Victory and Defeat

The skill [Aura] might sound overpowered, but these types of moves are typically specialized for fighting humans. They have a significant effect only on ordinary humans with weak wills. For those with strong wills, a three-second daze is the absolute limit, and it's impossible for swordsmen who can achieve a state of clear mind and focus, known as the Mind's Eye, to be affected at all.

No matter the martial art, Chen Junxuan created them all with dueling humans in mind.

So, to put it bluntly, I can go all out against humans, but against Honkai, I can only cower.

Most Taixuan Style techniques lose their meaning when facing the sheer size of Honkai Beasts.

In fact, this is a common problem with most martial arts. When facing Honkai, both Destiny and Anti-Entropy rely on methods that combine previous civilizations with their own technology.

Martial Arts? It can only be said to be a product of human infighting. Even if Su Qing'an's learning speed were incredibly fast, fast enough to master all martial arts in the world within a month, his limits wouldn't significantly surpass Chen Junxuan's.

Therefore, Raiden Mei might have been shocked by Su Qing'an's power.

But he himself understood how weak he truly was.

Suppose Bronya was nearby monitoring Raiden Mei. At this distance, if she wanted to kill him, it wouldn't be too difficult.

But the young man wasn't considering these distractions at the moment. He was completely focused, his steps light, and his sword was drawn in a flash, cutting out like lightning!

Unlike the swords of Shenzhou, Japanese swords are often referred to by a single term. Japanese swords and their scabbards have a certain curve. Iaido utilizes this curve during the draw to create an instantaneous burst of power, far exceeding the force and speed of a direct swing from an empty stance.

And what Su Qing'an was using at this moment was the Iaido integrated from the Taixuan Style.

Soon, although it was just a wooden sword, Mei felt a sharpness and danger comparable to a real blade.

With such force and speed, even a wooden sword striking a vital point could be fatal.

Although it was just a friendly spar, Raiden Mei felt as if she were engaged in a life-or-death battle.

In her Mind's Eye state, she could clearly see the exact point where his sword would land. With that, the girl drew her sword halfway, completely unsheathed.

Reacting to his move, Raiden Mei's sword strike was faster than Su Qing'an's.

Beichen Ichi-ryu is a pure killing sword art. Its inherited Iaido is far faster, more concise, and more dangerous than that of the Taixuan Style.

Compared to the complex and chaotic Taixuan Style, Beichen Ichi-ryu, which focuses solely on Kendo, is undoubtedly far superior in swordsmanship.

But at the same time, Su Qing'an genuinely believed that there was no style more suited to him than the complex and chaotic Taixuan Style.

Only a martial art as inherently complex as the Taixuan Style could fully leverage his sole advantage: integrating and combining the martial arts of others to quickly develop combat techniques specifically for Honkai Beasts.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!" The sounds of wooden swords colliding echoed through the dojo.

Kiana stared intently at the two, drawing their swords and fighting without holding back.

She seemed to see an unparalleled beauty in the clash of their swords, the probing of their footwork, and the intricate techniques of their swings.

Even though they were only using wooden swords, the girl felt as if life and death would be decided in the next swing.

This was the first time, besides the Gun Kata her father taught her, that she had ever seriously observed other combat techniques.

Compared to social skills, Kiana's combat talent was undoubtedly far superior.

Yet, even Kiana, who had fought Honkai Beasts for years, lacked the confidence to defeat any of the three on the field in close combat.

This was a result of the differing focuses of the martial arts techniques practiced by the three.

Furthermore, those who could train their martial arts to this level were already the absolute minority.

However, if Kiana were to use a gun, her chances of survival in a life-or-death struggle would undoubtedly be higher.

Raiden Mei's breathing had become somewhat uneven; her ability to maintain full combat strength was nearing its limit.

Beichen Ichi-ryu was never meant for prolonged battles. Its most stamina-efficient use was to strike and kill with the fastest speed and greatest force in a short period.

But now, even though her swings were faster than her opponent's, after the first few blows, which Su Qing'an struggled to block, he became increasingly at ease with every subsequent strike.

Raiden Mei understood that her own strength and speed hadn't decreased in a short time; rather, her opponent had adapted to her sword paths and speed.

What terrifying stamina and neural reflexes. She had heard that Chen Junxuan had never taken students, and now she seemed to understand why he would take this one.

The young man's sword swings grew faster and faster, completely reversing the offensive and defensive positions between them. Raiden Mei felt that her own realization of the Mind's Eye before the battle and her Beichen Ichi-ryu becoming stronger was already exaggerated enough.

