"Me? To receive it?"
Yanqing's brain buzzed, completely crashing.
What?
You want me to receive it?
Receive what?
Receive that sword strike capable of freezing souls?!
This black-robed man is a madman!
No, he's always been a madman!
But why does he want to drag me into his madness?!
Yanqing's body stiffened, every pore resisting, but his eyes were fixed on the front.
Jingliu had removed her restraints.
Those scarlet eyes poured forth a terrifying sword intent.
Just the aura alone had frozen his bones.
"No… I can't receive it!" Yanqing's voice was caught in his throat, dry and hoarse.
"Behind you is the Luofu."
Phainon's voice rang out, cold and devoid of emotion, yet every word struck at his heart, "I will receive this sword strike for you, but next time, who will you rely on?"
This was not guidance at all, but a judgment that pierced his soul.
Yanqing suddenly jolted.
That's not right!
Big Sister and this black-robed man are enemies!
Why should I listen to his nonsense?!
However, he had already lost the luxury of choice.
The scorching aura around them vanished without a trace in an instant.
Phainon had withdrawn his hand.
And Jingliu moved.
She gave Yanqing no time to think or react.
That sword strike came!
In Yanqing's pupils, only an extreme cold gleam remained.
That cold gleam tore through space, froze time, and, at a speed completely beyond his comprehension, pierced straight towards his brow!
The shadow of death, more than ever before, completely engulfed him.
Run!
Run quickly!
Move, or you will die!
Only this thought roared madly in his mind.
But his hand, uncontrollably, gripped the sword hilt and drew it out with force.
What in the world am I doing?!
His body betrayed his will to survive, instinctively adopting a defensive stance!
Was it muscle memory honed through countless trials?
Was it the Cloud Knights' fearless fighting instinct?
Or was it the pride of a swordsman hailed as a "genius," betting everything?
Clang—
An incredibly crisp clash of metal resounded in the deathly silent port.
Yanqing wrung out every ounce of strength in his body, and in the instant before death arrived, he precisely positioned his sword blade horizontally before that cold gleam.
An unimaginable, surging force rushed wildly along the sword!
Crack!
He clearly heard his arm bones groan under the unbearable strain, and the web between his thumb and forefinger instantly split open.
"Hoo… hoo… hoo…"
He received it.
He actually managed to cleave open a gap!
Yanqing knelt on one knee, his expression dazed, his longsword propped against the ground, preventing him from collapsing entirely.
In that moment, he truly thought he had reached the other shore of death.
The center of the storm, strangely, returned to calm.
The ice sword in Jingliu's hand turned into countless specks of light, dissipating into the air.
She walked step by step towards the almost dazed Yanqing.
After a long while, Yanqing finally struggled free from the endless fear of death.
He suddenly looked up, his first reaction being to search for the black-robed man, "Where is he?"
"He left." Jingliu tore a black strip of cloth from her skirt, elegantly re-wrapping it around her eyes.
"He left, taking the Jade Abacus that recorded the Starfaring Skiff's route."
"What?!"
Yanqing instinctively reached into his embrace, finding it empty!
The Jade Abacus was stolen!
He instantly understood everything; the black-robed man's target from the very beginning was this!
"Why would you let such a dangerous person leave?!" Yanqing's voice was filled with unwillingness and anger.
Jingliu glanced around; the ice was gradually being consumed by the scorching flames, and the entire dock was left with only a searing heat!
"I couldn't defeat him. Even looking across the entire Luofu, he has few rivals."
Jingliu's answer was calm and honest, yet it stirred up monstrous waves in Yanqing's heart.
Even Big Sister… personally admitted defeat?!
"Though he is deranged, his killing intent is firmly locked within his body, never leaking out even a fraction. From beginning to end, his target was only the Jade Abacus in your embrace."
Jingliu's voice drifted over, as if in recollection,
"He seems to be in a state of Mara, yet he is not. He still retains a shred of rationality, or rather… an obsession. It is a sober madness."
Yanqing couldn't understand, "How do you know?"
"I can read it; his sword is wailing."
Jingliu paused, "Like a broken ancient ocarina, riddled with holes, wailing in solitude for tens of thousands of years!"
"Since the record was taken by him," Jingliu's tone returned to their usual coolness, "little brother, we only have to find another one. Consider it… tuition!"
"Ah? Tuition?"
Yanqing immediately understood everything, his face alternating between green and pale.
"So you… you had already planned this?"
"Not exactly…" Jingliu turned and walked forward, a hint of teasing in her voice, "What's wrong, little brother? Received one of my sword strikes and can't walk anymore?"
"Hiss… I… I'm coming!"
—
At the same time.
The moment they witnessed Phainon's chest being pierced by the ice sword, the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus took advantage of the chaos and slipped away.
Now, they were hiding behind a container, kneeling devoutly on the ground.
"Thank you, Sanctus Medicus, for your divine grace! For delivering us from danger! Yao Wang is merciful!"
"Yao Wang is merciful!" the others echoed.
A follower, his face full of worry, asked Mauve Moon, who was at the head: "Lord Mauve Moon, Phantylia's envoy is dead. What if the Chief blames us?"
"Blame us for what? We didn't kill him. If she wants revenge, she should find that madwoman." Mauve Moon shivered, still shaken, "It's good that he's dead. That man's laughter… how terrifying!"
"Hahahahaha…"
"You don't know! I still feel that black-robed man's laughter clinging to my ears!"
No sooner had Mauve Moon finished speaking than he noticed his companions around him looking at his back with terrified eyes, no one responding.
He slowly, stiffly, turned his head.
The black-robed man, who should have been dead, was silently standing behind them.
From beneath his mask, a low chuckle emanated.
"Ah!"
Mauve Moon was scared out of his wits, almost scrambling and crawling to Phainon's front, clasping his hands together, forcing the most devout expression onto his face.
"Praise the Sanctus Medicus! Praise the Abundance! You truly have also received the Sanctus Medicus's blessing! You… it's truly wonderful that you're alright!"
Phainon gave a cold laugh.
"So fond of the Abundance? I wouldn't mind personally sending you to meet Her!"
"No need for that! No need!" Everyone was scared out of their wits, shaking their heads frantically.
Mauve Moon quickly changed the subject, his face wreathed in smiles: "Since you've returned, my Lord, let's quickly rendezvous with Lord Chief!"
Phainon stood still, silent.
Mauve Moon immediately understood, scurried to the front, and made a "please" gesture,
"I'll lead the way…"
Phainon finally took a step.
Mauve Moon followed closely behind, asking in the most fawning tone: "My Lord, we still don't know what to call you?"
Phainon touched his mask, pondered for a moment, "Reddish brown."
"Hong Zhong?" Mauve Moon was stunned, subconsciously saying, "Isn't that… a mahjong tile?"
However, the next moment, he slapped his thigh hard, his voice booming, filled with the joy of epiphany.
"Oh oh oh oh! I understand! I completely understand!"
He looked at Phainon excitedly, his voice cracking with enthusiasm.
"'Hong' means crimson! It is the color of our unwavering loyalty to the Yao Wang!"
"'Zong' means palm! This tree endures wind and frost, tough and unyielding, symbolizing our Secret Transmission's great spirit of indomitable perseverance under the immense pressure of the Xianzhou!"
"Boss Reddish brown, what beautiful writing! What profound meaning!"