So the question was: under such an assault, how many of the Shadow Blades Fu Li had set up could remain?
As the great fox admired the results of the battle, a thoroughly human-like sneer curled across her lips.
The answer was total annihilation.
"Ling's Defeat Is Set in Stone"
At most six or seven minutes had passed since the battle began, yet nearly half of Mt. Yaegama, which had been turned into a battlefield, had already collapsed.
Scorching red rocks shattered amid the jolting tremors, converging into rivers of molten rock that surged through the valleys like tides, as though Yamata no Orochi from ancient myth were stretching its body and filling all eight valleys and eight hills.
Yes, this was A-rank.
They had truly stepped onto the stage of the Honkai world. The aftermath of battle could freely reshape the surrounding environment, creating terrain that would normally be impossible in such a short time.
"Ehehehehehehe!!!"
Ling stretched her body to her heart's content, her mocking laughter echoing through the heart of the battered mountain.
At the Peak of Law, above all the world, with me, Ling, there is heaven!
Even if that damned black-hearted, perverted, cold-blooded bespectacled woman had locked me inside the Divine Box and weakened me for a full fifty thousand years!
Even if, five hundred years ago, I fought that white-haired nun from the Kaslana family and was sealed beneath the Sessho-seki, cut off from the world!
Even if I had spent all that time wrestling with the will of the likewise-sealed Yaegama Miko and suffered a massive decline in strength!
Having endured three defeats, I am still invincible in this world!
"Oh? Is that so?"
As though he had read Ling's thoughts from that fox face dripping with mockery, a clear, crisp voice suddenly rang out.
"Swift!"
Azure Lotus bloomed. Taking advantage of his enemy mindlessly unleashing her ultimate, Fu Li used Void Step to arrive at her side, his fingers formed into a sword!
This move again? Come on, you scrawny mutt, is that all you've got?
Ling looked disdainfully at the seven Shadow Blades speeding toward her.
The wound on her lower abdomen had nearly healed already. Unless they struck her weak point, these tiny things were no more than pinpricks and could not even break through her defenses!
"Sakura Bloom!"
Only when that familiar move bloomed before her eyes—
Did Ling see blood-red cherry blossoms.
The current world was dominated by the bipolar powers of Schicksal and Anti-Entropy.
That did not mean there were no other factions besides them. Official agencies from various nations, supernatural organizations akin to hobby clubs, Russia's local Mikoyan Design Bureau, World Serpent lurking in the shadows with hungry eyes...
Organizations large and small were scattered across the planet like stars. Some championed justice, while others were obsessed with research.
Those who championed justice still needed someone to do their dirty work, while researchers too weak to tie up a chicken still needed people to collect data in dangerous areas.
Not to mention the many small groups with only a dozen or several dozen members, which simply could not cover every field. Once they encountered something beyond their expertise, all they could do was say, "If I close my eyes, it's nighttime~"
Thus, mercenaries like Miss Kojima Bomb Crow came into being.
Mercenaries—how convenient were they?
Give them a reward, and they would guard you like loyal dogs. When needed, they could also tear into enemies like hyenas.
And if they died, no one would feel bad about it. At worst, they would lose the deposit.
So gradually, not only small and medium-sized organizations with incomplete operational chains, but even major powers—superpowers like Schicksal and Anti-Entropy—began frequently using mercenaries in nonessential fields.
Of course, employment meant payment.
Rewards on the Honkai side were naturally not limited to money. Skills, techniques, technological products, Honkai weapons, and more all counted.
—Sakura Bloom was the reward Fu Li exchanged from Schicksal after completing a mission.
After adjusting one's stance, one made a short forward dash while rapidly swinging a bladed weapon to slash at the target creature.
The target's wounds would explode after an extremely short delay, inflicting further damage upon the injured party.
Whether in power, technique, or difficulty of use, this move belonged within the C-rank category. Yet for some reason, Schicksal had lowered its price to D-rank and placed it in the marketplace, where anyone with enough crystals could exchange for it.
