Reida glanced at him and snorted irritably, "Don't get too cocky, Gal."
"I didn't help for nothing... If it weren't for Isolte on coming to see your beast's lair, I wouldn't have bothered coming all the way from the Asura Kingdom."
She paused, then changed the subject. "By the way, as a fair exchange, you should also teach my disciple a thing or two, that's only fair."
"Haha, of course, no problem."
Gal set down his wine bowl and waved his hand, " Isolte... is the heir to this old woman's mantle, the genius girl of the Water God Style."
"Let her stay here for a few days to learn the Sword God Style. It'll also broaden the horizons of my worthless disciples."
"Then it's settled. I'd love to cooperate!" Reida nodded in satisfaction.
Inside the room, the sound of wind and snow seeped in through the cracks in the window, and the fire in the stove crackled.
Luo Ge's days became unusually hectic from then on.
After obtaining the title of North King from the North Emperor Auber and successfully completing his apprenticeship, he had almost no time to catch his breath and directly and seamlessly took over the role of the Water God Reida.
Since arriving at the Sword Sanctum, Luo Ge has been diligently practicing swordsmanship every day to improve himself, practicing until 2:30 a. m. before going to sleep.
And today is no exception.
After a tiring day, Luo Ge goes to bed late and gets up early.
The next morning.
As the bright morning sunlight shone on Luo Ge's forehead and a few stray hairs, Luo Ge lazily opened his eyes.
"It's a new day again."
However, before Luo Ge could even express his feelings...
Then I heard someone knocking on the door.
Luo Ge opened the door and saw that it was Isolte who had come in; his expression immediately turned slightly surprised.
Isolte changed into a clean and appropriate outfit today.
The girl was tall and slender, with most of her long, dark blue hair tied up, the rest falling down her back.
With a beautiful face and stern eyes, her silver-white water-patterned breastplate accentuated her upright figure. Her blue and white outfit was neat and fitted, with a leather belt around her waist and a long sword hanging at her side.
Her attire is devoid of superfluous decorations, designed entirely for sword duels; beneath her elegant appearance lies the physique of a seasoned swordsman.
Good morning.
She was the first to greet us warmly.
"Oh, good morning to you too."
Luo Ge met her gaze and instinctively returned her greeting.
"Why did the Sword King seem so surprised when he saw it was me?" Izuru asked.
"I didn't expect you to recover so quickly... By the way, your injury from yesterday healed so fast?"
Isolte felt offended, as if salt had been rubbed into her wounds, as if someone had touched a raw nerve.
She forced a gentle smile, saying, "Thank you for your concern, Sword King. Our Water God Style actually practices swordsmanship, and we also receive specialized training in endurance and resilience."
"So, you can take a beating, right?"
Luo Ge's words caused the corners of Isolte's upturned lips to twitch slightly.
"That statement is indeed correct. As long as it's not a fatal wound, our Water God Style should be the most resilient among the three major schools."
"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Does the Sword King have some free time today?" Isolte quickly changed the subject. She really didn't want to talk about this anymore; if they talked any longer, she would inevitably break down.
"Um, is there something you need?"
Luo Ge.
Isolte didn't speak immediately, but took a deep breath and said, "My master asked me to invite you over, but before we go, could I, in my willfulness, ask the Sword King a question?"
"Please feel free to speak."
Luo Ge is very easygoing and generous.
"Well... then I'll be frank."
"Excuse me, in the crucial final moment of our fight yesterday, we clearly used the same move, so why was I the one who got knocked away?"
Upon hearing this question, Luo Ge immediately fell into deep thought, stroking his chin with one hand.
Is it inconvenient for you to answer, Sword King?
"No!"
"Actually, it's very simple. Just do it in one sentence. The reason you lost is because you focused too much on technique."
Isolte puzzled; she didn't quite understand that statement. Shouldn't focusing on technique be considered a strength?
How come... it became a flaw in Luo Ge's eyes?
Perhaps sensing the girl's confusion, Luo Ge added, "First of all, focusing on technique isn't wrong in itself, but have you ever heard the saying, 'Of all swordsmen, speed is the only way to break through'?"
"Skills, frankly speaking, are only a crucial factor in determining victory or defeat when two people are very evenly matched."
"When the difference in strength between the two sides is too great, then in the face of absolute numerical superiority, all techniques become useless."
"To give an example, no matter how skillfully an ant jumps around, a human only needs to make a simple action, such as casually stepping on it, to kill it."
"My swordsmanship is faster and stronger than yours. Even if you counterattack, what can you do against me? By the same token... if I can execute the same move before you, wouldn't I be the one to win in the end?"
"That doesn't sound too hard to understand... Hmm, I get it."
Could it be...?
"Um?"
Does speed guarantee victory?
Isolte, as if she had discovered some blind spot, and she couldn't help but mutter to herself.
"Cannot!"
"Huh? Why?"
"Because your opponent is me. The moment you became my opponent, your defeat was already destined. I am an opponent you can never defeat in this lifetime."
"..."
Isolte.
The other person was really asking for a beating, but unfortunately, she couldn't beat them.
She patiently said, "Do you need to pack your things before you leave? Wait a minute... come with me to see Master."
My master is very interested in you.
"Okay, then please wait a moment!"
Luo Ge quickly washed up and then followed Isolte through a long corridor.
Along the way, you could see disciples of the Sword God Style dressed in white swordsman's robes, practicing their swordsmanship in groups of three or five.
Whenever Luo Ge passed by, people would whisper among themselves, and some would even muster the courage to go up and strike up a conversation.
Luo Ge did not adopt an arrogant or dismissive attitude.
On the contrary, he treats everyone equally.
Even if a novice disciple encounters problems with swordsmanship that they don't understand, Luo Ge will patiently guide them.
Therefore, even if he spends a long time away from the Sanctum, he can still cultivate alone on the cliffs and by the sea.
However, Luo Ge's reputation as the Demon Sword King in the Sword Sanctum spread far and wide, and his reputation was quite good.
And sometimes, that's how fame spreads.
"I never expected the Sword King to be so popular in the Sanctum," Isolte said as she walked.
Is that strange?
Luo Ge countered with a question.
"Well, I thought someone like you should... how should I put it, oh right."
After a pause, Isolte suddenly said, "You seem... like the kind of person who isn't very good at handling interpersonal relationships and interacting with others, but I didn't expect you to be different from what I thought you were."
"That's because you don't know me well enough," Luo Ge said calmly.
"We'll have plenty of time to spend together in the future, so would you, Sword King, be willing to let me get to know you better?" A smile suddenly appeared on her face.
"Whatever you want."
Hearing that Luo Ge didn't express any obvious refusal, Isolte had been particularly nervous before coming, suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.
At the beginning...
Isolte had thought Luo Ge would be a very, very difficult person to approach, and was somewhat worried that she wouldn't be able to handle the relationship between the two of them well.
But unexpectedly, after getting to know them...
He then realized that Luo Ge was not the person he had imagined. This Demon Sword King was impeccable in his dealings with people and in his understanding of human relationships.
Aside from being a little rude sometimes, he's otherwise perfectly fine.