[Year 6300 of the Star Calendar.]
[A calamity star born of the Abundance descended upon the Xianzhou Cangcheng in a storm of flames.]
[People screamed in the streets. Despair spread like the end of the world. Golden vines grew wildly from mouths and nostrils.]
[Even long-life species were nothing more than fleeting insects before divine envoys.]
At the brink of drowning—
The girl grasped her lifeline.
A sword.
Three feet and seven inches long.
A woman in armor appeared—
Saving the girl.
Guiding her.
Teaching her how to wield the blade.
The girl's talent was extraordinary.
Day after day, she trained.
Battle after battle, she sharpened herself.
Time passed.
Her swordsmanship grew ever more refined.
Eventually—
She took in a disciple.
A Cloud Knight.
Though in her eyes—
That disciple wasn't suited for martial training.
But—
"Must a disciple be chosen for talent?"
To her—
That was nothing more than a lazy excuse.
A shortcut.
A way to gain fame through others.
Fame.
Legacy.
She cared for none of it.
If someone wished to learn her sword—
She would teach.
The wars never ceased.
Battlefields became her home.
During one campaign—
She met several exceptional individuals.
And with them—
She forged unbreakable bonds.
On the day she was named Sword Champion of the Luofu—
They stood beside her in celebration.
Blade—then known as Yingxing—
Presented her with a weapon he had personally forged:
Shatterblade — Zhi Li.
Five feet long.
Heavy as a mountain.
And in war—
It lived up to its name.
Where her blade pointed—
Abominations fell.
Dead or dying.
Together—
They rose to fame.
They were known as—
The High-Cloud Quintet.
In quieter moments—
They laughed.
They sparred.
They dreamed of the future.
The foxian girl with pale lavender hair—
Loved traveling between worlds aboard star-skiffs.
She always brought her wine.
To her—
The swordswoman once made a promise:
"One day…"
"I will cut down the stars themselves."
The Abundance.
But—
Such days…
Never lasted.
The Abundance's envoy—
Shuhu—
Descended upon the Xianzhou Luofu with an army of a hundred thousand.
In that war—
Baiheng died.
All that remained—
Was a trace of hair.
And flesh.
Dan Feng—
Alongside Yingxing—
Attempted to resurrect her.
Using forbidden methods.
They failed.
Disaster followed.
When she arrived—
Half of the Vidyadhara sanctum lay in ruins.
A monstrous dragon rampaged freely.
As Sword Champion—
She should have executed Dan Feng first.
But the dragon still lived.
So—
She chose to fight.
And in that moment—
She felt it again.
The nightmare—
Of her homeland's destruction.
She closed her eyes.
Covered them.
And remembered—
That promise.
"Even the stars…"
"I will cut them down."
Something changed.
Her flesh trembled.
Expanded.
A realization struck—
Weapons of form…
Were nothing but shackles.
She grasped a new blade—
One that could sever all restraints.
Abandoning mortal steel—
She stole a sliver of moonlight.
A sword of ice formed.
Three feet and seven inches long.
Weightless.
With it—
She slew the dragon.
But—
She also killed Baiheng.
Regret consumed her.
The dragon's dying cries—
Echoed endlessly in her mind.
And her fury—
Turned toward Dan Feng.
Toward Yingxing.
One year later—
She fell into Mara-struck madness.
She broke Yingxing out of prison.
And fought—
Against her own disciple—
General Jing Yuan—
And the Cloud Knights.
Then—
She vanished.
Later—
She taught Yingxing her swordsmanship—
Through unforgettable, brutal means.
When he revived for the final time—
All he saw was a shattered blade.
And her final words:
"Remember the feeling of death."
"And return it to them."
Astral Express
March 7th shivered.
"She killed him hundreds of times… just to make him remember death?"
She sighed.
The past of the High-Cloud Quintet—
Was impossible to judge.
Dan Feng's desire to revive Baiheng…
Was understandable.
But—
The outcome…
She glanced at Dan Heng.
"…Reincarnation still feels strange."
"Debts from one life…"
"Carried into the next…"
"…It doesn't sit right."
Then—
She suddenly remembered something.
"Wait—there was mention of a dragon egg before…"
"Could that be Baiheng's reincarnation?"
"…And Aerin still revived her past self?"
"That's insane…"
The connections were far too complex.
"Baiheng is a Foxian… a dragon egg is a dragon…"
"…How does that even work?"
The Trailblazer smirked.
"Reincarnation ignores race."
"Maybe you'll come back as a Doomsday Beast."
March 7th shot him a deadpan look.
"Then you'll definitely come back as a Stellaron."
Chat Reactions
Zhongli: "So this is the story of the High-Cloud Quintet… it resembles Liyue's Yakshas."
Xianyun: "Indeed… a tragedy."
Jing Yuan: "Then perhaps the Luofu and Liyue are not so different."
Lisa: "A civilization built on starships… fascinating."
Guizhong: "And yet, your guest has already arrived in Teyvat."
Baiheng: "…I've been revived."
Silence.
Blade: "…Baiheng?"
Jingliu: "…When?"
Jing Yuan: "What is happening?"
Zhongli calmly explained:
"The Loom of Fate…"
"Reality reconstruction."
Understanding dawned.
If it appeared on the screen—
It became reality.
Even across worlds.
Natlan — Arena
Mavuika stood calmly.
Jingliu descended.
Eyes closed.
Silent.
Within her mind—
A voice echoed.
"…Do you want me to disable the World Tree's influence on her?"
It was the voice of the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
Jingliu had already been recorded by Irminsul.
Meaning—
Her strength could now be influenced by will.
Mavuika replied firmly:
"No need."
Silence.
"…Understood."
"At least this ensures fairness."
"The World Tree's influence on her Mara has been suppressed."
"Enjoy your battle."
Mavuika smiled faintly.
Before her—
Jingliu stirred.
Memories surged.
Destruction.
Loss.
Regret.
Hatred.
All at once—
Her eyes snapped open.
Blood-red.
Her mirror turned black.
"…Heh… hahahaha…"
A chilling laugh echoed.
Mavuika narrowed her eyes.
"So this is Mara madness…"
Then—
The laughter stopped.
Cold air surged forward.
A blade—
Of ice—
Appeared instantly before her.
BOOM—!
The arena cracked.
Steam exploded outward.
Flames followed—
Burning everything away.
Mavuika caught the strike—
Barehanded.
Flames danced across her palm.
She looked up—
At Jingliu hovering above—
Blade pressed down.
A smile curved her lips.
"No words…"
"Straight to the kill?"
"Good."
"Let me experience—"
"The strength of someone from beyond this world."
And just like that—
The battle began.
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