Chapter 26: The First Lesson: A Reckless Mentor and a Determined Pupil

“So, what do you say? Was it easy?” Cheng Lan glanced back at Qin Jinxuan, who stood behind him.

“It wasn’t easy at all!” she couldn’t help but exclaim loudly.

“Have you learned how to deal with these big, clumsy oafs yet?”

Qin Jinxuan immediately shook her head vigorously, her head bobbing like a rattle-drum.

Just then, two more Ghostblade X-7 units activated simultaneously, brandishing their long blades as they charged directly at Cheng Lan.

“Then watch closely,” he instructed. “I’ll teach you one more time.”

He glanced at the status indicator on his scabbard, which showed a 30% charge.

The Black Warrior-2 in Cheng Lan’s hand featured a special design on its scabbard, housing a miniature electromagnetic ejection device.

This device could instantly release stored energy upon drawing the blade, significantly increasing its unsheathing speed and the power of a draw-cut.

However, the device required the user to pre-charge the scabbard before use.

The more it was charged, the greater the power of the slash, but also the greater the recoil, demanding exceptional control and physical coordination from the user.

Improper handling could not only lead to a loss of balance but also result in self-injury.

‘30%, huh…’

Cheng Lan silently calculated in his mind, ‘It should be enough to deal with these two.’

“Hoo—”

Cheng Lan exhaled a breath, his left hand unfastening the scabbard from his waist and gripping it tightly.

Simultaneously, he lowered his center of gravity, his right hand clasping the sword hilt.

He calmly watched the two machines before him—two massive blades, accompanied by the roaring sound of cutting through air, simultaneously cleaved towards him, their shadows almost entirely enveloping him.

‘Now!’

The instant the massive blades were about to make contact, Cheng Lan moved.

His left thumb pressed a mechanism on the side of the scabbard, and an electric arc shot upwards along the metal sheath, emitting a sizzling sound.

Almost simultaneously, Cheng Lan lunged forward, his right hand unleashing power—

*Swish!*

The sharp blade was unsheathed!

Iaido (TL Note: A Japanese martial art focusing on drawing the sword and striking in a single, fluid motion.)!

He unleashed a straight, silvery-white streak of light, and in the very next instant, his form had vanished and reappeared like a phantom behind the two Ghostblade X-7 units.

Clack!

The crisp sound of the blade returning to its scabbard echoed, immediately followed by two dull thuds of heavy objects hitting the ground—two more camera-equipped heads rolled away.

“See? I told you it was simple,” Cheng Lan said, turning to give Qin Jinxuan a thumbs-up. “Next up, it’s your turn.”

Qin Jinxuan stood frozen, her eyes wide and unfocused.

In her mind, she replayed Cheng Lan’s movements repeatedly, yet no matter how many times she did, the instant of his draw-cut seemed blurred, obscuring all details.

In Qin Jinxuan’s eyes, she had only witnessed the moment Cheng Lan was about to be struck by the long blade, and then he simply vanished into thin air.

When he reappeared in her sight, he was already behind the robots, his attack complete.

‘How on earth did he do that?’

In that moment, Qin Jinxuan finally understood why Cheng Lan claimed his understanding of most weapons was merely “passable,” while only with the katana was he “proficient.”

“Hey! Attack incoming! Dodge now!”

Cheng Lan’s sharp cry abruptly jolted the young woman back to reality.

The last Ghostblade X-7, seizing the moment of her dazed distraction, moved.

Wisely, it ignored Cheng Lan and Lidoa, redirecting its target to the unprotected Qin Jinxuan, who stood rooted to the spot.

The massive blade cleaved down with a whistling rush of wind; seeing the blade so close, the young woman’s pupils contracted sharply, and she instinctively rolled to the side.

Clang!

The heavy blade smashed onto the steel floor, emitting a dull roar and leaving an indentation.

‘I’ll die! If I get hit, I’ll definitely die!’

This was Qin Jinxuan’s immediate feeling as she faced the attack head-on.

