Kalpas merely blocked her attack casually with his arm, deflecting it, then slapped backhanded. The scorching heatwave generated stung Kiana's cheek, forcing her to retreat quickly.
Perspective Shift: Bamboo Grove
Qingque's smile was nearly frozen into a mask.
Looking at the serious expression of Hua in front of her, the bitterness in her heart was worse than staying up all night and miscalculating a divination.
"I... I shall teach you a technique, named 'Taixu Sword Qi'."
Hua's voice was steady and calm, as if stating that the weather was nice today.
(Taixu Sword Qi?!)
The image of the gigantic sword phantom, vast enough to cover the sky, that she saw in her dream flashed through Qingque's mind, and she instinctively shrank her neck.
"Wait, wait, wait!"
Qingque quickly waved her hands, trying to make a final struggle. "Hua... er, Senior! Look, I'm a person who can't even tie up a chicken. I've never touched a sword or blade since I was little! Really! We in the Divination Commission mainly rely on divination... uh, we rely on wisdom and strategy to solve problems! Wielding weapons isn't suitable for me, truly not suitable!"
She tried hard to look weak and helpless, her eyes filled with the plea, "Please let me go."
Hua listened quietly, her gray eyes showing no change in emotion. Only after Qingque finished did she slowly speak: "No matter."
Qingque: "...Huh?"
"'Taixu Sword Qi' is merely a designation, a guiding principle."
Hua explained, her tone composed. "It is not restricted to the sword alone. Its core lies in the Five Aggregates: 'Heart,' 'Form,' 'Intent,' 'Soul,' and 'Spirit,' and in the way of understanding, condensing, and utilizing one's own power. Even if you use a saber, a spear, a staff... or anything else, as long as it adheres to the principles of application, it can be encompassed within the 'Taixu' category."
She looked at Qingque, her gaze calm but undeniable: "Simply demonstrate how you typically engage an enemy, or how you use your own power."
Qingque: "...It can be done like that?!"
She felt her last excuse had been effortlessly dismantled. Sighing internally, she knew there was no escaping today.
"Sigh..."
Sighing resignedly, Qingque reluctantly shuffled to a small clearing in the Bamboo Grove.
She closed her eyes, then extended a finger and gently tapped the empty space in front of her.
The air subtly rippled, and the phantom of a small, circular platform, radiating a soft white jade luster, slowly emerged.
Above the platform, several translucent jade tiles phantoms floated in mid-air, rotating slowly.
"Th... this is it."
Qingque scratched her head awkwardly, casually "drawing" a jade plaque phantom from the void, and then... threw it toward a nearby bamboo stalk without any force, like tossing a throwing dart.
The jade plaque phantom floated gently, hit the bamboo stalk with a soft "pop," and then shattered and vanished like a soap bubble, failing to knock down even a single bamboo leaf.
Qingque's face flushed slightly, and she hastily added an explanation: "Senior, look! This is all I can do! Really! I'm just a Minor Diviner at the Divination Commission who tells fortunes... er, handles documents. At most, I use these jade tiless to deduce the fortune of the stars, or... uh, for entertainment. I'm really not good at fighting! How about... we just..."
She looked at Hua expectantly, hoping the other party would give up.
Hua did not speak immediately, her gaze lingering thoughtfully on the slowly rotating jade plaque platform and the dissipating phantom for a moment.
(The materialization of Path power? Such a unique form... completely different from Honkai Energy. Is this the rule of this universe? Truly wondrous.)
She understood that this girl was not without power; it was just that the form and utilization of her power were vastly different from conventional martial arts, and the owner clearly had no awareness or willingness to use it for combat.
"Is the demonstration complete?" Hua asked.
Qingque nodded vigorously: "Done, done! That's all there is! It's very meager!"
Hua nodded slightly, pondering for a moment. Just when Qingque thought she was about to announce, "Your aptitude is too poor, forget it," she spoke again: "No matter."
Qingque: "...Huh???" Still "no matter"?!
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