Eldritch Horror Theatre

If researchers could resonate with one another, why couldn’t swordsmen?

Even though he had mastered sword intent for barely half a day, as mentioned before, Fu Qian had never liked treating it as just a reskinned Transcendent Tier ability.

Rather, it was a genuine crystallization of power and intellect.

Because he always held this understanding, he didn’t make the vulgar mistake of interpreting the glance A Fei had just cast him as a bloodthirsty glare.

On the contrary, it carried the sheer resolve of a man feeding his own body to his sword, seeking only to cleave through their desperate situation with a single strike.

As for why Fu Qian had thought to use the Calamity Curse to help point the way, that was merely the result of a process of elimination.

First, by conveying his resolve, A Fei was definitely asking for something.

Second, given his consistent style throughout this journey, it was highly unlikely he wanted Fu Qian to intervene directly.

Finally, the element in this deathmatch most closely related to Fu Qian was undoubtedly the Calamity Blessing attached to the sword.

Since that was the case, he might as well trust A Fei’s sharp instincts and provide a mark to serve as a guide.As for what fortune would follow, that would depend entirely on the man himself.

Crack—

As it turned out, that fortune was truly astonishing.

Locking onto the Lord of Intellect and plunging from the sky once again, A Fei naturally encountered another obstacle.

Although the target looked somewhat surprised, he still summoned his defensive barrier with a casual raise of his hand.

However, the Greatsword’s even more bizarre swing achieved a staggering result this time.

The same barrier that had previously stopped A Fei and his sword dead in their tracks shattered on contact.

As for that strange snapping sound, it came from the Sword-Staff in the Lord of Intellect’s hand.

Without even coming into direct contact, the seemingly extraordinary weapon had been cleaved clean in two.

...

’I see. Is this the highest realm of ”great skill requires no artifice”?’

Witnessing the increasingly intense battle, Fu Qian was not particularly surprised by A Fei’s results. Rather, he was busy evaluating the True Intent of the Sword Dao reflected in that strike.

Generally speaking, such massive weapons truly emphasized returning to simplicity and true nature; they were never known for flashy techniques.

But as for what ”great skill requires no artifice” actually entailed, it normally meant nothing more than using the simplest movements to achieve the most direct results.

However, today, Brother A Fei seemed to demonstrate an entirely different, higher realm—letting the sword chop exactly how it wanted to, without its wielder interjecting their own opinion.

Specifically with that last strike, the overall movement had been incredibly bizarre. It was obviously the body exerting the force, but visually, it looked as if the sword were dragging the person along.

The final result was extremely gratifying. The opponent’s weapon had been cleaved apart directly, taking things a step further than before.

Of course, respecting objective facts, achieving such progress might have been related to will and determination, but the most direct cause was still ”divinity.”

With that astonishing leap just now, certain qualities were no longer reflected merely in his attacks.

Having reached the unity of man and sword, Brother A Fei had unexpectedly achieved another Sublimation, wrapping himself in true divinity.

One could only say that, on one hand, this was a reward for his courage, and on the other, it once again demonstrated the sheer unreasonableness of the Cultivation System.

In short, the Lord of Intellect’s invisible barrier had just taken a frenzied strike from a Mythical Creature.

Squelch—

Now, it was a second frenzied strike.

The benefits of abandoning thought truly showed themselves. While the Lord of Intellect was still staring blankly at the weapon in his hands, A Fei was already charging in for the kill again.

Driven by berserk strength, the broad sword blade—still stained with A Fei’s own blood—pierced directly through the robe that symbolized the pursuit of knowledge, tearing apart every obstacle in its path.

Bang—

The amplified damage and the Calamity Blessing even triggered a chemical reaction comparable to when golden wind and jade dew meet; the very next moment, the pierced body blasted entirely apart.

...

’Although the price is steep, the results are fantastic.’

Seeing their opponent shattered to pieces by a single sword strike, Fu Qian didn’t hold back his praise for Brother A Fei’s magnificent feat.

Admittedly, the core effect likely still stemmed from the Tyrant’s destructive output.

But when it came down to it, this window for destruction had been carved out by a man fighting with everything he had.

Let’s not forget that Fu Qian’s initial role here was just as an armory; wasn’t providing the power to kill exactly what he was supposed to do?

In short, Hunter A Fei had rendered outstanding service—although it still wasn’t quite enough.

”A fine kill!”

From the messy impact crater, a voice of praise suddenly rang out from the void. It was the familiar voice of the Lord of Intellect.

”I told you I’ve already found the answer. Why won’t you believe me?”

Not only that, but bones, flesh, and even hair rapidly condensed and recombined in midair.

Observing the entire process, Fu Qian saw this pioneer’s true face for the very first time.

He had to admit it was quite distinctive: a pale face with even whiter hair, though overall the man didn’t look very old.

His somewhat narrow eyes betrayed a gloomy, piercing gaze.

In short, it was as if his entire destruction had been put in reverse. In the blink of an eye, the Lord of Intellect was back from the dead, and he had incidentally provided a perfect demonstration of why water was called the source of life.

Because all of this had spawned from droplets of liquid manifesting out of thin air—the exact same kind of liquid that had been inside his Sword-Staff.

The only limitation was that it seemingly couldn’t work on inanimate objects.

His originally neat robes hadn’t been restored at all, leaving him standing there stark naked.

Clang—

Fortunately, not only was the man perfectly composed and clearly unbothered by this, but his unarmored defense actually seemed stronger than when he had been wearing robes.

Even before the Lord of Intellect was fully restored, A Fei had already launched another assault.

The result was that the target didn’t even have to move a muscle; a barrier automatically materialized and blocked the attack entirely.

”Yes, I know that for the mediocre, the hardest thing of all is sharing their thoughts...”

The attack hadn’t been completely ineffective, however. At the very least, it provoked a taunt.

”Giving you such a gift was my miscalculation. You haven’t even mastered the First Step yet.”

Ignoring A Fei’s attacks, the Lord of Intellect looked up, staring at the net still flashing above.

Delivering this further disparagement, he extended a single finger and tapped his own head.

”It’s actually quite simple. You must learn to be accommodating.”

Before his words even faded, his skull began to rapidly expand. In the blink of an eye, it morphed into the bizarre shape of the hat he had worn earlier, and it was still growing.

Riiiip—

Until, at a certain point, it bloomed outward like a flower.

”Come.”

The Lord of Intellect waved his hand toward the sky.

As if answering a summons, the cluster of ”stars” ceased flashing at that moment. They released the tentacles linking them together and truly came surging down.

...

’I suppose this is what they call rushing in with all your brains?’

Sitting in the spectator seat with the absolute best view, Fu Qian could see it with utmost clarity. He watched as the countless Brain Jellyfish swarmed down and poured directly into the Lord of Intellect’s open skull.

He had to admit, the sight really was quite ”accommodating.” Still, seeing a bunch of brains cramming themselves together... why did this scene look so familiar?

More specifically, familiar from that world he temporarily couldn’t return to.

Very naturally, Fu Qian remembered the illusion triggered by the ”Bronze Madam”—the place where he had found the Bronze Circlet.