Yanqing had naturally heard about the latest holo-drama sensation, Heaven-Mending Creation.
More importantly, the filming location was none other than the Cangyan Xianzhou he'd once visited himself.
In the movie, he'd watched the founding of "Rooftop," the sacred swordsmanship site that had left such a deep impression on him, and the climactic scene where everyone stood united.
That sight made his blood boil. As a result, whenever he spoke with Jing Yuan lately, his voice carried a faint note of regret.
"If we'd returned a bit later, maybe we could've witnessed some rare behind-the-scenes footage."
Yanqing had already learned the filming only began after he and the General had returned.
Missing out on the filming left him somewhat regretful.
So when he heard the movie was coming to the Xianzhou Luofu for a promotional event, he was thrilled.
Especially that male lead, who shouted, "One sword strike—an immortal descends from beyond the heavens!" That line made Yanqing's heart race; he couldn't help but wish to cross blades with him for a few hundred rounds.
For someone passionate about the sword, no one understood the spirit of that line better than Yanqing.
He'd immediately volunteered for a spot in the welcoming delegation—he wanted to meet that sword-path protagonist in person.
And today was finally the day they'd arrived!
Sunlight streamed down from the sky. Countless starskiffs drifted to and fro around them, like gently swaying willow branches.
This was the Starskiff Haven, Luofu's busiest thoroughfare for ships.
"General, shouldn't they be here by now?"
Yanqing checked the time, his face glowing with excitement—looking every bit the eager fanboy.
Jing Yuan stood calmly beside him, hands clasped behind his back. Seeing his disciple like this, he allowed himself a small smile.
Still young and rash. Yanqing was far too easily shaken.
Jing Yuan hoped he'd mature soon enough to shoulder responsibility.
But at the same time, he didn't wish for Yanqing to lose his innocent edge too soon—didn't want him bearing the weight of the Luofu prematurely.
Because Jing Yuan knew too well the price that came with "growing up."
"They've already docked on the Luofu through official channels. They'll arrive shortly."
Jing Yuan checked the ship's status to confirm.
At the same time, he glanced over the list of visitors accompanying the delegation.
Aside from the Fearless General from Cangyan, most of the main cast had come:
The popular male lead, the galaxy-famous singer, the Fangyuan High Elder, and—especially important for this trip—Titania.
All had already set foot on the Luofu.
But as Jing Yuan scanned the roster, one particular name caught his attention.
Mainly because the title next to it was surprising: [Counselor]
Jing Yuan studied Fenille's profile image, then the title, utterly baffled.
What kind of new special post was this?
But he didn't have time to consider it further—their starskiff had already arrived.
Yanqing's excitement surged. He watched eagerly as the starskiff slowed to a halt.
How would they make their entrance?
Like the duel with Cangcheng's Sword Champion—"On a full-moon night atop Rooftop's peak, a sword comes from the west—an immortal descends from beyond the heavens"?
Or perhaps with the restless, battle-seeking look they'd worn when first expounding the sword's way?
Yanqing could hardly wait—he was dying to see!
The starskiff docked smoothly, and the hatch opened, immediately followed by sounds of bickering from inside.
"Sora, don't you dare steal my credit this time!"
"Yeah, yeah, sure. You win."
"I can tell you're still not convinced—fine! Let me recount my heroic bearing in detail!"
As the voices spilled out, Sora slowly emerged, wearing a thoroughly defeated expression.
Beside him, Titania was absolutely gleeful!
She clung relentlessly to Sora, flaunting her victory again and again.
Fenille was right!
If she kept challenging him, she would eventually step on Sora along the road of constant progress.
This round went to her!
The absurdity left the Luofu crowd completely bewildered.
What exactly was going on?
Yanqing, in particular, stared incredulously at Sora's drained appearance, unable to reconcile it with the dazzling hero from the film.
In the movie, he'd been so spirited, so vibrant.
How could he appear this exhausted in reality?
He looked as if his determination had suffered a crushing blow.
The cause of his exhaustion became clear the instant Jin Xing emerged.
Because immediately she led everyone to the back of the ship to reveal their "grand gift."
Frozen inside massive crystal blocks, creatures resembling birds, wolves, and oxen awaited.
The Abundance branches sprouting from their bodies made their identities unmistakable.
"Abominations of Abundance?!"
The guards drew their weapons, but Jing Yuan quickly signaled restraint.
"A High Elder arrives and greets the Luofu with quite the surprise."
Jing Yuan's smile remained unshaken as he spoke to Jin Xing in the ship's rear compartment.
"I must ask—is this the 'safe route' the Luofu recommended?"
Jin Xing skipped the courtesies, bluntly recounting their encounters.
...
Time rewound briefly, back to when they were still traveling through space.
The Silver Radiance hadn't appeared in a long time, but even now its speed across the cosmos was astonishing.
Currently, the Silver Radiance was considered essential for long-distance interstellar travel.
