Frigid Reunion From Above Clouds

There is a place that seems enshrined in darkness, with a chill that also seems to follow mercilessly right after. Though there is light streaming upon the ground, illuminating the strange symbols shown here or there. A man walks upon this path, and someone is looking down on the man from a platform raised above this ground; this someone is evidently Jing Yuan himself who clears his throat, which makes the blond long-haired male halt in his steps.

Jing Yuan's voice calls out, "All who enter here...are either jailers...or prisoners. Which are you?"

Behind the blond are soldiers who creep up from behind, steps as silent as passing clouds.

The blond-haired man responds, "Neither. I'm merely a lost traveler."

From atop the platform, Jing Yuan walks forward to close the distance, footsteps confident as he says with dramatic flair, 'What a spectacle! The Stellaron, the Ambroisal Arbor, the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, the Lord Ravager..."

He steps past the other man as the soldiers pull back their spears, continuing to speak and continuing these dramatics, "...a series of threats, that almost succeeded in diverting attention away...from the crucial question..."

Within a heartbeat of a moment, Jing Yuan summons his glaive from nowhere into his right hand. In the next moment, he points it directly at the back of the blond's head as the guards get into fighting position, questioning, "They who brought the Stellaron onto the Xianzhou...what was their motive?"

Jing Yuan's words are sharp as he offers another question, without giving the man a moment to answer:

"Will you surrender, or do you require encouragement? Abomination of Yaoshi."

The blond simply responds with a humorous tone as if telling a joke, "General, my power does indeed stem from the Abundance. But I'm the same as you."

Then he turns around to face Jing Yuan as snowflakes begin to fall, continuing to speak. "We are both enemies of Yaoshi."

A female's voice enters into the area, saying, "That's right, Jing Yuan. Stay out of our way."

The soldiers with Jing Yuan nervously begin to back up as the woman's voice, cold as ever, is heard across the area. "The revival of the Arbor is an omen. It's time for the Xianzhou to choose its next path."

Through the cold mist and fog walks in a woman wearing a black blindfold with a crescent moon in the midst of it. Her hair is long and white, her steps quiet as the soldiers who came before her, yet judging by the way the cool fog disperses into the air around her, she clearly is the one causing the strange ice-like phenomenon. "The Reignbow Arbiter, the Plagues Author, the Ruin Author...this is chess game between Aeons. If you don't stand with the winners, you stand to lose."

Then, just like that, the memory shifts, ending with a look of consternation from Jing Yuan, who appears more intense at this potentially unknown intruder.

Instead it changes to somewhere else. A place filled with ruins, where the sunlight reaches vaguely through clouds.

Scalegorge Waterscape is a place that is as empty as ever except for a number of players; for better these days, given the tainted history.

The area resting above the waters sees the occupation of a few folks—a certain beautiful man with long blond hair and radiant, green eyes. One who smiles in a way to indicate his purposeful obscuring of whatever secrets lay within him, and perhaps the coffin that he brings alongside him.

"As a follower of the Reingbow Arbiter, you have witnessed the catastrophe brought upon by the Plagues Author, General. Living beings turning into undying monsters, eventually used as sacrifices to the Abundance.

What do you think should be done to put an end to it...General?"

The blond speaks in the exact kind of tone one might suggest he is leading to a certain point. But evidently, he is taking his sweet time getting there. "The Alliance follows the Reingbow Arbiter's edict—to continue ridding the world of evil, so that one day Yaoshi might be vanquished and the cycle of life and death restored.

Under the auspices of the Reingbow Arbitor, the faithful Cloud Knights continue the Hunt. Their devotion and sacrifices are indeed commendable...but their devotedness has made them close-minded."

Jing Yuan does not seem all that excited, though he is quiet where others would certainly have words to raise in how he phrased certain things. The man, who likes to hear the sound of his voice, says, "Take me, for example. My powers originate from the Abundance, yet my goals are aligned with the Alliance. The Hunt is not the only faction in the unvierse that wants Yaoshi dead."

It is then that the blond man speaks of a way to sever the curse bestowed upon the Aeon, Yaoshi. Only to imply that Jing Yuan's Master found a solution to the problem of "mara".

To that of which Jing Yuan can only say the following, "...I'm listening."

