Sunny frowned. She knew Quincy Shen all too well. When she first arrived at the school, she had witnessed this senior's ascent of the Celestial Path. That duel had been brutal; his power was still vivid in her mind. He had ultimately claimed a pyrrhic victory and graduated.
But Quincy Shen had been at his peak then, his methods terrifyingly varied. It was said he had spent ages preparing for that trial, collecting and exchanging for powerful magical artifacts. His success didn't mean he lacked strength—quite the opposite. The Celestial Path was simply that difficult.
Now, Erwin would be facing a peak-condition Quincy Shen. Could he pass? If Erwin were at full power, perhaps. But now, Erwin couldn't use spells, and he had lost his dominant advantage. Sunny wasn't sure. She just hoped Erwin wouldn't be too stubborn. If he couldn't win, he should admit defeat and avoid the danger.
Meanwhile, Erwin stared at the illusory figure before him, his face filled with curiosity. How was this entity formed? He understood the theory from cultivation novels, but what was the magical principle here?
Before he could dwell on it, Quincy Shen attacked. With a flick of his wrists, three talismans flew from his sleeves. Erwin didn't recognize them. Lacking knowledge of their effects, he instinctively dodged. Unable to Apparate, he relied on his legs, but the pressure in the air made his movements sluggish.
Down the mountain, older students who hadn't yet passed the Celestial Path recognized the paper slips. "Is that... a Thunderclap Talisman?" one asked.
"That's right. I've seen Quincy Shen use it. Is that his trump card?" another replied.
"Terrifying. If he follows that up with a lightning technique..."
Up on the platform, Erwin was too slow. The talismans closed in. Resigned, he stopped and waved his hands, sending fireballs to intercept them. The moment the fireballs touched the talismans, they ignited and vanished. Erwin frowned. Was it really that easy?
Then, he felt a strange sensation, something touching him—unmistakable but ill-defined.
Quincy Shen began forming hand seals. "Lightning Technique! Strike!"
Erwin's eyes widened. He knew this technique well; he had used it himself. But this specific variation was one he hadn't mastered because it was usually too easy to dodge. As dark clouds gathered overhead, Erwin started to run, quickly leaving the cloud's range. He prepared to cast a counter-technique when a sudden sense of foreboding washed over him. He instinctively jumped aside.
A bolt of lightning struck the spot where he had just stood. If he hadn't moved, he would have been hit.
Erwin was stunned. Why did that lightning curve? Why didn't his own technique do that? Was the magic Sunny gave him incomplete?
He was utterly speechless. But he remembered Sunny's demeanor; she didn't seem the type to set him up. The problem likely wasn't the magic itself.
Then he thought back to the three talismans and that strange aura. Could the talismans be the key?
Lightning gathered again above the clouds. Erwin didn't waste time, sprinting across the platform. Down the mountain, confused first-years watched.
"Why does Shen's lightning curve?" one asked.
A knowledgeable senior scoffed. "It's the talisman. You all learned the Thunderclap Talisman, right? It has no offensive power on its own. Think of it as a lightning rod. Quincy Shen had a sudden inspiration and combined the rod with the lightning technique. The rod attracts the bolt to wherever it lies."
"Wait, that actually works?" another student groaned. "I thought it was useless since we don't deal with lightning-fearing creatures anymore. I never bothered learning it!"
"I'm studying that talisman starting today!" a first-year declared.
The senior raised an eyebrow. "Fine, but can you cast the lightning technique? It's one of the hardest techniques to master. And besides, Quincy Shen's true genius isn't just the rod tactic. Kunlun has had others try that. His real strength is..."
The senior paused, looking up at the platform.
"...He is the first person in history to cast multiple lightning techniques simultaneously."