Self-Realization

Elysia wasn't satisfied with the answer. She had a feeling the other guy knew something.

But then she thought about it, wouldn't it just be awkward if he said it? Plus... who knows where he got the data from.

After all, if he could make such a magical game, and even create stigmata that even Mobius couldn't replicate, then something a little more outlandish was understandable.

But... involving weight...

It made Elysia a little embarrassed, but seeing Bronya's fiery eyes next to her, she realized someone was having a worse time.

She decided to pretend nothing happened and just watch the show.

"Boss... Bronya advises you to avoid irrelevant topics..."

Bronya rolled her eyes at Luo Mo, feeling a bit helpless.

Who cares about those things anyway? As long as Seele has them!

Speaking of which, sometimes the internet goes crazy about how... all the orphanage's nutrition went into Seele. After last night's test, she really believed it.

But, speaking of which, is Li Sushang really the same height as Bronya? Why does she look like she has such long legs?

And herself... she looked down at the ground, able to see the floor clearly, and couldn't help but draw another black line on her forehead.

"Sigh..."

She glanced at Fu Hua, feeling a little comforted.

At least there's still the Class Monitor.

-----

Su Sushang was troubled by Fu Hua's suggestion of a fight "worth fighting for".

She only wanted a sparring session, maybe to see who was stronger, and had no desire for a life-or-death struggle.

But it was her Grand Master, Red Kite Immortal, who had spoken, and she had already made a promise...

She didn't ask any questions. In fact, she didn't need to.

She knew, this person before her, if she had ever considered herself even once, would not be standing here right now.

Perhaps, like the Rakshasa, she has indeed escaped her past, finding a new life in her long journey.

Only... what has been gained can never truly compensate for what was lost.

Therefore...

She took a deep breath, pushing aside her inner turmoil, clasped her hands in a gesture of respect, and with a glint in her eyes, said:

"Li Su Sushang, the eldest disciple of the 'Supreme Freedom sect', requests the honour of your instruction, Grand Master!"

She had said these words to countless people in the past.

In her long journey, she had issued countless challenges.

The only thing that remained unchanged... perhaps, was the light in her eyes.

No matter who she faced, her determination and sharpness never wavered, shining like a star.

She wouldn't fear any challenge, not even her former master, the one who was a genius beyond compare, nor the legendary Red Kite Immortal, the Protector of China.

On Fu Hua's side, she knew every move her opponent would make, unable to avoid them, unable to escape. It was a technique she had created, passed down through generations…

…Unfortunately, now she couldn't utilize it.

"Tai Xu Sword Qi… Shen Yun!"

Li Su Sushang slowly floated into the air, an infinite glow emanating from her. A golden crack appeared in the sky above, with faint lightning flickering within it.

"Shen, the epitome of change, transcending all things with words…"

The atmosphere changed drastically, once again proclaiming the power of the Tai Xu Sword God to the world.

With a single swing of her sword, everything within her sight was engulfed.

Only a single point of black gold remained amidst the cleansing torrent, refusing to be extinguished.

"…Grip of Tai Xu's!!"

Fu Hua clenched her fists, her eyes unwavering, refusing to acknowledge defeat.

-----

Hearing the familiar words, the audience wore various expressions.

"It feels like the Tai Xu Sword God appears quite often. Do all members of the Tai Xu sect possess this power?"

"Huh? Class monitor, can she also use the Tai Xu Sword God?"

Kiana squeezed her eyes towards Fu Hua, asking with an inquisitive expression.

"Yes, she's incredibly talented, has been training with the sword since childhood, and is very dedicated. It was to be expected that she would master the Tai Xu Sword God…"

Fu Hua nodded, recalling the two times she had seen Su Sushang before, shaking her head with a smile.

"Speaking of which… Kiana, how's your training going?"

"Uh… well, that… right, class monitor, according to Shenzhou's ways, she's being insubordinate and disrespecting her elders. Aren't you angry?" (refers to someone of lower status acting disrespectfully toward someone of higher status.)

"…It seems you've been making progress in your studies recently, Kiana. Though your vocabulary… the general meaning is still correct."

Fu Hua looked at Kiana twice, unbothered by her avoidance of a direct answer. She'll know when they actually spar.

"Bah, what's wrong with that? How can that be wrong? I think Kiana's spot on!"

The Herrscher of Reason decisively switched sides, standing with Kiana. It seemed she would join in criticizing Fu Hua if she made any mistakes.

Kiana scratched her head, chuckling.

She wouldn't engage in this!

Don't be fooled by the Little Senti jumping around. If the class monitor is truly in trouble, she'd absolutely abandon everyone else to help her.

As for agreeing with her words? After being tricked once, she's completely comfortable with their relationship. She doesn't want to step into that murky water.