But, he finds that the man only acts to withhold that information for an audience on another ship instead. Which seems to matter little, when other players arrive following Jing Yuan's compliment of the other man's play. One of which is a black-haired male, commenting on the fact that Jing Yuan has changed, for he would have never admitted to weakness in any way in the past.

Jing Yuan pays it no mind, as a woman with long white hair and a blindfold asks for the blond to be taken away. Instead, as the other man departs, alongside a blond-haired boy, that leaves only four main ones:

Jing Yuan.

A man with short dark hair and green eyes.

The woman with a blind fold.

And a man with dark hair and crimson eyes.

Thus is the setting where this woman begins her speech, Jing Yuan one of those who can only watch as she speaks in the haunting silence that entombs their surroundings, "...And so, everyone is present. I never thought the High-Cloud Quintet would be able to gather again in the same place after hundreds of years."

Yet, there's only four of them, isn't there?

So it is with this, she continues her speech, "If I remember correctly, the five of us made a promise here seven centuries ago. We promised that no matter what happened, we would gather here together, and share a drink.

How sad that Scalegorge Waterscape remains empty while the world continues to turn. Some of us have been reborn, while others were denied death. Some have become criminals, while others...can no longer fulfill their promises. And in the end, our friendship is no more."

She speaks on more matters, that are unheard through the memory itself; unimportant or perhaps simple fluff that can be easily dismissed, until she's turning her attention towards the man with black short hair, saying, "Dan Heng, you can never escape the shadow of Imbibitor Lunae. He is your origin, and his sins will accompany you in your path forward until you meet your eventual doom."

Then, to the man with a cold look, crimson eyes, and long hair. "Blade...what a fitting name. In the remainder of your infinite life, you will experience only murder and your own death, all the while pleading for a place to rest. This is the only way you are able to relinquish Yingxing's regrets."

Finally, this woman walks forward, passing by Jing Yuan, whose gaze follows her quietly as she finishes with, "And I...will face the punishment of the Alliance and suffer an eternal punishment...before paying an even worse price...

That is the only way to keep the memory of the pain of the past...from fading away. High-Cloud Quintet...it is time to say good-bye."

Though, even as she concludes her speech, she seems to have more words to exchange with Jing Yuan, asking, "Jing Yuan, is it not time you sent me to the Xuling?"

At this, Jing Yuan seems to consider her question, before folding his arms and responding, "The laws of the Alliance cannot be subject to change...Unfortunately, your next stop will be the Yuque. I reported everything to the marshal, and the Seer Strategist just so happened to take an interest in the case—they set up a Deca-Light Reflection Barrier in hopes of meeting the two of you beforehand."

Yet, there is a slight smile on his face, despite him saying these words.

Jingliu raises a brow as she gestures with one hand, saying, "Jing Yuan...you haven't changed at all—always trying to destroy the plans of others...

But in the end, whether it be you, me, the Cloud Knights, or the generals of the Reignbow Arbiter...we are all just pawns in a game of the gods. I am sick and tired of treading on a predetermined path."

She seems to pause, before deciding at last, to say, "No matter. I will deviate if you insist, but this does not change how things will end. Ultimately, I will stand on the side of victory."

Then, Jing Yuan's eyes narrow as he says, "Then I shall see this gamble through."

Herald of Disaster ~ Even Immortality Ends

Shinjiro can witness that there are a number of individuals gathered in a place that seems filled with strange ruins, floating above ground, broken from wear and tear, or otherwise still barely standing.

Jing Yuan himself is there, alongside a few fellows like a very short long pink haired woman, a male with long black hair and green eyes, and another woman with pink hair, though short. There is also a brown-haired elder man, and a grey short-haired male.

At this time, Jing Yuan speaks, "My astral guests, when you first appeared on the Luofu, your stated aim was the resolution of the Stellaron crisis. I was concerned that the Stellaron Hunters harbored ulterior motives and refused your offer. I see now that I was overly anxious."

After that moment of pause, he even smiles, stating, "Nevertheless, it is true that the motives of the Stellaron Hunters were not what they appeared, haha. In order that the Express and the Xianzhou fight side bye side, Kafka lured you here and broaden the scope of the crisis...in doing so, she succeeded in making clear that your sincerity is beyond doubt. The Luofu is in your debt, and I have no right to seek further assistance from you."

