Chapter 85: Blade: Dan Heng? No
“Evidence…” Gepard’s voice suddenly became hoarse.
“I’ll be this evidence. I wonder if you recognize it, little brother?” Serval and Jing Yuan walked over from a distance.
“Cocolia’s temperament has changed drastically, she canceled my research on the Stellar Core, abandoned the Lower City, frequently commanded failed battles, muttered to herself when alone… All these abnormalities, aren’t they proof enough?” Serval threw a stack of information into Gepard’s arms; this was the evidence she had collected overnight to verify the Pioneer Squad’s words.
Gepard scanned the information Serval threw him at a glance, his expression growing increasingly grim.
“Little brother, do you remember what I once asked you? If one day the Supreme Guardian abandons Belobog’s people just to achieve her own goal, what would you do?” Serval pressed down on Gepard’s shoulders.
It turned out that Serval had suspected Cocolia long ago, but due to insufficient information, there were many things she hadn’t figured out. The information brought by the Pioneer Squad instantly connected everything for her, which was the real reason she so readily believed the Pioneer Squad.
“If one day protecting the people means defying the Supreme Guardian’s orders, and either choice would put me in peril, I would still choose the former.” Gepard recalled.
“Then, now is the time for you to make your choice.”
Gepard turned to face the barracks, his resounding voice echoing throughout: “Silvermane Guards, assemble!”
Leaving a portion to guard the city, the rest carried materials and charged out of Belobog.
……
Kliper Castle.
“Cocolia, you fool!”
The familiar voice rang in Cocolia’s mind once more.
Cocolia looked stunned, her face grim as she said: “Look at those two fighting in the sky. That kind of power is something I can’t contend with at all. How am I supposed to kill them?”
“Heh, that’s not what I’m talking about. Your daughter has already led most of the Silvermane Guards out of the city, and you, idiot, still know nothing!”
There were no Realm Splitting in the barracks, so the Stellar Core couldn’t know what was happening there at all times. But once the main force left the city, the areas outside were full of Realm Splitting and Realm Splitting Creatures, naturally detected by the Stellar Core.
“What? How is that possible?” Cocolia said in shock. Without her approval, how could such a large-scale military action happen?
“Useless trash. I see you have no ability to pioneer a new world at all. Your daughter and Belobog are destined to be buried in the old world.”
“No! Please give me one more chance! I’ll persuade Bronya.” Cocolia hurriedly pleaded.
“This is the last time. I hope you won’t disappoint me.”
Cocolia hurriedly left Kliper Castle and chose a Realm Splitting rift to enter.
Outside Belobog.
Although Realm Splitting was caused by the Stellar Core, it seemed the Stellar Core had no means to control Realm Splitting and Realm Splitting Creatures. Otherwise, the Stellar Core would have long controlled the Realm Splitting Creatures to destroy the Binding Device restraining it and annihilate Belobog.
However, it seemed to have a way to slightly influence Realm Splitting Creatures to gather in a certain direction.
Realizing the Pioneer Squad had come to seal it, the Stellar Core unhesitatingly exerted influence, drawing as many Realm Splitting Creatures as possible toward the Pioneer Squad.
Once the Realm Splitting Creatures were drawn over and detected the scent of numerous living beings, they would naturally launch attacks.
Gradually, the main force was surrounded by countless Realm Splitting Creatures, including elite monsters like Shadow of the Guardian, shadows of devourers, ice from outer universes, fire from outer universes, Wanderers, and more.
“There are more and more Realm Splitting Creatures.” March 7th said solemnly, uncharacteristically serious.
“This means the Stellar Core is panicking; it’s afraid of us. Charge!” Xing Chong led at the front, smashing away an Everwinter Disaster Shadow with his baseball bat.
“This is the decisive battle for the future. When this battle ends, we will welcome the light of hope. Comrades, for protection and defense, strike them down!” Bronya gathered surging Power of Harmony on her spear. With a forward point, it spread to everyone.
Empowered by Bronya’s harmonic power, the Silvermane Guards fearlessly collided heavily with the Realm Splitting Creatures.
