The Starskiff set sail from Cloudford, destination: Starskiff Haven Central. Its duty: to escort merchants and commoners trapped in the port by the Mara-struck chaos to a safe location.
Compared to entering the port to exterminate the Mara-struck, the difficulty of an escort mission was lower. Usually, these were handed to rookies, or Cloud Knights who needed rest after fighting continuously for days.
A figure stood by the navigation light pillar at Port 7, wearing an apricot-yellow satin jacket, her skirt hem blown by the wind. Two upturned braids swayed behind her head; the bow made of vermilion ribbon was half-wilted.
The guiding voices of the Cloud Knights interwove with the clamor of the crowd, yet she turned a deaf ear, hands clasped together, forcefully lifting the heavy sword beside her.
Private Sushang kept her small face straight, her gaze gradually becoming solemn.
However, often times, the expression one thinks one has, and the expression outsiders see, are slightly—just a tiny bit—different.
In the eyes of bystanders, she was a brown-haired girl looking a bit dopey, her apricot eyes filled with an aura of wisdom unpolluted by knowledge.
The sword's name was Xuanyuan, Sushang's family heirloom. As for exactly how old it was, she had forgotten.
Sushang scrutinized the Xuanyuan sword closely, then suddenly let out a delicate shout.
"Form is for advantage!"
"Sword Activation · Rift Sky!"
While shouting with force, Sushang gripped the hilt tightly, staring dead at the blade, like an otaku staring dead at the white cat at home, pointing at it and shouting, 'Transform for me!'
The sword remained as it was, with no reaction whatsoever, only the swishing cold wind.
And a gaze that seemed to say 'look at this idiot' reflecting from the blade's light.
"So, what exactly is going on here?"
Sushang wore a confused expression. She raised her hand wanting to scratch the back of her head, but she forgot she couldn't hold the heavy sword steady with one hand, and Xuanyuan almost fell.
"!"
She hurriedly grabbed it with both hands, heaving a long sigh of relief, and wiped away non-existent sweat.
Sushang was born on the Yaoqing Xianzhou. Some time ago, responding to the Luofu's call, she transferred from the Yaoqing side. The main reason for coming was hearing that there was a shortage of personnel here, making it easier to develop, and also to slightly break free from the control of her parents.
Currently affiliated with the Cloud Knights District in Exalting Sanctum, she was a Cloud Knight rookie, and a somewhat famous rookie within the army at that.
If one asked why she was famous?
Because Sushang entered through the special recruitment channel.
Ahem, take note, it was special recruitment, not using connections!
Sushang's private school grades weren't exactly ideal, and the Cloud Knight enlistment exam included a written test alongside the martial arts test.
For an interstellar civilization like the Xianzhou, being a soldier wasn't something one could do relying solely on martial arts.
Pulling out any active Cloud Knight, even if not guaranteed to be a top student, most had at least a higher education diploma. Without some knowledge, one wouldn't even know how to use high-tech weapons.
Setting aside whether the answers were right or wrong, the sheer number of typos filled the paper, causing Sushang to fail the written exam. She relied on her martial arts exam results to get the special recruitment.
Successfully enlisting made Sushang very happy.
It was just a pity that after arriving on the Luofu, there didn't seem to be much use for her skills. Due to her shallow learning, she was mainly assigned to menial tasks and patrols within the Cloud Knights.
On normal days, she could only regretfully perform acts of chivalry and help the neighbors. Although this was fine too, Sushang, who grew up listening to the biographies of Cloud Knight heroes, had a grand ideal of becoming a 'Heroine Renowned Throughout the Star Ocean'.
Finally, she waited until a formal sortie mission: go to Cloudford to exterminate the Mara-struck and rescue trapped civilians.
This was a chance to reveal her talent and kill enemies to earn merit!
The first step to becoming a heroine moving the Star Ocean started with moving the Cloud Knight Rescue Team!
In terms of results, it could probably be considered a success.
Nowadays, the name Sushang had spread throughout the troops stationed at Cloudford Port; one could say she was known by everyone.
It was just that the process left Sushang scratching her head. One might even say it was completely bizarre.
