"Stop! The area ahead has been designated a restricted zone by the Cloud Knights!"
Yanqing raised his longsword, its tip pointing directly at the unidentified figure steadily approaching him.
Following the youth's line of sight, the figure—no, it should be said, the unidentified man—was dressed in attire exuding an aura of demonic charm, with jet-black hair. As he advanced, his head was slightly lowered. Upon hearing Yanqing's warning, his figure paused briefly. Then, covering his face with one hand, he let out a chilling, eerie chuckle.
At this sight, Yanqing's brows furrowed involuntarily. Though he couldn't ascertain exactly what this person was, he could clearly sense the malice emanating from them, as well as an insane desire for destruction.
"In the name of the Cloud Knights' valiant guard, I issue you one final warning: the area ahead is restricted by the Cloud Knights. If you continue to advance—!"
Before the youth could finish, the man's figure suddenly flickered. In the next moment, he appeared right in front of Yanqing.
At the same time, the man drew a cracked longsword from somewhere and swung it toward Yanqing's shoulder with a swift motion.
Clang—!
Instinctively reacting, Yanqing quickly raised his longsword to parry. With a sharp clang, the blades clashed. Instantly, Yanqing felt an overwhelming force, as if it could move mountains and overturn seas, surge through the hilt. His grip faltered, his hand numbing, nearly losing hold of his three-foot blade.
After the strike, the man didn't press the attack. Instead, he lifted his head, his golden-red eyes carefully sizing up Yanqing.
"Interesting, interesting. So, you're Jing Yuan's disciple? You've got some skill."
Hearing the man mention his master's name, Yanqing was momentarily stunned. Then, as if recalling something, the image of Jingliu flashed through his mind.
"You know my master? Could it be… you're one of my master's old acquaintances?"
"An old acquaintance…?" The man paused at the word, then covered his face and let out a low chuckle before erupting into wild laughter. "Hahaha…!"
His laughter was filled with disdain and mockery, mixed with inexplicable traces of nostalgia and regret.
"What are you laughing at?!" Yanqing's brows knitted tightly, his grip on the sword tightening further. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was deeply off about this person.
"Hahaha…!" After a bout of manic laughter, the man covering his face finally quieted down. However, his hand remained in place, and through the gaps between his fingers, half an eye peered out as he sneered, "Old friend? Heh, perhaps. Perhaps we were once old friends. But not anymore…"
His words trailed off briefly before his tone darkened. "Hundreds of years ago, during the third Abundance War, Baiheng fell in battle. Not long after, the Imbibitor Lunae rebellion erupted. After that chaos, I was already dead."
"Now, I am—Blade!"
With that, Blade gripped his shattered sword, unleashing a flurry of strikes. Powerful sword energy tore through the air, each slash landing on Yanqing.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang…!
Yanqing raised his longsword, doing his utmost to block Blade's attacks. Neck, shoulders, wrists, chest—each of Blade's strikes targeted vital points, showing no hint of mercy.
Faced with this storm-like barrage of sword energy, even though Yanqing blocked with all his might, some attacks inevitably landed. Within roughly half a minute, his body was covered in countless wounds.
"Such fierce attacks… He called himself Blade. Could he be one of the Stellaron Hunters? But what he mentioned about Baiheng…" Yanqing gritted his teeth, enduring the onslaught while pondering Blade's identity.
"Hey, kid, don't get distracted!" Blade taunted.
"Damn it!"
In a moment of distraction, Blade seized an opening in Yanqing's stance. With a deft thrust and flick, he sent Yanqing's sword flying out of his hand.
Shing—!
The shattered sword pressed against Yanqing's throat, drawing a thin line of blood with the slightest pressure. The battle was decided.
Staring at the Stellaron Hunter who had so easily overwhelmed him in swordsmanship, Yanqing's eyes burned with unwillingness.
"Heh, I like that look in your eyes," Blade chuckled, patting Yanqing's cheek with the flat of his sword. "Kid, remember my name—I am Blade!"
With that, Blade struck Yanqing's neck heavily with the back of his sword. Yanqing's vision blurred, and with an expression of defiance, he collapsed, lying limp on the ground.
"Come out. You've been watching for quite a while," Blade said, turning to face a towering tree nearby after knocking Yanqing out.
As Blade's words fell, a rustling sound followed. A woman with silver-blue hair, a black ribbon tied around her forehead, stepped out from behind the tree.
"It's been a long time, Yingxing."
It was Jingliu. She greeted Blade coldly, her expression impassive, devoid of any emotion.
"Heh, indeed, it's been a while, Jingliu. I didn't expect you to still be alive," Blade replied with a mocking chuckle, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Of five people, three must pay a price. You and I are among them!"
— — — —
Shifting the scene to the Trailblazer and the Xianzhou group, near the Scalegorge Waterscape, everyone stood in a line along the coastline.
Gazing at the vast sea before them, March 7th and Stelle, unaware of the Scalegorge Waterscape's location, looked somewhat confused. Welt, on the other hand, seemed more composed, observing the scenery and seemingly forming guesses about the location.
Staring at the majestic, turbulent ocean, our esteemed Master Diviner Fu Xuan turned around, tilting her head to look up at Imbibitor Lunae, who stood over nine feet tall, and said, "Vidyadhara Dragon Sovereign, it's up to you."
"Mm."
Dan Heng nodded, then slowly stepped to the front of the group. Under the puzzled gazes of March 7th and Stelle, golden lotuses bloomed beneath his feet.
Then, as if climbing a staircase, the Vidyadhara Dragon Sovereign ascended step by step into the sky.
When he reached a height of nine zhang from the ground, a glint of golden light flashed in his eyes. In an instant, a massive azure dragon, hundreds of zhang long, soared into the heavens.
"I am Dan Heng. In the name of the Vidyadhara Dragon Sovereign, I command the waters of the ancient sea to part!"
As Dan Heng's proclamation rang out, the Vidyadhara's sacred treasure, the Abyss Pearl, glowed with boundless light in his hand.
In an instant, the sea roiled, mountains trembled, and rivers overturned. The once-calm ocean surged with towering waves.
Rocks pierced the sky, waves crashed against the shore, stirring up a thousand heaps of snow!
As Dan Heng unleashed his power, the raging sea parted as if cleaved by a giant blade, revealing a massive gap that stretched to the opposite shore, exposing the seabed. On either side of the gap, the faint silhouette of a dragon could be seen swimming through the water.