[Huiyuan Sword Art suddenly understood.]
[She had always wanted to become Flowing Light Sword Shadow, to become that perfect shadow, because she feared she wasn't good enough, feared she wasn't worthy of Chengming.]
[But she had forgotten... what Chengming had chosen was never "the best sword art," but her.]
[The clumsy Huiyuan Sword Art who made mistakes and felt afraid, but would also give everything she had to protect him.]
[Huiyuan Sword Art choked up a little: Sorry... Chengming, I shouldn't have doubted us.]
"No need to apologize." Gu Chengming smiled. "It's normal to doubt, and it's normal to be afraid."
"But now, are you still willing to try again with me?"
[Huiyuan Sword Art nodded firmly, the light returning to her eyes.]
[This time, it wasn't to chase some notion of perfection.]
[It was to prove—]
[Their own path could lead to the finish line, too.]
Day fifteen.
In the early morning, Gu Chengming stood before the entrance to the mist gate once again.
"Come."
He raised his sword and assumed that most basic, most awkward Opening Stance—the one that belonged to him more than any other.
It was a tug-of-war so prolonged that it bordered on despair.
Time had no meaning in this space, but Gu Chengming knew he had fallen on this stone platform no fewer than a hundred times.
Each time, getting back up was harder than the last. Though his consciousness couldn't truly die, the pain of being pierced by a sharp blade and torn apart by Sword Qi was all too real.
Clang—!
Another clash without the slightest flourish.
The tremendous force knocked [Evil-Queller] aside in Gu Chengming's hand, nearly sending it into the endless abyss.
He panted heavily, sweat dripping from his eyelashes as he stared through blurred vision at the Pale Figure