March 7th and Trailblazer's noses twitched simultaneously.
A highly tempting scent of something charred wafted through the air.
"This smell... why is it so close to us?" March 7th inhaled deeply, following the source of the aroma.
Trailblazer wiped the non-existent drool from her mouth and pointed decisively behind her.
"I feel like... it's coming from right behind us!"
"Huh?!"
Their eyes met, and they were about to turn around to investigate.
"Watch out ahead!"
Welt Yang's low warning cut short their curiosity.
At the end of the street, a burly figure in Iron Guard armor slowly approached. It was a Cloud Knights soldier who had fallen into the Mara-Struck state.
He held a massive shield in his left hand and a long spear in his right. Gnarled branches and leaves grotesquely sprouted from the gaps in his armor.
With every step, he struck the shield with his spear.
Dong!
The dull thud echoed like a war drum.
"What is this now?" March 7th exclaimed.
"It's also Mara-Struck... Be careful of their attacks." The Cloud Knights soldier leading the way spoke with a trembling voice, his tone betraying unconcealed sorrow.
Welt Yang's cane tapped the ground, and a small, ready-to-launch black hole condensed in his palm.
March 7th and Trailblazer immediately adopted their combat stances.
Only Phainon remained.
He still stood beside Tingyun, as if the battle ahead had nothing to do with him.
The battle erupted.
Just as energy and sword light intertwined ahead, the invisible scorching wave beside Phainon suddenly intensified by another level.
He watched Tingyun, who was almost "baked" dry beside him, with a playful gaze.
"Miss Tingyun, are you... truly alright?"
"I'm... fine..." Tingyun's voice was dry and hoarse, each word seemingly forced out from deep within her throat.
"Excellent."
Phainon chuckled softly, his gaze sweeping over the intense battle ahead.
"My companions seem to be in a tough fight, I should go help them..."
A light of survival burst forth in Tingyun's lifeless eyes, "R-really?"
"Of course not." Phainon's tone shifted, and he leaned in closer.
Tingyun's body began to rapidly evaporate sweat, emitting wisps of white smoke with a meaty aroma.
"They are more than capable of handling everything."
"I remain here, naturally, to protect you, this 'important' guide."
"Ugh..." Tingyun's smile completely froze on her face. She felt every pore silently wailing, "Benefactor... it would be better for you to go and assist. This humble one... is very safe here."
[Current Emotion: Rational]
A flash of scholarly wisdom, unique to a scholar, flickered in Phainon's eyes.
"No. Now is the perfect time for a conversation."
His voice suddenly turned chilling, each word like an ice pick, "Yao Wang... Cihai..."
The folding fan in Tingyun's hand, which had been ceaselessly waving, abruptly stopped.
She feigned surprise and looked up, trying to conceal everything with her pitifully charming face.
"Benefactor... what are you saying? If the people from the Ten-Lords Commission and the Sky-Faring Commission heard this, you'd be thrown into jail!"
"Yao Wang Cihai, Jianmu Shengfa. Shi Zhe Yixin, Tong Deng Jile." Phainon enunciated each word, reciting the motto of the secret alliance.
His voice wasn't loud, yet it clearly overshadowed the roar of the distant battle, drilling precisely into Tingyun's ears.
"I am Dan Shu's secret envoy, sent by Chief to establish contact."
The blankness on Tingyun's face faded, replaced by a look of astonishment, "Benefactor, what are you doing? Seeing as you saved my life, this humble one will pretend not to have heard."
Phainon let out a disdainful snort, "Civilization's self-destruction—isn't that your creed of annihilation? If possible, please stop this clumsy act..."
He leaned forward, his golden mask almost touching Tingyun's ear, and whispered the last two words in an extremely soft voice.
...Phantylia."
In that moment, all expression vanished from Tingyun's face.
There was no coquetry, no terror, no blankness.
After a moment of shock.
Only a judgment belonging to a Lord Ravager, and absolute calm, remained.
She was certain that no one on the Xianzhou knew her true identity.
Therefore, the identity of the secret envoy was false.
But the destructive aura, emanating from the same source and filled with madness, was real.
Interesting... very interesting!
In this game of "civilization's self-destruction" that she had personally directed, a chess piece not belonging to the board had appeared!
She saw through it but did not expose it, replying, "Since Benefactor knows my identity, what are your intentions in contacting me?"
"Dan Shu's ideas are too naive. Cultivating the Jianmu, seizing immortal bodies? Utterly ridiculous." Phainon's voice returned to their usual calm, "This goes against my original goal. The The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus is no longer useful."
"I also have a target I must destroy. For now, our goals align."
Phainon's gaze clashed with Tingyun's eyes in the air.
Tingyun smiled, it was the appreciation of a chess player who had found an opponent.
"So Benefactor also walks the path of Destruction. No wonder... you carry the aura of Lord Nanook. I just wonder, what kind of aesthetics do you believe in?"
"Hahahaha..."
Phainon laughed wildly, "Knowing too much will spoil the fun of the game. I don't think you'll ask me for answers anymore, will you?"
In Tingyun's eyes, the hunger called "interesting" flashed by.
How truly mad!
To forge him into her sharpest pawn, to use him for her own ends!
Even more interesting variables would surely appear on the chessboard.
This, truly conformed to her aesthetics!
"Then this humble one... is greatly looking forward to Benefactor's performance from now on."
"One more thing." Phainon reminded, "The Trailblazer of the Astral Express is very important to me. You must ensure their safety. If any of them are harmed, you will gain an additional... enemy who knows everything about you."
"Do you understand?"
Tingyun's smile once again became fawning, but with an added layer of knowing depth.
She was very curious how Phainon would proceed with the next move.
"This humble one... understands."
Just then, the dust settled on the battle ahead.
March 7th excitedly ran back.
"Miss Tingyun, it's done! What should we do next..."
Her words stopped abruptly, and she rubbed her eyes hard, looking as if she had seen a ghost.
"Oh my heavens! Miss Tingyun, why are your... hair all curly?!"
The once elegant fox-eared girl now had cracked makeup, shriveled lips, and the hair at her temples was curled and yellowed from the high heat. She looked completely dehydrated, emitting a unique meaty aroma.
Phainon silently shifted a step to the left, creating distance, and said in a calm tone:
"Perhaps Miss Tingyun is lacking in the fire element and got a bit overheated."
The shriveled Tingyun, like a zombie, shakily raised her hand and pointed to the nearby Star Skiff.
"This... this is the port... By taking this... you can go to the Sky-Faring Commission."
"Who will drive it then? Is there an autopilot?" March 7th asked.
"This humble one... will..."
Tingyun said in a hoarse, leaky voice.
"I was quite relieved initially, but now that you've said that, I feel even less confident." March 7th muttered softly.
Only Welt Yang, standing to the side, looked at Phainon with a solemn expression, his eyes behind his glasses filled with deep worry and confusion.