After a long while, having finally grown tired of playing, Ming Yu sheathed Sakura Fubuki. A flash of crimson light glinted as the blade returned to its scabbard.
With a ripping sound, the sword qi Ming Yu had previously left on the Honkai Zombies erupted violently, tearing through their bodies from the wounds left by Sakura Fubuki.
Ming Yu turned back to look at Theresa and Higokumaru as the six Honkai Zombies behind him dissolved into black motes of light and slowly vanished. Paired with Ming Yu's calm expression and the slight flutter of his clothes, the scene had a certain ineffable beauty and coolness.
A true man never looks back at an explosion. Ming Yu silently gave himself a thumbs-up in his head. If he had a phone, he would have wanted to take a picture to commemorate the moment.
"Big Brother Yu is so amazing!" the little fox exclaimed, her mouth agape in perfect cooperation.
In contrast, a certain white-haired ball of fluff wasn't so accommodating.
"Hmph! Just a bunch of low-level Honkai Zombies. Hurry up and go to the next area, who knows how many floors this Tenshukaku has!" Theresa said impatiently. This guy was obviously just showing off. He clearly could have dealt with those Honkai Zombies ten minutes ago, yet he had to drag it out for so long.
As a battle-hardened warrior, Theresa could naturally see that Ming Yu was adapting to the power of Sakura of the Far Shore. While she understood his reasoning, it didn't mean she had to tolerate his excessive showboating.
If only Judah were here, the Principal could teach this arrogant brat a lesson in minutes. Theresa thought to herself.
"I know, I know," Ming Yu replied helplessly. The Principal was still the Principal, after all. With her status and age, Ming Yu couldn't just hang her up and spank her.
Patting Higokumaru's small head, Ming Yu smiled and whispered, "Higokumaru is still the cutest."
The little fox also tilted her head up and rubbed against Ming Yu's palm, her tail wagging behind her, a look of pure enjoyment on her face.
Seeing Theresa's cheeks puffed out in anger, looking like she wanted to explode but was helpless to do so, Ming Yu couldn't help but laugh inwardly. But he didn't dawdle any longer. Placing Higokumaru on his shoulder, he started walking deeper into the Tenshukaku.
From the outside, the entire Tenshukaku didn't look very large, but inside, rows of screens stood tall, dividing the interior space into long, narrow rectangles, making it seem deep and tranquil.
Ming Yu had no intention of committing an act of vandalism against these exquisite screens. Although he didn't know much about them, they were at least pleasant to look at, serving as a bit of a diversion along the way. Therefore, he didn't forcefully break through the screens to make his way, but rather followed the corridor they formed.
Before long, Ming Yu and the others arrived in a room that resembled a large hall. The room was divided into two sections, connected in the middle by several long wooden planks laid side-by-side. Below, water flowed with fish swimming in it, the sound of gurgling water creating a rather elegant atmosphere. Of course, that was if you ignored the Honkai Zombie sitting on the other side.
"Be careful, that's a Lightning Soul, a higher-level evolution of the Obedient Ninja Honkai Zombies from before!" The moment she saw the Honkai Zombie opposite them, Theresa immediately shouted, afraid that Ming Yu would suffer a loss from underestimating his opponent.
Though she wasn't a fan of his showboating, Theresa still cared a great deal for her student. Whether it was Ming Yu's previous battles or the time they had spent together, Theresa had already come to accept him in her heart, so she naturally didn't want to see him get hurt.
Ming Yu nodded, putting the little fox aside, and began to study the slowly rising Lightning Soul.
Compared to the Obedient Ninja Honkai Zombie, the Lightning Soul was taller, almost reaching two meters, its height alone giving it a considerable presence. It had two black horns on its head, and its long, grayish-white hair was draped behind its back, the ends tinged with a touch of crimson.
Its face was obscured by a high collar, making it hard to see clearly. The rest of its clothing was sparse, revealing a figure that the Celestial of Shenzhou could never hope to achieve, proudly exposed to the air.
Like the Obedient Ninja Honkai Zombie, a tail extended from its back. It held two black longswords, their blades a bright yellow, with Honkai Energy faintly circulating within them, far superior to the twin blades of the Obedient Ninja Honkai Zombie.
Ming Yu slightly arched his body, his right hand slowly resting on Sakura Fubuki as his legs began to gather strength. Taking a deep breath, Ming Yu's legs suddenly pushed off, his body shooting towards the Lightning Soul like a meteor.
*Clang!* The crimson Spirit Blade and the black Honkai Energy twin blades collided, erupting in a shower of fierce sparks. Although it was one against two, the Lightning Soul was still knocked back several steps by Ming Yu, who carried the momentum of his charge.
In terms of pure strength, the Lightning Soul was not much weaker than him. After a brief exchange, Ming Yu quickly came to a conclusion. If he relied on strength alone, it wouldn't be easy to win.
*But, I'm using cheats right now!* Ming Yu grinned, and the three magatama on his forehead glowed with a faint red light.
After the battle just now, Ming Yu had gradually figured out the function of this "soul."
Like a Stigmata, the "soul" also had the ability to store and manipulate Honkai Energy. This not only increased the wielder's Honkai resistance but also improved their ability to control Honkai Energy.
Over the past month, Ming Yu had gradually gotten a grasp of his own Honkai resistance level. While excellent, it wasn't at a ridiculous level; he couldn't just ignore the corrosion of Honkai Energy. Not to mention comparing him to Herrschers like Mei and Kiana, he was even a notch below Bronya.
Therefore, he had always been very cautious when using Honkai Energy in battle, having to be extremely careful to avoid being corrupted. He was fortunate that Fu Hua's martial arts also had the effect of alleviating Honkai Energy corrosion, which gave him some peace of mind.
Of course, compared to a Stigmata, the most important thing about the "soul" was the will within it, which was like a living entity, making its spirituality far exceed that of a Stigmata.
During battle, with every sword strike and every dodge, Ming Yu could feel suggestions coming from Sakura of the Far Shore. This feeling was as if the Yae Sakura within Sakura of the Far Shore was teaching him how to fight, yet it also felt as if it was entirely his own will.
He only needed to issue the command to swing his sword in his mind, and his body would naturally find the optimal angle and force for the strike, as if he were already a seasoned veteran. When facing an enemy's attack, he didn't need to think much; a countermeasure would appear in his mind, and he just had to execute it.
Looking at the Lightning Soul's grayish-white face up close, and the lifeless eyes in its sockets, although devoid of any emotion, it exuded a certain inexplicable sense of danger.
Ming Yu was certain that even if eight Obedient Ninja Honkai Zombies attacked together, they would be no match for a single Lightning Soul. But there was not a trace of cowardice in his heart; instead, his fighting spirit gradually began to soar.
Only an enemy of this caliber was worthy of being his whetstone, to test his current strength. Those Obedient Ninja Honkai Zombies were barely enough for a warm-up.
Taking a step back, Ming Yu tightened his grip on Sakura Fubuki. His sword strikes were like rain, enveloping the Lightning Soul in a curtain of crimson light.