"Tap!"
With light footsteps, Fang Li, who had just been blown away by the storm, landed on the ground. But he wasn't injured in the slightest. In one agile motion, he leaped and retreated some distance.
During that brief moment, hundreds of female Martial Gods, like an army charging into battle, advanced toward Fang Li with heavy, synchronized steps.
"She can even do something like this?" Fang Li was genuinely surprised.
Although Sylvia's Ability was nearly omnipotent, it still came with restrictions.
For instance: Each song could only invoke one Ability. Different songs required different emotional impressions to activate.
The resulting effects varied depending on the song.
And most critically, the stronger the Ability, the more Prana it consumed. Without sufficient Prana, even singing the song wouldn't activate anything.
Yet Sylvia had already used three separate Abilities:
Physical enhancement
A wind-based barrier
And now, she had summoned hundreds of female Martial Gods, each seemingly possessing impressive combat prowess.
Even Fang Li had to admit, it was astonishing.
"Looks like I can't afford to hold back anymore."
With that thought, sparks of Prana began to radiate from Fang Li's body.
In his eyes, a pair of ice-blue Mystic Eyes quietly emerged. When the dazzling Prana finally gathered under his feet, Fang Li unleashed his true speed.
"Boom!"
With the ground beneath him shattered and strong winds kicked up, Fang Li's figure shot forward like a meteor, rather than retreating. He charged straight toward the wave of incoming Martial God warriors.
"Shua Shua Shua Shua Shua----- !"
The sound of slicing wind echoed. That was the noise of the Martial God girls' swords cutting through the air. But in the face of the hundreds of incoming slashes, Fang Li responded with just one attack.
An arc like a crescent moon, Sliced across the entirety of the simulated Sirius Dome.
"Flashing Scabbard, Ten Lives!"
A massive blade of light exploded forward.
"Puchi----- !"
In the simultaneous chorus of tearing sounds, all hundreds of charging female Martial Gods were cleaved clean in half by the massive arc of blade light, As if a moon-sickle slash had become real within this space, effortlessly bisecting every last warrior.
In that instant, all the Martial God girls froze mid-charge, Then, like mirages, like sand scattered by the wind, They disappeared on the spot.
"---!"
Sylvia's heart skipped a beat.
"Pa ta…"
A faint landing sound echoed, Directly in front of her. Fang Li's figure appeared as if by teleportation, now standing face to face with her.
"So fast…!"
For the first time, Sylvia's charming expression changed, and almost instinctively, she raised her Lux weapon, her wind barrier flaring to life again in chaotic resistance.
But to Fang Li, that defense was utterly meaningless.
And in that moment, Sylvia suddenly remembered: "Those eyes…!"
Yes, Those were the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, The eyes that could see the lines of death in all things. To these eyes, no form of defense, no matter how powerful, was more than a paper shield.
It had no protective power at all and so, the chilling blade light swept through.
"Puchi----- !"
In the sound like tearing silk, the wind barrier around Sylvia was cut apart.
No, To be more precise, It was killed.
Even the wind itself, was killed.
And before Sylvia could even react, a hand suddenly reached out, Wrapped around her waist, And in her startled gasp, pulled her into a warm embrace.
Bathed in that familiar warmth, a gentle chuckle whispered into Sylvia's ear:
"Too bad, I still win."
And the moment those words fell, Fang Li's lips captured hers.
"Mmm…"
A soft, ambiguous sound escaped her, Somewhere between a moan and a muffled protest.
The battle, was over.
…
"Shuā!"
The surrounding environment blurred for a moment, and the Sirius Dome vanished, reverting back to the original sealed space.
"Huff... huff..."
Sylvia, still holding the activated form of her Lux, her charming face flushed, glared at Fang Li while trying to catch her breath.
But Fang Li seemed completely unfazed, as if he had already forgotten the little "good deed" he had just done. He twirled the Moon Blade in his hand playfully, smiled at Sylvia, and said: "Your strength really has improved a lot. If I didn't have the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, I probably would've lost, right?"
Sylvia puffed out her cheeks as if sulking and shot back: "Isn't that your Innate Skill? If you're saying you'd lose without using it, Then if I didn't use my Innate Skill, I'd have lost to you anyway, right?"
Fang Li finally dropped the teasing tone and replied seriously: "Well, I also have Equipment and Skill enhancements. Unlike you, aside from that one Lux you brought with you, you've got no other Equipment or Skills."
"Let's head to the Trading Area later. I'll help you get set up with some Equipment and Skills."
Upon hearing that, Sylvia hesitated briefly, then shook her head.
"As for Skills, unless they're related to 'Songs', they don't really help me much.
So for now, the passive effects from Titles are already enough," she said. "As for Equipment, haven't we both already reached the limit of Rank Four? Next, we'll probably be promoted to Rank Three, right? So wouldn't it be better to wait and buy stuff after that?"
Fang Li nodded, he understood her reasoning.
Indeed, since both of them had reached the Rank Four ceiling, the next step would be to apply for a Promotion Quest in the next Dungeon World, allowing them to advance to Rank Three.
And once they were Rank Three, Rank Four gear would be obsolete.
So it made more sense to buy Rank Three Equipment directly after leveling up.
If they bought now, it'd only be usable for one world.
"So yeah, better to wait until we level up," Sylvia said with a gentle smile. "After all, even if we buy Rank Three Equipment now, we can't use it yet."
Unless, of course, it was a special case like Fang Li, His weapons had recognized him, allowing him to wield higher-Rank Equipment.
For example:
Bo Xie
Holy Sword
Both were exceptions.
Otherwise, Main Divine Envoys and Servants couldn't use Equipment beyond their current Rank.
Like the Fairy Bag gifted by Iris, that was Rank Three gear. Fang Li couldn't equip it yet.
However, the Fairy Bag was a special Artifact, classified somewhere between an item and Equipment. Even without equipping it, it could still be used as a regular item.
But, this came with limitations. Fang Li would need to carry it manually, unable to store it via Virtual Equipment. There'd be a risk of losing it or having it stolen. And to access the items inside, he'd have to physically take the bag out.
If he could equip it, he'd be able to summon its contents with just a thought. Sylvia, who shared access through their bond, could also use it anytime, anywhere, no matter how far apart they were.
So yes, Sylvia's decision made sense.
"More importantly," she added, "this sudden power boost has thrown off my sense of control. If I were more used to it, I wouldn't have lost so quickly."
With that, Sylvia made a request:
"So, before the next Dungeon World… Train with me a bit."
Fang Li, of course, had no objections. And so, the two of them extended their use of the training arena.
What was originally one day became ten days.
For the next ten days, they immersed themselves in training.
Until the very end.
(End Of This Chapter)
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