Daziel stroked his chin and said in a low voice:
"What you're saying actually makes some sense. I do have that Demon Sword with me. But, this is the audience seating, there are so many people, it might not be very convenient, right?"
Daziel looked around. The audience was fully focused on the arena, afraid of missing any exciting moment, and didn't notice the two of them.
But even so, Daziel didn't want to do that in this kind of environment.
"Oh come on, you know me! We can just leave first, find a deserted place, and it'll be fine!"
March 7th's eyes lit up, and she immediately grabbed Daziel's arm.
"Hurry, hurry! Any later and it'll be too late!"
Daziel looked at her eager expression, then glanced at Yunli, who was in a perilous situation on the arena stage. He hardened his resolve.
He sighed.
"You really are something, little March. Alright, let's head out and try this."
The two quietly slipped out from the edge of the audience seats, quickly passed through the crowded masses, and arrived at a secluded, deserted corner outside the practice arena. Only a few lonely green plants grew there, and it was quiet all around.
March 7th nervously took a deep breath, her face flushed red from excitement and shyness. She looked at Daziel, her eyes firm.
"Daziel, hurry, begin!"
Daziel took out the Demon Sword, which looked like a magic wand, from his storage artifact.
Looking at March 7th's expression—one of facing death yet tinged with a hint of anticipation—he couldn't help but find it a little funny, but he also knew this wasn't the time for jokes.
He nodded, his expression turning serious.
"It might feel a little... uh... strange. Bear with it, and try not to be too loud."
Daziel reminded her in a low voice.
"I know, alright? How many times has this been? You don't need to specifically remind me!"
March 7th closed her eyes, nodding hard. Her eyelashes trembled slightly.
Daziel gripped the Demon Sword. Following the previous sensation, he gently gestured with it towards the area below March 7th's lower abdomen.
Then, with a light touch, like a dragonfly skimming the water, he cautiously completed what he usually did when practicing swordplay.
At the same time, above the central arena stage.
Yunli was being steadily beaten back by Yanqing's sword arts. The wound on her left arm kept seeping blood, and the intense pain made it almost impossible for her to grip her "Old Mettle" greatsword.
She gritted her teeth, relying on an indomitable will to desperately hold on, but her consciousness was already starting to blur.
Just as she felt she couldn't hold on any longer, and her vision was starting to blacken—
An indescribable, strange warm current, accompanied by a faint hum, surged without warning from the deepest part of Yunli's body, instantly flowing through all her limbs.
Her delicate body trembled violently, and she almost lost her footing. This sudden power was so familiar, yet so intimate and private, making her beautiful face instantly flush a complete red.
But within this warm current, there was an extremely pure and unstoppable sword intent, like a drought-stricken land receiving a timely rain, quickly nourishing her almost depleted Sword Essence from the fierce battle and healing the wounds on her arm.
Yunli instantly understood. This must be Daziel and March 7th "helping" her with that strange Demon Sword.
Embarrassment surged like a tide, but on the arena, with a strong opponent before her, a moment's distraction could lead to utter ruin.
She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the strange sensation in her heart. The fighting intent in her eyes blazed fiercely once more, even more vigorously than before!
"Hmm?"
Yanqing keenly sensed Yunli's change.
The girl who was just now tottering and with a fading aura now seemed reborn. Her sword intent, instead of diminishing, intensified, and that sharp aura was even stronger than her peak performance!
Yanqing's brows furrowed tightly, his heart filled with doubt and alarm.
Yunli, however, gave him no time to think. The Flaming Fang Greatsword in her right hand let out a joyful cry, its scarlet flames suddenly surged as if they wanted to burn a hole in the sky.
Yunli let out a battle cry, her voice echoing through the sky.
Her petite figure, instead of retreating, charged forward, her greatsword brandished with an unstoppable momentum, carrying towering flames towards Yanqing's flying sword formation with a fierce strike!
The sword move was ancient and unrefined, yet it contained the profound mystery of simplicity, as if it aimed to cleave even the floating clouds on the horizon.
Yanqing's pupils constricted. He could feel the terrifying power contained within this strike, far surpassing anything before.
He didn't dare to be negligent, immediately changing his sword incantation. Several flying swords rapidly circled in front of him, coalescing into an ice crystal sword formation, attempting to block this earth-shattering blow.
The Flaming Fang Greatsword and the ice crystal sword formation crashed together, producing a deafening roar.
Ice fragments and fire sparks scattered, and a violent aura swept across the entire arena.
