It's so painful! So hard! So difficult!

Seeing Bai Lin's body hit the ground heavily, He was startled at first, then quickly urged the deep purple energy to wrap around Bai Lin, saving her gradually fading life. She was shocked, amazed that Bai Lin had suddenly realized the truth in such a situation, but was defeated so quickly, which made her, as Bai Lin's opponent... feel a little regretful.

Even Huan Gui, who was covering Miyu's eyes, seemed momentarily dazed. It was obvious that someone who had just figured out how to get started couldn't possibly withstand something like the last boss. Both of them had simply lost their common sense due to Bai Lin's excessive talent.

As time passed, Bai Linna rose from her blood. She first looked at her still healthy limbs, then put away her sword and shield, looked at He and said,

"You... it's really hard to believe that you didn't hold back during the long weapon fight."

"Why are you still fussing over this? Long or short, I can't turn my sword into a dragon so easily when I'm using my spear. And if you use your spear against my sword, I'm afraid I won't be able to get close to you and will have to let you hit me. Of course, you won't be able to gain enlightenment in that case."

At this point, He paused, and changed from praising Bai Lin to a relatively fair evaluation.

"However, in terms of martial arts skills... you are indeed lacking. To be honest, my swordsmanship seems to have originated from humans. Although it is not the most advanced martial arts and does not allow me to achieve all-round perfection, it is enough for me to transform it into one of my sharpest claws after practicing."

"If you had tried to find a race skilled in sword and shield and learned even a little bit of that, I'm afraid after your recent epiphany, you might have been able to launch a counterattack against me. Skills are always a crucial element in combat, and no matter how formidable your combat acumen is, it can't change that fact."

Listening to He's reasonable explanation, Bai Lin closed his eyes and shook his head repeatedly, waving his hands quickly, and replied,

"I don't care. Let's not talk too much for now. I think there's a problem. I have to play two more games."

Seeing Bai Lin's confused expression, He's face showed a bit of difficulty, but when she heard Bai Lin's words, she immediately laughed out loud, swung the sword behind her, and said,

"That's exactly what I want. I'll play as many games as you want. Tell me, how do we compete?"

Facing He, who was laughing heartily and holding up his sleeves, Bai Lin placed her hands gently behind her for a moment. Then, two mirror blades, one long, one short, one bright, one dark, appeared in her palms. She slowly crossed the swords behind her neck, gazing into the distance for a moment with tenderness and a hint of nostalgia. Then, she spread her hands again, and the cloak that had been obscuring her face instantly enveloped Bai Lin's body.

Bai Lin's body was once again shrouded in mist, like a wandering soul, yet possessing a depth that could not be seen through. He said with interest,

"A cloak... and a dagger? What a nice combination. But I must warn you in advance: any magic that comes into contact with my blade will be cut."

Chapter 510 The Man Who Challenged Tianhe

Bai Lin, who had disappeared into the shadows and was now a blur, politely responded to this good advice.

"Yeah, but this...may not be magic, so you should be careful."

Each side offered a practical suggestion that could easily lead to the other's immediate defeat due to information disparity. He nodded slightly at Bai Lin's words, then stomped his hand on the ground with an ambiguous gesture.

Suddenly, the earth-shaking sensation of her stomping spread to the people around her. Logically, on such expensive and durable flooring, such a situation wouldn't occur simply because of He's stomping. Soon, Bai Lin saw a clue through his own eyes.

Deep underground, a vast stream of magical energy surged upwards from the rock formations at breakneck speed, like a wave breaking through the wind, towards the surface. Within that tumultuous sound, there was absolute composure. No matter how hard the rock was, the magical energy remained unwavering, moving solely towards its destination. It shattered the rock as effortlessly as a person strolling across the earth.

Soon, the full extent of the magical flow emerged. A massive sword, seemingly wider than a human body, charged directly at Yu He's side. The inky black sword, with its extremely rugged, rock-like shell, shone with an extremely lustrous light.

When Crane grasped the thick hilt of the sword, the sky seemed to instantly press down upon the people on the ground. Or perhaps it was as if the hilt of the sword had become a handle, and Crane used this handle to lift the ground slightly upwards towards the sky.

