The moment Joshua summoned the Equinox Blade, the atmosphere shifted.
✔ The crowd, once noisy, fell into stunned silence.
✔ The instructors, even the experienced ones, were at a loss.
✔ Feng Yuxia, for the first time, hesitated.
It wasn't that they hadn't seen this weapon before.
They had.
✔ It had appeared in his battle with Zhao Feng.
✔ It had been analyzed, recorded, and discussed.
✔ Yet, even now, standing before it in person—it felt utterly different.
No one knew its origin.
No one knew its full capabilities.
And that made it all the more terrifying.
1. The Battlefield Adjusts – Power vs. Technique
Feng Yuxia exhaled, her grip tightening around her rapier.
She wasn't stupid.
✔ This fight wasn't the same anymore.
✔ The balance had shifted in an instant.
✔ But that only made it more exciting.
A slow grin spread across her face.
"So that's your real power."
Joshua didn't respond.
He simply shifted his stance, raising the Equinox Blade.
A pulse of energy ran through it.
✔ Dark and light intertwined along the blade's edge.
✔ It felt ancient—otherworldly.
✔ It was as if the weapon itself was alive.
And then—they moved.
Clang!
The moment their swords met again, a shockwave erupted from the impact.
✔ Students near the front recoiled, shielding their faces from the force.
✔ Some weaker hunters felt their knees shake just from the residual energy.
✔ Even the instructors leaned forward, their expressions sharpening.
Principal Kang narrowed his eyes.
"That sword…"
He had seen countless legendary weapons.
But this—this was something else entirely.
2. The Battle Escalates – Overpowering Yuxia
Joshua moved differently now.
✔ Faster. Sharper. More aggressive.
✔ Before, he had played defensively—now, he was taking control.
✔ Every strike of the Equinox Blade carried a power that was difficult to counter.
Yuxia gritted her teeth.
She had dominated every fight she'd ever been in.
But now—she was the one being pushed back.
Joshua's attacks weren't just stronger.
They were unpredictable.
✔ One moment, his sword felt weightless, moving like a blur.
✔ The next, it felt like a solid wall crashing down on her.
✔ The dual nature of the Equinox Blade made it impossible to read.
And then—he changed again.
3. The Mage's Touch – A Hybrid Fighter
Feng Yuxia lunged, feinting to Joshua's right before twisting mid-air.
"Got you!"
Her rapier, coated in wind magic, shot forward like a lightning strike.
It was perfectly timed.
She expected him to block.
She expected him to dodge.
But she didn't expect him to counter with magic.
Joshua raised his free hand.
"Wind Collapse."
A sudden explosion of condensed air pressure erupted around them.
✔ Yuxia's wind magic was completely overpowered.
✔ Her body was thrown backward, her footing lost.
✔ She barely managed to land without stumbling.
"What—?!"
She had known Joshua was a hybrid.
But knowing and experiencing it firsthand were two different things.
Joshua stood firm, the Equinox Blade still glowing faintly in his hand.
"You're too reliant on one fighting style."
His tone wasn't mocking—just stating a fact.
That, more than anything, infuriated her.
4. The Final Clash – The Difference in Strength
Yuxia took a breath.
✔ Her pride refused to let her back down.
✔ She had never lost—not once.
✔ And she wasn't going to start now.
She raised her rapier, her aura flaring to its maximum limit.
"Alright, Joshua."
"If you're done testing me, then let's end this properly."
Joshua simply nodded.
And then—they moved.
✔ Yuxia's wind-enhanced speed reached its peak.
✔ Joshua's mastery over both aura and magic reached perfect balance.
✔ It was a clash between a relentless storm and an immovable force.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of steel rang out as they exchanged strike after strike.
But no matter how fast, how sharp, how unpredictable Yuxia's attacks became—Joshua countered them all.
And then—he ended it.
One final exchange.
✔ Yuxia lunged forward, aiming for his shoulder.
✔ Joshua sidestepped at the last moment.
✔ A single clean slash from the Equinox Blade disarmed her instantly.
Her rapier flew out of her hand, clattering to the ground.
And before she could react—Joshua's blade was at her throat.
Silence.
The entire training grounds fell into complete stillness.
5. The Aftermath – The Academy Reacts
For a long moment, no one spoke.
✔ The students were frozen, unable to process what had just happened.
✔ The instructors stared in disbelief—none of them had expected such a clear victory.
✔ Even Yuxia herself just stood there, blinking, trying to process her defeat.
Joshua slowly lowered his sword.
"You lost."
His tone wasn't mocking.
If anything—it almost sounded disappointed.
Feng Yuxia exhaled, staring at him for a moment.
Then—she laughed.
Not out of bitterness.
Not out of anger.
Just… genuine amusement.
"Well, damn."
She stretched her arms, rolling her shoulders as she looked at him again.
"That was fun."
She wasn't bitter.
If anything, she was more excited than before.
"Next time, I'm going to wipe that smug look off your face."
Joshua smirked.
"We'll see."
6. Silent Observers – Sung En & Xin En
From the stands, Sung En let out a slow breath.
✔ She wasn't jealous.
✔ She wasn't upset.
✔ But she felt something shift inside her.
Watching Joshua fight at this level made one thing clear.
"I still have a long way to go."
Nearby, Xin En sat quietly, watching everything unfold.
She had seen Joshua's battles before.
✔ His victory over Zhao Feng.
✔ His fights in the tournament.
✔ But something about today felt… different.
"That weapon of his…"
Even she couldn't explain it.
And that—intrigued her.
For now, she wouldn't interfere.
For now, she would just watch.