A Person in the League, But It's the Taiwan Server System

In some respects, they are not even as good as the members of the Order of the Shadow, who, despite their brutal nature, have at least made significant contributions.

"Sigh, the Kinkou... they preach harmony and nature their entire lives, yet they stand idly by while their own kin are slaughtered..."

Chen Ce sighed softly and drew an 'X' over a temple-shaped icon in the top right corner of the map.

The Order of the Kinkou is not very reliable, and it is not worth spending too much time running over there just for an Akali; it is better to just put the Order of the Kinkou on the back burner.

As for the Order of the Shadow... that depends on fate—they seem unwilling to cooperate with outsiders, otherwise, they would have already reached an agreement with the Resistance Army just like the Navori Brotherhood.

And then there is...

Fae'lor Island.

The Dark Sovereign, Syndra.

This super-powered individual, capable of overturning an entire island single-handedly and causing the very tectonic plates of the First Lands to shift, must be courted at all costs.

Once Syndra is successfully recruited, this years-long war can basically be brought to an end—never mind Noxus, there are few people in all of Runeterra who could stand against her.

Moreover, her skills are pure AOE damage, making her perfectly suited for the battlefield.

She is practically a nuclear weapon...

As for how to get Syndra, who hates Ionia with a passion, to agree to help... that requires careful planning and must not be bungled—with his current strength, if he accidentally displeases her, he would likely be reduced to ashes in the blink of an eye.

Recruiting Syndra is a high-risk, high-reward "business" that requires extreme caution.

Let's see what else there is—

"Boss!" Ahri's shout rang out from not far away, interrupting Chen Ce's thoughts: "Someone is coming!"

Chen Ce turned his head and saw the fox-girl pointing her finger at a distant rock pillar—on the horizon, only a black speck was barely visible.

He immediately entered a state of Meditation.

In his vision of the Spirit Realm, he "saw" two surging currents of magic—as swift as a gale and as sharp as a blade.

Is it finally time...

Dark clouds gathered overhead, hiding rolling thunder, and the occasional flash of lightning illuminated the path beneath Yasuo's feet.

It's going to rain again... he thought, just like that day...

He did not like the rain; the sticky air made his palms sweat, making his grip on his sword less secure.

But the rain would not stop falling just because he disliked it—just like many other things. Just like the pursuers behind him would not stop because of his pleas.

His pace was already fast.

Yet he still could not widen the distance between himself and his pursuers.

He was practically walking on the wind, but he was so exhausted... the relentless pursuers, who knew no rest or day from night, left him not a moment to pause.

Finally, in a dense cluster of rock pillars, a flash of sword light struck from behind him.

He tilted his head to dodge the blade, but a lock of his hair was still severed.

"Stop running, Yasuo!" his brother's angry rebuke followed.

Yasuo finally stopped, the sound of the wind against his ears feeling so piercing, even louder than the hurricane before the downpour.

"Go away, Yone... I do not wish to fight you." He placed his hand on his waist and gripped his sword hilt.

Clang—! The sound of blades clashing rang out, crisp and piercing.

"You are beyond redemption, Yasuo!"

Yone held his twin blades across his chest, the sharp steel reflecting his expression, which was a mix of anger and pain.

"You have brought shame upon us... you swore to protect the Elder!"

The same old rhetoric... Yasuo slowly straightened his back, his tightly closed eyes harboring pain, and... anger.

"You also swore to protect this land... but look around you! Your so-called honor has left this earth in ruins!"

The moment the words left his lips, Yone furrowed his brows.

The next instant, he lunged forward again, the sharp twin blades moving with the agility of wild geese in his hands.

"Cast aside honor, and only survival remains!"

Clang—!

Clang, clang—!

The sound of blades colliding rang out incessantly, the clash of steel and gale echoing through the air.

Rain fell, accompanied by rolls of thunder... raindrops were sliced by the blades, only to splatter against the steel.

Unlike any previous battle, Yasuo could not remain at ease before this pair of steel blades, and Yone struggled to gain the upper hand against the gale.

In the exchange of blow after blow, the two gradually widened the distance between them.

Following the rites of honor, they began to circle one another.

Finally, in the instant a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, both found the other's opening.

Yasuo sheathed his blade at his waist, his body tilting downward, his breathing becoming rapid and rhythmic. He felt the gale—right there within his blade, he was about to unleash the ultimate technique of the Way of the Wanderer.

Last Breath.

Yone's gaze grew murderous, the twin steel blades held across his chest already eager for the strike.

"I am sorry, brother... I will not let you fall any further."

The moment the words fell, both men lunged at each other simultaneously.

Rain and gale blurred their vision.

Yet, in the reflections of their blades, they still saw themselves and each other.

And...

A spear, appearing from nowhere.

A spinning spear.

Clang—! The sound of metal colliding rang out once more, but this time, neither Yasuo nor Yone managed to harm the other.

Their swords... had been parried by a single spear.

"Stop fighting, both of you!"

As that spear struck, both Yasuo and Yone were stunned.

Truth be told, given their keen perception, they had noticed the wielder long before he approached.

They simply had not expected him to dare charge directly into the center of their clashing blades, using his own strength to block the attacks of them both.

Their swordsmanship was peerless; they had assumed the sheer force of their wind-swept blades would be enough to deter anyone, ensuring no innocent was caught in the crossfire.

