It was similar to the swordsmanship Shisui Uchiha would later use.
Might Guy's pupils contracted.
He had already thrown out a kick, with his center of gravity committed entirely forward. There was no way he could change direction and dodge in time.
The flaming slash skimmed past his shoulder and scorched a black mark into the ground behind him.
The instant he was distracted, Qingyu had already closed in.
The tip of his katana rested against Guy's throat. The flames still clinging to the blade had yet to die out completely, and Guy could feel their heat.
"I lose!"
Guy raised both hands as the green steam around him gradually dissipated.
He had already used up most of his stamina after opening the first gate, and the few exchanges just now had drained the rest.
But there was no trace of disappointment on his face. If anything, he looked even more excited.
"Qingyu, what was that flaming slash you just used? It was amazing! Next time, I'll definitely catch it!"
Qingyu withdrew his katana and let the flames on the blade die away.
"Uchiha Style swordsmanship: Flame Light Slash. If you want to catch it, first learn to hold back some of your strength when you attack. If you keep throwing your whole weight into every move, even the fastest reflexes won't let you change direction in time."
Guy nodded seriously, committing the advice to memory.
After returning to the group, Qingyu appeared to be discussing taijutsu with Guy, but his thoughts had already drifted to the system panel.
He opened the trait synthesis interface and looked over the entries he had already gathered.
[ Swordsmanship Foundation ], [ Sword Path Mastery ], and [ Counter-Attack Intuition ]—all three D-rank traits met the synthesis requirements.
[ Synthesize the C-rank trait: