Upon receiving the news, Commander Ye nearly leaped from her chair onto the conference table.
The image relayed from the front lines showed a massive greatsword clashing with a fiery bird. Flaming feathers scattered across the sky, and Commander Ye could barely suppress a scream—the scene reminded her all too painfully of Ling Xiaoxiao’s fall.
“Where’s Xue Ji? What is Xue Ji doing?!”
“We can’t reach her,” the communications officer replied, struggling to maintain composure but with clear panic creeping into their voice.
Commander Ye made a snap decision under the pressure. “Lock down the information. Get the Canglong over there immediately!”
Xue Ji was touring the vast plantation plot that had been allocated to her when she suddenly received an urgent alert from Xia Jin.
The next second, Eva whisked her into the high-speed realm. Along the way, Xue Ji and Lilith took turns using their teleportation abilities, and only by pushing themselves to the limit did they manage to arrive before things spiraled completely out of control.
Shaya was flung clear by Ling Xiaoxiao, landing right at their feet. The moment she regained her senses, she saw Xue Ji and the others standing before her. Staring at the golden blood coating her hands, she began to tremble.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” She dropped to her knees, unable to lift her head and face their expressions.
Xue Ji gave no response. Her mind was already racing, searching for a way to save Ling Xiaoxiao.
“We need to get control over these rampaging powers first.”
With perfect synchronization, Lilith fused with Xue Ji, and together they shot up toward the sky.
All that remained below were Shaya, sobbing and trembling, and the silent Eva.
“I never meant for this to happen. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Never in her life had Shaya felt such panic.
If Ling Xiaoxiao died, she would be the one who killed her.
The blood on her hands still burned hot—the other woman’s lingering warmth forcing her to stay conscious. This moment was agony. Pure torment.
Eva placed a hand on Shaya’s shoulder and spoke to the girl, who slowly raised her head. “It’s… going to be… okay.”
It seemed to take every ounce of strength just to force those words out.
“Let’s go save her together.” Eva wiped the tears from Shaya’s face, enunciating each word carefully.
With that, she grabbed Shaya’s hand and pulled her to her feet, leaving no room for argument.
“Go save her… me?” Shaya looked at the expressionless blue-haired girl before her, overwhelmed by such intense guilt that she could barely stand steady.
“We can do this. We’re all here.” Blue runes flickered constantly in Eva’s eyes. She could feel the blazing emotional waves radiating from the person above—waves so powerful that they actually allowed her to break through the barrier between soul and body, restoring her ability to express herself.
The blue-haired girl tried her hardest to put on a serious face, and her gaze shifted. For the first time, those clear eyes held true light.
Alchemy’s wonders didn’t stop there. Threads of spiritual energy flashed, and from behind both women sprouted elven wings.
“Let’s go!” Eva grabbed Shaya and shot toward the sky.
A massive black scythe clashed with the greatsword, but it was clear the sword had the upper hand—the scythe nearly dissipated on contact. The Demon-Subduing Sword was simply too effective against beings like Lilith.
Lilith fought while cursing furiously: “Are you insane?! You’ve got every single exorcism spell in your arsenal aimed at me!”
This strike failed to land, and instead, the Demon-Subduing Sword Formation reactivated, trapping them within its range as well.
The silver lining was that Ling Xiaoxiao’s pressure had lessened. But now her face was deathly pale, her consciousness fading fast. She wouldn’t be able to help much longer.
The sword formation shifted. The twelve swords on the ground all shot into the air, forming a killing array.
Xue Ji couldn’t break through for the moment—she was pinned down.
Desperation gnawed at her, and she even resorted to space-slicing spells.
Countless spatial rifts caught the swords, but instead of shattering, they split and reformed, multiplying with each hit.
Sealing techniques wouldn’t lock on. Telekinesis could only suppress them briefly. Elemental spells just drained her spiritual energy uselessly.
“Damn it—where’s the weakness in this formation?!”
Seeing the dire situation, the voice of the woman in the ru dress echoed from within the consciousness space: “Let me handle this, Xiao Ji.”
“Sister Ji? But you’re barely—”
“It’s time for us to part, Xiao Ji. Think of this as my final gift to you. Lilith, you come back first.”
