C1386 In This Life Are You Not Going to Hide?

On the fringes of the Glimmerdrift Nebula, a sleek starship bore a host of Shura warriors toward another desolate stretch of space.

Alonso, with a crystal ball in hand, stood at the stern of the starship.

Behind him were Ciara, Demian, and two platinum Shura.

Further back, the eighth-level Shura and the original Shura warriors of the starship knelt in a sea of submission.

Their eyes were red with the flames of vengeance, yearning to follow him and retaliate.

"Leave, all of you."

With his back to the crowd, Alonso waved dismissively, his voice heavy with fatigue.

"Milord, why? Why must we depart?"

A woman of noble birth, her elegant posture accentuated by her silver gown, looked up imploringly, her hands resting on the fabric. "My child has perished, my homeland is lost, and the efforts of generations have been obliterated. Are we not Shura, bound by the code of blood for blood?"

Without turning or sparing her a glance, Alonso replied icily, "First, we must ensure our survival!"

The woman opened her mouth to protest but was silenced by Ciara's stern glare. "Be quiet!"

Intimidated by Ciara's fierce demeanor, the woman choked back her sorrow and dared not speak further.

Demian had already stowed the Heartthumper Drum. The platinum Shura from the Dark Realm had regained his composure and said, "Commander, I know you are correct."

The wall of the star could be mended, but to what end?

The Abyssal Leviathan had arrived, and with the brute force of that cosmic giant beast, no wall could withstand its onslaught.

The wall had been shattered by the Dire Bear merely to illuminate the star, to catch the Leviathan's gaze.

From the moment it beheld the star, the fate was sealed.

Even if Alonso repaired the wall, it would not hold back the Abyssal Leviathan.

Thus, it was prudent to evacuate with the higher echelons of the Shura at the earliest opportunity.

Demian recognized the wisdom in Alonso's actions. What puzzled him was Alonso's decision to launch an assault on Yu Yuan at such a critical juncture, following a clandestine conversation with Sabonis.

He had also deeply offended the Dire Bear in the process.

"Commander, what exactly did you witness within the Dragon Slaying Stage under Yu Yuan's control? What significance does it hold for our Shura?" Demian inquired.

Ciara and the others turned their attention sharply toward him.

The situation had spiraled out of control due to Alonso's spear.

They, too, were eager to understand why.

"The future."

Alonso spoke with a deep voice and a resolute expression, showing not a hint of regret.

"The items within the Dragon Slaying Stage represent the future! If we can obtain them, the Shura could experience a groundbreaking breakthrough! Perhaps, the Shura might even ascend to become the supreme race of the extraterrestrial realms, akin to the Sky Fiend!"

Demian and the others were profoundly shaken.

They had no reason to question the truth of his words, understanding that whatever could compel Sabonis and Alonso to make such a momentous decision must be extraordinary.

"The four of you, come with me!"

Alonso, gripping the silver lance that had lost its tip, reignited his fighting spirit. "We'll find a way to awaken the consciousness of the Abyssal Leviathan, and let this cosmic giant beast's fangs challenge the visitors from the Everlands once more!"

"The Heaven-Opening Sword Array has vanished, and the Divine Sword has departed. Once the Abyssal Leviathan awakens, no one will be able to stand against it!"

"He desires only Yu Yuan's body. We seek the Dragon Slaying Stage!"

...

In the Everlands, within the Sword Sect.

The desolate mountains rose starkly, like swords, emanating a multitude of piercing sword's will.

A broad canyon lay between the mountains, dotted with numerous caverns.

This was the Sword Cave.

Legend had it that these caverns were the final resting places for the swords of the departed.

After the demise of numerous illustrious Sword Immortals, their Immortal Swords and the secrets of their swordsmanship were entombed within these caverns, left for posterity to revere and decipher.

For millennia, innumerable descendants of the Sword Sect have gleaned mystical swordsmanship from the Sword Cave.

At this moment.

At the summit next to the Sword Cave, hundreds of Sword Sect disciples of varying levels had gathered in the caves and at the base of the mountain.

Among them at the peak were "Sword of Seven Emotions" Lu Hongpeng, "Frostflower Blade" Su Qingmo, and "Shatterblade" Van Heqing.

