March 7th's sparkling eyes widened, staring at Daziel with a hint of disbelief.
"Of course."
March 7th felt a rush of heat from her feet all the way to her head, and a mix of embarrassment and anger churned violently in her heart. That usually sweet and adorable little face was now so red it looked like blood could drip from it; even her earlobes were a tempting pink.
March 7th swung her soft, pink fists, her voice laced with tears, hitting Daziel's chest again and again, right after he'd emerged from the mech's cockpit. It looked like she was hitting hard, but in reality, it was more like a kitten's playful swipes.
Daziel was gently pushed back by her soft attacks, a somewhat awkward chuckle on his face as he reached up to scratch his head.
"Ahem, well, Marchy, my bad, completely my fault. I was piloting the mech, and the sword move demonstration diagrams it provided were really... something. I just, ah, got a little carried away playing."
March 7th's eyes were completely red, her voice thick with a heavy nasal tone and an unshakeable sense of grievance.
"Was that playing? That was, that was..."
A strange tremor ran through her.
March 7th paused, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, muttering an explanation, as if trying to convince herself:
"H-Hmph! What I mean is... as a sparring partner, it really is quite effective! It's an indispensable helper!"
By the end, her voice was so quiet she could barely hear herself.
But seeing the girl's embarrassed, almost-crying expression, Daziel still managed to suppress his laughter and said earnestly:
"Alright, since you also think this mech is useful, why don't you rest for a bit, take a few deep breaths, and we'll..."
Daziel nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"It's rare to find such a good sparring partner, so we can't waste my... good intentions. Besides, didn't you want to see how much you've improved these past few days?"
March 7th bit her lower lip. Thinking about how utterly powerless she had been against the mech Daziel piloted just moments ago, a sense of unwillingness indeed welled up in her heart.
And yet, although that strange sensation had made her shy, looking back, her understanding of sword techniques had indeed improved quite a bit.
"Alright, alright then."
She nodded lightly.
"But you're not allowed to mess around like that again!"
"Don't worry, don't worry! This time, I promise to be a proper sparring partner." Daziel raised a hand, as if making an oath.
So, in the quiet little courtyard, the silver-white steel giant awoke once more, emitting a low hum of energy. This time, Daziel's control was clearly much "gentler," though there were still occasional "tricky little moves" that caught March 7th off guard, eliciting repeated gasps from her.
But overall, it was indeed focused on feeding moves and countering them, guiding her to adapt to higher-intensity combat.
March 7th gradually adapted to the mech's attack rhythm, her twin swords dancing with increasing precision.
Thus, one piloting the mech and the other wielding her sword, they sparred. Before they knew it, the entire afternoon had quietly slipped away.
The sun set in the west, its last rays painting the horizon red.
In the inn's small courtyard, March 7th was drenched in sweat, fine beads glistening on her fair forehead. A few strands of sweat-dampened hair clung to her cheeks.
She held her twin swords, her chest heaving slightly with her rapid breaths, her curves alluring. Though utterly exhausted, her blue-pink eyes shone astonishingly bright, filled with exhilarating excitement and an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
She let out a long sigh.
Daziel also emerged from the mech's cockpit, stretching his somewhat stiff neck.
"Look at you, quite the improvement, eh?" he said with a smile.
March 7th proudly tilted her chin: "Of course! Who do you think this girl is?!"
Just then, the inn's courtyard gate was gently pushed open.
"Daziel Gege, March-jie, I'm back!" Yunli's clear, sweet voice drifted in.
However, her voice seemed to carry a hint of imperceptible fatigue and confusion.
Seeing Yunli, March 7th immediately rushed up to her, asking with some concern:
"Yunli-shifu, what took you so long to come back? The time we agreed to practice swords has passed ages ago, I thought—"
Yunli shook her head, her exquisitely beautiful face showing a strange expression. She glanced at the silver-white mech in the courtyard, then at Daziel and March 7th, and hesitated before speaking:
"...something special happened?"
March 7th glanced at Daziel subconsciously, her face turning a faint red.