"Xuanyuan Sword, oh Xuanyuan Sword, was it you who did it?"
Her eyes darted around as Sushang stared at the heavy sword with a gaze that was wise and sharp.
Previously, when her comrades asked her a bunch of questions, Sushang couldn't understand a thing. After someone explained it to her in detail, Sushang became even more bewildered.
Her, Sushang, a Sword Immortal?
First Disciple of the Peerless Freedom Sect?
Unfolding a Sword Domain while her aura flowed, casually swinging her sword to slay dozens of Mara-struck?
I'm that strong? How did I not know?
At first, Sushang thought those guys were teaming up to tease her again.
It wasn't until a comrade gave her several clips recorded by the combat recorder that Sushang's little melon of a head crashed on the spot, buzzing.
The person in the footage was really her!
It wasn't fake at all!
Even if her brain wasn't very sharp, she couldn't possibly fail to recognize herself!
Subsequently, Sushang was at a loss.
She began to recall what she was doing at that point in time. But after bustling about, registering names involved so many unfamiliar characters, which was very mentally taxing. Sushang felt she seemed to have forgotten.
If she couldn't remember, she simply wouldn't think about it.
Sushang began to employ her world-shocking wisdom to think, and she successfully arrived at an answer.
That Sword Immortal girl in the video was undoubtedly herself!
But, it might have been herself controlled by the Xuanyuan Sword.
That's right, the Xuanyuan Sword.
Growing up in a family of sword martial arts, Sushang's understanding of swords couldn't be called thoroughly mastered, but it far exceeded her academic subjects.
It was said there was a special kind of demonic sword. Even for someone untrained in swordsmanship, as long as they grasped the hilt, profound and subtle sword techniques would flash through their mind.
Sushang suspected her family heirloom, Xuanyuan, was just such a special Divine Sword containing spiritual intelligence. Otherwise, why would it be passed down for generations?
Sushang was familiar with this scenario, very familiar!
In the past, listening to storytelling and watching operas, she often saw similar situations. The protagonist, while weak, obtains a family heirloom sword or finds a divine artifact in a mystic realm. Inside, there is usually a powerful sword spirit that possesses them, helping the protagonist solve enemies and showing off in front of others.
Sushang felt this was simply identical to her own situation.
When she was small, she had asked her mother, wanting to know if the peerless Sword Immortals in the fantasies actually existed.
Her mother said they existed. Such people were usually great figures whose martial arts reached the heavens, capable of facing an army alone. She said that when Sushang went out to gain experience in the future, if she had good luck, she might encounter such an opportunity.
"Mom, I've met the opportunity you spoke of!"
Heheh~ This young lady is going to become a 'Protagonist whose name goes down in history' in the storytelling scripts!
Hmph hmph~ Now, her friends in the army didn't call her 'Li Big Pillow' anymore!
What was this?
This was respect!
After guessing the possible truth, Sushang had been chattering at Xuanyuan, wanting to communicate with the sword spirit inside.
But the sword spirit ignored her.
Maybe she should send a letter to her mom asking about the Xuanyuan Sword?
"Sushang, what are you doing standing here in a daze?"
A sudden slap on the shoulder startled Sushang into a shiver, and the heavy Xuanyuan sword slipped from her hand due to lack of strength.
"!"
Amidst the crisp sound of the scabbard hitting the ground, Sushang scrambled to scoop it up, only for her left foot to trip over her right, and her whole body tilted and crashed into a cargo crate.
Bang~!
"Yah, ouch~!"
Sushang held her head, grimacing in pain.
"Sushang, are you okay?"
The culprit, the owner of the hand, was a female Cloud Knight. Watching this comical scene, she hurriedly helped Sushang up, though her expression was exceptionally odd.
"I'm fine, I'm fine."
Sushang rubbed her head, swaying as she stood up.
"Good that you're fine. Don't space out, go back and rest quickly. We really owe it to you this time!"
Although she said that, it was truly hard for her to see this goofy rookie recruit and that agile, ethereal Sword Immortal girl as the same person.
"Oh, oh, I'll go back in a bit. Bye-bye~"
Her ponytail swayed gently with her head-bobbing motion. Sushang waved goodbye to her comrade, but her eyes were full of eager brilliance.
