A thousand years had passed in the blink of an eye.
For Lucian, this was undoubtedly the longest stretch recorded inside a script, yet spending every day with a stunning beauty like Jingliu somehow made time flow even faster, making a thousand years slip away like the snap of a finger.
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On a planet named Riyao-XI, where the Abominations of Abundance had entrenched themselves and enslaved the natives, the Xianzhou Yaoqing dispatched their starskiff pilots and Cloud Knights to eradicate them.
"I heard the general hired the Heavenly Ascendant this time. Is that true?"
"It's true. I just saw them earlier."
"Great, the general sure knows how to spend. Now that we have the Heavenly Ascendant joining the battle, our victory is certain!"
As the Xianzhou Yaoqing's starskiff pilots chatted over the comms, easing the pre-battle tension, a beautiful foxian woman pilot with light-purple hair perked up and joined the conversation.
"Is it the legendary Heavenly Ascendant from the Cangcheng?! They're Amazing! I've heard stories about them since I was a kid!"
"Yeah, it's them. In nearly a thousand years of battles, the Heavenly Ascendant has never lost—not even once."
"Especially the Moonlight Sword Immortal—every time she shows up, she looks unstoppable!"
"Honestly, even the Luofu's Sword Champion might not be a match for her, right?"
"But her master, the Azure Sword Immortal, is so low-key. I've seen him a few times—he's insanely handsome! I'd marry him instantly if I could, but too bad he and his disciple are a perfect pair. I don't stand a chance at all."
"I wonder if the Heavenly Ascendant is still recruiting. I'd love to cling to their coattails."
Just like that, the starskiff pilots traded words back and forth, gossiping fervently.
Simply talking about the undefeated group known as the 'Heavenly Ascendant' washed away much of their tension—it felt as if victory was already guaranteed.
===
Meanwhile, on the other side, a handsome man and a beautiful woman stood atop a mountain, side by side, gazing over the local scenery of Riyao-XI.
Jingliu: "Master, how much of the Yaoqing's spoils will we take this time?"
Lucian: "Well, the operation's not that big, so we'll take thirty percent. However, since they're our old customers, twenty percent will do."
Jingliu: "Alright, so how should I make my entrance for maximum aura?"
Lucian: "Obviously, as usual. Wear a black blindfold, walk down from here with ice spreading under your feet, then take it off—straight-up dazzling, like breakfast and dinner in one."
Jingliu: "Master, it's called Crescent Transmigration. Please, don't call it like that. It ruins my aura."
Lucian: "You? In front of me, what aura could you possibly have?"
Jingliu: "Just watch. One day, I'll catch your sword without kneeling an inch."
Her gaze remained unwavering as she said this, as if catching Lucian's sword had become an obsession—something that made her cannot die in peace if she didn't accomplish it.
Lucian did not understand why she was so fixated on taking Immortal Kneel, so he only smiled and remained silent because, even if she had ten thousand years of training, she could never withstand a conceptual ability.
A thousand years had passed, and now Lucian and Jingliu could speak freely about anything, though there was still a certain wall between them—an unspoken boundary that neither dared to cross.
Regardless, Lucian felt this was already good enough.
Unlike in the original story, where Jingliu had been someone else's disciple for centuries and still remained distant and reclusive, the Jingliu before him, aside from her parents being killed by the Abominations of Abundance, had grown up with her hometown intact, her entire childhood spent with him by her side.
As a result, her mindset was better and healthier.
Jingliu, however, had her own thoughts when it came to certain 'emotions.'
Yes, both of them were close, but she ultimately never pierced that final layer of wall between them.
Lucian, knowing this, did not force the matter either and simply let things happen naturally, just going with the flow.
Of course, whatever she wanted to do, he would always support her.
If she wanted to hone her swordsmanship and improve, he accompanied her from battle to battle. By calling themselves the Heavenly Ascendant, they could join any war the Xianzhou Alliance fought—so long as they got a share afterward.
It had been this way for a thousand years, which was why they had never gone to the Xianzhou Luofu to take part in the Luminary Wardance Ceremony.
As a result, Jingliu was not the Sword Champion of the Xianzhou Luofu known as the Transcendent Flash, but instead bore the alias Lucian had given her—Moonlight Sword Immortal, a reputation forged through countless battles—like now, when the two were aiding the Xianzhou Yaoqing in eradicating the Abominations of Abundance on Riyao-XI.
However, because the abominations had gone into hiding, still mobilizing their forces, they could only wait for now.
Bored of waiting, Lucian casually pulled a sofa from the System's storage space and calmly sat down.
