Regarding the question of whether one thousand lives are enough to beat Honkai Impact 3rd.

The last encounter was merely a trial of swordsmanship at the request of Changguang and Changchuan, so this can be considered Su Qing'an's first real sparring session with Fu Hua.

Even after more than two months, the boy still couldn't figure out the difference between himself and the person in front of him in terms of martial arts.

His own Tai Xuan style is no longer at the same level as before. Although it is a bit unfair to say that, in just two months, Su Qing'an is now no less skilled in martial arts than his teacher Chen Junxuan.

Aside from the aid of the essence of the soul and the still water realm, the most important factor was Fu Hua's teachings.

Her martial arts skills reached a level that Su Qing'an could neither comprehend nor comprehend.

Whether martial arts are complex or simple, they seem to have no other meaning to her. Every move she makes, every punch she throws, is as natural and harmonious as that of a celestial being.

He couldn't touch her with his fist.

Five minutes passed, and the girl's figure was like a phantom of light and shadow, seemingly beyond the reach of human martial arts.

Su Qing'an felt as if he were standing in a sea of ​​clouds, throwing a punch. The clouds and mist were everywhere, yet he could only swing at empty air.

During this time, his joints were easily twisted and dislocated after the girl's palm gently touched them. The boy could understand that the force of that palm was really very small, but the mysterious and skillful force had inexplicably twisted his limbs directly.

But as Su Qing'an swung his arm with all his might, a tooth-grinding sound of bones grinding together accompanied by pain appeared, and his elbow and wrist joints returned to their original state at the same time.

The boy continued to throw punches.

Tireless and unwavering.

Even though her physical abilities had improved significantly, Su Qing'an could understand one thing: even if the opponent used the strength of a normal 17-year-old girl, she would not be a match for her.

This was something Su Qing'an had never understood so clearly and directly: the enormous chasm between herself and this girl.

Experience, martial arts, life experience.

And everything else too numerous to mention.

You must not feel frustrated, nor should you feel discouraged because of it.

Su Qing'an said to himself.

To think that he could catch up with Fu Hua with less than a year of experience is an act of extreme arrogance; he never even imagined that he could achieve that level.

What I need to do is get closer and closer.

At least, close enough to be able to stand on the clouds where she is.

Then, get to know her a little better.

To understand what that girl named Hua experienced, gained, and lost over those 50,000 years, which led her to become the Fu Hua we know today.

That's why I'm covered in wounds, that's why I stubbornly keep moving forward despite countless hardships, that's why...

lonely.

That might sound like a funny word, and some people might just think it's just whining.

But this was not the case with the girl; that was not a conclusion Su Qing'an drew from knowing her past experiences alone.

It is martial intent.

Fu Hua had told Su Qing'an about the existence of martial intent, and he himself had indeed come to realize that it was another subtle way of interfering with reality from the essence of the soul.

Fu Hua herself can certainly do that, and she can do it even better.

During his fight with her, he gradually realized that the girl wasn't deliberately using martial intent; it was an emotion that was involuntarily expressed in every punch and kick.

If it weren't for the strength of his soul essence, he would have felt dazed. That emotion was only a tiny bit of the girl's martial intent that was leaked out, but even so, he felt as if he were in a desolate and lonely place.

It was dark and cold there.

There was no sound, no life, and no wind.

Occasionally, a shooting star flashes across the sky like a guiding lighthouse.

Then the girl would grasp the fleeting brilliance of the shooting star and rely on it to walk for a very long time.

Su Qing'an came to understand a fact.

Fu Hua has become weaker.

For martial artists, whether in terms of physical or mental well-being, the inability to precisely control everything about themselves is a major taboo.

Just like the force of a punch, one must be able to be as light as a feather while also possessing great power to be considered to have entered the realm.

But Fu Hua's current situation is like the force of her punch going wrong, which is simply unbelievable for a martial artist like her who has reached the realm of immortals.

Her uncontrollable martial spirit was enough to prove that Fu Hua had weakened to a certain extent.

She was getting weaker every second, but because her power had always been so immense, the loss of that power seemed insignificant.

At this moment, the extent to which the sea had dried up finally became noticeable.

A fist was placed against the boy's forehead, the strong wind ruffling his hair and interrupting his thoughts.

Inch of force.

The immense power that burst forth from the boy's body erupted behind him, and the wind swept up the small pieces of equipment scattered across the training ground, making a mess of everything.

The equipment hitting the ground one after another created a series of sounds.

The girl frowned slightly, seemingly lost in thought, and opened and closed her hands several times.

The force of the punch has dissipated.

That should have been a punch with all its force concentrated in one place, leaving a fist imprint on the training ground wall.

