"That's it?"
Shu's mouth twitched, and he let out a dry, helpless laugh.
It honestly wasn't hard to understand Bianka's reaction if he just put himself in her shoes for a second.
If he were Bianka: He knows he possesses the exact same power as the undisputed strongest person in the world, and he even has a fundamentally stronger physical baseline.
Therefore, since the other person is still vastly stronger than him, it logically implies that they must possess a profound, infinitely superior mastery over that shared power.
So, naturally, he would demonize the techniques he didn't understand, assuming they were incomprehensibly complex.
It must be because he's a genius who comprehended an application method that I simply can't grasp.
What do you mean 'I just never thought to use it that way'?
The sky is falling, and my idol's flawless image is crumbling... Okay, maybe that last part was a bit of an exaggeration.
In any case, Bianka's shock was perfectly normal and easily understandable. There was no need to feel insulted or slighted by her reaction...
Shu maintained a gentle, squinting smile and began instructing Bianka on the next step.
"There are still some fundamental differences between us. For example, I have a distinct Herrscher Core, and the Authority resides directly within it. Because of that, the path I take when mobilizing Honkai Energy is clear and unambiguous.
"But you are different. You don't have a Herrscher Core like mine, and I'm honestly not entirely sure where the Authority resides within your body.
"However, you've successfully used [Wish] before. Therefore, I assume the Authority's anchor point isn't hidden in some overly obscure location. Focus your mind, try to sense its exact location, and then attempt to consciously channel Honkai Energy to activate it."
Bianka nodded seriously. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and devoted all her concentration to mobilizing the Honkai Energy within her, carefully searching for her Authority.
There's honestly no need to be this tense...
Watching Bianka's hyper-serious demeanor, Shu felt a bit embarrassed.
He had never studied his own abilities this intensely. The only time he had genuinely sat down to "research" his power after awakening was back at the Taixuan Dojo, right after meeting Li Sushang.
Back then, he hadn't yet grasped the advanced applications of [Wish]. He had merely relied on the lingering desires residing within the dojo to familiarize himself with his power.
After that, Shu never formally studied [Wish] again. Mostly, he just theory-crafted in his head about what he could do. Even when he gained a new application, he just mentally simulated it.
Practical application truly was the most important aspect. He had gained all his experience through constant, life-or-death battles.
But obviously, there were no such enemies available for Bianka to farm experience off of. And those "play-pretend" training exercises at the school wouldn't do much good either.
It had to be him.
Sigh. I hope these old bones of mine can provide Bianka with enough experience to grow.
The twenty-year-old Shu mentally sighed with the weariness of an old man.
In front of Shu, Bianka was completely immersed in her own world.
With her eyes closed, her perception became exponentially sharper.
Following Shu's instructions, she mobilized a single, thin wisp of Honkai Energy and directed it throughout her body, meticulously scanning every inch for any reaction to the energy.
It feels warm... Everywhere the Honkai Energy passed felt exactly the same. And it wasn't just in her torso and internal organs.
Why is there a reaction everywhere?
After completing a full circuit of her torso and vital organs without finding any distinct focal point, Bianka, unwilling to give up, directed the wisp of Honkai Energy into her limbs for a second pass.
The feedback from her limbs was exactly the same: a uniform, warm sensation. Her frown deepened.
If there was an "anomaly" everywhere, that meant there was no anomaly anywhere.
Was it possible that, just as her scan suggested, the Authority was uniformly distributed throughout her entire body?
...That can't be right, can it? Senior Shu explicitly stated that the Authority was hidden in a specific location, and that it definitely wouldn't be anywhere obscure.
So, I must be doing something wrong.
Yeah, exactly. That has to be it. It's definitely my fault.
Thinking this, Bianka gritted her teeth and piloted the wisp of Honkai Energy through circuit after circuit, cycling it through her body so many times she genuinely began to doubt her own perception.
And then, inevitably, Bianka began to harbor some rather blasphemous thoughts.
What if... Senior Shu is actually wrong?
Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.
And right now, after doubting herself multiple times, the only remaining suspect was Shu.
"Senior Shu..." Bianka respected him, revered him, but she also "did not fear authority," had the courage to ask questions, the courage to...
"I... don't think I can find it?" Bianka's expression was laced with panic, immediately taking the blame upon herself and leaving Shu momentarily speechless.
He had been closely monitoring her every move, so he knew exactly how meticulously and diligently she had searched during those several passes.
Honestly, Bianka's performance had already far exceeded his expectations.
He originally assumed Bianka would just violently agitate all the Honkai Energy in her body, trigger the Authority once by brute force, and then slowly try to pinpoint it from there.
He hadn't expected her to be capable of such precise, delicate manipulation—threading a single wisp of Honkai Energy through her entire vascular system. That level of control was something the early-stage Shu completely lacked.
Even after his evolution, Shu didn't possess that kind of finesse. It wasn't until Babylon, after discarding his "childish heart," that Shu attained a comparable level of mastery.
That's pure talent. Even Shu couldn't help but marvel.
If she possessed such a high degree of Honkai Energy control right out of the gate, then once she mastered the basics of [Wish], the advanced applications would be a breeze for her.
Shu smiled warmly and immediately admitted his mistake.
"No, there must be a flaw in my deduction. It's not your fault," Shu waved his hand, completely unfazed by his own misjudgment.
"Let's try a different approach. Attempt to use [Wish] once, just like you did before. Let your instincts guide you.
"I will observe closely this time and help you pinpoint its exact location."
"Okay!" Bianka was slightly surprised that Shu admitted fault so readily. But hearing him say that suddenly lifted a massive weight off her shoulders.
So I wasn't wrong? My method was right, and my guess was right...
A small bud of confidence sprouted in her heart. Bianka exhaled slowly, closed her eyes again, and tried to find the feeling.
How did I trigger [Wish] before... I think it was always during emergencies?
What did I do during those emergencies...
Bianka pressed her lips together and began to fantasize. She imagined facing a terrifying enemy. She imagined all her standard attacks being effortlessly dismantled. The enemy's power was godlike, and she was completely outmatched...
Hmm...
Yes!
I feel it!
The dormant [Wish] within Bianka was successfully mobilized, exactly as she desired. However, Shu, who had been meticulously observing her every move, suddenly sensed something was horribly wrong.
Huh?
Wait, why is she aiming it at ME?!