"However, with your current strength, you have no room to choose," her eyes shifted, looking at the black longsword in the young man's hand, Fu Hua said faintly.
"You are too weak."
Hearing Fu Hua's statement, Ming Yu shrugged helplessly, momentarily at a loss for words. Even though he held a weapon hailed as a divine artifact, how much power he could wield ultimately depended on him, the user. What limited his strength now was not his equipment, but himself.
This was a harsh fact, and a reality he had to accept.
But he didn't complain. He had only been in this world for less than two months, and had only been training for a little over a month. Moreover, St. Freya's training was known for being lax. It was already quite good for him to have barely reached the standard of an active Valkyrie. He didn't ask for more; who could he blame but his own unhelpful cheat system?
In truth, he might not be much stronger than Kiana and the other two right now, probably a 40-60 split. And he was the 40. In terms of stamina, he couldn't match Kiana with her Kaslana bloodline; in terms of skill, he was no match for Mei, who had been immersed in the way of the sword for years; and in terms of timing, he was far behind Bronya, who had grown up on the battlefield since childhood.
Although one of the trio was always thinking about snacks, another had maxed out her cooking skills, and the third was a serious net addict, when it came to fighting, he really couldn't handle any of them.
To have come this far, he was already considered lucky. As long as he sorted things out with Fu Hua, Ming Yu could secure a stable two-year development period, giving him ample time to make up for his shortcomings.
Gently shaking his head, Ming Yu said helplessly, "But there's nothing I can do about it. As I've said before, I've never met anyone who taught me with care."
To be precise, he had never met anyone who could teach him how to fight, Ming Yu added silently in his heart. In that harmonious and stable society, who would seriously learn fighting techniques? Being dedicated to fitness was already quite commendable.
Upon hearing this, Fu Hua sized Ming Yu up seriously. Indeed, she saw no obvious signs of training on him; the marks left by less than two months of training were not yet so profound as to be visible at a glance.
"I really don't know how you've survived all these years," Fu Hua sighed softly, a trace of doubt in her eyes. People who got involved with the Honkai either maxed out their support skills or their combat skills, but Ming Yu was mediocre in both.
"However, since you know about Mount Taixu, you must have also heard of Taixu Sword Qi," although it was a question, Fu Hua used a declarative tone.
"Taixu Sword Qi?" Ming Yu seriously thought about the information in his mind and nodded, "Not much, but I do know a little. Legend has it that this is a peerless martial art created by Perfected Master Chiyuan of Mount Taixu, and it has left many legends in the history of Shenzhou."
He didn't know much about the history of this world, but he figured that something like this couldn't have completely disappeared from history. Even if the governments of various countries deliberately concealed the truth about the Honkai, legends would surely abound, and there would probably be no shortage of derivative wuxia novels. He could check them out sometime.
"So that's what Taixu Sword Qi is like in history?" A flash of nostalgia passed through Fu Hua's eyes. Remembering those memories from five hundred years ago, waves of pain and sorrow surged up from the bottom of her heart.
Composing herself and looking at the young man before her, Fu Hua said seriously, "Well then, do you want to learn this 'Taixu Sword Qi'?"
"Hmm~" Ming Yu was still thinking about Taixu Sword Qi and subconsciously nodded in response.
After a moment, Ming Yu finally processed what Fu Hua had said and exclaimed in shock, "I... Can I really learn this?"
Strictly speaking, he didn't have a very direct impression of Taixu Sword Qi or anything like it; he just knew it was a very strong martial art. What truly left a deep impression on him was the "Divine Sword of Taixu" that split the Tower of Babylon in a single strike.
Having been in this world for nearly two months, although he hadn't had many opportunities to witness high-end weaponry, it didn't stop him from understanding the power of that sword strike. At the very least, the Hyperion's main cannon couldn't achieve that. What's more, that was just the aftershock of the "Divine Sword of Taixu."
Celestial Fu Hua was terrifyingly powerful! Truly worthy of being the strongest person on the surface.
