"What do you mean?"
"It's like this. Right when the Mara-Struck outbreak began, a woman happened to be there and immediately stopped the Mara-Struck Soldiers from harming the civilians."
Yanqing considered his wording for a moment before continuing.
"But there's something I find puzzling."
"What is it?"
"According to the people who escaped, that woman had a token in her hand. It looked a little like..."
"Like what?"
"Exactly like the one you gave someone named Liuge two days ago!"
"Huh?"
Too Brutal!
When Yanqing led a squad of Cloud Knights Army soldiers to the Dan Ding Division, he had already prepared himself for battle.
But even so, upon arriving, the sight before him still left him stunned.
Mara-Struck Soldiers lay everywhere, every one of them devoid of life.
It was enough to make Yanqing's scalp tingle.
How much time had even passed? There had to be at least thirty of them here.
Not to mention the Mara-Struck Soldiers scattered all along the way, plastered against walls or half-buried in the ground.
"This..."
Yanqing froze for a moment, then immediately began issuing orders.
"Send one team to search for any surviving civilians. The rest, advance with me. If anyone experiences physical discomfort, withdraw immediately!"
"Yes!"
Under his orders, the Cloud Knights Army soldiers he had brought quickly split into groups and strictly followed his instructions.
Leading the way past one fallen Mara-Struck Soldier after another, Yanqing finally spotted the woman in the middle section of the Dan Ding Division, standing before a pill furnace that emitted faint medicinal mist.
She was holding a Shape Shifter from the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus in one hand. The Shape Shifter's greatshield had already shattered across the floor, while his spear was crookedly embedded in a nearby wall.
The Shape Shifter now looked like a helpless chick, suspended in the air by the woman's one-handed grip around his neck. His feet kicked desperately, yet achieved nothing.
When he noticed Yanqing and the others arriving, he even seemed to see saviors, trembling as he stretched a hand toward them.
But after glancing at Yanqing's group, the woman suddenly slammed the Shape Shifter in her right hand down onto the ground.
Boom!
A web-like ring of cracks instantly spread across the floor.
At the same time, her left hand clenched into a fist and viciously smashed into the Shape Shifter's face.
After only two punches, the Shape Shifter's helmet completely shattered, revealing a face covered in ginkgo leaves beneath it.
When the third punch landed, the Shape Shifter completely lost all signs of life.
The sight made Yanqing and the others feel like their legs were about to give out.
—Too brutal!
Only after finishing all that did Liuge dust off his hands and walk toward Yanqing's group.
He carried himself like an invincible monarch, his presence overwhelmingly powerful.
For a moment, Yanqing felt a chill down his back and could not summon even the slightest desire to fight.
"Are you... here to suppress the situation?"
Liuge looked at the young man before him and the gathered Cloud Knights Army soldiers.
"Yes, Liuge... sir?"
Yanqing answered uncertainly.
"Mm, that's me!"
Liuge nodded, but did not cancel his transformation.
After all, if he transformed back, he might be triggered into becoming Mara-Struck just like those Mara-Struck Soldiers.
After arriving at the Dan Ding Division, Liuge had not figured out much else, but he had realized one thing: he might really be a Xianzhou native.
If the medicinal fragrance of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, which induced Mara-Struck transformations, affected him too, then combined with Fu Xuan saying he might have lost part of his memories and the fact that someone with his name had gone missing a month ago...
The conclusion was practically obvious.
He was that Liuge!
"It's like this. The general sent us to suppress this place, and also asked us to inform you that he is waiting for you at the General of the Xianzhou Mansion."
Yanqing still showed respect toward the strong.
"Forget that for now. Let's return to the entrance first. These pill furnaces are releasing medicinal fragrance that induces Mara-Struck outbreaks. I don't know how to stop them, so it's better to go back and seal off the entrance."
"Understood!"
Yanqing turned around and looked at the Cloud Knights Army soldiers behind him, noticing that they too seemed somewhat unwell.
"By my order, immediately return to the entrance of the Dan Ding Division and establish a garrison!"
"Yes!"
After parting with the Cloud Knights Army soldiers stationed at the Dan Ding Division, Liuge followed Yanqing to the General of the Xianzhou Mansion in Chang'le Sky-Garden.
Neither of them said much along the way.
On one hand, Yanqing did not know how to begin a conversation. On the other, Liuge suddenly felt a jolt in his consciousness.
Once he came to his senses, he knew that Bronya on the Astral Express was trying to contact him.
He immediately canceled Kazami Yuuka's transformation and revealed his original form.
The sight made Yanqing's eyes widen.
