A Startling Turn at Tianji

"Is that—?" Cassian stared for several seconds, his heart pounding violently against his ribs. When Chen Chuan restored his clothing earlier, he had not bothered to reconstitute his mask. However, the crimson sash wrapped around the saber's hilt was far too recognizable; Cassian identified him almost immediately. Fixing his gaze on that solitary silhouette, an ominous premonition surged within him. *What is going on? Didn't they say he would be dealt with in three minutes?* *Then why has he appeared here again?* Just then, another plume of thick black smoke drifted past the viewport, obscuring everyone's line of sight. When the smoke cleared and they looked ahead once more, the figure had vanished without a trace, as if what they had witnessed was nothing more than an illusion. Yet every person present knew they had seen him with their own eyes. A chilling suspicion surfaced in Cassian's mind, but he dared not entertain it, nor was he willing to believe it. He immediately seized the assistant waiting nearby and said in a grave voice, "Go! Dispatch scouts at once to investigate the situation below! I want the most accurate, unvarnished intelligence—not a single detail overlooked!" Noticing the bloodshot veins in his eyes, the assistant nodded forcefully. "Yes, sir!" Cassian released him and waved him off urgently. Foregoing even a salute, the assistant scurried away. It was not just the personnel aboard the Sky Behemoth who had caught sight of that figure. Observers from various major corporations, representatives from other nations, and press reporters on the surrounding airships had all witnessed him as well. Almost immediately, they confirmed that the man they had seen was the Great Shun martial artist who had come to obstruct the Federation's operation. According to the earlier notices issued by Federation authorities, multiple martial artists had been dispatched to deal with this individual, and the matter was supposed to be resolved shortly. Yet how did the current situation diverge so drastically from what the Federation described? If this man was here, where were the Federation's martial artists? Where had they gone, and why hadn't they stepped in to stop him? A myriad of questions flooded their minds, accompanied by inferences that seemed unbelievable at first, yet offered the only logical explanation. At the same time, they were forced to confront an unsettling question: *What if the Federation fails this time?* In truth, ever since the two wanted Federation Throne combatants joined the fray, onlookers had sensed that today's developments were straying beyond the Federation's calculations. Still, this was a battle fought on the Federation's home ground, with so many Throne martial artists involved. The odds should have heavily favored the Federation. Yet now, something was clearly going wrong. They had to uncover what had just transpired as quickly as possible. In an instant, the communication channels between the various airships grew feverishly active. Dedicated investigators and well-equipped reconnaissance teams were rapidly dispatched downward, and even several martial artists who were merely present as observers stepped outside their airships to personally verify the situation on the surface. Aboard an airship near the periphery, Lily tugged on Briggs's sleeve and hopped in excitement. "Uncle Briggs, that was Chen! Did you see him?" Briggs let out a low, somewhat troubled grunt. At this moment, he was thoroughly bewildered. The Throne martial artists moved at such terrifying speeds that even without the obscuring dust and smoke, the violent clashes between their fields and fires of spirituality made it impossible to discern what had truly occurred below. What he knew for certain, however, was that Chen Chuan was the one being besieged. By all rights, there was no reason for him to reappear before the fleet with such calm composure. An absurd thought rose unbidden in his mind, yet he hesitated to jump to conclusions. After a moment of contemplation, he said solemnly, "Lily, I'm heading down to take a look." Lily's eyes sparkled with eager anticipation. "Uncle Briggs, can I come with you?" Briggs was about to say it was too dangerous, but then he considered that staying aboard the airship was hardly safe either. Seeing several streaks of light descending from other vessels, he relented with a nod, clasped a hand firmly onto Lily's shoulder, and said, "Hold on to me." With that, he leaped downward with Lily in tow. *** High above Tianji Peak, Emperor Capa parried Durant's thrusting lance with his two-handed greatsword, sweeping it aside before gliding backward to create distance. A graceful smile appeared on his face as he tilted the greatsword to his side, offering an unhurried nod of respect. "It seems the time has come for me to yield this position to the one to whom it truly belongs. Of course, Your Excellency is an honorable and formidable adversary. If you insist on continuing, I would be pleased to accord you the respect you deserve and see this noble duel to its end." Seeing him withdraw, Durant made no attempt to pursue. Lowering his lance, he glanced down and spotted a radiant aura as dazzling as a blazing sun surging through the clouds, heading straight toward Ming. "A Throne—" He then cast his gaze into the distant sky. While engaged in battle against Emperor Capa, he had lacked the leisure to monitor the fighting further away. Now, however, the area was entirely barren. Every martial artist who had set out to intercept Chen Chuan had vanished. His thick brows knitted together. Ignoring Capa, a flare of light erupted around his body, and he transformed into a streak of radiance, shooting directly toward Chen Chuan. Chen Chuan was originally making his way toward the fissure, but upon sensing