Xianzhou Luofu, the day after discovering traces of Borisin at Stargazer Navalia, outside the Seat of Divine Foresight.
"Hmm... still not out yet?"
"They've been inside for nearly an hour now."
Lumina cradled the Phantylia Kitten in her arms, her small hands stroking its fur incessantly. Glancing back at the two Cloud Knights guarding the entrance of the Seat of Divine Foresight, Lumina covered her mouth and yawned, bored.
"Meow~ (Just a minor Borisin Warlord. Why don't you just crush him effortlessly?)"
The Phantylia Kitten, nestled in Lumina's arms, seemed puzzled by her actions.
Why bother with all this deliberation for a Borisin Warlord who's been imprisoned beneath the Shackling Prison for centuries and whose strength has been reduced to a fraction of its former glory?
"Then why didn't you simply destroy the Luofu last time, instead of going to all that trouble?" Lumina countered.
During the Phantylia Kitten's previous calamity on the Luofu, Jing Yuan and his forces had narrowly averted complete annihilation. Had they been even slightly less cunning, less ruthless, or less obsessed with their twisted aesthetics of Destruction, Lumina couldn't imagine any way to defeat the Phantylia Kitten, short of summoning the Reignbow Arbiter's Arrow.
"Meow..." Upon hearing this, the Phantylia Kitten meowed once and, without further thought, nestled quietly in Lumina's arms, enjoying... no, enduring the "humiliation" Lumina's hands inflicted upon it.
"Hehehe."
Lowering her head slightly to gaze at the Little Kitten's blissful expression, Lumina's lips curved into a faint smile. She felt she was one step closer to achieving her customized goal.
The Phantylia Kitten was no longer the helpless creature it once had been. Having released a portion of its power, it was now roughly equivalent to three Little Swarms—a force capable of dominating an entire galaxy.
Yet here it lay, obediently nestled in Lumina's arms, basking in her tender care and reveling in the sensation of her strokes through its fur.
Little Phantylia, you're already teetering on the brink of corruption, aren't you?
Whoosh—
As Lumina savored these smug thoughts, the sound of a rapidly approaching Starskiff pierced the air.
She turned to see a Starskiff returning from the Seat of Divine Foresight docking at the pier.
Moments later, Little Swarm, March 7th, and Yunli emerged from the skiff.
Little Swarm remained her usual dazed and adorable self, her expression blank and seemingly oblivious to everything around her.
Yunli, by contrast, showed no emotion whatsoever, her demeanor utterly detached.
As for March 7th... she looked utterly crestfallen, as if something terrible had happened.
"March, what's wrong?"
Seeing her distress, Lumina swiftly ignored the two Cloud Knights guarding the entrance to the Seat of Divine Foresight and hurried over to March 7th. After setting the Phantylia Kitten down from her arms, she asked with concern, "What's the matter?"
Phantylia Kitten: ?
Caught off guard by being suddenly set down, the Phantylia Kitten blinked in confusion at March 7th and the others before it.
But in the next moment, it quickly caught on.
Anyone familiar with Lumina knew exactly what she was planning next.
The two Cloud Knights showed no reaction to Lumina's intentions, as if they hadn't even noticed.
Well... technically, they had noticed.
It was just... Lumina was clearly someone they couldn't stop. If they tried, they might find themselves mining ore tomorrow.
As Cloud Knights guarding the Seat of Divine Foresight's passage, their discernment far surpassed that of ordinary Cloud Knights.
"Waaah! (╥﹏╥)~~ Sister Lumina!" Hearing her beloved Lumina's voice, March 7th immediately adopted a pitiful expression, flung her arms wide, and threw herself into her sister's embrace.
Huff...
Taking a deep breath, March 7th shed all her negative emotions and instantly returned to her usual cheerful self.
Despite regaining her composure, March 7th remained nestled in Sister Lumina's embrace, continuously absorbing the comforting aura radiating from her.
"Hmm... what's wrong?" Lumina patted March 7th's back and waist uncertainly, as if unsure where to place her hands. She feigned puzzlement as she asked.
Yunli stepped forward to explain, "Because of the Hoolay and Borisin incident, Yanqing decided to relieve the Generals of their burdens and resigned from his position as Defending Swordsman."
