Quadruple split.

Chapter 2703 Reclaiming

Chapter 2703 Reclaiming
I really envy your good appetite.

Futaba glanced at the white-haired beauty who could enjoy herself intensely no matter the situation, and sighed, "To be honest, darling, are you like a balloon outside of the game?"

Mu Xuejian licked his index finger, which was slightly stained with sugar, and shook his head, saying, "Apart from my hairstyle and hair color, I look pretty much the same outside the game as I do now. After all, my stomach is only so big. Even if I have a big appetite, if I can't eat, I just can't eat. I can't just throw up before I can eat more delicious food, can I?"

Shuangye clicked her tongue and raised an eyebrow, saying, "I think that bitch Tanmo is capable of doing such a thing."

"It's undeniable, but then again..."

Mu Xuejian looked at Shuangye, who was sitting cross-legged on the floating experimental platform, and said in a serious tone, "I think you can do it too."

"That depends on how much I like to eat it."

Shuangye did not deny Mu Xuejian's confident assertion. After casually replying, she lazily propped herself up and asked, "So, why did you take this sword back on your back?"

The highest leader of the [Clown Card], who was also a fellow [Clown Card Team] member with Mu Xuejian in the debate, stared intently at Mu Xuejian... The doll behind her, which was clearly classified as a 'one-handed sword' but was longer than a regular two-handed greatsword, had a gleam of joy in its eyes. Although it didn't finish its sentence, the implication was clearly written on its face.

[As the top player and henchman in our charity organization, have you advanced to Epic rank?]

Yes, although Futaba didn't know the reason why Muxuejian was unable to use [Frostless] in Academy City because she forcibly broke through the weapon's limits, she was very clear about the fact that her partner's main weapon was sealed.

After all, they were all teammates in the Debate and Team Battle. Even though there were many misunderstandings and secrets between them (mainly Futaba and Motan), they basically held nothing back from their partners in the process of striving for the championship (mainly Futaba and Muxuejian). In fact, even Motan, apart from hiding the rather strange talent of "The Pride of the Turbid One" and deliberately falling into the illusion of "Wind, Flower, Snow and Moon", also held nothing back from the two of them. Otherwise, Futaba would have seen through it at a glance.

Therefore, Shuangye always knew that neither the [Demon Sword - Longkui] of Muxuejian nor the [Elemental Sword] that Muxuejian asked her to make during the competition were her most desired, most handy, or most powerful weapons. It was just a temporary expedient because the weapon called [Frostless] had been promoted to 'Legendary' quality, which made Muxuejian, with its high-level strength, unable to control it.

The "unable to control" here doesn't mean the weapon can't unleash its full potential. You see, any weapon of the "sword" category has the potential to be transformed into something magical in Mu Xue's hands. And [Frostless] is almost 100% compatible with her. That's why, after [Frostless] officially advanced to the "Legendary" quality, Mu Xue couldn't even lift it, let alone use it, and could only put it in her baggage.

It's worth mentioning that the reason Mu Xuejian couldn't pick up [Frostless] wasn't because her strength attribute was only at the level of a ranger or thief of the same tier, much lower than that of a normal warrior, but because [Frostless] was resisting her.

Although such a statement, which has absolutely nothing to do with the skill panel, sounds like a madman's words, if the person who said this is the one in the entire [Innocent Realm] who is most skilled at wielding weapons like 'swords' and whose ability to create skills is as simple as breathing, then even Futaba, whose core is extremely chaotic but whose thought process is very rational, would not be able to make any decent rebuttal.

As for the other person who was a member of the "Clown Card" like the two girls at the time, he bluntly stated during the post-match review that if Mu Xuejian could use "Frostless" in battle, then even if the opponent was a top team among top clubs, they might not be able to win in the end.

This statement is not without merit. You see, Mu Xuejian, whose physical abilities were greatly enhanced due to the infection in that match, and who was even able to break the fourth seal of the [Demon Sword - Longkui], would have a very high chance of retaining some strength after enduring that bombardment that was like an 'orbital cannon', if she could use the legendary [Frostless] skill with ease.