She casually lifted the giant sword, which was one and a half meters long, from the ground with one hand, and calmly carried it on her shoulder.

The overall streamlined blade looks quite elegant, with the style of a sword, and the rough surface doesn't make it look inferior. Overall, it still looks like a sword. But just by looking at it, you can feel the heavy blade surface, how heavy it is. Forget about cutting people, this sword could probably crush them with just a touch.

Yet, such an incredibly heavy, oversized, massive sword was effortlessly lifted single-handed by a young girl. The delicate white hand and the dark sword seemed so incongruous, yet, given the calm and graceful demeanor emanating from Crane, it seemed perfectly appropriate. Her long, tangled hair flowed like her loose white robe, but no matter how the wind blew, she remained as unmoved as the sword in her hand.

"This... this is it. I haven't seen Miss Crane use this sword for a long time!"

Huan Gui, who had reacted to the earthquake-like tremor, shouted with great excitement.

Outside a certain country in an alien world, there's a natural barrier that divides the country's borders. It's a mountain range stretching tens of thousands of kilometers, known simply as "Tianhe."

Every part of the mountain range soared into the sky, reaching tens of thousands of meters above the ground. People standing on the ground, looking up, could only see the mountain blending into the sky, but could not see its peak. And within this mountain range, there was only a natural gap for people to pass through.

Some say this spectacle, worthy of being called a wonder, is a divine commandment. The gods have removed this barrier of isolation, using the overwhelming force of absolute despair to force people to use only those designated passages. This is a form of discipline. Even with today's advanced civilization, many still hold this tangible wonder in the same reverence they hold for a god.

Isolating the magical energy, even flying species approaching would be crushed downward by an invisible repulsive force, a force that no living being could resist. This was absolute despair, this was the abyss of heaven.

But since the peak existed, there were naturally people who would challenge and climb it. Among them, the most widely known was that of an unknown man.

Some said the man was dull and silent, not good at speaking, and rarely interacted with anyone. Aside from his muscular build, he was the type to blend into a crowd and be unnoticed. But one day, in vain, he left his ordinary life behind and reached that peak.

When he first extended his hand toward the rock face, those who knew him, out of kindness, tried to persuade this somewhat unfamiliar and taciturn man. But from the beginning, he seemed to have no intention of responding. Amidst the crowd's words, he continued to leave his mark on the mountain, and continued to fall from higher and higher heights.

Gradually, the kind words of persuasion turned to scorn. People mocked him, calling him a fool. Some even speculated that his silence might indicate a mental illness, prompting him to scale the chasm. But regardless of their comments, the man's hand gradually reached toward the sky, ever closer to the unreachable beyond. Storms, rainstorms, and blazing sun—the only thing that could stop him was the limits of his own abilities.

His body gradually changed with each climb, and his scarred body gradually became more powerful. Those scars recorded the years he had experienced and also made him more calm in this endless hard training.

From some unknown day on, people gradually stopped seeing him. From that moment on, fewer people mocked him, and everyone understood that the next time he appeared before them, it might be the moment of his death. Everyone understood that the chasm was insurmountable, let alone climbable.

Finally, one day, a blast like a falling meteorite swept through certain settlements beneath the mountains. At last, at the epicenter of the disaster, people saw the man's body.

The man's body wasn't scattered everywhere as imagined. Instead, he was a single, solid mass, like a rock wall, a sculpture of stone. Standing on the ground, he raised one hand in front of him. His mottled body had become as resolute as it was now, and would never waver again.

In his stiff hand was a bundle of soft, dark-colored vegetation, resembling weeds. People also saw a rarely seen, deeply satisfied smile on the man's face, and a look of bold yet gentle affection, as if he had returned home to see his wife and children after years of battle.

Chapter 511: Red Shadow Solitary Plain

People don't quite understand the man's reason for challenging the Tianhe River. Some say he wanted to achieve great things, to escape his ordinary life and choose a heroic end. Others say the plant he held was picked for the woman he loved.