Within the consciousness space, the woman in the ru dress urged Lilith to act. “Don’t hesitate. I never truly existed in this world anyway. Just being able to see the world a thousand years later through your eyes—I have no regrets.”
Lilith nodded and enveloped her in shadow.
“Lilith… thank you for keeping me going all this time.”
“Even if you say that, I’m not stopping now.” Lilith’s voice cracked as she replied.
“Hehe, you’re really adorable.”
“Isn’t there anything you want to say to Ling Xiaoxiao?” Lilith felt the woman fading and couldn’t help asking.
“I’m just a shadow. Let me slip away quietly, alright?”
And just like that, the woman in the ru dress vanished from the consciousness space entirely.
Xue Ji was still locked in combat with the flying swords when a sudden change swept through her body.
Frigid black energy began leaking out uncontrollably—the aftereffect of the absorption.
The woman in the ru dress had given everything she had to Xue Ji.
Her memories. And the sword intent that could freeze a thousand miles.
The moment that sword intent emerged, the storm of blades in the sky fell still, returning to their original twelve-sword form.
“I’ll sever that sword. You go save her.” Lilith pulled away from Xue Ji. The moment she reached out, the Crimson Sorrow Sword appeared in her hand as if recognizing her as its master.
Seeing this, Xue Ji chose to trust her and flew toward Ling Xiaoxiao, who was burning like the sun itself.
Eva and Shaya arrived as well.
The searing heat made it nearly impossible for any of them to approach.
“I’ll break through the flames. You two get her out.”
Shaya summoned Fenrir’s Winter Frost and immediately entered her Wolf Soul Possession state.
“Alright. Eva, we’re ready.”
Eva lifted Xue Ji onto her shoulders, preparing to sprint.
Shaya charged fearlessly into the fireball.
Eva carried Xue Ji into the high-speed realm, following close behind Shaya.
As they neared Ling Xiaoxiao, the surrounding flames turned almost pure white, and Shaya’s entire body was burning.
It took Xue Ji’s Frost Sword Intent just to ease the burden on all three of them.
Thankfully, they made it to Ling Xiaoxiao’s side. Xue Ji grabbed hold of her and immediately used a mental control spell to take over Ling Xiaoxiao’s body, halting the ever-rising temperature of her protective flames.
They had succeeded.
Meanwhile, after a prolonged struggle, Lilith had nearly merged completely with the Crimson Sorrow Sword. A flash of sword light—and the Demon-Subduing Sword snapped in two.
She clenched her fist, feeling the new power surging within her.
——-
Once the dust had settled, Commander Ye learned the full story and came to visit Xue Ji’s ward alone.
Her tone was earnest, almost pleading: “Xue Ji, please take good care of them. Don’t let them stir up trouble like this again.”
Trying to clean up the aftermath had cost Commander Ye more than a few strands of hair these past few days.
“I’ll do my best.” Xue Ji’s right arm was in a cast, and her expression was equally helpless.
“Then let me make myself clearer.” Seeing that Xue Ji still didn’t seem to fully grasp it, Commander Ye restated: “No matter what method you use, get your personal affairs in order—especially when it comes to matters of the heart.”
After being lectured face-to-face by Commander Ye, Xue Ji realized she had no choice but to seriously consider her relationships with the young women around her.
Inside a special ward aboard the Canglong, Ling Xiaoxiao floated motionless in pale blue liquid. Shaya was wrapped head to toe in bandages, with severe burns all over her body and multiple compound fractures.
Xue Ji, her right arm in a cast, sat in a wheelchair being pushed by Lilith as they entered the room. She looked helplessly at the two who had become her fellow patients.
Thank goodness Xia Jin had reacted quickly this time and urgently contacted Xue Ji the moment things threatened to spiral out of control. Otherwise, Xue Ji didn’t even want to imagine what might have happened.
Someone—she had no idea who—had come up with the bright idea of placing Shaya’s bed right next to Ling Xiaoxiao’s medical pod. The two stared at each other with wide eyes, neither speaking for the longest time.
When they saw Xue Ji approach, they both averted their gazes elsewhere, like children throwing a sulk.
