Gu Chu's Excitement

Bianka's only reply was an irrational, low growl. She spun twice in mid-air, spread her limbs wide, and landed on all fours.

Watching the beast-like figure charge at him, Gu Chu cursed under his breath, took a deep breath, and set his stance.

"Newly learned martial arts need a place to be showcased, right?" He smiled, then suddenly raised both hands to meet Bianka's frontal assault.

He himself took the blow with ease, but that was him. The ground beneath his feet, no matter how compacted, was nowhere near as strong as he was.

His legs sank, disrupting his balance. The moment he sensed she was about to overpower him, he suddenly threw himself backward into a bridge pose.

If there is no earth for the Green Pine to take root, then let the Resilient Bamboo show its flexibility!

Sword-Guarding Form - Resilient Bamboo!

Caught off guard, Bianka was swung in a wide arc and slammed back-first onto the ground. The earth cracked beneath the impact, and her furious posture dissolved into confusion.

The frenzied beast just...

Just as Gu Chu was about to mock her in his mind, he caught sight of Bianka's feet digging into the ground. A shiver ran through him.

Resilient Bamboo had a second half: the rebound from being pushed to the limit. While not as fast or as easily triggered as Weeping Willow, it was powerful!

And now, it seemed it was Bianka's turn to use the second half.

Gu Chu was a fraction of a second too late. He pushed off at almost the same time as Bianka, but even though he was clearly the stronger of the two, Bianka came out on top.

That tail!

Bianka hadn't just used her waist to generate force. Her tail had whipped up from behind them and struck Gu Chu from below, knocking his feet clean off the ground.

With no point of leverage, Gu Chu became a toy in Bianka's hands. Just like she had been moments before, he was swung in a wide arc and slammed face-first into the unforgiving ground.

The only difference was that Bianka had landed on her back. Gu Chu had landed on his face.

And not just once.

The moment he hit the ground, Gu Chu tried to counterattack, only to find he couldn't break her grip. His body was lifted from the ground once more.

She wouldn't—

BOOM—!

A second time! Bianka smashed him into the ground again! The shattered earth was compacted into a human-shaped crater! All of Gu Chu's preparations for a counterattack were instantly crushed.

And then a third time!

"Bastard!" Gu Chu roared. A burst of force erupted from his hands, violently shoving Bianka away.

Gu Chu scrambled to his feet, wiping the dirt from his face and glaring at Bianka, who was crouched low to the ground in the distance.

Twice... he had lost to the same move twice?!

And it was such a simple, brutish technique! If she had shown even a hint of skill, he wouldn't have been so furious.

Bianka's tail swished, and she prepared to charge again. Gu Chu suddenly took a step forward. Bianka's body trembled as a wave of cruel, bloodthirsty pressure washed over her.

Her advance halted instantly. Bianka instinctively recoiled.

Gu Chu grinned ferociously, raising his hand to seize the offensive rhythm.

Sword-Unleashing Form - Sky...

At that exact moment, the still-recoiling Bianka erupted with an earth-shattering aura directed right at him.

"An [Aura]?!" Gu Chu cried out in disbelief. He couldn't believe it. Bianka had actually unleashed a powerful [Aura] to actively contest his!

This wasn't the innate presence of a strong fighter; it was an aura she was actively projecting! Just like the "Peerless" sword, just like he had done moments ago!

How was that possible?! She clearly didn't know how just a moment ago...

In his moment of confusion, Bianka was already charging again on all fours, her claws glinting as they aimed straight for him.

Gu Chu's pupils contracted violently, the sound almost dying in his throat.

Sword-Unleashing Form - Sky-Render!!

Stunned for that single instant, Gu Chu failed to even assume a proper [Sword-Guarding Form]. He was forced to block the attack with just his bare arms.

He was thrown back several steps, a series of deep gashes torn across his arms.

Gu Chu's face darkened. That really was Sky-Render... How does she know it? Did that woman teach her beforehand?

But there isn't a single trace of Taixu Sword Qi on her! How could she possibly know that move?

So...

Did she learn it just now, from my opening stance?!

So her counterattack really was [Resilient Bamboo]?!

He looked up. Bianka was pressing her advantage, launching another identical [Sword-Unleashing Form - Sky-Render] straight at his face.

Gu Chu snorted, raising a hand without any technique and simply grabbing. With his superior strength and speed, he precisely caught Bianka's wrist and flung her away.

Confirmed. She learned it...

But this expected outcome only astonished Gu Chu more.

Learning a move from a single opening stance was something not even he could do right now. Who in the world was she?

And her physical characteristics... if Gu Chu remembered correctly, this should be that Emperor-class Honkai Beast, right?

Having been thrown into the distance, Bianka finally quieted down for a moment. In that last exchange, the strength and speed he had displayed finally made her realize the gap between them.

Even in her current mindless state, she could clearly sense danger and discern the difference in their power.

Getting a rare moment of peace, Gu Chu didn't attack. He looked at Bianka, and an idea suddenly formed in his mind.

What did he crave?

Desperation.

An unbeatable opponent. A battle that would utterly and completely crush him.

Fu Hua's slow reveal of her trump cards couldn't create such a predicament. But that couldn't be helped; the value of her skills was far greater than a desperate situation.

And now, all the pieces were in place. All that was missing was the final push.

Gu Chu could feel that Fu Hua still had one move hidden away, one she hadn't had time to use before falling.

But it didn't matter. Gu Chu could feel that he was just on the verge of deducing that final move himself.

He didn't want to wait. So now, he needed pressure.

And wasn't the pressure right in front of him?

A smile spread across Gu Chu's face.

Bianka was strong, with immense potential. What if he could instill all of his techniques into her, nurturing her until she could threaten him, or even...

Kill him?

Gu Chu's hands trembled, trembled with excitement!

If someone could actually beat him to death in a head-on fight...!

His gaze on Bianka suddenly became intensely feverish.