Starskiff Haven · Central Navigation Route
Leaving the slightly oppressive freight dock area, the scene before them suddenly opened up.
Classical pavilions with carved beams and painted pillars stood in rows, while floating kiosks and corridors were connected by rainbow bridges; countless star skiffs of various sizes and shapes wove through the planned aerial lanes like fish in an orderly fashion.
Golden energy streams pulsed between the buildings, and in the distance, clouds swirled, bringing the air of an immortal realm.
The air was filled with a faint scent of incense, tea, and the various exotic fragrances brought by interstellar trade.
"Phew—that's more like it! That dock just now was like it had been robbed; this is how the Xianzhou should look!"
March 7th took a deep breath, her eyes sparkling as she looked around, her camera already itching for action.
Tingyun walked gracefully to the front of the group, turned around, held her folding fan, and elegantly performed a Xianzhou greeting.
The flush on her face had long since faded, and she had recovered the composure and professionalism of a Sky-Faring Commission envoy.
"Please allow me, on behalf of the Sky-Faring Commission, to welcome you, esteemed guests, to 'Starskiff Haven'."
Her voice was clear and melodious, carrying just the right amount of a smile.
"On the Xianzhou Luofu, all matters concerning airspace management, interstellar navigation, and trade are handled by the 'Sky-Faring Commission', one of the Six Commissions. And as the largest airport and trade hub of the Luofu, 'Starskiff Haven' is naturally under our jurisdiction."
Tingyun used her folding fan to gently point at the busy yet orderly scene around them, a faint pride showing in her words.
"Wow..."
March 7th exclaimed softly.
"As expected of... uh, what was the envoy called again? Anyway, she has such an aura! Completely different from just now at the dock!"
Stella and Stelle nodded in unison like garlic pounders, showing deep agreement.
This effortless switching of professional modes was admirable.
Hearing this, Tingyun covered her mouth and chuckled, her fox ears twitching slightly: "You flatter me, esteemed guests, you're too kind. I am the envoy Tingyun, and my duty is to receive and care for visiting merchants and envoys. These flowery social pleasantries, I have to say them every few days; they've almost become instinct."
Her tone was light, narrowing the distance between them.
"Um..."
[Bai Heng], who had been following behind, raised her hand cautiously at this moment, like a student asking a question in class.
"Where are we going next?"
Tingyun closed her folding fan, her expression becoming more serious: "Next, we need to go to the 'Palace of Astrum' to report your arrival and the situation at the dock to the current head of the Sky-Faring Commission—Lady Yukong, in person."
She turned around, raised a slender finger, and pointed to the most magnificent and towering building that pierced the clouds in their field of vision.
The building integrated the ultimate classical aesthetics of the Xianzhou with precise engineering structures, standing out like a crane among chickens among the many buildings.
"See that? The tallest building in the city, where the golden light is brightest and clouds linger, that is the headquarters of the Sky-Faring Commission—the Palace of Astrum."
A hint of respect flashed in Tingyun's eyes.
"Without further ado, esteemed guests, let's head over quickly."
Just as Tingyun was leading the way and the Astral Express Crew was preparing to follow to the Palace of Astrum—
Meanwhile, in a relatively secluded narrow alley in Starskiff Haven, near the old workshop area.
Having just experienced a "Fast and Furious: Jingliu Edition" star skiff journey, finally getting off the star skiff while holding the wall (Yingxing even felt like vomiting), and discussing how to low-key search for clues about the "Disciples of Sanctus Medicus", the group with Jing Yuan bumped into a figure that made their scalps tingle and their hair stand on end.
That was a tall, silent man exuding a strong smell of blood and an aura of madness.
He had disheveled black hair, wore damaged dark clothing, and held a cracked, long sword that seemed ready to shatter at any moment.
The most heart-wrenching part was his eyes—scarlet, chaotic, burning with endless pain and obsession.
Blade stood quietly at the end of the alley, shadows outlining his lonely and dangerous silhouette.
When his gaze swept over Jing Yuan, Jingliu, and Yingxing, and finally locked onto Dan Feng, those scarlet eyes suddenly erupted with terrifying light!
Dan Feng: "!!!"
The composure of the Vidyadhara High Elder vanished instantly; he subconsciously stepped back half a step, the dragon power within him instinctively beginning to surge.
Blade's chest heaved violently, as if suppressing something, but then, that suppression completely erupted!
"Ha—ha—ha—ha—!"
He let out a series of twisted and crazed laughs, the laughter echoing in the narrow alley, making one's hair stand on end.
