Chapter Forty-Six: Midnight Sparring

The words from Xianyu made Tartaglia ponder ever so slightly.

He was contemplating whether it was worth it.

It was just a battle, not a necessity. If he wanted an opponent, it wasn't limited to Liyue, nor the person right in front of him.

Moreover, there were plenty of ways to pick a fight if he wanted trouble with someone; it was just a matter of whether he wanted to use them.

"Sure, but I can't guarantee I'll agree to your subsequent requests."

In response to this uncertain statement, Xianyu smiled faintly, showing no concern.

Whether the he agreed or not, Xianyu wouldn't be at a loss. Success would be great, but even if it failed, at least he wouldn't have to deal with the Fatui anymore.

Once they had a battle, Tartaglia would naturally understand his "strength." For ordinary people, challenging him would be a death wish, a futile effort without any need.

"As for what comes next, we can discuss it later. Let's have a little spar first."

With these words, he finished the tea in his hand and headed towards the outside.

Tartaglia followed suit.

In the black night, for both Xianyu and Tartaglia, it had little impact.

To be precise, it had little effect on those with keen perception, let alone these two.

Outside the Wangshu Inn, the original place.

The night was quiet, and there was no one around. Two figures stood still.

"Alright, let's settle this here. Let me see the strength of the Fatui Harbinger."

At this moment, Xianyu surprisingly felt a hint of anticipation. He wanted to gauge his own strength.

Excluding those overpowered forces, he hadn't truly battled so far. In previous fights, it was either the opponent being overwhelmed or mutual restraint.

Although there was a high chance he wouldn't win against Tartaglia in a direct confrontation, neither side could go all out. Both had reservations, and without revealing their trump cards, it boiled down to relying on their individual combat experience.

Tartaglia had nothing to say, being a combat fanatic with rich experience. As for Xianyu, truth be told, he lacked significant combat experience. His usual fights relied on physical fitness and the combat instincts brought by 'Basic Swordsmanship.'

Now, sparring with Tartaglia would be a rare and valuable experience.

The battle was about to begin.

As it wasn't a life-or-death struggle, initially, both restrained themselves, relying on technique.

Xianyu had plenty of skills, and his reflexes were sharp, but even so, facing a powerhouse like Tartaglia exposed numerous vulnerabilities.

He remained in a suppressed state, with little room for counterattacks.

Seeing Xianyu in this state, Tartaglia couldn't hide his disappointment.

"So, this is all the strength you've got? Quite disappointing."

"Well, if that's the case..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Tartaglia's actions became increasingly fierce, and wounds started appearing on Xianyu's body.

Feeling the pain and the relentless assault of elemental force, Xianyu swiftly stomped in place, retreating a distance.

"Phew~"

At this moment, both remained silent, charging at each other once again.

Xianyu sensed the killing intent, realizing it wasn't just a sparring match anymore. However, killing Tartaglia was clearly impossible.

Was Tartaglia weak? Not at all; he was strong! All eleven Fatui Harbingers were bestowed with the "divine" authority by the Cryo Archon, making them anything but weak.

Moreover, even if he could kill, Xianyu wouldn't. The consequences would be too significant, something he couldn't handle at the moment.

"This is tricky!"

In reality, if roles were reversed, Xianyu would likely do the same. If someone weaker and alone faced him, even with onlookers, the act of killing would likely go unnoticed, with plausible explanations like seeking revenge or a mistake.

No time to ponder, both now engaged their elemental powers.

Clang!

Swords clashed, and in the next moment, Tartaglia was startled. His head tilted back, and the blade scraped past his nose.

If he hadn't reacted quickly, he would have likely been injured.

Seeing this, Xianyu didn't waste any time. His left hand immediately delivered a punch to the opponent's chest.

Tartaglia, attempting to counter, had no chance. He was promptly sent flying by the punch.

After retreating more than ten meters on the ground, Tartaglia took a deep breath, coughed a few times, and then focused on the sword in Xianyu's hand.

If he hadn't been careless just now, there's no way he would have been hit.

"I guess the sword in your hand is the cause of the Mondstadt incident. It's indeed a decent weapon, actually able to cut through my weapon.

Why does the Tartaglia use a sword instead of a bow?

Anyone who has played games knows that a bow is the opponent's weakness. So, Xianyu doesn't find it surprising.

Upon hearing the his words, Xianyu didn't respond. Since the intent to kill had arisen, he no longer maintained a mindset of mere testing.

"Well, it's true. I went through quite a bit of trouble to obtain this sword. It even led me to cross paths with your Fatui, but... it was worth it.

The battle continued, and a fight with elemental powers was on a completely different level from one without.

Xianyu had no intention of holding back much. Except for [One Sword to Separate the World] and "Spirit Power," he employed all his other techniques.

Oh no, the Cryo Crystal Butterfly hadn't been used yet. Its strength wouldn't contribute much to this battle, its sole purpose being to counter Tartaglia's flight.

However, Tartaglia hadn't used the Demon King's Armament (Fool Legacy Transformation) and wasn't flying, so there was no need for aerial combat.

The battle between the two intensified, with elemental powers continuously clashing.

Tartaglia noticed that Xianyu's strength wasn't as weak as he initially thought. At least, with the use of elemental powers and those sword techniques, he could cause harm.

However, it was just harm, not fatal.

"Good! This level of strength aligns with my expectations. The fight is starting to get interesting!"

Changes in strength were also hierarchical.

The classification of tiers in the Teyvat continent wasn't explicitly defined. Sensing the amount of elemental power was a general indicator. Yet, this wasn't direct.

Combat was another way, determining strength through battles. However, the possessor of the Vision wouldn't engage in pointless fights, so the division of strength remained somewhat blurred.

The most straightforward indicators are whether the body can elementalize and if one can fly.

In general, it can be divided into three tiers: 'Ordinary People, Vision Possessors, and Aerial.'

These are just Xianyu's speculations, lacking substantial evidence.

Take Vision Possessors, for instance; it involves various factors like combat experience, skills, elementalization ability. In short, numerous uncertain elements.

But no matter how many factors, without the ability to fly, one is not considered a strong individual.

What? You mentioned demigods?

Those things are entirely immeasurable, alright! At least, Xianyu currently can't assess them.

Regardless of the world's power hierarchy, such thoughts are just passing by.

Facing strong individuals like Tartaglia, there's no room for any carelessness.

....

The battle lasted for a long time.

When Xianyu returned to the Wangshu Inn, it was already early morning.

His current state wasn't great; his hair was somewhat disheveled, and his complexion appeared a bit pale.

However, there weren't many apparent injuries on the surface. He had used his Spirit Power to heal, resulting in his current appearance.

In his condition, Tartaglia wasn't faring any better. Ultimately, Xianyu resorted to using Spirit Power, blending it with elemental forces, and the potency surged significantly.

With this power, Tartaglia, who initially held the upper hand, gradually leveled with Xianyu, even starting to show signs of injury.

Overall, Xianyu's strength fluctuated. When at his peak, he could give a little spank to a minor demigod. Without tapping into those powers, at most, he could match Tartaglia and might even be slightly inferior.

Through this battle, Xianyu roughly understood his own power levels.

When Tartaglia didn't use the Demon King's Armament (Fool Legacy Transformation), Xianyu could hold his ground, but the moment Tartaglia employed the Armament, he immediately weakened.

His current strength could barely be considered that of a "strong individual."