The heated discussion from the livestream was still going on.
"Ye Ming, you're clearly a skilled swordsman. Are you from the Firefly school of swordsmanship?" Raiden Mei asked casually as she led the way. "I've encountered a few swordsmen from that school, but none as talented as you. You've surely surpassed the level of a master from their tradition, haven't you?"
"I'm not quite sure about my style of swordsmanship; I don't really know what it's called," Ye Ming answered honestly.
His swordsmanship, the Beichen Ittō-ryū, was something he had thought about. It felt like the knowledge had been directly loaded into his mind, becoming pure instinct. From this instinct, he could derive theories and practical knowledge, but he lacked a deep, fundamental understanding of it. His knowledge was a remnant from a distant world, a collection of techniques from a past Raiden-school sword saint, her disciples, and the wrathful blade of a certain Raiden Mei.
Currently, he could also use the divine arts taught to him by Pom-Pom—powerful, flashy techniques—but unfortunately, that style had its limits. No matter how impressive it looked, it was no match for a more fundamental and powerful force.
"In that case, would you like to learn a different style? Or perhaps, just a name for it?" Raiden Mei asked, seemingly not very interested in swordsmanship itself. "The name of this school... I've never heard of it. Is it stronger than the Beichen Ittō-ryū?"
"By gathering a thousand true words and fulfilling the wishes of all beings, a single blade of thought is forged—this is the true meaning of making a dream a reality," she said cryptically.
Ye Ming thought for a moment, then simply nodded. "Hmm?"
Hearing his response, the usually expressionless Raiden Mei suddenly stopped. She tilted her head with a thoughtful look and gazed at Ye Ming. "This swordsmanship... is it something you receive by praying to a god?" she asked. "In Takamagahara, the eighty gods descended, and from them, a new divine system emerged: the Divine Armament System. By engraving true words onto one's body, a user can wield the power of these gods to fight against great calamities."
"During a long and arduous conquest, countless gods fell, and the ever-changing nature of calamity itself took form, forging the twelve Protector Blades. And that is the origin of these weapons," she explained. "Besides the Protector Blades, many other weapons in this world have been forged from divine essence. While perhaps not as powerful as the Protector Blades, they possess their own incredible powers."
"These Protector Blades... they aren't meant for ordinary people," Ye Ming thought to himself.
"This swordsmanship style is one in a million," Raiden Mei continued. "A high-level player in a game passed it down to me. He bought me a meal of Mapo Tofu as payment, and I taught him this style in return. It's said that the creator of this swordsmanship is a middle-aged otaku. It all sounds very unreliable, and I don't know the full details myself."
"That's... a bit much to take in," Ye Ming said, taken aback.
"...It was a supplementary system. But in his hands, he could only use the background story to bluff people."
"This swordsmanship is extremely dangerous!" Raiden Mei warned. "While it isn't an evil art, it's an incredibly demanding technique that uses the power of gods as its catalyst. Each 'Blade' is forged from divine bone and holds the might of the god it's named after. Mastering it is a gradual process, but it is not without a price."
"If you wield the power of a Blade without proof of having conquered a calamity, you will be contaminated by its divine power. This can cause your skin to petrify like a blight, your mind to become confused, or a loss of your senses of pleasure and pain. You could gradually lose your memory and reason, or even worse, mutate into a monster."
"The phrase 'gathering a thousand true words to fulfill the wishes of all beings' sounds grand, but it also means you will be more susceptible to this contamination than an ordinary person, and the effects will be far more severe. This is very dangerous," she stressed. "This Blade... you should use it as little as possible, especially when you feel the need to draw on its full power."
"Hmm?" Ye Ming murmured. "I need to think about this. Is there any Blade that carries less risk of contamination?"
Hearing this, Ye Ming's heart stirred.
"But it's not that you can't use it," she added. "The Beichen Ittō-ryū you know was created to handle most situations. This new swordsmanship, however, is perfectly suited for you." Seeing the concern on Ye Ming's face, Raiden Mei offered a comforting smile. "Oh, and I forgot to say it earlier, but thank you."
Ye Ming smiled slightly, acknowledging her warning.
As they spoke, Raiden Mei led him into a secluded courtyard. "This courtyard is prepared for new candidates of the examination. You can choose any empty room to stay in for now. After the blade trial tomorrow, the results will be officially announced."
"Oh, right," she said, handing Ye Ming a thin booklet. "This contains illustrations and introductions for the twelve Protector Blades. You can look it over."
Ye Ming opened it. Inside were two thin pages with brief, poetic descriptions, accompanied by several illustrations.
[From the Outer Lands, Seven, Three, and Three Blades were Forged, Becoming the Twelve Protector Blades.]
[One is "Mutsuki"], named [Minakata Tokiharu's Divine Punishment], which allows one to perceive all phenomena from a distance and absolve original sin.
[Two is "Ten"], named [Amatsu-Mikaboshi's Divine Judgment], which causes the heavens to shift and calls upon the celestial gods to punish sin.
[Three is "Ouka"], named [Takemikazuchi's Divine Calamity], which makes thunder echo across the sky and commands the stars to follow the god's judgment.
[Four is "Sou"], named [Shikotsuhime's Divine Grief], which splits the earth with fissures and calls forth twin rains that drive men to endless madness.
[Five is "Totsuki"], named [Hayaakitsuhime's Divine Prison], which covers the land in snow and ice, leaving the soil barren and cracked.
[Six is "Kou"], named [Oyamatsumi's Divine Tranquility], which compels families to leave their homes and causes flowers to bloom and die without a trace.
[Seven is "Satsuki"], named [Yomito-no-Orochi's Divine Decay], which ignites the land in fire and summons hungry wolves to swallow the sky and dye it red.
[Eight is "You"], named [Yasumagahara's Divine Decree], which makes the clear streams flow onward for what seems like a thousand generations.
[Nine is "Chou"], named [Ōkuninushi's Divine Decree], which raises majestic mountains that shatter before one's eyes.
[Ten is "Kan"], named [Ōkotooshio's Divine Calamity], which connects all spirits and causes countless shadows to rise and fall.
[Eleven is "Soku"], named [Kushinadahime's Divine Calamity], which exhausts all paths and voids the evil karma of all living things.
[Twelve is "Jun"], named [Yachimatahiko's Divine Calamity], which pierces the world with its edge, destroying both gods and ghosts.
Ye Ming lowered his head, a strong sense of familiarity washing over him as he read the descriptions of the twelve Protector Blades.
"Right now," Raiden Mei said, "both 'Sou' and 'Satsuki' are without a master. Ye Ming, given your cold, yin-like constitution, you might consider those two first. Besides them, 'Ten,' 'Kan,' 'Soku,' and 'Jun' have also lost their masters. As for which you will choose... you have until tonight to think it over."
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