"Martial artists must be respectful and follow etiquette, but they cannot retreat. Martial arts… forget it, Little Senti, you don't have to cover your ears anymore. I won't talk about this aspect anymore…"

Fu Hua glared at the Herrscher of Sentience, who had already expertly covered her ears, fulfilling her wish and ceasing her teachings.

She didn't actually have any ill feelings towards Li Su Sushang. Perhaps her feelings for her seven disciples are complicated and difficult to define.

But she did have a fondness for this girl who purely dedicated herself to martial arts and practiced chivalry… though, sometimes her stubbornness would give her a headache.

"So, can Grip of Tai Xu's defeat the Tai Xu Sword God?"

Kiana inquired. After all, it seems like the class monitor won't be appearing in later parts of the story. Meaning… she lost?

"Well, of course… it wouldn't work."

Before Kiana could express her surprise, the Herrscher of Sentience face fell as she finished the sentence.

"How could that be? Grip of Tai Xu's, after all, is just a variation of Tai Xu Sword, incorporating some old-fashioned boxing techniques, but it definitely can't beat this kind of big move!"

"Even when I was a Herrscher, I used this as my ultimate attack. You can imagine how powerful it is."

Fu Hua remained silent, but nodded, acknowledging this point.

"Based on general rationality, these two…"

"Okay, okay, I know you're trying to say it can't win. Stop talking in circles, old Antique!"

Herrscher of Sentience pushed Fu Hua away with a wave of her hand, her voice impatient.

Fu Hua didn't mind her hand, she just felt a bit of a headache and wanted to rub her temples to relax.

Facing someone so mischievous and yet so indistinguishable from her memories,

Fu Hua found her teasing unbearable.

On the other side, the group watched this scene, finding it quite amusing.

"It seems Fu Hua and Little Senti are getting along quite well. It's been a while since I saw Fu Hua react like that~ Quite a surprise!"

Elysia watched with keen interest.

"You call that getting along? I've seen Fu Hua… no, I mean, I've seen her frown more times than in a whole year!"

Mobius retorted, watching Fu Hua and the Herrscher of Sentiece, her eyes filled with a certain kind of heat.

Unfortunately, Fu Hua is no longer easily fooled… she's learned to manipulate others. What a transformation!

"Oh, come on, Mobius, you still don't understand. How can I explain it?"

"Just speak normally, and don't get any closer. I can hear you clearly!"

Mobius pushed Elysia away with a sigh,

What's with her? Just talk, I'm not deaf. Also, I suspect you have something for Griseo, I need to keep her away from you next time!

"Let me explain properly, it's easier to understand when you're closer, right?"

"Alright, Ellie, let's watch how Fu Hua handles this."

Finally, Eden spoke, casting a helpless look at the doctor and Ellie's entangled state. She felt that being close to any of the Flame-Chasers had some drawbacks.

As for stigmata? Mobius clearly still couldn't resist Elysia, even after gaining power.

The only difference is probably...she no longer has to find ways to get Ellie's stigmata.

Stigmata… such an amazing power. She… was also curious.

Eden narrowed her eyes, picking up her wine glass to shield her view before downing it in one gulp, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

-----

In the split second before the Sword God's countless sharp edges were about to unleash, everything seemed to freeze.

But for the one being targeted by the sword, she understood this gap in time was merely an illusion, a fleeting moment bought by the opponent's speed exceeding human reaction.

As she thought at lightning speed, the aura of the sword, now taking on a gaseous form, continued to close in on her forehead.

For her, whose sword heart had been shattered, this strike was unstoppable, a force that would crush everything in its path.

The almost blinding light of the sword, the very reason she couldn't articulate her defeat, was the undeniable proof of her opponent's victory.

"Yes, it's the Sword God..."

"And I must face this blade."

In the frozen space, Fu Hua spoke to herself.

Truth be told, the best way to counter the Sword God was to clash head-on like she did with the Herrscher of Sentience, but unfortunately, she couldn't do that now.

She struggled to pull her consciousness out of the frozen space,

and inexplicably, she recalled the distant past of the SWARA experiment.

As Dr. MEI had said, she possessed a long lifespan, the SWARA granted her infinite growth potential, and it solved her excessive and abnormal mutations...

...but that didn't mean it was completely harmless.

It was a catalyst, a limitation, something that worked deep within her consciousness, comparable to a strict rule.

"Possessed by a demon... must be slain..."

She couldn't help but chuckle bitterly. It was an irreversible side effect, then.

And in the recent experiment conducted by Anti-Entropy, under the supervision of Tesla and Einstein, she truly realized this point.

Her consciousness now entirely under her control, allowing her to walk the path she chose.

It sounded wonderful, but the disappearance of her sword heart and the SWARA, despite her body regaining its former strength, rendered her unable to reach her previous level of power.

The techniques that once relied on her sword heart were all forbidden, causing her strength to plummet, returning her to square one… Original point.

