Austin stared at Anjiliya in shock, never having expected that Lilia, the woman before him, could possess such strength at this moment.

While he couldn't gauge exactly how much power Anjiliya had exerted in that kick, it was certain that it was far from her true capability!

The smile on Austin's face now looked somewhat strained, entirely lacking its previous natural ease.

Though inwardly stunned, and feeling a burning ache across his entire body from the blow, Austin's mouth refused to stop moving.

"Classmate Anjiliya, I didn't expect your progress to be so significant; it’s quite surprising," Austin forced out, trying hard to appear unaffected.

Anjiliya remained silent, but the look in her eyes towards him had turned distinctly cold!

"If that's the case, it seems I need to show some real skill, or you’ll truly underestimate me!" Austin smiled thinly, then struck a peculiar posture with the hand gripping his longsword.

Anjiliya made no move; she was waiting for Austin to attack. She had changed her initial intention—she decided to play with Austin thoroughly, just as he had done to her during the "Academy Ranking Tournament" back then!

At that precise moment, Austin exerted force through his feet, unleashing the "Special Control Method of Dou Qi." Under the immense pressure, two horrifyingly deep footprints were left imprinted where he stood!

This very technique was something Austin had secretly learned from Anjiliya years ago, which caused Anjiliya’s brow to immediately furrow upon seeing it.

Austin's speed was astonishing; in the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Anjiliya. It was clear he hadn't slacked off in the last two years; mastering even this stolen technique must have required extensive practice, otherwise, he couldn't achieve this level!

"Clang!" A sharp sound echoed as the two longswords collided.

With just this single exchange, Austin froze again. In his calculation, Anjiliya should have been forced back by his thrust. Yet, not only did Anjiliya not budge a single step, but she had also effortlessly parried his sword strike!

This—how was this possible? How could she have improved so much?

Austin had always considered himself a genius. Having completed his family's trials, he had diligently worked to elevate his strength over the past two years. He improved every single day, mastering his family's ultimate skills to perfection, and six months prior, he had officially broken through to become a Sword Saint. Yet, confronted by Anjiliya, he appeared so impotent. Had she also broken through to Sword Saint?

Austin’s shock was immense. The Anjiliya standing before him now was worlds apart from the Anjiliya he had known in "Gulu City"!

In the instant Austin lost focus, Anjiliya gave a slight wave of her hand, sending him staggering backward.

In terms of sheer strength, Austin was clearly far inferior to Anjiliya!

And if they spoke of speed, judging by the kick she had just displayed, Austin was clearly too novice!

The situation was highly unfavorable for Austin. He understood that his only reliance now lay in his techniques and skill sets!

"Classmate Anjiliya, I'm starting to find myself quite fond of you; you always manage to bring me unexpected surprises," Austin declared outwardly, though inwardly he had already resolved to unleash his newly mastered ultimate move.

He absolutely had to use this technique to regain the momentum he had lost; he could not allow Anjiliya to suppress him like this!

Anjiliya’s brow furrowed again. Austin’s last comment felt like outright provocation, and it greatly displeased her!

Just then, Austin attacked again. This time, his speed wasn't excessive, but his posture was bizarre—like a spinning cone, his longsword weaving up and down in concert with his movement. This was his ultimate skill: "Armor Break"!

But again came a crisp "Clang," and to his utter disbelief, Anjiliya blocked his sword just as easily as before. Her icy gaze seemed to regard him as if he were a fool begging for treasure! How could this be? Had his ultimate technique failed?

In the gap of his momentary distraction, a powerful force struck his chest, sending his entire body flying backward.

This time, Anjiliya controlled the angle perfectly; she only kicked Austin high into the air, not sending him too far away!

With a dull "thud," Austin landed heavily and couldn't get up for quite a while.

This single move caused an uproar throughout the audience. Many recognized Austin and knew the ultimate skill he had just used, yet they never expected it to be so useless against Anjiliya. Not only did it fail completely, but he was summarily kicked away by her—it was utterly unexpected!

"Who is this girl? I've never heard of her before!"

"She’s so beautiful, yet her strength is incredible. I wonder if she has a partner?"

