"Ten thousand swords, descend from heaven!"
Entering phase two, Yanque smirked, the sword's wavy spine grooves firing a pearl barrage.
Each shot trailed caramel in the air, not flying straight but swirling in fluid vortices—trickier than the ice blades.
"Whoa... this thing's a hidden shotgun too." Silver Wolf was enlightened. "But why does this power feel so familiar?"
"Milk tea, soap... Urgh, [eternity] again." Silver Wolf ducked behind Kafka. Those pearl bombs? She'd never block them—[eternity] pierced defenses like true damage.
With the [eternity] divine sword in hand, Yanque—who'd been on the back foot—now traded blows evenly with Blade.
Dan Heng kept dodging with Cloudhacker. Both weapons touched [eternity], so the milk tea sword zeroed in on him, ignoring Blade entirely.
"Perfect—the [eternity] civil war players love."
Kafka fanned drifting milk tea scent. Smelled sweet—bet it'd cloy the tongue.
"Fun game... but time to end it." Kafka sauntered into the fray.
"Alright, everyone... [Listen to me]: Stand down." The trio was mid-clash when [Spirit Whisper] hit again. Dan Heng's mind fogged briefly.
"So, Blade—satisfied?"
"Hmph." Blade crossed arms one-handed, dodging Kafka's question.
"...What did you just do?" Dan Heng tensed up.
"Just prep work, to welcome the big shot... Can't let the mighty Luofu General see my Blade and you two make fools of yourselves."
"Hahahaha."
Casual laughter echoed. Jing Yuan had arrived unnoticed.
"Jing Yuan..."
"General!" Yanque sheathed his divine sword. Fight cut short—frustrating, not fully warmed up... But with the General here, he couldn't steer things.
After dismissing Yanque, Jing Yuan eyed the familiar-yet-strange faces, sorrow flickering in his gaze.
"Long time since you two revisited the Xianzhou—always in awkward spots. If honoring old bonds, should've notified me sooner."
"My business here's done." Blade replied coldly.
"Mm, done." Jing Yuan turned to Kafka. "You helped the Xianzhou a bit—thanks. Take him and go... This time, I'll pretend I saw nothing."
Kafka slipped on her coat. "Blade, Silver Wolf... Let's move."
Watching the Stellaron Hunters leave, just Jing Yuan and Dan Heng remained.
"Long time no see... old friend."
"I'm not him."
Dan Heng turned to go, but Jing Yuan stopped him. "Mm... Sorry. But you can't leave yet—your Astral Express friends are waiting at [Scalegorge Waterscape]. Shall we join them?"
Same direction, goal to regroup with March—Dan Heng agreed.
...
"So... Pontiff Blake's soap flipped your boat?"
Listening to March 7th and Stelle's vivid recap, Adrian could picture it.
"Trajectory veered left—this the troops [eternity] brings? Friendly fire, scarring the young Galactic Baseballer's heart~"
"Pontiff Blake kept his word—maybe stellar net lag, high ping on his end." March 7th covered.
"Ahem! Anyway, this needs a hundred or eighty cups of milk tea to settle." Stelle joked, demanding compensation.
"Unreasonable demand, Miss Stellaron. Across the cosmos... you're the third to scam the [eternity] Aeon."
"What? High-rollers before me?" Stelle gawked. Thought she was abstract enough—turns out millennia ago, others matched her! More than one!
"Sigh~ Universe has everything. Scamming milk tea? You'll get used to it." Just this morning, Aha swiped ten special milk teas. Adrian sensed more ahead.
"Wait—why not make endless milk tea, Teacher Adrian?" March 7th spotted the loophole.
"Ah... Tried once." Adrian briefly shared his first Tingyun encounter.
"Using [eternity] for profit—smart business. Then what?"
"Then... she kept restocking every few days. Too much hassle, so I cut supply."
Shop was for retirement. Blow up? Hire staff—Adrian wouldn't. HIS network was thin...
...
Soon, Jing Yuan and Dan Heng set foot here.
"[Wavy Moon Ancient Sea, wondrous paradise]. Scalegorge Waterscape's views unchanged since last I saw. But you and I standing here now... we're different."
"Even immortal-bodied long-life species can't match heaven and earth."
Dan Heng eyed surging tides. "The General knows Vidyadhara rebirth cycles. Ancient sea waters cleansed Dan Feng's sins. The one who stood here with you then... is gone."
He stressed: "I'm Dan Heng. Dan Feng—hero or sinner—means nothing to me."
"I've borne his punishment, accepted eternal exile... No complaints. But when you look at me, General—please shed the past's shadow."
"Sigh~"
Jing Yuan exhaled long, murky chest air as a drawn-out breath:
"Dredging old matters muddies still waters, stirring needless upset. Maybe your look... those dragon horns, faint Dragon Lord aura—always links you to the old friend in my mind."
"...I've said—"
"Yes, you have. So what?" Jing Yuan cut in. "If words alone shifted views, fewer conflicts in the world."
"Want me to stop seeing you as Dan Feng? Fine—do one thing for me."
"Help as Dan Feng one last time. Matter done, let him die. I'll lift your exile. After, I guarantee: on the Luofu at least, you're no one's shadow."
Dan Heng pondered seriously. "What Dan Feng could do, I might not."
"You must—or promises void. Blame your past life. If not for his mess, if dragon power fully inherited—I wouldn't push you."
Quest set, Jing Yuan knew he couldn't refuse: "As said: you and I here today, changed. No more Dan Feng—only Dan Heng."
Could they summon an Aeon to part seas? High church brass might. But Luofu internals—Jing Yuan wouldn't involve the church.
"And I... I'm Luofu General now. Some things, unwilling or not, must be done."
Heavy talk over. "Let's chat lighter—you friends from the Express are here now. Don't want to see them?"