"..."
Faced with the sudden music, everyone looked at one another in confusion.
By all logic, this scene was deeply unsettling, yet with Daoist Arden present—someone who specialized in slaying demons and exorcising evil—even if something strange appeared, it should be the anomaly that feared them.
Almost unconsciously, everyone edged closer to Arden, forming a tight circle around him while vigilantly observing their surroundings.
"Careful!"
Arden scooped Ellen into his arms in one swift motion, pulling her away from where she had just been standing.
The next instant—
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…
Dozens of razor-sharp blades sliced through the air at Ellen's former position, cutting it apart into a gust of wind.
Looking closely, one could see that those metallic blades came from the hem of a dress, and the owner of that dress was a slender Ethereal.
Its appearance closely resembled a human—complete body proportions, head, and limbs—yet its legs transitioned into increasingly thin metallic structures, ending in needle-like spikes piercing into the ground.
"This thing… its style is completely different!"
Yiji's voice came through Belion.
"..."
Arden narrowed his eyes slightly.
One of the Ballet Twins.
A weekly boss in Zenless Zone Zero and a frequent presence in critical operations and defense battles—Arden naturally recognized it, though seeing it in person still left him inwardly awed.
"It really is different."
It bore obvious human traits, retained movements from its human days, and even its dress was a remnant left behind after Ether corruption.
The Marionette Twins—unlike ordinary Ethereals, this was clearly a human transformed by Ether erosion.
"Ar—Brother Arden!"
A soft, timid voice came from his arms—it was Ellen, sounding so gentle that Arden almost thought he'd imagined it.
"Huh? Oh—sorry."
Arden loosened his grip and let Ellen slip out of his embrace.
A soft Ellen was indeed very huggable, but this wasn't the time to deepen emotional bonds. At that moment, the Marionette's legs scraped against the floor, sparks flying as her supple body performed elegant dance movements—spinning, leaping—before finally extending her right hand, formed of sharp fingers, toward the group, as if inviting them to a dance.
"The moment the music started, she appeared—this is a trap."
In truth, Arden wasn't particularly concerned about the Marionette. As a grandmaster-level cultivator, he wasn't afraid of a Notorious-class Ethereal, and his pre-isekai experience fighting the Marionette was extensive beyond measure.
The real issue was who had set this trap.
Are they connected to Rain's kidnapping? And was the goal simply abduction, or is there a mastermind behind it?
To be honest, his memory of the original game's plot wasn't crystal clear—he only recalled that the events at Ballet Twins Hollow were tied to the Sacrifice incident, election turnover, and the Exaltists.
The Exaltists again!
Arden silently vowed that if given the chance, he would uproot the Exaltists completely.
"A wise judgment, Daoist Arden!"
Von Lycaon greatly admired Arden—not only was he powerful, but his mind was also remarkably sharp.
Perhaps it was precisely this insight that allowed him to progress so far on the path of cultivation.
Lycaon, equally sharp-minded, also realized that someone had exploited this Ethereal's sensitivity to music to lure it here, intending to block their advance using it.
Only humans possessed such calculated intelligence—after all, human hearts could be far darker than Ethereals.
"Music?"
As if realizing something, Eous—under Belle's control—looked at the tablet in Arden's hand and suddenly delivered a flying kick, shattering it.
"..."
The music stopped abruptly, and the Marionette's faceless head turned toward Eous, as if holding a grudge.
"Yiji!"
At that moment, Belle called out to Yiji, who was in the same room remotely controlling Belion.
"Understood!"
"..."
The very next second, beautiful music flowed from Belion.
With Painted Skin receiving widespread acclaim, Suibian Film & Media Studio had capitalized on the momentum by releasing another supernatural romance film—A Cantonese Ghost Story.
And the track Belion played was its theme song, "A Lonely Road Through the Vast World".
Belle's strategy worked perfectly. Bathed in the sorrowful, flowing melody, the Marionette withdrew her killing intent and began to dance in circles around Belion, forming a scene both strange and breathtakingly beautiful.
"Such elegant dancing… this Ethereal must have been—"
Rina raised a hand to cover her mouth, eyes wide with shock.
Before she could finish her speculation, Von Lycaon glanced at her, and she immediately fell silent, focusing instead on the Marionette's ballet.
While the Marionette immersed herself in the melancholic tune, seemingly recalling her human past, Arden quietly moved behind her. Then, raising Sword of Red Heaven, he leapt and brought it down in a devastating overhead strike!
The speed was so extreme that the eyes couldn't follow—only afterimages remained.
Zzz—splurt!
First came the sound of metal grinding, followed by a crimson flash that split the Marionette cleanly in two.
"!!!"
Everyone was stunned by Arden's maneuver.
Put nicely, it was tactical brilliance. Put bluntly… it was a shameless sneak attack.
Using Belion's music to distract the Marionette, then striking while she was absorbed in it—she just wanted to dance, only to be cleaved apart mid-performance.
Who was the Marionette supposed to complain to?
"All done!"
Arden showed no shame whatsoever and even seemed rather pleased with his cleverness.
Though he could have defeated the Marionette head-on, it wouldn't have been nearly this effortless or efficient.
Arden glanced at the Marionette. The split Ethereal had gone lifeless, kneeling on the ground as if dead, yet strangely, she hadn't dissipated—remaining motionless in that position.
Clang, clang~!
Staying cautious, Arden tapped the Marionette's body with Sword of Red Heaven and found it still rigid. He raised Sword of Red Heaven again and struck downward.
The blade connected, but the sensation was off—almost as if it couldn't cut through.
"Hmm? Could it be…"
Arden thought for a moment.
"Revival?"
He remembered that the Marionette came as a pair of twins—defeating them required eliminating both simultaneously.
If only one was destroyed, the other could revive her sister.
Just as Arden pondered how to locate the second the Marionette, a sudden change occurred.
Aah~!
The other the Marionette appeared behind him, clawed hand reaching for his life—but Arden bent low and narrowly avoided the strike.
"Just as I thought—there really is another one!"
Arden retreated and fixed his gaze on the Marionette No. 2.
The newly appeared the Marionette didn't continue attacking him. Instead, she knelt down and embraced the immobilized the Marionette No. 1.
Their bodies quickly sank into the floor and vanished, but before disappearing, Arden clearly saw the Marionette No. 1 regain vitality—revived.
As expected!
Arden didn't pursue. That would only waste precious time—the rescue of hacker Rain was the priority.
===BREAK===
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