But no matter what his initial reason was, or what his ultimate purpose was, the man, with his mortal body, challenged the commandments set by the gods. He never regretted it, forever climbing in his own unique way, fighting to reach the top of the world.

This great sword is made from the rock wall of the Tianhe River, symbolizing the most solid and unyielding spirit, carrying the heaviest and most difficult process, and issuing a roar of challenge that would make even the gods tremble. With this image, this great sword is also called

天壑

At this moment, Bai Lin, standing opposite the sword, did not know this story, but she could see the mottled marks through her own eyes, and from them she could feel the polishing that the giant sword had received, and savor the passage of time. If she had heard this story, she would probably have said with deep emotion,

"It really is... a tragic ending that is so regrettable."

Regardless, after countless efforts, the man achieved his goal, but also sacrificed his life. Although he felt no regrets and even left this world content, he eventually burned out and returned to dust.

Bai Lin looked at the blade in his hand, and for a moment, he was deeply moved. Death, heavier than Mount Tai, also left a deep scar in the hearts of the living, until they too reached that threshold. This world is not made up of fairy tales where hard work can lead to success. Everyone knows this, but even great tragedies are still tragedies.

She exhaled, then slowly turned her body slightly to the side, placing one hand near her side, the tip of the knife pointed diagonally at the opponent's face. The other hand was clasped tightly behind her waist, holding the blade in an inverted grip.

Dual blades are a unique type of one-handed weapon. Compared to two-handed weapons, their strength isn't their agility or speed, but their range. When weapons are of similar length, a one-handed weapon can gain an advantage over two-handed weapons by standing sideways, extending their reach and extending the blade further from the body.

Dual blades, however, don't normally have this stance. This would make using the other blade less convenient. Therefore, dual blades only have a similar attack range to two-handed weapons, with a speed disadvantage. However, due to their numerical advantage, they possess a unique "explosive power."

In a head-on confrontation, dual blades are at a disadvantage, so dual blade techniques aren't meant to complement head-on combat. Explosive power, confusion and disruption, control, tactical shifts... these are the core elements of dual blade techniques.

Bai Lin's current stance was more like that of a one-handed sword, with the long sword facing forward, rather than a dual-blade stance. However, the blades were still hidden under the cloak, making them unclear. This made He wonder, what was the point of dual-blades if they were to be used as one-handed swords?

He wasn't the type to stand still and find herself in distress, nor did she share Bai Lin's deep emotions. She simply revered the history of her sword, and so, she would unleash the full power of this sword, dedicated to the memory of a man. She cast aside her thoughts and simply stepped forward. Her other hand instantly grasped the hilt of her sword and swung it at Bai Lin.

Being as steady as a mountain would make people feel an insurmountable awe, but if a mountain were to move and crash down on you, there would only be an overwhelming sense of fear. Before the sword even arrived, the earth-shaking pressure had already been completely pressed down on Bai Lin. And Bai Lin also gradually moved his body and attacked with his blade.

Red Shadow Solitary Original Body Position·Start·Narrow Shadow Appears

Facing this mountain-like pressure, Bai Lin showed no sign of retreat. Instead, she strode forward with steady steps. With a powerful thrust of her hand, a corner of her cloak was instantly lifted, revealing the gleaming white short blade's deadly edge. With a perfect curve like a crescent moon, it slashed diagonally from above, heading straight for He's neck.

The short blade was about fifty centimeters long, while the greatsword was over a meter and a half long. However, Bai Lin closed the gap with a fearless step, and He had clearly not anticipated Bai Lin's advance. She realized that the short blade in Bai Lin's hand was lighter and would strike her a step faster than the greatsword, and a strong sense of danger prompted her to switch to defense. The immense force that had already escaped was abruptly stopped. The restless mountain wall instantly transformed into a protective guardian, sitting in front of He, blocking Bai Lin's attack path.

Unexpectedly, Bai Lin's slash also retracted, the sword light grazing across the blade, creating bursts of sparks, but it slashed downwards at an even faster speed. Half of her body had already fallen to the side where the short blade pointed, and Bai Lin's back hand flew out quickly, stabbing He in the face.

