The moment Seila's twin wooden swords descended upon him, Winston calmly raised both of his arms. The leather gauntlets protecting his forearms moved almost simultaneously, one shielding his head while the other guarded his abdomen.
Clack!
Clack!
Two sharp sounds echoed throughout the martial hall as wood struck hardened leather.
Neither of Winston's feet shifted from where they stood.
Instead, it was Seila whose body reacted immediately to the collision. The force behind the impact traveled through both wooden swords and into her arms, causing them to tremble uncontrollably for a brief moment. A dull numbness spread from her palms toward her forearms, making her grip loosen ever so slightly.
The disparity in their physical strength had revealed itself in a single exchange.
Although she had already expected such an outcome before the spar even began, personally experiencing it was entirely different. The realization instinctively placed pressure upon her mind, but only for a fleeting moment.
Seila quickly regained her composure.
Without lingering near Winston, she pushed herself backward several times, widening the distance between them until roughly five meters separated them once again.
Neither party chose to continue the exchange.
The first clash had lasted for barely a second.
Yet the outcome was already obvious.
Winston had completely maintained the advantage.
Watching quietly from the side, Relict remained seated without changing his expression.
'Seila has no advantage against Winston.'
The conclusion was straightforward.
Whether it was physical strength, experience, cultivation, or combat judgment, Winston stood above Seila in every aspect. However, Relict showed no intention of interrupting the spar. From the very beginning, this had never been about determining who was stronger.
It was merely an evaluation.
Moreover, judging from Winston's responses so far, Relict believed the old servant had already understood what he truly wished to observe.
With that thought in mind, he simply continued watching in silence.
Back on the training ground, Winston calmly returned both arms before his body, maintaining the same defensive posture as before.
Across from him, Seila slowly exhaled.
The slight intimidation brought by their previous exchange gradually disappeared from her face as she steadied her breathing once more. She lowered her upper body into the same stance she had taken earlier, raising the wooden sword in her right hand toward her left shoulder while positioning the other near her waist.
This time, however, something was different.
A rhythmic flow of dragon essence gradually spread throughout her body.
Beginning from within her bloodstream, the energy circulated toward every muscle, every joint, and every tendon, reinforcing them evenly instead of concentrating upon a single limb. The subtle fluctuations were almost invisible to ordinary eyes, yet the pressure surrounding Seila had quietly changed.
Seeing her assume the same stance once again, Winston did not believe she intended to repeat the previous attack without making any adjustments.
Without hesitation, he also circulated dragon essence.
Unlike Seila, however, the energy did not spread throughout his body.
Instead, it gathered around his eyes.
Thin streams of dragon essence flowed toward his pupils, causing the originally dark irises to gradually shine with a vibrant blue radiance.
This technique was known as Dragon Sight.
It was one of the abilities commonly learned by cultivators who had reached the First Gate. Rather than strengthening the body, Dragon Sight enhanced one's perception, allowing its user to observe the flow of dragon essence within another person's body. To experienced combatants, those subtle movements often revealed far more than ordinary motions alone.
Through his glowing eyes, Winston quietly observed Seila.
He immediately noticed the dragon essence coursing evenly throughout her entire body.
It wasn't gathering around her arms.
Nor was it concentrating within her legs.
Instead, every part of her physique was being reinforced simultaneously.
The meaning behind such a circulation pattern was obvious.
She intended to increase her overall physical capabilities.
The realization had only just crossed Winston's mind when Seila moved once more.
At first glance, the attack appeared identical to the previous one.
She dashed forward in a straight line.
However, the difference became apparent almost immediately.
The instant a sharp swoosh cut through the air, Seila had already crossed the five-meter distance separating them.
Her speed was nearly three times greater than before.
Without wasting the momentum of her charge, both wooden swords descended simultaneously once again, one aimed toward Winston's neck while the other swept directly toward his chest.
Winston's Dragon Sight allowed him to follow every movement clearly despite the sudden increase in Seila's speed. However, merely seeing the attacks did not mean he could receive them carelessly. The dragon essence flowing throughout Seila's body had greatly amplified the force behind every strike. Compared to her previous attack, the power contained within both wooden swords had increased tremendously.
The instant the two blades swept toward his neck and chest, Winston immediately lowered his body.
Swoosh!
The wooden swords sliced through the air above his head, missing him by only a few centimeters.
However, Seila's assault did not end there.
Almost as soon as the horizontal slashes passed over Winston, she smoothly redirected both swords downward before twisting her wrists inward. The wooden blades rotated naturally until their edges pointed upward. Without interrupting the momentum of her charge, she immediately launched another pair of attacks from below, sending both swords toward Winston's armpits in an inverted parallel slash.
Seeing the attacks arrive so quickly, Winston immediately judged that retreating was no longer possible. The distance between them had become too short, while the length of Seila's swords prevented him from simply stepping backward to avoid them.
Without hesitation, he circulated dragon essence into both of his arms.
The muscles beneath the leather gauntlets tightened as he brought both forearms downward to intercept the rising blades.
Clack!
Clack!
The sharp sounds of wood colliding against leather echoed throughout the martial hall once again.
Unlike their previous exchange, however, Winston immediately felt the difference.
The tremendous force behind Seila's swords surged through both of his arms, pushing his entire body upward. His defensive posture was forcibly opened as the two wooden swords continued traveling along their upward paths, spreading both of his arms apart until his upper body became completely exposed.
Seila's eyes immediately caught that opening.
Without the slightest hesitation, she stepped forward and drove her right foot directly into Winston's abdomen.
Thud!
The kick forced Winston to retreat several steps before finally regaining his balance.
Once he stabilized himself, the old servant looked toward Seila with a faint smile.
"That was incredible, Seila."
"Your swordsmanship is remarkable."
