Choosing Tianshu University was a major life decision settled.
They arranged with Teacher Chen Jing for the two sisters to set off on July 13th. They would report to the university early and take the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the campus.
Just as Lin Qingyue hung up the phone, a new notification chimed in her mind.
[Ding! Special Announcement: The Host is about to embark on a vibrant and exciting university life! System Version 2.0 is now upgrading! Please confirm if you wish to activate the new feature: I Am Elation!]
Lin Qingyue's eyelid twitched.
That name sounded anything but proper.
[I Am Elation!: Unique Passive]
[Effect 1: From now on, the first time you trigger a character's transformation, you will have a 100% chance to activate a "Gift of Divine Charm," permanently acquiring one of that character's random abilities!]
[Effect 2: From now on, any transformation will trigger Elation, In My Name!, generating a semi-transparent display above your head that plays videos related to the character, including but not limited to official PVs, fan-made animations, etc.]
Lin Qingyue stared at the system interface, her breath catching for a moment.
A 100% chance to permanently master a skill.
The temptation was no less than having an entire mountain of gold placed before her.
But the price...
Playing fan-made videos above her head?
This wasn't just social death; it was a cyber-parade of public humiliation!
She could almost instantly picture the scene:
She transforms into Zhongli, and a looping, memetic MV of "I will have order!" plays above her head.
She transforms into some idol singer, and the top-trending MMD dance videos from the fan community start playing...
Why was this system forcing an upgrade? This was practically a forced sale!
However, the thought of resisting only lingered in her mind for three seconds.
Three seconds later, a dangerously sharp curve formed on Lin Qingyue's lips.
"Wait... why should I resist?"
She murmured to herself, her voice tinged with an irrepressible excitement.
"This isn't a debuff; it's a strategic-grade causality weapon!"
"Imagine this: I'm in a life-or-death duel with a top-tier master, under the watchful eyes of thousands. The atmosphere is so tense it's frozen solid."
"Suddenly, a silly animation starts playing above my head, or maybe some bizarre, brainwashing earworm."
"Wouldn't that master just freeze on the spot? Wouldn't they start questioning the very meaning of their existence?"
"In a duel between masters, victory is decided in an instant. The second his focus breaks is the second I send him to his grave!"
"This isn't social death; it's 'Cognitive Interference'! It's a 'Dimensionality Reduction Strike'! It's 'Mental Pollution'!"
"System, you think you're playing 5D chess, trying to bind me with shame?"
"In reality, I'm already in the stratosphere, ready to pollute the entire world with that very shame!"
"Confirm! Activate it immediately!"
With this realization, Lin Qingyue felt a wave of relief wash over her, her thoughts clearer than ever before.
A quick calculation told her she still had a full two weeks before departure.
Not a single second of those two weeks could be wasted.
Following Yan Shuyu's advice that "a girl needs her own private training space," they had rented a private training room at the Bedrock Training Hall, just two streets away from home, at an incredibly low price.
The room wasn't large, but its soundproofing was top-notch.
The walls and floor were reinforced with special materials, sturdy enough for the sisters to go all out inside.
"Stance Training is the root of Ancient Martial Arts, the source of all power."
Inside the training room, Lin Qingyue, now in a sleek training uniform, wore a terrifyingly serious expression. She looked like a completely different person from her usual lazy self, who subscribed to the philosophy of "if I can lie down, I won't stand."
Lin Xiyue mimicked her, spreading her feet shoulder-width apart and slightly bending her knees, trying to find the profound sensation her sister described: "Sink the shoulders, drop the elbows, and let the crown of your head feel as if suspended from above."
"Not quite. Sit a little lower."
Lin Qingyue moved behind her sister and gently pressed down on her shoulders, applying a steady, grounding force.
"Imagine you're sitting on an invisible high stool."
"Your center of gravity must be stable, but your muscles can't be rigid."
"As a Paladin, your defensive stance emphasizes being 'Immovable as a Mountain,' but a mountain isn't a dead thing."
"A mountain has roots, anchored deep in the earth, allowing it to withstand wind, rain, and lightning. The Stance Training of Ancient Martial Arts is about cultivating that very 'root'."
Lin Xiyue gritted her teeth, desperately adjusting her posture.
In just a few short minutes, fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Maintaining the specific sense of power in this seemingly simple stance was far more exhausting than charging into battle with her shield raised.
"Sis... my legs... they're shaking..."
Lin Xiyue's legs felt as if they were filled with lead—sore and numb. Even her voice trembled.
"Shaking is good."
Lin Qingyue stood nearby, arms crossed, a slender bamboo pole now inexplicably in her hand. She looked every bit the strict little coach.
"It means your dormant muscles are activating, and the power deep within your body is awakening."
"Straighten your back! Sink your center of gravity another three inches!"
The bamboo pole tapped precisely against the small of Lin Xiyue's back.
"A Paladin's power core lies in the waist, abdomen, and lower body. Master Stance Training, and next time you're wielding [Immovable Mountain], you'll be able to hold off that Death Knight for at least five more seconds!"
Lin Xiyue wanted to cry but had no tears left.
She felt less like she was preparing for the Ancient Martial Arts Special Training Camp and more like she was getting a preview of the Eighteen Levels of Hell.
"Alright, ten-minute break." Lin Qingyue glanced at the time and tapped her bamboo pole lightly on the ground. "Go drink some water and replenish your electrolytes."
Lin Xiyue felt as if she'd been granted amnesty. She plopped onto the floor, grabbed her water bottle, and guzzled down more than half of it.
Meanwhile, Lin Qingyue walked to the other side of the training room. With a mere thought, the ornate pink staff materialized out of thin air, and she gripped it firmly.
