The sound of surprise erupted alongside the spray of blood as Youxiang was sent flying by the Flower Master's attack, but the gasp hadn't come from Youxiang—it had come from the Flower Master himself.

Though the Flower Master appeared languid, utterly devoid of any will to fight, that didn't mean he held back. On the contrary, at his station, he showed no leniency to any foe.

He saw Youxiang's strength clearly enough. Even after so many years without a real fight, for him, a seasoned veteran who had exterminated countless opponents—a Flower Demon through and through—understanding exactly how much force was needed to kill someone of Youxiang's caliber in a single strike was second nature.

Thus, that previous blow had not been softened by an iota, nor intensified by an iota; it carried precisely the force required to end Youxiang. Simultaneously, the speed ensured Youxiang couldn't react. She was blasted away, spitting blood, utterly defenseless and unable to evade, but... she hadn't died!

Even without looking at the result, the Flower Master knew Youxiang wouldn't die. The instant his blow landed, he had felt something different—the impact felt solid, yet lacked the expected sensation of solidity, as if a portion of the force had been somehow diverted... His strike was calculated to be exactly lethal. If part of the power failed to connect, naturally, it couldn't be fatal.

The Flower Master was astonished. He had underestimated his opponent, never imagining such a seemingly weak adversary could dodge his sure-kill move. What surprised him even more, however, was... he hadn't perceived how Youxiang had evaded it.

This was truly strange.

"If I had added even a fraction more force, she would be dead..." the Flower Master mused, though without a hint of regret or sorrow, merely stating a factual observation.

Across from him, Youxiang, having endured the Flower Master's intended killing blow, was certainly injured even if not slain. As her body hit the ground, her face was deathly pale, staggering so precariously she seemed unable to stand, yet after a few swaying steps, she managed to plant her feet firmly again, meeting the Flower Master's gaze with that same expression of soaring battle spirit.

Youxiang was unaware she had just skirted the gates of the netherworld, but as for this outcome, she had long expected it.

She arrived seemingly brimming with confident fighting spirit, but in truth, she had come prepared to die. Challenging the Flower Master, she never believed her odds of victory were high; rather, she knew her probability of death approached one hundred percent. Still... it wasn't absolute one hundred percent. There was always a sliver of hope, wasn't there?

As long as there was a chance, she would strive for it, no matter how foolish it seemed to others.

Once Youxiang stabilized herself, the battle resumed. This time, however, the first to attack was not Youxiang, but the Flower Master... He had countless opportunities to strike before this moment, yet he waited until now.

The Flower Master's attack was the same as before: vines, seemingly emerging from nowhere, lashed out like whips toward Youxiang, though the force was slightly greater than before. How much greater? However much force Youxiang had deflected previously, he added that precise measure of strength—still calculated to be just enough to kill her.

Even a lion uses its full strength to capture a rabbit—the Flower Master understood this principle. Long ago, that was how he fought; otherwise, he would never have survived to this day. But now... having inhabited this flower field for countless ages, having gone hundreds or perhaps thousands of years without a single battle, had cultivated in him a habit of lethargy and ease. Fighting with full power, as he once did, was simply impossible now.

Habit is a terrifying thing. It could be a virtue, like the Flower Master's absolute precision in gauging his power—under habit, no error occurred. But it was also a flaw, for once a habit is formed, it cannot be changed, making him unwilling to exert even an extra ounce of effort.

He knew perfectly well that one full-strength blow, regardless of how well Youxiang could divert force, would kill her instantly. He also knew an attack launched before she could steady herself would suffice. Yet, he did neither, because it defied his habit.

Only at the moment a flower blooms most completely is it most beautiful, and only the most beautiful flower deserves his serious appreciation; but even the most beautiful flower withers and fades. Therefore, to preserve the eternally beautiful impression in his heart, he would only pluck the flower at the very instant before it began to wilt... This was his habit!

Youxiang could not grow stronger in an instant. If she couldn't block the same speed before, she certainly couldn't now. With a heavy crack, she was once again flung away, falling onto the ground without suspense.

A violent cough~~ShuShuWeb

Yes, she had survived again!

Just like before, a portion of the force had been deflected by her.

"Again!"

No extra words, no pause for rest. The moment she got up, Youxiang charged toward the Flower Master without hesitation.

Smack!