Its efficiency in absorbing stars and converting them into energy was unmatched anywhere in the universe.
Indeed, the Kingstone had transformed the ship completely.
Inside, Sora was speaking with Jin Xing.
"You're saying General Xuanquan from Fanghu asked you to deal with the Luofu Vidyadhara on the side?"
He was surprised Jin Xing was telling him something like this.
No matter how you saw it, this was internal Xianzhou business—a purely Vidyadhara matter. Why share it with him?
"Mm. The Luofu Vidyadhara were never exactly well-behaved. Earlier, they even caused incidents that made the Alliance wary of us."
Yet internally, the Vidyadhara still tried to preserve the Luofu's status.
Since LONG's decline, the Luofu Vidyadhara had managed to add exactly one new child to their people.
So even though Xuanquan had long wanted to address the Luofu Vidyadhara issue, clan sentiment kept his hands tied.
Unless Luofu caused a severe incident—or else…
"Now there's an alternative to that dragon-transforming secret art. Luofu Vidyadhara have lost their special status."
Moreover, this method was far more natural, avoiding even a hint of ABUNDANCE contamination, ensuring long-term preservation.
Luofu Vidyadhara thus lost their former uniqueness, facing inevitable consequences.
Even though the primary culprit—Vidyadhara High Elder Imbibitor Lunae—had already been exiled after shedding scales, many accomplices faced lesser penalties.
Did the Alliance truly not know?
Now it was being raised again—as a reassurance to the Alliance.
"I see. There's plenty of intrigue in this."
Sora nodded. The Alliance indeed had its complexities.
"Exactly. That's why I waited until we'd left Xianzhou jurisdiction to tell you."
Because there was always the risk of unknown eyes among her people.
Jin Xing could vouch for the loyalty of Vidyadhara under her command—but hundreds of years brought many transfers from other Xianzhou ships.
So she could only say certain things now.
But the main reason was…
Jin Xing scratched her head, smiling sheepishly. "I didn't want to hide it from you."
Sora understood, but he still had questions.
"But your departure certainly didn't go unnoticed."
A High Elder vanishing for a while—her people would inevitably notice something.
Wouldn't troublemakers seize this opportunity?
"But when I left, I didn't tell anyone my destination—and besides, this is the Luofu-approved 'safe route'!"
"I'll bet nothing happens!"
Jin Xing placed her hands proudly on her hips.
At that moment, the Silver Radiance abruptly halted.
Red warning lights filled the cabin, sirens piercing everyone's ears.
Wooo—wooo—wooo—!
The sudden alarm silenced their conversation.
"Unidentified lifeforms ahead! Sora—Titania wants to battle and has already rushed out!"
A voice from the Iron Cavalry girls was broadcasted.
Sora quietly offered condolences to whichever fools had dared attack this particular ship.
Who knew raiding would mean facing an AEON head-on?
Jin Xing cut off Sora's awkward moment, hastily explaining:
"This attack has nothing to do with our bet—"
Her voice trailed off uncertainly. She didn't even know what to do.
She'd just announced their wager—hadn't even said the stakes yet!
How did things end up like this?
Facing Jin Xing's frantic excuses, Sora solemnly nodded, feigning belief.
Only his tightly clenched fist, holding back laughter, betrayed his actual thoughts.
"Damn it!"
Jin Xing, burning with embarrassment, charged forward to battle.
She would show these bastards the true fury of an enraged High Elder!
Attacking now—of all times—had to be deliberate!
Thus, atop rolling blue waves, she rushed to meet the attackers outside.
All one could say was: ambushing them here truly reflected rotten luck.
Whether Titania or Jin Xing—or even just the Iron Cavalry—none were easy opponents.
And the main protagonist hadn't even stepped forward yet!
Sora reached the ship's hatch, surveying the fierce battle outside, and placed a hand on his belt.
'[DRIVER ON!]'
A Driver appeared at his waist in a flash of light. Sora slotted a Beast Ring into it.
"[HENSHIN]!!"
'[SET!]'
'[OPEN!]'
'[L-I-O-N! LION!]'
A magic circle swept over him, and when it faded, he emerged as a warrior shaped like a lion!
KAMEN RIDER BEAST!
Also known as Beast-san, or even "Magical Girl Beast."
This was the secondary Rider from Kamen Rider Wizard, called "the ancient mage" or "the prototype."
Unlike the mage Haruto Soma, who gained magic by overcoming the despair in his heart, Kosuke Nitou acquired his powers by contracting with a Chimera—forced thereafter to continually feed its hunger within him.
Otherwise, he risked being devoured by the beast itself.
Ultimately, Kosuke Nitou had released the Chimera to resolve the Sabbath incident, then set out on a journey to find it again.
And this was precisely the power Sora had rolled at random!
"Then let's have ourselves a proper feast."
Sora patted his belt and charged into battle.
This squad of Abominations of Abundance, sent to intercept them, had likely never imagined the ship was filled with so many powerful figures.
