Chapter 110: The High-Cloud Quintet — Jingliu III
[ Honkai Impact 3rd - Lieserl Albert Einstein: Um, can I ask you Xianzhou people a question? I don't mean to provoke anything. ]
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Jing Yuan: Of course, no problem. Ask away! ]
[ Honkai Impact 3rd - Lieserl Albert Einstein: I want to ask, if a long-life species and a short-life species become good friends or spouses, when the short-life species dies, will the long-life species succumb to Mara because they can't bear the blow? ]
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Jing Yuan: The kind of problem you mentioned does indeed exist, and quite a few such cases have happened on the Xianzhou. ]
[ Honkai Impact 3rd - Lieserl Albert Einstein: Thank you, General Jing Yuan. Then perhaps I understand why Lady Jingliu fell into Mara? It must have been because of this swordmaster's departure. ]
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Xuan Yong: You guessed half right! ]
…
"In Star Calendar Year 7379, Shuhu, an Emanator of Abundance, gathered a massive army and invaded the Xianzhou Alliance."
"In the direction pointed by the starskiffs, Jingliu stood alone against ten thousand, dancing with her blade, weaving through the sword light. Her edge was so sharp that even her colleagues dared not stand alongside her, only providing rear support."
"Baiheng, also one of the High-Cloud Quintet, threw herself into the fray alone, allowing the Alliance soldiers to break through Shuhu's 'Blood-Dyed Prison'. She even piloted a starskiff like an arrow piercing through everything, recalling Dan Feng from his draconic madness."
"But in the end, Baiheng held aloft a sun of absolute darkness, dying together with Shuhu."
"After the Rebellion of Shuhu, Dan Feng could not accept Baiheng's departure. With the help of Yingxing, he attempted to resurrect Baiheng using the 'Arcanum of Transmutation', while also seeking a way to sustain the Vidyadhara race. However, the ritual failed, ultimately creating a draconic abomination."
"The draconic abomination nearly destroyed the entire Scalegorge Waterscape, and the seal of the Ambrosial Arbor was on the verge of ruin. Jingliu, the Sword Champion of the Luofu at the time, and her disciple Jing Yuan, led the Cloud Knights and the Vidyadhara Preceptors to fight the draconic abomination together."
"Jingliu panted, barely supporting her injured and exhausted body. From the delve in the distance came a sorrowful dragon roar, like a prayer for release. The half-dragon abomination swept through the air like lightning, its body, large enough to swallow the horizon, shattered another floating island. Its wails sounded like the clashing of a thousand swords."
"Jingliu felt her viscera churning and burning, as if ripe grains were about to burst from their husks, expanding to infinity. She saw herself trapped again in her childhood nightmare, the malevolent star looming overhead, and the mayflies struggling helplessly. Jingliu tore a strip of black silk from her skirt and blindfolded herself."
"Amidst thunder and lightning, she leapt up with her sword, facing the draconic abomination. In a hallucination that seemed both dream and reality, she felt her flesh finally surpass its limit and begin to disintegrate."
"As if bound by silk strings, her entire body was tight, slicing away her last bit of consciousness piece by piece. For no reason, those words echoed in her ears: 'Even the stars in the sky, I shall sever.'"
"At that moment, she grasped the sword she had dreamed of. It was a sword that could release all bonds. It was a sword she had been familiar with for many years."
…
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Shuhu: A negligible achievement, no need to praise me too much. ]
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Lan: Damned Abominations of Abundance! ]
[ Genshin Impact - Sangonomiya Kokomi: Is this the process of Lady Jingliu falling into Mara? ]
[ Honkai Impact 3rd - Elysia: This Lady Baiheng was also a warrior, a hero! ]
[ Honkai Impact 3rd - Kiana: But speaking of which, I just looked at the chat of ordinary people, and they don't seem to know about Baiheng, one of the High-Cloud Quintet. ]
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Xuan Yong: Former heroes have become today's sinners. Who else will remember everything they did for the Xianzhou? Heroes also have their twilight years, and that is when they are discarded—or perhaps, when people no longer need heroes! ]
…
"In Star Calendar Year 7380, before her Mara-struck state fully took hold, Jingliu was imprisoned in the Shackles of Ruin. Later, due to her state of madness, she went on a killing spree against her compatriots, escaped from the prison, and took Yingxing's immortal body with her."
"Thus, Jing Yuan led the Cloud Knights to Starskiff Haven to corner Jingliu. Under Jing Yuan's attack, Jingliu vanished without a trace, ultimately becoming a major fugitive outside the territory."
"Until Phantylia appeared on the Xianzhou Luofu, Jingliu returned to the Luofu with a merchant, Luocha, and the two seemed to be plotting something big."
…
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Welt Yang: As expected… Just as I thought. I've found this Luocha suspicious for a long time. You two really are plotting something big! ]
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Luocha: Heavens and earth, I swear to God, I am absolutely a good person! ]
[ Honkai Impact 3rd - Otto Apocalypse: Really? Even I don't believe that. ]
Otto looked at Luocha's face, which was extremely similar to his own, and fell into deep thought. He didn't even think of himself as a good person, so someone with the same face probably wasn't a good person either.
"Alright, why think so much? Just watch the showcase!" At this time, Kallen, sitting in the Overseer's seat, saw Otto lost in thought. She slapped the back of his head and said with a displeased look.
"Yes, yes, yes, Kallen is right!" Although his head hurt, Otto immediately responded to Kallen.
[ Genshin Impact - Alhaitham: Regarding the big thing they are plotting, I have a few thoughts. ]
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Jing Yuan: Oh, I'm all ears! ]
The people in the showcase chatroom were all stunned, waiting for Alhaitham's answer. Jingliu and Luocha, in particular, became serious.
[ Genshin Impact - Alhaitham: Lady Jingliu is Mara-struck, and Luocha is no ordinary person. Perhaps what they want to do is eliminate the Aeon of Abundance. ]
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Aha: If it's really as you guessed, it might be a really big joke. ]
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Fuli: Record it, record it! ]
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Nanook: Interesting! ]
[ Honkai: Star Rail - Xuan Yong: Oh, eliminate the Aeon, eliminate the Aeon! ]
At this moment, many Aeons also appeared in the showcase chatroom. But regarding such matters, they only smiled. To eliminate an Aeon, unless you are an Aeon yourself. [ Of course, except for a certain top fan of Yaoshi. ]
…
"Others' Evaluations:"
"March 7th: Although Jingliu looks a bit unstable, her cold personality usually makes her look like a ray of pure, flawless moonlight."
"Whether in her normal state as a cold beauty, or her red-eyed stance after her Spectral Transmigration, Jingliu is indeed a fearsome and strongest swordmaster."
"Jing Yuan: A sword is like its song; it should rise and fall continuously, leaving a lingering charm. My master's sword is precisely a top-tier sword song."
"She taught me sword skills, yet she never grew close to me… But in the boundless night, what is closer to people than the bright moon that always hangs in the sky?"
"Yukong: You shouldn't mention that name… It has long been a forbidden word."
"Sushang: 'A flash of moonlight, nine hundred cycles of life and death'—of all Mr. Cirrus's stories about Jingliu, this is my favorite. Why isn't such a swordmaster recorded in the annals of the Cloud Knights…?"
"Blade: When wielding the sword, the phantom pain constantly surging in my body—where a strike is fatal, and where the pain is not enough to kill—is all thanks to her!"
…