"And since the Wardance Ceremony must proceed as planned, they've thrust the Defending Swordsman role onto March 7th."
"Waaah... how can this be happening? I'm just a rookie who's only been practicing swordsmanship for a few weeks!" March 7th clung tightly to Sister Lumina, her negative emotions now completely gone, simply relishing the comfort of her beloved companion's embrace.
"Little Swarm would have been the perfect candidate!"
"Huh? Me?"
Little Swarm, who had been watching March 7th with envious eyes from the side, froze at these words. She seemed utterly bewildered, unable to grasp why March 7th would suggest she was the ideal choice.
"Of course she can't do it," Yunli explained patiently. "Whether she knows how to wield a sword is irrelevant; her identity makes it impossible." Yunli sighed. "You're Yanqing's disciple, which is why you can represent the Luofu as the Defending Swordsman."
Yunli had never seen Little Swarm fight and hadn't given much thought to her actual strength. But after hearing March 7th's words, she realized Little Swarm might be quite formidable, but her background clashed entirely with the Luofu's traditions for a Defending Swordsman.
Not to mention her swordsmanship. Judging by her seemingly even more clueless demeanor than March 7th's, she certainly didn't look like someone who could wield a sword properly.
"Hmm... you're right, I guess." After Yunli's explanation, March 7th finally put some thought into it and realized Yunli was making sense.
Now that she thought about it, she truly was the best candidate for the job...
She knew about Borisin's invasion of the Luofu and Hoolay's escape from the Shackling Prison...
"Hehe, about that..." Lumina chuckled, wrapping an arm around March 7th's waist and resting her other hand on March 7th's head, gently ruffling her hair. "Don't worry, March. With your current strength, you're perfectly qualified to be the Defending Swordsman."
"Huh? Really?" Hearing this, March 7th shook off her doubts and lifted her head from Sister Lumina's embrace, gazing incredulously at her endlessly captivating face.
Sister Lumina had teased her before, claiming she could kick a Lord Ravager. Of course, that had been impossible.
So, having learned from that experience, March 7th's first thought upon hearing Sister Lumina's words was whether she was being teased again.
"Of course it's true, March," Lumina said, withdrawing her hand and creating some distance between them. She smiled reassuringly as she explained, "Your current strength may not match Yanqing's, but dealing with those Challengers will be a piece of cake for you."
Lumina wasn't lying; she had never lied to March 7th before.
The claim that March 7th could kick a Lord Ravager was, in fact, true. Similarly, it was also true that March 7th was capable of serving as a Defending Swordsman.
This wasn't because March 7th had become exceptionally powerful, but rather because the Challengers were all hopelessly weak.
"Mm, Lumina's right," Yunli nodded in agreement, offering March 7th further reassurance. "You effortlessly defeated those IPC giant mechs. You're more than qualified to be the Defending Swordsman."
"But..." March 7th glanced at Sister Lumina, then at Master Yunli, scratching her head. "If I become the Defending Swordsman, wouldn't I have to fight Sister Lumina and General Feixiao in the end?"
Since both Sister Lumina and Master Yunli had said she was qualified to be the Defending Swordsman, March 7th naturally chose to believe them.
But...
As the Defending Swordsman, wouldn't she have to fight Sister Lumina and General Feixiao in the end?
Those were Sister Lumina and General Feixiao! What merit or ability did March 7th possess to even stand against them?
"Huh? Lumina and General Feixiao?" Since Lumina hadn't mentioned this to anyone else, Yunli was immediately taken aback. She turned to Lumina with a puzzled expression. "Lumina, are you and General Feixiao also participating in the Wardance Ceremony?"
Yunli wasn't entirely clear on Lumina's true strength, but for General Feixiao to call her "Sister" and for Lumina to have helped General Feixiao cure some kind of incurable illness...
Her abilities must far surpass Yunli's imagination.
As for General Feixiao, Yunli had witnessed her power firsthand at the Alchemy Commission.
With just a few fingers, she had effortlessly blocked Yunli and Yanqing's combined attack...
"They're actually participating in the Wardance Ceremony? Really?" Yunli's small face instantly filled with disbelief.