Was it a mistake?

But Fu Hua immediately stopped thinking and said to Su Qing'an:

"Your mind is in turmoil. Are you worried about how to become stronger?"

Su Qing'an nodded silently. What he was worried about at the moment was definitely not that, but the physical condition of the girl in front of him.

However, given his position, he cannot speak out about this at this moment.

He also understood that even if he asked Hua about her health, she would only smile faintly and say that she was fine.

"I told you this morning, didn't I? The use of Honkai energy isn't something that's so simple."

"Yes." Su Qing'an nodded to indicate that she understood.

Fu Hua continued:

"The Taixu Sword Qi is divided into five elements, among which the Mind Elements is the most difficult to master. However, since you have already reached the Dustless Realm, I don't need to say much more about the Mind Elements for now."

"Soul essence has nothing to do with the control of Honkai energy; it refers to the level of swordsmanship. Your current level is acceptable, but you are still quite a distance away from mastering soul essence."

"The cultivation of profound meaning requires special conditions, which will be omitted here. Furthermore, the cultivation of divine essence is not closely related to the manipulation of Honkai energy and has demanding requirements."

"Regarding the final form, there are four elements: Guard, Transform, Activate, and Open, totaling twenty-one forms. It is the only method in the Taixu Sword Qi that controls and applies Honkai energy."

"Yes, I know all of these. If it weren't for the help of the Sword Guardian when I met Ganesha in Changkong City, I wouldn't be alive now."

Su Qing'an had to admit that if the Taixu Sword Qi did not have the manipulation and application of Honkai energy, he would be much weaker than he is now, and might not even be alive now, just as he said.

In this world filled with Honkai energy, Honkai energy is the sharpest weapon; fighting without relying on Honkai energy is equivalent to fighting solely with one's limbs.

Humans have always relied on weapons to stand at the top of the food chain. Chen Junxuan, who could fight a pride of lions with his hands, feet and martial arts training alone, was already at the limit of normal human beings.

In order to continue becoming stronger, Su Qing'an admitted something to Fu Hua.

That means that without utilizing Honkai energy, one can only remain at this level for a very long time.

Fu Hua nodded slightly as if she had confirmed something, and said:

"Well, although I'm not going to teach you anything about the Void Sword Qi, the ability to use those moves is fundamental."

"If you don't even have that kind of control, you won't be able to learn it."

Su Qing'an understood the direction Fu Hua wanted to guide him, and he said:

"Hua, are you going to teach me techniques for controlling Honkai energy?"

"But if it's a technique beyond the Void Sword Qi, I shouldn't be able to do it with my Honkai Energy adaptability."

Su Qing'an wasn't belittling himself; he simply compressed and condensed the Honkai energy into fine sword energy, poured it into the scabbard, and then shaped and swung it out as he drew the sword.

Even with such a simple operation, he would inevitably harm himself.

Su Qing'an was not confident that he could achieve a level of application beyond that.

That's like forcing a lion to breathe through its mouth and nose underwater to survive—it's illogical.

What can't be done, simply can't be done.

Some things, no matter how hard you try, are destined to be in vain.

Fu Hua fell silent. She couldn't possibly be unaware of this. Given her personality, it would be normal for her not to let the boy make such a hopeless attempt.

For some reason, she understood that if Su Qing'an had the choice, he would rather make futile efforts in the face of illusion than remain stagnant.

Because such agonizing pain may itself be the greatest despair.

“…Su Qingan, I won’t guarantee you that you will definitely learn it; I will only teach you.” That was her simple and clear answer.

Su Qing'an found it somewhat amusing upon hearing this; he thought the answer was truly in Hua's style.

But such harsh words are themselves the greatest tenderness that hua can offer.

“That’s enough,” he said with a slight smile.

For a fleeting moment, the girl revealed a complex expression mixed with helplessness.

Why can't I learn to give up?

That would be an extremely simple matter for an ordinary person.

And you yourself said that you shouldn't be able to do it.

But for this young man who had overcome several life-or-death situations with his meager luck and whose days were numbered, choosing to give up was more unacceptable than death itself.

"...Even if I had guessed that you would react this way, Su Qing'an, I'm not kidding, the chances of you learning this are very slim."

"The Taixu Sword Qi and artificial holy marks have indeed pushed the limits of what a normal man can achieve, but that doesn't mean your path will be smooth sailing from now on. In this world, the price you pay and the reward you receive are not necessarily proportional."

Su Qing'an could understand the meaning behind the other party's words.

Even if she burned up most of her remaining years as fuel, she was still far inferior to Raiden Mei, who possessed innate Stigmata, and Kiana, who had the blood of the Kaslana family.

Rather, they are simply incomparable.