There's a pause as a grave expression comes over Jing Yuan, and he says, "However, as Lady Fu has explained, the appearance of Phantylia means that the situation is far from under our control. As general of the Luofu, it would be foolish of me not to ask Dan Heng and the rest of you for your strength at this critical moment."

The brown-haired male with glasses speaks up, saying, "Even if the crisis on the Luofu had nothing to do with the Stellaron, I would be willing to help...but I can't speak for the other members of my crew."

The three crewmembers, Dan Heng included (revealed by when the pink-haired lady speaks his name) decide to throw their lot in with the brunet. Jing Yuan smiles, saying, "Thank you, Dan Heng."

When Jing Yuan is asked what the master plan is...he simply states that there is none. Only a bet on Dan Heng's capabilities.

Then, after further discussion, Dan Heng manages to make what appears to be the sea part to reveal more hidden ruins and something like a draconic apparition up ahead. Jing Yuan strides forward to get a better look at everything.

Following his appraisal of its appearance, he turns his attention to the short long haired woman, asking for her to come forward, to which she answers in affirmation.

"Remain here — lead the Cloud Knights in defense of this passage. We must prevent further incidents."

She seems startled at this as she asks, "Jing Yuan...General, are you planning to face Phantylia alone?"

At that, Jing Yuan turns his attention towards Dan Heng and his friends as he replies, "I wouldn't say so, I'll be counting on a few friends for support."

Soldiers begin to protest, only for Jing Yuan to deny their assistance, and then say, "You have a more important duty. Cloud Knights, attention! After I enter the Ambrosial Arbor, and if the seawater returns to its original state, you must withdraw immediately and seal off the delve once more. The Master Diviner will lead you."

After hearing their affirmative response, he says quieter to Fu, "Lady Fu, if I am unable to return, I entrust you with the important task of relaying the full account to the other Xianzhou ships."

After that, the scene changes to the group who is making their way to the Ambrosial Arbor. All the way before they are standing before a bridge, where the draconic figure rests ever closer; Jing Yuan stops to ask, "I hope everyone is prepared?"

With affirmations being received, Dan Heng works his magic once again, the draconic seal breaking with a raise of a hand and application of strange magic.

Their surroundings seem shrouded in mostly fog and cloud, but also branches and leaves that reach as well as sprout from the unknown. There is a strangely colored flame of some sort, and from it a female's voice speaks, "Oh? Hee-hee, has the general of the Luofu chosen to grace me with his presence?"

The pink short-haired lady shouts, "That witch! She was waiting for us the whole time. Show yourself, Phantylia!"

Phantylia merely asks them to wait for herself to be made presentable.

Jing Yuan commands a little after the creature speaks, "All of you ready yourselves. Dan Heng, guard my back. I'm counting on you."

Dan Heng replies, "Understood."

After that, Phantylia's wisp-like being drops upon the small platform she had been floating above, seeming to wreathe it in unnatural flame, which spirals up above a certain point. Then, with a light flash of yellow, it reveals a larger figure, standing tall.

The battle for the Xianzhou Luofu has begun.

The creature states, "Benefactors, behold this beautiful body...the miracles of Abundance live up to the name.

The very power that brough the Xianzhou long life, I will use it to bring destruction!"

Jing Yuan sets out his command, "Phantylia has usurped the power of the Arbor...all of you — focus on destroying the phantom flowers — I'll go for the body."

As they fight, fiercer than ever, she makes a few smart remarks, to which Jing Yuan makes commentary on the fact the weeds in his garden give him more trouble. This makes her all the more amused, catching her attention for his apparent arrogance; but even so, they fight fiercer than ever. Her forms shift, from blue-colored to yellow as they beat down her health.

Jing Yuan's voice is raised as he continues to talk smack. "So much effort to crush us, and met with so little success...I wonder what the other Ravagers would think."

She frowns, saying, "It's almost as if you can't wait to be acquainted with them...I'm afraid you won't have the chance."

Finally, after they beat her down once more, Phantylia makes a rather unfortunate declaration, "For my next trick, I shall turn each one of you into my Voidrangers. The power of the Destruction will eat away at your flesh and transform you into pawns of the great Nanook!"

