"Oh! Got it, Grandpa!"
The moment the words left her mouth, a barefoot girl with short hair came running after Huaiyan, a massive greatsword resting casually across her shoulder.
Traveling alongside grandfather and granddaughter...
Was a sword crafted specifically as the grand prize for this year's Xianzhou Wardance Ceremony.
As the centerpiece of the tournament, it had been forged by the finest master craftsmen of Xianzhou Zhuming.
Weapons produced by the Zhuming were priceless no matter where they appeared in the universe.
Huaiyan smiled faintly, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked toward the waiting starskiff.
The barefoot girl hurried after him, hugging her oversized sword as she jogged to keep up.
Although she always called Huaiyan "Grandpa," they weren't related by blood.
Strictly speaking...
She was his disciple.
Her name was Yunli.
Her father had once been one of Zhuming's finest swordsmiths.
From childhood, Yunli had been immersed in her family's forging traditions, dreaming of becoming a master swordsmith herself.
But...
Her father became obsessed with creating sentient weapons.
He sealed a Heliobus inside one of his swords.
The disaster that followed devastated the Flamewheel Forge Palace...
And claimed the lives of Yunli's parents.
This time...
At the Xianzhou Wardance Ceremony...
She swore to win that sword.
No matter what.
Xianzhou Yaoqing
As soon as news arrived from Luofu...
The Yaoqing immediately began making preparations.
Leading the delegation would be—
General Feixiao.
Accompanying her was a physician...
And an advisor.
Among the Xianzhou, Feixiao was renowned as the Victor General.
She was also the youngest of the Alliance's generals, having only recently inherited command of the Xianzhou Yaoqing.
During the Third Denizens of Abundance War...
The Xianzhou Fanghu had been breached by the Borisin war fleets.
The Yuque's Master Diviner, Jingtian, sent a message to the Reignbow Arbiter using the Cloud-Peer Mirror.
At the time...
General Yueyu of the Yaoqing ordered Feixiao to lead the Cloud Knights in breaking through the encirclement.
Yueyu herself remained behind.
She held the line until the Reignbow Arbiter's divine arrow descended...
Ultimately sacrificing her own life beneath its light.
When the war ended...
Feixiao officially succeeded her as General of the Yaoqing.
The physician accompanying her...
Was Jiaoqiu.
Once the personal physician of General Yueyu.
As for the final member of the delegation...
He was one of Feixiao's Shadow Guards.
Years ago, while suppressing the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, Feixiao had rescued a short-life orphan.
She adopted him...
Then calmly told him he was free to seek revenge against her whenever he wished.
From that day onward...
He protected Yaoqing as one of her Shadow Guards...
While patiently waiting for the day he might someday take revenge.
His name...
It was Moze.
This journey to the Luofu wasn't solely for the Wardance.
The Yaoqing had another objective.
A far more important one.
They intended to bring home a criminal imprisoned for nearly seven hundred years.
Hoolay.
For almost seven centuries...
He had remained confined within Luofu's Shackling Prison.
As the former warlord of Borisin...
He had defied every known law of biology.
Seven hundred years ago...
After Sword Champion Jingliu captured him...
He had been imprisoned without food or water.
And yet...
He still hadn't died.
Even among the Denizens of Abundance...
That was beyond belief.
The Borisin possessed extraordinary vitality...
But surviving seven centuries under those conditions?
That was something else entirely.
Naturally...
The Foxians of the Yaoqing became very interested.
Foxians typically lived only two or three centuries.
Among the Alliance's three long-life races...
Their lifespan was by far the shortest.
The Xianzhou natives enjoyed near-endless lifespans, so long as mara didn't claim them.
The Vidyadhara had reincarnation through the Dragoncycle.
As long as they weren't killed...
Their lineage continued forever.
Foxians...
Were different.
They stood awkwardly between long-life and short-life species.
More importantly...
The Foxians and the Borisin shared common ancestry.
The Yaoqing's intentions...
Couldn't have been clearer.
They were taking the Borisin warlord back.
Jarilo-VI
Belobog — Qlipoth Fort
Luka looked around curiously as he stepped inside.
This was the first time in his life...
That someone from the Underworld had entered Qlipoth Fort.
After all...
He was a boxer.
Politics and governing had never interested him.
The first thing he noticed...
Was that Seele wasn't here.
That only made him even more curious.
As he entered the hall...
He found three people already waiting.
Supreme Guardian Bronya.
Captain Gepard.
Pela.
"Hello, Luka."
Bronya greeted him with a warm smile.
"Lady Bronya..."
