Telling the Real from the Fake

The two Li Shuyis sat facing each other from a distance, apparently recovering their strength.

After a while, one of them shouted, "You cheating ghost! Come on!"

"Look who's talking! You think I'm afraid of you?" The other Li Shuyi sprang to her feet.

Clang! Clang! They fought again. Both were highly agile and skilled with swords. Like a duel between technique-focused bosses from the Sword Song Plane, their fight went on and on without a winner.

The real Li Shuyi was frustrated. She had hoped to use the Crimson Firmament Sword's passive Edgebreaker effect to ruin her opponent's weapon through repeated clashes and prove who she was.

But whatever weapon the ghost was using, it seemed immune to Edgebreaker. Even now, it showed no sign of damage.

Likewise, the durability of Li Shuyi's weapon had not fallen much. That meant the weapon her opponent had copied did not have the Crimson Firmament Sword's passive Edgebreaker effect.

Seven hours had passed since the woman and the ghost met. They had fought, stopped, and fought again for who knew how long.

During the fight, Li Shuyi noticed something: her One-Handed Swordsmanship Specialty, which had long been stuck, was rising bit by bit before her eyes!

This ghost that copied her every move was a perfect sparring partner. It had duplicated Li Shuyi's attributes, Battle Specialties, and skills. Fighting it was almost like practicing against another version of herself, making it easier to spot flaws in her swordplay.

Li Shuyi had a gift for swordsmanship, too. Whenever she found a flaw, she made a point of correcting it. No wonder her Swordsmanship Specialty was improving.

That was why she kept her opponent there and continued fighting. If not for the chance to improve her One-Handed Swordsmanship Specialty, she could have waited quietly