"Master, even if I'm some martial arts prodigy, thinking I could surpass you in such a short time is impossible, right?" Facing the possibly imminent outcome of "I fight Fu Hua," Shun decisively chickened out.
Fu Hua shook her head and said, "I'm not asking you to actually defeat me. As long as you can earn my approval in battle, that's enough." Fu Hua naturally knew this was impossible too if Shun could surpass her in martial arts in such a short time, she might as well find a piece of tofu and smash her head against it.
No matter how high her expectations for Shun were, this was impossible. Even the Desolate Heavenly Emperor surpassing his Supreme Realm dean took who knows how many years.
"Then that's fine." Shun breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought he was about to become a 2.5 Shun. Turned out it wasn't really about beating Fu Hua good.
"Alright then. Next, let's discuss the Intent aggregate. The Intent aggregate of Taixu's five aggregates requires the Xuanyuan Sword to cultivate, but once attuned to the Xuanyuan Sword's heart and intent, sword intent forms naturally. In essence, it is unrelated to the other four aggregates and is not a martial art. Sword intent is merely something I included in the Taixu Sword Qi system for others' convenience to understand the mechanism by which the Xuanyuan Sword itself resonates with its wielder, concentrating energy to change shape."
Shun naturally knew what the Xuanyuan Sword was, but he was always an expert at playing dumb, so he raised a doubt at the appropriate moment. "Then, Master, what is the Xuanyuan Sword? The sword carried by the Yellow Emperor?"
"The Xuanyuan Sword is one of the tenth Divine Key the Key of Domination but the Xuanyuan Sword is not the entirety of the Key of Domination. I used it as an example only because this Key of Domination is the most famous. Later I'll take you to the warehouse to pick one as your tool for cultivating Intent, and it will also serve as your future weapon."
Shun thought to himself: Of course I know I even know the Xuanyuan Sword is currently stuck inside Chiyou's body in the East Sea. But to keep up the act of being a clueless newbie, Shun had to painstakingly hide it. Even if his existence would cause who-knows-how-many butterfly effects, at least they shouldn't spiral to an unimaginable degree.
"Then there's the Soul aggregate. Although Soul is reputed as the most difficult, over the centuries far more people have mastered Soul than have broken through to Clear Mirror in sword heart. The so-called Soul aggregate is the essence of swordsmanship. The way of the sword has myriad changes; the sword itself is merely a vessel. After comprehending Soul, all weapons in the world become like wielding a sword no need to be confined to sword shapes. Only at such a realm can one be called a master of swordsmanship. So compared to sword heart, which tests temperament, Soul which depends purely on martial talent is much simpler."
On the contrary, Shun felt Soul might be a bit difficult. Though both Misteln and Fu Hua had praised his talent, he had no clear idea how good it really was. It was hard to imagine an ordinary college student's comprehension being exceptionally high if it were truly that high, Shun wouldn't have struggled with advanced math.
The worry on Shun's face was still caught by Fu Hua's eye. "What's wrong? Are you worried you won't be able to comprehend Soul?" Seeing Shun's expression, Fu Hua actually found it somewhat novel. She had thought Shun was completely unfamiliar with humility unexpectedly seeing such an expression in his eyes was rare.
"It's like this I don't know how good my martial talent is. If I can't comprehend Soul and end up embarrassing you, Master..." After all, just a few months ago Shun had been nothing more than a clear-eyed, foolish college student. Feeling lost was normal.
Expecting him to grow into a true warrior in seven days like Fire Qilin Fei from Super Beast Armed there were no conditions for that.
"Don't worry. Your master will step in. Moreover, even in your current state, your master isn't necessarily confident of victory. You don't need to worry about embarrassing me anymore." From the perspective of people like Fu Hua, Shun was already quite remarkable. But from a God's-eye view, Shun's current strength was still far from enough.
Right now Shun was probably getting 1-9'd by Kevin Kevin could kill Shun nine times in one second, then go make a cup of instant noodles.
After comforting Shun, Fu Hua continued. "Taixu Sword Qi, though called 'sword qi,' to truly manifest divinity into sword and have sword qi arise from the heart, one must comprehend the fifth aggregate Spirit. The essence of Spirit is shaping and extending Honkai energy. The prerequisite is being able to manipulate large amounts of Honkai energy which you naturally have an innate advantage in, so no need to worry."
"Finally, the true profound mystery of Taixu Sword Qi: Spirit aggregate. Spirit is the ultimate of transformation. No sword yet there is sword; manifesting divinity into sword, sword qi forms naturally this is attaining Spirit aggregate. Spirit is the ultimate of transformation, the wonder of all things' becoming, which cannot be questioned by form. It has no form and needs no form. This sword fills space; this sword is space. Thus it is omnipresent and unstoppable. This one sword cannot be blocked."
"Badass." When it came to the coolest ultimate in Honkai 3 aside from Ancestor Kevin's Shun felt Taixu Sword God was the coolest, and its strength was high too. Aside from Divine Keys, Herrschers, and psychic-type MANTIS, it was pretty much the only move that could deal mental damage.
"Rest assured with your conditions, even without cultivating Taixu Sword Heart, you can still release Sword God moves through the sword god technique. Taixu Sword Heart is ultimately just a prerequisite for reaching the Honkai adaptability needed to release Sword God it's not the only condition. That's roughly all there is to Taixu Sword Qi. If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask your master boldly. While I still remember, I will explain everything to you."
"Uh, there is one question. Master, what exactly is the method you mentioned earlier that can help me with sword heart and Soul?" Everything Fu Hua had explained about Taixu Sword Qi basically matched what Shun already knew nothing secret she didn't mention. But Fu Hua confidently saying she could help with his insufficient comprehension and sword heart issue still piqued Shun's interest.
"Go practice Form first. Come with me to get your weapon." Fu Hua teased mysteriously without saying what would help, but she acted as a generous benefactor and directly gifted Shun equipment.
Hearing there was a new weapon, Shun stopped worrying about Heart aggregate. Since Fu Hua promised, she would definitely deliver. You could doubt anything, but Fu Hua's promises were non-negotiable otherwise, how had Shenzhou survived five thousand years under Honkai?
Fu Hua led Shun to a hidden door. Opening it revealed a whole other world inside. But this secret warehouse looked quite dilapidated not as clean as the courtyard of Fuyun Temple. Probably because Fu Hua rarely came here.
Walking ahead, Fu Hua explained as they went: "Because I often lose memories due to certain events, I only remembered this place a few years ago. I haven't had time to tidy it up, so it's become like this."
Shun nodded in understanding. After walking a bit further, they finally reached the destination. Various weapons lay scattered messily on the ground some even stuck straight into it, completely disorganized. The weapons came in all shapes: long swords, short swords, greatswords, spears, and more. Among them, Shun spotted several familiar ones.
Qingchen Liu, Wushuang, Feng Qingyang, Luo Wuzhuo, Chi Jueying. Five of Taixu's seven disciples' weapons were here but Cheng Lixue's Ruoshui, Qin Suyi's Mo Ran Xiang, and Cheng Linghuang's were missing.
"Master, can I take all of these?" Shun turned around with a cheeky grin.
"See how my fist feels first before you speak." Fu Hua's iron-fist threat finally dispelled Shun's idea. He obediently began selecting.