——
The scene shifts to Dan Feng, holding a wine cup as he walks up to Yingxing.
Dan Feng recalls the first time he met Yingxing.
Yingxing's arrogance was on par with his own as a Vidyadhara High Elder.
Clearly, in that moment, Yingxing had successfully caught Dan Feng's attention.
He knew Yingxing was an outlier, just like him.
That was why Yingxing could say to him:
"Better to be a firefly darting into flames than a rotting tree standing eternal.
I will make all the Xianzhou natives know that Yingxing's fleeting life holds more worth than their long, useless years."
A single word—"arrogant."
Yet this very arrogance was something Dan Feng deeply admired.
He knew that behind the pride was a facade—Yingxing was gentler than anyone.
"What's next for you?"
Yingxing downed the fine wine in his cup. "Slaying abominations, nothing more..."
He glanced at his own roughened hands. Among the five of them, he was the only one slowly aging.
"I plan to use the embers of the Divine Foresight's arrows to forge a few handy weapons."
Dan Feng's lips curled slightly. "Indeed. The relics left by the Reignbow Arbiter should only be wielded by the Furnace Master of the Artisanship Commission... What a shame..."
Yingxing clinked his cup against Dan Feng's, cutting him off. "I'll drink first!
In my limited time, I'll leave behind a few divine weapons to be admired by long-lived craftsmen for ages.
I'll show them that immortality is nothing but added suffering."
"Heh, still as arrogant as ever. If you need help, just ask."
...
After a transition, the scene returns to Yingxing and Dan Feng.
The two seem to be chatting about mundane matters,
but their conversation clearly reveals a key detail:
On the Xianzhou Zhuming, there exists a technique to seal "Yaoshi's Plagues." Yingxing had once helped Huaiyan seal a few.
Moreover, Zhuming also possesses a method to extract the abilities of Yaoshi's Plagues—even the "Sui Sovereign" was no exception.
Of course,
Dan Feng merely smiles, utterly unfazed.
"Actually, the secret arts of the Vidyadhara High Elders aren't just for healing, summoning storms, or controlling rain—there's also a method for reforging flesh."
"Reforging flesh?"
"Yes. This is what the Dragonmasters told me. Back when the Permanence still existed, the power of the Dragon Ancestor could reshape the form of any living being as easily as a child kneading clay."
Dan Feng pauses, exhaling softly. "Ah, speaking of them... Their minds are filled with nothing but how to revive the Vidyadhara, how to increase our population, how to ensure our lineage thrives..."
As he speaks, the voices of the Dragonmasters seem to echo in his ears:
"The power of our Ancestor, the soul of our Ancestor—the wondrous art of draconic transformation, the Vidyadhara reign supreme!"
Dan Feng shakes his head. Now, his gaze lands on Yingxing,
and all the turmoil in his heart settles into calm.
Since becoming the High Elder, the voices within him and the millennia-long burden of the Vidyadhara's dwindling population have weighed on him like an unbearable load.
Fortunately, the High-Cloud Quintet has given him a sanctuary to retain his sanity and peace.
Everything seems to be moving in a beautiful direction.
The scene shifts to Yingxing forging weapons.
The first weapon to emerge is a spear, which he gifts to the High Elder of the Luofu:
"This spear is sharp enough to pierce dragon scales. Be careful not to let it wound you, Your Excellency."
The second is a flawless sword named "Fragmented."
Its dark sheen carries a bloody glow—only the strongest swordsman of the Xianzhou could unleash its true might.
This was Yingxing's gift to Jingliu when she became the Luofu's "Sword Champion."
The third weapon is the glaive "Starfall Reverie." After forging it, Yingxing wasn't sure who to give it to—
until Jing Yuan spotted it and immediately snatched it up, quipping without hesitation:
"Many thanks for the generosity of the Furnace Master, the great Artisanship Commission's pride! The Cloud Knight Lieutenant Jing Yuan expresses his deepest gratitude!"
Yingxing could only chuckle helplessly and let it go.
Lastly, there was a recurve bow. While crafting the weapon, he also used his masterful skills to create a white jade flask,
originally meant to be gifted alongside the bow to Baiheng—though only the bow ended up in her hands.
"Yingxing, you're the best! My great-grandma always said, 'One must repay kindness.'" Baiheng held the bow lovingly, then pulled out a wine flask.
"This is wine I brewed from wild fruits I collected on other planets during my time as a Nameless.
Don't let the old flask fool you—what's inside is beyond amazing!
Jingliu drools over it every time she sees it. Just don't let her catch a whiff!"
Baiheng glanced around, lowering her voice. "Jingliu's been dying to try it, but I hid it away. Today, it's just the two of us—let's drink to celebrate my new divine weapon from the Furnace Master, and thank you for your kindness!"
"Aiya!!" Baiheng suddenly noticed a crack in the flask—the wine had nearly all leaked out. "Wuwuwu... my wine! My flask!"
Yingxing's heart clenched. He reached behind him, about to grab the jade flask he had crafted—but then he caught his reflection in the water.
His hair had turned white. He was already middle-aged.
He withdrew his hand. "Sorry. If only I'd made a wine flask for you too."
"Huh?" Baiheng looked puzzled. "Why are you apologizing to me? Do you know how hard it is not to cry when you're this sweet?!
Forget it—no wine? I'll treat you to a meal instead! There's a little place in Aurum Alley—guaranteed delicious!"
——
"Something's off." Workday had already sensed the foreshadowing. "Things are heading in a strange direction."
Wise nodded in agreement. "Absolutely! The story needs a climactic moment now.
This is just the calm before the storm!"
"Brother, isn't the story going well so far? How can you tell?" The tightly wrapped Robin spoke for the first time.
"Yingxing, Dan Feng, Jingliu—they've all found their redemption."
"Because sacrifices must be made. The true enemy hasn't even appeared yet. Heroes need to grow, and growth requires sacrifice." Workday sighed deeply.
Belle, who had been watching the screen intently (while Guinaifen had long since fallen asleep beside her), added:
"As a video store owner who's seen countless films, I can say with certainty—
the story ahead is going to be unexpectedly thrilling."