Chapter 148

During this time, he had been searching for traces of the Stellaron in Luofu, but still found nothing. This made Bai Jun suspect that the so-called Stellaron was just his imagination, but the faint aura of the Stellaron emanating from the Ambrosial Arbor silently denied this.

"You brat, you're actually plotting against this old man! Do you think Stellaron are something so plentiful? Where am I going to find professionals who can investigate Stellaron for you? Besides, you know Zhuming isn't short of weapons. Giving Luofu some warships, crossbows, or Formation Blade is fine, but don't even think about anything else."

Hearing Bai Jun's biased remarks, Huai Yan immediately kicked him in the shin.

The Alliance rules of the Xianzhou contain several explicit provisions that form the foundation of the Alliance. One of these provisions states that, depending on the circumstances of each Xianzhou, if it is being pursued or besieged by a powerful enemy, or if it needs to recuperate, that Xianzhou retains the right to decide whether to send troops to its aid.

Zhuming is renowned for its forging and fire-making skills, but other resources are extremely scarce. It relies on other ships for supplies such as ores, food, and water, or on trade with other forces outside the Xianzhou Alliance to barely maintain basic operations.

As a general of the Zhuming Dynasty Huai Yan could only provide some assistance, such as weapons. However, the problem was that the current situation facing Luofu could not be solved by force. Therefore, even if Huai Yan wanted to help Luofu overcome this difficulty, he was powerless to do so.

"However, in my opinion, Luofu is a ship that has never lacked heroes and good fortune, just like the Five Valiants of the Clouds and the many calamities they have experienced. I believe that Luofu will also be able to smoothly overcome the disaster of the Stellaron this time."

Huai Yan changed the subject, a faint smile covering his aged face.

"Then I'll take your kind words. Speaking of which, why haven't I seen Yunli today?"

"She... should already be waiting on the ship. Kids are all like that, they can't bear to part. Don't blame her. Remember to visit Zhuming more often in the future; many people are looking forward to your return."

Bai Jun then noticed that he hadn't seen Yunli's lively figure today. In response, Huai Yan deliberately sighed loudly, ending with "That's fine," and walked towards the ship that had been moored at the dock for a long time, as if he was in a hurry to change the subject.

Watching the ship heading towards the Astral Gate disappear from sight, Bai Jun waved to the sky one last time before turning and leaving.

There are still many things to do. With the complete revival of Ambrosial Arbor, the overwhelmingly huge vines have almost completely engulfed half of Alchemy Commission's cave. The closer the cave is to Alchemy Commission, the more likely it is to be affected. Artisanship Commission, Divination Bureau, and even Exalting Sanctum have also been affected.

Nowadays, the Artisanship Commission is covered with huge roots of Ambrosial Arbor. In order to maintain the operation of the Furnace of Creation, it is necessary to clean up the branches and roots that may affect the Furnace of Creation regularly.

The Divination Bureau's "Matrix of Prescience" completely stopped working, and the talismans dimmed. Although Fu Xuan tried his best to stabilize the situation, the entire Divination Bureau was still in a state of disarray.

Among all the grotto-heavens, the one that suffered the most from the persecution of the Stellaron and the Ambrosial Arbor was the Alchemy Commission located at the foot of the Ambrosial Arbor. The huge central furnace was tightly entangled by the roots of the Ambrosial Arbor and lifted up, and the bridge leading to that place had been destroyed in the great changes.

For the sake of the local residents, the Shence Mansion ordered the evacuation of the local population. At present, while the entire Alchemy Commission is operating, it must also protect the local residents and evacuate them in an orderly manner. This has caused Lingsha, who has only recently taken office, great distress. Yesterday, she even hugged Bai Jun and cried, complaining that she has been too tired lately.

Bai Jun was heading to Alchemy Commission. Just as he was about to leave Starskiff Wharf, he unfortunately noticed out of the corner of his eye a cute girl who was standing under the signboard, waiting for him.

"Bai Jun!"

Standing calmly in the middle of the road, she crossed her arms, her delicate smile making her look exceptionally happy and proud.

"Hehe, surprised, aren't you? I specially chose to stay here just to keep you company! Go ahead and cry your eyes out, I might as well lend you my shoulder to cry on, okay?"

Then she opened her arms.

"Can you lean on my chest too?"

"..."

"Come on, cry however you want!"

