Extra: Shenzhou Sword Breaking Records IX

"I didn't expect you to still be alive, and to have changed into this state."

"Heh... I didn't expect it either. Life is unpredictable, isn't that what they say? But what I didn't expect even more was that Elysia would choose to escape reality..."

"That doesn't surprise me. After all, for her... heh, never mind. Speak, why have you come all this way?"

"About this..."

Far East, Tenshukaku.

"Sakura-nee, the situation is really critical right now. Can you stop being angry with Hua?" Pardo said, looking at Sakura, who was sitting cross-legged in front of her, silent. "The twelfth Herrscher has already appeared. Hua and I alone can't handle her..."

"I know," Sakura said calmly. "Before you came, I had already discovered a puppet with the aura of the twelfth Herrscher. Rather than being angry with Hua, it's more like... I'm ashamed of being deceived by Midrash in the past."

"What exactly did Midrash say to you?" Pardo asked, confused.

"Just... a hope that seemed within reach." Sakura stood up. "Let's go, Pardo. Against the twelfth Herrscher, the three of us alone probably don't stand much of a chance. Can you contact anyone else?"

"Vill-V said that unless it's the last resort, we can't release Kevin-boss," Pardo said in a low voice. "Amo has to watch Kevin-boss, so he can't come either. Su-ge has already contacted me through his abilities, and he'll be here to meet us soon. I still haven't found Jie Ge, and Elysia-jie and Snake-jie... Eden-jie should be on her way too, if nothing unexpected happens."

"Su and Eden are coming too? It seems things have become very serious." Sakura looked down at her hands. "Hua... is her body alright?"

"Not very good..." Pardo pursed her lips. "After fighting with Sakura-nee, she was betrayed by her own disciple and injured again. If it weren't for Garuda's characteristics..."

"I owe her a life," Sakura said. "Alright, Ling will keep an eye on the Far East. Without further ado, let's depart immediately."

Northern Desert.

"Alright, let's go," Cheng Lingshuang said to Ling Susang and Otto. "This journey is perilous. The chances of all participants returning unscathed are slim. Are you... truly prepared?"

Both nodded. As they boarded the carriage and were about to leave the small town in the northern desert, Ling Susang's gaze was drawn to a young man with gray hair who was closing his eyes. He wore a dark green short-sleeved shirt with a gray half-sleeve on the upper left, black gloves on his right hand, and an unknown black tattoo on the back of his left hand's fingers. A circular pendant hung from his belt, and he wore black trousers and white boots. He looked quite strange. At first glance, Ling Susang almost mistook him for a girl.

Cheng Lingshuang also noticed the young man. She frowned slightly. For some reason, her intuition as a martial artist told her that this young man was very powerful, yet he didn't make her feel threatened.

As he was noticed, the young man seemed to be able to see even with his eyes closed. He shifted his "gaze" towards them. The moment he met Cheng Lingshuang's eyes, the young man opened them. His purplish-red irises combined with green pupils gave him a unique beauty, but what Cheng Lingshuang felt was an unusual oppressive force directed at her. In that instant, she felt as if her body was no longer under her control.

But it was only for that brief moment of eye contact. The young man closed his eyes and continued walking into the town.

"So he's not blind," Ling Susang said, completely unaware of what had just happened. "But if he can see with his eyes, why keep them closed?"

"Perhaps his martial arts are so profound that he's accustomed to not using his eyes," Cheng Lingshuang said. How long had it been since she felt that kind of oppressive force? The only ones who could compare to this young man were probably her master, Immortal Yuan, and that mysterious Jiang Muyue. If she could spar with this young man, would her understanding of Great Void Sword Qi improve?

After the three's carriage departed, the young man looked back in that direction again and whispered softly, "Cause and effect, reincarnation. The sins you once committed will naturally be punished in due time."

Then he arrived in front of the house of a rather irritable cook in the town and said, "Long time no see, Qianjie."

"Get lost!" a hoarse but clear voice came from inside the house.

"Qianjie, I know you're self-exiling, but now, we need your strength," the young man said. "We need you to temporarily stop your self-exile."

"Heh! You need my strength? Su, do you remember what you did the last time you said that to me?" Qianjie said with a cold laugh from inside. "If your memory is bad, shall I help you recall? Maybe banging your head against the wall a few times will jog your memory?"

"I know, the schism between us wasn't the outcome he wanted, but... Kevin, in the end..."

"Enough! I don't want to hear your long-winded speech. Get lost before I get angry!" Qianjie said irritably.

"Even with the appearance of the twelfth Herrscher, you're going to stand by and do nothing?" Su's voice increased slightly.

"The twelfth Herrscher? The twelfth Herrscher... Hahahahaha! The twelfth Herrscher!" A wave of heat washed over Su from inside the house. He withstood the pressure from Qianjie, opened his eyes, and met the gaze of the masked Qianjie.

"Are you trying to tell me that while I was gone, you let Ling become a Herrscher again?!" Qianjie grabbed Su by the collar, lifting him up, and said sternly, "You couldn't save him, and you couldn't even protect Ling?!"

"Listen carefully, Qianjie, the twelfth Herrscher who appeared this time is not Ling, but Mostima. She is still alive, as a Herrscher," Su said without any fear. "She now poses a threat to the survival of all human civilization. We need your strength!"

"Mostima..." Qianjie pondered for a moment. "That woman who looks like a sprout?"

"She has infected the Armed Doll Midrash left by Feng in the form of a virus and is now active in Shenzhou. Hua has already been severely injured by her attack," Su said.

Qianjie let go of Su, was silent for a moment, and then said coldly, "Lead the way!"

Schicksal Headquarters.

"Griseo, can you handle this alone? If anything feels wrong, tell me immediately!" Vill-V said to Griseo. "If it's really impossible, I'll have to release Aponia."

"Aponia-mama... she can't come out yet," Griseo shook her head. "Besides, I've grown up long ago. I'll clean up all the puppets Mostima-sister left behind."

"I'm counting on you, Griseo. I'll be ready to support you at any time," Vill-V nodded.

Her area of expertise was precisely countered by the Herrscher of Erosion. Compared to Griseo, she would have difficulty gaining an advantage against the Herrscher of Erosion, and even if she won, she couldn't eliminate her. Therefore, the task of eliminating the Herrscher of Erosion's puppets in Europe had to fall on Griseo.