The moment her hand closed around the long shaft, a heavy, ancient Intent—imbued with the weight of countless mountains and ravines—naturally emanated from her.
She closed her eyes.
In her mind, the wisp of "Spear Intent" she had acquired while cosplaying as a female Zhongli reappeared with crystal clarity.
It wasn't a specific technique but a "Principle"—a profound understanding of the "Geo" element's weight and the eternal nature of "Contracts," now fully integrated into her comprehension of polearms.
This was the method for a mortal to channel the Power of Bedrock.
Voom—
The staff began to vibrate without any wind, its tip oscillating at an incredibly high frequency, emitting a low hum like a dragon's roar.
The next moment, Lin Qingyue flicked her wrist, and the staff struck out like a dragon
There were no flashy variations—only the simplest, most direct thrusts, lifts, sweeps, and slams.
Yet every strike carried an ineffable, profound weight.
Wherever the staff's tip passed, the air seemed to be violently compressed until it detonated with muffled booms!
The specially reinforced floor of the training room was scarred with shallow white marks just from the aftershocks of her strikes.
"Hiss..." Lin Xiyue stared, her eyes wide. "Sis, your staff technique... it's completely different from what you used in the Dungeon!"
"Mm."
Lin Qingyue retracted her staff and stood still, her breathing steady and deep.
"In the Dungeon, I used battlefield spear arts, focused on killing. What I'm practicing now is more about comprehending 'Intent.'"
She looked down at the staff in her hand, her eyes shining.
This wisp of Spear Intent was far more precious than she had imagined.
Not only did it dramatically increase the power of her spear arts, but it also subtly tempered her willpower. Now, whenever she struck, she naturally exuded the aura of a Grandmaster—as steady as a mountain, as immovable as a peak.
That Street Loafer really is a War God!
"Alright, warm-up's over."
Lin Qingyue looked at the staff again, her expression turning as grimly resolute as someone marching to their execution.
"Xiyue, brace yourself. I'm about to begin... um, some practice in 'artistic refinement.'"
Lin Xiyue suddenly had a terrible premonition.
"Wh-what kind of training?"
"Thick-skinnedness reinforcement training."
Lin Qingyue explained with a deadpan expression, "I need to completely adapt to that unstable Heroic Spirit Transformation."
Lin Xiyue's mouth twitched uncontrollably. "Sis, you call those socially suicidal moments 'training'?"
"Of course!" Lin Qingyue declared with resounding conviction, as if expounding some profound martial truth. "A true expert must be able to wear bizarre outfits and recite embarrassing lines while skewering their enemies with a completely straight face. A strong mentality is part of one's strength!"
Her words might have been more convincing if one could ignore the faint blush creeping up her earlobes.
"Alright, let's start by grinding Basic Healing Spell."
Lin Qingyue raised her staff again, aiming it at a humanoid target in the corner—a low-level Healing Puppet provided by the training hall, perfect for grinding skills.
A warm, gentle pink light glowed at the staff's tip.
"Healing Spell!"
A mote of light shot out and sank into the puppet's chest.
Nothing happened.
"Again."
"Healing Spell!"
"Healing Spell!"
"Heal—Ngh!"
As she raised her hand for the fourth time, a crisp ding echoed in her mind, and an invisible switch was instantly flipped.
Immediately after, an ethereal, otherworldly melody filled the training room without warning, evoking the transcendent grace of an immortal. The music, a duet of zither and flute, flowed like mist swirling through mountain valleys or pine trees sighing under the moonlight.
[Melody Beyond the Strings triggered! BGM: "A Solitary Immortal's Libation" (Genshin Impact - Jueyun Karst). Transformation Character: Shenhe.]
It's here!
Lin Qingyue's spirits soared as her body was enveloped in the familiar pink glow.
When the light faded, the pink-haired Priest was gone.
In her place stood a tall, peerless beauty with a cool, aloof aura.
She wore a form-fitting black and blue long robe, a crane-feather cloud collar draped over her shoulders, a red rope tied around her waist, and immaculate cloud-patterned short boots.
The most striking detail was her signature pink hair, now swept up high into Shenhe's iconic ponytail, creating a strange yet stunning hybrid aesthetic.
In her hand was no longer the ornate staff, but a polearm of pure ice-blue wrapped in mysterious talismans—the Calamity Queller!
[Bonus Buff: Can use Shenhe's Talisman Arts, Polearm Techniques, and Adeptal Movement. Cryo Affinity greatly increased for the duration.]
[First-time Shenhe transformation triggered. Drawing bonus reward...]
[Congratulations, Host! You have permanently mastered: Shenhe's Polearm Essence (Integration Tier)!]
An icy, razor-sharp understanding of polearm combat surged into her mind like a glacial torrent, a stark contrast to Zhongli's heavy, mountain-like Spear Intent.
Shenhe's polearm style was solitary, transcendent!
It carried the resolve to sever all mortal ties and freeze the world in ice!
While not as weighty or majestic as Zhongli's Spear Intent, it had reached the pinnacle of "technique"—precise, swift, and lethal in a single strike
"Excellent!"
Lin Qingyue was overjoyed.
A great start! I rolled the most practical combat ability right away!
She subconsciously raised her hand. An ice-blue talisman phantom swirled at her fingertips, radiating a bone-chilling cold.
"Sis... you look so cool like this," Lin Xiyue said, cupping her face, her eyes shining. "Pink hair actually goes really well with this outfit?"
Lin Qingyue cleared her throat, suppressing her smugness while maintaining Shenhe's aloof expression. She spoke coolly, "By this body, by this spear..."
"Wait!" Lin Xiyue suddenly interrupted, her voice cracking. "Sis, above your head!"