At the base of the mountain resided Kong Banbi, who had reached the middle period of Spirit Walk in his cultivation. A recent "sword rain" had unleashed an infinite number of sword lights and sword's will into the many Sword Caves, causing the sword spells hidden within to suddenly burst forth with brilliance. Elsewhere, a powerful sword force erupted from the ground, carving out a new Sword Cave and etching sword scars into its walls.

This unusual activity in the Sword Caves had alerted numerous Sword Immortals within the Sword Sect and the Everlands, drawing them together to exchange hushed speculations.

"Brother Kong, do you have any idea what's going on?" whispered a young girl with braided hair, appearing no older than seventeen or eighteen, as she approached Kong Banbi.

Kong Banbi shook his head, replying, "All I know is that the force that infiltrated the Sword Caves originated from the Frozen Hellscape." He gazed toward a distant, squat mountain far from the Sword Caves. Short yet robust, it seemed to be deeply rooted in the earth, emanating a sense of profound solidity.

Kong Banbi was well aware that this was the "Sword of Gaia," the place where Gu Xingkui had devoted himself to relentless cultivation. Recently, a subtle tremor from the mountain had captured everyone's attention, followed by the downpour of sword lights...

"Let's hope it's nothing serious," Kong Banbi said, his face etched with concern. Renowned for his steadiness among the Sword Sect's newer members, he was fortunate to have been received and mentored by Gu Xingkui himself.

He understood that the mountain's tremor signaled Gu Xingkui's strike, a defensive measure to safeguard the Everlands from an extraterrestrial force attempting to penetrate this vast world, prompting the Sword of Gaia to resonate with a sword cry.

Yet, if Gu Xingkui had indeed taken action, why were there so many sword lights and sword's will erupting from the depths of the Frozen Hellscape? Shouldn't the Sword Sect's ancestors be greeted with open arms if they were to return to the Sect?

Kong Banbi was puzzled, sensing deep down that something was amiss.

He suspected that a monumental change had occurred in the Everlands, but since he hadn't reached a high enough level to condense a Solar Spirit, he wasn't privy to such knowledge.

"So many years have passed; I wonder how Yu Yuan, that rascal, is faring in the extraterrestrial realms."

For some inexplicable reason, Kong Banbi found himself reminiscing about Yu Yuan and the days they fought shoulder to shoulder in the Embers Sea.

...

In his past life, Yu Yuan had always been on the run, aware that his time was running out.

In his new life, he stopped fleeing.

Embracing the beautiful woman in the depths of the mist, Yu Yuan felt a profound sense of satisfaction.

He had finally grasped the ultimate treasure he had longed for, fulfilling his deepest desires!

The moment he held Ji Ningshuang close, he confronted his true feelings, realizing that he had harbored affection for this aloof woman all along.

Sometimes, the more one tries to suppress their feelings, the more intense and deep-seated they become.

"Now, how do you dare?"

Ji Ningshuang, who had been in his arms for some time, teased him with a soft whisper in his ear.

Her voice was light and joyful, radiating an ineffable delight.

Three hundred years ago, Ji Ningshuang couldn't count how many times she had hinted at her feelings to him.

But that infuriating man either feigned ignorance or turned a deaf ear.

Because of this, she was so frustrated that she had cursed Yu Yuan countless times behind his back.

Twice, she had boldly made advances, only to scare Yu Yuan into a hasty retreat, leaving her heartbroken and self-pitying. She even began to doubt herself.

She questioned her judgment, her unrequited feelings, and whether Yu Yuan had ever reciprocated her affection.

She wondered if Yu Yuan had only ever seen her as a sister, just as he had claimed.

But in the moment she threw herself into Yu Yuan's embrace, he instantly responded.

She knew then that everything had changed; Yu Yuan was different. "Tell me, how do you dare now?"

Yu Yuan paused before answering, "Because I'm not going to die anytime soon."

No sooner had the words left his lips than he felt the woman in his embrace shudder gently, her arms tightening around him.

"Will you stop hiding in this life?" Ji Ningshuang nestled her head into the crook of his neck, her chin resting softly against his skin as she whispered the question.

"I'm done hiding."

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