Chapter 187: Nanook: He's Using All My Lines
"Shut up!" Yanqing snapped, his voice sharp with youthful indignation. "And don't think for a second you're getting away." With a flick of his wrist, the point of his sword swiveled, now aimed squarely at Blade's throat.
"Heh..." A low, guttural chuckle rumbled in Blade's chest as he lowered his head. "Then let's add a little more fuel to the fire." He suddenly raised his voice, the single word echoing with grim anticipation. "Kafka..."
"Are you sure you want to undo it?" Kafka's voice drifted into his mind, as soft and composed as ever. "The current situation has deviated from the script."
"I... only seek a satisfying death..." Blade's pupils were already steeped in crimson, the encroaching shadow of the Mara-Struck threatening to consume him entirely.
"...Fine."
Kafka closed her eyes, taking a single, light breath. When she opened them again, her gaze was as placid and unreadable as a deep pool. Her Spirit Whisper activated, each word clear and precise, striking directly at the core of his soul.
"Bladie, listen to me..."
"Release your shackles."
She chose to grant his wish.
Boom—!
A majestic power erupted from Blade, a cataclysmic force like lava, suppressed for a thousand years, finally shattering the earth's crust. A dark green aura spiraled violently skyward, laced with a bizarre vitality that pulsed between flourishing growth and immediate decay. This was the "blessing" that originated from the long-dead Emanator of Abundance, Shuhu—a curse that had long ago fused with his pain, his hatred, and his immortal shell.
[Aha: @Yaoshi What a fine seedling of Abundance! Won't you consider recruiting him? (Aha_Laughing.jpg)]
Seeing this, Leon struggled to keep a straight face.
The "blessing" coursing through Blade did indeed originate from the Path of Abundance... but not from Yaoshi directly. It was a parting gift from that deceased Emanator, Shuhu. Years ago, in a desperate attempt to return the battle-slain Bai Heng to the world of the living, Blade had instead refined himself into this undying monster.
Shuhu's power had transformed him from a short-lived species into a being cursed with longevity. In that sense, Aha calling him a "seedling of Abundance" wasn't entirely wrong.
The only problem was that Blade had never accepted this "gift."
He chased death... which was precisely why he had joined the Stellaron Hunters in the first place. Elio had once promised him an end—a grand funeral of everlasting sleep for him and for everything he loathed.
If life was a long road paved with one's own footsteps, Blade only hoped that before he reached its final destination... he could first wade through the blood of the person he hated most.
[Yaoshi: Truly a child of hard fate... It's a pity his heart doesn't lean toward Abundance. However, that one named Phantylia seems like a seedling who truly seeks eternal existence. (Yaoshi_Happy.jpg)]
[Nanook:???]
Leon had to physically stifle a laugh.
How should one put it... if Phantylia really did defect to the Path of Abundance, it wouldn't be all that surprising. As a Heliobus, she was obsessed with Destruction, yet paradoxically, she was extremely protective of her own life, thirsting for an eternal, indestructible body. If not for that burning desire, she wouldn't be so fixated on the Ambrosial Arbor.
[Nanook: (Silent for a few seconds)... Does this count as the hunter becoming the hunted?]
If you always walk by the riverside, your shoes are bound to get wet. Every one of Nanook's Emanators had been poached from other Paths; was it so strange for Yaoshi to finally consider stealing one back?
[Lan: Abominations of Abundance deserve death. Whether they serve Yaoshi, or... a deceased Emanator.]
Lan was secretly seething. What did these Aeons think they were doing on the Luofu, his domain? And this Blade... how dare he actively trigger his Mara-Struck state right under his nose? Was he truly begging for death?
Lan's grip tightened on his divine longbow, the tip of an unseen arrow already aimed at Scalegorge Waterscape from an impossible distance.
[Nanook:...My Emanator does not need your judgment, Yaoshi.]
[Nanook: If she abandons Destruction, she will suffer the punishment she deserves.]
[Nanook: As for that Blade... the way he wields his sword carries a hint of the true meaning of Destruction... He has already walked far enough down the path of self-annihilation.]
[Aha: Wow! This is getting fun! (Aha_Fireworks.gif)]
[Aha: @Nanook Are you going to clean house? @Yaoshi Are you going to poach her? @Lan Are you going to shoot an arrow straight through Scalegorge Waterscape? Fight! Fight!]