From the outset, the single-handed advance was a deception. Bai Lin had already arranged the longer blade for its current purpose. However, He didn't show any surprise. She placed one hand on Tianhe's sword and steadily twisted it, resisting Bai Lin's attack.

It was a nice trick, but without her center of gravity and muscle control, it probably wouldn't be easy to pull off. Unfortunately, the intention was too obvious.

Bai Lin's entire body strength was concentrated on her bent front calf, like a spring accumulating all her strength. When the long blade collided with He's sword, a shockwave resounded immediately, but He, who was struck, also clearly felt that this blow was not a full-strength one.

Bai Lin's attempt to change her tactics was immediately exposed. He thrust his sword squarely, sweeping away Bai Lin's long blade and pressing directly against her body. As Bai Lin's body gradually lowered towards the direction of imbalance, He also gathered his strength and prepared his next move.

The two-handed greatsword isn't actually a particularly cumbersome weapon. On the contrary, because it's used with both hands, it not only has a fast attack speed but also a wide variety of moves. A skilled two-handed swordsman can unleash waves of unstoppable blows.

Chapter 512: The dark night finally dawns

In the hands of a master like He, the two-handed sword, Tianhe, clearly possessed extreme dexterity and pressure. Seeing it difficult to strike Bai Lin with a forward thrust, she dove downward, twisting her entire body and launching a circular slash like a bold stroke of thick ink. The force, ready to sweep across the enemy, carried the aura to crush every living thing on earth, sealing off any space on the ground.

Judging from her previous performance, Bai Lin, who used the ground as an axis to adjust her posture, could use a truly endless number of moves. However, this swift sweep completely blocked Bai Lin's room for change. In He's eyes, it seemed like she had already been hit.

However, the feeling of hitting the target did not appear in He's hands. At some point, Bai Lin had silently hung in the sky, the blades in his hands slightly tilted, facing the He below.

Bai Lin's extreme balance and myriad martial arts skills made her intentions difficult to fathom. As her hand, gripping the short blade, touched the ground, Bai Lin had already exerted the force exerted on her calves, launching herself high into the air and perfectly avoiding the sweep of the greatsword.

And now, because of the confrontation between the long blade and the giant sword Tianhe, the short blade in Bai Lin's hand is already covered with ink-colored patterns of the same material, and the fierce momentum has been released without reservation.

The night extends the body, the sword continues, and the long night falls

Bai Lin descended swiftly, both blades slashing simultaneously. He Ping raised her hand and stepped back, barely blocking the blow. Her sword seemed to have been struck by the impact, causing her to freeze for a moment. Bai Lin, lightly tapping his toes, had already reached her side. The wielder of the twin blades stood upright on his front foot, supporting his entire body. He lightly tapped his back foot, ready to strike, the two blades meeting behind his neck, poised to follow up with a fierce attack.

Huashuiyue Body Style·Continued Sword·Hundred Flowers in Disarray

Like petals of bright red rising from a sea of ​​flowers, an overwhelming amount of swords and sabers simultaneously attacked He. He quickly turned to block the attacks, but he was still unable to block them, and suffered several deep wounds.

If she just blindly defended herself from a disadvantageous position, she would have no chance of winning. He thought so clearly. Seeing that Bai Lin was no longer in her sight, she lowered her body, gathered her lower body, and swung her sword horizontally again, slashing behind her.

If she were to wield the dual blades, she would inevitably be hiding in blind spots within their attack range, ready to launch subsequent attacks. She was already injured, and if she didn't fight quickly, she might lose her combat effectiveness due to excessive blood loss, making victory difficult.

When He's body just turned with the sword's rotation, Bai Lin's figure just happened to pass by the point where the sword's force was drawn. Her hand, holding the hilt of her own sword in reverse, pointed at the sword blade that was facing the ground and exerted force.

