Midnight.
After an intense hour-and-a-half "battle," the three had tried every possible way to play, so they put down the cards and returned to their respective places.
Though March 7th, without a word, slipped into Stelle's bathroom.
After the lights went out.
Staring at the ceiling, feeling the cool touch of the body next to her and catching the faint scent of shampoo from the girl, Stelle couldn't fall asleep for a long time.
If this were a summer night without air conditioning, having March 7th around would be a blessing.
As expected… just like that night in Belobog, she couldn't sleep.
March 7th's sleeping posture was a stark contrast to her usual cool, regal demeanor. Right now, she was curled up, facing Stelle's side, one slender arm draped over her, occasionally fidgeting and grabbing at nothing.
Moonlight fell on March 7th's sleeping face, as if draping a silver veil over her, even revealing a faint glimmer of drool at the corner of her mouth.
…Tch, just a pretty girl. As if I'm not one too! Stelle quickly averted her gaze, trying to fool herself.
Can't sleep…
Still can't sleep.
If I can't sleep any longer, March, the tables are gonna turn!!
An hour later, Stelle finally drifted off. Sigh… I'll get used to it.
…
At the same time, in the courtyard of Jing Yuan's home.
Yanqing stood bathed in moonlight, moving like an emotionless machine. Even though sweat had soaked his entire body, he showed no signs of stopping. With each move and strike, he could feel his understanding and mastery of swordsmanship deepening—an intensity he hadn't felt since three years ago… no, even stronger than three years ago!
In just half a day, Yanqing felt his skills had leaped to a new level!
Finally, when his physical body reached its limit, he stopped, panting heavily, his eyes brimming with excitement.
He didn't know why, but his dream of becoming the Sword Champion suddenly seemed within reach!
"Hahaha, young man, now you see how great I am!"
At that moment, a ghostly flame abruptly flared from the ring on Yanqing's finger, forming a human-like figure that looked at him with a mocking gaze.
"Hmph, don't be so shocked, kid. I am Phantylia, the—"
Without a word, Yanqing tore the ring off his finger and smashed it onto the ground. "So what Guinaifen told me was true! There really is a heliobus attached to me, draining my essence?!"
Crack!
The ring shattered under Yanqing's force, but he wasn't satisfied. He grabbed a rock and kept smashing. "What's next? You want me to go find stuff to forge a body for you? To hell with that! I don't have some three-year pact, and I'm not falling for your tricks!"
—"Kid, hold on, let me finish…"
Clang clang clang! (The sound of metal hitting the ground!)
"How selfish can you be, huh?! Ptui!"
"You didn't show yourself before, and now you're not even running—you're coming toward me?!"
"You're in for it now!"
"…"
Yanqing was furious, grabbing anything he could and smashing wildly. Despite his usual polite and composed demeanor, he was still just a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old boy—practically a toddler by Xianzhou standards. For the entity that had ruined three years of his youth, all he felt was a blazing fire in his mind.
He only stopped when the ground was covered in dust, realizing that heliobi were intangible and couldn't be hit.
But no matter. The ring it possessed was now dust—surely this ghost couldn't cling to him anymore, right?
"Hmph! You insolent brat!"
Suddenly, an invisible hand clamped around Yanqing's neck. Phantylia, no longer able to hold back, reformed its shape, snarling through gritted teeth, "If you interrupt me again, I'll send you straight to the underworld!"
Phantylia calmed itself and released the energy hand gripping Yanqing. "First, an introduction. I am Phantylia, an Emanator of [Beauty], here on the Luofu to create a paradise where everyone is happy and fulfilled."
"But to carry out my plan, I need to find someone upright and pure, capable of comprehending the true meaning of 'Beauty.' After three years of evaluation, you've passed!"
Yanqing cut straight to the point. "Didn't Idrila, the [Beauty], fall? Where does an Emanator come from?"
Phantylia: "Who said She died? She's just missing, got it? And you, kid, stop interrupting grown-ups!"
"You've already felt it—your swordsmanship talent now is more than ten times what it was three years ago. If you cooperate with me, within a year, the title of Luofu's Sword Champion will be yours."
Yanqing immediately grew wary. "Even if you hold a blade to my neck, I won't accept any request that harms the Luofu's interests."
"Harming others doesn't align with our [Beauty] ideals," Phantylia said proudly. "[Beauty] is about bringing nobility and happiness to the world!"
"Don't you dare lump me in with those [Destruction] riffraff, those rotten fish and shrimp."
Yanqing eyed it skeptically. "Then tell me, what do you want?"
"You know the power of heliobi," Phantylia said with a smile. "Heliobi can unlock human potential, feed on negative emotions, and help the indecisive make choices. If I envelop the Luofu, I can make everyone become the person they want to be. In your Xianzhou terms, isn't that called 'all things vying freely under the frosty heavens'?"
"Don't even think about it," Yanqing said coldly. "Do you take me for a three-year-old? The Heliobus Chaos is infamous in Xianzhou history. How is your plan any different?"
"The difference is you," Phantylia said, its voice laced with temptation. "I'll grant you my power unconditionally, making you the master of this endeavor. If you think anything's amiss, you can stop it at any time."
"Think of your friends, your master. Don't you want them to live good lives? Don't you want them to become their best selves?"
Yanqing fell silent. After a long pause, he replied, "I'll need to think about it."
"Hahaha, of course!" Phantylia was elated, transforming into intangible flames and burrowing back into Yanqing, leaving one final remark: "I won't leave even if you don't agree."
Yanqing: …
Unbeknownst to Yanqing, Phantylia was inwardly ecstatic: Hahaha, this kid's too naive—fooled with just a few words! Good, good. He won't try to exorcise me anytime soon, so I can nurture my power a bit longer.
As long as it could guide him further and trick him into helping it forge a physical body, Phantylia would, like the ring-bound grandpas in certain novels, not only return to its peak strength but, with the aid of the "Buildwood," potentially become the top general under Lord Nanook!
And then, it could watch the fools of the Luofu sink into an endless abyss of beauty, marching toward their destruction.