As he spoke, he casually rubbed his stomach with his right hand before letting out a small chuckle.
"And your kick is stronger than I expected."
"My old body is beginning to complain."
Although he sounded relaxed, Winston clearly felt the impact. Fortunately, he had instinctively reinforced his abdomen with dragon essence before the kick landed. Otherwise, the blow would have been considerably more painful than the slight bruising he currently felt.
Upon hearing his praise, Seila immediately lowered her head.
"I know Senior was holding back."
"I truly appreciate your consideration."
She understood from the very beginning that Winston had deliberately restrained himself. The amount of dragon essence he used to defend against her attacks had only been enough to keep the spar balanced rather than overwhelming her through sheer strength alone.
Winston gently shook his head.
"Young Master likely wanted to observe your abilities as well."
"That's why I've only been using enough strength to keep the match fair."
Hearing that explanation, Seila immediately understood why Relict had insisted on making her Winston's opponent.
She instinctively turned toward her young master.
Relict met her gaze before giving a small nod.
"Yes."
"I wanted to evaluate both of you."
His voice remained calm as always.
"Each of you has taken one exchange."
"Settle the score in the third."
The two immediately bowed toward him.
"As you wish, Young Master."
After straightening themselves once more, they silently faced each other again.
Both understood that the next exchange would conclude the spar.
Winston slowly adjusted his posture.
He turned his body sideways, facing slightly to the left. His right arm extended calmly before him with a clenched fist pointing toward Seila, while his left arm rested behind his back as though he had no intention of using it at all.
Looking directly at Seila, Winston calmly spoke.
"Seila."
"Attack me with everything you've got."
Many of the instructors and recruits observing the spar from afar unconsciously frowned after seeing Winston's stance. To them, it appeared as though the captain of the guards was underestimating his opponent by choosing to fight with only one hand.
Only Seila understood the true meaning behind his posture.
Winston was not looking down on her.
He was deliberately giving himself a handicap so the final exchange would be as fair as possible.
Seila quietly drew another deep breath before lowering herself into the same stance she had used twice already. The twin wooden swords rested once more near her shoulder and waist as dragon essence continued flowing rhythmically throughout her body, reinforcing every muscle in preparation for the final exchange.
Her eyes never left Winston.
The next attack would decide everything.
Without another word, she suddenly dashed forward.
The distance between them disappeared almost instantly as both wooden swords swept horizontally toward Winston's chest and abdomen.
This time, Winston remained exactly where he stood.
His left arm stayed calmly behind his back, never showing any intention of joining the fight. Only his right arm moved. The leather gauntlet rose naturally before him, and with a single precise motion, it intercepted both wooden swords simultaneously.
Clack!
Clack!
The two collisions occurred almost at the same instant.
Unlike before, however, the result was completely different.
The moment both swords struck the leather gauntlet, Seila immediately felt an overwhelming force travel back through the blades. Both of her hands became numb from the impact, while her wrists involuntarily trembled despite her firm grip on the wooden swords.
Winston's body had not moved even an inch.
At that moment, Seila finally understood.
Senior Winston was no longer deliberately suppressing his strength to match hers.
The difference between their cultivations had become unmistakable.
Even so...
Her concentration did not falter.
Instead, it became even sharper than before.
'If I can land even one clean strike...'
'Then this exchange will be mine.'
The thought flashed across her mind as she immediately withdrew both swords and began circling toward Winston's right side.
She knew her greatest advantage.
Reach.
The wooden swords gave her considerably more attacking distance than Winston's leather gauntlets. As long as she continued controlling that distance, Winston would have difficulty landing a decisive punch.
The instant she completed her sidestep, Seila thrust her right sword toward Winston's head.
Winston merely tilted his head slightly.
The wooden blade swept harmlessly past his face.
Almost simultaneously, the knuckles of his right gauntlet gently pressed against the flat of the sword, redirecting its path with remarkable precision.
The movement was so small that it almost appeared effortless.
Yet the force behind it was sufficient to send Seila's right arm drifting outward.
Rather than resisting the deflection, Seila immediately made use of it.
Borrowing the very momentum Winston had created, she rotated her upper body and swung her left sword toward his neck in one continuous motion.
However, Winston had already anticipated the follow-up.
His right forearm, having never strayed far from his body after the previous deflection, naturally rose once more.
Clack!
The second wooden sword struck the leather gauntlet.
Its path ended there.
The repeated changes in momentum finally affected Seila's footing.
Her center of gravity shifted awkwardly to one side.
Winston's eyes immediately caught the opening.
Without wasting the opportunity, he stepped forward.
His right fist shot directly toward Seila.
The speed of the punch far exceeded anything he had shown earlier.
Seila immediately realized one thing.
If that punch landed directly...
The spar would end instantly.
Rather than trying to force her body back into balance, she abandoned that idea altogether.
Instead, she followed the momentum already carrying her sideways.
Her body twisted naturally to the left.
At the same time, she reversed her grip on both wooden swords.
The blade in her left hand struck the wooden floor first, stopping the rotation of her body, while the sword in her right hand swept upward in a horizontal arc.
She was not aiming for Winston.
She was aiming for where his fist would pass.
It was a desperate improvisation born within a fraction of a second.
Her prediction proved correct.
Just before Winston's punch reached her face, the upward swing of her right sword collided against his forearm from below.
The strike slightly altered the trajectory of his punch.
The next instant, Winston's fist still arrived before her eyes.
Everything happened far too quickly.
Seila never even saw the punch itself.
Her vision suddenly turned black.
The strength left her body almost immediately as consciousness rapidly faded away.
Before darkness completely consumed her senses, she vaguely realized one final thing.
She had managed to change the path of Winston's punch.
Enough to prevent what would have been a perfectly direct blow, or so she thought.
...