Seele wielded her scythe, shuttling ceaselessly through the horde of Realm Splitting Creatures, beheading the elite monsters among them one by one to relieve the pressure on the Silvermane Guards.
Most Realm Splitting Creatures came from the direction of Belobog; fewer came from the Stellar Core’s direction. After all, on this planet, only Belobog had living people left. Realm Splitting Creatures were generated from Realm Splitting absorbing people’s memories, so most gathered near Belobog.
The Realm Splitting Creatures encircling from the Stellar Core’s direction were quickly cleared by Star and March 7th, leaving only the endless horde behind them.
“Silvermane Guards, hold these Realm Splitting Creatures back. The Silvermane Guards will handle this. We’ll go deal with the Stellar Core first.” Bronya said decisively.
She had brought the army precisely for this moment.
She didn’t know if the Stellar Core could control Realm Splitting Creatures. If it could, with the army’s help to block these reinforcements, they could focus on the Stellar Core.
As for inside the city, she wasn’t too worried.
The Stellar Core couldn’t possibly, when it was nearly done for itself, still guide Realm Splitting Creatures to attack the city, right?
If the Stellar Core was blindly overconfident, it was possible, but seeing the two figures battling chaos in the sky, the Stellar Core had no confidence at all. Realm Splitting Creatures, come to the rescue quickly!
If it couldn’t control them, that was even better. Even if some scattered Realm Splitting Creatures attacked the city, the guarding Silvermane Guards could hold them off for a while, enough time for them to resolve the Stellar Core before the army returned.
“Is it okay? So many Realm Splitting Creatures.” March 7th said worriedly.
“Don’t underestimate the Silvermane Guards.” Serval said.
“Leave it to me. Before I die, I absolutely won’t let them advance a single step. Go deal with the Stellar Core without worry.” Gepard said.
“Hey, saying it like that makes me uneasy instead. Bronya, I should stay and help little brother. Before this, he hasn’t rested for two days and two nights.” Serval looked at Bronya.
“Alright, you stay. It can reduce some casualties.” Bronya nodded.
“Before you go, let me lighten the pressure for you. Azure Dragon Washes the World!”
Jing Yuan’s strength was limited by Meng Huaifeng’s strength; the ultimate move he used was nowhere near as powerful as Dan Heng’s. But it was more than enough against most Realm Splitting Creatures.
Near the Stellar Core, Blade suddenly looked up toward Belobog’s direction.
“I sense it. You used the Dragon Lord’s power. Hahahaha, didn’t you say you weren’t him? Why use his power again? You are him! Hahaha!” Blade laughed maniacally.
Before leaving, March 7th also unleashed an ultimate move, freezing a large swath of Realm Splitting Creatures. Star looked at her baseball bat: So what if your arms are long? I’m a warrior, and I’m proud!
Star charged headlong toward the Stellar Core, vowing to be the first to smash it with her bat.
The Silvermane Guards turned and formed a long single-file formation, blocking all Realm Splitting Creatures in front and covering the rear for Star and the others.
At the center of the troops, Gepard swung his heavy guqin case, smashing it heavily into the ground.
“Enduring ice and snow, forging this resolve, neverending!”
An ice wall containing the Power of Preservation rose in front of the Silvermane Guards’ formation!
Serval leaped onto the ice wall, and with passionate guitar riffs, lightning danced wildly.
“Haha, let’s heat things up!”
One by one, Realm Splitting Creatures turned to ashes before the raging thunder and lightning!
……
“Uncle Yang and the Stellar Core Hunter’s battle has changed the terrain, but the approximate location is here.” Jing Yuan looked around and confirmed.
“Look there, is that it?” March 7th pointed to a platform.
Sam’s Heavenly Fire had melted much of the nearby snow, revealing the platform. In the corner of the platform stood a tall Binding Device, with a small orb at its center that occasionally emitted golden electric arcs, floating there.
It was the Stellar Core!
But this Binding Device was pathetically crude, merely suppressing the Stellar Core’s energy and restricting its movement, but completely unable to bind its properties or stop it from continuing to influence the planet.
