Chapter 139: Jingliu, Doesn't This Cool, Black-Smoking General Look Familiar?
"Who... exactly are you?"
Watching Leon approach, Jingliu did not act rashly. He had suppressed her Mara-Struck state with unnerving ease, a feat that suggested his strength was, at the very least, at the level of an Emanator. In fact, he was likely a standout even among their ranks.
But... which Path did he follow?
During their brief, storm-like exchange, Jingliu had been unable to discern what kind of power he was using. Or rather, it felt like a seamless, elusive fusion of multiple Paths, interwoven so perfectly that they were impossible to distinguish.
Travelers who walked multiple Paths were not unheard of in the cosmos. The people of the Xianzhou, for instance, were all long-life species blessed by the Abundance. It was a bitter irony; the Xianzhou Alliance had always been the staunchest opponent of the Abundance's followers, yet were they not, fundamentally, the largest group of its beneficiaries?
The distinction lay in ideology. The vast majority of Abundance's disciples fanatically pursued endless life and racial propagation, inciting plunder and war across the star rivers to spread their Aeon's "gift." They viewed longevity as the ultimate prize, regardless of the cost. The Xianzhou only targeted these misguided and malevolent zealots, not every traveler who happened to possess the blessing of Abundance.
Jingliu herself was a prime example. Her body was originally a vessel of long life forged by Abundance. She later dedicated herself to the Hunt, bearing the razor-sharp edge of Lan, and had now set foot upon the Path of Destruction. The power of three Paths converged within her—a feat already beyond the reach of ordinary individuals.
However, she knew it was still not enough.
Even with the might of three Paths, truly slaying an Emanator of Abundance remained an incredibly difficult task. Those beings possessed an endless array of life-saving measures; without some other means, they were nearly impossible to kill.
Therefore, Jingliu desired to touch upon a fourth Path: The Propagation. She sought its power to infect and utterly extinguish the undying curse of Abundance. With her current strength, she believed she could rival an ordinary Emanator.
Yet, before the man in front of her, her full power had vanished like a clay ox into the sea. Worse, he still possessed the spare energy to subtly protect their surroundings, confining the destructive fallout of their clash to this small, contained area. Otherwise, everything for leagues around would have likely been reduced to dust.
His strength was simply terrifying.
"Who am I?" Leon repeated the question, a gentle smile playing on his lips.
As he spoke, he reached out, his fingers brushing past the loose strands of hair at the back of her neck as he prepared to tie the new blindfold around her eyes.
"You..."
Leon's face magnified before her, his calm, placid gaze making Jingliu feel an inexplicable tension. Her breath hitched.
"Relax, don't be nervous..." Leon's voice was soothing, as if he were comforting a skittish animal. "Once this blindfold is on, you will no longer be a mere mortal. You must not be tainted by any worldly desires or emotions."
He drew out his words, a hint of theatrical mockery lacing his tone. "If you fall in love... this blindfold will tighten, and tighten, and tighten, making you suffer unbearably..."
"Do you have anything else you want to say before putting this on?" Leon asked with a grin.
Jingliu was completely bewildered. 'What in the world is this?'
Leon felt a pang of regret. It was a shame Jingliu had never seen A Chinese Odyssey. He made a mental note to film a remake later.
"If you don't speak, I'll take it as a no," Leon said, his arm deftly sweeping behind her neck as he carefully placed the blindfold over her eyes.
As if on cue, the iconic melody of "A Love of a Lifetime" seemed to swell from an unseen source.
In the next second, Jingliu's pupils constricted.
She saw it.
She saw herself obtaining a power that transformed her into a fearsome general, merging with the might of The Propagation, and becoming the eighth member of the Annihilation Gang, sworn to destroy Abundance.
This future version of her was wreathed in cool, black smoke, and her entire attire had shifted. The red rope in her hair, the cyan-blue tie, and her single earring had all turned a deep, menacing black. The longsword in her hand, once a blade of crystalline ice, was now forged from pure darkness.
At that moment, Jingliu clearly felt her heart lose its steady rhythm. It began to pound, fast and heavy against her ribs, as if trying to break free.
Leon, standing so close, could sense her sudden tension. He could also clearly smell the charming fragrance wafting from her, something akin to the fresh scent of jasmine. Her collarbones were exquisite—fair, delicate, and tinged with a faint, translucent pink.
"Perfect."
After carefully tying the blindfold, Leon stepped back, pulled a phone from somewhere, and snapped a picture.
Yanqing, who had been standing by in stunned silence, finally couldn't hold it in. A chuckle escaped him, and he quickly slapped a hand over his mouth, his shoulders shaking suspiciously.
The reason was simple. The blindfold now gracing Jingliu's face was adorned with an exaggerated, comical emoticon: ＞_＜
The Sword Master's original cold, aloof, and borderline-maniacal demeanor was completely shattered by the silly, playful accessory. The contrast was so stark it was hilarious.
Hearing Yanqing's stifled laughter, Jingliu snapped back to reality. The vision of her Annihilation Gang self dissipated like a phantom.
She raised a hand to her face and touched the blindfold. The texture of the embroidered pattern confirmed her suspicion... this was not the one she usually wore. It was identical to the "merchandise" Leon had shown her earlier.
Jingliu fell silent. She slowly, deliberately, took off the blindfold.
The next second, the comical item condensed in her palm and shattered, turning into a small handful of crystalline ice shards.
So it was... a fake.
Jingliu instantly realized that Leon's serious-sounding "admonition," along with the strange sense of ritual, had all been a joke.
But that illusion... She looked up and gave Leon a deep, searching glance, only to see him holding his phone, recording her entire process of being stunned, removing the blindfold, and destroying the object. He was documenting every detail with rapt interest.
Jingliu was speechless. The complex emotions that had been surging through her heart were instantly replaced by a deep sense of exasperation.
'If I weren't completely outmatched,'she thought,'you'd be the one turning into ice shards right now.'
She raised her eyes and glared fiercely at Leon, her gaze as cold as a winter spring. This person's actions were erratic and unconventional, impossible to predict by any normal standard. He had to be an Emanator of Elation... and one who must have been granted extremely powerful abilities by Aha.
No wonder. It all made sense now. There was no limit to the power Aha might bestow upon his chosen followers.
Her gaze then shifted to Yanqing, who was still trying to suppress his snickering. A nameless fire ignited in Jingliu's chest.
She shot Leon one last glare before fixing her stare on the young man.
"With your current strength, an encounter with Blade would only lead to your death," her voice regained its icy clarity. "Rather than meeting a worthless end in ignorance, I will give you a more dignified choice."
Jingliu gripped her sword hilt again, pointing the tip toward Yanqing. The chilling sword intent surged once more—less violent than before, but far more concentrated and pure.
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