Chapter 189: Release the Shackles of the Flesh, The Roar of Ten Thousand Thunders
Inside the Alchemy Commission, Bailu pressed a tiny ear against the wooden door, her draconic horns twitching as she listened intently to the sounds from the corridor.
The rhythmic footsteps of her maid, Huanxi, finally faded into the distance. A moment later, she confirmed the telltale clatter of armor—the guards were changing shifts. This was her chance.
She peeked her small head out from behind the doorframe, her spirited, gem-like eyes darting left and right. The coast was clear.
Like a nimble little fish slipping through a coral reef, she moved silently through the long shadows cast by the vermilion pillars. She clutched the wide sleeves and hem of her robes tightly to her chest, terrified of making even the slightest rustle that would give her away.
As she passed a towering medicine cabinet, she didn't forget to snatch a few useful-looking herbs, her movements so swift they left only a faint, pale purple afterimage in their wake.
The most dangerous part was crossing the main courtyard, which was brightly illuminated by the midday sun.
Bailu held her breath. The instant a patrolling Cloud Knight turned his back, she rose onto her tiptoes, relying almost entirely on her flexible dragon tail for balance. With a single, noiseless dash, she slipped into the shaded path leading down to the star-skiff docks.
Only when the clamor of the port and the low hum of starship engines grew louder did she dare to look back. She stuck her tongue out playfully in the direction of the Alchemy Commission, a triumphant grin spreading across her face.
"Heh! Another successful escape from the Al—"
Before she could finish her gleeful declaration, a patch of inky black void tore open directly beneath her feet.
Her next step met only empty air. With a startled yelp, she plunged straight down.
"Waaaaah—Help me!!"
Back in the Scalegorge Waterscape, Leon's voice was calm.
"Though Bai Heng cannot be here in person, having Bailu come might be a form of destiny in its own right."
As soon as he finished speaking, he snapped his fingers.
A deep, swirling void materialized out of thin air. A moment later, accompanied by a series of panicked cries, Bailu tumbled out headfirst.
Leon's eyes were sharp and his hands were quicker. With a smooth, practiced motion, he reached out and firmly caught her by the ankle in mid-air, holding her upside down.
Everyone present stared, momentarily stunned by the sudden appearance.
"Whew... hah... You—you scared me to death! Thanks a lot!" Bailu gasped, her heart still pounding. She thought she'd been kidnapped by some villain, but when she twisted her head and saw General Jing Yuan standing nearby, she immediately sighed in relief.
Although she appeared to be a young girl, her actual age was closer to that of Dan Heng. She was as clear as a mirror about who treated her with genuine kindness and who kept her at a formal distance. Most of the Vidyadhara elders were not particularly warm toward her, but Jing Yuan was different. She knew this General truly cared for her.
Since he was here, she couldn't be in any real danger.
Leon gently set her down on her feet.
"Big brother, this ability of yours..." Stelle's eyes lit up with a familiar, mischievous glint. "Does this mean you can just summon whoever you want, whenever you want? That's way too convenient!"
"Eh? Mr. Dan Heng? General Jing Yuan, Master Diviner Fu Xuan, Lieutenant Yanqing... everyone is here?" Bailu steadied herself, blinking as she took in the crowd. "Did you call me here because someone is feeling unwell?"
"Bailu, this is not a medical consultation," Jing Yuan said, massaging his temples with a weary sigh. He wondered why Leon had brought her here of all people. Then again, in a certain sense, Bailu could be considered a continuation of Bai Heng.
The High-Cloud Quintet were once the five brightest stars of the Xianzhou, the absolute cream of the crop. But during a tragic battle against Shuhu, the Emanator of Abundance, the Foxian pilot Bai Heng had sacrificed her life to save Dan Feng.
To resurrect their dear friend, Dan Feng and the artisan Yingxing had resorted to the "Transmutation Arcanum," a forbidden art used to shape new Vidyadhara life. Their desperate attempt to bring Bai Heng back spiraled out of control, transforming her remains into a monstrous Draconic Abomination, which was eventually slain by a tearful Jingliu.
Bailu could be called Bai Heng's reincarnation, but in the end, Bailu was not Bai Heng.
"Oh? Then the one who needs a check-up... is this lady?" Bailu's gaze shifted to the blindfolded Jingliu, her professional instincts taking over. "Looking at you, are you hoping to fix your eyes, or is it some other symptom?"
"My eyes are fine," Jingliu's voice replied, surprisingly gentle. "I wear the blindfold merely because I do not wish to see things that remind me of the past, lest I fall further into my inner demons."
She paused, her voice softening even more as she looked toward the small Vidyadhara. "Lately, my mind has been in turmoil. I often wake startled from my sleep... I was hoping the High Elder might take a look and see if there is any way to calm my spirit."
