Several days later, Lucian led the delegation of the Xianzhou Cangcheng to the Xianzhou Luofu.
It was not his first visit to the Xianzhou Luofu, but it was his first time attending its Luminary Wardance Ceremony.
As soon as they arrived at the Xianzhou Luofu's Starskiff Haven, the Helm Master of the Luofu's Sky-Faring Commission came forward to welcome them.
Because many civilizations tied to the Xianzhou Luofu had sent representatives to join this grand event, the place was already packed with people.
"Everyone, this year's Luminary Wardance will be held on the battleship right above us, known as the Skysplitter—a surviving starskiff from the Second Abundance War."
Glancing upward, the Helm Master—a beautiful foxian woman—explained the background to the delegation of the Xianzhou Cangcheng.
As Lucian led the delegation through the crowd, his striking appearance instantly drew countless curious glances.
Lucian himself was exceedingly handsome—his graceful and poised demeanor alone caught the eyes of many women from other civilizations, but when combined with the two women beside him, Jingliu and Baiheng—both stunning in looks and figure—it became utterly deadly.
Needless to say, the combination of a handsome man and two beautiful women was eye-catching enough.
Of course, what captivated the crowd the most was the fact that they were the legendary Heavenly Ascendant.
"Is that the Cangcheng delegation? I heard the acting general himself came. Is that incredibly handsome man him?"
"Man, you're really behind on the news. Look closer—do you see who the women beside him are?"
As the onlookers whispered among themselves, their words quickly drew the attention of others nearby, who turned their eyes toward one of the beauties among the delegation.
White long hair, light-red eyes, a breathtakingly beautiful figure that radiated an aloof and noble air—wasn't she a member of the legendary group that had been spoken of across the Xianzhou Alliance for centuries?
"I know her! It's the Moonlight Sword Immortal—Jingliu! One of the Heavenly Ascendant!"
"In that case, that man must be the leader of the Heavenly Ascendant, the Azure Sword Immortal?"
"Finally, someone who recognizes them! Back when my hometown was invaded by the wingweavers, it was the Azure Sword Immortal who stepped in and annihilated those damn abominations!"
"And that foxian woman—I think I've heard of her too, but she seems to be a recent addition to the Heavenly Ascendant. Never heard of her before."
"You really don't know? She's Baiheng, an ace pilot from our Yaoqing. Because of her outstanding ability, she was personally invited by the two sword immortals to join the Heavenly Ascendant."
One of the onlookers explained Baiheng's origins with great pride.
It was understandable.
It should be noted that the Heavenly Ascendant had been established for a thousand years and had always consisted of only two people during that time.
However, it wasn't because of a lack of candidates, but because no matter who it was, no matter how powerful or talented, Lucian and Jingliu never allowed outsiders to join.
Only a few decades ago did they accept one new member, which alone showed the Heavenly Ascendant's incredible prestige.
It was no wonder some locals of the Xianzhou Yaoqing boasted with such pride.
"Azure Sword Immortal is so handsome... If he stabbed me, I'd die happy~"
"Alright, Missy, let's team up—you kidnap Azure Sword Immortal, I'll kidnap Moonlight Sword Immortal, hehe."
"You two are really damn simps. Kidnap them? With one swing of their swords, you'll be skewered like birds."
As the onlookers by the roadside chattered, a tall, red-haired man beside them overheard the conversation and turned toward the direction they were pointing.
'Heavenly Ascendant... They look incredibly strong... I hope they are willing to help me, to aid Jarilo...'
Even though he thought this, he knew there was no way to speak to them directly now, so he would have to use the fame of the Luminary Wardance Ceremony to make his voice heard by everyone.
Meanwhile, as Lucian and the others walked, they soon encountered the delegation of the Xianzhou Zhuming, led by a tall, gray-haired man of about fifty who wore an oriental-styled black tailcoat with red-lined insides and gray trousers.
As soon as the man saw Lucian and the others, he smiled and stepped forward to greet them.
