Jingliu froze completely.
For a moment, she even forgot the Abundance power churning inside her—and the humiliation of being suppressed.
She'd imagined countless possibilities: that the Stellaron Hunters were madmen chasing power, terrorists who existed only to sow chaos…
But she had never imagined she'd hear this.
Revive Beauty?
Revive Idrila?
How could anyone lie with a straight face like that?
"…Absurd."
After a long pause, Jingliu finally forced those two words through clenched teeth.
She'd already decided: this man was humiliating her.
Using a Stellaron of Destruction to revive Beauty—he might as well claim he was a Masked Fool and that this was all a prank for Aha.
No matter whether he was that traitor or not, Jingliu was now certain of one thing:
This person carried malicious intent to the bone.
He made up a ridiculous reason for one purpose only—to watch her lose control.
Wei Qing looked at the contempt and killing intent boiling in her eyes and spread his hands helplessly.
"See?" he said, sounding almost wronged. "Whenever I tell the truth, nobody believes me. This world really is harsh."
At the side, Liu Ying nodded hard, fully agreeing.
"Exactly! Senior never lies!"
It was also the first time she'd heard the "revive Idrila" plan, but if Senior said it, then it had to be real… probably.
Jingliu ignored Liu Ying entirely. Her gaze nailed Wei Qing's face.
"Stellaron Hunter. Your joke isn't funny."
She tried to mobilize what little strength she had left—ready to pay any price, even grievous injury, to make him regret this.
Wei Qing seemed to see through her struggle and sighed.
"Looks like our Sword Champion still doesn't get it." His tone stayed mild, almost conversational. "Did none of you Xianzhou people notice?"
Jingliu didn't answer.
Wei Qing continued as though he hadn't asked.
"This universe," he said, "is a universe that runs on looks."
"Like those games the Corporation publishes. Character attractiveness correlates directly with strength and busted mechanics."
"And the Paths are the same. Most Pathstriders are far better-looking than ordinary people. There are exceptions, sure—but it's basically a law."
He gestured casually between the three of them.
"Like us. Not only are we at the frontier of Paths—our looks are too."
He paused, then went on, dead serious.
"So throughout my long life, in order to maintain my position as the undisputed main pick, I've constantly found ways to preserve my attractiveness."
"Because once your looks decline—defeat has already begun."
Then his tone shifted.
"But that still isn't enough," he said, eyes brightening. "Because Beauty is dead."
"If one day I can revive Idrila, and let Her witness my Beauty aesthetics…"
He smiled, radiant with shameless ambition.
"Wouldn't I instantly ascend on the spot, become an Emanator of Beauty, and go undefeated?"
"So—armed with this great dream—I joined the Stellaron Hunters."
"And Elio told me: as long as I collect forty-nine Stellarons, I can revive Beauty."
He lifted the Stellaron in his hand as if it were a step on a staircase.
"And that," he concluded solemnly, "is why I, Asam, joined the Stellaron Hunters."
Jingliu's chill intensified to something nearly tangible.
"…Nonsense."
"You think you can shake my judgment with this kind of drivel?"
She had fought for centuries. She'd seen Destruction fanatics, immortality addicts, hedonists drunk on Elation—
But she had never seen anyone elevate "looks are power" to the level of cosmic law and strategic doctrine, then use it to justify reviving a fallen Aeon.
"Stop insulting me."
Her voice was flat, cold, and eerily calm.
"I have no strength left to resist."
"Do it. Kill me or tie me up—whatever you want."
She closed her eyes.
As if she'd rather die than remain inside this ridiculous farce for even one more second.
Liu Ying leaned in close to Wei Qing and whispered, conflicted.
"Senior… what do we do now?"
She didn't like this woman.
But she wasn't stupid either.
Jingliu's reaction to the name "Wei Qing," and Senior's attitude toward her—
It all screamed that this wasn't just a random enemy.
Maybe… an old friend from Xianzhou?
If so, how were they supposed to handle her?
Wei Qing's expression softened; the teasing drained away.
