On the arena stage, a sword case unfolded, floating behind Fu Shi, with three deadly weapons quietly lying within.
Yanqing stood below the stage, eyes shining brightly as he exclaimed in awe, "What a cool sword case! I've got to find a top-tier craftsman to forge one just like that for me!"
Beside him, Yunli placed her hands on her hips and raised her chin, "If you obediently call me 'Big Sister,' I'll handle the forging for you."
Yanqing shot her a sideways glance, full of doubt, "You?"
"What's with that look?!" Yunli immediately glared back. "My grandfather was a master swordsmith of the Xianzhou Zhuming. As his heir, of course my craft is nothing to scoff at!"
Then, the referee's voice rang across the arena, "The match begins!"
Fu Shi's lips curved into a wicked smile. With a flick of her sword fingers, countless sword shadows transformed from feathers shot forward, all aimed straight at Mei☆'s face.
Owlbert's voice rang out instantly, brimming with excitement, "Ohoho! The Herrscher of Sentience contestant can control so many blades at once! What an astonishing skill! Faced with such a dense barrage, how will Raiden Mei☆ respond?!"
Before the sword shadows struck, a spear suddenly lashed out.
"It's not over yet!" Fu Shi spun the spear with a few dazzling flourishes, then her figure flickered, appearing before Mei☆ with a diagonal slash.
But Mei☆ stayed calm, twisting her body nimbly to dodge the spear's edge. Her wrist turned lightly, and several sharp arcs of blade light sliced out, precisely shattering the incoming sword shadows.
"Not bad, you're reacting much faster now. Looks like you really have grown stronger!"
Fu Shi laughed brightly, and at her thought, a long sword flew out from the case, clashing fiercely with Mei☆'s blade on the stage, sparks flying with ear-piercing metallic clashes.
In the next instant, Fu Shi leapt back to her spot, her weapon switching instantly to a chain-blade.
Seizing the moment while Mei☆ was occupied with the flying sword, she whipped her arm, sending the chain-blade snaking toward Mei☆'s ankle like a venomous serpent.
But after knocking the long sword away, Mei☆ followed the chain's path, channeling her lightning, purple arcs raced along the chain straight toward Fu Shi.
At the same time, Mei☆ leapt high, leaving behind several afterimages, her great blade wrapped in raging thunder as it came crashing down toward Fu Shi's head.
Seeing this, Fu Shi had no choice but to release the chain-blade, gripping her sword with both hands to meet the thunder head-on.
"Clang!"
A deafening crash exploded. The instant their weapons collided, thunder surged across the arena, the blinding light forcing eyes shut.
A violent shockwave blasted outwards, the ground cracking into countless web-like fissures.
Owlbert quickly put on sunglasses, voice full of admiration,
"My god! Raiden Mei☆ not only fended off the Herrscher of Sentience's relentless attacks but even gained the upper hand! That offense-to-defense shift was brilliant!"
The audience roared, cheers and gasps echoing endlessly. Just a single exchange had already ignited the entire atmosphere.
Stelle waved a hastily drawn support sign for Fu Shi, shouting at the top of his lungs,
"Go Mom!!!"
Jing Yuan's eyes gleamed with approval, "I hadn't expected Miss Fu Shi to not only possess unmatched powers, but such refined martial skill as well. Raiden Mei☆ too, her reactions are impressively sharp."
Feixiao felt his fists heating up, his tone filled with irrepressible excitement, "Finally, a proper match! A pity I am not allowed to step in… otherwise I'd love to fight them myself."
Fu Lin watched the lights interweaving on the stage, murmuring softly, "Mei☆'s progress is truly astonishing. Even without activating Herrscher form, she can still fight Fu Shi evenly."
Elysia rested her chin in her hand, eyes glittering with a smile as she focused firmly on the stage, "Ever since she lost to Fu Shi on Taixuan Mountain, Mei☆ hasn't taken a single break. She's been polishing her skills day and night. That kind of dedication is second to none~"
Onstage, the thunder light finally began to fade.
Fu Shi staggered back two steps, her palms numb, yet her grin only widened, "Now this is a real fight! Everything before was just a warm-up!"
She wiped her mouth casually, and with a thought, her scattered weapons flew back to her like birds returning to their nest.
Her aura suddenly contracted, then burst outward again, her stance now fully serious, "Show me your full strength! From here on, I'm going all out!"
Mei☆ raised her great blade across her front, violet lightning dancing along its edge, her eyes resolute,
"As you wish."
Her voice fell. Closing her eyes briefly, crimson-purple lightning surged from her body, writhing around her like living serpents.
When she opened her eyes again, the Herrscher of Thunder, Raiden Mei☆, had appeared.
The once-clear sky was instantly devoured by dark clouds. Winds whipped bolts of lightning overhead, forcibly altering even the environment around the Xianzhou.
Owlbert's voice carried raw disbelief, "Incredible! Raiden Mei☆ has transformed! This oppressive aura is suffocating! Could the Herrscher of Sentience contestant also be hiding some trump card?"
"Trump card? Of course, "
Fu Shi suddenly laughed heartily, and translucent crimson wings unfurled from her back, shimmering with radiant motes of light.
The very next moment, a strange sensation swept over everyone aboard the ship. Before they could react, terrified cries erupted from the audience,
A colossal figure of Fu Shi had appeared outside the Xianzhou, large enough to hold the entire vessel in one hand, a playful smirk on her lips.
Owlbert was utterly shaken, his voice trembling, "My god! What just happened?! How did the Herrscher of Sentience suddenly grow so huge? Is she about to crush the whole ship?!"
As hearts leapt into throats, Fu Shi clenched her raised hand, her voice resonating with overwhelming power, "I shall twist all creation!"
A thunderous roar filled the air, and everyone's vision went black.
When they opened their eyes again, Fu Shi was back on the stage, as if that massive form had been nothing but an illusion.
Owlbert scratched his head blankly, utterly confused, "Just now… something major happened… or maybe nothing happened at all?"
But Fu Shi offered no explanation. Gripping the sword case with both hands, she pushed off the ground like an arrow loosed, charging straight toward Mei☆.
The heavy sword case, wielded like a giant blade, howled through the air, "Take this!"
Even Yanqing below couldn't help widening his eyes in disbelief, "That sword case… it can be used like that?!"
Beside him, Yunli dropped her playful look, her eyes gleaming with admiration, "That straightforward, power-packed style, I like it."
The colossal blade slammed toward Mei☆, but the giant spectral arms at her sides immediately drew great swords, blocking the strike precisely!
Yet the impact was so fierce that Mei☆ had no choice but to retreat.
The giant blade smashed into the stage with a deafening boom, a gaping crack spreading instantly.
"You dodged? Then how about this?"
Fu Shi thrust the sword case into the ground, and three clones suddenly emerged on the arena, each wielding a spear, a sword, and a chain-blade, attacking Mei☆ from every direction, sealing off her escape.
Owlbert's voice rose higher, "The Herrscher of Sentience has summoned clones! What a spectacular sight! How will Raiden Mei☆ defend against this all-out assault?!"
Just as the clones closed in, Mei☆'s gaze sharpened. She muttered in a low voice,
"Wild Flash!"
At her words, violet lightning cascaded like a storm upon the arena. In an instant, an electrified domain spread from her center.
The clones that stepped into the lightning field were immediately struck, their bodies dissolving into points of light.
Owlbert's voice brimmed with praise, his words tumbling faster, "Brilliant! Raiden Mei☆ summoned a storm of lightning around herself, effortlessly wiping out the Herrscher's clones! Magnificent!
What kind of attack will the Herrscher of Sentience unleash next to counter this?!"