"Brother Lucian, Sister Jingliu, Sister Baiheng—long time no see."
He was Yingxing, the beloved disciple of Arbiter-General Huaiyan and the renowned craftsman known as the Furnace Master of the Xianzhou Zhuming.
Yes, Yingxing was the very same man who would later become the Stellaron Hunter known as Blade.
After his homeland had been destroyed by the Borisin fleet and turned into a pasture of weapons, he had barely escaped with his life and reached the Xianzhou Alliance. He later devoted himself to weapon forging and vowed to eradicate the Abominations of Abundance.
At a young age, he had already earned recognition as a craftsman and later obtained the title of Furnace Master.
"Yingxing, huh..." Lucian smiled and patted Yingxing on the shoulder. "A few years apart, and you've aged quite a bit."
It was truly a strange sight—a man who looked around twenty patting an old man in his fifties as if greeting a junior.
Such was the sorrow of short-life species—a life barely lasting a hundred years.
For Lucian, decades passed like a single slumber, but for Yingxing, half his life had already gone by.
"In the blink of an eye, you've got wrinkles already..." Baiheng sighed softly.
"Indeed, I have aged." Yingxing smiled gently.
Jingliu silently cast Yingxing a glance and gave a slight nod.
How could they know each other?
It all started decades ago, during the craftsman tournament in the Xianzhou Zhuming.
Back then, countless craftsmen competed for the title of Furnace Master, and in the end, it was claimed by an eighteen-year-old short-life youth.
Lucian could not help but recall his first meeting with Yingxing.
At that time, Huaiyan had personally invited Lucian to watch the craftsman tournament in the Xianzhou Zhuming. Lucian, having nothing to do at the time, readily accepted and brought Jingliu and Baiheng along as guests.
Before the tournament began, they encountered the eighteen-year-old Yingxing standing alone in a corner, mumbling nervously.
"Kid, you will be the champion. You will become the greatest craftsman of the Xianzhou Zhuming."
Amid Yingxing's utter confusion, Lucian had said those words to him out of nowhere.
Yingxing, however, had been too nervous to speak, so he could only stare silently at Lucian's departing figure.
Thankfully, the tournament proceeded smoothly.
Using random materials provided on the spot, contestants had to craft ingenious works, after which the judges gave their scores, followed by Huaiyan's final decision.
Unfortunately, when Yingxing's turn came, a group of old veterans—unable to accept the talent of a short-life youth—schemed against him by switching all his materials with trash and scrap.
"Huaiyan, you invited me to watch this foolish theatrics? Is this how your old craftsmen treat geniuses?"
Lucian, who knew about the dirty scheme, stepped forward immediately, unable to tolerate such injustice.
In the end, he publicly stood by Yingxing.
"How about this? Yingxing will use this pile of trash. If he crafts something good from them, the Zhuming will provide the Cangcheng with free military supplies for three years." Lucian declared with a slight smile. "If he fails, we of the Heavenly Ascendant will work for the Zhuming free for three years."
Lucian's wager instantly pushed the tournament to its peak.
It was only natural.
He was, after all, the Acting Arbiter-General of the Xianzhou Cangcheng, as well as a sword immortal and the leader of the Heavenly Ascendant.
As a result, the Xianzhou Zhuming's Six Charioteers had no choice but to agree.
Yingxing, being the genius he was, used that pile of trash and scrap to forge a lifelike mechanical beast, ultimately winning the tournament.
Since that day, Yingxing would always remember Lucian—the only one besides his master who firmly stood by him and believed in him.
"I will become the greatest craftsman, then I will join the Heavenly Ascendant!"
At eighteen, Yingxing found a new goal—to join the Heavenly Ascendant.
However, several decades later, still feeling unworthy, he ultimately no longer dared to mention it.
"General Lucian, please hurry. General Teng Xiao is waiting for you."
As Lucian was lost in thought, reminiscing about the past with Yingxing, the voice of the Helm Master snapped him out of his mind.
"Umu, let's go."
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