid, dizzying rhythm, neither gaining ground. She couldn't hit him; he couldn't hit her hard enough to matter. It was a stalemate—until the earth suddenly trembled from the naked ape's club smashing into the ground.

The tremor knocked Jin Shu off balance, throwing his aim wide. That single mistake gave Ling Shi the opening she needed. She barreled into him, tackling him to the ground and locking him in a crushing grapple.

Her arms—each bigger than his waist—cinched around him like steel bands. This wasn't a hold; it was an execution by brute force.

Pop-pop.

Bones broke. His bones.

White-hot agony shot through his ribs. Desperate, he slammed his forehead into her face. The impact felt like it did more damage to his skull than hers, but it loosened her grip just enough for him to slip free.

They staggered apart, both sporting broken noses, both bleeding freely.

He raised the shotgun, pulled the trigger—click. Empty.

No time to reload. She was already on him.

Her fist crashed into his shoulder, dislocating the joint with a wet, sickening wrench.

He roared and unleashed a burst of hurricane-force wind, sending her skidding back in a spray of dust—only for her naked ape spirit to attack from behind. Its massive gnarled club swept downward like a falling tree.

He conjured a wall of water in a panic. The club smashed through it, scattering the water into glittering droplets.

Enough. He had to change tactics.

White and black lightning crawled across his limbs. A crack of thunder split the air as he vanished.

Ling Shi jerked—her stomach denting under a punch she never saw. Another blow hammered her liver. A third crushed into her kidney. The fourth, aimed upward at her chin, she managed to intercept with her elbow.

Jin Shu reappeared, electricity dancing across his skin, breath coming in ragged gasps. The lightning element drained him far faster than he'd expected.

But Ling Shi was hurting now. His blows had finally made a difference.

She spat thick, dark blood…and stepped forward.

Her left fist glowed, overloaded with qi.

Jin Shu gathered everything—all of his qi—into his right fist. Every element he could command crackled together in a chaotic, unstable swirl as he met her punch head-on.

Their fists collided.

A blinding white flash detonated outward as their powers clashed, screaming for dominance.

She gave ground first—her fist pushed back an inch. Then she surged, driving his arm back two inches.

Gritting his teeth, Jin Shu twisted his waist and poured his entire body into the strike, knocking her back three inches. He stepped forward, turning the fight into a contest of willpower and raw force.

"RAAAH!!" Ling Shi screamed, recalling her spirit and channeling the rest of her qi reserves into her punch.

Jin Shu's boots carved deep trenches in the earth as he was shoved back six inches, her fist inching dangerously closer to his face.