A dull tearing sound rang through the air as the young man swung the heavy sword in his hands. There was no technique to it, only a raw, sweeping burst of violence.
Using a heavy sword like this, the Beichen Ichi-ryu he had learned from Raiden Mei had little practical use. The style emphasized speed and explosive power, making it better suited to a normal samurai sword.
Besides, Changguang had asked him to test the sword not to see his combat ability, but to assess the weapon's performance.
For that reason, it was necessary not to steal the spotlight with overly advanced techniques and affect the evaluation.
Fu Hua clearly understood this as well. Yet without using any technique, she neither dodged nor retreated, simply blocking the blow with Xuánwǔ, the composite sword that looked far too light compared to the heavy sword.
The weighty attack flowed into the sea like a stream, failing to stir even the slightest ripple. Martial strength lay in both technique and power, and the young woman far surpassed Su Qing'an in technique while completely crushing him in strength as well.
That was only natural. If this was a spar, then it was a lesson from Hua to Su Qing'an. Even if she used only the strength she could openly display, the gap between them was still far too vast.
He knew this perfectly well, but this was a sword test.
Its purpose was to test the sword's performance and allow Changguang to gather the data she wanted. All other considerations came second.
Honkai Energy began to gather. The heavy sword was like a slumbering beast, gradually awakening as it fused with Honkai Energy with every breath, revealing its ferocity.
The force had grown heavier. After catching the next strike, Hua realized that some kind of change had occurred in the heavy sword.
As the person wielding it, Su Qing'an naturally understood even better. The sword was practically an organ he had extended into the outside world to control Honkai Energy.
Even without establishing the circulation formed by Void Sword Qi, he could now use Honkai Energy, and without expending much energy.
The price was that this so-called "organ" was naturally part of his body, meaning he also had to bear the erosion Honkai Energy inflicted on him.
Unlike what Changguang had said, he had noticed the difference.
As someone who had once died twice from Honkai Infection, he had a certain right to speak on the matter.
At this level of Honkai Energy erosion, with his initial Honkai Energy resistance, enduring it for five minutes would put him at risk of contracting irreversible Honkai Sickness unless he immediately injected an anti-Honkai serum.
And how could such a precious strategic resource possibly be used as an everyday consumable?
With his current Honkai Energy resistance, he could maintain this level of output and fight for a long time.
The heavy sword seemed to have loaded a method of autonomously using Honkai Energy. Once fully activated, it automatically infused part of the absorbed Honkai Energy into his body.
If that was the effect, then wouldn't people with high Honkai Energy resistance have much looser requirements for basic strength and physical fitness?
From that perspective, Honkai Energy resistance was a crucial factor in every sense.
Even with the heavy sword enhancing his strength, Hua still caught every strike with ease. For Changguang, the focus of this sword test was no longer the composite sword, Xuánwǔ, which had been the original reason for issuing the task.
Hua's role was like that of a human target, helping test the heavy sword's power. That was why she merely blocked without counterattacking.
The instruments on Su Qing'an's wrist and the heavy sword's built-in analyzer were used to examine the precise data on his body's reaction to the sword.
Had it reached its limit? The strength granted by the heavy sword had reached a certain boundary, while the rate of Honkai Energy absorption and the rate of consumption had reached equilibrium.
But this was only the weapon's basic mode. In terms of settings, the heavy sword was currently operating in first gear—the mode Changguang had said an ordinary man could use for five minutes.
Second gear pushed the efficiency of Honkai Energy absorption to its limit. To Hua and Su Qing'an's senses, the heavy sword seemed to swell in an instant.
It was a world too unclear for the naked eye to see. Honkai Energy coiled around the sword, clawing like an evil spirit. It was like a beast breaking free of its shackles and displaying its power to both its enemy and the one restraining it.
The result was that neither Su Qing'an nor Hua faced pressure on the same level as before. Hua's pressure came from the increasingly heavy yet swift attacks, while Su Qing'an's came from the violent erosion of Honkai Energy.
With his previous level of Honkai Energy resistance, he would contract Honkai Sickness after one minute and become a Zombie after two.
That was the price of using the power of Honkai to fight Honkai.
Countless lives had long since fallen into pools of blood, becoming sacrifices before Honkai. One could glimpse the whole from a single part, and Su Qing'an felt the nature of this apocalypse even more deeply.
Changguang had said this was the gentlest of the anti-Honkai weapons, yet to an ordinary person, first gear was already a Demon Blade that demanded their life.
Second gear was an evil ghost of Yama dragging you into the depths of hell.
As for the final third gear, it opened the cage containing the last seal. The escaping Honkai Energy flared like sparks, while Honkai Energy converted into immense thermal energy continuously poured out from within the heavy sword.
This portion of Honkai Energy came from the weapon's own reserves. By design, first and second gear used Honkai Energy in the air, while third gear released the large amount stored under normal conditions along with the Honkai Energy in the air.
In theory, third gear was mainly meant for a final, life-or-death strike.
It had never been designed for prolonged combat. It was meant to face a more powerful Honkai Beast by compressing and releasing all its power at once. After that single strike, the weapon itself would also be damaged.
It was an attack that burned everything in a mutual destruction.
And now, Su Qing'an swung such a strike.
A wave of heat swept over them before the sword even drew near, and the scorching air made their senses recoil. Terrifying thermal energy and Honkai Energy intertwined into a domineering force.
Xuánwǔ, the composite sword, was forcibly melted through one second after touching the blade.
"Inch Force: Mountain Collapse." With her weapon gone, the young woman murmured calmly. Her slender, pale fingers clenched into a fist, then she punched.
Honkai Energy wove itself around her fist into a transparent, solid barrier. The violent kinetic energy, thermal energy, and Honkai Energy all came to an abrupt halt.
The heavy sword was like a toy made of foam board, yet the young woman effortlessly stopped it with her fist. It did not budge an inch.
The weapon's Honkai Energy continued roaring and burning uncontrollably, until—
"Body erosion by Honkai Energy detected. Ceasing weapon operation."
The heavy sword and the instrument on the young man's wrist began issuing warnings. In the distance, Changguang activated the weapon's own limiter, forcibly shackling it.
Large waves of air blasted from the weapon, cooling the heavy sword's blade. Some of the residual Honkai Energy flowed back inside. The young man gasped heavily; the Honkai Energy had indeed eroded his body in that instant.
If that state had continued for three minutes, he would have been in grave danger.
Even if the risk was low, testing the performance of a Honkai weapon was no easy job.
He was fine for the most part thanks to the specialized gauntlet on his hand, but every other part of his body that had come too close to the heavy sword was flushed red. If such a weapon were used to the very end without killing its wielder, the best possible result would still be extensive burns.
"Cough, cough." He coughed hard. The sensation of Honkai Energy flooding into his body had already left a shadow over him. He instinctively feared it, and although the erosion this time had been brief, it still reminded him of the agony of dying twice.
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