“Hahaha, you’ve come, you’ve finally come. It’s time to pay the price!” A deranged laugh sounded from the right, and Blade’s figure appeared on a cliff wall to the right.
Everyone turned to look, and Blade finally saw Jing Yuan’s appearance clearly, instantly freezing in place.
“You’re not him? No, that’s not right. You are him! Your auras are identical!” Blade shook his head forcefully, suspecting he was hallucinating from his Demonic Yin Body.
Kafka behind Blade helplessly rubbed her forehead. Sigh, how many times had she told him that wasn’t the person he was waiting for, yet he stubbornly refused to believe it.
“Stellar Core Hunters, Blade!” March 7th exclaimed.
“I’ll deal with him. You handle the Stellar Core.” Jing Yuan said calmly; he knew exactly who Blade was after.
“Can you handle it?”
“Worst case, account deletion.”
With that, Jing Yuan walked toward Blade.
On the train, although Dan Heng had exorcised his inner demon and no longer had a psychological shadow toward Blade, seeing him still made him frown involuntarily. He worried this madman would harm his companions.
Dan Heng stepped out of the train, floating in the vacuum, a small water dragon coiling continuously in his palm.
“You are him! Him! I won’t mistake you! You think changing to this appearance lets you escape?” Red light flickered in Blade’s eyes as he spoke with a ferocious expression.
“You always say I’m him, but my cognition of you all comes from what others told me. I have neither his nor your memories, nor his identity as Dragon Lord. Our names are different, our genders are different too. Just because I was born from the molting egg after his scale-shedding rebirth, I have to bear his sins? Why? If this doesn’t count as two different people, then what does?” Jing Yuan showed no fear of Blade, who could go berserk at any moment, and instead approached step by step.
“You think changing your hair color, switching identities, and picking a new name erases the sins of the past? You… you even have your memories perfectly intact!” Jing Yuan glared angrily at Blade.
“No, this isn’t how it should be.” Blade looked at Jing Yuan’s gentle face, completely unlike Dan Feng’s angular features, and clutched his head, shaking it frantically.
And these seemed like words he should say—why were they coming from her mouth? Blade couldn’t figure it out, truly couldn’t.
He could naturally say Dan Heng was Dan Feng, but now even the gender was different—could he still say she was Dan Feng?
Blade couldn’t make sense of it for a moment; his mind was a mess, and the boundless pain agitated his Demonic Yin Body.
“So what if you die multiple times? No matter how many times you die, your memories remain intact—you’re still that person! Only when even the memories are gone is it true death! You have never truly died! You’re just deceiving yourself!”
“What right do you have to say I haven’t experienced death? He endured the torment of scale-shedding rebirth, and the memories related to you all are gone too—that doesn’t count as death, so what does?” Jing Yuan pressed relentlessly, stepping forward fiercely.
Blade retreated a step under Jing Yuan’s roar, because he knew she was right—he truly hadn’t died. But he had always pursued true death, never achieving it.
“Ah~ Kill me, quick, kill me!” Blade roared maniacally, shoving the Blade of Shattered Oath into Jing Yuan’s hand. His mind was too chaotic; right now, he just wanted to die for a moment of peace.
Jing Yuan knew Blade couldn’t truly die and wasn’t polite, stabbing her sword through his heart.
Dan Heng in the vacuum was dumbfounded. There’s… this kind of play? So satisfying!
Don’t say, that stab was really satisfying. Dan Heng couldn’t help but mimic it lightly.
Thinking that Dan Heng could sense Jing Yuan’s perceptions, Meng Huaifeng controlled Jing Yuan to slash Blade a few more times to vent for him.
“Alright, that’s enough, young man. Don’t go too far on my Blade.” Kafka stood up lazily to intervene.
First time going on shelves, researched how to do it.
The player’s Path may not match the plot character’s Path. When it can be explained, prioritize the player’s Path, as more people recognize it that way. For stone-cold cases like Sampo or Sparkle, use the plot Path.