But correspondingly... the limitations of her body vanished, and forbidden techniques were awakened once again.

However, these were desperate measures, and she couldn't alter the subsequent consequences.

"But during the Second Eruption, your physical condition was even worse than it is now. Yet you were still able to use the techniques of the Void Sword God..." Einstein calmly analyzed for Fu Hua.

 Fu Hua simply shook her head, saying helplessly,

"Back then, I still had Fenghuang Down, which was an exception."

"And it was then that I realized that even the Void Sword God could fail."

"At that time, another entity blocked the Herrscher..."

She paused, a sudden thought striking her, a possibility that seemed impossible.

What was mere idle chatter back then now had a concrete basis... After all, who would have thought that the Void Sword God would actually exist now?

…

As Li Sushang Taixu Sword God condensed and took shape, Fu Hua's heart remained calm.

No one could confirm this possibility for her – that's what she thought.

But now, she truly felt the hand of fate. She thought she would never face the Void Sword God again, that her speculation from the so-called Honkai God would end there, but unexpectedly...

"Nothing is absolute."

Fu Hua sighed softly, her gaze fixed on the opposite side. The golden giant sword was about to descend, bringing with it the force of a cataclysmic collapse.

She did not panic, but instead put her consciousness into her heart. She wanted to confirm her guess again. After all, her life was at stake.

The surface of the lake was clear, a sliver of light falling upon it. Due to a basic law of physics, it produced a definite yet difficult-to-discern refraction as it submerged.

By the time it finally touched the murky bottom of the lake, its direction was no longer the same as when it started.

At the same time as she sighed deeply, Fu Hua sighed long and deeply in her heart.

Or rather, after confirming that her judgment was not wrong, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Moo, Kabayis Ryu..."

Strange syllables flowed gently from her mouth — but after tentatively uttering one sentence, she stopped.

Her thoughts flew rapidly in her mind.

The test just now had confirmed her suspicions. Her sword heart, along with the mental imprint like the SWARA... had become a path deviating from the right track.

What she possessed was undoubtedly the realm of Still Water.

Still Water, Dustless, Clear Mirror, Void, representing the four realms of the sword heart.

For beginners, it starts with Still Water.

And about five hundred years ago... a blaze that shot up into the sky, a scene of a sword pointing at the forehead.

Her sword heart had already shattered, and she had never been able to return to it since. In other words –

"This heart lake shouldn't exist."

Fu Hua murmured softly, gazing at her heart lake.

Or rather, even if it existed, it shouldn't be trapped in Still Water.

She already had a faint answer in her heart.

"Is it you...?..."

A gentle figure, with a hint of worry in her brows, appeared beside her, wearing the ancient attire of five hundred years ago. She didn't look like a martial artist, but rather exuded a strong scholarly aura.

"Zhaoyu..."

Lin Zhaoyu.PNG

[We still don't know how many consciousnesses are burdened within Fu Hua's body.]

[Sword heart... Tai Xu sect... Damn, I want to learn too.]

[The Taixu Sword God targeted its founder. Is it the ultimate technique, invincible in the world, or is this person invincible in the world?]

[Makes sense. If someone can stop it, why can't Red kite Immortal do it?]

[comment…]

-----

"There are so many people in the Class Monitor's head."

Kiana complained, looking at Fu Hua's head with a sense of strangeness. There were a lot of people in the Class Monitor's consciousness.

But she didn't think about herself. Hadn't she also almost had enough people to form a mahjong table? If you counted Ms. Himeko, that is.

As for Bronya's core... there were even more people.

Or rather, wouldn't it be strange for a true strong person to only have one or two people in their head?

 "Why... Zhaoyu? Is it really her?"

Fu Hua was somewhat surprised. She called upon her heart lake to check, but there were no anomalies.

Perhaps it was when she was fully healed, or perhaps it was the way she equipped her stigmata, but there were faint traces of others in her heart lake, bits and pieces.

The other party had already left, perhaps relieved to see their master restored to her former glory.

"Tsk, she's lucky she ran fast."

The Herrscher of Sentience also saw her actions, simply scoffing.

"Speaking of... Old Antique, why didn't you ask me for help? You couldn't release it, but I could release the Void Sword God."

"The game says... you can't be found, right? If I knew where you were, I would have definitely asked for your help."

Fu Hua said helplessly. Besides, she didn't think she could persuade the other party to help. To be precise, she couldn't persuade her past self.

Now that they ate and slept together, she had a good grasp of the other party's mood.

Therefore, she also knew how to persuade her to fight. Whether it was an open plea or a challenge, it was all good. The only bad thing was reasoning.

She had learned that the hard way.

"Hey, that's what you get. I'll leave you a communication channel next time."

The Herrscher of Sentience was delighted, her little hand waving as she spoke.

Her smug expression was evident.

Senti.PNG