Port of Luofu—Stargazer Navalia
The Astral Express crew stepped onto the Xianzhou's deck. The moment they arrived, they were greeted by rows upon rows of shipping containers.
"Look at all these containers. This doesn't seem like a port that welcomes tourists," Stelle said, puzzled.
"Yeah, and there isn't a single person here. It feels so eerie. Brr, this place gives me the creeps." March 7th hugged herself and nodded nervously.
"This setup looks a bit like Port of Calamity. I suspect whoever let us in wasn't from the Luofu. The Stellaron Hunter hacker, Silver Wolf—she's probably the only one who could pull something like this off." Xiao Xi had her own suspicions.
"Xiao Xi's theory makes sense. Everyone, stay alert. Let's head farther in and see what we find," Welt cautioned them.
The four proceeded carefully. When they rounded a corner, they spotted a soldier in standard-issue armor lying in the road.
"Oh! Is he all right?" March 7th hurried over to check on him.
"March, use your Six-Phased Ice to stop the bleeding. Don't let his wounds get any worse." Welt watched calmly.
"Got it, Uncle Yang."
The treated Cloud Knight slowly came to. With great effort, he forced out a few words. "Up ahead... be careful."
Up ahead? Stelle went a little farther. "Uncle Yang, there are injured Cloud Knights all over the road ahead."
"Oh! So the Luofu's been invaded? What should we do about all these injured Cloud Knights? We can't just leave them here, can we?" March 7th asked anxiously.
"I can create a small, temporary space to shelter them," Xiao Xi suggested. "The space will be formed with the power of the Path of Hope, which should also help the Cloud Knights recover."
"Let's do that, then. Sorry for the trouble, Xiao Xi," Welt agreed.
After Xiao Xi moved the injured Cloud Knights into the space, they continued onward, passing countless containers that blocked their view. Along the way, they rescued many Cloud Knights.
At last, they reached an open area. From far away, they could hear what sounded like fighting.
"Miss Tingyun, watch out!"
A Foxian woman and two Cloud Knights were surrounded by Mara-Struck monsters.
Seeing them arrive, one of the Cloud Knights hurriedly called out, "You up there, come help us!"
Stelle and March 7th were about to rush in when Xiao Xi reacted and grabbed their arms. "We can help, but be careful around that Foxian named Tingyun. I can guarantee there's something seriously wrong with her."
"I can sense the power of Destruction in her, and it might even be at Emanator level. Be extremely careful."
After Xiao Xi's warning, Stelle and March 7th quickly took down the Mara-Struck monsters blocking their way.
"Greetings, benefactors. My name is Tingyun, and I serve as a guide for the Sky-Faring Commission's merchant fleet. I'm most grateful for your kind assistance. However, there is one more thing I'd like to ask."
"Starskiff Haven has been sealed off completely. How did you manage to get in?"
"That's your own business. We entered the port after receiving a reply from the Jade Gate saying we were 'cleared to dock.' Since you brought us to this dangerous place, we'd like to know what you're up to."
Xiao Xi had no intention of indulging Tingyun, whose suspicious nature was plain to see. She shot Welt a look, then turned Tingyun's question right back on her.