It should be noted that after undergoing multiple mutations, Mu Xuejian actually managed to withstand the attack. However, because the Peerless Hero was in a better state with his inherent barrier activated, he was defeated by his opponent when he had almost exhausted all his energy and his health percentage was down to single digits.

In other words, if Mu Xuejian still had the strength to fight back then, even if she still couldn't defeat Guoshi Wushuang, the appearance of the [Dominator Mutant] who was about to kill Guoshi Wushuang would still have reduced the number of card players to only one.

In this situation, although the Overlord is out of control, Mu Xuejian, who is also undergoing a deep mutation, may not be directly identified as the 'enemy'. Although it is difficult to get help from the Overlord, the probability of survival is very, very, very high.

In this way, even if Tan Mo outside the base is no match for Feng Hua Xue Yue, a 1 vs 1 situation can still be maintained. This kind of late-game situation is an absolute advantage for Mu Xue Jian, whose mutation is still constantly strengthening and has a high probability of not being attacked by the Overlord.

You should know that the legendary [Frostless]'s stats are—

Frost-free

Soul Binding
Weapon type: One-handed sword
Quality: The Only Legend
Attack power: Strong

Attributes: Strength +35%, Dexterity +50%, Constitution +20%, Intelligence +20%
Characteristics:

[Peerless]: Ignores 50% armor and 50% all resistances.

【Mu Xue】: When hitting a target, there is a 5% chance to deal an additional penetrating damage.

【Sword Soul】: This weapon will never wear out.

[Sword Soul]: Your sword skills are increased by 30% and their cooldown is reduced by 30%.

【Kenshin】: You cannot use any non-sword weapons.

[Sword Spirit]: When using sword-type weapons, you are unaffected by any mental attacks or illusions.

【Aloofness】: Opponents with sword specialization below level 45 cannot analyze Wushuang's sword path.

【Loneliness】: Before you fully tame 【Frostless】, you will suffer a constant energy consumption of 0.5%/s when using it.

【Lone Sorrow】: When fighting against sword-type weapons, if the opponent's quality is less than legendary, each hit will inflict an additional 1-5% durability loss effect. If the opponent's quality is less than epic, each hit has a 2% chance to directly break the opponent's sword-type weapon, and the durability loss is irreversible.

【？？？】：？？？

Equipment requirements: Snowdrift Sword, ? ? ?
[Note 1: The symbolic power of [Sword Emperor] Nangong Mu is materialized. Although he rarely appeared twenty years ago, and his status was even threatened by a stainless steel kitchen knife after his master became a full-time housewife, this power still exists within Nangong Xue, who inherited the bloodline of the [Sword Emperor].] [Note 2: Nangong Xue's real name is Zhao Xue, and her registered name on her resident ID card is also Zhao Xue. However, because her surname is not fashionable enough, she has been using her mother's surname, Nangong, since the fourth grade of elementary school, calling herself Nangong Xue. Even after her allowance was almost completely deducted, she still did not change her ways. However, she refused her disheartened father's suggestion to change her name on her resident ID card and household registration, stating that she was only using Nangong Xue as a pen name and that she liked using pen names.]

[Note 3: Zhao Xue's scores for six subjects were invalidated in a previous exam because the name on her exam paper did not match the name on her admission ticket.]

……

It's important to understand that even the talent of the character 'Tanmo', [The Pride of the Turbid], with its effect 4 (see Chapter 1287), only provides a permanent 99% resistance to mental attacks. Although this percentage is already quite exaggerated, if he encounters a legendary-level mental attack, even if it only has 1% of its original power, it is still highly likely to cause him great trouble.

The [Frostless]'s special trait, [Sword Courage], allows the Snowfall Sword to be completely immune to any attack status. In other words, even legendary-level mental influence and illusion interference are useless in Miss Mu's eyes.

Therefore, even disregarding the existence of the [Dominator], as long as Mu Xuejian catches him, the probability of Feng Hua Xue Yue winning the match in a one-on-one fight is absolutely zero.

That's why, after losing the match, Mo Tan shamelessly blamed Mu Xuejian for failing to control [Frostless], making the latter feel a little guilty for half a minute.

