"Borisin? Why are Borisin here?"
Arriving at the scene and witnessing the Borisin-induced chaos, Yanqing was immediately puzzled. But this wasn't the time for questions. Gripping his three-foot-long sword, its tip gleaming with a chilling edge, the youth, who had lost some of his initial sharpness, now displayed the nascent form of a true Sword Champion.
Hiss-ha!
Yanqing's overwhelming aura instantly drew the attention of the Borisin present.
"Everyone, evacuate the area! I'll handle this!"
Yanqing shouted, first sending his Flying Swords to probe for threats. After confirming the absence of danger, he cautiously charged in to eliminate them.
However, the surrounding crowd prevented Yanqing from using wide-area Skills, allowing one Borisin to slip through.
"Quick, stop it!" March 7th and the others, who had just arrived, waved their hands, summoning their Weapons.
March 7th drew her bow, aiming an arrow at the fleeing Borisin.
"Hey! Ha! Old Mettle, go!" But before she could fire, several of Yanqing's Flying Swords, along with some massive, unidentified object, streaked through the air, pinning the escaping Borisin to the ground with pinpoint accuracy, kicking up a cloud of dust-laden mist.
A petite girl stood barefoot atop the massive, unknown object, holding Yanqing's Flying Sword in her hands. She studied it with keen interest.
Seeing the situation resolved, the group slowly approached. The massive object beneath the girl's feet fully revealed itself to everyone—a Great Sword that looked fiercely imposing.
"Yunli?" Lumina called out softly, recognizing the girl.
"Hmm? Lumina? What a coincidence!" Yunli, who had been engrossed in examining the sword, turned at the familiar voice. A hint of surprise flickered across her usually impassive face.
"Eh? Sister Lumina, you two know each other?" March 7th looked from Yunli to her beloved Sister Lumina, a sudden competitive spirit rising within her.
Was it a competitive spirit? March 7th wasn't sure.
Where did this competitive spirit come from? March 7th had no idea. But one thing was certain: this whole situation must have something to do with her beloved Sister Lumina!
"Hmm, I just met her a few days ago," Lumina said, introducing Yunli to the group. "Her name is Yunli, and she's from the Xianzhou Zhuming. She's here to participate in the Wardance Ceremony."
Hearing this, Yanqing, who had been staring intently at Yunli, stepped forward, his gaze settling on the Flying Sword in her hand. "Miss Yunli, this sword..."
"Ah, shoot! I'm out of time for chitchat," Yunli interrupted. "Lumina, let's grab a bite later. I'll contact you on the Jade Abacus. Gotta dash!"
Before Yanqing could finish his sentence, Yunli, who had been examining the sword, seemed to recall something. Shaking her head, she left Lumina with a quick farewell, then snatched Old Mettle and Yanqing's sword. With the agility of a wuxia master scaling walls, she leaped away, vanishing from sight in a series of swift movements.
"Can I have it back...?" Yanqing muttered, watching Yunli's figure shrink into a tiny black dot on the horizon, utterly bewildered.
Wait a minute... my sword? Did that lady think it was a trophy dropped by Borisin or something?!
"This... well, she certainly lives up to the reputation of Xianzhou people, doesn't she? Her skill, her strength..." March 7th exclaimed, watching Yunli effortlessly scale walls and leap between rooftops, Great Sword in hand. A hint of envy flickered in her eyes.
Remembering Yanqing's earlier remark and Yunli's actions, March 7th quickly added, covering her tracks, "I'm just marveling at Yunli's skill, ha! I'm not commenting on her taking the sword as a souvenir."
"It's fine. It's not a big deal," Yanqing replied, his confusion fading as he recalled Lady Lumina's introduction of Yunli. "Since Miss Yunli is participating in the Wardance Ceremony, we'll definitely see her again."
"Judging by her demonstrated skill, she'll be a formidable opponent," Yanqing remarked. His focus had already shifted from the sword being taken as a trophy to the Wardance Ceremony itself.
Having learned his lesson from past failures, Yanqing was now wary of making premature judgments before battle, which could lead to miscalculations and a chain of unfortunate consequences.
Hearing these words, the usually stoic Dan Heng couldn't help but give Yanqing a look of newfound respect.
For a swordsman who knowingly faced the High Elder and the Stellaron Hunters, and who had grasped this fundamental truth in just a few months, it was truly unexpected.
So, does growth require a few good beatings? Dan Heng mused inwardly, casting a silent glance at March 7th and Stelle beside him, as well as Little Swarm, whose cheeks still bore a faint blush.
Well... Dan Heng thought, March 7th is unpredictable. Stelle probably enjoys getting beat up, and few could actually overpower Little Swarm. Besides, I don't want any of them getting hurt. Thus, this nascent idea, barely sprouted, was promptly crushed by Dan Heng himself.
"Sigh... Sorry, everyone. A sudden incident has occurred, and I need to take some time to investigate," Yanqing said, rubbing his temples, clearly vexed.
He had just declared the Luofu territory safe moments ago, only for this incident to erupt immediately afterward. It felt like a stinging slap across his face, leaving his cheeks burning red and stinging fiercely.
"It's fine," March 7th said, hands on her hips, surveying the slightly chaotic surroundings. "As long as the General doesn't mind, we certainly won't."
"Thank you," Yanqing nodded, returning to his previous position at the port. He watched the escalating argument in the distance: Cloud Knights and IPC employees were at each other's throats.
"This is confidential IPC property! What right do you have to inspect it?!"
"This is Luofu Port. All vessels passing through must undergo inspection."
"But we weren't heading to Luofu Port! We only sought refuge here after our fleet was attacked by the Borisin!"
"But you're here now!"
"Isn't that your fault? Your Luofu's security is so lax that the Borisin can run rampant in your territory!"
"One thing at a time! Open the cargo hold for inspection!"
Yanqing had initially moved toward the commotion, but seeing the intensity of the argument and its apparent stalemate, he abandoned the idea.
"I'll go find the officer in charge of this unit. Everyone else can rest over there," Yanqing said to Lumina and the others, gesturing toward a rest area near the Cloud Knight Captain with a pointed finger.
"Mm, go ahead."
Hearing this, Yanqing nodded and strode toward the Cloud Knight Captain's position.