But Su Qing'an's progress completely shattered her worldview. The trajectory and technique of the young man's swings, even the way his muscles exerted force, became closer to true Beichen Ichi-ryu with each subsequent strike.

Incomprehensible, unbelievable. Such a feat was challenging Raiden Mei's fundamental understanding of martial arts.

No practice, no need to develop muscle memory.

Within the brief three minutes of their exchange, the Beichen Ichi-ryu she had diligently practiced for nearly ten years was largely learned by the young man. Did such a person exist in this world?

She finally understood Chen Junxuan's reason for taking this young man as a student. Only someone with such learning ability could perfectly inherit and master the monstrously complex Taixuan Style.

She didn't know how long Chen Junxuan had been teaching Su Qing'an, but judging by his current learning speed, it couldn't have been very long.

Raiden Mei was a genius herself. She could grasp most of the techniques that ordinary people struggled with for a long time after just a few viewings.

With her extraordinary talent, she had achieved Menkyo Kaiden in Beichen Ichi-ryu at a young age and developed her own understanding of Kendo.

Even her master had said that her talent in Beichen Ichi-ryu was inferior to hers. Yet, such a Raiden Mei was experiencing for the first time in her life the mindset and gaze of an ordinary person looking at a genius.

It was the anger and confusion of feeling years of effort insulted and mocked invisibly, along with intense unwillingness.

But immediately, her mood calmed.

Swing the sword! No matter how impossibly strong the enemy, as the current successor of Beichen Ichi-ryu and as a swordsman, she could not allow her mind to waver.

Swing with all her might. There was nothing else to think about.

"Bang!" The sound was duller than before. The wooden sword in the girl's hand snapped.

Su Qing'an's final strike had broken the wooden sword. It was only to be expected that the material would break in a battle of this level.

"Let's call it a draw," he said, retracting his wooden sword.

"I lost," she stated frankly, looking at the broken sword on the ground before meeting Su Qing'an's eyes.

Raiden Mei's feelings were complicated. This was the first time in many years that she had lost to someone her age in Kendo. She understood that this battle was undoubtedly her defeat. Not to mention the opponent's terrifying learning speed, the disadvantage in physical stamina alone was enough to seal her fate.

Therefore, her somewhat proud nature and her identity as a swordswoman wouldn't allow her to deny her defeat.

If I lost, I lost. There's nothing to be ashamed of.

But if you're unwilling to admit your own failure, that's a complete and utter defeat.

"However, it wasn't Beichen Ichi-ryu that lost, it was Raiden Mei," the girl said, flicking her ponytail before walking away without looking back.

Raiden Mei's meaning was clear. She was saying that Beichen Ichi-ryu was far from reaching its limit. It wasn't that Taixuan Style was superior to Beichen Ichi-ryu, but rather that her own skills were insufficient.

This also meant one thing: Raiden Mei's will had not been crushed. Even after witnessing Su Qing'an's terrifying prowess, she still believed there was a possibility of winning back in the future.

True warriors, true swordsmen, were all like this – steadfast in spirit and unyielding.

Raiden Mei's will did not betray her identity as a successor of Beichen Ichi-ryu.

"Hey, Raiden Mei, if you have time, come find Kiana. She only knows how to play games all day. As a senior, please help me supervise her studies. The hourly rate will be 4,500 yen. If you're interested, you can come to my shop."

The girl's steps paused for a moment before she replied, "I'll consider it."

Then, she left the dojo.

"...Su Qing'an! Do I, this young lady, need someone to teach me how to study?" Kiana instantly exploded in anger.

"You've been sleeping through your math class and are only active during P.E. If this continues, you'll fail your exams," the boy sighed helplessly.

Su Qing'an got his information from Kiana's homeroom teacher. However, the unaware Kiana shifted the blame to Satou Yunona.

Give me the death penalty, Satou Yunona!

"Forget about Su Qing'an. How can I let you spend money!" Kiana said righteously.

"Kiana, what are you talking about? Of course, your salary will pay for the tutor I'm hiring for you."

"???" The girl's small head held great confusion.

"Kiana, your food expenses for the past month total 530,000 yen," Su Qing'an said with a gentle and amiable smile.

"??? I-I-I... I get it! I'll study hard! Isn't it enough if I pass my exams!" Kiana's murderous intent towards Satou Yunona deepened.