Yunli puffed out her chest, striking a pose that said, "Come on, come on!" with a strangely dashing smile on her face.

A gust of wind swept through, leaving the scene in silence.

Bai Jun sighed, then strode towards Yunli again, and amidst her expectant, shy smile, delivered a sharp chop to the head.

Why won't you leave, you idiot?

"Ouch! What are you doing?!"

Bai Jun's attack was met with a counterattack. Yunli transformed into a rocket headbutt, leaping up and bumping Bai Jun's chest. Then, she bared her teeth at him like a cat, unaware that this appearance posed no threat whatsoever and only made her seem cute.

"Do you have a problem with your senior sister? No, besides, what does it matter to you where I stay? I can go wherever I want, whenever I want... Hey, hey, don't go! Are you really planning to just leave me here and ignore me?!"

Yunli had intended to use her seniority to threaten Bai Jun, but to her surprise, he simply said, "Then I'm not going to bother with you anymore," and Buli without looking back. This made the confident Yunli panic instantly, and she chased after him in a fluster, grabbing his clothes.

"Don't, don't be angry, I didn't mean to, I'm sorry..."

The girl added this sentence softly and gently.

"In that case, you'd better listen to me during this period, okay?"

Upon hearing Yunli's words of relenting, Bai Jun immediately stopped and turned to her with a sly smile, as if his scheme had succeeded.

"Oh no, I've been tricked by this scoundrel!" Yunli thought to herself, but what she said aloud was a completely different story.

"I... I know..."

"Come on, come help me today, no, I should say help your sister Lingsha."

"Sister Lingsha?! Has something happened to her?"

"It's not what you think; it's official business of the Alchemy Commission."

While responding to Yunli, who was so nervous she was practically exploding with anger Bai Jun led her toward the Alchemy Commission, across the East Street of the Starcruiser Sea Hub, past the entrance connecting the cave heavens on the north side, and finally across the simple bridge temporarily built by the Artisanship Commission and the Alchemy Commission, which is now filled with wildly growing vegetation.

The roots that burst out of the soil sometimes even penetrated houses and streets in the main streets and alleys, leaving broken stone slabs and sharp debris everywhere on the ground.

Yunli, who had been following Bai Jun, suddenly stopped. She looked at the street, then glanced down at her bare, pale insteps, before turning to the handsome Bai Jun beside her. Amidst his puzzled gaze, she spoke:

"Bai Jun, carry me on your back."

"Ah?"

"I'm not wearing shoes and I don't want to hurt my feet, so carry me!"

"Stop joking. With your physical condition, how could you possibly get hurt by these ordinary pebbles? Walk away by yourself."

"No! I want to carry you! I want to carry you! I want to carry you! I want to carry you! --!!!"

Seeing Yunli throwing a tantrum, even more troublesome than a noisy child, Bai Jun rolled his eyes at her, then sighed, "Alright, I understand." He immediately squatted down. Seeing the broad back before her lowered, Yunli smiled contentedly, as if she had avenged herself, and then happily pounced on it.

"Hoo hoo, junior brother, you'd better walk carefully. This young lady is very particular about the stability of her mount."

"Say one more word and I'll throw you down."

Amid Bai Jun's threatening tone radiating strong dissatisfaction, Yunli finally quieted down obediently behind him, silently enjoying a moment of peace on his back. She lowered her head and gently rested her face on his shoulder, savoring his familiar and alluring scent, gradually relaxing her body and mind.

As Bai Jun carried Yunli toward the headquarters of the Alchemy Commission, he suddenly looked around at his surroundings.

It was a fairly wide street, but there was no one else around, making it seem very deserted.

No, it's just too quiet.

Although the streets of Alchemy Commission are not always bustling with people, they are usually crowded with pedestrians and noisy. But now they are so quiet that they are deserted.

Looking towards the roadside, the streetlights and surrounding trees appeared as if they had been slashed by sharp swords, their cut surfaces neatly scattered on the ground.

Among the rows of houses lining the wide street, in the narrow gaps and dark depths between buildings, Bai Jun noticed someone's gaze. His azure eyes sharpened slightly, and he quietly tensed his expression.

"Go down."

Hearing these unequivocal words, Yunli, who was on Bai Jun's back, stared at his profile and then obediently sat down.