"Don't play little tricks right in front of us."
Before the words even finished, he moved.
Silently—he was already in front of Jingliu.
Jingliu's eyelashes trembled. She sensed something.
She tried to force one last struggle—
Too late.
Smack.
Her body stiffened.
A flash of shame crossed her face—then her eyes lost focus, and the light in them faded out.
She collapsed.
Wei Qing caught her by the shoulder before she hit the frozen ground.
"Senior?" Liu Ying hurried over, staring at the unconscious Jingliu. "You…"
"I just let her sleep," Wei Qing said calmly, shifting his grip and lifting Jingliu into a steady bridal carry.
"The Abundance power inside her is crashing around. Even though it suppresses her movement, it keeps her in a constant state of resistance and high tension."
"Knocking her out is mercy."
"Are we taking her back to Belobog?" Liu Ying asked, hesitant.
Bringing an unconscious Sword Champion back felt like inviting disaster.
Wei Qing shook his head and scanned the shattered icefield.
"No. The Corporation will poke and pry."
His gaze settled on a concealed crevasse in the ice.
"Let her rest somewhere. With her constitution, once my power dissipates enough, she'll wake up on her own."
He carried Jingliu into the crevasse.
Inside was wider than expected—a natural stone chamber sealed by ice. The wind became a dull murmur.
Wei Qing lowered Jingliu onto a flatter patch of ice.
He knelt, held his palm over her, and let a gentle current of life-light flow out.
It wasn't dazzling—just warm, steady, reassuring.
It pushed back the cold. It painted a faint glow over Jingliu's pale face.
Liu Ying watched quietly.
"That's enough?" she asked softly.
Wei Qing withdrew his hand, leaving behind a thin, nearly invisible barrier—supporting her sleep, shielding her from the crevasse's bite.
Then Liu Ying—almost casually—asked the question that had been bothering her.
"Senior… what is your relationship with this woman? You seem… kind of concerned."
"An old friend," Wei Qing replied.
"Wait—Senior had friends on the Luofu?" Liu Ying blinked.
"Of course," Wei Qing said, matter-of-fact. "I spent three hundred years there."
Then he corrected her with a lazy confidence:
"It's not that I care about her."
"It's that she cares about me."
Liu Ying's eyes widened.
"…Huh?"
Wei Qing sighed like a tragic hero.
"Back when I was on the Luofu, I was handsome, brilliant, a peerless talent—countless maidens fell for me."
He nodded toward Jingliu's sleeping form.
"And Sword Champion Jingliu was no exception."
"Too bad I was devoted to my career—no time for romance."
He clicked his tongue.
"I probably broke her heart."
Liu Ying: "..."
She decided she was not touching this conversation.
"Okay… then what now?" she asked, forcibly returning to the point. "We got the Stellaron. Do we go back?"
Wei Qing didn't answer immediately.
Liu Ying frowned. "Senior?"
Then he said, simply:
"The Legion is here."
Liu Ying's heart jumped. "Now?"
"Not small," Wei Qing added, voice calm. "And… there are some big ones."
As a "Destruction candidate," he'd already felt it—large numbers of Antimatter Legion moving on Jarilo, and among them…
A familiar presence.
Liu Ying swallowed.
"If we leave now… Belobog really might die."
She felt an uncomfortable twinge of guilt.
Wei Qing looked at her.
Then his body shifted—like an illusion turning over.
Frost-white hair.
Crimson, icy eyes.
That detached, lethal aura.
In an instant, he looked exactly like the unconscious Jingliu.
He raised his chin slightly, voice turning cold and authoritative.
"What nonsense."
"This Luofu Sword Champion will naturally take action."
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 126)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter130)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter89)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter157)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 133
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 125
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 84
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 143
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 115
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 99
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 53
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 75
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 75
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 52
Uma Musume: I Want All 51
I Can Copy Unique Skills 53
A Guide to Aid in the Underwor 26
Summoning an Evil God, but the 27
Supernatural Multiverse 27
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