Facing Yanqing's question, Jingliu did not respond. She merely paused her steps, slightly tilting her head. After a long moment, she finally spoke.
"Heh, it seems Jing Yuan has taken a fine apprentice." Jingliu gave a faint smile, as if mocking something. Her light, fleeting words suddenly set off alarm bells in Yanqing's heart.
Instinctively, the youth raised his longsword in front of him.
Clang—!
The sound of metal clashing rang out. Yanqing felt a sharp pain shoot through his hand, and in the next moment, his sword was sent flying, embedding itself three inches deep into a nearby wall.
So strong, so fast—I couldn't even see her movements! The youth's heart was filled with shock, as he realized he hadn't caught a glimpse of her attack. If not for years of training and combat-honed instincts, he might not have even blocked that strike.
"Sword, come!"
With a formidable enemy before him, Yanqing knew this was no time to stand dazed. He formed a hand seal, and with a hum, the sword that had been knocked away returned to his grasp.
"Take this!" Without hesitation, Yanqing chose to strike first. His strength was inferior to hers, and the longer this dragged on, the lower his chances of victory.
"Courageous." Facing Yanqing's relentless assault, Jingliu nodded approvingly. Her Tanhua sword moved seemingly casually, yet it perfectly deflected Yanqing's storm-like attacks.
She's too strong. This won't do. In that case…
"Sword Like a Crescent Moon!" Surging sword energy transformed into a soaring bird, darting toward Jingliu like a shadow on the hunt.
Combat Skill—Distant Strike: Three-Foot Water!
Jingliu had no intention of directly blocking Yanqing's attack. With a light tap of her toes, she leaped into the air with the grace of a swallow, effortlessly evading the strike.
"Not bad for a little brother, but if this is all you've got, it's far from enough."
As she spoke, Jingliu's Tanhua sword gleamed, infused with the power of the Path of Destruction. In the next moment, a crescent-shaped sword energy shattered the ground, rushing toward Yanqing.
Combat Skill—Flawless Flight!
"It was you…?!"
Recognizing the attack, Yanqing's pupils contracted. Though it was just a single strike, he could vaguely discern that this was the same sword energy that had saved him from the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.
Clang!
Yanqing's longsword clashed with the crescent-shaped sword energy. With a sharp ring, the limited-edition flying sword forged by the Artisanship Commission snapped in half.
"If you wish to protect the Luofu, this level of strength is far from enough," Jingliu said, slowly shaking her head. Countless ice crystals began to form around the blade of her Tanhua sword, reshaping it into a new form.
If the Tanhua sword had been a light, single-handed blade before, it was now a massive, heavy two-handed greatsword. Yet, even as a greatsword, Jingliu wielded it with one hand, swinging it as effortlessly as a light blade.
Talent Skill—Waning Moon's Transience!
"Sister has a sword for you to appraise, little brother."
With that, Jingliu leaped high into the air. As her greatsword swung freely, countless icy sword energies poured down like a deluge, enveloping Yanqing. Under the horrified gazes of the Cloud Knights, Yanqing was swallowed by the ice, transformed into a lifelike ice sculpture.
Enhanced Combat Skill—Moonlit Chill of the Frosty River!
— — — —
Shifting our perspective to the other side, inside the Xianzhou Luofu's Artisanship Commission…
"No good! Behind that beast is the Artisanship Commission's treasure, the Creation Furnace! We need to find a way to take down this monster quickly. If the Ambrosial Arbor's roots penetrate the Creation Furnace, the losses will be incalculable!"
Master Gongshu gazed at the Creation Furnace, entangled by the mysterious roots of the Ambrosial Arbor behind the Abundance Mystic Deer, his face filled with anguish. The Artisanship Commission relied almost entirely on the Creation Furnace to function. If this treasure were damaged, the Commission would be all but finished.
"Creations, charge!"
In his urgency, Master Gongshu waved his hand, intending to command his mechanical constructs to slay the beast. Embarrassingly, however, he seemed to have forgotten something. A gust of clamor swept by, but not a single mechanical construct appeared.
"What's going on? Where are my creations?"
As Master Gongshu stood puzzled, an awkward laugh came from behind him.
"Haha, um, Master Gongshu, your creations… they were all destroyed in our earlier skirmish…" March 7th scratched her head awkwardly, while Stelle offered an apologetic smile nearby.
When they had arrived at the Artisanship Commission, Master Gongshu had mistaken them for members of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus. He sent a horde of mechanical constructs to attack them, and if Stelle hadn't smashed them to pieces one by one with her bat, the misunderstanding might still persist.
"This… this…" For a moment, Master Gongshu's face flushed with embarrassment.
In his earlier overreaction, he had mistaken these honored guests, invited by General Jing Yuan, for petty thieves trying to steal the Artisanship Commission's treasures. After the fight, he finally clarified their true identities.
It was precisely this unnecessary conflict that had destroyed all his mechanical constructs, leaving him with no combat strength to face the current situation.
Welt, a seasoned veteran of the cosmic underworld, naturally picked up on the other's predicament. He spoke up first.
"No need to trouble yourself, Master Gongshu. Leave this Abundance beast to us. As friends of General Jing Yuan, it's only right that we contribute to the Xianzhou's survival."
"Huh?!" Master Gongshu was momentarily stunned, then bowed deeply to Welt with a solemn expression, speaking with heartfelt gratitude.
"Your righteousness is admirable, sir! On behalf of the Artisanship Commission, I, Gongshu, am indebted to you. If you ever need assistance in the future, I will not hesitate to step forward!"