Of course, that sword strike had relied on the power of Fenghuang Down and had also caused severe injuries to Fu Hua herself, placing it in the category of forbidden techniques. But its power was undeniable; it could be said to have transcended the limits of humanity.
It was undeniable that Ming Yu's reason for getting close to Fu Hua was indeed with the thought of learning this martial art. But in his plans, he was supposed to max out Fu Hua's favorability first, and then slowly work towards it. Fu Hua opening with such a grand offer made this happiness feel a bit sudden.
"Taixu Sword Qi... it must be very precious, right? Is it really okay for me to learn it just like that? As the saying goes, no reward without merit. I don't think I am qualified to learn it." Faced with Fu Hua's sudden goodwill, Ming Yu became cautious.
Although there was no reason for Fu Hua to tease him, he was also very aware of his own standing. His friendship with Fu Hua hadn't reached that point. Her protecting him was already the limit; teaching him Taixu Sword Qi should have been a plan for at least a year later.
Looking at Fu Hua's calm face, Ming Yu asked seriously, "Why? I believe I have some self-awareness. Whether it's from the perspective of trustworthiness or other aspects, I am not the optimal choice. Besides, with the Celestial's status, you shouldn't have to worry about the lineage being broken, right?"
"You're right. You are indeed not the optimal choice, but you are one of the few choices I have." Pushing up the red-framed glasses on her nose, Fu Hua said slowly, "In terms of identity, there are still many suspicious points about you. In terms of age, you are also a bit too old. In terms of purpose, you also do not meet my requirements."
"If that's the case, then why are you..." Ming Yu's tone couldn't help but carry a hint of resentment. Although Fu Hua was speaking the truth, being told he was too old by someone over fifty thousand years old was a somewhat strange feeling.
"But I don't have much time left..." Fu Hua sighed deeply. Seeing that Ming Yu still wanted to ask, she waved her hand to interrupt him, "You don't need to know the rest. You just need to tell me your answer."
Watching the expressions change on Ming Yu's face, Fu Hua also felt a little emotional. She was very clear about her role. As a member of the Previous Era's Fire Moth left behind, she was just a torchbearer, responsible for passing on and protecting the flame of civilization. The future never belonged to her.
Originally, she thought she had ample time to accomplish all this, but the constantly awakening Herrschers and the tip of the iceberg of Otto's grand plan gave her an inexplicable sense of urgency, constantly reminding her that there wasn't much time left.
Instead of spending the remaining time vetting a successor for the flame, it would be better to pass the flame on while she still had the ability to do so, and in the limited time left, guide him onto the right path, or, erase him at the first sign of a wrong turn.
She had never been stingy with those qualified to inherit the flame. Even with Otto, she had given the complete Taixu Sword Qi to Schicksal and cooperated with him to integrate the Heart of Taixu Sword into Valkyrie training.
Taixu Sword Qi, as difficult as it might be, was never something that belonged to her alone. At best, she was just a custodian and a transmitter. As long as it could be used to fight the Honkai, then she had not failed her past beliefs, had not failed the trust of her friends.
After long deliberation, Ming Yu nodded solemnly and replied, "Although I can't figure out the reason, and I don't know if I'm truly qualified, just as you said, I need to become stronger."
He could guess some of Fu Hua's thoughts, but Ming Yu didn't think he had the makings of a savior; that was the job for the main trio. But since he had chosen Jizo Mitama, he naturally wouldn't blindly shirk responsibility. He wouldn't refuse to play a supporting role.
Accepting Fu Hua's inheritance basically meant tying himself to the same chariot as her. For a lone wolf like Ming Yu, there was no harm in it. On the contrary, he could gain more protection and guidance, accelerating his own path to becoming stronger.
However, looking at the faint smile on Fu Hua's lips, Ming Yu asked weakly, "So, should I call you Master?"
PS: Due to final exams, updates were stopped for nearly ten days, but they can now resume. There should be another chapter later. Please add to your collection and recommend... ^V^