How could Sushang have the mind to rest right now?
Find an empty, unmanned dock to test it out!
No sooner said than done.
A dock rarely visited due to the Mara-struck chaos. Although the outbreak was small and had been resolved, it was currently still in a semi-sealed stage. As a Cloud Knight, Sushang could naturally enter.
"Right here."
Her figure was blocked by tall cargo crates as Sushang walked in excitedly.
Deep in the dock, Sushang felt something was wrong.
"Is there a problem with the temperature control facility? Why does it feel a bit cold?"
Sushang shrank her neck.
Suddenly, a violent sound came over.
"Hmm? What happened?"
Sushang looked left and right.
"Is anyone there? Hold on, the Cloud Knights are here!"
Drawing the heavy Xuanyuan sword, Sushang ran wildly in the direction of the sound.
Running past two corners, the scene before her eyes left Sushang dumbfounded.
Between the steps, sword light flickered. One could not see a sharp blade, only the flash of sharp sword light passing by, and cold air became the fleeting existence in this space.
Moisture in the air condensed into frost and snow, slowly sliding down. Ice-blue thin lines appeared on the throats of several Mara-struck.
Gurgle.
Heads rolled to the ground. The necks that should have sprayed fresh blood were actually frozen; not a single drop of blood fell on the ground.
It was a white-haired beauty wearing a black mask with gold patterns, blindfolded with black gauze.
Lying on the ground were also two Mara-struck and injured Cloud Knights.
"..."
Sushang opened her mouth, but before she could make a sound, she saw that white-haired beauty suddenly turn her head to look over.
Caught off guard, the icy and sharp sword intent made Sushang feel as if she were placed in a world of ice and snow.
But in the next second, a scene appeared that made Sushang's brain buzz and turned her dopey.
She saw the corners of that imposingly aura-filled white-haired beauty's mouth curve into a faint arc, her tone cool yet gentle:
"Sister Sushang, you've come."
"Ah... You know me?"
Sushang pointed a finger at herself somewhat sluggishly, baffled.
Why did she have no impression of the person before her?
Hearing this, Jingliu's brows furrowed slightly, but when her gaze noticed the two injured Cloud Knights lying on the ground, she paused, remaining silent for a moment.
"I see."
After parting with Caelus, Jingliu had investigated Sushang's files, but no matter how she looked, Sushang was just a Cloud Knight rookie without any abnormalities.
Thinking about it, there was only one possibility: Sushang was hiding it.
Although Jingliu didn't know why she was hiding it—the other party must have her own reasons—given her background and growth, it was basically impossible for her to do anything harmful to the Luofu. Thus, the reason had nothing to do with her.
"?"
A question mark popped out of Sushang's forehead.
I see?
What was what?
What did you understand?
"Thanks to that fellow, the blade at this moment is sufficiently sharp and sober."
Her delicate lips parted slightly, and the corners of Jingliu's mouth lifted in an arc of fervent whim. She caressed the surface of the blade, ice crystals climbing along her fingertips to form patterns.
"According to the agreement, let me see what 'Taixu' is!"
"Sister Sushang, please enlighten me!"
Jingliu flicked the spine of her sword, pointing it at the brown-haired girl.
"...Ah?"
Sushang was in a state of bewilderment from start to finish, her brain churned into paste by the bizarre situation.
What was all this!
However, she did understand what this little sister meant!
She wanted to spar with her and see her Taixu Sword Art.
This kind of thing happened often in the army too.
Sushang was still very confident in her swordsmanship.
Her mother said she had considerable talent in the way of the sword!
"Fine!"
After reacting, Sushang instantly puffed out her chest—which couldn't yet be called a 'Big Pillow'—and said proudly:
"Then I'll let you see this young lady's Taixu Sword Art."
Sushang raised the Xuanyuan sword with both hands. Amidst Jingliu's expression that was three parts odd, four parts spectacular, and three parts bizarre, she shouted:
"Shape of Taixu — Phoenix, Manifest!"
________________________________________
If you want more chapters, please consider supporting my page on Patreon. with 50 advanced chapters available on Patreon
patreon.com/Leanzin