Chapter 801: Revival

"An album for our youth...?" Nalan Mingxue blinked in a daze. "Alright, let's go prepare it now. We can let the boss evaluate it later and see what he thinks."

"Yeah!"

...

Meanwhile, outside the Jiuhua City branch, amidst the red-leafed forest, Fang Qi held an ancient, pine-patterned sword, his face bearing an unprecedented gravity.

Perhaps... as time flowed on, his original naivety and capriciousness were gradually washed away, replaced by a subtle nuance of maturity and composure that crept into his eyes.

The sunlight filtered through the dense foliage, scattering bits of lingering dusk across the ancient, unadorned blade, reflecting an enchanting gleam as the sword-light rippled.

The blade lifted, and an invisible vortex of energy attached itself to the steel; the entire weapon seemed to come alive, igniting with a soul-stirring, icy radiance.

Eighth tier—a cultivation that wasn't particularly high.

But it wasn't his own cultivation that he cared about.

For him, cultivation was merely a foundation now; yet it was glaringly obvious that if he relied purely on his own cultivation in the battles ahead, even practicing for another few millennia or tens of millennia would probably not suffice.

His blade traced a graceful and bizarre arc through the air, as if deliberately mimicking a specific trajectory of a sword strike.

One strike, another strike, and yet another...

From slow, to fast, to faster still.

Finally, at the moment his sword struck, a sudden, fleeting blur appeared, as though the silhouette of another person had superimposed over his own.

It was as if, at this exact moment of the strike, a state of perfect synchronization had been achieved!

The blade slashed across the giant boulder before him; in the next instant, the shadow that had merged with Fang Qi abruptly vanished once more.

And right at that moment, Fang Qi's expression shifted drastically.

A terrifying kinetic force far exceeding the eighth-tier cultivation, seemingly carrying the unbridled residual power of that sword strike, instantly propelled him forward like a stray cannonball!

Boom!

In a flash, he crashed through countless ancient trees before finally grinding to a halt.

"Cough, cough..." With a pale face, Fang Qi crawled out from the debris of fallen leaves and splintered wood. "Still no good..."

He wanted to synchronize in an instant with a master whose power far surpassed his own—even reaching the divine realm—and then immediately cancel it after striking, hoping to prolong the synchronization time this way. But evidently, a mere mortal wielding divine power was akin to a toddler swinging a massive sledgehammer that dwarfed them; it was difficult enough just to manage, let alone swing it with effortless precision.

How could it be easy?

...

Meanwhile, at the Sea of Myriad Immortals.

"Based on the information currently at hand, although this mortal possesses divine-level combat capabilities, he has never engaged in a prolonged battle." As an immortal who had lived for countless ages, True Monarch Bixiao possessed an insight far beyond that of mortals, analyzing, "Every time he strikes, he lets others make the first move, and then resolves the battle himself with the utmost speed."

"Does the True Monarch mean to say..." the old Taoist spoke up, "that this person is entirely incapable of sustained combat?"

"A mortal possessing the power of a god is inherently an anomaly," True Monarch Bixiao remarked. "The inability to sustain a long battle is a certainty."

"Furthermore, when I tested him previously, that divine general clearly had the opportunity to gain the upper hand, yet he still chose to retreat with him... which proves this point as well."

"It is evident that the god behind him also fears the Heavenly Courts, making it inconvenient to show their face. They only dare to employ a phantom projection, hence their aversion to a protracted fight."

"Indeed, given the circumstances at the time, it would truly be unworthwhile to expose the matter just to gain the upper hand," the old Taoist sighed. "However... if even we can deduce this, the Heavenly Courts have likely long since discovered it as well."

He frowned, holding his teacup and taking a sip. "Then even the sole source of hesitation is gone..."

"A mortal grasping the power of a god is, in itself, a cardinal sin..."

...

A drop of sweat dripped onto the blade, and he continued to swing his sword.

Relying solely on reaction time and control seemed no longer enough to cope; what he needed to do now was to make his body remember this sensation.

To make his physical body in reality memorize that feeling of perfectly executing every single move in the game, carving it deep into his bones.

And then...

Returning to the shop.

In "The Legend of Sword and Fairy 3", he continued his duel against Chonglou.

But the difference this time was that, aside from the single sword in his hand, he wore no equipment and used no items.

He was pushing himself to achieve absolute perfection.

...

Meanwhile, Nalan Hongwu, who was currently live-streaming, was controlling Master Yi: "...This Kha'Zix has a leap-and-burst combo, and... various techniques like the flying mantis. Fiora has something like the 'five vitals in one second' strike... I wonder if other heroes have advanced combat techniques as well?"

Unlike the novices, these veteran players had been nurtured by all sorts of high-level battles in the shop, and their combat skills were entirely beyond comparison with the rookies.

Even some semi-novice players possessed immense talent, constantly studying and absorbing these combat techniques.

As a high-win-rate player, even though the ranked system hadn't been unlocked yet, the opponents Nalan Hongwu encountered were basically those with relatively high win rates.

There were absolutely no weaklings.

At this moment, the opposing team had already pushed to the high-ground tower of the blue side, where Nalan Hongwu was stationed.

The enemy top laner was a Zed, controlled by a Saint-tier expert from the new branch in Canglan City.

Right now, both sides were gathered around the inner and outer perimeters of the high-ground tower.

Just then, from the shadows on the flank, a dark figure lunged into the high ground with abrupt ferocity. In the blink of an eye, a shuriken and a shadow slash were unleashed in tandem, insidiously appearing at the flank of Nalan Hongwu's ADC. The shuriken and shadow slash landed their slows, and immediately after, the shadow solidified into reality!

In that split second, everyone's reactions were incredibly swift; crowd control and attacks rained down upon this Zed like a deluge.

The support also stepped forward, intending to cast Exhaust the moment they were within range.

But simultaneously, accompanied by a low, sinister chuckle from Zed.

Forbidden Shadow! Death Mark! The figure that had just solidified instantly vanished into the shadows, miraculously and flawlessly dodging every single incoming attack.

The moment he reappeared.

The ADC flashed.

Zed followed up with a flash almost synchronously.

A basic attack triggered Contempt for the Weak, and then, swapping positions with his shadow, he retreated safely.

Taking the enemy general's head from amidst a vast army as easily as picking something from his own pocket—this sequence of mechanics was so dazzling and seamless that some viewers hadn't even processed what happened by the time it was finished!

Losing the ADC instantly plunged them into a massive disadvantage.

The rest of the teammates were completely tied down, falling into a losing battle.

"This game is lost..." The crowd watching Nalan Hongwu's live stream all subconsciously held their breath.

Yet right at that moment, they saw Nalan Hongwu's Master Yi charge forward.

The instant the opposing attacks were about to land.

The blade turned into a streak of flowing light, swiftly cutting across the battlefield.

Immediately after, his footsteps landed with absolute precision right next to one of the enemy figures.

Turning around with a strike, amidst the chaotic battlefield and the breakneck speed of the combat, he thrust his sword straight into the opponent's heart!

Following that... everyone witnessed.

Alpha Strike, phase two!

Alpha Strike, phase three!

Alpha Strike, phase four!

Quadra-kill!

...

"Oh my god—!"

Every single spectator rose from their seats in unison.

...

Like sponges, they continuously absorbed every drop of knowledge, and at this very moment, it felt as though something deep within their bodies... was beginning to awaken.

.