Chapter 138: Sushang: Waaah, A Bomb Exploded!
"It was the aloof Dragon Lord, who slowly lowered his guard amidst the laughter of his companions, only to witness his comrades bleed on the battlefield. He stubbornly attempted to revive his close friend, and in doing so, brought about a great disaster..."
Leon stood untouched at the very center of the destructive storm, casually tapping a fingertip to shatter a colossal ice blade powerful enough to cleave a starship in two.
"Ha... Hahahaha...!" A crazed, broken laugh tore from Jingliu's throat. "Kill... I'll kill you...!"
Her blade swung faster, the trajectories growing more erratic and wild. The overlapping layers of sword light wove into a celestial net of destruction, threatening to shred the very sky and earth.
Yanqing had long since been forced to retreat dozens of yards, barely managing to protect himself with his own sword. He could only watch in stunned silence, his mind reeling at the sight of a battle he couldn't possibly hope to intervene in.
But what truly shocked him was that Leon hadn't moved a single inch from his spot. From beginning to end, he had effortlessly parried every one of Jingliu's onslaughts with just two fingers.
"It was the brilliant short-lived artisan, who thought he could enjoy decades of glory, only to be tainted by the flesh and blood of the Abominations of Abundance. He became the immortal, indestructible monster he hated most."
Leon's voice remained steady, a calm counterpoint to the raging storm. He moved through the deadly sword net with an unhurried grace, each seemingly casual wave of his hand perfectly dissolving Jingliu's most lethal killing blows.
Jingliu leaped high into the sky, her long, pale hair dancing wildly around her. The Frigid Sword Qi radiating from her body dimmed the heavens, freezing the very clouds until they shattered into glittering dust.
She gripped her sword with both hands. The blade began to gather a chilling, pale light, as if absorbing all the cold from the port—and all the madness from her own heart.
Jingliu... the commotion you're causing is far too great, Luocha thought, rubbing his forehead with a wave of helplessness.
This teammate was proving to be utterly unreliable.
What had happened to their plan of a subtle infiltration, of waiting for the perfect opportunity? Why had she created such a world-shaking scene the very moment they arrived?
Although their ultimate goal was to "turn themselves in" to proceed to the Seat of Divine Foresight and meet with the Six Charioteers—or even the Marshal himself—this method of announcing their presence... well, perhaps it counted as a strategy. Crude, but certainly direct.
Luocha sighed silently.
"Waaah! What's going on? Did a bomb explode?!"
Sushang was startled by the sudden, fierce gale that swept in from afar, and she couldn't help but cry out. The biting cold wind, laced with tiny, sharp ice crystals, rushed toward them, causing the temperature to plummet.
"A bomb explosion...?" Dan Heng held his Cloud-Piercer horizontally before him to brace against the wind pressure, glancing at Sushang as she spoke.
"I heard that the Antimatter Legion's bombs were found somewhere! For safety, the entire Luofu is supposed to be locked down until they're all cleared out!" Sushang explained, struggling to maintain her balance in the gale. "I don't know if it's true or not, but the higher-ups didn't explain anything. They just told me to come and evacuate the residents of the Cloudford."
"This is not a bomb," Luocha spoke calmly, his gaze fixed on the distant center of the storm. "If it were, we wouldn't be feeling this sudden chill, nor this concentrated, sharp intent. This... is the aftermath of a clash between masters."
"How long have you been a part of the Cloud Knights...?" Dan Heng asked Sushang, his tone laced with a complex note.
"Not long... but this maiden has been receiving strict Cloud Knight training since I was a child!" Sushang puffed out her chest, her voice brimming with pride. "My father and mother are influential figures on the Xianzhou Yaoqing, otherwise I wouldn't be here. That's why they were especially strict with me from the day I was born! Don't you look down on me just because I'm a new recruit!"
Sushang had clearly failed to grasp the underlying meaning of his question, instead appearing immensely proud of her credentials.
Dan Heng fell silent.
For some reason, he saw a shadow of March 7th in Sushang... No, she might even surpass March 7th in some ways... It was truly giving him a headache.
"You are from the Xianzhou Yaoqing?" Luocha skillfully changed the subject.
"That's right! Have you ever been there?" Sushang's attention was immediately captured. "I think the Yaoqing and the Luofu each have their good points. Even though I'm a Luofu Cloud Knight now, deep down, I still feel closer to the Yaoqing..."
"Take the leaders, for example. I don't think General Jing Yuan is as decisive and vigorous as our General from the Yaoqing! Uh..." She quickly clapped a hand over her mouth, sticking her tongue out awkwardly. "Forget that last part, pretend I didn't say it!"
Complaining about the General was still a bit inappropriate, after all.
"That conflict is far beyond our ability to intervene. It's best if we leave quickly," Sushang said, quickly beckoning to the two men.
"Right, you're Luocha, correct? Where were you originally planning to go?" she asked curiously while leading the way.
"I had arranged to meet with Madam Tingyun of the Whistling Flames to discuss a trade deal, but it seems that will be difficult to achieve now." Luocha offered a slightly regretful smile. "The orders I currently have yield meager profits, with little left after the Interstellar Peace Corporation takes its cut. Only one deal, heading directly to the Xianzhou 'Fanggong,' might still hold some value."
"...It was the strongest master of the sword, who, despite defeating countless enemies on the battlefield, was forced to personally witness the desecration of a soul and slay the one who had fallen to the Mara-Struck."
Leon finally raised his other hand, palm facing upward.
"Let this Moonlight... illuminate all rivers!" Jingliu's voice echoed through the heavens and the earth as she brought her sword down in a vicious, final swing.
A magnificent, desolate, crescent-shaped wave of sword energy, containing boundless destruction and sorrow, poured down like the Milky Way from the Ninth Heaven. Wherever it passed, space itself seemed to freeze and tear apart.
"It was the youngest, most optimistic youth, who should have become a Knight-Errant traversing the sea of stars. But in a time of frequent collapse, he single-handedly shouldered the responsibility of his home and state, becoming the unmatched, strategic General of the Luofu, having long since lost the youthful spirit of his past."
Facing this strike capable of splitting mountains and freezing rivers, Leon's expression remained as placid and smiling as ever.
He joined his fingers together like a sword and lightly pointed forward.
His fingertip met the world-destroying sword light.
There was no devastating explosion.
The vast, all-freezing crescent of power seemed to strike an invisible wall. It halted abruptly before Leon's fingertip, then shattered, dissolving into countless glistening specks of light that fluttered down like silent snow.
"There were five individuals. Three paid the price. And henceforth, there is no High-Cloud Quintet."
Leon lowered his hand, his gaze resting on Jingliu, who was now slowly descending from mid-air. She touched the ground on one knee, her body trembling.
The scarlet madness in her eyes receded like a tide. The frantic, destructive aura around her suddenly dispersed, leaving behind only an endless, hollow exhaustion.
Having vented her fury, Jingliu felt her Mara-Struck state gradually dissipating. Sanity was slowly returning. Even she herself felt a hint of surprise. The Mara-Struck state was notoriously difficult to control, a maggot gnawing at the bone, yet this time...
"Are you calmer now that you've let it all out?" Leon asked softly, slowly walking up to her.
Jingliu slowly raised her head and looked at him.
Between them, separated by a veil of floating ice dust and lingering cold, their gazes met in silence.
Leon smiled faintly, producing a brand-new, silk blindfold from somewhere. "Shall I put this on for you?"
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