As soon as Yunli left Bai Jun's back, she sensed the sharp aura emanating from the shadows and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Bai Jun's gaze calmly pierced through the shadows of the alleyway as he spoke, "Come out. I don't want to say it a second time."

Soon after, the source of the gaze that had been monitoring the two emerged from the shadows.

It was a man, several centimeters taller than Bai Jun, dressed in black clothes like a formal suit, without any protective gear. His arms and thighs were wrapped in blood-stained bandages, and beneath his long, jet-black hair were pupils that faintly held a hint of madness.

In his right hand, he held a Shard, dark-colored longsword, its lacquered blade gleaming with a crimson blood-red light.

"That person is..."

As the other person gradually appeared, Yunli, whose Remembrance were stirred, slowly widened her eyes and pointed at the other person, stammering for a long time.

"Yingxing, no... I should call you Stellaron Hunters - Blade, this time you're not getting away."

Bai Jun softly uttered the other person's real name, then closed his eyes as if deeply apologetic. When he opened his eyes again, his tone was icy cold and devoid of emotion.

Chapter 184 Should Be an Old Friend

The atmosphere between the two was tense and ready to erupt at any moment.

The afternoon streets were bathed in gentle sunlight, warm and pleasant. However, unlike this peaceful atmosphere, an inappropriately stern aura emanated from Bai Jun and the confronting Ren. The three present exchanged glances with different expressions.

The first to be thrown into confusion was Yunli, whose height was noticeably different from the other two. She stared blankly at the black-haired man's face, her mind a complete mess.

That dark-haired man looked so familiar; I seemed to have seen that face before at Zhuming's place... And if I wasn't mistaken, Bai Jun called him Yingxing, right?

Zhuming was a renowned and talented craftsman in history, and an outstanding disciple whom Grandpa Huai Yan was once very proud of. Yunli heard many things about him from Huai Yan. Although Huai Yan was mostly sad when he talked about Yingxing, his satisfaction with this talented disciple could still be seen between the lines.

Yunli raised her head again to look at the black-haired man who had remained silent the whole time. His expression was filled with madness, and his leaden eyes were blood red. The crimson aura he exuded was reminiscent of the madness of a wild beast, and he looked nothing like a craftsman.

Not long after Bai Jun casually uttered the other person's name, there was a commotion at the scene.

Facing the black-haired man glaring menacingly at her, Yunli, regaining her senses, decisively stood in front of Bai Jun, raised her molten iron greatsword, and prepared to block the black-haired man who was walking towards Bai Jun step by step.

"Leave this to me; you're no match for him."

"But... this person is dangerous..."

Despite hearing what Bai Jun said, the girl named Yunli stubbornly blocked him with her petite back and refused to back down.

Have you forgotten our agreement?

Bai Jun brought up the agreement he had just made with Yunli, and the girl sobbed unwillingly as she lowered the giant sword that she had raised with her slender arms.

Just as the giant sword in Yunli's hand was about to fall and hit the ground, a loud thud resounded in her ears.

--But that wasn't the sound of a greatsword hitting the ground under its own weight.

The blade, utterly devoid of any concealment of its murderous intent, suddenly shattered the stone slab beneath its feet and attacked Yunli, who was preparing to put down the molten iron greatsword, in an instant.

Before the girl could react, the crimson eyes that met the golden pupils rapidly approached, and for a moment, time seemed to freeze as if it were eternity.

Just before the crimson sword, Zhili, was about to Shard at the girl's slender throat, Bai Jun's thrown longsword swiftly and accurately deflected Shard Sword's trajectory, preventing his scheme from succeeding. At the same time, he unleashed a powerful spinning kick, striking Zhili squarely in the chest.

The black-haired man was knocked backward, while Bai Jun, who was protecting Yunli behind him, silently took a step forward. He slightly furrowed his cold brows and stared intently at the culprit who had created the scene of an empty street, the enemy who was lying in ambush at the Alchemy Commission.

The attacker was not deterred. He rose from the billowing dust and rubble, his eyes meeting Bai Jun's. Then, the two of them ran out at the same time.

The astonishing battle thus began.

Yunli, who had been staring wide-eyed and frozen in place since the beginning, finally came to her senses and covered her mouth with both hands. As for Bai Jun and Ren, they were engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand combat at a speed that was too fast for the naked eye to catch.

