The next day, Ming Yu woke up bright and early. When dealing with the Celestial, one must show the proper respect. Arriving early would definitely not hurt.
While yawning, Ming Yu scanned the two katanas on his desk, one black and one red, and a sense of pride welled up in his heart. These were divine weapons he had risked his life for.
After a moment's thought, he decided to bring both weapons with him. It was better to be prepared. Although it was unlikely he would fight Fu Hua, and he would definitely lose if he did, it was still good to be extra prepared.
He solemnly strapped Sakura Fubuki to his waist, then picked up Jizo Mitama with his right hand. With a slight shake, he absorbed it into his right hand.
This was the advantage of Soulium weapons—easy to carry. Nanotechnology was just that powerful. Although it placed a slight burden on his body, it wouldn't have much of an effect for a short time.
Walking out of the room, Higokumaru was clearly not up yet. Although sleep was good for the skin, Higokumaru's body was made entirely of Honkai Energy, so that probably wasn't a consideration for her.
Ming Yu quickly pushed the thought aside. It wasn't his business to worry about, so he didn't comment on it and silently headed towards the training grounds.
Along the way, Ming Yu encountered some of the young ladies of St. Freya who were also early risers. They only gave him a few extra glances without saying much. Ming Yu's existence was no secret, and everyone was used to it.
Besides, St. Freya was, after all, a Valkyrie training institution, and many of its students were combat personnel. Carrying weapons was not a rare sight. Bronya's Project Bunny wandered around with a cannon all day and no one stopped her, so naturally, no one would point fingers at Ming Yu for carrying conventional weapons.
He arrived at the training room Fu Hua frequented. Since he was a bit earlier than the agreed time, the room was empty. Ming Yu raised an eyebrow, unconcerned, and drew Sakura Fubuki to practice his swordsmanship alone.
In the Stigmata Space, thanks to Yae Sakura's gift, his swordsmanship had directly reached level four, and he had even comprehended Blade Intent. But after losing Sakura of the Far Shore, although the data on his panel hadn't changed, he knew he couldn't unleash the power a level-four swordsman should have. Even his use of the "intent" was clumsy.
Even so, he didn't complain. His original goal was Jizo Mitama anyway; obtaining Sakura Fubuki and level-four swordsmanship was already beyond his expectations. One should know when to be content.
The crimson blade danced up and down in Ming Yu's hands, like a blooming sakura blossom. As the flashes of the blade grew faster, the compatibility between Ming Yu and Sakura Fubuki deepened, and his understanding of swordsmanship became more thorough.
"Hah~"
As Ming Yu delivered the final slash, a faint sword aura shot out, dissipating only after traveling four or five meters from the blade.
*Clap~ Clap~*
A round of applause rang out, and a cool voice said unhurriedly, "Impressive swordsmanship. Even to someone like me, who doesn't understand the sword at all, it looks very good."
Ming Yu turned his head to find that Fu Hua had arrived at some point.
"Haha~ Class Monitor, you flatter me." Ming Yu couldn't help but blush. This was a complete case of showing off in front of an expert.
Fu Hua, the Celestial who doesn't understand swordsmanship? Hmm...
Truth be told, apart from the relentless Blade Intent, Ming Yu's sword techniques weren't particularly outstanding.
Yae Sakura's swordsmanship was something she figured out on her own, never seeking rigid forms, but rather following her heart, simply cutting however felt comfortable. In the later stages, although it didn't look flashy, the combat instinct ingrained in her bones was more than powerful enough.
"Are we continuing to practice the Inch-Heart Fist Technique today?" Fu Hua said with a straight face, showing no embarrassment whatsoever. "If you're seeking advice on swordsmanship, you've come to the wrong person. Unfortunately, I am not skilled in this art and cannot give you proper guidance."
Watching the young man slowly sheathe the beautiful crimson tachi, Fu Hua's eyes flickered. She noticed something different about Ming Yu today. The boy who used to learn fist techniques from her had changed. He no longer wore that worried expression; instead, an inexplicable confidence radiated from his entire being.
Thanks to Otto's communication, she understood that the seemingly young boy before her knew certain things, but she wasn't worried about her own safety in the slightest.
For no other reason than Fu Hua's absolute confidence in their respective strengths. Even without using the power of the feather, even if she gave Ming Yu a one-hand handicap, she was confident she could grind this guy into the floor.
Yes, the face-first kind.
But Ming Yu clearly had no intention of fighting. His next action took Fu Hua completely by surprise.
Ming Yu's hands left Sakura Fubuki at his waist as he slowly said, "Actually, I didn't ask the Class Monitor here today to ask for guidance on cultivation, but for this."
With that, a black longsword suddenly appeared in Ming Yu's right hand. The sword had no scabbard, but near the hilt was a red metallic decoration that resembled a scabbard, and it was perfectly integrated with the blade, without a single seam.
The external appearance is never the basis for judging a Soulium weapon; transforming a tachi into a longsword was not difficult for Ming Yu. But compared to a tachi, a longsword was clearly more in line with the aesthetic of Celestial Phoenix, who had lived in Shenzhou for many years, and it could also increase Fu Hua's sense of approval. Although this approval might not be much, it would be somewhat more advantageous for Ming Yu.
"What is this?" Fu Hua's relaxed expression vanished. Even though Fu Hua usually had a poker face, Ming Yu could clearly feel the change in her state, as if a slumbering prehistoric beast was slowly opening its eyes, an overwhelming pressure rushing towards him.
Her eyes were fixed on the dark red longsword in Ming Yu's hand. An inexplicable sense of familiarity rose from the bottom of her heart, and Fu Hua couldn't help but feel tense, the thought of snatching it away immediately entering her mind.
This puzzled her. Although her memories were fragmented, she could guarantee that she had never seen this sword before.
However, the sense of familiarity and danger coming from the sword could not be faked. The Soulium-forged blade, and that unique oppressive aura of a Herrscher, undoubtedly belonged to a weapon of that caliber.
Feeling the terrifying pressure from Fu Hua, Ming Yu couldn't help but take half a step back.
Composing himself, Ming Yu suppressed the urge to turn and flee, and slowly said, "In terms of material, this is a weapon forged from Soulium, but its energy core is a high-concentration Honkai Energy crystal. Even with Schicksal's current level of technology, it's impossible to create a weapon of this strength. Normally, we call these weapons left over from the Previous Era 'Holy Relics'."
Taking a deep breath, Ming Yu said the shocking words: "However, among these Holy Relics, there are some that are clearly stronger than others. We call them, Divine Keys—"