This was a derelict manor, quite spacious, the property of old Danny. At this moment, Elena’s faction and Zhong Shenxiu’s faction stood on opposite sides, watching Solomon and Laurent spar in the center of the courtyard.

The more Zhong Shenxiu watched, the more he wanted to laugh. Although both sides swung their swords with imposing might, to his eyes, their forms were riddled with flaws.

With such paltry skill, they dared to be arrogant? Robin, with one hand, could easily handle both of them without Zhong Shenxiu lifting a finger!

Too weak; so weak it killed any desire to watch! Neither Zhong Shenxiu nor Robin held much interest in the fight unfolding.

In their estimation, it was akin to watching two simpletons play, utterly devoid of spectacle! But it was different for Angelia; she did not possess their monstrous strength, so she observed the battle with intense focus.

What surprised Angelia was that Laurent seemed to have grown stronger again. That swift swordsmanship, those storm-like chains of attacks—it was beyond anything the man from last year could manage!

It was clear Laurent’s power had achieved another qualitative leap! Could it be that this year, too, she was destined to be defeated by him?

A surge of indignation flooded her heart. “Hey, girl, want to surpass them?” Just as Angelia felt a stirring of emotion, Zhong Shenxiu’s voice cut through the air abruptly.

Angelia turned, her expression momentarily blank, silenced by the complexity of her current feelings. Zhong Shenxiu smiled inscrutably, then stated, “They should not be the ones you strive toward, nor should they be your ultimate goal.” He paused, then pointed a hand toward Robin beside him and continued, “You must dare to challenge a higher state of being.

If you cannot even achieve that much, you are destined to remain weak!” Angelia shuddered. As her eyes met Zhong Shenxiu’s, she surprisingly found that her nervousness had dissipated!

Yes, her perspective should not be so narrow. Her ambition shouldn't merely be to surpass that person, but to become a truly capable swordswoman!

How far a person can go is determined not by their legs, but by their perseverance; how high one can climb is decided not by their hands, but by their aspiration! In that instant, Angelia seemed to grasp something profound.

Her gaze lost its earlier uncertainty, replaced instead by an unshakeable resolution. Zhong Shenxiu smiled, adopting an expression of one who recognized genuine potential—a teachable soul.

The combat continued for a while longer. Since neither side seemed intent on forcing a conclusion, it ended swiftly enough.

“Brother Solomon, you are truly amazing. Even giving it my all, I couldn't win against you!” Laurent said with a grin.

“Keep working hard; you will certainly surpass me one day!” Solomon showed a rare moment of humility, though the smugness on his face was undeniable to anyone watching. “That exchange just now seems to have given me a fresh insight,” Laurent remarked thoughtfully.

Solomon smiled, then said, “Then take a moment to digest what you’ve gained!” With that, he took two steps forward and called out to Angelia, “Hey, want to come down for a spar?” Angelia did not answer immediately, instead looking toward Zhong Shenxiu. Seeing an encouraging nod from him, she nodded softly and walked toward the center of the ring.

Upon seeing Angelia approach, joy flickered across Solomon’s face, while surprise registered on Laurent’s. Though Laurent didn't know Angelia intimately, he understood her temperament well enough.

By all rights, Angelia would never accept such a challenge. What was different today?

Why this sudden change? “Brother Solomon,” Laurent said, a strange look on his face, “let me spar with Angelia first.

You are truly too powerful; you’re operating on a different level than us!” Solomon was momentarily taken aback, but upon hearing Laurent praise him so highly, he readily agreed: “Ah, alright. I’ll watch from the sidelines then!” Seeing Solomon step down, Laurent let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Having sparred with Solomon numerous times, he was well aware of his personality. Solomon was the type who grew stronger the longer the fight lasted, while Angelia was the type who would cling on relentlessly.

Laurent truly shuddered to imagine what the result would be if those two clashed. To avoid any unnecessary complications, Laurent felt compelled to step in himself.

“I didn’t expect we’d be facing each other so soon!” Laurent tried to ease the tension, saying lightly. However, Angelia was hardly the sort to appreciate such niceties.

She swiftly drew the longsword from her waist and stated coolly to Laurent, “Let’s begin!” Laurent managed an awkward smile, thinking: She hasn’t changed a bit! Saying no more, he raised his own sword.

The fight commenced. Angelia held nothing back, immediately unleashing her full power.

With a sharp clang, Angelia’s downward chop was blocked by Laurent. Laurent frowned; he could feel that Angelia’s strength was significantly greater than in their last encounter.

Retracting her blade, Angelia followed up with a sweeping horizontal slash. Laurent dared not underestimate her, blocking the sword again before launching his own counter-attack against Angelia.

Thus, the two engaged in a back-and-forth exchange. Just as Laurent had suspected, Angelia’s attacks came in rapid succession, each faster than the last, locking him down completely.

“Laurent, if you don’t bring out your real strength, you might lose!” Solomon called out from the side, unable to watch any longer. Laurent didn't need Solomon’s reminder; he was already feeling the pressure.

Knowing he had to reveal some true ability, he side-stepped one of Angelia’s strikes and finally unleashed his ultimate technique—the Iai-giri (Quick-Draw Slash)! As soon as the ultimate move was deployed, Angelia immediately felt immense pressure, and the fluidity of her offense was disrupted.

The battle raged on. They seemed evenly matched in this intense struggle; if they continued at this pace, another few hundred rounds would pass without a victor, suggesting a prolonged, grueling fight lay ahead.

But just then, in a move nobody anticipated, Zhong Shenxiu suddenly spoke: “Girl, come back. I have generally grasped your situation!” Girl???

The onlookers exchanged confused glances, all unsure who Zhong Shenxiu was addressing. At that precise moment, Angelia executed a feint, then abruptly leaped out of the fighting circle, retreating to Zhong Shenxiu’s side.

This turn of events was so sudden that no one could react; they could only stare blankly at Angelia. “First, I have a question for you,” Zhong Shenxiu said, looking up at her.

“Do you possess an ultimate technique of your own?” The question struck Angelia like lightning; she truly had no signature move. Her attacks were reliant on pure instinct and improvisation!

Zhong Shenxiu smiled, asking no further questions, for he had already gleaned the answer he needed from her expression. “Hand your sword over to Robin,” Zhong Shenxiu instructed calmly.

Seeing Angelia’s stunned look, he quickly added a clarification: “So I can show you how Robin wields his sword!”