I Love You Too

Seeing Luo Li's resolute stance, Lin Suchou knew this was her final test for him.

So she had spent a month honing his swordsmanship just for this moment.

Lin Suchou took a deep breath and flipped his hand. The Crimson Flame Sword appeared in his grasp.

"If I truly die by your hand today, take this Shou Luo Sword. It will accompany you in my place."

As if it understood his thoughts, the Shou Luo Sword suddenly trembled and let out a hum.

"Make your move. I'm ready."

With that, Lin Suchou gripped the hilt with both hands and stood ready.

Hearing this, Luo Li also snapped out of her confusion.

"My sword move is called Goddess Luo's Flying Flowers. Driven by spiritual energy, one thrust brings down a shower of heavenly flowers, and amid those flowers, there will naturally be a shocking sword strike.

Even without spiritual energy now, its power should not be underestimated. Be careful."

As soon as she finished speaking, Luo Li suddenly thrust her sword forward.

Lin Suchou saw countless sword shadows abruptly fill the sky, dancing through mid-air. Though no heavenly flowers fell, the display was still dazzling beyond compare.

The shocking sword strike amid those dazzling flowers?

Remembering Luo Li's warning, Lin Suchou stared straight ahead without blinking.

Whoosh!

At that moment, a sword gleam suddenly shot out from the sea of sword shadows, moving at an incredible speed.

In almost the blink of an eye, it had reached Lin Suchou's chest.

Fortunately, Lin Suchou remembered her warning and fiercely swung his longsword horizontally.

Clang!

The Shou Luo Sword's blade struck the incoming sword gleam, producing the sound of clashing metal.

Lin Suchou felt a tremendous force travel through the blade, numbing the web between his thumb and forefinger.

But after a month of swordsmanship training, he did not retreat to dissipate the force. Relying on his physical strength, he steadied himself.

The sword shadows filling the sky swiftly converged, and Luo Li's figure appeared before Lin Suchou once more.

"Your sword is a Divine Artifact too. Not bad."

Luo Li looked at the Fiery Red Longsword in Lin Suchou's hand, surprise appearing in her beautiful eyes.

That day, she had no idea what method Lin Suchou had used to elevate this low-grade Spirit Artifact sword to God-tier Low-grade.

Perhaps he had simply swapped it for another sword.

"I have you to thank for this Divine Artifact too. So if you kill me, this sword will be yours."

Lin Suchou smiled as he thanked her.

"Because of me?"

Luo Li looked at him in confusion, but quickly regained her composure. "In that case... my second sword move is called Goddess Luo's Water Strike! One swing can sever the flow of rivers!

I hope you die beneath this sword move. Only then can I truly set my mind at ease and return to my former peace. Otherwise... your existence may prove harmful to my future cultivation."

Just like before, she swung her sword at tremendous speed as soon as she finished speaking.

Even without spiritual energy driving it, this strike made Lin Suchou hear the roaring sound of a river being cleaved in two.

"This is bad!"

Lin Suchou was astonished by the power of this blow. If it had been driven by spiritual energy, it might truly have severed a river's flow.

Drawing on the insights he had gained over the past Two Months, Lin Suchou stepped into an intricate footwork technique: Soaring Swan Treading Snow Steps.

He had found it among the spoils of war. It could be used without spiritual energy.

Lin Suchou's figure was like a nimble bird as he evaded the strike just before the blade reached him.

Boom!

But the enormous boulder behind him suffered instead, splitting cleanly into two smooth halves.

"Why haven't I seen you use that footwork before?"

Luo Li tilted her head at him, her face full of confusion.

"If I used it before, I wouldn't have any life-saving moves left now."

Lin Suchou panted softly. Dodging that strike had consumed a great deal of mental energy.

Luo Li nodded lightly and held the Luo Shen Sword horizontally before her chest, gently brushing it with her left hand.

"What's the third sword move?"

Lin Suchou was impatient. Once he endured one more strike, he would finally be free.

