"Xiao Yicheng's family environment was much better; he never experienced those hardships. He's usually fine, but in certain dangerous moments, he can't help feeling a bit jittery. Actually, he has been working hard to suppress these emotions, but subconscious reactions aren't something that can be changed in the short term," Teacher N commented as he pushed his sunglasses up.
"What about Tilan, then? Logically, although she's faced some setbacks, she shouldn't be like Bennett, right? After all, she's a girl, she's been protected a lot, and doesn't have that much pressure," another teacher said, slightly puzzled.
"Tilan? That's hard for me to say. She seems to have never been worried about such things, or maybe it's because her talent is too great, her strength too strong; no one has been able to push her to that extent," Teacher N said with a slight recollection.
"Enough about that, the star of the show has arrived, heh, let's see how she instructs the two," Teacher N glimpsed the black-haired girl entering the combat arena below.
With his arm wrapped in bandages, Xiao Yicheng looked at the approaching girl with a bit of shame. He revered the Songstress and President before him, for she had taught him much about swordsmanship in the 'Hat and Short Sword' club. He had considered himself Tilan's chief disciple and yet, today, he had lost.
"It's nothing; everyone's experience of growth is different. There's no need to dwell on it," Tilan said, her mindset very stable, already accustomed to such minor matters.
"Bennett," Tilan suddenly called the other's name.
"What is it, President Tilan?" Bennett, who had just finished wrapping his shoulder in bandages, asked at that moment.
"Your style of fighting may be useful in life-and-death struggles, but it's too dependent," the girl shook her head.
"It's effective in a match, but once you leave school, in a real fight, such gambles and risks won't hold up. If you lose just once, you could end up seriously injured or even dead in battle, and it seems like you're only chasing a single victory without considering the long term," she continued.
"It's actually a form of overextension, very dangerous."
"I know, but this is my choice. If you ask me to be timid, to consider every move, to fight with my hands tied, I'd be even less capable of fighting," Bennett shrugged, but immediately winced with pain from the wound on his shoulder.
"Taking shortcuts can give you a short-term advantage, but ultimately it's not the true path," Tilan knew that mere words would not persuade Bennett.
She moved lightly, easily passing by Bennett's side, drawing the glowing green blade, holding it casually to gauge its weight and feel.
Then Tilan held the blade in front of her, slowly swinging it. The speed wasn't fast, but each movement contained a certain rhythm, visibly coordinated and fluid, as if just a slight acceleration could reach a state of continuous motion like 'Sword Aura' itself.
Since it was a demonstration, Tilan purposefully displayed the details of her long blade's swings and the rotations of her steps. To laypeople, the dance might seem simply beautiful; but to the experts, it was an even more sophisticated and Perfect combat technique, with room to maneuver, flexible, and not only full of fighting spirit but also exceptionally graceful and agile, like swallows somersaulting or breezes skimming water, pleasing to the eye.
This collection of swordsmanship techniques, or ways of using the blade, was roughly similar to the pattern Bennett used in combat, but many details had been refined, removing the ruthless edge of walking a tightrope, instead adding more living, changing vitality.
As the two slowly grasped what they were seeing, Tilan's speed with the blade grew faster, until the gentle light from the blade melded with the fluttering sleeves, flashy and breathtaking, before stopping abruptly, leaving a lasting impression.
"Alright, that's it. Have you both memorized it?" Putting the blade away and sliding it back into its sheath, Tilan turned to ask them both.
"Remember this," the two replied with a grateful fist and palm salute.
The girl nodded slightly and then returned to the upstairs room to continue dealing with matters, while downstairs, various exclamations and discussions arose among the students at the battlefield.
"I've heard before that President Tilan's swordsmanship is strong, but I never imagined it would be to this extent."
"It feels like Bennett and Xiao Yicheng are just obedient elementary school students in front of Tilan."
"Hahaha, indeed, it does feel that way."
"Watch closely, the sword dances like a swimming dragon, moves like a startled swan. If President Tilan could perform more often, that would be great."
"Unfortunately, President Tilan is very busy now, with student council and Songstress duties already taking up a lot of time."
"Right, didn't they say that President Tilan would give encouragement rewards to those who perform excellently and win the duels? If at that time, we could request a sword dance performance from President Tilan..." Someone got caught up in their fantasy of the future.
"There are also gifts personally folded by Tilan, just thinking about it makes me look forward to it. Suddenly, I really want to learn swordsmanship."
"Forget it, actually, learning something else is fine too, as long as you win in the duels."
"Suddenly I want to give it a try, even if I don't win, it would still be a great memory, so I won't have regrets later."
"Feeling inspired, aren't we?" A male student next to him sighed at this scene, then turned his head to look at the girl on the second floor who was talking to someone.
"Hexia Tilan, she really is an incredible girl, it's like everything is a dream," he shook his head, then glanced at the retracted firearm at his side, his fingertips twisted, and the silver weapon transformed, taking the shape of a long spear with a Sword Aura at the tip, flickering long and bright.
The Winter Festival's evening competition was not far away; he must prepare early too, he thought silently and then headed towards the separate training room on the other side.
Even though everyone wants to slack off and cut corners most of the time, if there really is a near-perfect and dreamy girl standing in front of you, you can't help but think about trying a bit harder to look better, even if it's just to receive her praise and admiration once, it's a delightful thing.
The hearts of the young are filled with anticipation and fantasy; even if they are called naive, they exude a robust force, inspiring them to keep trying and moving forward. Not everyone is so lucky to encounter the figure that inspires them. Often, this small flame, before it grows, is extinguished by a cold wind, leaving one to walk silently in the vast snowstorm, gradually becoming cold and speechless.
To live as brilliantly as the flowers of summer,
May you, like a rock struck by a hard substance, burst forth in sparks like a butterfly, stunning and illuminating the dimness of life.