The sword formation Yanqing had conjured only held for a moment before shattering into pieces with a loud crack. He himself was shaken back by the immense impact, causing him to retreat repeatedly, and a look of gravity appeared on his face for the first time.
"Your swordsmanship… why has it suddenly improved so much?" Yanqing steadied himself, his voice carrying a hint of disbelief and doubt.
Yunli stood with her sword, flames swirling around her, like a fire goddess. A slight smile played on her lips, carrying a hint of a maiden's mischievousness and confidence.
"This is merely the result of my diligent practice these past few days. What's so strange about it?"
She would never tell Yanqing the real reason—that would be far too embarrassing.
Yanqing's eyes flickered. He clearly didn't fully believe her explanation, but he had no time for further thought.
Yunli's offense surged forth like a tide once more.
Yunli's movements were nimble. Her "Old Mettle" greatsword felt weightless in her hands. Every strike carried the might to burn mountains and boil oceans, yet was exceptionally agile, her moves continuous, making Yanqing feel somewhat breathless.
Although Yanqing's flying swords were exquisite and varied, they seemed somewhat inadequate against Yunli's almost unreasonable, immense sword intent.
Ice elemental sword qi and fire elemental sword intent fiercely clashed on the arena, stirring up ripples of energy.
From the viewing stands of The Xianzhou Zhuming, thunderous cheers erupted.
After a moment of fierce battle, a glint flashed in Yunli's eyes as she seized a tiny opening in Yanqing's flying sword defense.
With another clear battle cry, the Flaming Fang Greatsword in Yunli's hand blazed brilliantly, the flames on its blade converging to the extreme, transforming into an incomparably solid scarlet sword ray, carrying the resolve to cleave through everything and striking down upon Yanqing!
This one strike seemed to cleave the very earth into an abyss!
Yanqing's face drastically changed. He could feel the terrifying power contained within this strike, far beyond what he could hastily resist.
He hastily summoned all his flying swords to defend, attempting to block it. However, that scarlet sword ray was overwhelmingly destructive and unstoppable.
Clang, clang!
The entire arena fell silent for a moment, then erupted in thunderous cheers like a mountain roaring and a tsunami crashing.
"Yunli! Yunli!"
The referee raised his hand high, his voice hoarse from excitement.
"This battle: The Xianzhou Zhuming, Yunli wins!"
The audience below was already dumbfounded. No one had expected this final match to be so full of twists and turns. They had thought victory was in Yanqing's grasp, yet now he was surprisingly suppressed by Yunli!
Several piercing metallic clangs rang out. Yanqing's several flying swords were actually shattered and sent flying by that single strike, their glow dimming.
He lost.
Yunli let out a long breath and put away her Flaming Fang Greatsword. Sweat beaded on her forehead, her chest rose and fell slightly, and her face was radiant with the joy of victory.
March 7th's body suddenly jolted. A familiar tingling sensation instantly spread throughout her body, making her unable to stop herself from letting out a faint sound, her cheeks so red they looked like they would bleed.
"This... this young lady from The Xianzhou Zhuming is too strong! I think The Xianzhou Luofu's strongest swordsman is about to..."
The scarlet sword ray, its momentum undiminished, swept past Yanqing's shoulder, leaving a deep mark on the green Jade arena behind him.
Yanqing grunted, his body recoiling. The hand holding his sword trembled slightly, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
"She did it! She brought glory to The Xianzhou Zhuming!"
"Little Master Yunli!"
As soon as the match ended, March 7th rushed over like a gust of wind, her face showing worry and a hint of guilt.
She grabbed Yunli's hand and eagerly said, "Little Master Yunli, I'm... I'm so sorry! It was all... all my idea to make you during the match..."
March 7th thought of the scene just now, of Daziel "casting spells" on her with the Demon Sword, and her face couldn't help but flush.
Yunli looked at her, almost bursting into tears, and couldn't help but laugh. She took March 7th's hand and gently squeezed it.
"Apologize for what?"
Yunli's smile was bright and charming, with a hint of a maiden's playful innocence.
"If it didn't have that effect, then all that sword practice we did every day before would have been for nothing, wouldn't it?"
She winked, her tone relaxed.
"Besides, since Daziel uses that Demon Sword on one of us, the other will also have the same reaction—we're basically 'of the same path,' aren't we!"
"So, what's the difference between the sword moves manifested through you and those manifested through me?"
March 7th was amused, and her face lit up slightly. Her tension and guilt also dissipated considerably, and she nodded vigorously.
"Ding! We two are 'of the same path'!"
