Scalgorge Waterscape
"Hey, look. Your friends are fighting the Legion's weapons one-on-one right now."
Jing Yuan glanced into the distance. The Astral Express crew was locked in a real man-to-man duel with the Antimatter Legion, yet he still had the leisure to tease Dan Heng beside him, as if trying to ease the pressure weighing on the young man's heart.
Truth be told, whether Dan Heng could do it or not, Jing Yuan would never truly put him on the spot. Saying it out loud was more a matter of his position as the Divine Foresight General.
Of course, Dan Heng could do it. There was never any doubt.
It was clear Jing Yuan genuinely wanted to help him.
"Mm." Dan Heng did not hesitate. His form turned fluid, like water itself, and with a leap he appeared beside the Astral Express crew, joining them in battle against the Antimatter Legion.
"So this Dan Heng has a group of close companions too, huh."
The sight of Dan Heng stepping forward without hesitation to fight shoulder to shoulder with his partners struck something deep in Jing Yuan's heart.
Jingliu: …
A flicker of envy passed through Jingliu's eyes, but it vanished just as quickly, returning to calm.
(Just a tiny bit. So faint that even Jingliu herself did not notice it.)
"The art of dragon transformation really is remarkable."
"If Dan Feng had not committed those monstrous deeds, Dan Heng in this lifetime probably would not be endlessly entangled with Blade and me." Jingliu spoke lightly as she watched Dan Heng in the distance, repeatedly drawing on the power of the High Elder to aid his companions and defeat the Legion.
If one had to put it into words, both Jingliu and Dan Heng were victims of Dan Feng's sins.
Jingliu hardly needed explanation. As for Dan Heng, he knew nothing at all, yet still bore the crimes Dan Feng left upon the Alliance, only to be exiled from the Xianzhou forever.
"After this is over, I hope he can truly become Dan Heng." Jingliu shook her head and said no more.
Her view of Dan Heng was simple. Her view of Dan Feng was also simple.
There was only one thing Jingliu wanted to do now, and one thing she had to do.
The brief suppression of mara-struck symptoms was just enough to let her rest for a while.
(After all, when you measure it against centuries, a few days really is brief.)
"Alright, alright, let's not dwell on such heavy topics right now." Clara, who had been watching the drama unfold from the sidelines, finally spoke up.
If she stayed quiet any longer, people might start thinking she was dead.
"Besides, there's an even heavier problem coming up next. I wonder if you can handle the Emanator of Destruction, Phantylia."
"Haha, it's just an Emanator of Destruction. The Luofu has its own countermeasures." Jing Yuan laughed heartily at Clara's words, though no one could tell what he was really thinking inside.
"Whoa!" Clara's eyes immediately filled with sparkling stars, her face full of admiration.
"Then you would not mind if I added a bit more spice, right?"
She added that last thought silently.
If she said it out loud, would she not be expelled from the Xianzhou on the spot?
Well, Jing Yuan probably would not go that far.
"Come on, come on. They're done fighting the Legion and chatting, and now they're looking over here." Feeling several gazes from afar, Clara took Firefly with her and walked over.
…
"Whoa, Clara. So you're here too." March 7th beamed with delight when she saw Clara approaching.
"We ran into Kafka and Blade earlier and figured you might be on the Xianzhou as well."
"I didn't expect you to really be here."
"Come on, let me just… uh."
March 7th was about to pull Clara into a hug and give her a good squeeze, but a single glare from Firefly stopped her cold. In the end, she could only laugh awkwardly to cover the embarrassment.
She almost forgot that Clara had a girlfriend now.
March 7th felt a twinge of regret at missing her hug, but immediately switched back to a bright smile.
"Since Clara's here, then Phantylia should be a piece of cake, right?"
"If she dares show her face, we'll make sure she never leaves!"
March 7th clenched her fist, confidence written all over her face.
As for where that confidence came from, there was no question about it. It came from Clara.
Back on Jarilo-VI, Clara's double use of Heaven-Shaking, World-Moving left a huge impression on March 7th.
With Clara around, forget one Phantylia. Even if ten of them showed up… well, okay. If ten Phantylias really did appear, March 7th would still be a little scared.
"…"
Watching March 7th's expressions shift back and forth, Clara could more or less guess what she was thinking. She spoke slowly.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but when it comes to the Xianzhou Luofu fighting the Emanator of Destruction, Phantylia, I have no intention of getting involved."
"Even if the Luofu were destroyed, I would just hide somewhere, use a memory crystal to record the whole process, and then sell it at a high price to the people of the Garden of Recollection."
Everyone: …
There was laughter in Clara's voice, making it impossible to tell whether she was serious or not.
"Haha, Miss Clara worries too much. Even though the Luofu is currently weakened, a single Emanator of Destruction is not enough to threaten its survival." Jing Yuan waved his hand, as if to reassure everyone that even without Clara's help, dealing with Phantylia was well within the Luofu's capabilities.
"Ah, what a shame. I guess I won't get the chance to extort the Garden of Recollection then." Clara sighed, sounding genuinely regretful that Phantylia would not be able to destroy the Xianzhou and give her a chance to record it.
"Haha, if Miss Clara is willing, the Xianzhou would gladly pay a hefty sum to hire you." Seeing her expression, Jing Yuan casually said something that sounded half like a joke and half not.
"Forget it. Someone as ordinary as me facing an Emanator of Destruction would be way too much." Clara shook her head and refused outright.
Did she really not understand what Jing Yuan was thinking? Of course she did.
"Oh, by the way, your Diviner seems to have something she wants to say to you." Clara raised a finger and pointed at Fu Xuan, who had been trying to speak but never found an opening.
Once the General's gaze finally landed on her, Fu Xuan took a deep breath and said, "Phantylia's goal is likely to seize the Ambrosial Arbor and broadcast the power of the Plagues Author of Immortality, turning the Luofu into a land overrun by undying abominations."
Her face was grave as she laid out Phantylia's intentions.
If Phantylia truly succeeded… even if the outcome would not be quite as disastrous as she imagined, it would be close enough.
"Mm." Jing Yuan nodded without saying much, instead turning his gaze toward the Astral Express crew.
"When you first arrived on the Luofu, you spoke of helping resolve the Stellaron crisis. At the time, I did not dare agree, suspecting the Stellaron Hunters had other motives. Looking back now, it seems I was overly cautious."
"They did have motives, yes. Drawing you all to the Luofu to fight alongside us."
…
(This part follows the original plot, so we will skip ahead to opening the sea.)
"Dan Heng, I'll leave it to you." Facing the statue of the High Elder, Jing Yuan nodded to Dan Heng, then led everyone back a few steps.
"Hah…" Dan Heng took a deep breath and closed his eyes, sensing the power within the statue.
Then the ground beneath his feet vanished. His body rose into the air, and a surge of energy gathered in his hand.
Dan Heng turned around and opened his eyes, gazing at the boundless ocean before him as he drove that energy forward.
As he did, the sea began to churn and roar.
And in the air, a piece of background music inexplicably began to play.
Tear apart the form. Unseal the heart. Release the burden.
"Whoa!" Clara pulled out her memory crystal and recorded this historic moment.
"What price should I sell this for later, I wonder?"
She pondered to herself.
"Hmm… wait."
"Will the Garden of Recollection even buy it?"
If they did not, would she not have recorded all this for nothing?
"No, whether they buy it or not is none of my business."
"One good smack and they'll behave."
…
2 Chapters Per Day. For more chapters/fics, goto ErbiumTL on Patreon.