Wait, how had that older sister with such a powerful queenly aura turned into a handsome older brother?
Still, Yanqing felt relieved.
Kazami Yuuka's presence had simply been too overwhelming. Even standing beside her had made it hard for him to breathe.
Glancing at the little pony beside him, the disgrace of five-stars, Liuge began chatting with Bronya from the Astral Express through the consciousness network.
Liuge: Did something happen? There weren't even any messages on the communication terminal.
Bronya: An uninvited guest came aboard the train just now and cut off the Astral Express's contact with the outside world.
Liuge paused, thought briefly, and recalled some fragmented memories.
It seemed that during the storyline where the train crew came to the Luofu Xianzhou, Kafka of the Stellaron Hunters had guided them there.
And she had used Silver Wolf's ether projection technology to appear directly aboard the train.
If someone had blocked and severed the Astral Express's communications with the outside world, only Silver Wolf could have done it.
Liuge: Seriously? You have a network engineering administrator like you aboard the train now, and the Stellaron Hunters still hacked into the network and cut it off?
Bronya: Ahem, wasn't I chatting just then? The Stellaron Hunters suddenly hacked in and cut everything off. It was absurdly fast—I didn't even have time to react before it was over!
Hearing Bronya's words, Liuge roughly understood.
Silver Wolf must have prepared for this for a long time and taken them down in one stroke.
Liuge: So why did you suddenly remember the consciousness network now?
Bronya: Mainly because listening to Kafka talk was too boring, so I thought I'd chat with you.
So I'm just a conversation companion?
Bronya: Fine! Actually, Kafka just said that the Xianzhou on your side has also suffered a Stellaron crisis! Are you okay?
Liuge felt warmth in his heart at Bronya's question.
Liuge: I'm fine. As for the Stellaron crisis, it may indeed have broken out already, but the scale is still small. No one knows where it happened.
Bronya: Hm? What do you mean?
Liuge: Just now, I encountered an incident where the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus planned to make Moyu Shuang fall into Mara-Struck corruption, so the Stellaron incident may have happened at the same time. They probably used what happened on my end to cover up the Stellaron situation.
Bronya: Disciples of Sanctus Medicus?... Oh, those anti-Xianzhou idiots!
Bronya seemed to have looked up some information and immediately replied.
Liuge: So? What does the Astral Express say now?
Bronya: We've unanimously agreed to head to the Xianzhou on your side...
Make Me an Undercover Agent? Now? I Refuse!
After chatting with Bronya through their consciousnesses for a while, Liuge and Yanqing arrived outside the General of the Xianzhou Mansion.
Yanqing turned around and looked at Liuge.
"Sorry, please wait here for a moment. I'll go notify the general."
Because of Liuge's unfathomable transformation ability and the combat strength he had displayed, Yanqing did not dare underestimate the man before him at all.
Otherwise, who knew whether the next moment Liuge would henshin and punch him in the face?
Yanqing would bet that even if he deployed his sword formation, he would not last more than a few exchanges.
Of course, Liuge had no idea what Yanqing was thinking. Even if he did, he would merely nod to himself and think the kid was quite self-aware.
Liuge watched the little pony, the disgrace of five-stars, walk into the General of the Xianzhou Mansion.
He remained outside and waited.
Even with that token, it was useless in a place like this. Someone still had to report his arrival before he could enter.
With nothing else to do, he took out his communication terminal again.
This time, messages from the train crew had appeared on the terminal.
Naturally, all the messages were in the Loving Train Group chat.
March 7th: Liuge, are you there?
Stelle: Liuge, I have good news! We're coming to the Luofu Xianzhou too!
March 7th: Hey, Stelle! Why are you stealing my lines?
Stelle: You weren't saying anything, so I said it for you~
Dan Heng: ...
Himeko: Liuge, how are things on your end now?
Liuge: How are things?
Looking at those messages, Liuge would probably have been completely confused if Bronya had not informed him beforehand. Still, it was better to pretend he knew nothing.
Welt: I heard the Xianzhou is facing a Stellaron crisis. Is it serious?
March 7th: That's right, that's right!
Stelle: Liuge, are you okay?
Ah, Stelle really cared about people.
Stelle: By the way, are there any Trash Cans over there?
March 7th: Hey, Stelle. Why are you obsessed with Trash Cans now?! Pam is disgusted.jpg
Liuge: I don't know where the Stellaron crisis has broken out on the Xianzhou yet, but some Xianzhou natives just became Mara-Struck.
Dan Heng: Mara-Struck?
March 7th: What's that?
Before you continue