As for why it only lasted half a minute, the reason is simple. Shuangye bluntly stated that the condition for Muxuejian to use [Frostless] is to advance to the Epic rank. However, if she really had the Epic rank, she could easily win even without using [Frostless]. Therefore, in the final analysis, the reason why [Clown Card] ultimately lost the game can be attributed to the 'bucket theory', that is, Motan, as the team's weak link, should bear full responsibility.

Then... Mo Tan took full responsibility, saying that Lady Futaba was right, and if the two girls were willing, he could even kiss their insteps to ask for their forgiveness.

After he finished speaking, Shuangye immediately took off her shoes and stretched out her feet, which startled Muxuejian so much that he fled the public space.

In short, although the two of them comforted her that the defeat had nothing to do with her (which it really did), Mu Xuejian was still a little bothered that she couldn't use [Frostless]. It wasn't that the girl felt guilty towards those two slightly crazy guys; it was mainly because she really, really liked [Frostless].

Now, having parted ways with Xueyin on the way, and after a long time, Miss Mu has finally returned to the Free City from the Holy Mountain Sumir, and has clearly taken her beloved sword back on her back.

Unfortunately……

"I am still only at the 'high-level' stage, not even at the 'half-step epic' level."

Mu Xuejian shook his head, and then, just as Shuangye sighed and was about to say something to comfort herself, he added, "However, I received an advancement mission, and after completing it, I can directly advance to the [Sword Emperor] level."

Upon hearing this, Shuangye fell straight down from mid-air, her eyes wide with shock. "What the hell? You said you received an advancement quest? An epic-level class quest? Isn't that a reward only for the top few in a competition? Could it be that your real identity is that great Onmyoji Gu Xiaole from the Haunted Church?!"

"What is all this nonsense...?"

Accustomed to Shuangye's nonsense, Mu Xuejian shook her head and calmly said, "You should know very well that the top few in the [Questioning and Debating] only guarantee that they will receive an epic-level class quest, but there must be other ways to advance, right? Otherwise, wouldn't no player be able to break through to the epic level?"

Futaba, who had floated up again, clicked her tongue and asked, "So what's going on? Why did you receive the advancement quest? Is it worth referencing? Is it possible to replicate it? Is there a chance for me to get one too?"

"I don't think so."

Mu Xuejian shook his head decisively, interrupting the other party's unrealistic fantasies, and explained: "From my own experience, the main reason I was able to receive the advancement quest is that I briefly advanced to the [Epic] rank once with the help of [Wu Shuang], and obtained the [Sword Emperor] class."

"OK, I'm out of luck."

Futaba sighed, her tone returning to its usual lazy manner: "So?"

"Although it was only a short five minutes, I did try very hard to comprehend the realm of [Epic]. Although I could never grasp that vague feeling on a normal day, I could clearly feel myself getting closer to that feeling every time I practiced swordsmanship."

Mu Xuejian smiled slightly, raised his hand to touch the hilt of the sword [Frostless] on his back, and said softly, "Mount Sumir is a very suitable place to clear one's mind. Putting aside the habitual annoyance of a certain idol, I have gained a rare moment of peace since I started playing this game. The only drawback is..."

Shuangye frowned slightly and asked Mu Xuejian, who looked troubled, "Do those vigorous orcs stalk you every day to use as material for their fantasies before going to bed?"

"Why doesn't the system censor your words?"

Mu Xuejian gently rubbed his smooth forehead, then said in a serious tone, "The only downside is that although the snacks there are delicious, there are few varieties and small portions. I'm too embarrassed to compete with the kids and some idol for them."

"Well, I'm very sorry."

"Yes."

"So you mean you went to the Great Snowy Mountain for a period of seclusion, and then you broke through your bottleneck?"

"Not too much, but seclusion may not be the core reason."

“I know, the main reason is that you’ve been to the Epic.”

"Well... actually, it's not just that."

"What else could it be? It can't be that you're craving snacks, right? Using your appetite as motivation?"

"It's that 'Princess'."

"Eh?"

“I remember that she sang me a song that I’ve always liked… I had heard it before, ‘The Sword Immortal’.”

"and then?"

"Then I received the advancement mission."