"Yingxing..."
Huaiyan gazed at his beloved disciple, yet not a single word could escape his lips—not even words of comfort.
Perhaps,
from the very beginning, Huaiyan had known that Yingxing's appointment as the Furnace Master of the Artisanship Commission was...
The gap between a short-life species and a long-life species was far too vast.
It was only Yingxing's extraordinary talent that had given him the illusion that change was possible.
"The Xianzhou cannot be shaken. It is my fault as your master..."
Yingxing glanced at his master, his tone eerily calm. "Master."
Not a trace of his usual pride remained.
Yingxing slowly rose to his feet and walked toward the door. "I'm leaving."
Under Huaiyan's watchful gaze, Yingxing disappeared from his sight.
——
The next moment,
the subtitle indicated the location: "Xianzhou - Yuque."
The scene was one of utter devastation, with the occasional rumble of tremors in the background.
With a "boom," the camera captured a horrific explosion,
followed by countless Abundance abominations charging forward as the Cloud Knights fought desperately to hold them back.
Against such overwhelming numbers, the Cloud Knights were like candles in the wind, extinguished in an instant.
"Has reinforcements from the other Xianzhou not arrived yet?"
"Has Yuque been abandoned?"
"Impossible! Yuque is the eye of the entire Xianzhou fleet, relying on its divination arts to predict fortunes and navigate the starry seas! They would never abandon it!"
"But there are so many enemies—we can't hold out for even another half-moment."
Just as the Cloud Knights of Yuque were on the brink of despair,
countless pillars of water erupted across the vast plain, as if by divine power, healing the wounds of those enveloped by the water.
The crowd looked up to see a figure with pointed ears and two dragon horns atop his head.
With a wave of his hand, a water dragon materialized, dealing a heavy blow to the Abundance alliance.
Then, a starskiff arrived in quick succession, wobbling unsteadily as it flew toward the heart of the battlefield.
"Jingliu, Jing Yuan! Hold on tight—we're about to land!"
The Foxian woman piloting the starskiff flashed a confident smile
as the vessel abruptly nosedived.
With a "thud," it crash-landed—unsurprisingly—right in the center of the Abundance forces.
Jing Yuan glanced around. "Sigh, your piloting skills..."
Before he could finish, the dust cleared,
revealing that the wrecked starskiff was now completely surrounded by the Abundance army.
Though their situation had taken a dire turn, Jing Yuan and the others had at least succeeded in drawing the Abundance's attention, buying time for the other Cloud Knights to regroup.
"My great-grandma always said: 'A person must stand by their word!' Doesn't this perfectly meet your request?"
Baiheng dusted herself off and summoned her bow.
"My intention was to reach the fiercest frontlines, not the enemy's center. Now we're completely surrounded!" Jing Yuan sighed, spreading his hands helplessly. "But fine—'To catch bandits, first catch their king!'"
"You dare spout nonsense at a time like this? We thought there was a bomb inside, but it turns out you're just here to die? After fighting for so long, we've never seen prey deliver themselves to our doorstep. Kill them!"
At that moment, all the Abundance creatures surged toward the starskiff.
Suddenly, a sword aura erupted from within the wreck—unparalleled in its sharpness—
carving a path through the horde with a single strike.
"You wretched creatures, do you think numbers alone matter? Remember—you are now surrounded by the three of us!"
Jingliu stepped out, her voice icy as she uttered those chilling words.
What followed was a spectacular battle.
Jingliu, needless to say, was practically the strongest individual combatant. She alone wreaked havoc in the heart of the battlefield.
While his master drew the enemy's attention,
Jing Yuan pulled Baiheng toward another opening.
With Baiheng's flawless archery—never missing a shot—
the two soon reached a battlefield commander.
Everything was going according to Jing Yuan's plan.
He hadn't stubbornly insisted on Baiheng changing her ways. Instead, he had relied on her "exceptional" starskiff piloting skills to reach the center of the battlefield,
then deployed the nuclear weapon that was Jingliu to hold the line.
As for Dan Feng—when Jing Yuan first saw him, he was genuinely startled.
After all, the Dragon Lord of the Luofu was his idol.
But given the Dragon Lord's lofty status on the Luofu, Jing Yuan could only subtly hint at Dan Feng to use his healing waters to aid the Cloud Knights of Yuque.
He also heard that a short-life species artisan of remarkable skill had appeared in the rear lines, diligently repairing all manner of battle-damaged equipment.
...
Thanks to Jing Yuan's flawless calculations, he and Baiheng succeeded in eliminating one of the enemy commanders,
stabilizing the situation for the time being.
Afterward, the five of them gathered for the first time. As they chatted,
they realized that, apart from Dan Feng, the other four had some degree of prior connection.
"I never thought I'd see you all again in my lifetime. And you haven't changed much!" Yingxing couldn't help but mock himself.
Baiheng studied Yingxing closely, astonished that the little boy from back then had grown so tall.
"Yingxing! You've gotten so tall—and so handsome! Wait, aren't you an artisan from the Artisanship Commission? What are you doing here?"
A shadow of sorrow flickered through Yingxing's eyes, vanishing as quickly as it appeared.
After exchanging a few words with Yingxing, Baiheng learned the reason for his presence.
Just as she was about to offer comfort, Yingxing spoke softly,
"Where we are doesn't matter. We can shine just as brightly wherever we stand. No matter our position, our goal remains the same: to eradicate these abominations."
...
Later, the screen displayed several scenes,
accompanied by narration describing how, after their first meeting, the five achieved extraordinary feats.
They ventured into perilous lands, shattered formations, and destroyed the living constellations awakened by the Abundance, saving Yuque from annihilation and preserving the Alliance's eye to gaze upon the starry seas...
Yet, this was only the beginning of their legend. The five of them clicked instantly, charging headfirst into danger wherever it lurked, embodying a spirit of fearless sacrifice.
Led by these five, their exploits became the stuff of history:
Driving back the Borisin fleet that had invaded Thalassa.
Shattering the alliance between the Houyhnhnm and the Wingweavers within the Abundance forces;
Gradually, their tales spread among the people, especially beloved by Foxian fantasy plays and storytellers.
Amid the seemingly endless brutality of war, these five shone like stars,
casting a glimmer of light into the dark depths of the universe for the Luofu.
Their stories inspired every soldier of the Xianzhou Alliance.
Slowly, through word of mouth, the five earned a new title—"The High-Cloud Quintet"!
——
As the story progressed, while the five continued to achieve glory,
their bonds deepened as well.
Before the Dragonvista Rain Hall of the Luofu, the five drank and celebrated, vowing to reunite there someday to share another cup, no matter how far apart they might be.
Dan Feng, the noble Dragon Lord, was usually reticent, yet he found common ground with the equally proud and taciturn Yingxing, becoming inseparable friends.
Jingliu gazed at Baiheng as if she had found her own moonlight.
Jing Yuan silently observed it all, draining the wine from his cup in one go. As he took in the beautiful scene, he couldn't help but sigh,
"I wish this moment could last forever!"