Evan waved his hand lightly, then looked at Yanqing.
"I know you're not convinced."
"How about this—right here.
As long as you can get close to me, you win."
Yanqing's attitude was sincere, but it was clear—
this kid still wasn't fully convinced without an actual exchange.
"You can go all out," Evan added casually.
"It doesn't matter."
The moment his words fell, Yanqing felt it.
Something terrifying locked onto him.
In an instant, his hair stood on end.
This man—
who looked like he was only slightly stronger than himself—
In that very moment,
radiated a pressure eerily similar to the General's.
A General.
An Emanator.
The Arbiter-General of the Divine Foresight.
Yanqing swallowed.
But if that alone made him retreat,
then he wouldn't be Yanqing.
The sword trembled in his grip.
What to do?
What could he do?
What else—
face it head-on.
He was Yanqing,
someone who aimed to become the Sword Champion of the Xianzhou.
Not merely the Sword Champion of a single ship—
but of the entire Xianzhou Alliance.
Hundreds of years ago,
the former Sword Champion had stood alone, blade in hand,
and erased Abundance abominations as if they were nothing.
Yanqing's greatest achievement so far
was slaying three Borisin Nest-Fathers.
But the former Sword Champion?
One person. One sword.
And the Borisin Warlord had been captured alive,
imprisoned in the Shackling Prison of the Luofu for centuries—
never daring to cross the line again.
That was Yanqing's goal.
To become such a person.
That was why he never coveted the General's seat—
unlike Lady Fu Xuan of the Divination Commission.
In Jing Yuan's plans,
Yanqing was trained as the ultimate swordsman,
while Fu Xuan was groomed as the future General.
Slowly, under Evan's gaze,
Yanqing's shaking hand steadied.
The sword stopped trembling.
He looked up at the man seated atop the Creation Furnace,
eyes firm.
"Then—let me test my sword."
That man was fast.
He had spatial movement techniques.
But Yanqing had never seen him wield a sword.
A swordsman without a sword—
wasn't that simply asking to be cut down?
No matter how strong you were—
In swordsmanship,
Yanqing had never acknowledged defeat.
"I like that attitude," Evan said, smiling.
"But be careful."
"If you ever meet a madman, or a blind woman in the future—
don't provoke them like you're doing now."
"They won't care whether you're young or not."
Yanqing bristled.
Madman? Blind woman?
To him, it sounded like mockery.
In the next instant—
Twelve flying swords appeared behind Yanqing,
forming a radiant sword formation.
"This move is called—Swallow's Return!"
"Watch carefully!"
Whoosh—whoosh—!
The twelve swords shot forward, tearing through the air.
Icy aura filled the space,
a testament to the youth's resolute sword heart.
Evan merely smiled.
Facing the incoming blades,
he showed not the slightest concern.
Instead, he raised a hand.
Twelve floating cannons, shaped like flying swords,
manifested in front of him.
Then—
He vanished.
The Creation Furnace was empty.
Yanqing froze.
"…Where did he go?"
This time, he had clearly locked onto Evan's movements.
He had been waiting for Evan to counterattack.
Yet now—
the man was simply gone.
Too strange.
Yanqing immediately adjusted his sword formation,
attempting to force Evan out with sheer coverage.
"Winds converge—
Heaven's River, fall and dream!"
Ice surged outward,
flooding the area with chilling sword intent.
But—
It was already too late.
At the moment Yanqing struck,
the air above the Creation Furnace ignited.
Only then did he sense Evan's position.
"Three feet of water,"
"is enough to sever the clouds."
"Taixu Sword Art—
Taixu Sword God."
Too late.
While Yanqing focused on attacking,
Evan had already claimed the chest beneath Yanqing's feet.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host has obtained:
Honkai Impact 3rd World — Taixu Sword Intent: Taixu Sword God!]
This wasn't Sushang's maxed Taixu Sword Art from the Rail universe.
What Evan summoned
wasn't the familiar red phoenix either—
But the most ancient sword itself.
The Taixu Sword God.
The instant it manifested—
Yanqing instinctively raised his flying swords to block.
If it were anyone else using this technique,
Yanqing's talent might still have mattered.
But Evan?
With an Emanator-grade energy core,
and the authority of the Herrscher of Reason,
he had already fully analyzed and absorbed
every stance, principle, and heart-method of the Taixu lineage.
This wasn't imitation.
This was complete comprehension.
Taixu's Five Aggregates.
Yanqing saw only one thing—
A colossal sword,
its blade wreathed in flame,
descending upon him.
The fire reached the heavens.
His body refused to move.
For the first time in his life,
Yanqing felt something new.
Death.
That sword—
He couldn't block it.
At all.
Wasn't this man supposed to be swordless?
Why did this appear out of nowhere?
Taixu Sword Art?
Taixu Sword God?
What even was this?!
Then—
Evan flicked his hand.
The colossal sword vanished.
Clang!
At the final instant,
the sword tip lightly struck Yanqing's flying blade.
All that terrifying momentum dissipated.
And somehow—
Evan was already standing in front of him.
He tapped Yanqing on the forehead.
"Good head."
"So, Yanqing," Evan asked with a smile,
"did you learn that move just now?"
"…Learn?"
"Senior—were you teaching me just now?"
"What else?" Evan replied lazily.
"Or do you want me to demonstrate it again?"
At that moment—
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Applause echoed through the workshop.
A white-haired man,
a jade-white lion padding at his side,
walked forward leisurely.
"Well done, well done."
"Yanqing—hurry up and thank this Nameless gentleman."
"General!"
Yanqing rubbed his forehead, eyes lighting up as he turned.
If it wasn't Jing Yuan, who else could it be?
"Jarilo-VI truly produces remarkable people," Jing Yuan said softly.
"The youth from centuries past…
and now, you."
He paused, then smiled faintly.
"Should I call you a Nameless—
or address you as Emanator instead?"
"Evan."
Yanqing's mind went blank.
He had just thought he'd failed his General.
A Cloud Knight Lieutenant,
yet unable to defeat a Nameless.
But now—
An Emanator.
So he hadn't lost to an ordinary person at all.
And that sword—
That sword was truly extraordinary.
Yanqing's world expanded instantly.
"General, no need to be so formal," Evan said with a laugh.
"I'm a Nameless—and I'm from Jarilo-VI."
"As for being an Emanator…"
"Nous took a liking to me," he shrugged.
"So I was granted that authority."
Jing Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"The All-Knowing Lord rarely grants Emanator power lightly."
"Recently, Genius Society Member #85 joined—
causing quite a stir across the universe."
"Even the IPC is searching for that genius."
"And now—
a Nameless from Jarilo-VI arrives at the Luofu,
bearing Emanator authority."
"So I can't help but wonder…"
"You are that Genius Society #85, aren't you?"
"Mr. Evan?"
Evan sighed, helplessly amused.
As expected of the Divine Foresight General.
With just a few clues,
he'd pieced everything together.
"Look at you, General," Evan chuckled.
"You've scared the kid."
"It's fine," Jing Yuan replied calmly.
"Yanqing is young. A setback like this is good for him."
"With that pride of his,
he needed someone to dull his edge."
Yanqing, however, was anything but upset.
He had just crossed swords with an Emanator.
That sword—
It was way too cool.
"General, I'm not discouraged at all!"
"I was just thinking—Taixu Sword God is incredible!"
Jing Yuan sighed and rubbed Yanqing's head,
then turned back to Evan.
"Since an honored guest has arrived,"
"why don't we take a walk?"
"I'll introduce the Luofu properly,"
"and fulfill my duties as host."
"What do you say?"
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