"Incredible! She actually rendered Austin from the 'Ju Yi Martial Arts Academy' helpless! This girl is truly extraordinary!"

"How is this possible? In my last match, I was clearly overwhelmed by the ferocity of Austin’s attack; how could she block it so easily? Who exactly is this girl, and how strong is she?"

Suddenly, the entire venue was buzzing with discussion, and everyone developed a profound interest in Anjiliya. Many had already decided they would closely follow her future matches.

Although the continuous chatter reached Anjiliya’s ears, she paid it absolutely no mind, as if the subject of their discussion was someone else entirely.

While the previous Anjiliya had always won her matches, it was because her opponents came from obscure academies, so people hadn't paid much attention. But now it was different; Austin was from the "Ju Yi Martial Arts Academy"—one of the five great academies!

How could the students sent by the five great academies to the "Royal Tournament" be weak? They were all one in ten thousand! Otherwise, the status of the five great academies would have long been supplanted by others!

It was precisely this contrast that made the spectators suddenly realize Anjiliya’s true power!

As a Swordswoman, a beautiful and alluring Swordswoman, finding someone with her level of strength in the "Winter Moon Empire" would be like searching with a lantern!

Anjiliya had now clearly become the star of the show. One could predict that as the tournament progressed, her appeal would only soar, making countless young men and women look up to her as an idol!

However, Anjiliya had never been interested in such fame and fortune. What mattered to her was how to continuously improve her swordsmanship, and she had found the answer to that: staying constantly by Zhong Shenxiu’s side.

The road ahead was long, but she would not need to search high and low!

Zhong Shenxiu would handle the planning for her; she only needed to execute it. Becoming stronger was this simple—unrefutable!

At this moment, Anjiliya looked indifferently at the struggling Austin as he got up. She didn't press the attack because she didn't need to; if she wanted to, winning this match would be effortless!

"Classmate Anjiliya, you are much stronger than I imagined!" Austin coughed, his mouth still running.

But this time, Anjiliya did something that shocked him profoundly: she used the very ultimate move he had just employed—"Armor Break"!

How could this be?

It wasn't just him who was stunned; the thousands in the audience were frozen. They all knew that should be Austin's exclusive technique. How could this girl also use it? And judging by its power, it seemed even stronger than when Austin had used it moments ago. What in the world was happening?

Austin wanted to question Anjiliya about this. His "Armor Break" was developed and researched independently by him, granting him sole intellectual property rights. He had never taught anyone else, so no one should know this "Armor Break." How could Anjiliya use it?

He didn't have time to dwell on it, as Anjiliya was already closing in!

Since Austin originated the technique, he knew its weak points. Thus, he quickly executed a shifting step, stepping diagonally backward at a thirty-degree angle, ready to intercept.

However, he never dreamed that the supposed weak spot of "Armor Break" would show no weakness at all. His body was kicked into the air by Anjiliya once more, and he remained airborne for a full ten seconds before landing! This kick was clearly heavier than the previous ones, causing Austin to grit his teeth in pain, secretly blaming Anjiliya for being so heavy-handed!

Still, he remained deeply confused about how Anjiliya had learned his ultimate move!

The fight continued, and Austin’s nightmare began. What he found utterly unacceptable was that no matter what ultimate technique he used, Anjiliya could learn it instantly, making her countless times superior to him in his youth!

How was this possible?

This question was the most frequently repeated one in Austin’s mind. The ability to steal others' techniques should have been his specialty, perhaps even a unique talent. How could Anjiliya also possess it? She clearly couldn't do it before! But the pain in his body proved that what he saw wasn't a hallucination.

What had she done over these past few years to change so drastically?

He couldn't figure it out. Austin genuinely couldn't comprehend it. He thought his own progress had been fast enough—not only did he earn entry into the "Ju Yi Martial Arts Academy" through genuine strength, but he also secured a spot in the "Royal Tournament" in just two years!

Yet, Anjiliya’s rate of improvement was even faster than his. In the same amount of time, her strength had already far surpassed his, and she could even mimic his moves. This wasn't something an ordinary genius could achieve. Had Anjiliya’s potential suddenly exploded?

The reason Anjiliya used Austin's moves to beat Austin wasn't to show off her talent, but to return his own tactics upon him!