Volume 1, Chapter 16: Crimson-Stained Demon Blade Sakura

When Xia Chen woke up from his bed, he felt an excruciating headache.

This was his first experience of being mentally eroded.

The sheer agony made him never want to endure it again. It felt like being slowly consumed piece by piece, with a terror that defied description.

Despite the rapid process, it left a lasting psychological impact.

He hadn't anticipated Rin's death in the end.

Reflecting back, it seemed almost inevitable. However, those so-called Commandments...

"I hope they haven't left any lingering effects on me."

Xia Chen realized that the System's simulations were becoming increasingly dangerous.

Yet, this time's reward was truly exceptional.

[Crimson-Stained Demon Blade Sakura: Once a sacred blade known as Sakura Petal Fall, enshrined at Yae Shrine. After Yae Sakura was controlled by the Will of Honkai, it slaughtered innocent humans and became tainted, transforming into a demon blade. Its vivid red blade is infused with the power of Honkai.]

[Note: Due to certain reasons, this weapon cannot be upgraded. It actively absorbs Honkai Energy.]

Unlike the game version, the real-life Crimson Stain Sakura could not be upgraded, according to the System's description.

Reading this, Xia Chen couldn't help but frown.

The cursed blade would be useless to him.

Xia Chen wasn't skilled with swords anyway.

With a single thought, he extracted Crimson Stain Sakura and gripped its hilt. Just as he attempted to unsheathe it, he felt the sword seemingly conveying a certain emotion:

[Hungry.]

Xia Chen nearly jumped in surprise.

Although he had grown accustomed to strange voices appearing in his mind, having a weapon with its own consciousness was truly bizarre.

It felt less like a weapon and more like a pet.

He couldn't help but frown, "System, can I return this item?"

This sword gave him an ominous feeling.

However, the response was clear: [No].

[The System provides players with a backpack for storing weapons. Its space is akin to a hidden, Honkai Energy-free Virtual Space, but the connection between player and weapon remains intact.]

He had no choice but to communicate with the cursed blade.

"What do you need to feel satisfied?"

[Hungry.]

Crimson Stain Sakura continued to convey only emotions.

Suddenly, Xia Chen's thoughts shifted.

"System, extract one Honkai Fragment, not all at once."

Under Xia Chen's anxious gaze, a single Honkai Fragment materialized in the room.

Like a starved beast that hadn't eaten in ages, the cursed blade Crimson Stain Sakura eagerly absorbed the Honkai Fragment.

As Crimson Stain Sakura absorbed Honkai Energy, fragments of unfamiliar memories involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

Blade Technique: Sakura Petal Fall

"Is this... inheritance?" Xia Chen couldn't help but feel surprised.

He instinctively swung the Red Sakura a few times and discovered that he had unknowingly mastered sword techniques, as if they were innate to him all along.

Suddenly, a hint of fear crept over him.

If the Red Sakura can bestow me with sword techniques, could it also potentially alter my memories and control me later on?

Xia Chen couldn't be certain, but he felt that the Red Sakura might indeed be capable of such manipulation.

However, after consuming the Honkai Fragment, the cursed blade seemed to enter a dormant state, akin to sleep.

He began pondering, "System, can I interpret this as: as long as I keep feeding it, it won't affect me?"

[It will grow fond of you.]

Xia Chen's lips twitched involuntarily.

Changing the subject, he asked, "So, is every five-star weapon this peculiar? Do they all have their own consciousness?"

[Only a very small number of weapons and Stigmata obtained by players possess consciousness. It must be acknowledged that your luck, to some extent, is remarkably good.]

[The Red Sakura harbors an additional consciousness, which has recognized your performance in the simulation.]

"Recognition? Wait, you're saying there were observers during my simulation?"

[Please explore this on your own, Player.]

Xia Chen couldn't help feeling somewhat uneasy.

Could it be that Rin's consciousness resides within this Red Sakura? Or is it Sakura's consciousness?

That doesn't make sense either; Rin ultimately transformed into Higokumaru and eventually became Higokumaru. As for Sakura, she has already died.

Unable to comprehend it fully, he decided not to dwell on it further.

What was certain at present was that this blade possessed the ability to absorb Honkai Energy. If used effectively, it could serve as a lower-grade version of Abyss Flower, absorbing the Honkai Energy from individuals corrupted by Honkai.

Of course, whether it would actually work needed to be tested by Xia Chen himself.

He once again separated the cursed blade from its scabbard.

This time, Red Sakura did not transmit any consciousness but smoothly cooperated with him instead.

The vivid crimson, reminiscent of fresh blood, pierced his eyes intensely. In just an instant, Xia Chen felt something peculiar intruding into his awareness.

Quickly, he closed the scabbard, sensing all his strength instantly drained away.

Strangely, another piece of information emerged in his mind:

This blade does more than merely absorb Honkai energy.

It also craves blood.

Within just two days at Saint Freya Academy, Xia Chen gained considerable fame.

Over these two days, he inadvertently established the Immortal Blades' reputation within Saint Freya, although it wasn't his intention.

The Far East Branch lacked access to unrestricted Memory Battlefields, so everyone trained on the same grounds. As one of the rare male students and somewhat handsome, Xia Chen's presence immediately drew numerous curious glances upon entering the training area.

Of course, this alone wouldn't have made him truly famous.

What really brought him renown was his terrifying physical training regimen. In just one day, his workout intensity surpassed that of an average Saint Freya student's five-day routine.

Considering Xia Chen hailed from the Immortal Blades, rumors quickly spread throughout Saint Freya, labeling the group as a "devilish boot camp."

Though, in reality, it wasn't far off.

Initially, some individuals were interested in approaching him, wondering if there might be opportunities to join the Immortal Blades. However, witnessing such intense training, they all quickly dismissed the idea.

Even more absurdly, a rumor circulated claiming that Durandal's daily training equaled a month's worth for an ordinary Valkyrie.

Xia Chen preferred staying low-key and didn't bother clarifying these rumors.

However, despite appearances, he wasn't entirely idle.

During these two days at the training ground, Kiana approached him three times.

It's unclear what Theresa explained to Kiana, but she didn't inquire further about Kaslana Gun Kata techniques. Instead, she became determined to defeat Xia Chen.

Perhaps driven by the embarrassment of a legitimate successor losing to a self-taught student, Kiana went all out to beat him.

However, her relentless efforts always resulted in exhaustion, leaving her lying in Mei's arms each time.

It wasn't that Xia Chen was overwhelmingly powerful; rather, his superior combat experience gave him the edge.

Xia Chen couldn't help but wonder, with classes ongoing at Saint Freya Academy, why was Kiana constantly present at the training grounds?

When Kiana attempted for the fourth time to find Xia Chen, he was nowhere to be seen on the training field.

She circled around and asked one of her acquaintances, "Class Monitor, have you seen where the male Immortal Blade member is?"

Fu Hua, who had been silently training, pushed up her glasses and replied, "Principal Theresa called him away." She paused before adding, "I overheard Principal Theresa mention that the male member's companion has awakened, and they plan to leave within the next few days."

During this period, Fu Hua had closely observed Kiana and Xia Chen, keeping herself well-informed about their situation.

Kiana froze for a moment before saying, "I'll go find Auntie."