Their intelligence had only marked the Vidyadhara who controlled the rolling blue waves—no one had mentioned the other monsters aboard.
Especially fearsome was Titania with her twin blades, whose attacks were most dreaded.
Each slash of her blades could cut cleanly through weapon and flesh alike.
Once cut, crystalline growth spread from the wounds, nullifying regeneration entirely.
Second most threatening was the Vidyadhara—her expression may have been embarrassed, but her attacks were ruthless.
Wherever the rolling blue waves passed, the Abominations either drowned unconscious or became trapped in spheres of water.
And those figures cloaked in white flames were equally troublesome.
But most annoying of all was the guy constantly triggering sound effects.
'[NUMBER 2!]'
'[NUMBER 3!]'
'[NUMBER 1!]'
The sound effects echoed incessantly as he carved up the Abominations.
"You bastard—can't you keep it down?!"
"So damn noisy! Rip him apart!"
Several hawk-shaped creatures shot toward Sora simultaneously.
Faced with their assault, Sora calmly swung his sword—summoning a red hawk from a magic circle.
The hawk immediately engaged one abomination, leaving the others momentarily dumbfounded.
Hold on—we have so many fighters here, yet you sent just one hawk?
"You bastard—are you mocking us?!"
"Tear him apart!"
But was Sora actually looking down on them?
…Well, yes. But at the moment, he was busy struggling with the Dice Saber in his hand.
The blade had a rotating dial and a ring slot, with a central die that spun along with the dial.
When a ring was inserted, the resulting number granted different buffs.
But Sora was beginning to realize his luck today was unusually poor.
The highest number he'd managed to roll thus far was "four."
Apart from that, nothing higher had appeared.
Sora refused to accept it. As someone naturally lucky, how could he suddenly be so cursed?
Even at his worst, he'd never had to hit hard pity more than five times in a row.
There were only six numbers—he refused to believe he couldn't roll higher!
So he continued dodging their attacks, repeatedly spinning the dial.
Yet the results only made his heart sink further.
After dozens of attempts, fives and sixes remained practically nonexistent.
"What kind of joke is this?"
Sora flickered aside, letting an attack harmlessly pass, then casually followed up with a slash.
That Abomination instantly disintegrated into particles, swiftly absorbed into Sora's belt.
The other Abominations froze in place.
"What just happened?"
"Where'd he go?"
The vanished comrade had disappeared entirely, as if he never existed.
Normally, even if they were cut apart, reassembling would revive them.
So why was he simply… gone?
But Sora had no intention of resolving their confusion.
Nothing today had shaken his confidence more than this accursed Saber.
This was the biggest setback he'd experienced since arriving in this world.
A day destined to be etched into history!
If Titania ever found out, she'd probably blow a tiny trumpet right in his face just to mock him.
That would definitely happen!
Therefore, today's events must remain secret—which meant these Abominations had to obediently die.
Sora's gaze sharpened dangerously. The Abominations facing him felt chills running down their spines—as if a terrifying predator had fixed its sights on them.
"Something's wrong with this guy!"
"R-retreat—!"
Unfortunately, Sora had no intention of allowing them a safe escape.
No one could be permitted to know he'd ever had such an unlucky streak.
Thus…
The Flame Swordsman's successor, now stationed in the Star Rail universe, was coming to silence all witnesses!
At that very moment, anguished screams rang across the battlefield, echoing through space itself.
"Mommy! I want to go home!"
"Stay away—don't come near me!"
Anyone could hear the bitterness behind those cries.
Especially that final despair—it made the dark starfield feel even more oppressive.
On the battlefield, friend and foe alike turned to look.
But all they saw was a lone figure clad in lion-shaped armor. No other presence remained.
"What's the matter?"
Sora tilted his head innocently.
It was the simplest question—yet it concealed unspeakable horror.
For an instant, the attackers of the Silver Radiance felt as though they had become the prey…
...
"So, you returned because of that?"
The Zhuhuai clan chief of the Denizens of the Abundance stared down at his kneeling clansman.
"Yes. I judged that it was a trap laid by the enemy."
The kneeling Zhuhuai didn't dare raise his head. He could only offer his explanation.
"I see…"
The Zhuhuai clan chief slowly nodded, then asked with faint confusion, "Then where are the others?"
The kneeling figure trembled. "Th-they… they all died in that ambush."
Everyone had died—he alone had escaped.
"Chief, we must act quickly against that group. Each one of them can truly kill us."
Why could the Denizens of the Abundance rampage unchecked across the universe?
Wasn't it precisely because they couldn't be killed?
Yet everyone on that ship wielded power capable of permanently ending their lives—an enormous threat!
"You needn't worry about that. The clans have already agreed to join forces. Soon, even the Xianzhou will be easily crushed in our grasp."
"What must be handled now… is you, deserter."
---
T/N: ROAR LIONS!!! THE KING OF THE JUNGLE ROAR MEOW!!!!!
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