While preparing, the group had already arrived at Dragonprayer Terrace. As soon as they stepped onto the platform, they were stunned by the scene in front of them.
In the sky, countless swords were circling, with Yanqing standing at the center...
Sushang: "Why are there so many swords at Dragonprayer Terrace?"
Pei Guang: "I bet these swords would sell for a lot of money, right?"
Guinafen: "It must be an illusion created by the Heliobus."
Tail: "What else? Huh? What are you doing, you little brat?"
Tail's confused voice caught everyone's attention, and they instinctively looked at Pei Guang.
They saw him pulling out a chair at the edge of the sword formation, standing on it, and then pulling out a net to start fishing.
One, two, three... Pei Guang watched as the swords passed through his net bag, and he felt nothing but regret.
Noticing the group's silence, Pei Guang quickly explained, "Don't misunderstand, I thought these were real swords. I was hoping to catch a few, but turns out they're fake... what a shame."
From Pei Guang's expression, it was clear: if those swords were real, he would've grabbed them all.
But unfortunately, they were illusions.
And with nothing to show for it, Pei Guang was visibly unhappy, even grumbling under his breath.
"Yanqing! If you're going to set up a sword array, just do it. But next time, please, no more illusions. It really kills the vibe."
Hearing Pei Guang's complaints, Yanqing, who had been silent, spoke up, "If you can see them, doesn't that mean you've fallen into the illusion too?"
Pei Guang shrugged, "You make a good point, but it's not a big deal. Anyway, what's your status? Are you under mind control or free?"
Yanqing looked at Pei Guang. "Me? I've never felt better. To me, this sword array is a real treasure trove. Just look up, and every sword contains a thousand different techniques in my eyes. It's endless, far beyond what I've known before. Not to mention, it's open to anyone who seeks to pursue a higher path."
As Yanqing spoke, Pei Guang, with a mischievous grin, glanced at the frost-blue short sword that had led them here. "Look at that, your master's been distracted by these flashy swords, and every one of them supposedly has a thousand moves. Sounds like a scam to me. Can you really watch him fall for it, being duped by a Heliobus?"
The moment those words left his mouth, the short sword, which had only been humming until now, erupted with a chilling aura. This aura helped momentarily snap Yanqing out of the mind control Heliobus had on him.
"What's going on? Am I...?"
Just as Yanqing started to regain himself, a voice echoed in his mind, the voice of Apyra.
"Youth, everything is different with me around. Whether it's the Moon Dragon King, the Stellaron Hunter, or that woman who passed on her sword techniques to you, you've surpassed them all. That's just a broken sword—don't throw away your boundless future for it."
Hearing Apyra's words, Pei Guang stoked the fire even further. "See? Your master clearly wants to return to you, wants to hold you again, but theHeliobus is telling him he doesn't need you! Can you stand for that?"
As Pei Guang continued to stir things up, Guinaifen quietly commented, "It feels like... Ah Guang's causing trouble."
Huohuo nodded, "Yeah, it seems like he's escalating the conflict. And this sword... it looks really mad."
Sushang, however, was a little different.
Looking at the sword emitting a freezing aura, she pulled out her own ancestral greatsword and said, "Look at this sword, now compare it to you!"
The big sword didn't give Sushang any response, but its silence seemed to answer her, "It is it, I am me."
Meanwhile, Pei Guang kept going. "You're Yanqing's sword, the one who knows him best. Is he the kind of person who just throws away his weapon? No! This is hthe Heliobus's trick! Go on, defeat the Heliobus! As a spiritual sword, you and Yanqing have a bond, use that to win!"
At this moment, the Heliobus named Apyra, the one behind the illusions, was taken aback.
Shouldn't he be facing off with Yanqing? Why did Pei Guang send out a sword? Although spiritual swords existed in this universe, the one before him was no ordinary one.
While Heliobus hesitated, Yanqing's sword suddenly flew back into his hand, knocking away the sword that Heliobus had created.
When Yanqing grabbed the sword, he expected to feel its coldness, but instead, there was a warm sensation the moment he held it.
That warmth spread throughout his body, and as it did, he faintly saw a white-haired, red-eyed, graceful and somewhat heroic woman.
