As a higher-level evolution of the Obedient Ninja Honkai Zombie, the Lightning Soul surpassed it in both strength and speed. Even its combat skills were not something a low-tier Honkai Zombie could compare to.
The same two longswords, wielded in the Lightning Soul's hands, formed a barrier that firmly blocked Ming Yu's attacks. Although it was on the defensive, Ming Yu couldn't do anything to it for the time being.
Looking at the Lightning Soul's sharp swordsmanship, Ming Yu's excitement grew. Only this kind of opponent was worth defeating.
The Lightning Soul must have been aware of Ming Yu's previous fight with the Obedient Ninja Honkai Zombies, yet it made no move to investigate, instead waiting here for the enemy to arrive.
This was the pride of a high-level Honkai Zombie. Unlike Honkai Beasts, which act purely on instinct, they possess great power as well as a certain degree of intelligence and thought.
This level of attack won't be enough to defeat the Lightning Soul! After a long, fruitless assault, Ming Yu quickly came to this conclusion. But he wasn't discouraged; his own strength was far from exhausted.
With a thought, his Spirit Blade began to glow with a crimson light. Streaks of sword qi erupted from Sakura Fubuki, shooting towards the Lightning Soul. Although the sword qi's attack power was less than a direct slash, it was very useful as a supplementary means of attack.
Seeing the streaks of crimson sword qi, the Lightning Soul's lifeless eyes couldn't help but flicker. Although it wouldn't be difficult to block them, it could foresee that Ming Yu's offensive would only become more and more frantic, eventually converging into a tidal wave that would crush it.
I have to dodge!
The Lightning Soul took half a step back, the Honkai Energy in its body circulating rapidly, and in the next moment, it vanished from Ming Yu's sight.
"Teleportation?" Ming Yu murmured. "It seems a bit different from the Templar-class Honkai Beast's teleportation. There's no afterimage."
If the Templar-class Honkai Beast's teleportation was the result of a burst of speed, then the Lightning Soul's was the effect of spatial movement. There was a fundamental difference between the two. Clearly, the Lightning Soul's teleportation was on a higher level than the Honkai Beast's, already falling into the category of spatial manipulation. And as everyone knows, spatial manipulation is the domain of the Second Herrscher.
Seeing this, Ming Yu was actually pleased. This meant that his long-held guess was correct: the potential of Honkai Zombies was far greater than that of Honkai Beasts, and they could even grow to the point of mastering physical laws. An Emperor-class Benares only had a dragon form, while a Judgment-class dragon had the ability to take human form.
It seemed that no matter where, the human form was still the one blessed with the greatest spiritual grace of heaven and earth.
"Nice ability, but you're too slow." Ming Yu swung his Spirit Blade backward, parrying the two longswords that were slashing at his back.
Without turning around, Ming Yu bent his left elbow and swung it backward, enveloped in a faint golden glow.
*Thump!* With the solid impact of his elbow, the Lightning Soul was sent flying, tracing a graceful parabola through the air.
"Now then, what other tricks do you have?" Slowly turning around, Ming Yu looked at the rising Lightning Soul, a contemptuous smile on his lips. His Spirit Blade also began to glow with a bright crimson light.
Five minutes later, a crimson blade of sword qi pierced through the Lightning Soul's chest, leaving a two-inch-deep gash on the pillar behind it.
Watching the Lightning Soul dissolve into motes of light, Ming Yu slowly sheathed Sakura Fubuki, feeling an indescribable sense of ease.
*So fragile.* Ming Yu really wanted to say that, but thinking about the Principal behind him, he decided against it. It was better to be a bit more low-key.
"Want to take a rest?" Theresa asked, looking at Ming Yu. She could tell that the Lightning Soul was much more difficult to deal with than the Obedient Ninja Honkai Zombies, and that Ming Yu had expended much more energy to defeat it. Since Ming Yu was the only one who could fight right now, it was of course better to be cautious.
"There's no need. Let's hurry to the next floor." After taking a moment to regulate his breathing, Ming Yu took the lead and headed for the next floor. With Sakura of the Far Shore, his endurance had increased by more than a single tier. A mere Lightning Soul was nothing.
Theresa hesitated for a moment, then followed him, holding Higokumaru. At worst, they could just retreat. Those guards didn't seem to have permission to go to other floors; otherwise, the commotion would have already attracted them.
The little fox looked at Ming Yu's figure, her blue eyes shining brightly, and her sense of security increased significantly.
Upon reaching the second floor, a group of Honkai Zombies was already lying in wait. The moment they saw the intruders, several red arrows of light shot towards them.
What does it feel like to be greeted by several light arrows the moment you go upstairs?
In any case, Ming Yu was startled. He hastily drew Sakura Fubuki to block, but one of the arrows still grazed his face, and crimson blood slowly trickled down from the wound.
Feeling the burning pain on his face, Ming Yu cursed himself for not being cautious enough, and a wave of anger rose in his heart. He had originally wanted to have some fun, but now he was in no mood for it. If Theresa saw this, who knows how she would laugh at him.
"Hmph!" Ming Yu swept his gaze across the hall. Four Sakura Guards with red scythes and four Archer Guards. A reasonable composition, but it didn't change the fact that they were cannon fodder.
What did catch his attention, however, was the appearance of the Sakura Guards, which was very different from ordinary Guard Honkai Zombies. They had crimson, ear-length short hair, and wore a white hooded sweatshirt with a three-magatama pattern printed on the hood. Even their scythes were red, unlike those of ordinary Guard Honkai Zombies.
This could probably be considered a special cultural feature of Yae Village. These Sakura Honkai Zombies were one of a kind in the entire Honkai world.
Although the Sakura Honkai Zombies had a somewhat stunning appearance, their lifeless eyes still proclaimed their status as Honkai Zombies, so Ming Yu naturally had no intention of holding back.
With a soft cry, Ming Yu pushed off with his legs and charged into the group of Honkai Zombies. The next moment, several streaks of crimson sword qi erupted among them.
By the time Theresa reached the second floor, there was no sign of any Honkai Zombies in the hall.
Noticing Theresa's surprised little gaze, Ming Yu, panting slightly, feigned composure and said, "There don't seem to be any guards here. Let's hurry to the next area."
But Theresa's powers of observation were formidable. Seeing the crisscrossing sword marks on the floor of the hall, then the thin red line on Ming Yu's face where blood was still faintly seeping out, and the extent of his exhaustion, she understood the situation in an instant.
"Pfft~" Theresa couldn't help but burst out laughing. "In that case, ha~, let's go to, the next area, haha~"
Higokumaru, on the other hand, slowly flew to Ming Yu's shoulder and asked softly, "Big Brother Yu, are you okay?"
Shaking his head, Ming Yu comfortingly stroked Higokumaru's head. The little fox was indeed the most well-behaved.
Glancing again at the gloating Theresa, Ming Yu began to have serious doubts about his decision to bring the Principal along to storm the Tenshukaku. What was the use of this Principal, anyway? Was she just here to be a mascot?
Maybe during the next battle, he should throw the Principal out first to act as a shield for a while? Looking at the snickering Theresa, Ming Yu seriously considered the feasibility of this plan.