The lingering blush of sunset on the horizon, like a maiden's flushed cheek, was enough to capture and hold the gaze!

Ever since parting ways with Zhong Shenxiu and Robin that day, Angelia had been turning over the two phrases Zhong Shenxiu had spoken to her: "Sword practice lies in the heart, not just the form!" and "You could try practicing with a two-handed sword!"

What exactly did those words mean? Angelia pondered for a long time. It felt like she was grasping something vital, yet it remained so vague, a frustrating mix of hope and doubt that defied easy expression! In the heart, not the form—but how does one achieve that? Practicing with a two-handed sword—how should that be done?

Angelia felt utterly perplexed. Did all of this require her to figure it out entirely on her own? If only that young boy had managed to express himself more completely! Angelia mused silently.

As usual, right after class, she headed to the Magical Beast Forest to practice her swordsmanship. Not only was the environment excellent here, but the atmosphere was also conducive to practice.

In this place, Angelia had to remain constantly alert to her surroundings, for a magical beast could erupt from anywhere at any moment! While low-level beasts weren't overwhelmingly powerful, one could not guard against a hidden strike when an open attack was easily dodged!

Angelia actually enjoyed practicing her sword forms within this tense environment, as it allowed her focus to become razor-sharp, further unlocking her latent potential!

Perhaps because she took Zhong Shenxiu's words so seriously, Angelia actually attempted to use a two-handed sword. However, wielding it felt incredibly awkward in her hands!

After practicing for a short while, Angelia felt that instead of growing stronger, she was becoming more clumsy. This inevitably led to doubt: was she truly suited for two-handed sword practice?

In this world, it wasn't that no one had ever used a two-handed sword, but their numbers were minuscule—as rare as a woman being a dedicated swordsman!

Disappointed, Angelia glanced at her left hand. When gripping the sword, this hand seemed no longer her own, utterly refusing to obey her commands!

Sighing, Angelia set the left-hand sword aside and began to concentrate wholly on her single-handed practice!

But for some reason, whenever she reached the move where she performed [BLANK], the image of Robin would flash in her mind, accompanied by a persistent voice echoing in her thoughts: If it were her, how would she execute this strike?

This feeling was almost like a fixation, an obsession that was impossible to shake!

Just as Angelia was practicing while recalling the sword techniques Robin had demonstrated, she suddenly sensed something—a prickle of alarm—and involuntarily snapped out, "Who’s there? Show yourself!"

Angelia’s eyes fixed intensely on a patch of dense undergrowth, her sword gripped so tightly it felt like an extension of her will. She was certain that if the approaching presence didn't reveal itself immediately, she would strike without hesitation!

As Angelia’s challenge rang out, a figure indeed emerged from the thicket. And this person was someone they had met before—it was Solomon, the very same man who had repeatedly felled Zhong Shenxiu's Skeleton Warrior that night!

Solomon had remained preoccupied with the Necromancer and had quietly slipped away from his companions, hoping to try his luck in the Magical Beast Forest to see if he might encounter the mage who summoned those undead soldiers!

However, after searching fruitlessly for the Necromancer, he had spotted Angelia practicing her sword forms from a distance.

Solomon was also a swordsman, and one of considerable skill. From Angelia's movements alone, he could already discern that her strength was far from ordinary.

What shocked Solomon was that a swordsman of such caliber was actually a woman!

Solomon had seen women who practiced the sword before, but they were mostly dual cultivators of magic and martial arts, and their swordsmanship usually plateaued at a certain level, completely unable to compare with the fluid skill displayed by Angelia before him.

Solomon was certain this woman possessed genuine talent for the blade; this was evident in her swift and seamless sword swings.

A mix of excitement and curiosity stirring within him, Solomon decided to approach slightly closer to get a better look at this sword-wielding woman—to see her appearance and determine which academy she belonged to.

But what frustrated Solomon immensely was that he had only just begun to draw near, before he could even properly observe her, he was spotted by Angelia!

Though Solomon was confident in his superior strength compared to Angelia, he knew that in terms of perception and awareness, he was indeed lacking compared to the woman before him.

Truthfully, up to this point, the only two people who had managed to approach Angelia's vicinity without being detected were Zhong Shenxiu and Robin.

Seeing a stranger appear, Angelia paused in surprise; she had initially assumed it might be Zhong Shenxiu and Robin again!

"Who are you, and why are you skulking around furtively?" Angelia inquired, her tone relatively calm.

If she hadn't met Zhong Shenxiu and Robin, Angelia wouldn't bother wasting words on a stranger! She would either chase them off or simply relocate elsewhere!

Solomon felt a pang of awkwardness; being questioned so directly by a beautiful young woman was a first for him.

"I was just passing through!" Solomon stammered, unable to articulate anything better, so he offered a vague excuse!

Angelia studied Solomon again. Judging by his attire, he was clearly a swordsman too. She didn't hold much affection for male swordsmen; perhaps if the intruder had been a female swordsman, she might have exchanged a few words!

"Then you can continue on your way," Angelia stated plainly. It was difficult to discern her inner thoughts from her tone.

But Solomon didn't move; instead, he began scrutinizing Angelia in return!

Angelia disliked being eyed like prey. Seeing that he made no move to leave, she picked up the left-hand sword she had set aside, intending to find a different practice spot!

"Hey, don't go, wait a moment!" Solomon called out.

Angelia stopped, gazing coldly at Solomon, her tone starting to chill. "What is it you want?"

"Would you care for a spar?" Solomon inquired.

His companions were all mages, leaving him no one to practice serious combat with. He had hoped that upon arriving at Teacher Elina's residence, her younger brother—rumored to be a swordsman—could provide him with some good sparring, but Thomas had been scheduled for extra tutoring these past two days and hadn't returned!

To be frank, Solomon had been yearning to find a peer to test his skills against!

"Not interested," Angelia replied with an immediate refusal!

"We can keep it light; perhaps I could even offer you some pointers!" Solomon pressed on.

But upon hearing this, Angelia's gaze grew colder. She absolutely loathed the self-important demeanor of male swordsmen!

Solomon noticed the hostility hardening in Angelia’s eyes. Just as he anticipated her anger might erupt, he suddenly saw her expression shift again—from icy coldness to something that seemed utterly incredulous.

Solomon was left utterly bewildered by the drastic change in Angelia's demeanor. As he struggled to comprehend, Angelia finally spoke.

"You want to spar, is that it? If you truly have the nerve, then go challenge her instead!" Angelia said, pointing toward the distance.

Following the direction of Angelia's finger, a small, slender figure was approaching them. It was none other than Robin!