"Today, I went out to handle some business with Yanqing. We were clearing out some remaining Abominations of Abundance on The Xianzhou. But, halfway through the cleanup, my body suddenly... suddenly had a very strange feeling, like being poked."
"It was, like, an itchy, tingly sensation, and then my body reacted, and my sword intent just skyrocketed! I sliced down several Abominations with one strike, even my grandpa was stunned and asked me how I suddenly got so strong."
Upon hearing this, Daziel and March 7th exchanged glances, both seeing a hint of surprise and understanding in the other's eyes. Naturally, those overly ambiguous details were cleverly omitted.
"You, you guys... why would I have a reaction?!"
Daziel stroked his chin, his expression also turning a bit strange as he mused: "Is it still related to that Demon Sword?"
He remembered that when the three of them "trained swords" together before, there seemed to have been a similar strange sensation.
"Could it really be because of that Demon Sword?"
Daziel chuckled, picking up the Demon Sword, which resembled a fairy wand, from the table. He gestured with it below March 7th's lower abdomen, then gently poked it.
March 7th was startled by his sudden action. Just as she moved to dodge, a familiar tingling sensation spread through her.
"Looks like it really is! We've been training swords together for so long, I wonder if we've developed some strange shared..."
"What 'resonance'?! I think it's just this broken sword causing trouble! Daziel Gege, don't play around with this sword during the day. It's too improper. I often need to go out for business, what if something like this happens again today? How embarrassing!"
Daziel nodded obligingly.
"Let's start tonight's cultivation then."
"Mhm."
So, in the inn's small courtyard, that familiar, peculiar atmosphere, mixed with the faint scent of medicinal oil and the girls' body fragrance, once again spread throughout.
Candlelight flickered, illuminating their focused yet strangely flushed faces.
"Daziel, March-jie, did something special happen to you two during the day?" Yunli continued, her tone laced with confusion:
She paused, seemingly recalling the scene at the time, her pretty face flushing with an unusual blush:
"Master,"
Daziel cleared his throat, recounting how Scott had delivered the mech that day, and how he had used the Demon Sword in conjunction with the mech to "spar" with March 7th.
Even so, after Yunli heard it, her delicate little face still "whooshed" a bright red, like a ripe persimmon. Staring at Daziel and March 7th, her voice stammered, "You two were playing around with that sword, why did...?"
"Well... logically speaking, that mech is just a hunk of metal; it shouldn't have any special abilities. Could it be..."
Yunli also nodded slightly, with a hint of hesitation, a thoughtful gleam in her beautiful eyes:
"Try? How?" March 7th asked curiously.
"Mhm."
At the same time, not far away, Yunli suddenly let out a soft groan, her body swayed slightly, and the blush on her face deepened.
Daziel marvelled at the sight:
Yunli gave him an exasperated look, saying grumpily:
She paused, then continued: "If you need a sparring sword, I'll talk to my grandpa tomorrow and have him arrange it."
"In that case, I'll trouble you, Yunli. But it's getting late now, I think we should seize the opportunity to begin tonight's cultivation."
March 7th and Yunli both responded in unison, the blush not entirely faded from their faces, their eyes gleaming.
Time flew, days turned into months. Like a fleeting glimpse, the main event of this grand ceremony, the Martial Arts Exhibition, arrived as scheduled.
The Xianzhou Luofu's magnificent central martial arts arena had, by now, transformed into a surging ocean of people, a boiling, roaring spectacle.
Countless banners danced wildly in the high sky, colorful ribbons fluttering in the wind, adorning this land with majestic beauty and golden splendor. The towering audience seats, like colossal beasts encircling it, tightly guarded the immense Jade stage in the center.
The roaring human voices converged into a thunderous tide, as if threatening to shake even The Xianzhou itself. That stage, carved from a single block of Jade stone, was as smooth as a mirror, its edges intricately carved with countless complex and profound array patterns.
March 7th and Yunli, two radiant figures, stood gracefully side-by-side in the contestant waiting area, feeling the almost overwhelming fervent atmosphere around them, their hearts pounding in sync.
