"There's smoke but no injury law is chasing you, Sushang." Stelle suddenly said something off-topic.
"Ah?" Sushang clearly didn't understand the specific meaning.
Seeing that Yanqing was unharmed, she wasn't discouraged either. Instead, a tired smile appeared on her face as she heavily thrust the Xuanyuan Sword into the ground.
"The General's Xiaowei… is only at this level… I thought that the moment you drew your sword, I would have to fall to the ground."
"I didn't expect… I didn't expect that I could still hold on until now. I… I'm not as useless as I imagined."
Yanqing frowned.
Molten Torch: "Young man, you hesitated. You have been hesitating this whole time."
"You spent so much time facing a swordsman whose foundation is inferior to yours."
"As a swordsman, don't you have even a shred of self-respect? Must the humiliating defeat you suffered at Dragonprayer Terrace happen once again?"
"Keep attacking. Use the move I taught you and wash away the shame on your sword with that girl's blood."
Sushang knew she no longer had the strength to continue fighting, yet she showed no intention of retreating even a little.
"Fine. This young lady will accompany you to the end!"
Stelle could tell at a glance that Sushang was now at the end of her strength.
Forget about continuing to fight — even gripping the Xuanyuan Sword was extremely difficult for her.
"Rest easy. I'll take over."
Stelle twisted her wrist, and the baseball bat, which she used as flexibly as a third arm, appeared. She slowly walked toward Yanqing.
"If you want to spar, I'm ready to accompany you anytime."
The atmosphere gradually became tense, like a drawn bow.
Struggle continuously flashed through Yanqing's eyes. In the end, he took a deep breath and exhaled the air he had been holding in his chest.
He raised his head and straightened his back, his gaze meeting Stelle's, who stood not far away.
Molten Torch: "That's right. Just like that, young man. Hurry and make your move. Kill everyone here, and only then can your sword technique advance further!"
Stelle's eyes narrowed slightly as she let out a contemptuous nasal sound.
Of course, it was directed at the Heliobus, not at Yanqing.
But if Yanqing was so easily bewitched by the Heliobus, then the target of her contempt would simply gain one more person.
In Leon's past memories, Raiden Bosenmori Mei had once said—
The process of refining one's swordsmanship is the process of cultivating the heart.
As an outstanding swordsman deepens their understanding of the sword path, their heart becomes increasingly firm and strong, making it difficult for external sudden changes to affect them.
In short, even someone like her, who mainly used a baseball bat and lance, could guard her own heart and not be eroded by the Heliobus.
If Yanqing couldn't do it and instead sank deeper and deeper, then she would have to doubt whether this young man was just living up to an empty reputation.
She might even look down on him a little.
Age and experience couldn't be used as excuses, simply because Yanqing was the one and only disciple personally trained by General Jing Yuan.
If he were bewitched by the Heliobus and caused an irreversible disaster, it would bring shame upon both him and Jing Yuan.
Stelle: "Make your move. I'll give you three moves first, so you can't say I'm bullying the young with my age."
The players didn't know Stelle's inner thoughts. Upon hearing these serious words, many of them couldn't hold back their laughter.
She had actually become serious.
From a literal and biological standpoint, the year she was born was indeed later than Yanqing's.
But from the perspectives of appearance, experience, and mental state, she was more than old enough to be Yanqing's kind grandmother.
Molten Torch urged even more intensely: "Young man, what are you still hesitating for? Hurry and make your move!"
"He won't make a move."
Golden light flashed across the high sky. Jing Yuan's voice came from above, carrying an unquestionable certainty.
Amid the distortion of space, three figures appeared on the ground.
Behind Jing Yuan, Huohuo and Guinaifen saw Sushang supporting herself with her sword and quickly went over to help her.
"General…" Yanqing's gaze instantly locked onto Jing Yuan and couldn't move away.
Molten Torch: "Young man, the person who personally taught you swordsmanship has arrived."
"Under his guidance, you have never failed. Yet recently, you suffered your first major setback in life, causing your confidence in swordsmanship to waver."
"You're worried that the General will be disappointed in you. You're worried that you won't be able to become the person the General hopes you will become."
"Come. Show him the moves I taught you. He will definitely be very happy to see your progress."
"Tell him that with this next sword strike, you will win victory for the Xianzhou!"
Listening to the Heliobus's words of bewitchment, Jing Yuan couldn't even be bothered to pretend anymore and kept shaking his head.
"Yanqing will not draw his sword to prove anything to me. I have confidence in him."
"This confidence is not in believing that he will ultimately win, but in believing that one day he will break free from victory and defeat, and realize the true reason why he swings his sword."
"Whether it's for joy, for saving people, or for killing enemies…"
"This reason must be found by him alone. No one can teach it to him. Right now is the moment for him to take this step."
"Break free from victory and defeat?"
Molten Torch disdainfully refuted:
"This is just an excuse to comfort the dead and the defeated. Think about your humiliating defeat at Dragonprayer Terrace, young man. Think about that feeling of hovering at the edge of death."
"If back then the Stellaron Hunter's sword had pierced through your body, you wouldn't even have the chance to stand here thinking about the meaning of victory and defeat."
"Right now is the moment for you to break through yourself and shatter all your shackles. Draw your sword toward your teacher — toward the General who is trying to trap you!"
The treasured sword in Yanqing's hand trembled slightly. After a moment, it stabilized.
He calmed the distracting thoughts in his heart and walked up to Jing Yuan.
"General… please allow me to demonstrate my swordsmanship. Here, I challenge you—"
Seeing his appearance, disappointment flashed across Sushang's face for the first time without any attempt to hide it.
Huohuo and Guinaifen exchanged glances, both worried for him.
Had the worst-case scenario still happened…?
However, on Jing Yuan's, Leon's, and even Stelle's faces, smiles of varying degrees appeared one after another.
The next second, Yanqing suddenly turned around and pointed the weapon in his palm straight at the countless flying swords in the sky. His voice was sonorous and powerful, filled with determination.
"—Teacher Molten Torch! Here, I challenge this sword array and challenge you!"
"..."
Molten Torch was silent for a good while before finally speaking with a tone of disappointment or frustration.
"You have truly wasted all my painstaking efforts, little brat. Your achievements could have been limitless, but unfortunately, you have too many unnecessary thoughts."
"However, none of that matters anymore. While guiding you, I have also become thoroughly familiar with your every move and technique."
"Since you have challenged me, I will naturally accept. I will use your image and your techniques to teach you this final lesson!"
A sword that looked exactly like the one in Yanqing's hand descended from the sky and transformed into Yanqing's appearance.
Stelle had already put away her baseball bat and retreated to Leon's side, watching the development of the situation at her leisure.
Yanqing's battle against his inner demon did not require outsiders to intervene.
"I have already memorized your entire sword technique. Let me demonstrate it for you to see what kind of power it will have under merciless sword intent!"
"Yanqing, hide your form and restrain your intent. Do not be disturbed by it." Jing Yuan reminded with a faint smile.
"Mm, I understand, General!"
The battle was about to erupt and quickly escalated from probing into a white-hot clash.
Stelle asked curiously: "By the way, Leon, what setback did Yanqing suffer at Dragonprayer Terrace? Do you know?"
Leon: "Of five people, he fought two, so he lost miserably. Although his match against the third wasn't as embarrassing, he lost even more miserably."
"…Fought two… Dan Heng and Blade? The third one is… Oh oh, that swordswoman named Jingliu!"
Stelle suddenly understood, comprehending everything.