He scratched his head awkwardly.
"Sorry..."
"I grew up in the Underworld."
"I'm not exactly familiar with noble etiquette."
Even Luka couldn't help feeling nervous.
Three of Belobog's most important people...
Had summoned him here personally.
Why?
Bronya immediately noticed what he was thinking.
"You don't need to be so formal."
She smiled reassuringly.
"I imagine..."
"You still know almost nothing about the Luofu."
"So this is a good opportunity for us to talk."
"The Xianzhou Luofu..."
Luka nodded slowly.
He remembered now.
Not long ago...
Belobog had unexpectedly received an invitation.
The sender...
The Xianzhou Luofu.
They were inviting representatives from Jarilo-VI to participate in something called the Wardance Ceremony.
Rubbing his chin, Luka finally voiced the question that had been bothering him.
"I've always wondered..."
"We only recently reestablished contact with the outside universe."
"The IPC said the galaxy had practically forgotten Jarilo-VI."
"So..."
"Why would the Luofu suddenly invite a place as insignificant as ours?"
Bronya answered calmly.
"Not long after Belobog's interstellar communication array came back online..."
"We received a transmission."
"The signal quality was poor..."
"But the contents were clear."
"'The Xianzhou Luofu sincerely invites the warriors of Jarilo-VI to participate in the Wardance Ceremony.'"
Luka still looked puzzled.
"But..."
"We've only just reconnected with the galaxy."
"So why us?"
Pela raised a hand.
"I have a theory."
"It may have something to do with our history before the Eternal Freeze."
"Luka."
"Have you ever heard the story of Igor Haft?"
"The legendary warrior?"
"Of course!"
"The story of how he led the Eighth Iron Guard against invaders from beyond the stars..."
"I've never gotten tired of hearing it."
Pela nodded.
"Exactly."
"Recently..."
"Lynx has been exploring the ruins of the ancient city of Maslenitsa."
"A few months ago..."
"She discovered an isolated grave separate from the public cemetery."
"There was no body."
"Only a mechanical arm..."
"And a damaged jade pendant."
"The IPC identified the arm as technology from the Old World."
"As for the pendant..."
"They said it was a Xianzhou artifact called a Jade Abacus."
"I heard about that!"
Luka's eyes widened.
"Miss Lynx believes it's Igor's memorial tomb!"
"That's right."
Pela nodded.
"The inscription clearly states..."
"That the boxer Igor Haft once left Jarilo-VI before the Legion invasion."
"But later..."
"He returned to defend his homeland."
She blushed slightly before continuing.
"No one knows what happened after he left."
"Or why he chose to come back."
"Maybe..."
"He once traveled to the Xianzhou."
"And that's why they invited us."
Luka finally understood.
"So..."
"Igor might even have participated in the Wardance before."
"The Xianzhou have incredibly long lifespans."
"To them..."
"That wouldn't have been very long ago."
Bronya nodded.
"Exactly."
She looked at Luka seriously.
"To put it simply..."
"Regardless of why the Xianzhou invited us..."
"This ceremony is extremely important for Belobog."
"It gives us the chance..."
"To introduce ourselves to the galaxy once again."
"As a nation that survived both the Antimatter Legion..."
"And the Eternal Freeze."
"More importantly..."
"If we can establish ties with the Xianzhou Alliance..."
"We'll have greater leverage when negotiating with the IPC."
Luka clenched his mechanical fist tightly.
"I understand."
"I'll fight..."
"For Belobog's honor."
"Well said!"
Pela suddenly clapped her hands.
"Oh!"
"I almost forgot."
"Seele couldn't make it today."
"But she asked me to pass along a message."
She cleared her throat dramatically.
"'What's Gepard doing letting you slack off?'"
"'Luka, you'd better give it everything you've got!'"
"'If you lose...'"
"'I'll beat you up myself!'"
"And one more thing."
"If you happen to run into Evan on the Luofu..."
"Tell him this."
"'If he doesn't come back soon...'"
"'I'm going to drag him home myself!'"
Luka nodded solemnly.
"I'll make sure he hears it."
Bronya then finalized the arrangements.
Seele and Gepard both had duties that prevented them from leaving Belobog.
Pela was also tied up with work.
So...
She decided to send Lynx and Hook alongside Luka.
Just to be safe...
She also requested Svarog accompany them as both guide and protector.
Officially...
It was so Belobog's younger generation could broaden their horizons.
And so...
The following day...
Luka, Hook, Lynx, and Svarog boarded an IPC transport vessel.
Their destination—
The Xianzhou Luofu.
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