Yaoqing, the Martial Decree Ceremony.
In these final moments.
Feixiao, who should have been completely exhausted, instead erupted with power even greater than when she was at her peak at the start.
"What's going on?"
Qin Suyi raised her sword to meet the attack, her brow furrowed slightly.
Clang, clang, clang!
Feixiao had adopted a reckless, life-for-injury fighting style. Her great axe and the Xuanyuan sword clashed repeatedly, the two locked in a fierce, inseparable exchange from all angles, unable to break apart!
Qin Suyi calmly and unhurriedly parried each of her attacks.
Listening to her opponent's quickened breath, watching her eyes become tinged with madness. A guess about the reason for Feixiao's sudden outburst began to form in her mind.
"Lunar Madness?"
Qin Suyi had heard of this Foxian curse; it was the only possibility she could think of.
"Is she really willing to die just to win?"
Qin Suyi didn't understand why she was fighting so desperately.
Clang!
After another crisp clang, the Xuanyuan and the great axe met once more!
"No, that's not it..."
This close-quarters clash allowed Qin Suyi to get a clear look at Feixiao's current state.
Those eyes, tinged with the blood-red that symbolized madness. They didn't hold the desire to slaughter everything, as was typical during an episode of Lunar Madness, where the instincts of carnage drive an empty shell, using this to obtain unparalleled power.
Instead, it was a completely opposite feeling.
Feixiao's eyes held... Hmm, how to put it?
Qin Suyi murmured to herself, then with a flick of her sword, successfully pushed her back.
If she had to describe it, what she saw in those eyes was adoration for someone.
It was an emotion Qin Suyi herself had once felt.
As the only person in a small Yaoqing county to have mastered the Taixu Sword Arts, the Marshal had appreciated her talent and thus bestowed upon her the legendary sword, Xuanyuan.
Upon receiving the divine weapon Xuanyuan, she had requested that the Marshal demonstrate the final stage of the Taixu Sword Arts for her.
To this day, she could still not forget the Marshal's magnificent posture when he held the sword that day.
She too had someone she looked up to, so she could deeply understand how Feixiao felt.
The desire to prove oneself, to catch up to him, to see the same sights he sees.
The desire... to stand by his side.
Feixiao embraced the Lunar Madness with this goal in mind, seeking to grasp everything within her reach.
"Planning to use me as a whetstone, are you?"
Qin Suyi said with a sense of resignation.
It was clear from the lack of killing intent in her eyes, which only showed a struggle against herself.
She hadn't activated Lunar Madness simply to win this match.
Rather, she had decided to use Lunar Madness to completely master this power that was inherently hers and make it her own.
There was no better time than now, and Feixiao surely knew this very well.
Activating Lunar Madness meant that for a period of time, she would fall into an unconscious state, her body moving on its own accord.
And the underlying logic of Lunar Madness was the thrill of battle.
In other words, during the process of taming her Lunar Madness, someone had to keep her in check to prevent her from doing anything drastic.
...and harming others.
This person responsible for restraining her had to be strong enough, but also possess the right amount of discretion.
After all, the goal wasn't to solve the problem, but to handle it with ease and constantly fend it off.
Until the problem finally disappeared on its own.
Only someone like that could serve as a whetstone for a sharp blade like Feixiao.
On the entire Xianzhou Yaoqing, besides Yueyu, the only one who fit these two conditions... ...was her.
She had come here today to gauge the strength of Yaoqing's strongest new generation.
And to promote one or two of them along the way.
In a way, it was truly her duty to help forge this budding blade that was Feixiao.
"Since you've made up your mind."
Qin Suyi sighed.
Watching Feixiao charge at her once more, she decided to do Yueyu a favor.
"Then don't you dare disappoint me."
She raised Xuanyuan high, using a force-dispersing technique to effortlessly parry the extremely heavy great axe!
Feixiao let out a low growl, like an untamed beast.
Nearby, March 7th noticed something was wrong.
Just as she was thinking about whether to help Qin Suyi stop her, March 7th sensed the determination coming from Feixiao.
She wanted to have a fair and proper showdown with her.
Feixiao was using her own power.
If, during this process, her axe were to harm March 7th against her will, it would mean this wasn't truly her own power.
If that really happened, Feixiao would concede defeat on her own once she regained her senses.
Conquering the Lunar Madness.
In this process, March 7th was also a test she had set for herself.
Something she had to overcome. Failing to do so would undoubtedly mean her own defeat.
March 7th looked at her, raised her twin swords, and the stance for "Sword Form: Swift" began to take shape.
But she wasn't aiming at Feixiao, but at Qin Suyi.
Everything was understood without a word.
She had made her choice, deciding to honor Feixiao's wish.
"Feixiao..."
On the high platform, Yueyu watched the scene unfold, a hint of worry on her face.
She chose her moment well.
Under her and Qin Suyi's supervision, any commotion she caused could be resolved in an instant.
Clearly, she had thought about the consequences before making this choice.
"General Changtian... it's all up to you now..."
Feixiao's ambition and courage were certainly commendable.
But for a Foxian to try and conquer Lunar Madness was no different from a wild fantasy.
If Foxians had the constitution of Xianzhou natives, it would be another story.
But they didn't; they were so frail they were even easier to kill than the Vidyadhara.
This caused a skill like Lunar Madness, which required an extremely strong physique as a prerequisite, to become a curse for the Foxian people.
The only hope of conquering, or even breaking, the Lunar Madness rested on Feixiao.
Others might not know what Changtian was doing, but she did.
General Changtian, will you bring a new variable to this secret the Alliance has failed to solve for seven hundred years?
Just like your sudden appearance during the recent Third Abundance War.
Yueyu could find no answer.
The clash between the three grew more and more intense.
It was clearly the end of the match, but they fought as if it had just begun.
Half an incense stick's worth of time passed by silently.
Clang, clang, clang!
And the other half passed just as quickly amidst the ringing of clashing blades.
"Time's up."
Qin Suyi announced the stop, and March 7th also ceased her attacks.
Both of them turned their gazes to Feixiao in unison.
Watching closely for her next move, which would signify her success or failure.
The match was over.
This meant there was already a result, a winner and a loser.
Under these circumstances, if Feixiao didn't hold back and continued to attack Qin Suyi, it would mean she had still lost her reason and had completely become a puppet of the Lunar Madness.
If that were to happen, then without a doubt, she had failed.
Conversely, if she obediently stopped, making no further moves, and quietly waiting for Qin Suyi to announce their respective damage contributions, it would mean she had succeeded.
She had done what no other Foxian had ever managed to do.
—So, what would the final answer be?
____
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