Chapter 236: Many Skills Don't Weigh You Down

"The form of power is unique; it is not beyond teaching."

Hua's tone remained flat, yet carried a convincing certainty: "What you saw earlier, the 'Great Sword' wielded by Li Su Shang, is the nascent form of the fifth essence, the 'Divine Essence,' of Great Void Sword Qi. And that is far from its complete form."

Qingque recalled that towering, ancient Great Sword that blocked the sun, and Hua's casually delivered punch…

A shiver involuntarily ran through them.

Impressive, indeed, but how much hardship must one endure to cultivate it!

Seeing the unabashed "want to slip away" on Qingque's face, Hua suddenly changed her approach, stepping two paces closer and softening her voice: "Learning this technique doesn't necessarily mean you must use it to vie for strength, fight ruthlessly, or charge into battle."

"Hm?" Qingque's ears twitched.

"Control your own power, clarify mind and see nature; it can also strengthen the body, making you vigorous and full of energy."

Hua spoke slowly, as if describing a health cultivation method: "Your movements become swifter, you tire less, reactions quicken… for your daily 'handling of official duties,' 'astral calculations,' and even 'leisure entertainment,' it should be beneficial as well."

(Strengthen the body? Full of energy? Less fatigue? Faster reactions?)

Qingque's little brain immediately started whirring.

(Does that mean… later when slacking off, I'll be harder for Fu Xuan to spot? When playing cards, I can count faster? After staying up late, I'll be more refreshed the next day?)

Seems… somewhat reasonable?

Although still troublesome, if it isn't that tiring and actually useful…

The resistance on Qingque's face lessened a touch; she hesitantly looked at Hua: "S-senior… really… it won't be that exhausting, right? Not having to swing the sword thousands of times each day?"

"Progress step by step, varying per individual."

Hua didn't close the matter, but her tone offered hope: "You can start with the form of power you're most familiar with."

"…Then, alright then."

Qingque, as if making a huge resolve, sagged and agreed, "I… I'll give it a try. But we agreed, senior, if it's too tiring or I lack talent, you can't blame me…"

She silently reassured herself: Forget it, just treat it as… a strategic investment so I can later slack off more happily and longer!

Having many skills doesn't weigh you down… probably.

Seeing Qingque's 'forced work' yet secretly doing mental calculations, a faint smile flickered in Hua's eyes.

Teaching such a 'student' should prove an interesting experience.

Consciousness Space

Qiana snapped her eyes open, the scent of fresh grass flooding her nostrils.

Above her, Saint Freya Academy dotted the tranquil night sky with sparse stars.

"Back… again?"

She propped herself up, shook her head, feeling unusually clear‑headed.

Immediately, the brief yet intensely fierce battle memory surged—the man wearing a Mask, raging like a Flame storm, his scorching fist.

"One more outrageous than the last…"

Qiana couldn't help a low mutter, her heart still trembling.

That masked man's strength seemed far more terrifying than many A‑rank Valkyrie instructors, and his combat style was pure, brutal crushing. If it weren't for teaming up with the Star Alliance and the fact that I seemed to have grown a bit stronger in that space, I probably couldn't have withstood even a single strike.

(Wait… space? Growing stronger? And that white‑haired man from before…)

Qiana suddenly recalled something; she looked down at her hand, then touched her chest.

(I think… I've been overlooking something?)

A forgotten thought now surfaced clearly.

(Gold Finger… my 'Gold Finger'… what exactly is it?)

She clearly remembered that before her first inexplicable entry into that strange space, when the white‑haired man "beat her up," and even during that near‑death experience, she vaguely sensed another consciousness residing within her body.

Qiana instantly looked around warily.

This is her consciousness space, usually empty save for a simulated academy night view.

But this time, she quickly spotted, in a shadowed corner beneath the nearby dormitory building, a presence that clashed with the surroundings.

It was a half‑crouched figure emitting a faint violet glow.

The silhouette was blurry; its face and clothing details were indistinct, but she could barely make out a female outline, arms wrapped around her knees, face buried in her elbows, exuding a strong aura of "Leave me alone" and "I want peace."

(Found it!)

Qiana's eyes lit up; curiosity instantly outweighed the earlier battle tension.

She tiptoed over, crouched beside the violet figure, and tentatively whispered, "Hey… are you okay? Um… 'Gold Finger' miss?"

The violet figure's shoulders twitched imperceptibly, yet she kept her head down, offering no response, only the withdrawn aura seemed to thicken.

Qiana blinked, recalling the brief "takeover" when she faced Kaiwen's world‑shattering power, and glanced at the now‑dull violet glow before her, suddenly gaining some understanding.

(Could it be… that white‑haired uncle knocked her into a shell?)

A slightly ridiculous yet sympathetic thought surfaced in Qiana's mind.

Though her consciousness was hazy then, she vaguely sensed the white‑haired man's might was an absolute crushing force of a different tier, one that stifled any thought of resistance.

Looking at this "withdrawn violet light," Qiana inexplicably felt the other was… pitiful?

And after all, it's her own 'Gold Finger'!

Even though she hasn't figured out its purpose yet, she can't let it stay so despondent forever, right?

She hesitated, then reached out, carefully attempting to pat the figure's shoulder in comfort.

Pat!

Her hand hadn't touched the violet glow before the figure flicked it away even faster.

A self‑isolating female voice drifted out, lifeless: "Go away… don't touch me… don't block my view…"

Qiana's hand was brushed away; she froze for a moment, her mouth twitching.

(Temper's quite fierce…)

But who is Qiana of the Kasurana Family?

But I've been good at handling all kinds of awkward personalities since I was little!

She didn't give up just because she was rejected; instead she moved a little closer to the other side and, in her blunt yet somehow sincere tone, said:

"Oh dear, don't be like that! It's just that I was beaten once! I often get scolded by Aunt Jizi, get lectured by Yimei, and even have my period make me run laps! See, I'm fine, aren't I?"

Purple figure: "…"

"That white‑haired uncle is pretty strong, almost not human!"

Qiana nodded in agreement, "But think about it, we're still alive! Our consciousness is still there, we can still speak, we can still squat here… uh, glow. That shows we haven't lost completely, right?"

The purple figure twitched slightly, as if… listening?

Qiana pressed on, deciding to mimic the other's manner, sitting cross‑legged on the grass beside her. Whether or not the other could see, she kept talking to herself: "Look at me, my goal is to become an S-Class Valkyrie and protect everyone. This path will surely be hard, we'll encounter many unbeatable foes—Collapse Beast, Herrscher… and maybe later we'll even meet someone even more perverse than that white‑haired uncle!"

"But!"

She changed tone, becoming resolute, "So what? If we lose once, we train until we can win! If we're knocked down, we get back up! That's the spirit of the Kasurana Family!"

She turned her head, looking at the still‑contracted purple light, and softened her voice, unusually gentle: "You're also a part of me, right? Or maybe my 'Gold Finger'? Then we're together! Next time we meet that kind of pervert, we'll figure it out together! I'm tough, can take a beating! You… you surely have something strong too, you just haven't shown it yet, or maybe you were scared."

"Don't sit here all alone feeling sad,"

Qiana reached out, this time not trying to touch, just hovering beside the other, "Come on, let's get up and chat? Tell me, what exactly are you? How can you help me become a powerful S-Class Valkyrie?"