Every single option meant the same thing!
It seemed survival instinct had taken over—no hesitation or deliberation was needed.
Yet, after selecting one of the choices...
Yanqing gritted his teeth and took a step forward instead!
In the livestream, not just Guinaifen but all the viewers were stunned.
[Chat]
"Holy—Yanqing, you're actually insane?!"
"Why block it?! I'd run! Why can't I choose to run?!"
"Sacrificial heroism!"
"This kid's got a death wish!"
"Yanqing, rest in peace. At least in your final moment, you didn't disgrace the Luofu Cloud Knights!"
...
On the ship—
Yanqing sat frozen in his seat, his entire body ice-cold, his breathing ragged.
His hands trembled uncontrollably.
Only the cold touch of his sword at his waist gave him a sliver of reassurance.
"Am I... really going to die here?"
"Damn it..."
"I haven't even become the Sword Champion yet... I haven't helped the General stabilize the Luofu's hidden dangers..."
A sudden thought struck him—
If he died by Jingliu's hand, would the General avenge him?
But Jingliu's strength was unfathomable.
If she truly unleashed her full power in a frenzy...
The Luofu itself might face catastrophe.
His mind raced with chaotic thoughts, his vision blurring at the edges.
Meanwhile—
Jing Yuan appeared calm on the surface, but his palms were sweating.
When he saw Jingliu leap into the air, manifesting a blade of condensed ice—
His heart lurched.
"Jingliu... are you seriously planning to kill him?!"
But in the next moment—
He noticed Jingliu's eyes were still clear, her expression controlled.
Jingliu, sensing the shift in Jing Yuan's breathing, smirked faintly.
Faced with the descending sword aura, Yanqing mustered everything he had.
All his flying swords whirled around him in a desperate defense.
The moonlight-like slash of energy was upon him—
With a roar, Yanqing thrust forward with all his might!
"HAAAH!!!"
The sword energy split—just enough for him to survive.
The ground on either side of him froze instantly, massive ice spikes erupting as shards rained down like hail.
Gasping for air, Yanqing barely stayed on his feet.
On the ship—
Yanqing stared in disbelief.
"I... I did it?!"
"I actually blocked Jingliu's strike?!"
March 7th and Stelle both cheered.
Despite being humiliated and mocked throughout the mission, Yanqing hadn't backed down in the end.
He'd faced that sword head-on.
And that alone was worthy of praise.
Especially since—
That was Jingliu.
The livestream chat erupted:
"No wonder he aims to be Sword Champion!"
"Yanqing gave it everything!"
"Barely! That was just one strike—if Jingliu had swung again, he'd be mincemeat!"
"We misjudged her! Jingliu hasn't weakened—she's stronger than ever!"
As Yanqing reeled from the shock, Jingliu had already vanished.
...
Only her voice lingered:
"I'll take those records you found."
"Thanks, little one."
A note remained on the ground:
"[This strike is my parting gift. Our fates are intertwined—we'll meet again.]"
After reading it, Yanqing muttered, "This mysterious woman is also after Blade's location..."
"No good. Whatever she plans to do with him, I can't let her get there first!"
"I have to hurry..."
All of this had unfolded within the recorded memories of the Trailblaze Jade.
Finally, the data was retrieved by the Trailblazer and delivered to the Divination Commission, ensuring Jing Yuan was informed.
And with that—
Yanqing's companion mission, "Frost Blade's Trial," concluded.
[Chat]
"She even had time to leave a note?!"
"Wait—he's still chasing her?! Did he not see how fast she moved?!"
"Yanqing, your mental fortitude is unreal! After all that, you're still going after Blade?!"
"Yanqing, just go rest! Please!"
...
On the deck—
After watching the mission, Jing Yuan was overwhelmed with emotions.
Jingliu's final strike hadn't been meant to kill Yanqing.
It was a gift.
A lesson.
A test of his resolve.
After a moment of silence, he turned to the real Jingliu beside him.
"This kid... stubborn to the core."
Jingliu had heard every word of the mission's events.
She simply closed her eyes and said nothing.
Then—
A ding sounded.
March 7th had sent Dan Heng a message with a video link.
"Dan Heng, you okay over there?"
"Jingliu's terrifying—don't provoke her!"
"This is a new short film expanding on the mission. Watch it, and you'll see why I'm warning you."