A flood of celebratory fireworks, courtesy of the Aeon of Elation, filled the chat screen.
[Fuli: The camera is ready. Fight, fight.]
Even Fuli, it seemed, loved to watch the world burn.
[Yaoshi: Life will find its own way, whether the Path is Preservation, Destruction, or... Abundance.]
[Lan: @Yaoshi, location.]
[Yaoshi: @Nanook No need to be angry. The shifting of a Path is also part of the natural cycle of birth and death for all things.]
[Nanook:...You're using all the lines I use when I steal other Aeons' Emanators.]
[Lan: @Yaoshi, location.]
[Leon: Lan, are you really this persistent?]
[Yaoshi: @Leon He's always this clingy. I'm used to it. Just ignore him.]
[Lan:...]
[Yaoshi: As for Blade... if he ultimately chooses to find peace in Abundance, I will still bloom a new udumbara for him.]
[Lan:...]
[System Notification: Messages sent by Lan containing the words "location" or "position" have been filtered. Sending failed.]
[Lan:...]
Lan was speechless. So that's why his messages hadn't been going through.
[Fuli: Light Cone Recorded: "The Helpless, Anxious, and Angry Aeon of the Hunt."]
[Nous: Pushing calculation results: The probability of Phantylia turning to Abundance ≈ 37.2%.]
[Qlipoth: Build a wall.]
Within Scalegorge Waterscape, the battle between Blade, Dan Heng, and Yanqing had reached a fever pitch.
"The two of you are indeed troublesome..." A sharp glint flashed in Yanqing's eyes. "It seems that to keep you here, I'll have to use this move." It was a new technique he had comprehended from observing Jingliu's sword style.
He guided the attack with his fingers, and a single flying sword shot into the sky. Its shadow expanded against the wind, transforming into a colossal azure blade that seemed to pierce the heavens. It then plunged vertically downward from the nine heavens, carrying a biting, glacial chill.
"This strike... it looks awfully familiar. Was it also taught to you by that woman?" Blade gave a raspy chuckle. "If so... then you have only one path forward: death."
"This beautiful scenery, though I cannot attain it—"
He gripped the Shard of a Broken Blade in a reverse hold, dragging the edge across his own palm without a shred of hesitation.
The moment blood gushed forth, deep red patterns spread from the wound, crawling up his entire arm. The nearly shattered sword began to hum and vibrate, emitting an aura that felt both on the verge of collapse and yet more dangerous than ever.
"—I can invite you all to appreciate it with me."
"I didn't want to resort to such violence, but for now... there's no other way. My apologies."
Dan Heng sighed softly, a green light flowing within his draconic pupils. He was no longer suppressing the power of the Imbibitor Lunae.
He pointed a single finger to the sky as a dragon's roar suddenly ripped through the air.
"Grotto-heaven in a phantom, Azure Dragon cleanses the world—"
An azure-scaled phantom soared into the sky from behind him. Clouds churned like a roiling sea as the dragon coiled, its ancient pressure and abundant vitality sweeping out in all directions. It crashed violently against both the descending sword shadow and the blood-red strike.
RUMBLE—!
Light exploded, and the resulting shockwave surged outward like a tidal wave.
Yanqing let out a muffled groan, his sword array flickering as he was forced down to one knee.
[Leon: A standard five-star ultimately can't beat two limited five-stars, especially in a one-on-two.]
"I... can still fight."
Yanqing panted, gripping his sword hilt, his heart filled with a bitter unwillingness. He had originally thought he had no rivals on the Xianzhou Luofu, but first, he had lost to his own grandmaster, Jingliu, and now he was losing to a Stellaron Hunter and a Xianzhou fugitive.
"Alright, everyone—"
Kafka's voice rang out, soft and gentle, yet it carried an irresistible, penetrating power.
"Listen to me: Stop."
Her Spirit Whisper was like silk, binding their very movements.
The momentum of all three fighters came to an abrupt, unnatural halt, frozen in place.
"Well, Bladie? Are you satisfied?" Kafka asked, her gaze falling upon Blade, whose breathing was still ragged and heavy.
Blade:...
Yanqing:...
Dan Heng:...
"...Hmph." Blade finally let out a cold snort, and the Shard of a Broken Blade slowly, grudgingly, returned to its sheath.
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