"Five people, three must pay a price!"
Blade roared, his voice hoarse and broken, but carrying the power to tear apart the soul.
"Dan Feng!!! You are one of them! Pay with your life!!!"
Before the words fell, the Shard Sword in his hand was already raised, dark red ominous sword energy burst forth, and he rushed toward Dan Feng like an arrow of fresh blood, with a crazed momentum that crushed everything!
"Wait wait wait wait! Calm down! Look closely! He is not that Dan Feng! He is... he is summoned!"
Yingxing's face turned deathly pale, but his movements were surprisingly fast. He lunged forward, and the moment Blade passed by him, he pounced and hugged one of Blade's legs tightly!
"Let go!"
Blade roared, his movement only slightly delayed, still dragging Yingxing forward.
Yingxing felt that what he was hugging was not a leg, but a burning red iron pillar, and this iron pillar even came with a violent thruster!
In desperation, his other hand quickly took out a palm-sized exquisite mechanism from his tool kit and slammed it onto the ground!
"Click—Buzz!"
The mechanism unfolded, a light flashed, and a Golden Soul Reaper was summoned.
It clearly inherited Yingxing's command. As soon as it appeared, it immediately opened its metal arms, learned from Yingxing, and hugged Blade's other leg tightly!
Thus, the scene became:
The violent Blade, like a humanoid beast, was dragging Yingxing, who was hugging his left leg, and a Golden Soul Reaper hanging on his right leg and making a slight mechanical friction sound, and still firmly, step by step, walked toward the pale-faced Dan Feng!
"Brother Yingxing! You... you calm down first! Let us explain!"
Jing Yuan didn't care about his General image anymore, quickly opened his arms to block right in front of Blade, trying to reform (or delay) him with words.
Jingliu was even more direct; icy sword energy instantly enveloped her sword, and she blocked in front of Dan Feng with a sharp look: "Blade! Look clearly! He is not the person you are looking for!"
Blade's scarlet eyes swept over the blocking Jing Yuan and Jingliu; that familiar yet strange face seemed to stir up more violent waves in his chaotic thoughts.
As one of the Stellaron Hunters, he certainly knew about this "variable" outside Elio's script, knowing that these were just avatars "playing" the deceased, summoned by some girl with strange abilities.
But...
Blade's inner heart, under the guise of madness, had a trace of weak clarity struggling:
I know... I know they are not... but... this face... this aura...
This soul, tortured by the Mara-Struck and countless deaths, could not control it!
It only wanted to destroy! Destroy everything related to past pain! Especially... Dan Feng!
That trace of clarity was like a candle in the wind, instantly swallowed by more violent darkness.
"Heh... Hahahahaha!"
Blade shook his head, as if to shake the untimely nostalgia and reason out of his mind completely. The crazed smile on his face became more twisted. He ignored the "attachments" on his legs and the obstruction in front of him. In his eyes, only that Vidyadhara High Elder figure remained, and he let out a tearing roar again:
"Dan Feng! Come to your death—!!!"
Dan Feng: "!!!"
Seeing the Shard Sword carrying the aura of destruction getting closer and closer, with a berserker in front and a dead end behind, the blocking effect of Jing Yuan, Jingliu, and Yingxing (along with his golden automaton) was limited. Dan Feng felt his dragon scales were about to explode!
At the critical moment of life and death, the same figure flashed in the minds of the four "High-Cloud Quintet avatars" simultaneously—the Foxfolk Maiden who could always bring a turning point in unexpected and often accompanied by some chaotic way, cheerful and lively, with amazing driving skills (?), and also the only bright color and soft spot in Blade's memory.
The four of them used up their life's strength and tacit understanding, and at the moment the Shard Sword was about to strike, they shouted in unison toward the bustling sky of Starskiff Haven outside the alley:
"[Bai Heng]!!! Where are you!!! Help—!!!"
This shout was so sincere and had such strong penetrating power that the Astral Express Crew on their way to the Palace of Astrum seemed to hear something vaguely.
March 7th rubbed her ears in confusion: "Huh? Did I hear someone calling Bai Heng?"
She looked at the [Bai Heng] beside her.
[Bai Heng] tilted her head in confusion: "Ah? Who's calling me?"
And in the alley, at the moment Blade heard the name "Bai Heng", his scarlet eyes seemed to freeze for a very short moment, and the movement of swinging the sword appeared a millisecond of lag.
But it was only a millisecond.
The Shard Sword, still carrying the momentum of shattering stars, slashed down!