Chapter 109: The High-Cloud Quintet — Jingliu II
[ Honkai Impact 3rd - Kiana: This Phantylia and that Herrscher are seriously a death-seeking duo. ]
[ Honkai Impact 3rd - Herrscher of Domination: Hahaha, let me tell you something, Murata Himeko is dead! ]
[ Honkai Impact 3rd - Herrscher of Domination: And as for that Herrscher of Thunder, let me tell you a story: One day, someone went to the dentist. This female dentist looked at his teeth and said if they weren't all pulled out, he would die. Then the patient said: Doctor, I don't want to die! ]
[ Honkai Impact 3rd - Raiden Mei: My blade is not without its sharpness either!! ]
[ Genshin Impact - Lyney: The death-seeking ability of these two is simply unmatched! ]
[ Genshin Impact - Arlecchino: Alright, stop arguing. It's not good to scare the children! ]
…
"In the Year 6300 of the Star Calendar, Jingliu was born on the Xianzhou Cangcheng. Later, the living constellation propagated by the Abundance, the Plaguedoctor, devoured the Xianzhou Cangcheng."
"In the dark depths of space, the demon star named Rahu wailed and sang, hurtling toward everyone with burning mountains and earth. People screamed on the long streets, struggling and rolling in the absolute despair of doomsday, letting the golden branches and vines grow endlessly from their mouths, noses, and orifices."
"The young Jingliu watched everything happen, unable to move. Her insides boiled, and something rolled violently within her dantian, like a ripe grain about to burst from its husk, expanding to infinity. But the oncoming mountains made her realize that she was merely a mayfly, about to die at the light pinch of the divine envoy's fingertips."
"In the moment of drowning, Jingliu grabbed onto the only floating reed beside her and was later rescued by the Cloud Knights. After recovering, Jingliu picked up a sword for the first time and began learning swordsmanship from her master."
"But her master did not have time to teach her more before leading the army to war. Thus, Jingliu's second lesson was learned on the battlefield, taught by those fallen enemies."
"To 'thrust' was simple and direct, but agile monsters would not willingly meet the tip of the sword to let the young girl execute them. So, she learned to 'slash'. Then came 'deflect'. In the face of monsters with staggering strength, Jingliu learned to shed attacks using the spine of the blade."
"She believed she had fully mastered swordsmanship, so she leapt onto a draconic mechanical soldier ten times her height—a Longbo. Even after breaking every sword she carried, she had only left dozens of wounds on her opponent's massive frame."
"She was swatted away by a giant palm, lying in the bloody mud of the battlefield, once again submerged in fear. At the brink of drowning, she finally understood that swordsmanship also had its limits. Subsequently, a bolt loaded with blazing fire blew off the Longbo's head."
…
[ Genshin Impact - Hu Tao: Baizhu, did you see that? That is the price of immortality! ]
[ Genshin Impact - Baizhu: Hahaha, Director Hu need not worry. I will not stop my steps. I hope we do not become enemies. ]
[ Genshin Impact - Hu Tao: You stubborn fellow! ]
[ Honkai Impact 3rd - Kevin: Is this the power of an Aeon? Truly powerful, to actually destroy a Xianzhou ship! ]
At this moment, Kevin, who had just awakened within World Serpent, saw his past self say this. His eyes narrowed as he muttered to himself, "With this projection live room, perhaps I can alter the Project Stigma a bit!"
Not long after he woke up, Raven and the others had informed this era's Kevin about the projection live room.
[ Honkai Star Rail - Fu Xuan: The Xianzhou Cangcheng. ]
…
"Her master looked at Jingliu, but Jingliu did not want to learn the sword. Her master then admonished her: From the generals down to the foot soldiers, every Cloud Knight must start by learning how to draw their sword."
"The various excellent armaments of the Artisanship Commission can indeed replace us in destroying enemies, but those are just weapons operating on their own. If one day the arrows run out, the starskiffs crash, and the Aurumatons stop working, who will protect you and me? Who will protect the Xianzhou?"
"Grip this sword, and remember it well. Only when the Cloud Knights personally take up their swords on the battlefield is it a battle of humanity itself. We use our own flesh and blood, our own skills, to prove to those inhuman abominations that we will surely defeat them, rather than letting mechanisms act on our behalf. Her master turned and left, leaving her and the broken sword in the martial arena."
…
[ Honkai Impact 3rd - Murata Himeko: This master is right. Relying on those machines is worse than relying on oneself. Only by becoming strong ourselves can we protect the people around us! ]
[ Honkai Star Rail - Jingliu: Perhaps that is correct… ]
At this moment, a white-haired Foxian appeared in her mind. Her smile made Jingliu feel as though the memory was still fresh.
[ Genshin Impact - Zhongli: Perhaps even powerful strength cannot protect the people around us. ]
[ Genshin Impact - Venti: Uh, old friend, would you like a cup of wine? ]
[ Genshin Impact - Zhongli: That would be good! ]
As two deities in Genshin Impact—one who couldn't protect his friends, and another who couldn't protect his young follower—hearing Murata Himeko say this brought a wave of melancholy over them.
…
"The sword was forged from a hundred refinements of meteoritic iron from beyond the heavens. It did not conform to the standard regulations of military weapons, just like the short-lived craftsman who forged it—unruly, unstoppable, and wildly arrogant. She, who had always been friends only with her sword, actually gained many friends."
"On the day Jingliu was honored as the Sword Champion, Yingxing attended the ceremony clad in black. He threw the sword with his hands behind his back. The sword sank feet into the ground, leaving only the hilt. Everyone gasped."
" 'The sword I forge can only have its true brilliance fully realized by the Sword Champion of the Luofu Cloud Knights.' He grinned. The Luofu's High Elder, aloof and proud like the moon, actually developed a competitive urge to duel her after witnessing Jingliu's divine skills."
"Spear and sword clashed for years without a decisive result. Ultimately, Jingliu split the sea tides with a single strike at the Delve of the Clashing Waves, finally winning the High Elder's admiration."
"A Nameless who flew across the sea of stars and possessed vast knowledge had once steered the starskiff for her, bringing immortal brew fermented from the other side of the cosmos to drink and chat heartily with her while watching the stars shine in the sky."
" 'Even the stars in the sky, I shall cut them down.' Jingliu faintly remembered her boastful words when she was happily intoxicated."
"The burning constellation that had rushed at her from her childhood memories, and the terrifying nightmare that had clung to her back then, seemed no longer so loathsome and frightening."
"Dancing with the sword until now, she understood for the first time what vitality meant. Before this, all she had harbored was merely a resolve to die."
"And then there was her apprentice, Jing Yuan. Jingliu recalled her first meeting with him. A young child with countless mischievous ideas, who had asked the exact same question she had once asked."
" 'Master, why are you so obsessed with using a sword? There are thousands of weapons that can kill enemies. Even if we want to destroy that star, the Zhuming's flint fire could probably do it.' 'This question is just like asking a poet why they write poetry. There are many ways to express oneself, but this is the only one that belongs to me.' Now, he too had become a pinnacle of the Cloud Knights."
…
[ Honkai Star Rail - March 7th: Huh? Did we Nameless actually participate in Miss Jingliu's rise to the position of Sword Champion? ]
[ Honkai Star Rail - Himeko: According to the records on the Express, there was indeed such a Nameless; and judging by the records, she ultimately chose to remain on the Xianzhou. ]
[ Honkai Star Rail - Pom-Pom: That Nameless was indeed a very outstanding person. ]
…