*Cough!*
"S-Short life? Me? I-I'm the first to die?"
Baiheng had just raised her wine cup to her lips when she nearly choked upon hearing Lucian's revelation.
Shouldn't she have been the one to board the Astral Express and travel the world?
How did it suddenly become her dying first, while Dan Feng ended up being the one to board the Astral Express instead?
It made no sense.
Aside from Lucian, everyone was stunned, since no one had expected such an outcome.
"Teacher, you must be joking, right?" Yingxing asked with a strained smile.
Unfortunately, what met him was Lucian's calm, serene gaze, which clearly showed he was not joking at all.
Yingxing's smile instantly stiffened.
How could someone like him, a short-life species, possibly be immortal?
"Well, since it came up, let me give you all a little warning."
Lucian decided to explain in detail, to prepare the five of them mentally, since he could not be at their side every moment.
If something unexpected happened in the future, they must not immediately resort to Transmutation Arcanum.
"In my dream, people called you the High-Cloud Quintet."
"In the Year 7379 of the Star Calendar, an Emanator of Abundance, Shuhu, led a great army of abominations to press down upon the Xianzhou Luofu."
"Teng Xiao sacrificed himself, gravely injuring Shuhu, while the five of you fought the wounded Emanator."
"Dan Feng transformed into a dragon and battled Shuhu, but ultimately fell into Dragon's Delirium. In the end, Baiheng charged alone into the fray, saving Dan Feng and Jingliu, but perished alongside Shuhu."
At the mention of Teng Xiao's death, Jing Yuan's mind went blank, for he could not imagine that such a powerful general and the mentor he respected most would be killed by an Emanator of Abundance.
"W-Well, not bad..." Baiheng grinned. "At least I traded my life for an Emanator's life—that's a fair deal!"
Of course, the others knew she was only trying to ease the heavy mood.
Jingliu and Dan Feng remained silent, unable to fathom how they could've been pushed so far that Baiheng had no choice but to sacrifice herself.
"In my next dream, the villains were Dan Feng and Yingxing." Lucian continued calmly.
Upon hearing this, Dan Feng and Yingxing froze for a moment, then exchanged silent glances.
At this moment, everyone couldn't help but wonder how an old man nearing eighty and a Vidyadhara High Elder could've ended up as the villains.
"Dan Feng later learned about a ritual to name a new Vidyadhara High Elder of the Luofu, known as the Transmutation Arcanum—which, at the time, was the only hope to bring Baiheng back to life."
"In the end, the two of you went to the Scalegorge Waterscape and buried Baiheng's remnants, attempting to use the Transmutation Arcanum along with Shuhu's flesh and the powers of the Ambrosial Arbor to bring her back to life."
"From Baiheng's remnants, you tried to create new life, but instead of Baiheng, you birthed a draconic abomination that nearly destroyed the Scalegorge Waterscape, slaughtering anyone without restraint until Jingliu pierced its skull and killed it."
"In the end, Yingxing was tainted by Shuhu's flesh, cursed with immortality, and turned into a long-life species, unable to die. Jingliu, having slain her close friend, was mara-struck, resulting in her slaughtering her comrades in madness before being subdued by Jing Yuan, and then fleeing the Xianzhou Alliance."
As Lucian finished his so-called dream recount, the five fell silent—even the usually cheerful Baiheng could no longer smile.
Needless to say, this was what people called 'things going against one's wishes.'
A life that should have been whole and destined for happiness instead ended in tragedy because of unexpected twists.
"So, without you, Baiheng's death would have been the start of our downfall, Teacher?" Jing Yuan said in a heavy tone, not daring to imagine how distressing it would be if that truly came to pass. "Honestly, that dream is terrifying if it ever becomes reality..."
"No wonder I had a nightmare recently... I dreamt I became a dragon, thrashing on an island, with many people attacking me..." Baiheng muttered in a slight daze. "I wanted to run, but I couldn't move, and finally, I saw Jingliu aiming her sword at my head... It scared me awake..."
Right after saying this, she quickly clung to Lucian's arm like a child seeking comfort.
"I told you, it's just a dream..." Lucian raised his hand and gently patted her head. "It's okay—with me here, it won't happen."
"I don't want to die... I... I want to stay quietly by your side..." Baiheng tilted her head, murmuring softly as she leaned against his shoulder with closeness. "If anything happens to me, you must save me, okay? I don't want to become a dragon and kill innocents, nor do I want to be stabbed by Jingliu."