Her heart hammered wildly in her chest, threatening to burst from her throat.

She hastily turned her head to the side—Cheng Lan was casually leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips, having fully entered “spectator mode.”

Lidoa, standing docilely beside him, merely watched in silence, showing no intention of offering assistance.

‘Cheng Lan is serious!’

‘He truly intends for me to deal with this robot by myself.’

‘But I haven’t even killed a T-Rex yet!’

*Clang!*

The massive blade whistled down once more; after missing its mark, it continued without pause, followed by a second and then a third strike.

Qin Jinxuan could only rely on instinct, continuously rolling and dodging, her movements becoming increasingly frantic.

“Master…” Lidoa looked up at Cheng Lan, her gaze then falling worriedly upon Qin Jinxuan. “Are we truly not going to help Sister Jinxuan?”

“No need,” Cheng Lan waved a hand dismissively. “See? It’s only been a few moments, and she’s already figured out how to dodge attacks.”

The young woman, who had initially only fled in panic, had now learned to observe her opponent’s movements, anticipate attacks before they were launched, and dodge them in the most efficient way possible.

“But… isn’t this Sister Jinxuan’s first real combat?”

“First time? No, no, no,” Cheng Lan shook his head. “On the way to the watchtower, I intentionally went easy on her, letting her get a little taste of real combat. From my observations, eliminating this D-grade grunt will absolutely be no problem for her…”

Mid-sentence, he suddenly paused—

‘Wait a minute!’

Cheng Lan suddenly realized something.

‘Logically, I shouldn’t be helping Qin Jinxuan accelerate her growth.’

‘She’s my destined rival; the stronger she gets, the more disadvantageous it is for my current self.’

‘Why am I actively feeding her experience now?’

Cheng Lan was slightly taken aback, then shook his head with a wry chuckle.

‘Forget it, doesn’t matter.’

‘No matter what, this is a historic moment: the Sword Immortal (TL Note: A mythical figure in Chinese martial arts and fantasy literature, often depicted as an incredibly skilled sword user.) getting thrashed by a D-grade grunt. If only I had my phone with me.’

‘Oh, right! Lidoa should have a playback function. I’ll have her send me a copy later; it’ll be perfect for Qin Jinxuan’s embarrassing past.’

‘It’s settled then!’

‘As for the Sword Immortal’s growth—’

‘No matter what, I’m a Reborn (TL Note: A common trope in web novels where a character is reborn or reincarnated, often retaining knowledge from their past life.), the advantage is mine!’

‘I’m already using a katana; what’s wrong with being a little reckless?’

‘No harm done! (TL Note: A playful, slightly mispronounced way of saying “没事” (méishì), meaning “it’s fine” or “no problem,” implying lighthearted confidence.)’

“Hah… hah…” Beads of sweat occasionally trickled down her light blue hair.

Qin Jinxuan panted heavily, then dodged another blade with a sidestep.

While she was now getting a grasp of the dodging technique, continuously evading was not a viable strategy.

After all, she was still flesh and blood; even with the enhancement of her Etheric Energy, her stamina had its limits.

The armored behemoth opposite her, however, was a different story.

‘She must attack.’

Qin Jinxuan frantically recalled the combat techniques Cheng Lan had taught her, but no matter how hard she tried, the only offensive method she truly grasped was the most basic: a straight thrust.

She fixated her gaze on the Ghostblade X-7’s camera-equipped head.

Cheng Lan’s hint had been clear enough: the opponent’s weakness was its head.

If she could just plunge her ice sword into it, victory would be hers.

Dodging another attack, Qin Jinxuan gritted her teeth, took a deep breath, and steadily aimed her sword tip at the “head” glowing with red light.

Seizing the interval as the opponent raised its blade to charge for another attack, the young woman charged straight ahead.

A streak of blue light flashed.

Clink—!

The ice sword struck firmly against the Ghostblade X-7’s chest armor, failing to inflict any effective damage.

Qin Jinxuan realized a critical problem—

‘Her attack range wasn’t quite enough…’