"That's right," Lumina confirmed with a nod, making no attempt to hide the truth. A peculiar expression flickered across Yunli's face.
Noticing Yunli's reaction, Lumina smiled. "But rest assured, when Feixiao and I participate in the Wardance Ceremony, our only opponents will be each other. It won't affect your rankings."
"I see..." Yunli's expression settled, and she said nothing more.
If their participation wouldn't affect the Wardance Ceremony rankings or the normal competitors, then it shouldn't matter, right?
Yunli thought to herself, a strange surge of fighting spirit rising within her.
If my opponents are Lumina or Feixiao, and even if I lose, it won't affect my ranking...
Then why not... just go all out and see just how vast the gap between myself and these powerhouses truly is?
Yunli's mind raced with these thoughts, revealing that she still harbored some resentment over Feixiao's sudden intervention during her battle with Yanqing at the Alchemy Commission.
Yunli knew she couldn't defeat Lumina or Feixiao, but what kind of swordsman would she be if she didn't even try?
"Hmm?" Lumina hummed, as if seeing through Yunli's thoughts, but said nothing more.
It's good for children to be ambitious, but...
Fighting opponents far beyond one's skill level would yield no combat experience whatsoever, nor would it reveal the true extent of the power gap.
"Honestly, I'm really looking forward to seeing Sister Lumina and General Feixiao spar," March 7th said, her eyes gleaming with curiosity, her small face lit up.
Even though I know my Sister Lumina is the strongest...
General Feixiao's ability to deflect Yunli and Yanqing's attacks with just a few fingers, along with her titles of "Yaoqing General" and "Triumphant General," proved she was not to be underestimated.
"Hmm, you can look forward to it a bit," Lumina replied.
To put it bluntly, Lumina could annihilate Feixiao in an instant.
Even if she devoured the Scarlet Moon and once again drew the Gaze of The Hunt upon herself.
As long as I fight seriously and hold nothing back...
Feixiao, Jing Yuan, Huaiyan, Acheron, Little Herta, Sunday, and Little Phantylia—if they all come at me together...
I'd probably crush eighty percent of them with a single palm strike.
Even Lumina herself isn't entirely sure of her current strength.
But one thing is certain: her power has far surpassed the level of an Emanator.
This explains why Lumina views so-called "Emanators" as essentially no different from March 7th.
"Um... oh right, Sister Lumina," March 7th suddenly remembered something. Her face filled with a hint of fear as she asked, "Sister Lumina, when you fight General Feixiao, you won't accidentally sink the entire Luofu, will you?"
Though March 7th isn't a fan of fantasy or cultivation novels, she's still aware of a few tropes.
One particularly classic line comes to mind:
When gods clash, mortals suffer.
What if Sister Lumina and General Feixiao got carried away and accidentally sank the Xianzhou Luofu?
Thump...
"Oww... that hurt!"
Before March 7th could spiral into further wild thoughts, Lumina gently tapped her forehead with a knuckle, interrupting her train of thought.
Seeing March 7th's slightly pained expression, Lumina said, "March, stop filling that little head of yours with such wild thoughts all the time."
"Let's set aside the question of whether Feixiao and I have any restraint for now."
"General Jing Yuan and General Huaiyan are also on the Luofu. Even if we get carried away in the heat of battle, they'll definitely prevent any real harm from coming to you."
"Besides, it's just a sparring match, not a real fight. There's no reason to get carried away."
"And certainly no reason to sink the Luofu."
At that moment, Lumina felt a maternal instinct rise within her.
She felt like a mother watching March 7th being poisoned by the internet, short videos, and novels.
She desperately wanted to delete all those apps from March's phone...
The internet, short videos, and novels... they're all so harmful!
"Um... you're right, I guess." Realizing she had asked a silly question, March 7th scratched her head, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
"Lumina, the Wardance Ceremony is still three hours away. We need to head to the Skysplitter now to prepare."
"Want to come with us?"
Lumina isn't an outsider, her grandfather had said.
So Yunli invited Lumina to join them on the Skysplitter.
"Sure, I'll come along," Lumina smiled, nodding in agreement.
It seems Huaiyan, Jing Yuan, Feixiao, and the others trust me quite a bit.
Since that's the case, I can't let them down...