March 7th's sparkling eyes shimmered with curiosity and excitement. She had come primarily to test the results of her recent intense training, harboring the relaxed thought of "participation matters most, just have fun."
Yunli, however, was starkly different. A hint of solemnity graced her exquisitely beautiful face. As a representative of The Xianzhou Zhuming, she carried the glory of her entire Xianzhou and her grandpa's earnest expectations on her shoulders.
This battle could not be lost!
The schedule of the Martial Arts Exhibition began in an orderly fashion, heralded by the rhythmic announcements of the emcee.
March 7th, relying solely on her twin swords and not even using her most familiar bow and arrow, smoothly advanced by defeating two unknown opponents, thanks to her nimble and elusive movements.
Her sword techniques were not as flawlessly refined and exquisite as those of true first-class swordsmen, yet they had their own unique rhythm, light and agile, often delivering unexpected, brilliant strokes that caught her opponents off guard, earning her applause from many in the audience.
As for Yunli, she displayed overwhelming power, crushing all in her path. The ancient, impressively heavy "Old Iron" greatsword in her hand was, in the eyes of most participants, an insurmountable wall of flames. They often couldn't last a single exchange before suffering defeat.
The flame-like sword light danced like an enraged dragon, each swing accompanied by the horrified gazes of her opponents and their discomfited falls.
This spectacle ignited cheers and shouts from The Xianzhou Zhuming viewing stands, like a mountain collapsing and a sea roaring.
However, the wheel of fate always seems to enjoy toying with people's hearts at crucial moments. When the results of the third round's draw were announced, March 7th and Yunli's names conspicuously appeared in the same match-up group.
March 7th looked at Yunli, whose expression was slightly complicated, then suddenly smiled brightly. With a crisp "clang," she casually tossed her two short swords aside.
"Yunli-shifu, I forfeit this match!" Her voice was clear and melodious, carrying a hint of relieved lightness.
"I was just here to enjoy the atmosphere anyway, and to gain experience! Winning two rounds already makes me super happy! It proves I haven't disgraced my master's teachings."
March 7th winked at Yunli, her tone sincere.
Yunli paused slightly, her tense expression softening into a pure, girlish smile as she gently nodded.
She naturally understood March 7th's thoughtful gesture and sincerely respected her choice.
March 7th's voluntary concession did not affect Yunli's unstoppable path to advancement in the slightest.
As for Luka, who should have shone brilliantly and emerged as a talent at this Martial Arts Exhibition in the original storyline, he seemed to be plagued by extreme bad luck due to the altered worldline.
He was incredibly unlucky in the very first round, drawing Yanqing directly. After merely a few dozen exchanges, a blindingly fast, chillingly sharp sword light flashed like a startled swan and was gone.
Luka ultimately couldn't withstand Yanqing's offensive and, with his vision darkening, regretfully ended his maiden experience on The Xianzhou's stage.
Daziel watched the entire process from below the stage, shaking his head helplessly.
After all, in the original storyline, Luka's strength could constantly improve because he had the protagonist coaching him every step of the way.
In this timeline, Daziel was too busy rolling around with March 7th and Yunli every day; how could he possibly have time to bother with some Luka? Luka's failure was also to be expected.
As the competition progressed, the final bell at last rang out, resonant and solemn. Thousands of eyes instantly focused on the stage.
Amidst earth-shattering cheers, Yanqing and Yunli slowly ascended the stage from opposite sides.
Yanqing's expression was grave, as if all the surrounding clamor had nothing to do with him. Several flying swords of various shapes, glinting with cold light, circled around him, adding a sense of chilling solemnity.
In Yunli's hand, the heavy sword she called "Old Iron" erupted with surging crimson flames, emitting an aura powerful enough to distort space itself.
The two stood proudly in the center of the Jade stage, facing each other from ten paces apart. Their gazes met and clashed in mid-air, and the atmosphere crackled as if invisible sparks of electricity were intensely flashing.
_____
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