"What do you want?" Yanqing asked, his face grim as he watched Kafka slowly approach from a distance, holding Blade like a kite on a string. He swiftly pointed his sword at her.
"Relax, put your sword away. They won't attack, and they mean no harm," Lumina said with a reassuring smile, gesturing for Yanqing to sheathe his weapon. She then glanced in a particular direction. "After all... someone even greater than the heavens is watching nearby. Wouldn't you agree, General of the Luofu?"
"Hahaha, someone greater than the heavens? I wouldn't dare claim such a title..." A hearty laugh echoed from behind them.
Moments later, a white-haired man in Cloud Knight armor sauntered into view beside the group.
"General!" Yanqing's face lit up with delight as he saw Jing Yuan arrive.
Earlier, when facing Blade, Yanqing had feared he would never see his general again. Now that Jing Yuan stood before him, he felt an overwhelming surge of relief and excitement.
Hearing this, Jing Yuan first nodded to Yanqing, then surveyed everyone present.
Blade, Kafka, and Lumina floated silently in the air, enveloped in a green glow.
And... Imbibitor Lunae, or rather, Dan Heng.
Seeing Dan Heng in this state, a flicker of nostalgia crossed Jing Yuan's eyes, quickly followed by a wave of melancholy.
His gaze lowered slightly, his mind swirling with thoughts. But in the next instant, he regained his composure.
Turning his attention to Lumina, he waved his hand and smiled. "If we were to choose the most influential figure here..."
"No matter how we approach it, the outcome would undoubtedly be Miss Lumina."
Jing Yuan's words were brimming with genuine respect for her.
Lumina shook her head gently and replied softly, engaging in a mutual exchange of compliments. "General Jing Yuan, you jest. I am merely a wandering physician, lacking both status and position. How could I possibly compare to you, one of the Arbiter-Generals of the rainbow arbiter?"
She offered a gentle rebuttal, engaging in a polite exchange of mutual flattery.
Jing Yuan remained silent, responding to Lumina's words with a warm smile.
"Ugh..."
As Lumina and Jing Yuan exchanged pleasantries, Blade, completely enveloped in green light, slowly stirred back to life, his throat rasping with a series of hoarse sounds.
"Blade, how do you feel?" Hearing this, Kafka tightened her grip on the green threads, seemingly apprehensive that Blade might relapse into his madness upon awakening.
"Die! Die! Die!" Blade's eyes snapped open. Sensing Lumina's presence, dense black miasma erupted from his body as he hissed at her in a low, guttural voice, sinking back into frenzy.
It seemed that as long as Lumina remained present, Blade couldn't regain his composure.
"You're acting like I stole your wife," Lumina muttered inwardly, exasperated by Blade's relentless hostility.
If you even had a wife, I'd snatch her just to see how you'd react!
Lumina thought fiercely for a moment, but to maintain a civil conversation, she completely withdrew the invisible aura radiating from her body, encasing it in an impermeable barrier that prevented even a trace from escaping.
Instantly, all signs of Lumina's identity as the Emanator of Abundance vanished without a trace.
As her aura dissipated, Blade, who had been enveloped in dark energy and driven to madness, gradually calmed down.
With the influence of the Emanator's aura lifted from his Mara-Struck body, Blade's mental state returned to normal.
Seeing this, Lumina raised her hand and released the "shackles" that had been binding him.
The green threads in Kafka's hand disappeared, and Blade dropped from mid-air, landing steadily on his feet.
"An Emanator of Abundance..." Blade murmured, his gaze instantly drawn to Lumina as he landed. However, he made no further move.
It seemed that without the Mara-Struck influence, Blade was still capable of rational thought.
"Hm?" Sensing Blade's gaze, Lumina smiled warmly at him.
"..."
Seeing the scene, Blade recalled his earlier actions and remained silent for a moment.
"Haha, after so long apart, you two always seem to reunite in such awkward situations on the Xianzhou," Jing Yuan chuckled, glancing at Dan Heng and then at Blade. "If you valued our old friendship, you should have notified me in advance."
Noticing the slightly awkward silence, Jing Yuan laughed heartily, his gaze shifting between Dan Heng and Blade. "The task I came to complete... is already done." Regaining his composure, Blade dismissed his earlier actions, cradled the Fragmented Sword in his arms, and shifted his gaze from Lumina to Jing Yuan. His indifferent expression betrayed no emotion.
"Hmm... already done..." Sensing Blade's cold detachment, a fleeting hint of wistfulness crossed Jing Yuan's eyes. It vanished quickly, unnoticed by Yanqing, Kafka, and the others.
Jing Yuan nodded at Blade with a smile, then turned to Kafka. His expression instantly transformed, radiating the imposing aura of the Divine Foresight General.
"You've done the Xianzhou a small favor, and I'm grateful," Jing Yuan said calmly, his arms crossed as he addressed Kafka. "Take him and go. This time, I'll pretend I saw nothing."
Kafka smiled silently, nodded to Blade, and turned to leave. Blade, however, lingered, his gaze fixed on Lumina. After a moment of silence, he began, "Can you..."
"I can deal with the Mara-Struck," Lumina interrupted with a gentle smile, anticipating his question.
"Then..."
"But~ because of your earlier rudeness, I'm feeling rather displeased. So, I won't be helping you," Lumina said with a tender smile, shaking her head to refuse Blade's unspoken request.
Blade: ...
Hearing this, Blade said nothing more and didn't linger. Realizing Lumina wouldn't help him, he followed Kafka's retreating figure and departed.
"Miss Lumina..."
"It can be resolved, but the price is reverting to a short-lived race, with a lifespan of barely a century."
After watching Blade leave, Jing Yuan recalled Lumina's words. He had barely begun to speak when she interrupted him, calmly explaining, "Everything comes at a cost. I know of no way to achieve eternal life without deeply succumbing to the Mara."
"Instead of searching for such a method, I'd advise you to simply prop your pillows higher at night."
"Haha, my apologies for being so presumptuous," Jing Yuan chuckled, offering no further comment.
Everything comes at a cost... Jing Yuan wholeheartedly agreed with Lumina's sentiment.
To seek eternal life without paying any price... Even an Aeon couldn't achieve such a thing, he mused.