"Little Jingliu, were you calling for me?"
"No matter when or where, I'll always answer you~ Look, I'm here!"
Jingliu: ...
"I casually call your name, and you come running. Are you some kind of puppy?"
Hearing that voice and feeling the warmth on her shoulder, Jingliu turned her gaze to Lumina and, in a rare display of venom, snapped back.
"Wow, you seem to be in quite a good mood, still joking around." Lumina brushed off the jab with a shrug. A Jingliu who could still fire back barbs seemed... rather charming, actually.
Though Lumina's sudden appearance took Jingliu by surprise, now wasn't the time for bickering. Ignoring Lumina, Jingliu turned her gaze to Blade, who stood before them. With a dismissive wave, she said coldly, "Lumina is here. This is the closest you've come to being freed since the beginning."
With that, Jingliu stepped back, fully exposing Lumina to Blade's gaze.
Blade: ...
Gazing at Lumina before him, Blade cradled the shattered Fragmented Sword in his arms, his gaze turning silent.
Before her arrival, Lumina had completely concealed her aura of Abundance. As a result, Blade didn't erupt into a berserk frenzy of sword swings as he had before.
"Lumi..."
"I won't help."
Blade fell silent again. He had barely uttered a single word, his sentence unfinished, when Lumina cut him off with her flat refusal.
"..." Stunned by her blunt rejection, Blade lapsed into silence once more.
This silence lasted only a second before his gaze shifted back to Jingliu.
"As I said, this will be the closest you've ever been to freedom, from the beginning until now." Sensing Blade's gaze, Jingliu crossed her arms and waved a hand dismissively, her voice flat.
It was a subtle reminder that if he missed this chance, he might never get another.
How could he abandon such a rare opportunity simply because of one refusal?
Hearing this, Blade realized the logic in her words. His gaze drifted back to Lumina.
Sensing Blade's gaze return to her, Lumina shot Jingliu a look of exasperation.
Ignoring Blade's scrutiny, Lumina turned to Jingliu, her voice dripping with disdain. "You, the former Sword Champion of the Xianzhou Luofu, who has never tasted defeat..."
"Surely you don't think you'll lose today to this Stellaron Hunter before us?"
"Your words are sharp, but they're wasted here," Jingliu replied, unmoved by Lumina's goading.
Had this been her former self, Lumina's provocation might have worked. But now...
For Lumina to think she could provoke Jingliu was utterly futile.
"You have no reason to make me draw my blade, nor do I have any reason to strike you down."
Realizing her tactics were useless against Jingliu, Lumina shifted her gaze to Blade, her tone softening.
"If you persist in this entanglement, don't blame me if I add a 'Lumina Blessing' to your Shuhu Curse, okay?"
Lumina's tone was so gentle, her voice so tender that even her cold words became incredibly gentle.
For anyone else, such a phrase would have been irresistible, brimming with warmth and kindness.
But Lumina was speaking to Blade.
Undoubtedly, for him, these words were more unbearable than death itself.
"..." As expected, upon hearing Lumina's words, Blade's gaze fell once more upon Jingliu.
Simultaneously, he stopped cradling the Fragmented Sword in his arms and gripped it tightly in his hand, turning toward Jingliu to declare his choice.
"I see... it seems your yearning for death isn't quite as profound as you claim," Jingliu chuckled, mocking Blade's resolve.
You've sought death for centuries, yet a mere threat has frightened you into submission? It's hard not to look down on you, Blade.
"This has nothing to do with her, Jingliu. This is the sword you owe me." Blade's expression remained unchanged, showing no sign of whether he understood the mockery in Jingliu's words.
Jing Yuan: ...
Upon hearing Blade's words, Jing Yuan's head sank involuntarily. It was clear he desperately didn't want Jingliu and Blade to cross swords.
Jing Yuan knew this was a matter between the two of them, one he couldn't prevent. But when Lumina appeared, he still clung to a sliver of hope.
Even if they didn't fight, it wouldn't mean much, but at least they wouldn't clash before his eyes...
Yet, judging by the current situation, a "spar" between the two seemed inevitable...
Noticing Jing Yuan's expression, Jingliu offered no comforting words. Instead, a faint smile curved her lips as she crossed her arms, her expression tinged with mockery. "I told you when I taught you the sword," she said, "I won't strike down someone who has no will to live, someone who offers their neck to the blade."
"Only a worthy opponent can draw your blade..." Hearing these words, Blade understood perfectly what Jingliu meant.
He closed his eyes, took a few steps forward, and when he opened them again, his entire aura had transformed.
Gripping the Fragmented Sword tightly, he glared at Jingliu with piercing eyes, his voice icy.
"Jingliu," he declared, "I've come to repay the sword lesson you taught me!"
Hearing these words, the smile gradually faded from Jingliu's face.
"Cherish this moment," she said. "I will grant you the opportunity for a brief death..."