Looking at Bailu, Jingliu couldn't help but feel a strange sense of familiarity—it was as if, through this child, she could faintly see the shadow of an old, long-lost friend.
"...Hmph." Blade turned his head away, but the hard lines of his expression had also softened almost imperceptibly.
Both he and Jingliu understood. Bailu was not Bai Heng. She possessed none of Bai Heng's memories. The two had followed completely different paths in life—Bai Heng was a celebrated Foxian pilot, while Bailu was the High Elder of the Vidyadhara.
And yet... there was an obvious echo of their friend in Bailu's presence. After all, they had once used the Transmutation Arcanum with the sole intent of bringing Bai Heng back. They never expected to give birth to both a Draconic Abomination... and to Bailu. The abomination had perished under Jingliu's sword, but Bailu had remained in the world.
"The symptoms you're describing... don't really seem to fall under my jurisdiction," Bailu said, blinking. She could feel a strange, heavy atmosphere settling around the group. "Pah, pah, listen to me ramble! A doctor from the Alchemy Commission doesn't pick and choose symptoms. Big sister, reach out your hand. Let's take a closer look."
Jingliu did as she was asked, extending a pale, slender hand.
Jing Yuan stood quietly to the side, a faint, melancholic smile touching the corner of his mouth as he watched the scene unfold.
The group followed Jing Yuan to a towering, sealed entrance. A colossal dragon-shaped statue stood guard before it, its regal posture and appearance identical to Dan Heng's current Imbibitor Lunae form.
Jing Yuan turned to look at him. "Now that you're here, have your memories been stirred?" he asked, his voice low. "Undo the seal. The power you carry is the key to opening the path to the Ambrosial Arbor. We must get to its roots and stop Phantylia."
"...Alright." Dan Heng nodded, his expression resolute.
He stood still for a moment, closing his eyes and sensing the immense power thrumming beneath the waters. Below them, the ancient roots of the Ambrosial Arbor were stirring restlessly, like a gargantuan beast waking from a thousand-year slumber. The seals woven by successive High Elders, the arcane knots that tamed its immense power, were now like a decaying net stretched to its absolute limit, on the very verge of collapse.
Power from a forgotten past surged from the deep darkness... Dan Heng floated into the air, his body glowing faintly as he pointed a finger in the direction the statue faced.
Just then—
Tear the skin from bone and let it go free—
The roar of ten thousand thunders—
Shaking the soul with a surging tide...
A stirring and passionate melody suddenly echoed through the Scalegorge Waterscape.
Fu Xuan's composed expression froze. She whipped her head toward the source of the sound, only to see Leon holding a small, sleek speaker he'd pulled from somewhere, blasting a piece of music with an incredibly epic feel.
She glanced at the Astral Express crew, but March 7th, Stelle, and Caelus all looked completely unfazed, as if this were the most normal thing in the world.
March 7th whispered to her companions, "This song... isn't this the one from the Doomsday Beast fight? He's playing it again? I mean, it does fit the scene, I guess."
Stelle and Caelus both nodded in agreement. "Sounds good. It's like the one from the Cocolia fight in Belobog."
Set against the backdrop of the surging music, a brilliant, verdant light erupted from Dan Heng. A dragon's roar thundered through the four seas.
The vast ocean before them parted violently from the center, as if sliced open by an invisible giant's blade. A corridor of water was carved through the sea, slowly revealing the ancient palaces and towering ruins that had slept for centuries on the seabed. The true face of Scalegorge Waterscape had reappeared in the world.
"There are so many buildings underwater..." Fu Xuan breathed, her eyes wide with awe. "No wonder the records state that Scalegorge Waterscape was once the site of the Vidyadhara Dragon Palace."
"During the Sedition of Shuhu, I was fortunate enough to witness this wonder once before," Jing Yuan said, his gaze distant. "The mountains move and the seas turn, the palace city lies empty... The Vidyadhara used their ancestral holy land to imprison the Ambrosial Arbor. The Xianzhou Luofu truly owes them a great debt."
If not for that monumental sacrifice, the Alliance would never have turned a blind eye to so many of the Vidyadhara elders' actions over the years. But now, the situation had changed. Things could no longer be allowed to continue as they were.
"Master Diviner."
"Present," Fu Xuan replied, snapping to attention.
"Lead the Cloud Knights and guard this path. Prevent any further trouble."
Fu Xuan was startled. "General, are you going to face Phantylia alone?"
"Not exactly alone." Jing Yuan's gaze swept over Dan Heng, Blade, and Jingliu. "I still have old friends with me."
"General, please let us accompany you!" several Cloud Knights immediately stepped forward, their expressions earnest and unwavering. "It is the duty of the Cloud Knights to protect the Xianzhou! How can we stay behind and let travelers from afar take such risks for us?"
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