Push hand

Pushing hands, as the name suggests, is the hand that generates thrust. Holding the short blade imbued with the properties of the Heavenly Heap, Bai Lin was able to exert enough force to shake the giant sword. Suddenly, the Heavenly Heap shook like a sailboat on the waves, and He was temporarily unable to move it. Taking advantage of this gap in the attack, Bai Lin's other hand, the long blade, had already made a sound of breaking through the air, and struck He's neck.

At this moment, He decisively clenched her teeth and released the hand that was using Tianhe. Suddenly, the sound of the blade entering flesh and blood splattering could be heard. He raised her elbow to block the long blade in Bai Lin's hand. The white edge cut a shallow bloody wound on He's neck, but it could not go any further.

He's body's hardness couldn't be simply described as steel. Holding Tianhe in her hand, she had strengthened her own bones to a similar hardness. Under her delicate control, the two shattered elbow bones were clamped together, preventing Bai Lin's attack from advancing even a single step.

But in this way, she could only wield the giant sword with one hand. This very cruel choice saved her life, but it also seemed to make the outcome of failure even more likely.

Bai Lin drew his long blade without hesitation, and before He could swing his sword with his remaining hand, he shifted his form again. He wielded the greatsword in one hand, thrusting and slashing. He caught glimpses of the cloak in every corner of his vision, but he could never quite capture Bai Lin's presence. It was as if He wasn't just surrounded by a single shadow, but by countless shadows, trapping the hunters.

The clashing blades emitted a humming sound, their long, glistening white blades gradually stained a pitch-black hue. He spun around abruptly, finally getting a clear look at Bai Lin standing there. He had his hands at his waist, his entire figure lowered, veiled in his cloak, a completely unpredictable presence. Only his deadly eyes, brimming with murderous intent, shone from beneath the cloak.

He didn't hesitate. With a single breath, he swung his greatsword, striking it directly in front of him. Though she couldn't fully utilize the advantages of a two-handed sword without a hand, if she didn't attack, she would be defeated. Bai Lin's figure seemed to shatter into a thousand shadows under this blow, and He's hand still had no sense of hitting its target.

Moon Ladder Pose·Final Pose·Dark Night to Dawn

The inky black blades, punctuated by the alarm bells ringing in He's mind, lashed out from two blind spots. The two weapons slipped from his hands in an instant, vanishing like the men who wielded them. Four wounds instantly opened, severing He's waist, while the two strikes to the back of his neck were parried with unwavering strength.

The warrior holding the giant sword, still holding his breath, knelt on the ground, holding the sword with one hand, and said,

"I lose... In terms of technique, your twin swords are completely different from your other weapons."

"...This is a sword technique passed down by an old friend, and I do treasure it. However, your failure wasn't solely due to this. If you hadn't been so eager to attack from the beginning, I wouldn't have been able to reach you and attack you so easily. Unlike your sword, your fighting style is quite impetuous."

Listening to Bai Lin's criticism, He smiled bitterly without any dissatisfaction, "Ah, this is probably why although I like heavy weapons, I am not good at them."

Chapter 513: Trial Match

"Not really, just a little problem. In an unprotected sparring match like ours, a single mistake could cost you your life. You made such a fatal error in decision-making, yet you've managed to hold on until now. If this were a real fight, I'm afraid it wouldn't be that easy for me to kill you now."

Bai Lin's words sounded like she was giving He enough respect, but in reality, she didn't think her words were any kind of consideration for him. She was simply stating a fact. Her cloak faded, her two swords drifting into the air. She casually stretched her muscles, waiting for He to recover.

"Go ahead and criticize me, I've already lost this round anyway."

He listened to Bai Lin's rather pertinent and calm words, but she was not very happy. She also pushed forward the sword and pressed the sword of Tianhe that had been brought out of the soil back. As the purple air returned, she patted the dust off her body, and then walked to the weapon rack again.

"Rin, what are we competing for this time? I'd like to show off my two-handed sword skills. Are you as skilled with other weapons as you are with your two swords? It would be most fun to fight you like this."

"...I don't have that much time to learn so much. It's better for you to just take what you see. I'll see what the situation is."