This time, Youxiang was not so lucky. Midway through her charge, the Flower Master's vines arrived. A stronger force struck her body.

Blasted away, hitting the ground—it all happened in an instant. Without excellent visual tracking, an ordinary person couldn't capture the scene; even Youxiang herself only registered a sudden blackout the moment she was hit. When she came to, she was already sprawled on the earth.

Then, as expected, she rose, and launched her attack once more.

Gradually, the Flower Master began to sense that something extraordinary lay within this little flower demon.

Although he still hadn't exerted his full strength, the power level he escalated to was sufficient to kill her instantly twice over, yet the result remained the same: a portion of the force invariably lost its point of impact. If this was force deflection, it was too exaggerated... If the opponent could deflect force to this extent, why was she injured on the first strike?

To the Flower Master, this felt more like absorption—not a fixed amount of absorption, but a percentage-based one. Only this could explain why a single blow couldn't finish her.

But how was this achieved?

Furthermore, after enduring so many attacks, these accumulated injuries should overwhelm even the best physical constitution. Why could she stand up again and again?

The Flower Master did not understand, nor did he have any intention of asking. He remained steadfastly bound by his habit. The only minor difference was... he increased the vines to two.

And Youxiang? She was equally unwavering. Whether one vine or two made no difference to her. Struck down, she rose, and continued to attack. Until the end of her life, she would not cease.

Such resolute tenacity earned even the Flower Master's faint admiration.

But tenacity was, after all, only tenacity. Against an absolute gap in strength, it offered no help; rather, it brought only more pain.

"Again!" "Again!" "Again..." "Ag... ain..." "Ag..."

Every time she stood, Youxiang repeated those two words. At first, they rang out powerfully, but as her injuries mounted, her voice lacked its former resonance, sometimes becoming so faint one couldn't hear her at all, only seeing her lips move slightly.

Even the brightness in her eyes had dimmed considerably, yet the fervent soul within still burned fiercely.

She had not given up. She was still fighting!

However, if a third party were present, they would certainly not call this a battle. By now, the Flower Master had escalated his vines to eight. With every stand, Youxiang was instantly struck down, unable even to take a single step, merely repeating the cycle of rising and falling.

This was no longer a battle; it was abuse.

"Why? Why do you keep standing up?" The Flower Master rarely spoke, having remained silent since the fight began. But now, he finally broke his silence, a testament to his inner shock.

"Because I am not dead yet."

This simple sentence unleashed a tidal wave in the Flower Master's heart. Gazing at the wavering figure opposite him, he seemed to see his former self... Back then, he, too, never yielded.

"So similar, to me," the Flower Master couldn't help but sigh.

But Youxiang shook her head. "It's different..."

The Flower Master nodded, slowing his attack considerably as he spoke. "Indeed, it is different. I struggled upward because I resented the life at the bottom. But after succeeding, I lost the momentum to continue. Those others knew I posed no threat, so they stopped regarding me as a rival. I was content with that, for my goal was achieved, and I only wished to enjoy an easy life. You must be different from me. I sense the undying fighting spirit within you. I believe you won't stop fighting until death claims you. So, what is your goal?"

Though in the midst of combat, the Flower Master spoke as if exchanging pleasantries with a friend.

Youxiang lifted her head and uttered only two words.

"The Strongest!"

The Flower Master paused briefly, then echoed two words. "So far away..."

His tone was laden with complex emotion—did he mean how far Youxiang was from being the Strongest, or how far he himself was? No one knew.

But as his words faded, his aura abruptly shifted. No longer languid and spiritless, it became like that of a rampaging beast, brimming with dominance.

In that moment, he truly resembled a sovereign lord.

Whoosh!

At that instant, countless vines erupted from the flower field, tightly binding Youxiang's limbs like tentacles, hoisting her into the air.

"Since your goal is the Strongest, I will no longer treat you as an amateur," the Flower Master declared. Below her, eighteen more vines shot forth, stabbing fiercely toward Youxiang.

This was no longer the playful assault from before; these were genuine killing strikes. With her limbs bound, Youxiang had no chance to defend or evade. She was... surely doomed!

But!

"What is this?!"

Just as the vines were about to impale Youxiang, the Flower Master witnessed something he could not possibly believe.

ps: First update is in. There will be a second update shortly. By the way, zero monthly tickets today—is it really that tragic???