"So… is the correct incantation 'Seal Release' or 'Release Seal'?" Qingque asked.
Jing Yuan stroked his chin, pondering, then gave a calm smile. "Maybe saying both makes the complete incantation? Who knows?"
He turned, clasping his hands in a gesture of respect toward the group. "My friends, I'm deeply grateful for your help thus far. The path ahead belongs to the Luofu Cloud Knights. For your safety, it's best you leave this place and await good news."
Though he indeed hoped for more allies when facing Phantylia, Jing Yuan knew the dangers of this battle and didn't want his companions to risk their lives.
"Old Jing, the way you're talking… it's like you're not coming back," Bailu said quietly.
Though the girl might lack in intellect, she was remarkably sensitive to emotional shifts.
Jing Yuan shrugged. "Isn't this the time to say some words of blessing?"
"Mr. Jing Yuan, are you heading to the battlefield yourself?" March 7th asked, puzzled.
Among those present, she was the only one not fully aware of Jing Yuan's identity. Qingque was in the know, Dan Heng and Bailu had long known Jing Yuan, and Stelle had already encountered similar scenarios in a certain open-world game, giving her some mental preparation. In contrast, March 7th was a complete outsider, her impression of Jing Yuan still stuck at "random passerby."
"Oh, I forgot to mention," Jing Yuan said with a smile. "My current status is a temporary auxiliary member of the Cloud Knights. As for the details… well, I'm sure you can guess a bit."
"No more words. Everyone, take care!"
Jing Yuan solemnly clasped his hands in farewell. As he turned to head toward the Arbor's roots, he suddenly paused, as if remembering something. "Oh, one more thing, Qingque. If I don't make it back, you'd better handle the General's duties well, got it?"
Qingque's expression was complex. "Mm."
Jing Yuan turned decisively and stepped onto the path leading to the Ambrosial Arbor. But then he paused again. "Oh, right, one more thing."
He pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to Bailu. "Bailu, this is all my savings over the years. If I don't come back, take twenty percent. The remaining eighty percent goes to Yanqing and Little Guinaifen."
Bailu: "Old Jing, this…"
"I know, I know. No need to feel uneasy. If I really don't come back, I hope this money helps you live better lives."
Bailu: "Old Jing, but…"
"Heh… it's fine. As long as you believe in me, I'll definitely come back. Say no more—I'm off!"
Jing Yuan walked down the steps alone, gradually disappearing from everyone's view.
"Huh? Old Jing, he… he really left?"
Bailu clutched the bank card, her fingertips white, her small face full of worry.
Stelle patted her shoulder reassuringly. "It's okay, Bailu. He'll be fine. As long as we Nameless are here, we won't stand by and do nothing…"
"He didn't tell me the card's PIN!" Bailu wailed, collapsing to her knees in despair. "I thought with his personality, he'd take a couple of steps, turn back with a cheeky grin, and say, 'Oh, one more thing, Bailu, I forgot to tell you the PIN!' How could he just leave like that?!"
Stelle: …
"Get up already! You're the mighty Vidyadhara Dragon Sovereign, Luofu's number one fist! Can't you think of a solution?" Stelle grabbed Bailu under her arms, hoisting her up. "Tell me! If you don't know the PIN, what's the simplest way to handle it?"
Bailu's little brain whirred frantically for two seconds. "Go to the bank?"
"Tch, dumb. You'd need a death certificate to access it at the bank!" Stelle asked casually, "Little Stellaron, if you didn't know a bank card's PIN, what would you do?"
The little Stellaron bit her finger, thinking hard for two seconds. "Um… ask someone who knows?"
"See? Even a kid gets it!" Stelle let go, and Bailu dropped to the ground with a thud.
"We Nameless will steadfastly defend the fleeting hope of every world!" Stelle put her left hand on her hip, raising her right fist. "March, Dan Heng, am I right?"
March & Dan Heng: …
March 7th sighed helplessly, though her eyes held a fond smile. "…Dan Heng, sometimes it's really embarrassing, but Stelle always manages to say what's in our hearts. I really like her for that."
"Yeah, she does."
…
After some discussion, everyone except Qingque decided to follow and support Jing Yuan.
The path beneath their feet, eroded by seawater for years, was fragile. A careless step could shatter a millennia-old stone step.
Jing Yuan had only set out a few minutes ahead, so it wasn't long before they caught sight of his back. However, he was facing another figure, and the two seemed locked in a standoff.
Wait, that's…?
Stelle rubbed her eyes. The figure opposite Jing Yuan looked familiar—a young boy, blonde hair, wielding a flying sword… Isn't that Yanqing?
No, wait. Wasn't this place submerged in seawater earlier? How could he be here?
Some time earlier:
"Jie jie jie, how about it? Have I spoken a single lie? Those who accept my power will act on their desires, transforming themselves," Phantylia's voice echoed in Yanqing's ears, coaxing him. "If you help me with one task, I can spread my power across the Luofu, making it the most prosperous among the Xianzhou Alliance!"
"Leading the Luofu to glory—that's your greatest wish, isn't it? Why not consider it carefully?"
Yanqing wavered. "Then… what do I need to do?"
"Jie jie jie, simple. Just take me to a certain place…"
Thus, under Phantylia's persuasion, Yanqing let down his guard and arrived at Scalegorge Waterscape ahead of the others. But what he didn't expect was that, shortly after Phantylia went into seclusion here, the water level in Scalegorge Waterscape suddenly dropped. And Jing Yuan, whom he regarded as his master, appeared before him.
"Yanqing?" Jing Yuan's brows furrowed slightly. "Why are you here?"
Yanqing's expression was serious. "Teacher, I'm doing something very important. If it succeeds, the Luofu will rise to glory."
Jing Yuan pondered for a moment. With his intelligence, it took only seconds to piece together the situation. He immediately said sternly, "Yanqing, you've been deceived by Phantylia. Leave this place now—it's not too late."
"I was… deceived by Phantylia?" Yanqing froze. Out of trust in Jing Yuan, he instinctively wanted to follow his words. But at that moment, a turquoise flame suddenly appeared behind him, then burrowed into his body.
Yanqing's eyes instantly grew hazy, then shifted to confusion, sorrow, anger… and finally, his expression turned numb. He shouted, "Teacher Jing Yuan! I-I've wanted to say this to you for a long time!"
"You're just a lazy, opportunistic old fox who drives people crazy and never takes responsibility!"
The group, just arriving: ??? What's going on?
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Full Recovery!