With the end of the battle, Ming Yu couldn't help but gasp for air. A fight of this intensity was close to his current limit, and the stamina drain was immense, but at least he had won.
As Ming Yu's mastery of Sakura of the Far Shore's power deepened, his strength grew rapidly. This was evident from his use of sword qi.
At first, Ming Yu only used sword qi as a mid-range attack, but now, he had developed many uses for it. He could even delay the eruption of the sword qi, relying on his own perception of it to perform a move similar to a "Blade Return."
Of course, Sakura Fubuki also played a significant role in this.
To be frank, among five-star weapons, Sakura Fubuki was pitifully weak. In Ming Yu's opinion, Sakura Fubuki was much weaker than even half of the Divine Key, Black Abyss, making it almost unworthy of its star rating.
However, perhaps due to Yae Sakura, Sakura Fubuki was top-tier in terms of sword qi conduction and amplification, far surpassing any weapon Ming Yu had ever come into contact with. Without this Spirit Blade, Ming Yu's control over sword qi would drop by a whole level, likely reducing it to just a means of extending his attack range.
"Big Brother Yu~!"
Before Ming Yu could even catch his breath, Higokumaru pounced on him, her small hands clutching his neck tightly, her little head burrowing into his chest.
When she saw Ming Yu injured, Higokumaru had thought he was going to lose. She both ached for his injuries and felt a strange yet familiar power welling up in her body. She had almost been unable to suppress the primordial power within her.
"Alright, it's okay now. Don't hug me so tight, I can barely breathe." Ming Yu gently patted the little fox's head, comforting her softly. Although Higokumaru wasn't strong, the added weight on his chest made him feel a bit stuffy, especially after he had just been through a battle.
Glancing at the display between the person and the fox, Theresa would never admit that she had also been very worried just now. She just muttered under her breath, "Just two high-level Honkai Zombies, and he got himself injured like this..."
Due to the distance, Ming Yu didn't hear the Principal's complaint clearly and could only ask, confused, "What did you say just now, Principal?"
"Nothing." Theresa immediately put on a polite smile and asked in a somewhat commanding tone, "Do you want to rest?"
After a moment of thought, Ming Yu nodded in agreement. This was just the beginning of the third floor. There were bound to be even stronger enemies deeper in. If he went in his current state, Ming Yu felt he might very well capsize, and then things would get serious.
Moreover, he also needed time to sort through what he had learned from the recent battle, to review the process and summarize his gains and losses. After all, opportunities for life-and-death battles with such powerful enemies were rare. The days at St. Freya were just not tense enough.
Although, in name, St. Freya High School was the Far East Branch's Valkyrie training base, Theresa had truly turned it into a school, with various cultural courses and education in music, sports, and art, not much different from an ordinary high school.
In fact, due to sufficient funding, she had even recruited a group of top-tier teachers led by Welt, making the quality of education at St. Freya High School second to none in the entire Far East region, leaving prestigious schools like Senba Academy in the dust.
During his time at St. Freya, only his training with Fu Hua could keep Ming Yu on his toes, but it still couldn't compare to a battle of this level.
As if reading his mind, Theresa didn't hold back and pointed out some of the problems Ming Yu had in battle.
Although Theresa had temporarily lost her power, her S-rank insight was still there. In terms of combat, even Yae Sakura couldn't compare to her.
After all, Yae Sakura usually just killed Honkai-infected beasts, a far cry from a pure warrior like Theresa.
With just a few words, Theresa benefited Ming Yu greatly, solving puzzles that had troubled him for a long time.
A few hours later, the rested duo and their fox companion once again set out on the path to the depths of the Tenshukaku.
After Theresa's guidance, Ming Yu's confidence had grown. Although his physical strength hadn't increased, his combat awareness and experience were constantly improving, which was much more useful than a simple increase in power.
Slowly, they arrived at the depths of the third floor, and the final guardian of this floor revealed herself.
She had grayish-white, shoulder-length hair and a pale face. A curved, black horn-like object extended from the right side of her forehead. A black trench coat floated without wind, revealing a bright red lining. The Honkai Zombie was floating in the air, about thirty centimeters off the ground, with a faint red mist swirling around the hem of her coat, as if holding her aloft.
Staring at this Honkai Zombie, Ming Yu's expression grew solemn. This kind of high-class entrance immediately gave off a dangerous vibe, completely incomparable to the previous Gale Soul and Lightning Soul.
In terms of sheer cool factor, among all the Honkai Zombies Ming Yu had seen, he would call this one the strongest!
Moreover, Ming Yu also recognized this Honkai Zombie's name—Tyrant!
Seeing the arrival of Ming Yu and the others, the Tyrant's lips curled slightly into a strange smile, as if to say, "You've finally arrived."
With a *clang*, Sakura Fubuki was drawn three inches from its sheath, and Ming Yu charged towards the Tyrant's position. Although the enemy was powerful, he wouldn't back down just like that. Besides, he had already come this far, how could he give up so easily?
"Be careful!" Theresa shouted. "This type of Honkai Zombie can not only turn itself intangible, but it can also attack regardless of distance!"
As soon as her voice fell, the Tyrant casually threw a punch in Ming Yu's direction. The movement wasn't fast, seeming almost careless, as if it just wanted to stretch its body.
But in the next moment, Ming Yu felt as if his chest had been hit by a heavy blow. His forward momentum was stopped cold, and he was sent flying backward at an even greater speed, making intimate contact with the wall behind him.
*Thump!* Flesh collided with the wooden wall, producing a dull and unnerving sound.
Ming Yu let out a muffled grunt and, enduring the pain in his chest, pushed himself up against the wall. His eyes were fixed on the Tyrant, his face growing even more grim.
In the game, Ming Yu had only found its intangibility skill annoying; he hadn't thought its attack power was that strong. But the scene before him completely overturned his previous thoughts. The Tyrant's attack was not weak at all; it was strong, very strong!
Just now, it had only thrown a seemingly casual punch, yet it had such power, sending the charging him flying. If it attacked with its full strength, how many punches could he take?
Looking at the hint of mockery in the Tyrant's eyes, a strong sense of crisis welled up in Ming Yu's heart. This battle, he feared, would not be so simple.