"Yanqing, you don't need a thousand techniques. As long as you have me, and us, you'll be unstoppable. We are your sword, and we'll help you cut through all obstacles."
"Hold us tight! For joy and pleasure, for saving people and defeating enemies."
"We won't interfere with your choices. We hope you wield us with your will."
As the last words were spoken, Yanqing's mind was surrounded by more shadows of the woman, causing him to feel as though his brain was about to overload.
In the real world, Yanqing held the short sword once more, and as he did, several other swords floated around him, spinning in the air.
If Yanqing were surrounded by real women like this, he'd be embarrassed, but these swords were ones he had personally taken care of, lovingly maintained after every battle.
Because of this, when surrounded by them, Yanqing didn't feel shy at all.
Instead, he remembered his past experiences: the joy of holding a new sword and the happiness of defeating strong enemies alongside his sword.
He loved challenging powerful enemies to prove his strength, but when facing these swords, he realized this was not his deepest desire.
When facing his own sword, he thought about why he wielded it, why he fought, why he wanted to challenge the strong, and why he wanted to prove himself.
The victories he'd achieved had gradually made him forget why he swung his sword. But at this moment, he remembered it all, every single reason.
In the world of his mind, seeing the older sister, Yanqing smiled and said, "Thank you. Let's fight side by side once more!"
Back in reality, Yanqing, now enlightened, opened his eyes.
At this moment, Apyra had already been driven out of his body, and Apyra, furious, was in a fit of rage.
"Damn it! Damn it!"
While Apyra was losing its temper, Yanqing turned to Pei Guang and said, "Mr. Pei Guang, thank you for your help I have returned to normal. But there's still one request I must ask of you. Once this incident is over, I would like to spar with you to fulfill my wish. Will you agree?"
Pei Guang looked at Yanqing, both amused and helpless. "So, after all this effort, I can't escape this fight? Since you want it, let's do it. This is a commission, right? Just make sure you've prepared a reward for me."
Yanqing, grateful, looked at Pei Guang and said, "Thank you, Mr. Pei Guang. That's exactly why I want to challenge you. Even if I lose, I won't regret it. Please, be gentle with me."
Pei Guang nodded, "No problem, when?"
Pei Guang didn't mind.
He had originally wanted to skip the battle sequence, but now it seemed like there was no way around it. Even though the battle couldn't be skipped, it seemed like the Heliobus wouldn't need to be captured by them directly.
At this point, Yanqing could handle it on his own.
Whether it was to defeat and capture the Heliobus or just spar with him afterward, both scenarios had battle sequences, but the experiences would be completely different.
In the first case, the reward was to capture Heliobus. In the second, the reward was clearly something more.
As Pei Guang asked, Yanqing turned to face the frustrated Apyra and said, "After I defeat you, Teacher Apyra, I, along with my sword, challenge this sword array and you!"
As the challenge was issued, the swords around Yanqing began to hum, while the sword in his hand remained perfectly still.
Just as it had said, it would allow Yanqing to wield it according to his will. And as a sword, it would defeat any enemy for Yanqing, even if that enemy was a Heliobus.
Apyra was stunned.
What had just happened? From the moment Pei Guang arrived until now, it had only said two sentences, and those two sentences had made Yanqing break free from its control and challenge it?
But as it recalled everything, it suddenly realized that the mastermind behind all of this seemed to be this man named Pei Guang.
In that instant, it became furious.
"You! Who are you?!"
Facing Apyra's furious question, Pei Guang's eyes gleamed with brilliant wisdom.
He had originally planned to introduce himself seriously, but then he thought that it would be too troublesome.
So, Pei Guang simply gave a thumbs up and seriously introduced himself: "I'm a sunny and cheerful boy who loves to dig through trash cans."
Apyra: "Are you mocking me?!"
Pei Guang, looking innocent: "I never mock people."
As soon as these words were spoken, even Sushang couldn't hold back her laughter.
Along with her laughter, the angry voice of Apyra was heard; Apyra certainly had its tricks, but sadly, it now had to face Yanqing, who had completed his inner reconciliation and was armed with his swords.