Evening.
Roy's vision blurred once more, and when the surrounding space stabilized, he found himself back in the abandoned building deep within the redevelopment zone.
His black clothes were now tattered and torn, with only the mask on his face remaining intact.
"Take them off."
Fan Xinglou, who had followed him to the abandoned building, pointed at his black attire and mask.
"Even in this state, you still want them back?"
Roy muttered under his breath as he removed the black clothes, retrieving his own outfit from the imaginary pocket and putting it on. Then, he took off the mask—it was truly impressive, perfectly covering even his glasses.
After returning the clothes, mask, and school emblem to Fan Xinglou, she handed his Crimson Lotus emblem back to him.
"How was today's sparring?"
"Learned a lot!"
Roy pondered for a moment before answering earnestly.
Wu Xiaofei's strength was formidable. Though not on Fan Xinglou's level, he was undoubtedly a match for Roy.
Comparing them directly, their Genestellar power values were roughly on par. Roy's physical stamina far surpassed Wu Xiaofei's, but Wu Xiaofei's unarmed combat skills completely outclassed Roy's.
It had to be said—Fan Xinglou's judgment was as sharp as ever. Roy's current strength truly was on par with Wu Xiaofei's.
Of course, this was only in unarmed combat.
Roy's unarmed combat skills were a major weakness, but his swordsmanship was decent. Thanks to Souji's complete training memories and frequent sparring sessions with Toudou Kirin, he had largely mastered Souji's sword techniques.
If he fought Wu Xiaofei using his swordplay, he would likely gain the upper hand.
And if he pulled out the Sword of the Black Furnace, defeating Wu Xiaofei wouldn't even be a problem.
However, he had sought Fan Xinglou's guidance to grow stronger, not to kill. The Sword of the Black Furnace couldn't be used—one slash would leave a corpse in its wake. As for swordsmanship, Fan Xinglou forbade him from using it, fearing that someone might recognize his techniques and connect them to his identity. Thus, Roy was limited to unarmed combat while at Jie Long.
"Your strengths are obvious—your perception and reflexes. These innate talents far surpass those of ordinary Genestellars. Given time, once you refine your techniques to perfection, surpassing Xiaofei will be effortless. Reaching my level in the future is practically guaranteed."
Fan Xinglou summarized Roy's progress, looking at him with eyes full of satisfaction and admiration—as if gazing upon a flawless gem about to emerge from her hands.
In her era, with Roy's talent, even ascending to immortality or founding a legacy would have been within his reach.
After a moment's thought, she continued.
"Are you aware of a swordsmanship realm in Japan called 'Perception'?"
"What is that?"
"It's a technique that amplifies perception to encompass the surrounding space..."
Fan Xinglou explained to Roy.
This was a technique from the Amagiri Shinmeiryuu school of Japanese swordsmanship—a realm attainable only after mastering the art to its profoundest depths.
Conventional swordsmanship—uniformly referred to as "kenjutsu" in Japan—requires attention to an opponent's breathing rhythm and subtle movements during combat, using these cues to anticipate and counter their actions.
But upon reaching the Okuden level, where one can extend their perception to the surrounding space, they enter a state known as "Perception." Even the slightest attack, as fine as a strand of hair, can be detected, and strikes from behind can be effortlessly defended against.
In other words, once this level is attained, sneak attacks become ineffective against them.
Roy pondered this thoughtfully—this state sounded somewhat similar to the "Mind's Eye" in the Nasuverse, both akin to unlocking a 360-degree perspective, achievable through dedicated training.
"Your perception is exceptional. Even without cultivating the Amagiri Shinmeiryuu, you might reach this level through sheer talent alone. Starting tomorrow, you can try it out in combat. I'll teach you how."
Fan Xinglou's expression turned earnest, the look of a proper instructor rather than a battle maniac, evoking an involuntary sense of respect.
"You even understand another school's Okuden level?"
"Ha! Don't underestimate me! I've crossed blades far more times in these thousand years than you can imagine!"
Fan Xinglou lifted her chin, wearing a smug grin.
Fair enough.
This woman was a battle fanatic. Having lived for over a millennium, she had undoubtedly encountered countless schools that emerged during that time. Even if she hadn't practiced them, she would grasp their principles.
Take the previous "Art of Empty Tides Technique"—she couldn't perform it, but that didn't stop her from knowing its secrets.
"And your footwork—though negligible in my eyes—is still somewhat commendable."
Fan Xinglou's gaze lingered on Roy, as if reassessing him.
"What's your footwork called?"
"Shukuchi."
Roy shrugged. This, too, was part of Okita's memories—a technique he had already mastered, though never used in competition.
"Of course, it's nothing compared to yours."
"Fool! How dare you compare that trash to my footwork!"
Fan Xinglou snapped, her face flushed with indignation as if personally insulted.
Her footwork was the real deal—spanning vast distances in a single step, as if traversing the horizon. Okita's Shukuchi, on the other hand, merely deceived the opponent's vision. While it was peak human technique, to an immortal being like Fan Xinglou, it was no different from street-sweeping skills.
"Still, if you know this technique, you might as well try learning my footwork!"
"You'd teach me?"
Roy stared at Fan Xinglou in disbelief, taken aback by her casual offer. Suspicion crept into his voice.
"You're that generous?"
"Of course there's a condition!"
Fan Xinglou snorted impatiently.
"In the future, once you've grown stronger, you must fight me with everything you've got!"
"That's it?"
"That's it."
She nodded briskly, her youthful face tinged with wistfulness.
"I've lived so long that nothing in this world holds meaning for me anymore. My only joy is battle—especially evenly matched ones. Sadly, there are barely any left who can give me a satisfying fight."
A thousand years was enough to erode anyone's spirit, reducing all things to fleeting clouds.
Roy hadn't lived long enough to understand Fan Xinglou's feelings.
But this condition was a no-lose situation for him.
"Deal, I accept!"
Since there was absolutely no downside, Roy readily agreed.
However, if Fan Xinglou cared so much about equally matched opponents, could he use this as bait? If he told her the Type-Moon world had numerous powerful fighters, might he lure her into his own world?
"Now, let me give you one final piece of advice!"
As she spoke, Fan Xinglou's gaze gradually turned icy again.
"You have a fatal flaw—a massive stumbling block on your path. A minor misstep could leave you battered and bruised, but if left unaddressed, it'll lead to catastrophic consequences!"
Roy's heart clenched at her words.
"...What is it?"
"Your personality!"
Fan Xinglou pointed coldly at his eyes—or rather, his glasses.
"You use those glasses to control the dual aspects of your personality, but you've gone too deep. This is dangerous!"
"What do you mean?"
"Let me spell it out—it's about agency!"
Fan Xinglou's piercing stare locked onto Roy.
"Right now, are you controlling your personality, or are your glasses controlling you?"
***
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