Thankfully, Jingliu's eyes were covered, so she didn't see Dan Heng's messages.
Avoiding an awkward situation.
Dan Heng enabled Do Not Disturb and opened the link.
The short film, titled "Cloud Knight's Sword Doctrine," began playing.
Jing Yuan's eyes flickered at the title.
"Is this about the Cloud Knights' swordsmanship?"
"It's probably about her," Dan Heng said, glancing at Jingliu.
Jingliu responded indifferently, "Play it."
A moonlit scene unfolded.
Jingliu's voice narrated:
"Little one, since fate has brought us together..."
"Why did you take up the sword at such a young age?"
Yanqing's voice answered:
"At first, it was because of the General's stories about the previous Sword Champion."
"How she stood unmatched, undefeated."
"I admired her. I wanted to be like that."
This was an expanded scene from the companion mission.
Everyone present recognized it immediately.
Jingliu, hearing Yanqing's words, let out a soft chuckle.
This boy had no idea—
The "undefeated Sword Champion" he idolized...
Was the very woman standing before him.
Yanqing continued:
"And to live up to the General's expectations. To repay his teachings."
"Without him, I wouldn't be who I am today."
"But that's not all."
"One day, I'll march with my Cloud Knight brothers."
"To protect the Luofu, to cut down its enemies."
"To serve the Alliance, to hunt across the stars—that's what this sword is for!"
The screen shifted to a golden silhouette—
Rows of Cloud Knights standing atop the clouds, their armor gleaming under a radiant sky.
It was a scene of grandeur, like a celestial army descending.
And at their head—
Jingliu, gripping her greatsword.
Jing Yuan's breath hitched.
This was her—
The Jingliu of her prime, the Sword Champion who led the Luofu's forces.
A memory from her youth, now resurrected on screen.
Even now, it stirred something deep within her.
"Hah... so in the end, it's for loyalty and justice?"
"Big sister, why do you wield the sword?"
Jingliu's voice softened.
"I, too, was once bound by fame, by duty, by bonds..."
Her blindfold suddenly dissolved, revealing crimson eyes.
The reflection in her pupils showed a monochrome version of herself.
"But in the end, they all abandoned this blade."
A brief, chilling sorrow—
Then, the tone shifted violently.
Her voice grew frenzied, ecstatic.
"Because the sword IS the sword! A tool to sever life itself!"
"It is pure—it tolerates no distractions!"
"Only by walking the path of slaughter, by cutting down every obstacle..."
"Will you understand why you draw your sword!"
Her voice turned hysterical, raw with madness.
Jing Yuan's hand twitched—
For a second, he thought the real Jingliu beside him was about to snap.
And Jingliu...
Seemed entranced by her own words.
At some point, she had removed her blindfold.
Her blood-red eyes fixated on the screen, glowing with manic intensity.
Dan Heng tensed.
"This is bad."
The short film's emotions were too extreme—
Even the real Jingliu was being affected.
On screen, a blood moon rose.
Crimson light spilled like wildfire.
"Do you understand now, future Sword Champion?"
Jingliu advanced toward Yanqing on a long bridge, her grin twisted with predatory glee.
She looked like a woman who had embraced centuries of pent-up fury.
At this moment—
No one, not even Dan Heng or Jing Yuan, would doubt:
Jingliu was one step from a full Mara eruption.
A complete, unrestrained descent into madness.
Dan Heng had seen glimpses of Jingliu in his dreams—fragments from the previous Vidyadhara Elder's memories.
Back then, she was just a strict, sometimes warm mentor.
Meeting her in person, she seemed distant, cold.
But this?
This shattered all prior impressions.
Those who fell to Mara—no matter how they suppressed it—
When it broke free, they recognized nothing.
Friend or foe, all would be cut down.
And this Jingliu—
Was visibly resonating with her on-screen counterpart's words.
Her killing intent flickered between the three of them.
Then—
The music swelled again.
Jingliu's face filled the screen, her expression terrifyingly serene.
"I draw my sword to kill. That is all."
At this moment—
The Jingliu on screen and the Jingliu in reality were identical.
It wasn't like watching a film.
It was like staring into a mirror.
Jingliu smiled, delighted.
"Good. Very good."
"To think a mere video could reflect my heart so clearly..."
"Yu Ling, your game... I approve."
After watching it all, the only word left to describe her was—
"Goddess of Slaughter."
To be continued…
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