Chapter 258: Hu Tao: How About We Find a Disciple for Master Xiao?
At that moment, she was wreathed in the crackling, violent energy of Electro. It wasn't a power meant for ranged attacks, but a second skin—a liquid armor of lightning that clung to her limbs and fused with her bones, dramatically amplifying her speed, strength, and explosive force.
This was Valesa, a student of Iansan.
Her fighting style was a whirlwind of pure power, moving with a unique, almost dance-like rhythm.
Faced with a surging tide of monsters, she showed no fear. Instead, she launched a counter-charge, meeting the wave head-on.
A massive Mitachurl, its body encased in thick rock armor, lumbered forward. It raised a stone-clad fist, intent on smashing her into a bloody pulp.
Valesa, however, didn't even think to dodge. The Electro energy beneath her feet detonated, and her body shot forward like a cannonball, meeting the colossal fist with a ferociously direct headbutt.
With a deafening crash, the Mitachurl was sent reeling. A spiderweb of cracks spread across its thick geo-armor as it roared in pain, its massive body stumbling backward uncontrollably.
Pressing her advantage, Valesa twisted her body and drove a hook punch, imbued with concentrated lightning, viciously and precisely into the side of the monster's knee. A sickening crack that set one's teeth on edge rang out, and the once-arrogant beast howled, collapsing to one knee.
Against the smaller Hilichurls and other lesser minions, her methods were even more brutal and direct.
Often, a simple dash was all it took. The Electro field surrounding her acted like an invisible wall, violently flinging away any monster that dared approach. Wherever she passed, monsters were scattered like leaves in a gale, disintegrating into wisps of black smoke before they even hit the ground.
Her attack patterns were far from simple, bursting with dazzling variations.
At times, she would crouch low like a nimble cat, weaving under a crisscrossing volley of elemental arrows. Then, with a powerful stomp of her long, strong legs, she would unleash a ring of lightning that instantly cleared out the surrounding horde.
At other times, she used the monsters' massive bodies as springboards, her figure ricocheting at impossible angles amidst flashes of violet light, instantly reappearing on the other side of the battlefield to shatter the enemy's formation.
In the heat of battle, she let out a sharp, powerful kiai. Her knees bent, and the Electro energy beneath her feet compressed to a critical point before exploding outward—
"Hero—Flying Kick!"
Accompanied by her signature battle cry, her body was launched as if from a trebuchet, soaring high into the air to an astonishing height.
Sunlight pierced through the clouds, briefly rim-lighting her with a golden halo. Her large horns and flowing pink twin-tails formed a silhouette of raw, powerful beauty.
The next moment, gravity combined with the propulsive force of her Electro energy. She descended like a living thunderclap, plummeting fiercely into the most densely packed area of monsters at a speed the naked eye could barely follow.
"BOOM—!!!!"
The earth shook as if a real bolt of lightning had struck the ground.
Centered on her landing spot, a charred crater several meters in diameter instantly formed. Violent purple arcs of Electro, like rampaging pythons, spread, leaped, and tore outward in a frantic ring.
Monsters caught in the direct impact disintegrated into black smoke instantly. Those on the fringes were torn apart and blown away by the terrifying shockwave and leaping bolts of electricity. Scattered limbs and charred carapaces flew everywhere, creating a temporary vacuum in the tide of monsters.
After delivering this devastating blow, Valesa panted slightly as she struck a dramatic bodybuilding pose, shouting loudly and devoutly.
"Fietina, grant me strength!"
Then, she charged toward the abyss gate once more.
From a distant cliff, Hu Tao, who had witnessed the entire spectacle, let out an incredulous gasp, her plum-blossom pupils wide with amazement.
This scene completely shattered every image she had ever had of a "peerless general." Unable to contain herself, Hu Tao patted the arm of the man standing beside her.
"Consultant, Consultant! Look, quickly! This girl... her strength is just absurd! She's facing so many monsters all by herself, but she's treating it like a game!"
"But... look at that jump and then the smash down... tsk tsk, doesn't that posture remind you of our very own quiet Adeptus Xiao from Liyue, the one who's always standing on rooftops?"
The more she spoke, the more her theory seemed to make sense. Her imagination ran wild. "Do you think she could be Adeptus Xiao's secret disciple? Maybe he took her in while he was traveling the world through Natlan? Look at that plunging attack! How imposing!"
Zhongli, who had been quietly observing the battle, swept his gaze across the field, taking in Valesa's wild and untamed fighting style, which was brimming with instinctive, explosive power.
Hearing Hu Tao's words, he paused, a hint of helplessness in his expression at the Director's fanciful associations. He slowly shook his head, clarifying on behalf of the taciturn Yaksha.
"The Director jests. To my knowledge, the Conqueror of Demons is bound by his duty to guard Liyue year-round and expel evil. Given his temperament... he would not easily take on a disciple."
", observing this person's combat techniques, though they are fierce and swift, her style is vastly different from the Conqueror of Demons's Bane of All Evil."
His eyes, sharp as a hawk's, had already discerned that Valesa's power leaned more toward a raw combination of some bloodline talent and elemental energy. It lacked the ethereal grace and deep principles of the adeptal arts.
Hu Tao's questions, however, came one after another like a volley of cannon fire.
She pointed curiously into the valley, pressing on, "Then who is this 'Fietina' she's shouting about? She sounds like someone who can grant her strength. Could she be some reclusive, rarely recorded tribal guardian god from Natlan?"
"Not so," Zhongli once again gave a negative answer. "Among the pantheon of Natlan's gods and the prevalent beliefs I am aware of, there is no record of a deity named 'Fietina'."
"By conventional reasoning, this name seems more akin to a heroic figure this warrior personally worships, or perhaps a fictional character from a folktale. Her using this name to bolster her fighting spirit and consolidate her beliefs can indeed be considered a unique method of cultivation."
He saw Hu Tao blinking her big eyes, looking as if she were about to explore deeper into questions like what kind of power "Fietina" might possess or what delicacies she might enjoy. He quickly and subtly changed the subject, bringing their focus back to the immediate crisis.
"Director, observe her form. Though she is incredibly brave and full of vigor, the monsters continue to spawn without end."
"All of this originates from that abyss gate. She has been fighting alone for a long time; although her aura shows no signs of exhaustion yet, a prolonged defense will inevitably lead to defeat. The fatigue from both mental and physical exertion is already evident. Since we came to assist, we might as well reveal ourselves and help resolve this predicament as soon as possible."
Hearing this, Hu Tao felt the consultant's analysis was perfectly reasonable. She immediately shelved her mental drafts for a "Feasibility Report on Helping Xiao Take a Disciple" and "Fietina Research Project," nodding vigorously as her face once again lit up with eagerness.
"Alright, alright, Consultant, you're right! Helping people is the priority! Our Wangsheng Funeral Parlor values service quality above all else. How can we just stand by when a client... ahem, a comrade, is in a tough fight? But then again..."
Her tone shifted, and a sly smile crept onto her face. "After we go down, we must get on good terms with her. If she truly is a once-in-a-million martial arts prodigy, and her personality is a good fit, maybe we can find a successor for Adeptus Xiao and help him solve his inheritance problem. This would be killing two birds with one stone—an act of immeasurable merit!"
With that, she hesitated no longer. With a flash of crimson light, the Staff of Homa was already held firmly in her hand.
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