"This Blade... why is the dark energy radiating from him so much more intense than in the original story?"
Lumina had been shaken after exiting the Ambrosial Arbor and had taken some time to calm down, delaying her arrival at the Scalegorge Waterscape. By the time she arrived, Blade, Dan Heng, and Yanqing were already locked in battle.
Lumina frowned as she observed the dense, almost solid, dark energy emanating from Blade's body, tinged with a faint crimson hue at its core.
Logically, the denser the energy someone emits, the more power they're exerting. Given the intensity of Blade's crimson-tinged darkness, even if he wasn't fighting at full strength, he must be close to it.
Yeah, what's causing Blade to act so differently from the original story? This is so hard to figure out.
Ugh... This is a real head-scratcher. I remember, this Blade only knows one more person than he did in the original story... How could that change everything?
Hearing Lumina's confusion, the System typed out a few words, seemingly hinting at someone.
Lumina: ...
"If you can't speak properly, just shut your mouth!" Lumina said with a "kind" smile, her voice dangerously soft as she ordered the System to be quiet.
[I've never spoken aloud; I type everything I say.]
Hearing this, the System straightened up and immediately retorted.
"..." Lumina fell silent again, speechless.
Too lazy to argue, she turned her gaze to Kafka, whose grave expression confirmed that Blade's current state had completely broken free from the control of the Spirit Whisper.
"Alright, alright," Lumina sighed. "Since I started this mess, I should be the one to end it."
Observing the situation on the battlefield, she considered the consequences. If she didn't intervene, Yanqing would likely be cut down by Blade, which would be disastrous.
With that thought, Lumina prepared to step in and take control of the situation.
"Hmm..." But just as every muscle in her body coiled with readiness, a sudden realization struck her, causing her to halt abruptly.
If Blade sees me, won't he just go even more berserk...?
Recalling their previous encounter at the Starskiff Jetty, Lumina considered this possibility highly likely.
Never mind. A couple of punches should knock him back to his senses.
She shook her head, dismissing the thought.
The pent-up anger from her recent confrontation with Phantylia needed a proper outlet.
And what better punching bag than the immortal Blade himself? A top-quality, indestructible target perfectly suited for Lumina to vent her frustration...
"Hahaha, hahaha, hahaha!"
Blade's maniacal laughter echoed across the arena, punctuated by the clang of colliding weapons.
Consumed by his Mara-Struck state, Blade had abandoned all reason. Ignoring his own injuries, he relentlessly hacked at Yanqing with wild abandon.
"What... what is wrong with this guy?!" Yanqing exclaimed, sweat pouring down his forehead and soaking his back as he transitioned from offense to desperate defense.
Witnessing Blade's disregard for his own safety and his relentless assault, Yanqing felt a surge of despair. Blade fought as if he would never stop, heedless of his own wounds.
Only now, facing Blade head-on, did Yanqing truly understand the meaning behind Jingliu's warning: "You are no match for Blade."
The Blade before him was no longer human—he was a monster, a killing machine driven solely by the desire to slaughter, utterly heedless of self-preservation.
Under this relentless onslaught, Yanqing found himself completely overwhelmed. If not for Imbibitor Lunae's timely intervention, he feared he would have already fallen to Blade's blade.
The longer the fight dragged on, the dimmer the light in Yanqing's eyes became. The sword dao heart he had forged over fourteen years was beginning to crumble.
"Blade! He's a Cloud Knight Lieutenant of the Luofu. If he dies here, none of us will leave the Luofu alive!" Dan Heng shouted, urgently intercepting some of Blade's attacks as he watched Yanqing gradually lose his will to fight.
"Hahahaha!" Blade, completely consumed by his Mara-Struck state, paid no heed to Dan Heng's words. Instead, noticing Dan Heng's intervention, he intensified his assault.
"Tch..." Dan Heng clicked his tongue inwardly, realizing there was no reasoning with Blade now. He glanced at Kafka, who stood a short distance away.
Sensing Dan Heng's gaze and understanding his unspoken question, Kafka shook her head helplessly, signaling that she had no solution.
"..." Dan Heng's brow furrowed. His eyes fixed on Blade, anxiety gnawing at him.
Though Dan Heng was deeply worried about the safety of the Astral Express Crew, he couldn't abandon Yanqing and leave him to die.
If Yanqing died here, it would be a true disaster...
With that thought, Dan Heng's eyes sharpened instantly. He resolved to swiftly defeat the berserk Blade and rescue Yanqing.
"Hahaha!" Blade gave him no time to act. The dark aura radiating from his body intensified, and his sword was instantly drenched in blood.
"Damn it!" Dan Heng's heart leaped. He hurriedly manipulated the Long Pearl in his hand, attempting to intervene.
But... it was already too late.
The dark aura spread to Yanqing, and crimson Red Spider Lilies began to bloom across his blood-soaked wounds—vibrant and malevolent flowers of death.
The lurid lilies gradually covered Yanqing's entire body, and the chilling aura of death pierced straight into his heart.
"Is... this the end?" Sensing the overwhelming presence of death, the light in Yanqing's eyes extinguished completely. The three-foot sword he had been clutching tightly slipped from his grasp...
Clang! Clang!
The sound of the sword striking the ground echoed as Yanqing closed his eyes, abandoning all resistance.
He quietly awaited the blood-soaked blade's descent, ready to carry him to the shores of the afterlife...
"Little brother, how does that saying go?"
"A swordsman never lets go of their sword, even in death."
In Yanqing's blood-red world, a flash of green streaked through, and a gentle voice smoothed away the terror in his heart.
The anticipated death never came. When Yanqing opened his eyes, a figure of pure, holy white stood before him.
With just two fingers, she held the bloodied sword, effortlessly stopping the very blade that could have crushed him.
At that moment, the young girl seemed like a god answering his prayers, destined to save the world—so beautiful, so sacred, so powerful...
In that instant, the boy's world contained only the colors white and green...