Bai Tang: Tear Apart~ the Husk~ Release~

Jing Yuan lowered his folded arms. "Long time no see... old friend."

Dan Heng replied coldly, "I'm not him."

A long-suffering smile appeared on Jing Yuan's face. "Mm... sorry." He looked as though he was about to shatter.

Bai Tang: "..."

If it had been anyone other than Dan Heng facing him, she probably would have pinned them down and beaten them up. But since it was Dan Heng, she'd let it go. She could beat up Blade, and she could fight Jingliu too, but Dan Heng... Sigh, the High-Cloud Quintet.

After dealing with Dan Heng's matter, Jing Yuan turned to Yanqing. He pulled a thoroughly bewildered Bai Tang in front of Yanqing and dropped a bombshell with a smile:

"Yanqing, from now on, let your martial aunt give you pointers."

Yanqing froze in shock. "!!! Martial aunt!"

Dan Heng was surprised. Was Bai Tang Jing Yuan's junior martial sister? Why was there nothing about her in his memories?

Still, his worried heart finally settled. Someone who could hold out against Jingliu and earn Jing Yuan's recognition couldn't be lacking in fighting strength.

She could heal, had great fighting strength, and was fast. Basically, no one could hurt her.

Bai Tang's attention was elsewhere, and she spectacularly missed the point. "How do you know I'm your junior martial sister and not your senior?"

"You're seventeen. How could you be my senior?"

Bai Tang treated everyone differently. She treated Yanqing like a junior and Dan Heng like a companion, while she depended on Jing Yuan somewhat.

Those inadvertently revealed details had convinced Jing Yuan that Bai Tang was younger than him. He guessed that in her world, she had also become Jingliu's disciple later than "he" had.

"Forget it, let's leave it at that."

Bai Tang didn't mind either way. She was used to calling him Jing Yuanyuan, and there was no way she was going to change.

Dan Heng: He took back what he'd thought earlier. She was only seventeen—far too young. Even by short-lived species' standards, she was very young, not even a fraction of his age. He'd have to keep an eye on her.

"Yanqing, go back first. Once I've seen my companions, I'll give you some pointers when I have time."

Bai Tang didn't say they were going to fight Phantylia. She was afraid that if she did, the stubborn kid would immediately insist on following the general into battle.

In any case, there was no way they were leaving her behind!

Although Jing Yuan ultimately came back in the story, his body had still been infused with "Destruction." Bai Tang would rather die than let that happen!

After talking Yanqing into leaving, the group went to Scalegorge Waterscape to find Stelle and the others.

Jing Yuan was on one side, Dan Heng on the other, and Bai Tang had no desire whatsoever to interfere. Actually, if she were forced to choose one, she would choose Jing Yuan.

It wasn't hard to guess why. The two Jing Yuans on her panel were already the best reason.

She had become a disciple and studied martial arts, and the High-Cloud Quintet were the people closest to her. As her senior martial brother, Jing Yuan took extra care of her, and she spent the most time with him as a peer. Later... General Jing Yuan had taken care of her.

Honestly, Jing Yuanyuan was the best dad ever! Absolutely amazing! Bai Tang had experienced it herself and could vouch for him!

Soon, they arrived where their companions from the Express and Fu Xuan were. Jing Yuan spoke over there while Bai Tang smiled and waved at March 7th and the others.

"Come take a look at our little azure dragon."

Once Jing Yuan finished speaking, Bai Tang dragged Dan Heng over to their companions and pushed him forward.

"Y-you're... Dan Heng?! No way..."

March 7th clapped a hand over her mouth, too shocked to speak coherently. "The little azure dragon Bai Tang mentioned... what's with those horns on your head...?"

Dan Heng sighed. "It's a long story, March. It's me."

March 7th: "Wait, you really do have hidden powers?!"

Bai Tang chuckled. "Which Nameless on the Express doesn't have hidden powers and a hidden identity?"

Dan Heng was a High Elder, March 7th had Evernight, Stelle had a Stellaron, and Welt had a black hole. Even Himeko was hiding something.

Every person on the Express had an incredibly eventful past.

March 7th spotted the overlooked point. "Bai Tang, don't tell me you have one too!"

Bai Tang proudly raised her head like a little fox. "Of course. It'd be best if I never had to play my trump card, though. Otherwise, the aftermath would be too troublesome."

March 7th: "Whoa, Bai Tang, your personality's changed!"

When she had first boarded the Express, she hadn't had this arrogant streak. It was as though life had worn it away, leaving her calm and gentle instead, though she occasionally got angry enough to hit people.

"All right, let's put the reunion on hold for now."

Jing Yuan smiled as he interrupted their reunion. The situation was too urgent; if they kept catching up, who knew what might happen?

He quickly explained the whole sequence of events, and Welt, acting as the group's elder, took the lead in speaking with Jing Yuan.

When it was time to make a choice, he left it to his companions.

March 7th and Stelle stepped forward and held out their hands to Dan Heng.

Bai Tang's lips curled slightly. She stood beside them and held out her hand as well.

March 7th asked worriedly, "Dan Heng, you...?"

Dan Heng silently looked at the three hands before him, then reached out his own.

Jing Yuan's smile finally relaxed, and he looked happy. "Thank you, Dan Heng."

Before parting the sea, Dan Heng spoke with Fu Xuan, Jing Yuan, Welt, March 7th, and Stelle in that order, then finally stood before Bai Tang.

"You're Dan Heng, not Dan Feng. Don't worry, I won't mistake you for him. I couldn't do anything before, but things are different now. Go ahead and do what you need to. I've got your back."

He hadn't expected Bai Tang, who had become so good with words, to turn out like this. She was a little arrogant by nature. Could Jing Yuan have been a bad influence on her?

Jing Yuan: I've been wronged!

Bai Tang: When I first transmigrated here, my chuunibyou came with a lawless disregard for everyone around me. If it weren't for... forget it, it's all in the past.

"Mm."

She's a child. She needs to be coaxed.

"I'm not a child anymore!"

Bai Tang recognized what Dan Heng was thinking and bared her teeth and claws at him.

If she counted her age, she should be... be... tens of millions of years old!

Hmph, hmph.

Who dared say she was young?!

After speaking with everyone, Dan Heng began reaching out with his senses to part the sea. Soon, he sensed something floating above the ground.

The ancient sea of Scalegorge Waterscape surged without wind. Dan Heng's robes fluttered around him as he raised a hand. The golden light that first bloomed at his fingertips came from an ability deep within his bloodline. As though cleaved down the middle by an invisible great axe, the ancient sea's raging waves rapidly receded to either side, revealing the ruins of the Vidyadhara Palace on the seabed.

(In my previous book, I wrote the sea-parting scene into this book instead. It still wasn't very good, so forget it. I'll copy it over the next time I write it.)

"Tear apart~ the husk~ release~"

"A thunderous crash of countless bolts~"

"Bai Tang, what are you singing?"

"A little tune for the little azure dragon parting the sea. Doesn't it fit perfectly?"

"It really does. Those two lines sound amazing. Why don't you write the song down and perform it onstage? Next year's Cosmic Superstar will be you!"

"I don't really want to compete with Robin for the title of Cosmic Superstar, and I couldn't do it anyway."

As the sea parted, there was only the sound of water and no accompanying music. Standing in the crowd behind Dan Heng, Bai Tang hummed a soundtrack and was promptly caught by March 7th.