"This sword has no name. Grandfather said that once I master my cultivation technique, I will be able to truly unleash this sword's power. At that time, I can name it myself."

Luo Li suddenly wiped her left hand across the Luo Shen Sword, and a bead of blood appeared upon her pale, jade-like hand.

In an instant, a line of blood appeared along the Luo Shen Sword, and this ancient Divine Artifact emanated an invincible aura that could not be matched.

"This third sword will be very strong, very strong. Lin Suchou, you'd better be careful. Otherwise... your divine sword will truly belong to me."

Luo Li raised her head and looked at Lin Suchou, who held his sword with both hands, his expression resolute. Confusion first lingered in her beautiful eyes, only to be replaced by determination.

The young woman stood against the wind. As the evening breeze swept past, her waterfall-like silver hair danced beneath the sunset, making her look radiant and peerless.

Whoosh!

A sound tearing through the air suddenly rang out. This time, Luo Li did not use any flashy technique and charged directly at Lin Suchou.

And the instant Luo Li moved, Lin Suchou suddenly understood something.

These Two Months of training, together with his 20% comprehension of sword-type spiritual energy, had given him some understanding of swordsmanship.

He held his sword with both hands and swiftly concentrated all the strength in his body into his hands and waist.

In the blink of an eye, Luo Li arrived before him, the Luo Shen Sword in her hand slashing rapidly toward his throat.

This is the moment!

Lin Suchou raised the Shou Luo Sword high, the flames on its blade growing alongside his fury.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The Crimson Flame Sword tore through the air with a sharp howl and fiercely struck the Luo Shen Sword.

Like Luo Li's move, there were no sword shadows filling the sky like Goddess Luo's Flying Flowers, nor was there the roaring current brought forth by Goddess Luo's Water Strike.

There was only strength and speed pushed to their limits.

Clang—crash!

The Luo Shen Sword and Shou Luo Sword collided fiercely. Their eyes met, before the immense force pushed them both several steps back.

This time, Lin Suchou had made the right choice by taking the initiative!

Clang.

The Luo Shen Sword in Luo Li's hand was actually knocked free, landing on a stone with a crisp ring.

"Your move... is actually the same as my third sword?"

Luo Li was thoroughly shocked this time. The youth before her, who had barely any foundation in swordsmanship, had unleashed the exact same sword strike as her.

"Heh, Teacher Luo taught me well."

Lin Suchou staggered over, picked up the Luo Shen Sword from the ground, took Luo Li's slender hand, and placed the sword back into it.

"Luo Li, you won't reject me this time, right?"

Lin Suchou gazed at her affectionately and said word by word, "I love you, Luo Li."

Luo Li froze as she looked at the youth before her.

"I used to hesitate when faced with things too. Later, I heard these words—when indecisive, ask the spring breeze; if the spring breeze says nothing, then follow your heart!"

"When the spring breeze says nothing, follow your heart?"

Luo Li murmured the words, scenes from the past month flashing through her mind.

"Luo Li, there's actually a hot spring here! Stop chasing me. Why not come soak with me?"

"I was wrong! A gentleman uses his mouth, not his fists!"

"I was never a gentleman. I'm a woman."

"Luo Li, if that sword strike had really hit me, you wouldn't get to eat the fish I roasted."

"Then I won't eat fish. I'll eat something else."

"But would those things taste as good as my grilled fish? Look at you, there were five in total, and you ate three... Fine, fine, if the Empress wants to eat, then eat more. When you get fat and can't marry anyone, it'll work out perfectly for me."

"Who are you calling fat?"

"My mistake, my mistake. Empress, no matter how much you eat, you won't get fat. I was wrong."

As her thoughts gradually returned to reality, light suddenly shone in Luo Li's tranquil eyes.

"Suchou, thank you for helping me understand some things."

"I love you too."

Hearing those four short words, Lin Suchou revealed a heartfelt smile.

Then his face slowly drew closer. Beneath the witness of the morning glow, the two figures gradually merged together.