She then sneers as she turns her attention towards Jing Yuan, entrapping him within a lotus like contraption that conjures a strange energy that paralyzes him, "Let's start with this arrogant Xianzhou General..."

Once it reaches its apex, seeming to slam down into him, Jing Yuan is brought to one knee, glaive on the floor, nothing to say.

She then raises one hand only to bring it down, purple energy then resulting in forcing Jing Yuan to be suspended mid-air. Sickly green and blue energy forcibly enters into the man's body from a myriad directions. All things considered, it appears as unpleasant as it looks, though he certainly hardly makes a sound. She chuckles as she asks, "I wonder if the transformation of a Xianzhou general into a Void Ranger...would cast the Luofu back into chaos?"

"Destruction works in fascinating ways."

Then, Jing Yuan looks up at her in defiance, and she seems perturbed as she asks, "What are you—"

After laying prone in the air Jing Yuan struggles with a ferocity that makes it apparent he is not about to take it lying down, with a strange gold light enveloping him as well as his eyes. All at the same time a part of Phantylia is smashed into pieces by something.

Then, he shouts as he clenches his right hand into a tight fist, "Dan Heng! Do it—"

Does one remember? When Jing Yuan stated he had no plan?

That he had nothing in store, only to rely on Dan Heng's capabilities?

There is a sense that somehow, his words while true, had not exactly scraped the entire truth.

Behind the creature is a towering, golden phantasm of a monstrosity, standing about 626 feet tall and wide, with a spear in hand, ready to bring it down upon Phantylia at the same time Dan Heng answers Jing Yuan's call.

All the same, Dan Heng's spear pierces into Jing Yuan's back with terrifying and startling accuracy with all the force of Permanence's Scion behind it, at the same time the golden creature brings its own weapon down into Phantylia. It is as ruthless and damaging as it looks, both to Jing Yuan and Phantylia, the latter of which crumbles in the face of such power. As for Jing Yuan?

He can only be accepting of the result, the wound having it not just made itself apparent on the creature that connected her life to his, but his own as well, red tinted where it landed. The spear had dispersed from where it once impaled him and once it had, he can only accept the result, causing Jing Yuan's eyes to close shut, and he falls, down, down—

In Media Res ~ The General and the Stars

Just like before, it seems the memory starts up once again, though there seems to be interference...or static at certain points also present.

"—Don't be too harsh, Yukong. If this gets out, the whole galaxy will think the Alliance has forgotten how to treat our guests."

The voice belongs to none other than Jing Yuan, who walks forward with a little smile on his face, which fades away soon enough. He looks a bit different than usual—his appearance transparent, highlighted by a bright blue. Not too much like the small tree positioned behind him.

Holographic.

The woman he addresses looks at him—her appearance is clear. Dark green hair, amethyst eyes with fox-like ears that sit upon her head, though she seems to have a commanding aura nonetheless. Still, here she looks surprised, speaking Jing Yuan's name.

Jing Yuan interrupts her, turning elsewhere, "It is very unlikely that the Express has joined forces with the Stellaron Hunters. They are mortal enemies, after all."

His words and attention seem to be temporarily directed towards on a group of three individuals standing nearby. A young lady with shoulder-length pink hair, a grey-haired male, and an older, brown-haired man with glasses.

Then, after that, Jing Yuan grants an apology and introduces himself with his name, along with whatever he says after that, which seems to be obscured.

Yukong frowns and turns towards Jing Yuan, her words spoken over some static, "...this is an internal affair for the Luofu..."

Jing Yuan smiles brightly as he turns to face her, responding, "I fully agree with you, Helm Master Yukong; this is indeed an internal affair."

After that, he turns back to the three saying, "I am sorry, guests of the Astral Express. It is true that there is Stellaron on the Luofu, but I'm afraid I cannot accept your kind offer to help resolve the issue. This is a Xianzhou matter, and..."

Suddenly, the scene seems to glitch once again to another scene entirely.

Kurapika now sees three figures stand in a large, spacious room with red pillars, and a myriad decorations, including symbols of dragons spaced here or there, alongside a window into the stars above.