Daziel interjected at the opportune moment:
"That's not wrong. You two are both my... forms, so the 'inside' is pretty much the same. It's just the 'outside' that's a bit different."
March 7th playfully elbowed Daziel.
"What nonsense are you spouting!"
Yunli, meanwhile, met Daziel's gaze. In her deep blue eyes, light shimmered, and her cheeks still held the blush from the intense battle, and a faint trace of hard-to-detect shyness.
She was completely baffled by these metaphors, finding them merely strange.
After hearing Daziel's metaphors, March 7th's face flushed slightly. She seemed to understand something and quickly tugged Yunli's sleeve, trying to dissuade her.
"Hey, Yunli, if you don't get it, just let it go. You don't have to understand. He just likes spouting nonsense!"
Yunli, however, continued to furrow her brows, lowering her head in thought over Daziel's words. Unconsciously, she reached out and lightly touched her own lower abdomen.
March 7th pushed him, pouting discontentedly. "Oh, just say it when I tell you to! What are you afraid of!" "You were just spouting off so eloquently, and now that I ask you for specifics, you're suddenly shy about it?"
Daziel, having no choice under her prodding, lightly coughed and lowered his voice, even though there was no one else around.
He stuttered, "Alright, I'll say it. You two, uh, if I had to describe it, one of you is like Seele when she uses her Ultimate, those swirling ethereal blue butterfly effects, and it also has a sense of cascading beauty."
"The other one, well, she's more like a freshly steamed dumpling from a Xianzhou snack cart, plump and with a hint of elasticity. Is that enough?"
Yunli listened, completely bewildered. She cocked her head, her deep blue eyes filled with confusion, and gently scratched her own back of the head.
"I only understand Daziel's martial path. Perhaps... Daziel understands us two better. What he said... was it true?"
A moment later, as if something suddenly clicked, her eyes widened abruptly, and her face instantly flushed crimson, even her earlobes turning a bit red.
"Wait, wait a minute!"
Yunli's voice carried a hint of awkwardness and sudden realization. "I... I think I just figured out what's going on! So that's it! That's how it is! Before, I... I really never properly observed it!"
She suddenly lifted her head, grabbed March 7th's hand, her eyes sparkling, carrying a mix of shyness and a probing curiosity.
"March-jiejie, that... later, when we 'practice swordplay,' could you... could you let me observe it properly?"
March 7th was startled by this sudden request, then her mouth fell open. She asked in surprise, "Huh? Practice again? Huh? Didn't the Martial Arts Ceremony already conclude? Yunli, why are you still thinking about practicing swordplay?"
She thought Yunli was having another "sword-crazed relapse."
Yunli's face flushed even more. She shyly lowered her head, her voice thin and quiet, carrying a hint of barely concealed coyness.
She let out a soft "ah," her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "That... that's not it. Actually, whether we practice swordplay or not, it doesn't matter. It doesn't necessarily have to be with that Demon Sword either."
She secretly peeked up, quickly glanced at Daziel, then quickly lowered her gaze again, her voice almost inaudible.
"Mainly... mainly I want to with Daziel..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but that meaningful glance and the anticipation contained within her unspoken words, Daziel instantly understood.
He curled his lips into a playful smile and teased her. "Oh my, you really have changed! Just a few days ago, you were a little girl whose mind was only filled with eating Qiongshi Island snacks. Now how did you become so, uh, so wanton?"
March 7th glared at Daziel indignantly, then turned to Yunli's defense. "You're still talking! Isn't it because you turned her into this little girl like this! You're the instigator!"
Yunli's face flushed crimson, almost as if it would drip blood. She stomped her foot lightly, but didn't refute Daziel's words. Instead, she quietly admitted, "Daziel... Daziel is right. It... it's me... I want to..."
She took a deep breath, as if steeling her courage, and looked up at Daziel with hazy eyes, her voice filled with urgency and desire.
"We... let's go back to the inn now. I'm already a little... a little impatient..."
After saying that, March 7th pulled both of them and headed towards the inn.
Daziel watched Yunli hastily pulling the two of them forward, and the playful smile on his face deepened.
He allowed Yunli to pull his wrist, while his other hand rested leisurely behind his head, his steps unhurried as he followed.
"Hey, slow down, slow down!"
March 7th was pulled by her so hard she almost stumbled.
Soon, the familiar archway of the inn appeared before them. It was already dusk, and the setting sun's afterglow gilded the street with a warm golden layer. Lanterns were lit inside the inn, and soft light filtered out from the windows.
_____
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