Chapter 80: Schemes Between the Golden Eyes
Aslan mainly taught Xu Xiaofeng about the mild and deep activation of the Golden Eyes.
The mild activation allowed her to see only a little—just an enhancement of vision—while the deep activation revealed much more intricate things but, naturally, consumed massive amounts of energy, so it wasn’t something you could use for long.
Once activated deeply, her vision was filled with a dazzling array of colors and fog, with each color carrying a different meaning. There were also many colors that were utterly meaningless or, frankly, impossible to comprehend.
Like the multicolored black and the rainbow-colored white.
But when Aslan explained all this, Xu Xiaofeng felt a bit lost.
What colors? What black and white? What on earth was he talking about?
Wasn’t she supposed to be seeing a panel instead?
In her view, there weren’t all those fancy things, just a plain old panel.
Compared to the panel she saw before, the deep activation revealed a much more detailed panel.
【Name: Aslan (NPC·Hero Spirit State)
Occupation: Swordsman
Identity: General of the Northern Town of the Golden Kingdom
Panel Data: Please Expand (Under Suppression)
Talented Skills: Golden Eyes, Golden Battle Technique, Golden Military Might…
HP: 3300
MP: Unlimited】
Aside from the above information, she could even see his action patterns, how much health he would lose before changing phases, and whether he would self-destruct or not.
Uh… This seems like a cheat… But it’s fine! Little cheats don’t count as cheating; they’re just auxiliary!
If they were out in the wild, this auxiliary would let her see right through the underpants of wild elite monsters or even a Boss in one glance. After that, the hunt would be as easy as pie!
But alas, right now, she was up against an NPC opponent who wouldn’t be that easygoing.
In short, Xu Xiaofeng realized that what she saw was just a tiny bit different from what Aslan had described…
However, as she watched Aslan speak so energetically with such high spirits, she didn’t want to interrupt, so she quietly listened and occasionally chimed in with praises, perfectly embodying the role of the eager student and the good little baby.
Finally, Aslan wrapped up his lecture.
Xu Xiaofeng clapped and nodded enthusiastically, “Mm-mm! I totally understand everything now!”
“Then let’s test it out in real combat.”
Both parties reset their stances and clashed once again.
Xu Xiaofeng used her Golden Eyes to predict Aslan’s movements and targeted her attacks accordingly, which indeed caused him some trouble—but nothing too significant.
“Your Highness, remember, the Golden Eyes are merely a heritage ability of our Atalan family. We can use it, but we must never rely on it. Predicted actions can only be a reference and not something to bank on; it could just be a trap.”
While speaking, he halted his leaning body, and with lightning speed, he deflected the sword Xu Xiaofeng thrust at him.
Clearly, this was a deliberate opening he left for Xu Xiaofeng.
“When facing an experienced opponent or one with unknown abilities, overreliance on the Golden Eyes may lead to situations like this.”
“I got it! Let’s go again!” Xu Xiaofeng picked up her sword again, “By the way, at what point do I clear this challenge?”
“Deal fatal damage to me.”
Xu Xiaofeng pouted, “Can’t you be a little flexible?”
“Rules are rules, Your Highness.”
The next moment, while Aslan was still speaking, Xu Xiaofeng launched an attack.
Outside the tower, the onlookers were staring at the map.
It had been over half an hour—how come one person was still on the first floor?!
The slowest person among them was already on the fourth floor, and the fastest had even broken through to the sixth.
The murmurs and jeers could no longer be suppressed, and many pointed at the map.
Elia merely glanced at them without saying much, as she herself also wasn’t sure of the situation.
What on earth was Little Wind doing? Even if it was her first time in the Hero Spirit Tower, half an hour should have been more than enough.
Klimans, meanwhile, was reveling in the spectacle, sporting a look of pure delight.
“Your Highness, the person you’ve chosen really seems to be lacking. What if she doesn’t even make it past the first floor and ends up getting kicked out of the Hero Spirit Tower for wasting time?”
“You seem quite anxious; why not just go announce the result yourself?”
“No, I wouldn’t dare.”
“Then sit tight.”
“Yes.”
Though Klimans retreated with a respectful demeanor, his face still wore a smug grin.
He quickly moved closer to the other nobles and began discussing the situation in the Hero Spirit Tower, deliberately raising his volume, as if afraid someone might miss it.
Elia remained unfazed and kept her eyes on the map.
Inside the tower, the two continued their practice. Although Xu Xiaofeng hadn’t managed to hit Aslan a single time since her initial ambush with space magic, her progress was becoming evident.
The Golden Battle Technique was gradually merging and flowing through her, making her feel like a battle-hardened veteran rather than a fresh-faced kid.
Couple that with her predictions from the Golden Eyes, and she was now able to trade blows with Aslan for several rounds.
She even had occasional magical ambushes that sprinkled some chaos into the mix, certainly giving Aslan quite a headache.
Of course, this was only under the condition that Aslan was on the defense; if he initiated attacks, he could probably take Xu Xiaofeng down in two moves.
“Your Highness, your rate of improvement is nothing short of incredible. You should have few rivals among the Bronze Level now.”
“Yes.”
Though she felt she had few rivals even before coming in. Was Aslan’s idea of ‘Bronze Level’ different from hers?
Maybe.
“Aslan, can I ask you a question?”
“Your Highness, please go ahead.”
Even while they talked, their swords continued to clash.
“If I defeat you here, what happens?”
“Right now, I merely exist as a Hero Spirit in the Hero Spirit Tower. Being defeated simply means I return to the tower to await the next challenger.”
“Oh, well, that’s good to know.”
In the next instant, Xu Xiaofeng surged forward, pouring in all her strength to slash at Aslan’s right arm.
But in Aslan’s golden vision, Xu Xiaofeng’s right slash was merely a feint; her true deadly move was coming from the left.
Though he couldn’t pinpoint her exact movement, the ripples that suddenly erupted on the left side signaled the launching of a technique known only to the Golden Eyes.
He chose to play along, continuing to stick to the right while simultaneously spinning his whole body to exploit her off-balance state, tossing her out wide while the Golden Law was still in the early stages.
Sure enough, Xu Xiaofeng followed his calculations, and the Golden Law failed to activate, sending her flying out.
“Your Highness, before you strike, do avoid needless chatter! And don’t forget, I also have Golden Eyes. I can see… Pffft!”
Suddenly, he looked down in shock, seeing a sword had pierced his chest, and the one wielding it was none other than his Princess!
Glancing to the side, where he was tossed, there was no Xu Xiaofeng left—just a lonely cloak.
“Aslan, of course I know you also have Golden Eyes,” Xu Xiaofeng pulled her sword back, stepping back to recover her stance.
“But just like you said, we can use it, but we must never rely on it.”
Aslan paused for a moment and then burst into laughter, “Hahaha! So you set me up in this way? With this one sword, I wholeheartedly concede!”
“Your Highness is indeed brilliant and absolutely gifted! I stand corrected!”
“Aslan…”
“Please don’t be sad, Your Highness. Your journey is still long and filled with excitement. I wish you great fortune. I shall take my leave now.”
“Um… You may go.”
