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The group exchanged glances, not knowing what to say.
This is way too different from the blank, dazed March 7th we saw before.
This isn't just doubling her power—she's splitting her mind and operating two things at once!
Is that even within March 7th's brain capacity?
This is more incredible than even her enormous Path power reserve!
To control two different Conceptual Powers simultaneously, and ones that oppose each other—Yanqing and Yunli asked themselves honestly: they couldn't do it either!
Could this be a side effect of following the Remembrance?
March 7th usually looked unreliable, but her potential was truly terrifying.
"Ah no, ah no—at this rate, this disciple can't be taught. She doesn't need techniques; she can just drown enemies with raw Path power."
Yunli, checking the fierce output of March 7th's Path power, felt a headache coming on.
When strength reaches a certain level, technique becomes trivial.
By rights, Yunli was on the same road—yet to reach the state of 'no-technique surpasses technique' she still needed to study skills.
But now, it seemed her own disciple had suddenly surpassed her.
How long have I even been a master?
"Sigh, Miss March truly is a person of great fortune and retribution—how could she be limited by our paltry talents?" Yanqing folded his arms and mimicked Jing Yuan's posture, speaking with the little-adult air of a precocious kid.
But his meaning wasn't much different from Yunli's.
He'd accepted it: if he ever became Sword Leader in the future, he'd at best be on par with his disciple.
Compared to Master Jingliu, March 7th's swordsmanship was far inferior, but in terms of total Path power, she might well be stronger!
Unless he achieved an extraordinary breakthrough himself…
"Is… this not fake?" Stelle openly doubted. Was the March 7th in front of them the same person as yesterday?
Could she have been swapped out in that ice sphere earlier?
Well, it wasn't impossible.
The group silently waited for March 7th's next move.
This time, they felt no worry at all.
Unless Little March had lost her mind, she wouldn't deliberately attempt the impossible!
The two swords were held steadily in March 7th's hands; their blades shimmered. After a moment, fierce purple and blue light washed and tempered across the Massacre Ruler and Avalon, then were wholly absorbed into the two swords.
A domineering aura surged skyward. March 7th crossed the two swords before her and looked at the finished products she had made for the first time.
She let out a small, proud chuckle. "Hehe, I truly am a born swordswoman!"
Everyone swarmed forward; Yanqing and Yunli compared the two replicas to the genuine weapons in their hands down to the millimeter.
No matter how they scrutinized them, they couldn't find a single flaw.
"Phew—" the two breathed out.
Only then did Yanqing truly give in; he sighed, "A marvelous skill!"
He couldn't find fitting words to express the hopes he'd pinned on March 7th.
Not long ago he'd been happy just to get a purple Curio.
And now?
My disciple is already handcrafting purple Curios!
How could people be so far apart?
"Little March!" Yunli called in a coquettish voice and defiantly challenged, "Shall we have a match?"
She pointed her thumb at Yanqing with one hand. "It'll be the two of us masters against your one disciple. A friendly bout—light blows only."
Yunli truly wanted to see whether those replicas could really match the originals one hundred percent.
"That's not proper, is it? Miss March is a guest from afar." Lingsha frowned slightly at the remark.
Masters fighting their student?
Victory would be dishonorable; defeat would be shameful.
"No problem!"
But March 7th didn't care about that.
Having just completed a small life goal, she was riding high—full of momentum and swagger—and immediately accepted Yunli's challenge.
"Oh, this is so interesting—I'll be the referee!" Stelle's face lit up.
The first sword since apprenticeship: cut down two masters first.
That would be glorious to tell others!
Well… who gained face was another matter. March 7th certainly would; Yanqing and Yunli maybe not so much.
Soon the three—master and disciples—took their places on either side, with Stelle standing between the two groups.
She produced a whistle from who-knows-where, blew out a sharp trill, then raised her right arm high and brought it down in a chopping motion.
"Begin!"
After shouting, Stelle quickly stepped back.
All three erupted their Path power at once.
Yanqing struck first. He rode his flying sword in and, facing March 7th who stood with both swords displayed, did not go full out; he warned, "Be careful—this is an attack that severs everything!"
The Massacre Ruler cleaved down as a probe—one straightforward, technique-free slash.
March 7th judged it; her body didn't move an inch. She lifted her left hand and blocked with Avalon's blade.
At the instant the two blades met, blue and purple light burst forth and intertwined—then suddenly faded.
The two understood this was the result of two equal amounts of Concept Power canceling each other.
After that power vanished, what followed was a most plain, brute collision.
Clang!
The harsh metal sound spread across the field. Yanqing gripped his sword hilt, poured out his Path power, trying to use momentum to suppress one of March 7th's arms.
March 7th did not retreat. She met him head-on with one hand, not moving at all.
"Watch the sword!" a spirited shout rang out—Yunli had already closed in front of them.
Using Yanqing suspended in midair to her advantage, Yunli swung Old Mettle in a wide arc with heavy force and slammed toward March 7th.
Against such an attack, the best choice would have been to dodge and then counter.
If Yunli's large motion missed, her recovery would be long—perfect for a counter.
But March 7th didn't do that.
While using one hand to block Yanqing, she planted the Massacre Ruler into the ground with the other and channeled Path power.
The two heavy swords slammed together with a boom; the shockwave cracked and shattered the ground.
Yunli felt as if she'd struck an unbreakable wall.
Her strike had been stopped so easily?
"Masters, shall we officially begin?" March 7th pushed both swords forcefully forward; they traced semicircles in the air and dropped to her sides, left and right.
Yanqing and Yunli were actually knocked flying by that deceptively light blow.
Yunli swung Old Mettle and rolled with the momentum, then suddenly released her weapon.
Thud!
Old Mettle crashed heavily to the ground; the impact kicked up dust in waves. Small stones that had lain quietly on the earth were blasted into the surrounding trees.
Yunli landed on one foot and crouched with her toe on Old Mettle's hilt. "Little March, that was a bit too cocky, wasn't it?"
It was a friendly match, but Yunli's pride had been stung; she was a little fired up.
Yanqing rode his flying sword and returned calmly. He wasn't badly hurt, only his clothes dusted by the smoke Old Mettle had raised.
"Enough talk—use your ultimate moves; let one strike decide it," Yunli told Yanqing.
Yanqing thought for two seconds, then asked March 7th, "How's that?"
March 7th planted the two swords in the ground, cupped her hands at her mouth, and shouted, "I'm fine! Use whatever's convenient for you!"
That line wasn't cocky—this bordered on disrespecting one's masters, effectively desecrating them!
Yunli's little brow furrowed into a tic; she tilted her head. "Don't hold back. Use that Soulsteel Sync—the one that drifts dreams—just call it over!"
Then she turned to Stelle and called, "Referee, you better keep a close eye! We might not be able to hold back!"