Bai Lin hadn't learned much about the dual-sword technique Fei'er had taught her, a technique that only appeared in other worlds and wasn't something ordinary people could wield. If anything, she had done some research on her own when using the nodachi and spear, but it wasn't a systematic process.

Against most enemies, this technique is just the icing on the cake. After all, not many opponents will engage in a cold war with you. Even the wild boars in the forest know a few spells. Compared with technology, the most valuable experience is more important.

During previous adventures, before actual combat, Bai Lin had always learned from her teammates, memorizing information and details about monsters. Times had changed, and although she had accumulated a certain amount of common sense about other worlds, no one had given her this information anymore.

"Well, this is it! You probably haven't seen it before, it's called a katana. Although I haven't seen Aragami-sama use it much, she said she used to use it. I learned this sword technique directly from her."

He's sudden, somewhat cheerful tone interrupted Bai Lin's thoughts. He took down a sword from the shelf nearby. The sheath was black, suppressing the sharpness of the entire blade. It looked like a long sword.

Bai Lin couldn't discern the curvature of the blade through the scabbard, but the length of the scabbard, the style of the handle, and the seemingly meticulously carved hilt—everything felt incredibly familiar to Bai Lin. This was undoubtedly a standard katana. Even Bai Lin felt... this was a high-end product, the kind that couldn't be made without the exquisite craftsmanship of Sakura.

Although both are Eastern swords, Chihong and Sakura have some subtle cultural differences. Chihong primarily advocates the principle that "a good man deserves a good sword, and a good man is still a good man even without a good sword." This means that a brave man can slay a dragon even without his sword. While the sword is important, the person is more important. Sakura, on the other hand, advocates the equality of the sword and the person, often depicting a swordsman who loses his sword as if he has lost his soul.

Besides, while Qianhong also pays great attention to the sheath, she prefers to "use the person as the sheath." The sheath of a sword is only used to protect the weapon, while the strength and character of the person who possesses it are the key to concealing the sharpness of a good sword. Sakura, on the other hand, believes that a good sheath can only suppress the exposed edge of a sharp blade.

As for why she suddenly said this, it was because Bai Lin had noticed something in He's scabbard. The scabbard was matte black and, at first glance, quite ordinary. But Bai Lin had known countless swords, had learned a bit of blacksmithing, and her divine sense of discernment was enhanced. Just by looking at the scabbard, she could sense the perfect temperature, the hundreds of steps involved, and the materials precisely controlled for their softness.

The scabbard was so delicate and well made that Bai Lin was a little bit unconvinced that it wasn't made by Sakura.

Hearing He's boastful tone, Bai Lin's expression was truly rich. For a moment, Bai Lin didn't even know where to start complaining. He, who had been feeling a momentary loss because of his failure a second ago, was now holding a human-made weapon and showing off to Bai Lin, saying "You've never seen this before!"

After coughing twice, Bai Lin took out his sword and shield from his waist, and with a light and skillful sweep, the surging flames instantly formed a long red blade, which appeared directly in front of He. Bai Lin said,

"Although I haven't learned any techniques with this katana, I have used it for quite a while."

He rubbed his eyes in disbelief and replied,

"You really are... an incredible elf. But since you can do it, it's easy to talk about it. Let's have a three-match showdown."

He's tone fluctuated greatly between the first and second half of the sentence, just like a man who gets excited when he sees a beautiful woman. Once she sees what excites her about her opponent, she will put aside all doubts. Bai Lin can intuitively feel that the other party is very thick-skinned.

The Sanban Duel is a Sakura-style wild-style swordsmanship competition. Simply put, in a Sanban Duel, the first competitor to defeat two opponents, or to kill another opponent, is considered the winner.

The first item is Iai. Both sides maintain a specified distance. The one who draws the sword first and hits the enemy wins. It is very simple and easy to understand.

The second part is called the Three-inch Clash. Both fighters place their swords together three inches apart, counting silently to three before engaging. Whoever retreats first or is hit loses.

As for the third item, it is as simple and easy to understand as the first two. It is called segmented attack. Both sides take a stance. After each three sword exchanges, they must retreat and switch to the next stance. This cycle repeats until one side wins.