Yet... how could they have imagined that the wind would fail to stop him...

What was even more terrifying was...

Their swords...

Had truly been blocked by that man...

Blocking both their blades with a single spear...

This was impossible...!

Thud—! As the spear ceased its rotation, it swept outward, forcibly pushing the two swordsmen back several paces—their combat instincts told them that if they did not retreat, they would surely be struck squarely in the face by the shaft of that spear.

The two men retreated over ten steps each, their eyes growing sharper, their swords seemingly finding a new opponent.

The peacemaker caught between them—Chen Ce—secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

On one hand, he was glad he had made it in time; on the other... he was glad neither of them had unleashed their "ultimate" techniques just yet.

Yasuo had not directly used the secret technique of the Way of the Wanderer—Last Breath—but rather a combination of the standard Sweeping Blade and Steel Tempest.

However, judging by his stance just now... he likely intended to follow up with Last Breath immediately after that maneuver.

If he had truly unleashed it, Chen Ce feared even his Counter Strike might not have been enough to stop him—and even if it had, he would have sustained some injuries.

As for Yone, he had not yet been possessed by the Azakana of the Spirit Realm, and his swordsmanship had not yet reached the level of "surpassing human limits," so Counter Strike would have been sufficient to block all his attacks.

In any case, it was fortunate he had arrived in time...

"The two of you, hear me out." Chen Ce shook his slightly numb arm and looked at them in turn. "I believe there must be some misunderstanding between you—regarding the truth behind Elder Souma's death."

"Who are you? What do you know?" Hearing the name "Souma," the hot-headed Yasuo could no longer suppress his inner agitation. "Who killed the Elder? Tell me at once!"

Compared to Yasuo, Yone, who had understood calmness and humility from a young age, did not appear as agitated.

On the contrary, he displayed deep suspicion—which was the correct attitude to take toward a stranger who suddenly appeared and claimed to know secrets that no one else possessed.

"Who are you?" The look he cast at Chen Ce held not only suspicion but also a hint of hostility, and he did not lower his twin blades. "Before you reveal any information, please state your identity."

As he spoke, he glanced out of the corner of his eye toward a rock pillar not far away.

He saw another figure hiding there... it looked like a Vastaya. He had to be cautious.

"My name is Chen Ce." Chen Ce performed a traditional Ionian bow to the two of them and, as a gesture of goodwill, sheathed his spear. "I am a member of the Placidium Resistance Army, and I know the truth about Elder Souma's death."

"How can I trust you?" Yone remained on guard.

"I can take you to find the true killer."

"The true killer... is there any way to prove it?"

"I believe there is—once we find the murder weapon, everything will come to light."

"How can you be sure that the 'murder weapon' you find is the real—"

"Enough—!" Before Yone could finish, Yasuo angrily interrupted him: "Yone! Why do you refuse to believe me? Even now, when we see a glimmer of hope, must you insist that I am the killer!"

"I simply need to be more cautious." Yone frowned as well. "Yasuo, you must understand, I am in more pain than you right now—there is no one who wishes more than I do that you are not the killer!"

"Then why... why won't you believe me!" Yasuo roared, unable to contain himself.

"The Elder died by the Way of the Wanderer, and you are the only one who knows that technique; that is a fact." Yone's tone remained relatively calm, though he too was beginning to lose control of his inner fury.

After an unfriendly glare, Yasuo drew his sword once more—he had always been this way, lacking composure and calmness, always letting his emotions dictate his actions—just as he had that day when he abandoned Elder Souma to seek glory on the front lines, ultimately leading to the Elder's death.

"Convince me with your blade, Yone!"

The sharp edge struck again, leaving Yone no choice but to raise his sword in defense.

The two legendary swordsmen clashed once more, flashes of steel flickering between them as the relentless sound of blades colliding filled the air.

Chen Ce's eye twitched; he had no choice but to raise his spear and charge forward again.

But this time, he couldn't easily intervene—they had noticed him, and it was no longer as effortless as his previous "ambush."

"Back off!" Yasuo swung his blade in a spare moment, a violent gust of wind slicing out with the strike.

Chen Ce dodged the wind blade, simultaneously activating Counter Strike once more.

Yet, even so, he struggled to keep up with their rhythm—both Yasuo and Yone were his equals in physical prowess, and they held a slight edge in agility.

Chen Ce wanted to block their swords or use the second activation of Counter Strike to knock them unconscious, but he simply couldn't catch up.

The two brothers were deliberately avoiding him.

"Tsk..."

Chen Ce spun his spear frantically, but he remained unable to close the distance. If this dragged on, Counter Strike would expire—he couldn't keep spinning forever.

The clanging grew more intense as the two swordsmen fought with increasing ferocity; at this rate, blood would surely be drawn.

Fortunately, just as Chen Ce's frustration peaked, the fox-girl who had been lurking nearby finally made her move.

A brilliant Orb of Deception was tossed from her hand, carrying the strange energy of the Spirit Realm.

Although Yone had noticed Ahri watching from the sidelines earlier, the speed of the Orb of Deception was too great; he could not spare the effort to block it while occupied with Yasuo's onslaught.

With no other choice, he rolled in the opposite direction of the incoming orb—dragging the furious Yasuo along with him.

And that direction happened to be exactly where Chen Ce was standing.