One is Jing Yuan, one is a blond-haired young boy, and one is a holographic projection of a young woman with long hair.

Addressing the projection, Jing Yuan asks, "[STATIC]...What do you make of it?"

She seems to merely scoff, placing one hand on her hip. "What do I make of it? 'The way of heaven is apparent, but the heart of humanity is often deceptive.' Are you...[STATIC]...their true intentions?"

Jing Yuan crosses his arms as he says, "That won't be necessary. The crew has nothing to do with the incident, of that I am almost certain. It isn't their intentions that trouble me. All I want is for them to lure out the one we're after."

She blinks and asks, "Wasn't that my idea, [STATIC]?"

"Indeed, your counsel has always been of great help to me. You may use your discretion on the matters ahead of us."

She huffs and asks, "Why don't you [STATIC] and I use my discretion full-time?"

One gets the feeling that this is a question this young lady has asked many times before, judging by her tone. At this, Jing Yuan only manages to laugh. "It is still too soon, unfortunately. If something goes wrong, you'll need [STATIC] to take the blame. How could I simply walk away and put you at such risk?"

"If you brought me that Blade earlier, none of this would've been necessary. Wait, what are you up to exactly? Jing Yuan, did you...let him escape on purpose?!"

Jing Yuan turns away from the hologram, walking to position himself on the other side of the table nearby, crossing his arms as he laughs once more. "Me? I had no idea he might escape! Unlike you, my gaze never travels beyond the horizon. I take full responsibility—the...[STATIC]...failed in their duty."

"Hmph, I can understand. There's a lot to take care of on the Xianzhou—you were bound to miss something. Thank goodness I'm here..."

She pauses and then says, "On that note, perhaps it's about time you finally nominate me as your successor when [STATIC] next convene..."

Jing Yuan merely replies, "Yes, yes, yes...I have to go now—I'll leave this in your overwhelmingly capable hands, Fu Xuan."

As she is about to surely protest, he turns the hologram off. After which, the general sighs to himself. "There are three things in the world that I can't seem to ride myself of: the troubles of the Xianzhou, the papers on my desk, and the weeds in my garden."

The blond boy beside him finally speaks up, saying, "[STATIC] wants the general's position for herself. Everyone knows that."

"She is very capable, but her intellect is burdened by a quick temper. I'll retire when she's achieved a better balance."

Then, the boy speaks up again. "This Stellaron thing is easy. Blade escaped, now we gotta go get him. Just say the word and I'll solve this in a flash."

Jing Yuan unfolds his arms, walking on over to the blond as he replies, "I can understand your impatience, and I know you want to prove yourself. Now is not the time. If you truly wish to become..."

His next words are also obscured here.

The young boy tsks and asks, "You think I'd lose to Blade?"

"I'm saying you need to have patience, Yanqing. [STATIC] Xianzhou is different from a sword fight. The only way to build momentum is to work slowly. Besides, we still don't know who's really moving the chess pieces..."

Jing Yuan casts a gaze towards where a game lies with pieces upon it. "There is something we must take care of before making our next move. As long as it remains unresolved, we're at a stalemate. That something is the Stellaron."

A stalemate can be a condition of victory. But not like this. Jing Yuan's eyes narrow for a moment, expression unreadable as he asks, "How did it manage to by-pass the Sky-Faring Commission's inspections and the.....Commission's predictions? Where is it now?"

Yanqing excitedly suggests, "I say we bring those two Stellaron Hunters...[STATIC]...she'll get an answer out of them in no time."

Jing Yuan turns his gaze towards where the stars lie and says, "I've asked our friends from the Express to take care of that for us. Worry not, you'll have your moment when the current stalement is broken. You are my most trusted aide, and there are some things I would only assign to you."

As he says this, Yanqing pouts, turns away, and begins to walk off. Though, Jing Yuan is still facing away as he continues to speak, "Speaking of which, Yanqing..."

When Jing Yuan turns around, the blond boy is nowhere to be found, making him sigh. "That boy..."

He smiles wryly to himself as he mutters, "I suppose it is my fault. I should have given him an opportunity already. 'A sharp sword can't stay sheathed forever,' haha..."

But he shakes his head. "My fear is that this might prove too big a setback, bigger than his exuberance..."