Slashes from left to right, downward cuts, and thrusts concealing their intentions—the lacquered blade unleashed a chaotic, ink-like sword aura. Bai Jun managed to dodge each attack with a subtle distance, responding with relentless strikes. Even without using any weapon, Bai Jun's fighting skills and physical strength alone were enough to suppress Ren throughout the entire exchange.

With each exchange, the pace of the two sides would increase again, kicking up clouds of dust on the field.

Bai Jun remained calm and composed, while his opponent, Ren, was already covered in wounds. His left arm was broken, his right leg was shattered, his chest was caved in with an astonishing arc, and a large amount of blood was gushing from his mouth and nose. Even so, there was no trace of pain on Ren's face. On the contrary, his attacks became increasingly fierce and frenzied.

It's practically risking one's life, a reckless act of self-destruction.

Bai Jun had long been familiar with Ren's fighting style. His calm expression revealed no emotion, as if he had completely lost patience. He found the right opportunity and delivered a high kick that struck Ren's left arm directly. The exaggerated force traveled from Ren's left arm to Ren's entire body.

As he saw Ren being kicked away again, Bai Jun took a step back, distancing himself from Ren, who was panting as he got up from the ground.

After the exchange, Bai Jun confirmed two things: First, during the battle, Bai Jun released the constraints on his senses and tried to check if there were any other Stellaron Hunters nearby who could act as backup for Blade. The answer was no; Bai Jun did not detect the presence of any other living beings.

Secondly, this doesn't mean that only Blade among the Stellaron Hunters came here and launched a sure-fire attack against him. The Stellaron Hunters are a group that is both incredibly bold and extremely cautious; they wouldn't make such a choice without a reason.

Coincidentally, Bai Jun had just sensed a strange familiarity about Ren, a bizarre technique called Spirit Whisper, which had driven Ren into his current frenzied state through a hypnotic-like method, making the user of Spirit Whisper obvious.

"So Kafka also entered Luofu... That's interesting, but before that, let's end this farce."

Bai Jun closed his eyes, freeing the "Sun" from its self-imposed chains, and its true power gradually emerged.

Even at less than one-fifth of his full strength, Bai Jun's aura underwent a complete transformation, and a golden majesty appeared in his azure eyes.

Knowing full well that the immediate priority was to investigate whether the appearance of the Stellaron Hunters was related to the Stellaron changes in Luofu, and to capture Kafka, who was also hiding in Luofu, Bai Jun no longer held back, unlike his earlier probing.

Having fully learned from his previous experience, Bai Jun was well aware of his opponent's strength. Under the blade's strange regenerative ability, the sword cuts and wounds had little effect on him.

The easiest way is to restrict the opponent's recovery ability, or...

In the blink of an eye, before the blade could react, Bai Jun grabbed his face and slammed him hard into the ground.

As the earth trembled violently and dust billowed into the sky, the cobblestone pavement of the street developed a dense web of cracks. Right in the center of these cracks, a blade, its head smashed deep into the ground by an irresistible force, rendered unconscious. The Shard Sword in its hand also fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

Even if your recovery ability is strong, your physical strength doesn't match the required attributes.

Actually, there's no need to restrict the blade's regenerative ability. To put it another way, you can just use absolute force to knock him unconscious. Bai Jun, who resolved this farce, shook his head, bent down to pull the blade out of the ground, and then carried it on his shoulder.

"The situation is sudden, and the original plan to find the Lingsha has to be temporarily canceled. I need to return to the Shence Mansion immediately to tell Jing Yuan about this."

"Ah, wait for me, I'm coming too!"

Seeing Bai Jun leave carrying the blade, Yunli picked up the Shard Sword that had fallen to the ground and quickly followed.

Less than ten minutes later, Bai Jun, who had sped back to the Shence Mansion, immediately threw the unconscious Ren onto the training ground. He first ordered the Vanguard to find the strongest ropes they had on hand and tie him up tightly. Then he went to the mansion and explained the day's events to Jing Yuan.

Upon learning of this, Jing Yuan immediately stood up from his seat. His usually lazy smile was no longer as nonchalant as before, and his expression showed a rare wavering.

He hesitated for a moment in front of the window facing Exalting Sanctum Street in his office. As if he had made up his mind, he took a deep breath, turned around and followed Bai Jun out of the office, through the corridor, and into the training ground, which was surrounded by Vanguard and filled with shouts.