The training intensified as Old Guo rejoined them. He tested their barriers by launching probes and detection techniques, forcing them to withstand, deflect, or mislead. The combination of both masters' techniques created a brutal but effective learning environment.
Li Wei held up the Void Cloak well, but his False Core was too simplistic—Old Tang saw through it immediately. "More complexity," he advised. "Even a perfect façade becomes suspicious if it's too perfect."
Li Hao's instincts still fought him, but when he focused, his natural unpredictability made his misleading signature believable. His scattered energy made it difficult to determine what was intentional deception and what was natural chaos.
Li Hua? She let herself become fluid, indistinct, layered. When Old Guo tried to probe her, he hit a false signature first—a perfectly crafted presence. By the time he realized it was not real, she had already shifted again, like trying to catch smoke with bare hands.
