{Chapter: 132 A bet with Chi Qian!}
Chi Qian felt that Lin Yuan was becoming increasingly dishonest.
He kept spewing nonsense and indulging in wild fantasies. It hadn't even been that long since he started learning to fight, yet here he was, already talking about having reached the legendary stage of Great Perfection.
Chi Qian naturally disliked people who had a flowery mouth—those who were overly glib or prone to exaggeration. However, Lin Yuan was usually a serious and composed person. Earlier, he had even taken the initiative to concede defeat, demonstrating his humility. So, for him to suddenly make such an outlandish claim… it felt a little amusing.
She wasn't sure why, but despite not liking it, she found it entertaining.
She thought it would be even more interesting to expose Lin Yuan's nonsense and watch him flounder under her scrutiny.
There was no way he had reached the realm of Great Perfection.
With a teasing smile, Chi Qian said, "I believe you. You've truly reached the stage of Great Perfection." Her voice carried a clear note of sarcasm. "But if that's the case, why don't you prove it to me? Use your so-called divine-level fighting skills and defeat me. If you manage to win, I shall address you as Master Lin whenever we spar in the future. How about that?"
Her tone was filled with playful ridicule.
Lin Yuan, of course, could read between the lines. He understood that Chi Qian did not believe a word he had just said. She thought he was joking, spouting nonsense for fun.
But if the master herself wanted to become the apprentice, Lin Yuan had no reason to refuse.
Smirking, he nodded. "Alright. Just remember—you said it yourself."
Chi Qian chuckled and replied, "Of course. My word is my bond."
She had no doubt that Lin Yuan, who had just recently started learning from her, had no chance of defeating her. The gap between them was too large.
The two of them prepared themselves, and soon, their match began once more.
Just like before, Chi Qian let Lin Yuan take the first move.
This time, however, Lin Yuan did not try to pull any tricks. He took a solid step forward, steadied his stance, and threw a punch directly toward Chi Qian's face.
It was the exact same move from their first fight—direct, straightforward, and seemingly simplistic.
Chi Qian narrowed her eyes.
At first, she assumed the punch was merely a feint, a distraction meant to set up another attack. However, as she carefully observed Lin Yuan's posture, she realized that he was fully committed to the punch. He wasn't preparing for any secondary movement or hidden strike.
That realization made her hesitate for a fraction of a second—just enough to throw off her usual perfect rhythm.
Even so, her reflexes were excellent. She quickly found the ideal timing to raise her hand and intercept Lin Yuan's fist.
If she could block his attack, she would be able to counterstrike immediately.
But what happened next was something she had not expected at all.
Just as her hand made contact with Lin Yuan's fist, he suddenly opened his palm and grabbed hold of her arm.
Before she could react, his other hand moved with lightning speed, wrapping around her slender waist.
In the same instant, Lin Yuan positioned his feet precisely the way Chi Qian had when she had thrown him to the ground earlier.
Chi Qian's eyes widened.
He was going to use her own move against her!
Lin Yuan exerted force, flipping Chi Qian into the air.
For a brief moment, she felt weightless.
But Chi Qian wasn't just any opponent. This was a move she had mastered herself—naturally, she had countermeasures prepared for it.
Just as she was about to fall, she grabbed onto Lin Yuan's shoulders, attempting to use his own strength as leverage to stabilize her body and break free.
However, the moment she latched onto him, Lin Yuan did something completely unexpected.
Instead of resisting or trying to maintain his balance, he deliberately fell to the ground with her!
Chi Qian's pupils contracted in shock.
In high-level combat, especially when facing an opponent of equal skill, many fights were decided through ground struggles.
As soon as they hit the floor, Chi Qian instinctively tried to entangle Lin Yuan's limbs, intending to immobilize him before he could do the same to her.
But Lin Yuan was faster.
In the blink of an eye, he twisted her arm, pulled it between his legs, and locked it in place.
At the same time, he shifted his legs over her chest, pressing down firmly.
