"This is a fine wine I've treasured for a thousand years, extremely precious. But since it concerns our good companion from the Astral Express crew, no need to thank me."
An alluring, mellow aroma wafted out from the wine jar.
Jing Yuan knew the other three were not in a position to speak, so he laughed loudly: "Excellent wine. Brother Leon is truly thoughtful. Once matters here are settled, I hope you will do me the honor of sharing a cup together."
"No problem." Leon narrowed his eyes, smiling warmly.
Dan Heng remained silent as he watched Jing Yuan step forward.
Their eyes met, and neither spoke again. The other two did the same.
Perhaps it was the tacit understanding from back then, or perhaps something else, but the four of them lightly clinked their wine jars together and then tilted their heads back to drink deeply.
The wine was quickly finished.
"It's time to send me on my way to the Xianzhou of the Luofu, Jing Yuan."
Jing Yuan shook his head.
"The Alliance's laws cannot be changed, but unfortunately, your next stop is not the Xianzhou of the Luofu, but the Xianzhou Yuque."
"Oh?"
"I reported this matter to the Marshal. Unexpectedly, that General Rongtao took great interest and intervened midway, setting up the Ten Directions Light Reflection Domain to meet the two of you first."
"Heh…"
Jingliu smiled in a way that was neither fully a smile nor not, her tone carrying surprise yet also relief.
"You are still the same as always, always struggling to break other people's chessboards."
"But whether it's you and me, or the Cloud Knights, or the Generals of the Reignbow, we are all merely chess pieces in the gods' game. I have grown tired of walking on a preset Path."
"Then I shall accompany you for a while longer. But the outcome will not change. I will ultimately stand on the side of victory."
Jing Yuan smiled and nodded.
"Then Master, I will accompany you to the end of this game. Please."
"Wait—"
Blade stopped the two of them.
"Jingliu, you still owe me a sword."
Jingliu turned around.
Blade did not give her any chance to explain. The sword Zhili in his hand was already pointed at her face.
"I am here to repay your teaching of the sword."
Jing Yuan's expression froze. He subconsciously pressed his lips together, a hint of bitterness showing at the corners of his mouth.
At this moment, he had no right to speak.
He did not want to speak either.
All he could do was yield the space.
He patted Dan Heng's shoulder, signaling him to step aside.
Dan Heng glanced at Leon and originally intended to walk toward his position.
But seeing Jing Yuan's lonely and desolate back, his footsteps ultimately did not obey his brain's command.
Never mind.
A chill spread through the air as a slender ice sword appeared in Jingliu's hand.
Blood-red light rapidly covered the sword Zhili in Blade's hand.
Two figures—one ice-blue and one scarlet—suddenly moved and collided fiercely.
The piercing clash of weapons rang out continuously, accompanied by flying sparks.
After an unknown length of time, the scarlet figure fell heavily from the sky and lay motionless.
Jingliu slowly descended to the ground. She glanced at the ice sword gradually dissipating from Blade's chest, then looked toward Dan Heng.
"Imbibitor Lunae, what are your plans next?"
Dan Heng was not in the mood to correct her wording.
"Return to the train and continue my journey."
"The train cannot carry you forever. Your friends each have their own concerns, just like we once did."
Dan Heng: "At least for now, we are a united collective."
"I cannot remember how deep the friendship of the Five Heroes of the Cloud was seven hundred years ago. What I know and what I need to do is not much—"
"As long as the Astral Express still exists, I will forever be one of the Nameless."
"If you still remember the friendship of the Five Heroes of the Cloud from back then, you should be able to empathize with me right now and understand the weight of this."
Jingliu was stunned. After a long moment, she shook her head slightly and sighed silently.
She looked toward the sea and did not directly respond to Dan Heng.
"Back when I fled the Luofu, I once thought of giving up on revenge, abandoning everything and accepting punishment."
"But as the years passed, my hatred became clearer and clearer, almost becoming an old friend who accompanied me day and night, whispering in my ear constantly."
"Everything I did when I fell into the demonic depths is deeply rooted and intertwined in my memory, impossible to escape."
"In the end, I decided to face it."
"When I witness the fall of Abundance, perhaps both you and Yingxing will obtain true liberation."
"Goodbye, Imbibitor Lunae."
Jingliu showed no reluctance at all. She proactively walked toward the Cloud Knights waiting in the distance and brushed past Jing Yuan.
Jing Yuan did not turn back to look at her, and she did the same.
Only after Jingliu's presence completely disappeared from the area did the motionless Blade on the ground suddenly emit strange Imaginary fluctuations around his body.
He abruptly opened his eyes.
After his pupils regained some dim luster, he stood up silently, took a deep breath, and glanced at Dan Heng.
"Until that day arrives, the two of us can only continue this chase. This is the price we must pay."
Sensing the cold gaze directed at him, Dan Heng remained expressionless.
"I will accompany you to the end."
"In Elio's script, you still have the necessity to live for now. Hmph, farewell."
The entire Dragonvista Rain Hall was left with only three people.
Jing Yuan let out a breath, his expression complicated.
"Dan Heng, to the newly born you, all of this may look like a clumsy performance."
"Watching old friends draw blades against each other, yet I could not stop it, and I didn't even know how to speak up to stop it."
Dan Heng: "Do you think I should be held responsible for Dan Feng's actions?"
Jing Yuan: "Who you are and who I am—this question can only be answered by ourselves."
"Even if… because of the manipulations of the Dragon Masters, you have never had a true cycle of rebirth."
"…Wandering the sea of stars far away from past entanglements may indeed be the most suitable path for you."
"Whenever you want to return to the Luofu, the Jade Gate will always be open to you."
Dan Heng did not know how to respond and could only remain silent.
Leon smiled: "Go back to the train and rest. Don't let everyone worry."
"Mhm."
Soon, only Leon and Jing Yuan remained here.
Leon couldn't help but laugh out loud. With a wave of his hand, two more jars of wine appeared.
"How dishonest of you, General. You said you would treat me to a drink together, but in the end I still have to take out the wine myself."
"In such a vast Luofu, there is no one with sharper insight than Brother Leon. Even if there were, since it concerns the flesh and blood of an Abundance divine emissary, Jing Yuan would not dare to invite them lightly."
With his underlying meaning exposed, Jing Yuan did not feel embarrassed.
After all, if Leon had refused, he naturally would not have stayed, and there would not be a now.
With Leon's outstanding mind, he had probably already seen through all of Jing Yuan's thoughts the moment he swept across the Dragonvista Rain Hall and discovered them—
Deliberately arranging the quiet, undisturbed place that Leon desired deep within Scalegorge Waterscape.
And deliberately scheduling the day of the Five Heroes of the Cloud's reunion and farewell on the day he was scheduled to leave seclusion.
All for one thing:
—To observe Blade.
Leon was naturally well aware of this and would not bother with such a small matter. He handed over the wine jar.
"Just as I guessed back in Fyxestroll Garden, the conclusion has not deviated in the slightest."
"The power guarding the suppressed flesh of the Abundance Emanator in The Shackling Prison can now be allocated to the more serious criminals who require heavier manpower to watch over."
With the observation of a slave of destiny, the Xianzhou Alliance temporarily does not need to worry about the Abundance Emanator making a comeback.
"Brother Leon has eyes as bright as a torch."
"Eyes as bright as a torch, yet I was still schemed against by the General?"
"Hahaha, Jing Yuan owes quite a few favors. He doesn't mind adding one more. I'll punish myself with a jar of fine wine…"
"Good grief, the General is taking and eating at the same time. Too bad these are the last two jars…"