When Ming Yu exited the illusion, he found that Fu Hua had already left. He was the only one remaining in the training room.
Having accepted such a huge favor, how could I continue to slack off in peace? Ming Yu couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
He unclenched his fist, and specks of golden-red light gradually scattered and disappeared, as if they had never been there.
Staring at the spot where the light had vanished, Ming Yu didn't look away for a long time. He didn't know what price Fu Hua had paid to achieve this, but he reckoned it wasn't small.
In his memory, every time Fu Hua used the feather, it placed a burden on her, causing her to cough up blood from time to time and enter a period of weakness.
In terms of practical results, this operation had perfectly achieved the goals he had previously set, and even exceeded them. Yet, he didn't feel the expected sense of relief; instead, his heart felt even heavier.
Patting his cheeks, he pushed aside those heavy thoughts and forced himself to focus on the reality before him.
Regardless, Otto's plan was still two years away. He had plenty of time to plan carefully. Otto was in the open, while he was in the shadows. All he had to do was stick to the plan and not get too cocky.
But with this, his Sword Heart should be considered to have reached the entry-level. He looked at his simple panel and fell into thought.
Host: Ming Yu
Honkai Energy Points: 905
Weapons: Spirit Blade: Sakura Fubuki (5-star), Divine Key: Jizo Mitama (4-star: 4444/10000)
Stigmata:
Skills: Inch-Heart Fist Technique (LV3: 150/3000), Sword Skill: Fallen Sakura (LV4: 5225/8000), Taixu Sword Qi (LV1: 100/1000)
Evaluation: B (Through various means, you have finally reached the threshold to become a Valkyrie. Fight on, stronger enemies are waiting to crush you!)
Raising Jizo Mitama, Ming Yu slowly closed his eyes, immersing his mind and spirit to perceive that faint Sword Heart.
As his concentration sharpened, the sword's shadow in his mind became clearer, gradually taking the form of Jizo Mitama.
The moment the sword's shadow fully formed, Ming Yu's eyes snapped open, and a gleam of sword light flashed past the bottom of his eyes.
"Sword Heart: Still Water!" Ming Yu shouted inwardly at the same time.
In the state of Sword Heart, Ming Yu felt his perception become incredibly sharp, as if all five senses had been enhanced, raising his sensitivity to the outside world to a new level.
With a thought, Ming Yu wielded Jizo Mitama with one hand and began to dance. His speed grew faster and faster, and soon, the black and red sword light completely enveloped him, forming an impenetrable protective barrier.
The secret technique Yae Sakura had taught him suddenly came to mind, and Honkai Energy naturally converged towards his legs.
Bang!
Ming Yu's figure suddenly disappeared and instantly reappeared on the other side of the training room, the sword light following his body's movement without the slightest pause.
Seemingly getting addicted to it, Ming Yu began to enjoy this feeling of being able to freely wield the power within his body, constantly executing "Flash" within the training room. For a time, the entire room was filled with black and red sword light.
Suddenly, a piercing pain shot through his mind, and the Honkai Energy in his body no longer flowed as freely as before, running rampant like a mischievous child. Although this temporary loss of control over his Honkai Energy wouldn't put him at risk of becoming a Honkai Zombie, it was incredibly uncomfortable.
The direct manifestation of this situation was that Ming Yu, who was about to execute "Flash," instantly lost control of his body. His forward-lunging body and his disobedient legs formed a terrible combination, causing Ming Yu to have an intimate encounter with the training room floor. Even Jizo Mitama slipped from his grasp, scraping against the ground and creating a shower of sparks.
Feeling the dizzying sensation of being tumbled in a washing machine in his head, Ming Yu felt like his head was about to explode. As expected, you can't be cool for more than three seconds.
Lying on his back on the cold floor, Ming Yu panted while reflecting on what had just happened, trying his best to alleviate the discomfort coming from the depths of his mind, as well as the soreness spreading through his limbs.
It took him about ten minutes to enter the Sword Heart state, but the state itself only lasted for three minutes, and it came with a not-so-short dizzy spell.
No wonder the cultivation of Sword Heart had to begin from childhood. Even with Fu Hua's help, which was no less effective than a direct infusion of enlightenment, it still took him ten minutes to enter this state. If he were to practice normally, it would probably take him half a year just to get a feel for it.
However, the Sword Heart state was indeed powerful. Not only did it greatly enhance his perception, but it also improved his control over his own body. It could definitely be considered an ultimate move, though its casting time and duration were still flawed.
In actual combat, this move wasn't very practical. After all, no one on the battlefield would be foolish enough to stand there and let you charge up an ultimate for ten minutes. But considering this was his first time entering this state, these were things that could be improved.
Once he had rested enough, Ming Yu forced himself to get up. Shaking his still slightly dizzy head, he felt a trace of fear. Although the effects of this level of negative status were no longer a major issue for him, the problem it revealed could not be ignored. If he hadn't discovered the consequences of overexertion now, he would be completely combat-ineffective on the battlefield upon exiting the Sword Heart state, becoming a lamb to the slaughter.
Moreover, the scheduled morning training time was over, and it was time to go back. After all, the negotiation with Fu Hua had taken quite a while, though the result did not disappoint him.
While picking up the dropped Jizo Mitama, Ming Yu slowly walked out of the training room, all the while pondering an important question: what should he have for breakfast?
...
At the same time, in a quiet corner not far from this training room, Fu Hua, who had left earlier, was leaning against a wall, panting.
Unlike her usual solemn and steady demeanor, she appeared quite weak at this moment. Her once healthy, rosy complexion had become visibly pale.
Gently wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth, Fu Hua had to divert her attention to suppress the backlash from old injuries within her body, which put her in a precarious situation.
But she knew that she couldn't ask anyone for help with these matters; she could only rely on herself. She couldn't depend on Otto or the Far East Branch.
Even Abyss Flower was helpless against these injuries, so seeking Otto's help would be futile.
As for the Far East Branch, the A-rank Valkyrie Fu Hua had no reason to sustain such injuries. After all, in her file, she came from an ancient martial arts family in Shenzhou. Her entire history was crystal clear, so much so that you could even find out who her kindergarten deskmate was.
Carefully mobilizing the Honkai Energy in her body and activating the few remaining fusion cells containing Honkai Beast genes, Fu Hua felt a little better, and a bit of color returned to her face.
Looking in the direction of Ming Yu's training room, Fu Hua sighed and helplessly muttered to herself, "I hope what I'm doing is right, that this person and the existence of that Divine Key can be..."
Before she could finish, she laughed self-deprecatingly, as if amused by her own unrealistic fantasy.
Gently shaking her head, she avoided the crowds and disappeared into the distance.
PS: Regarding the setting for the Sword Heart, I don't know if this will satisfy everyone, but I think it shouldn't be too bad. After all, in the original setting, the Sword Heart is also related to brain development, so my modification should be acceptable... right? QAQ
Whatever, I'm the one who calls the shots... (muttering quietly)
The update is a bit late, but I'm still shamelessly asking for recommendations and for you to add this to your library ^V^