The entire sequence—grabbing her arm, transitioning to a dominant position, and locking her down—was executed with seamless precision.
It happened so quickly that Chi Qian had no time to react.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
This move—this technique—was a perfectly executed armlock!
Chi Qian immediately realized the severity of her situation.
An armlock was one of the most powerful and practical submission holds. It left the victim with almost no room for counterattacks.
Unless she was willing to break her own arm, escape was nearly impossible.
Sharp pain shot through her arm as Lin Yuan's hold tightened.
Chi Qian gasped slightly, feeling both the pain and the sheer absurdity of what had just happened.
She had lost.
And she had lost in a way she never could have imagined.
Adding to her embarrassment, Lin Yuan's legs were firmly pressing against her chest, making the position even more awkward.
Her face turned bright red.
"...I can't believe it," she muttered under her breath.
She had underestimated him.
She had believed Lin Yuan's words to be nothing but playful boasting.
But now, as she lay pinned beneath him, she had no choice but to admit it.
He wasn't just talking nonsense.
The only way to break free from this move was to dislocate or break the restrained arm.
Chi Qian winced as a sharp pain shot through her arm. She could feel the pressure from Lin Yuan's grip, but that wasn't the only thing making her face flush.
Her cheeks burned not just from discomfort but from something far more embarrassing—Lin Yuan's thighs were pressing firmly against her chest, and her right hand was trapped between his legs. The unexpected intimacy of their positioning sent an unfamiliar heat creeping up her neck.
Her heartbeat quickened, but before she could fully register the sensation, Lin Yuan let go and quickly got up, stepping back to give her space.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, his tone laced with both concern and amusement.
He reached out and offered his hand to help her up.
Chi Qian hesitated for half a second, still processing what had just happened. Then, taking a deep breath, she accepted his help. As their hands connected, her fingers tensed involuntarily.
"I'm fine," she murmured, barely audible. Her voice was softer than usual, slightly unsteady.
Although the move itself wasn't overly painful, the situation was different from any of her previous training sessions. She had sparred countless times before, but this… This was something else entirely.
She had learned similar techniques from her aunt, who had trained her in self-defense and martial arts. Her aunt had used this exact move on her before, but back then, it had been purely instructional—nothing more than technique and form.
But Lin Yuan was different. He wasn't her aunt. He was a man.
The realization struck her harder than the match itself.
Lin Yuan was the first person of the opposite sex to have such close physical contact with her.
Of course, combat required grappling, counterattacks, and unavoidable moments of closeness. Logically, she knew that. But knowing and experiencing it firsthand were two completely different things.
She had never been in such a situation before—one where she was suddenly so aware of someone else's presence, their warmth, their strength.
And it wasn't just any man. It was Lin Yuan.
Chi Qian clenched her fists slightly, forcing herself to suppress the thoughts swirling in her mind.
No. This was just a fight. A sparring match. A simple exchange of moves.
But no matter how much she repeated it in her head, her rapidly reddening face betrayed her.
The reason she had initially engaged in this match was to help Lin Yuan improve his skills. Yet somewhere along the way, it had turned into something else—an unspoken challenge, a test of skill and pride between the teacher and the student.
And she had lost.
She, the confident and experienced fighter, had been taken down by a beginner.
And not just taken down—but completely immobilized.
The numb sensation in her arm, coupled with the lingering pressure she had felt on her chest, only made her more conscious of the defeat.
Her face burned hotter.
She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the distracting thoughts.
No, no, no! Don't think about it!
Yet, the more she tried to suppress it, the more vivid the memory of their close contact became.
Lin Yuan, watching her, caught the subtle changes in her expression. The way her lips parted slightly, the conflicted look in her eyes—he could easily guess what was going through her mind.
A faint smile played on his lips.
He hadn't meant to fluster her, but seeing her like this was undeniably amusing. Chi Qian, always so composed and confident, was now visibly shaken—not because of pain, but because of him.
He decided to ease the tension.
With a teasing smile, he spoke up, "Miss Chi, you lost. So… isn't it time for you to call me 'Master' now?"