Jingliu saw Baiheng's intimate gesture, but this time, she couldn't feel jealous at all.
In fact, what she felt now was only sympathy.
Why?
It was simply because when she was young, she had also dreamt of such a nightmare—one where Rahu destroyed her home, the Xianzhou Cangcheng.
Back then, the vividness of that nightmare still haunted her—until she realized those dreams had truly come to pass.
If her master had not appeared and slain Rahu, the Xianzhou Cangcheng would surely have become the hell she had once seen in her nightmare.
"You two, remember my master's words." Jingliu said seriously as she gazed at Dan Feng and Yingxing. "I do not want to see such things happen. Otherwise, don't blame me if I cut off the problem at the root myself."
Seeing her so serious for the first time, the two men did not dare to refute her.
"Yes, I understand." Yingxing nodded with a solemn expression. "No matter what happens, I will ask the Teacher's opinion first."
Even though he was nearly eighty, Yingxing still looked remarkably well-maintained, appearing no older than sixty.
In fact, Lucian had once offered to restore his youth, but he surprisingly refused, saying that when he was near death, if he still wished to live, he would then ask for Lucian's help.
"Mm, I won't act recklessly." Dan Feng nodded seriously.
He never intended to bring harm to his friends.
Besides, with a teacher possessing such unfathomable healing power, there was no need for any Transmutation Arcanum.
'Death is not the end. Preserve the remains, find Teacher/Master/Lucian, and revival is possible.'
In the end, the five buried this thought deep within their hearts, their minds surprisingly in sync.
Lucian felt it was good for them to understand the stakes—so that even without him around, they would not recklessly cause trouble.
"Next year, Shuhu will most likely attack the Luofu. Remember to inform me early."
In the original story, the Shuhu Upheaval took place in the Year 7379 of the Star Calendar.
Now that they knew, the Xianzhou Luofu could prepare in advance.
If only he could find where Shuhu was hiding, he would have killed Shuhu long ago—thrown him into a black hole to ensure certain death.
"Alright!" Jing Yuan quickly rose and bowed his head to Lucian. "I will return now to report to the General, so he can prepare defenses and send more scouts."
Even though he found Lucian's dream vision somewhat absurd, he dared not gamble on this. If a tragedy that could have been avoided truly happened because of his carelessness, he would be a sinner for eternity.
Dan Feng also stood up, leaving with Jing Yuan.
"In that case, I'll return to the Zhuming and rush the forging of weapons." Yingxing said seriously, also standing up to leave.
Lucian simply teleported the three to their destinations, leaving the courtyard with only one man and two women.
"Lucian, are you confident?" Baiheng moved closer to Lucian and asked in a serious tone.
"Of course." Lucian smiled with confidence. "Don't you know how capable I am?"
"But Master, an Emanator of Abundance can heal and regenerate endlessly..." Jingliu chimed in with a frown. "It's hard to truly kill a being like that."
Teng Xiao would have had the most to say—after all, even when he had been utterly exhausted and had given everything, Shuhu still ultimately survived until Baiheng sacrificed herself.
"Just throw him into a black hole—there's no need for a prolonged fight." Lucian shrugged nonchalantly. "Don't worry, I have my ways."
Right after saying this, he patted Baiheng's head with his left hand and Jingliu's with his right—the gesture carried such a sense of safety that the two women asked no more.
===
A year later, Jing Yuan sent a voice message to Lucian, informing him of important news.
"Teacher, just as you said, scouts have found the Abominations of Abundance regrouping and moving toward the Luofu, led by an Emanator of Abundance. General Teng Xiao requests support from the Cangcheng."
Baiheng and Jingliu, sitting beside Lucian, also heard Jing Yuan's voice message.
"Master, when are we leaving?" Jingliu asked directly.
"Tomorrow." Lucian replied calmly.
With Absolute Hit, knowing the coordinates meant that travel time was irrelevant, so today or tomorrow didn't matter.
"In that case, I'll go out to pray for good fortune!" Baiheng exclaimed, putting on her coat and quickly leaving the house.
Truthfully, ever since Lucian revealed the tragedy in his dream, it had always weighed heavily on her.
Because of this, afraid she might never speak the words she had always longed to say, she resolved to seek a blessing for love first.
===
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