The sky was faintly lit.
The chill in the air had not yet dissipated.
Morning dew still clung to the green leaves, and the chirping of insects and birds tirelessly woke people from their dreams.
And in an open space on the edge of the village.
Baal was still outside, holding a sharp katana and diligently practicing her swordsmanship. The lightning, like a dragon or snake, coiled around the katana, cutting through the air with each swing.
This scene was incredibly beautiful, exuding a sacredness that commanded awe.
"Baal, what technique are you practicing?"
Xiaofeng rested her chin on her hands, sitting on a raised rock, watching Baal swing her katana, her beautiful figure surrounded by lightning. She only had a slight understanding of swordsmanship, but just by watching Baal swing her sword, it felt incredibly powerful, exuding a cool aura that made one feel it was amazing without fully understanding why.
Of course, her actual combat power… was unknown.
"...No Thought Slash."
Baal stopped swinging her sword, gracefully sheathing it. A serious expression appeared on her delicate face.
"Once I master this slash, I can cut through mountains and seas!"
"...Cut through mountains and seas!" Xiaofeng's expression grew excited, and she asked curiously, "Where did Baal get such a powerful technique?!"
"...There's a very complex reason for that," Baal shook her head gently, then a gentle smile appeared. "So, Xiaofeng, just think of it as a technique I obtained by chance."
She didn't want to go too deep into explaining the origin of the sword technique. After all, this was power from another world.
It belonged to the demon god residue… her sister's unique ultimate move from her memories.
And now, she was trying to learn this terrifying ultimate move. When she succeeded, no matter what Youkai she faced, a gentle swing of the sword would instantly kill it. How cool would that be?
Wouldn't her prestige… be maxed out?
However, ultimately, she had only obtained the demon god residue, and the memories she possessed were fragmented. Regarding the No Thought Slash, she only knew the general framework.
Therefore, whether she could truly recreate the glory of that slash based on memory…
was still an unknown.
"...I understand."
Xiaofeng nodded obediently, choosing not to delve deeper, and instead picked up a bow and arrow nearby, aiming it at a tree.
She diligently practiced her archery skills.
"..."
Seeing this, Baal smiled slightly, drew her sword again, and practiced her swordsmanship in earnest, trying to grasp the key to the No Thought Slash.
Of course, it didn't matter if she couldn't figure it out.
She could just… treat it as learning swordsmanship.
Some time later.
"Baal, let's go out together in a bit," Kikyo appeared at some point and said softly to Baal, who was practicing her sword. "Gan Tian Village nearby has asked me to exorcise a Youkai. You come with me too."
Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't bring Baal with her out of the village to exorcise Youkai. After all, bringing a deity with her to exorcise Youkai was simply a blasphemy against serving a deity.
However, considering that leaving Baal in the village might lead to her being captured by the Youkai Sage, it was safer to take Baal with her.
Moreover, according to the villagers of Gan Tian Village, it wasn't a very powerful Youkai.
So, it wouldn't matter if she brought Baal along.
"...Exorcising Youkai, is it?" Baal slowly sheathed her sword and smiled at Kikyo beside her. "Then let's depart quickly. I've never seen a Miko exorcise a Youkai before."
Although she generally knew Kikyo was very strong, she still didn't have a direct understanding of just how strong she was.
So, if there was an opportunity to witness Kikyo's power…
she would naturally be very willing.
"That's not an interesting matter," Kikyo shook her head plainly, then said in a calm voice, "If we move quickly, perhaps we can return before dark."
"No matter how interesting something is, once it's related to work, it becomes incredibly boring," Baal showed a subtle expression, raised a hand to scratch her cheek, "I used to write novels purely out of interest, but once it became work, it became tedious."
"Baal… also wrote novels?"
Beside her, Xiaofeng suddenly became excited. In her opinion, being able to write novels was a very impressive thing.
"Can you tell me… what kind of novel it was?!"
"Saying it out loud… feels a bit embarrassing," Baal slightly averted her face, her delicate cheeks flushed. "Besides, my novel isn't here, so knowing won't make a difference."
"It doesn't matter, isn't Baal here?"
Xiaofeng's eyes sparkled with intense curiosity. She didn't doubt whether Baal was capable of writing novels.
After all, Baal… looked very impressive.
"..."
Kikyo's dark, water-like eyes also cast a curious gaze at Baal. Although her temperament was indifferent and calm, she also had curious emotions.
Ultimately, she was still a girl not yet sixteen.
"Then… let me think," Baal's delicate cheeks were slightly flushed, and she put her hands on her slender waist, as if feigning toughness, she made up, "The title is, 'Reincarnated as the Raiden Shogun, then Invincible Under Heaven!'"
This was, of course, a lie. However, she really didn't want to reveal the novel she had written in her previous life. After all, a title like 'My Chuunibyou Stepsister Fell in Love with Me, the Great Archmage, Did I Make a Mistake?'
There was no way… she could say that with a straight face.
"...Baal's book title… is really long," Xiaofeng was slightly silent, then tilted her head and asked, "Is this how they title books in Baal's hometown?"
"...Yes, it's quite popular," Baal gently tucked a strand of purple hair behind her ear with a slender hand, revealing a sweet smile. "When Kikyo and I return, I'll tell you the story, Xiaofeng."
"Okay, Baal, it's a promise," Xiaofeng smiled expectantly, then gave both of them a bright smile. "Baal, Kikyo, please be careful on your way."
"We'll be back as soon as possible," Kikyo smiled slightly, her beautiful eyes looking at a nearby tree, where several arrows were stuck. "Slow down your movements appropriately, and think and judge more. The effect will be better."
"Yes, I understand!"
Xiaofeng didn't argue either. She obediently picked up her bow and aimed at the tree, her movements slowing down considerably, not rushing to shoot the arrow.
Instead, she took more time to adjust the trajectory of the arrow.
"...Let's go."
Kikyo and Baal exchanged a knowing glance and walked out of Maple Village side by side. Their actions revealed an unspoken understanding.
Although they had only known each other for a short time, they had already gained some understanding of each other.
Some time later.
On the way to Gan Tian Village.
Kikyo looked at Baal ahead, a suppressed laugh on her face. It was her first time realizing that Baal's energy was so abundant.
As they walked, the trees and bushes on both sides of the road had been mercilessly chopped by Baal's sword.
Her excuse was… to practice swordsmanship.
Fortunately, Baal hadn't practiced swordsmanship in the cultivated fields, otherwise, the wheat for ten li around would have been cut short.
However, Baal wasn't just swinging wildly.
From the way she wielded her sword, it truly seemed like she was practicing swordsmanship, and it was a very powerful one at that.
Although the training process…was a bit hard to describe.
If the founder of this swordsmanship knew that Baal was practicing it in such a way, they might be angered to death.