That was utterly baffling. A major organization like Schicksal did not possess anything resembling "kindness."
Some staff members responsible for such matters had reported the issue to their superiors, but the submitted documents often vanished without a trace, never to be heard from again.
Therefore, many speculated that the owner of Sakura Bloom had offended some Schicksal higher-up, prompting that executive to humiliate them by selling the move at a reduced price.
Think your move is amazing? I'll give everyone in the world a copy and see whether you can still act so proud!
But that had nothing to do with Fu Li, the beneficiary. Not only did it have nothing to do with him, he even secretly regretted that the owner of Sakura Bloom had not, cough, offended that higher-up badly enough. If they had gone further, could they have forced down the prices of the other accompanying moves too?
He was truly a panda picking up a delivery—bamboo all the way home.
But in truth, even the combination of Shadow Blades and Sakura Bloom still found it incredibly difficult to break through Ling's defenses.
In fact, since the battle began, apart from the initial charged strike, Fu Li had only managed to break Ling's defense a few times.
That was what it was like when B-rank fought A-rank. Fu Li had only managed to cling on until now because he had made so many preparations before the fight.
But that was enough.
The massive wound on her lower abdomen had rapidly healed through her inhuman regenerative power, which itself had consumed a portion of Ling's Honkai Energy.
During their prolonged battle, fury had consumed her mind, and she had not restrained the energy expenditure of any of her moves.
Then there was that final blazing white beam that had swept across half the sky.
In plain terms, the execution threshold had arrived.
All that remained was the third step of the plan: use an ultra-heavy-hitting method to reap the target at lightspeed.
Did Fu Li have such a method?
He did.
Was the combination of Shadow Blades and Sakura Bloom not powerful enough?
It truly was not. It could break Ling's defense, but only barely.
Then what if he unleashed seven of those moves at once, and all seven struck the exact same spot?
On the scorching, desolate battlefield, with a splash, a massive amount of blood suddenly sprayed from the wound at Ling's side.
The meaning in her gaze toward Fu Li was impossible to decipher. In the end, covered in wounds, she collapsed to one side and kicked up vast clouds of dust.
As far as sword control was concerned, summoning and controlling swords;
Controlling swords to attack or defend;
Using swords to execute techniques;
The three absolutely could not be lumped together carelessly.
In many films and television works, sword immortals and Sword Saints would casually unleash ten thousand swords at once, blotting out the sky. At first glance, it was indeed cool as hell.
In truth, that sort of use was not even as effective as controlling drones from a console to deliver precise focused strikes. It was merely Rabble bombarding everything in a frenzy.
It was not that the effect was nonexistent. It still had its merits in clearing fodder and intimidating people.
This was the most basic realm of sword control.
Above that was something akin to a drone swarm programmed with specific formulas: several swords were set as formation anchors, using them to guide the other swords into attacking or defending together.
Having reached that stage, one could basically be considered to have entered the hall of sword control.
And beyond that?
Using the sword to carry techniques, allowing the sword itself to act as an independent floating unit capable of executing moves.
At that point, the level of sword control immediately rose to a whole new tier.
Even if the techniques a sword could carry were extremely limited, as long as one grasped the timing well, it was effectively two against one.
At that level, the offensive boost brought by sword control would not be much weaker than the universally recognized advantage of three heads and six arms overwhelming the few with the many.
Perhaps someone might ask: three heads and six arms directly gave you two extra heads and four extra arms, instantly increasing combat power by more than threefold. How could an extra sword possibly compare?
What was being compared was potential and attack power.
No one had ever said that sword control could only command one sword at a time.
As long as one possessed the talent, a sword controller could command two, three, or even more swords at once, making them seem to possess independent consciousness as they simultaneously used different techniques to coordinate with their wielder in battle. Put simply, it meant taking multiple actions in one turn.