Seeing this, Jingliu calmly walked over and naturally sat beside him.
Lucian glanced to his side and saw a breathtaking immortal beauty clad in an elegant dress with a palette of black, dark blue, and white, along with designs of moon phases and clouds, a blue ribbon in her hair, a red ribbon at her hip and the back of her dress, and dark, knee-length heeled boots on her legs.
Needless to say, what she wore was the same clothes she wore in the game, looking graceful and elegant.
In his eyes, this beauty, whom he had watched since her childhood, had never lost her luster.
Compared to the refined and delicate little girl from the past, the beauty before him now bore a sharp, heroic air forged through years of battle—her presence was ethereal, like a pure white moon.
Lucian instinctively reached out, as if to pluck that beautiful moon from the sky—and to his surprise, his hand met warmth.
He looked down to find Jingliu leaning the top of her head into his palm so naturally, while her face was adorned with a faint, beautiful smile.
"I'm already a thousand years old now..." Jingliu said gently, then sighed softly. "You still see me as a child, Master?"
Upon hearing this, Lucian gently rubbed the top of her head for a while before withdrawing his hand with a smile.
"No, I just wanted to check if you've gone bald from my training." Lucian joked lightly.
"Fufu, I'm not bald." Jingliu giggled, then straightened up and looked into the distance, smoothly changing the subject. "Master, do you remember that clever boy from two hundred years ago who helped us deal with the Puppeteer Jellyfish?"
At the mention of Puppeteer Jellyfish, Lucian immediately recalled a white-haired young man.
"Yeah, I remember. If I'm not wrong, his name is Jing Yuan."
"Yes, him." Jingliu nodded softly. "I think he might become the Luofu's Arbiter-General in the future. Why don't you take him as your disciple?"
"No." Lucian shook his head. "He and I are not fated as master and disciple."
"It's been a thousand years, and you've never taken another disciple... Do that many people truly have no fate with you, Master?"
"I have only you as my disciple."
Upon hearing Lucian's straightforward answer, Jingliu gave a subtle smile and said nothing more.
Just like that, the two sat quietly side by side, gazing at the scenery from the mountain in a peaceful silence, saying nothing more.
Jingliu's earlier words had reminded Lucian of the event from two centuries ago.
In March, the Heavenly Ascendant had accepted a task from the Xianzhou Luofu to lead a group of new recruits into real battle to temper them.
Unfortunately, due to an unexpected accident, the battleship transporting them was forced to make an emergency landing on an oceanic planet heavily corrupted by abominations—newly emerged, long-lived creatures known as the Puppeteer Jellyfish.
Not long after the landing, those Puppeteer Jellyfish hijacked the minds of the Cloud Knights, infiltrated the battleship, and nearly succeeded in turning it into their nest.
However, because those whose minds had been overtaken continued to act normally, it became impossible to tell friend from foe.
As a result, paranoia and suspicion spread, which caused the situation to gradually spiral out of control, putting everyone on edge.
Back then, just as Lucian was about to intervene to save the recruits from total annihilation, a white-haired recruit stepped forward.
"Everyone! I'm Jing Yuan! In the name of the Reignbow Arbiter, I swear I have not been controlled!"
Jing Yuan stated with a firm expression, his eyes radiating confidence, as if victory was already his.
"Listen, those creatures invade the back of the neck, seizing the central nervous system to control our minds and bodies. As long as you protect the back of your neck, they can't harm you!"
"Now, check the back of everyone's neck! If there's anything abnormal on it, it's definitely one of those creatures! You just need to remove it, and their mind will return to normal!"
Upon hearing this, those unaffected naturally cooperated, but those already controlled definitely would never allow such an inspection.
As a result, chaos erupted as nearly half the Cloud Knights began to riot.
However, just as the riot began, Lucian casually lifted his sword and made a light swing—his movement ethereal, almost lazy.
In the blink of an eye, every controlled Cloud Knight suddenly dropped to their knees before him, hands pressed together, unable to move.
Immortal Kneel, as a conceptual ability, possessed an immense targeting range and could selectively affect anyone he wished with just a thought.
"Kiddo, you're impressive."
As Jing Yuan stood frozen, witnessing such an astonishing scene, Lucian patted him on the shoulder and praised him with a calm, serene smile.
"Mark my words, you'll become someone great someday."
On that day, Jing Yuan saw what it truly meant to wield absolute strength for the first time—one swing, and ten thousand knelt!
Compared to Lucian, the Sword Champion of the Xianzhou Luofu was nothing!
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