"I never thought you were still alive, much less that you had become like this."
"Heh... I never thought so either. Unpredictable twists of fate—that was what it meant, wasn't it? But what I never expected most was that Elysia chose to run from reality..."
"That doesn't surprise me. For her... heh, never mind. Tell me, why did you come looking for me?"
"About that..."
Far East, Tenshukaku.
"Sakura, things are really critical now. Can you stop sulking at Hua already?" Pardo looked at the silent Sakura sitting cross-legged before her. "The Twelfth Herrscher has already appeared. Hua and I can't handle it alone..."
"I know." Sakura spoke calmly. "Before you came, I had already discovered puppets carrying the Twelfth Herrscher's aura. Rather than sulking at Hua... I'm ashamed that I was once deceived by Midrash."
"What exactly did Midrash tell you?" Pardo asked in confusion.
"Nothing more than... a hope that seemed within reach." Sakura rose to her feet. "Come on, Pardo. Against the Twelfth Herrscher, the three of us—Hua, you, and I—likely don't stand much chance. Can we contact anyone else?"
"Vill-V said Kevin can't be released unless it comes down to the very end," Pardo said quietly. "Amo has to keep watch over Kevin, so he can't come either. Su has already contacted me through his abilities, and he'll be joining us soon. I still haven't found Jie Ge, and there's also Elysia and the snake lady... Eden should be on her way too, barring any surprises."
"Su and Eden are coming too? Then things have become extremely serious." Sakura lowered her head and looked at her hands. "Hua... is her body holding up?"
"Not very well..." Pardo pressed her lips together. "After fighting you, Sakura, she was betrayed by her own disciple and injured again. If not for Garuda's traits..."
"I owe her my life," Sakura said. "All right. Ling will keep watch over the Far East. There's no time to lose—we leave at once."
Northern Desert.
"All right, let's go." Cheng Lingshuang spoke to Ling Susang and Otto. "This journey is fraught with danger. The odds of every participant returning unscathed are vanishingly small. Have you two... truly prepared yourselves?"
Both of them nodded. As they boarded the carriage and prepared to leave the small northern desert town, Ling Susang's attention was drawn to a gray-haired young man standing with his eyes closed. He wore a dark green short-sleeved shirt, with a gray half-sleeve covering the upper left side of his body. His right hand wore a black glove, while the backs of the fingers on his left hand bore black tattoos of unknown meaning. A round pendant hung from his belt, and he wore black trousers with white boots. He looked extremely strange. At first glance, Ling Susang had nearly mistaken him for a girl.
Cheng Lingshuang noticed the young man as well and frowned slightly. For some reason, her instincts as a martial artist told her that he was exceedingly powerful, yet she sensed no danger from him.
The instant he was noticed, the young man seemed able to see despite having his eyes closed, and he turned his "gaze" their way. The moment his eyes met Cheng Lingshuang's, he opened them. His purplish-red irises and green pupils possessed a peculiar beauty, but what Cheng Lingshuang felt was an abnormal pressure bearing down on her. In that instant, she felt as though her body was no longer under her control.
Yet it lasted only for that brief instant of eye contact. The young man closed his eyes again and continued walking into town.
"So he wasn't blind after all." Ling Susang had not noticed what had just happened. "But if he can see with his eyes, why does he keep them closed?"
"Perhaps his martial arts are so profound that he has grown accustomed to not using his eyes," Cheng Lingshuang said. How long had it been since she had felt such pressure? The only ones comparable to this young man were likely her master, Immortal Yuan, and that unfathomable Jiang Muyue. If she could spar with him, would her understanding of Great Void Sword Qi improve?
After the carriage carrying the three of them departed, the young man looked back in that direction once more and murmured, "Karma turns in cycles. The sins you committed in the past will naturally be punished one day."
He then arrived at the home of a rather hot-tempered chef and spoke. "Long time no see, Qianjie."
"Get lost!" came the other man's hoarse yet blunt reply from inside.
"Qianjie, I know you are exiling yourself, but we need your strength now." The young man spoke. "We need you to put your self-exile on hold."
"Heh! You need my strength? Su, do you remember what you did the last time you said that to me?" Qianjie sneered from inside. "If your memory is failing, shall I help you remember? I could smash your head against the wall a few times. Maybe then it'll come back to you?"
"I know our split was not the outcome he wanted to see, but... Kevin ultimately still..."
"Enough! I don't want to hear your long-winded drivel here. Get lost before I lose my temper!" Qianjie snapped.
"Even with the Twelfth Herrscher appearing, will you still stand by and do nothing?" Su's voice rose slightly.
"The Twelfth Herrscher? The Twelfth Herrscher... Hahahahaha! The Twelfth Herrscher!" A wave of heat rushed out from the house. Su withstood the pressure coming from Qianjie, opened his eyes, and met the masked man's gaze.
"Are you trying to tell me that while I was gone, you people turned Ling into a Herrscher again?!" Qianjie seized Su by the collar, lifted him entirely off the ground, and roared, "You couldn't save her, and you couldn't even protect Ling either?!"
"Listen carefully, Qianjie. The Twelfth Herrscher who has appeared this time is not Ling, but Mostima. She is alive, as a Herrscher." Su showed not the slightest fear. "She now threatens the survival of all human civilization. We need your strength!"
"Mostima..." Qianjie thought for a moment. "That woman who looked like a bean sprout?"
"She has infected Midrash, the Armed Doll Feng left behind, in the form of a virus. She is now active in Shenzhou, and Hua has already been gravely wounded in an attack by her," Su said.
Qianjie released Su. After a moment of silence, he said coldly, "Lead the way!"
Schicksal Headquarters.
"Griseo, can you really handle this alone? If anything feels wrong, tell me immediately!" Vill-V said to Griseo. "If it truly comes to it, I can only release Aponia."
"Mom Aponia... can't come out yet." Griseo shook her head. "Besides, I've already grown up. I'll clean up every puppet Mostima left behind."
"I'm counting on you, Griseo. I'll support you at any time," Vill-V said with a nod.
The field she excelled in happened to be countered by the Herrscher of Erosion. Compared with Griseo, it was difficult for her to gain an advantage against the Herrscher of Erosion, and even if she won, she could not eliminate her. Therefore, the task of exterminating the Herrscher of Erosion's puppets in Europe could only fall to Griseo.
Before you continue