Take that prodigy who inherited Yanqing's name among the Seven Swords of Taixu. Having entered a prestigious sect, he had trained in martial arts since childhood, and by the age of a child with tied hair, he could command six flying swords at once. He was a once-in-a-century genius of the sword.
So what about Fu Li?
How many Shadow Blades could our protagonist command simultaneously?
Answer: after cultivating the sword for barely two years, he could command seven swords at once.
Seven Swords Nuclear Blast was precisely the confidence that allowed Fu Li to sit firmly at the exceptional level of B-rank.
It was also the trump card in his plan for reaping Kikyo.
He was simply a freak. During his two years of advancement after entering the Honkai side, he had casually learned swordsmanship and surpassed that Number Four of Heaven freak, born with a sword-forged body and bones.
But freaks were still helpless against perverts who liked crushing seedlings and children of the world who cheated.
Like that Babar, Herrscher of Domination, or the Herrscher of Ascension with self-awareness.
"Fu Li's Life Is Over"
Bathed in moonlight, Fu Li raised his wrist. The remaining Honkai Energy within him gathered over Crescent Moon's surface, blooming into a blade light that severed the Four-tailed Fox Demon's head.
Several Shadow Blades followed closely behind, rushing forward to form the Sword Qi Storm Domain. They enveloped the enemy and minced her into fine pieces, ensuring there was not the slightest chance of her playing dead.
Only then did he finally let out a breath.
A fierce wind formed by differing air pressures howled across the battlefield, thick with the smell of sulfur. It struck him and made him stumble, nearly sending him straight to the ground.
The Seven Swords Nuclear Blast had just drained every last bit of Fu Li's strength. At this moment, he was like someone who had just been wrung dry by three thousand succubi in succession. The only things keeping him upright were his battle-hardened will and the temptation of the spoils he was about to collect.
He dragged his heavy feet toward the demon fox flesh finely scattered across the ground.
"Looks like you're really looking forward to collecting big sister's bones, little one~"
A magnetic whisper as intoxicating as a nightingale's song sounded beside his ear, causing his unfocused pupils to instantly constrict into needlepoints.
Fu Li turned around and stared toward the source of the voice in disbelief.
"I have to say, little one, in fifty thousand years, you are only the third person to push me this far."
She was a beautiful sakura-haired Miko with seductive violet eyes. Her skin was smooth and delicate like flowing tassels, her breasts rose like mountains, her features were exquisite beyond compare, and her aura was utterly captivating.
A cruel smile hung on her lips as her pale jade hand gripped a demon blade. She slowly approached Fu Li.
Pre-battle preparations, a charged slash, the Moon Ring;
Diverting attention, countless brushes with death;
And finally, the Seven Swords Nuclear Blast used to reap her.
Ling admitted that she had truly, truly, truly come within a hair's breadth of falling to Fu Li.
But if anyone had to be blamed, it could only be the fact that the final move he used was called Sakura Bloom.
Genes were wondrous things. Even after thousands or tens of thousands of years, the information engraved within them would not disappear.
On the eve of the Previous Era's destruction, scientists from the anti-Honkai organization Flame-Chasing Moths transcribed the Stigmata genes of countless outstanding warriors into artificial female bodies intended as kindling, allowing them to become the mothers of humanity in the new era fifty thousand years later and pass down the seeds of resistance against Honkai.
Yae Sakura, who lived in that ignorant age five hundred years ago, did not know that the Stigmata genes within the Yaegama family came from a powerful Previous Era warrior named Sakura.
The Yae Style swordsmanship she learned in her innocence was, in truth, Fleeting Slash engraved within Sakura's Stigmata genes.
Ling was Sakura's biological younger sister. Fifty thousand years ago, what she loved most was sitting in the courtyard with her little face cupped in her hands, smiling as she watched her sister practice with her blade.
Perhaps it was a miracle awakened by that sister's desire to protect her younger sibling. The instant Sakura Bloom—or rather, Fleeting Slash: Kushana—entered her sight, Ling suddenly calmed down completely.
Before you continue