"So that means… Old Mettle can directly become a top-tier sword with conceptual power?!"
Yunli slapped her hands on the table, excitement bursting from her as she leaned forward until her face was only a breath away from Sylvester's.
Heh-heh, wasn't this just perfect? Every problem was solved at once! She could wield an incredibly powerful weapon and still fight side by side with Old Mettle.
It was simply the best of both worlds.
Her two little fists swayed in front of her chest as golden light shimmered in her eyes, her joy practically radiating into the air.
The way she bounced in excitement was pure, innocent, and full of girlish charm.
Faced with such youthful energy—especially when her small face was only a fist's distance away and her gaze was brimming with anticipation—Sylvester couldn't help but feel his mood lift as well.
He answered casually, "Of course. Just overlap Avalon and Old Mettle together, then inject your Path power into both at the same time. Their essences will fuse perfectly."
As he spoke, Sylvester's eyes lingered on her delicate face, his Adam's apple bobbing once.
The sudden face attack startled him slightly, but being able to admire a cute girl from this close—well, that wasn't exactly unpleasant.
Her face still carried a faint baby roundness, her neck pale as a swan's, and then…
Hmm, well. A child was still a child.
Pretty as she might grow up to be, these thoughts were definitely premature.
His eyes landed on the little bell hanging at her chest, and he sighed inwardly, shaking his head in mild regret—instantly sobered.
Perhaps that [Samsara Elixir] she drew earlier would end up being the most life-changing Curio she'd ever get.
"So, this concept of absolute defense—how does it compare to Massacre Ruler's concept of cutting through everything?"
Unlike others who would have been content after having their doubts cleared, Yunli only grew more curious.
As the saying went: know yourself and know your enemy, and you'll never lose a hundred battles.
She had already witnessed Massacre Ruler's terrifying might.
Absolute defense sounded powerful, sure—but when paired against something that could cut through all things, didn't that become a direct contradiction? What would happen if the two clashed?
Would the concepts cancel each other out, turning both into ordinary weapons?
"Conceptual power has its own hierarchy."
Sylvester tapped his fingers on the table, thinking for a moment before continuing. "But that doesn't mean a broader concept is necessarily stronger. Avalon and Massacre Ruler, for instance—both are so far above ordinary weapons that they may as well exist on a different plane."
"However, their amount of conceptual power is extremely limited. Otherwise, they wouldn't be merely purple-tier Curios. The reason lies in the fact that neither was born with conceptual essence—they only gained the universe's recognition through adaptation."
He cast another glance at the large blue-and-gold scabbard beside Yunli. "So, which is stronger? Hard to say. But one thing's certain—even if their conceptual quantities differ, the gap isn't enough for one to simply crush the other. Think of how Xipe absorbed Ena—it wasn't done in a day. Even after Ena's death, remnants of Order still managed to launch a counterattack."
"I see…"
Yunli sat back down, resting her chin in her hand as she mulled it over.
She still didn't know which Curio was stronger—but at least now, she understood something useful.
A duel between conceptual powers wasn't so different from one between ordinary forces. The stronger side didn't always win in a single strike.
In a way, that was a good thing.
If [Avalon] wasn't overwhelmingly powerful, that meant her own skill could still turn the tide—another layer of strategy to rely on.
Good. The path might've been bumpy, but the result was looking great.
She tilted her head left, then right, glancing between [Avalon] and Old Mettle before breaking into a wide grin.
"Perfect! I'll go find Yanqing today and challenge him again! This time, I'll beat that guy until he's rolling on the ground!"
Grabbing both swords in one swift motion, she waved at Sylvester. "Shopkeeper Sylvester, your trash cans are amazing! I'll tell Grandpa all about it!"
And with that, she dashed out the door in a blaze of excitement, fully geared up and ready to storm the Seat of Divine Foresight for a duel.
Sylvester chuckled, taking a slow sip of tea. "That girl sure is reckless."
He swallowed, set the cup down, and was just about to call in the next customer—
—when Yunli suddenly reappeared, shuffling back inside.
Her face was now tinged with embarrassment, a far cry from her earlier enthusiasm.
Sylvester blinked.
Wait… did I time travel again? Just one minute ago she was all fired up—how could she look so different now?
He turned to check the clock.
No, definitely one minute.
He was about to greet her when Yunli beat him to it.
She gave an awkward little smile, then lowered her voice shyly. "Um… Shopkeeper Sylvester, how do you actually activate that absolute defense ability?"
She was plenty familiar with swords—but artifacts that required a special trigger? That was new territory.
She'd gotten too excited earlier and almost sprinted all the way to the Seat of Divine Foresight before realizing she had no idea how to use it.
Coming back to ask now felt… well, a little silly.
Doesn't this make me look kind of dumb?
But Sylvester didn't find it silly at all. If anything, her awkward honesty made her seem even more endearing.
After all, she was still just a kid—that kind of innocent fluster was part of the charm.
He explained, "These two Curios both follow the principle of True Name Liberation. Just shout their names aloud, and their powers will activate."
Seeing that he wasn't mocking her, Yunli quickly nodded and went along with the flow. "Got it. So, I just shout Avalon or Sword of Promised Victory, right?"
"Exactly." Sylvester nodded, then paused as something crossed his mind.
He raised a single finger, speaking with mock gravity. "But for the Sword of Promised Victory, I recommend you use the language of the world it came from."
Clearing his throat dramatically, he declared: "EXCALIBER!"
"One-two-three-four Curry Stick? What a strange pronunciation." Yunli mouthed the words a few times, committing the 'incantation' to memory.
Actually, she thought the phrase Sword of Promised Victory sounded pretty embarrassing when shouted out loud. Using a foreign word instead made her feel cultured instead of cringe. Perfect!
"Thank you, Shopkeeper Sylvester!"
She turned to leave again.
"Hey! You forgot something."
He pointed at the large [Overlord Berrypheasant Skewer] she'd left propped against the floor earlier.
Yunli's cheeks flushed crimson as she let out a sheepish laugh.
So embarrassing…
At least only a few people had seen it.
"Uh, thank you so much."
Whew, that was close. Almost lost a lifetime supply of snacks.
She grabbed the skewer without another word and dashed out once more—fully armed and headed straight for the Seat of Divine Foresight to challenge Yanqing.
Watching her vanish down the street in a blur, Sylvester sighed.
"Children of the Xianzhou really do have hardcore childhoods. Not only do they train with real swords, but the moment they get a new weapon, they're off looking for sparring partners."
Phew~
He exhaled and called out toward the door, "Next customer, please come in."
The words had barely left his mouth before a figure entered—a foxian man dressed in an elegant red-and-white robe that fit snugly to his tall frame.
His pink fur might have seemed unusual for a man, but his handsome features carried it effortlessly, turning strangeness into distinction.
In his right hand, he held a matching pink feather fan. From his waist hung a red cord, at the end of which dangled not a jade ornament but a silk pouch containing some hard, square-shaped object.
Something about its shape struck Sylvester as oddly familiar.
The foxian lifted a hand and performed a flawless scholar's bow.
"Greetings, Shopkeeper Sylvester. An honor to meet you for the first time. I am Jiaoqiu. My superior, General Feixiao, once praised your shop's Curios as a dazzling collection of treasures beyond measure. I came today, upon hearing such fame, to test my luck."