the commotion here, he halted mid-flight. He had planned to dispose of Ming first so that at least one of the two Tianji Sect zhenren could be freed. But it appeared Emperor Capa had no intention of continuing to meddle. That was of little consequence; Capa's intervention had been unexpected to begin with. Glancing at the rapidly approaching light, he decided that since this opponent had arrived first, he would deal with what stood directly in front of him. Durant came to a stop at a measured distance. Deep blue spiritual light pulsed across his frame as he held his knight's lance, his sharp, slate-blue eyes fixed on Chen Chuan. "Young man, do you understand the consequences of involving yourself in this matter?" Chen Chuan said, "Consequences?" He glanced toward the fissure. "I thought you would be the ones who knew." Durant remained silent for a moment before speaking. "The Weishu Continent is sovereign territory of the Federation. Its people ought to return to the Federation's embrace. Once it is restored, we can pool our collective strength to combat the aberrations from beyond the world. We have waited far too long for this day." Chen Chuan met his gaze and replied, "Is that so? Then while the Tianji Sect was fighting those extraterrestrial horrors, what were you doing?" "That is not the same thing," Durant said in a low, resonant voice. He offered no further explanation. Their stances, motivations, and interests were fundamentally opposed; reasoning with one another was impossible from the start. He stated deliberately, "Chen Chuan, citizen of Great Shun: you have willfully obstructed and disrupted an operation authorized by the Federation, assaulted and harmed Federation personnel, and damaged Federation property. In my capacity as an executive officer of the Federation Hazard Affairs Operations Directorate, I am now taking necessary measures against you." This declaration was mandatory. The earlier siege against Chen Chuan had been mounted by non-governmental Throne martial artists; this, on the other hand, was an official action. Just then, a faint rustling sound emitted from the cochlear worm in his ear, followed by a voice: "Mr. Durant, Leader Meteora of the International Investigation Delegation has stated that Mr. Chen Chuan of Great Shun was formally invited and commissioned by the Delegation to safeguard the Ring of the World. Meteora has already submitted official certification of authorized action to the capital—" Durant listened without the slightest change in expression. Within his ear canal, the cochlear worm shattered under an internal jolt of force, its fragments expelled instantly. He looked toward Chen Chuan. Force was the bedrock upon which the world stood. Rules, laws—none of them mattered right now. So long as he brought this man down, others would readily formulate the necessary conditions and justifications on his behalf. Raising his lance, the spiritual light enveloping his body grew blindingly bright, while a colossal silhouette gradually took shape around him. *** Meanwhile, personnel dispatched from the Sky Behemoth conducted an investigation on the ground and transmitted a report back to the flagship: they could find no trace whatsoever of those Throne martial artists. To suggest they had simply abandoned the battlefield made no sense. Even if someone had retreated unilaterally, it was impossible for every single one of them to do so without notifying the Federation beforehand. Furthermore, nearly all the airships belonging to the Primitive Cult and the New Light Cult had crashed, and not a single cultist on site had survived. It was practically certain that an extraordinary disaster had befallen them. Upon hearing the report, Cassian's face turned deathly pale. From the utter silence over the comms channel to the findings reported just now, he was forced toward an outcome he found unbearable. He sank limply into his chair, his trembling hand reaching out to grab a pen and paper to draft a telegram for the Chief Executive's Office. Yet after scrawling a few crooked, trembling characters, he abruptly tore the paper to shreds and slammed his fist against the desk. The fountain pen snapped under his grip, digging into his flesh and leaving a wound that welled with blood. He appeared entirely oblivious to the pain, running his bloodied hand through his hair. He had never imagined the operation would deteriorate to such an extent. The Federation had committed staggering resources, and they even had an inside contact within the Tianji Sect. Even if they encountered minor setbacks, the overall campaign should have proceeded smoothly. Yet reality had completely defied expectations. All because of one person. A single man! *No!* *It isn't over yet!* Clinging to that desperate hope like a drowning man grasping at a straw, Cassian shot to his feet, lunged to the viewport, and stared fixedly at the radiant aura flaring in the upper atmosphere. A spark of life reignited within his dim eyes. *Yes, it isn't over yet!* At the same time, observers and journalists representing various nations and corporate conglomerates had confirmed the grim reality: the Throne martial artists who had participated in the siege had vanished without a trace. Because they were not the primary command channel, they could not ascertain every detail immediately. Yet synthesizing intelligence from all sides, even the most conservative assessment dictated that multiple Federation Throne martial artists had utterly failed to stop that lone adversary. They had to report the unfolding situation to the governments and corporations behind them at once, enabling high-level leadership to respond without delay. In an instant, countless telegrams and encrypted dispatches were sent flying through various channels, speeding across every corner of the world.