Light snow drifted through the air, draping the city in silver.
"So cold!"
As they drew near Sunset Hall, Adele jammed both hands into her overcoat pockets and scampered into the heated shopping mall with quick, tiny steps. A wool scarf was wound tightly around her neck, and her cheeks were flushed crimson from the cold. Brushing the snow from her left shoulder, she grumbled, "Lois, your umbrella is way too small!"
"Then why didn't you bring one yourself?" Lois retorted, snapping her umbrella shut with exasperation. "The meteorological bureau explicitly forecast light snow!"
"Holding an umbrella is such a hassle..." Adele muttered. Turning around, she glanced at Ingrid, whose long legs were on full display beneath a miniskirt and thigh-high socks. "Ingrid, aren't you freezing?"
"It's fine," Ingrid replied, pulling back her hood and shaking off the snowflakes. "I have a naturally resilient constitution to begin with, and lately I've been using the miracle 'Upright Sword Body' to temper my physique. My body retains heat exceptionally well—I actually have to put on a coat whenever I work out just to warm up quickly."
Ever since Ingrid discovered that a skirt paired with leggings offered superior mobility and heat dissipation, she had practically sworn off trousers entirely. In truth, this was common practice not just for female sorcerers, but for male taijutsu sorcerers as well. High-end combat skirts could even be utilized directly in battle; for instance, the Sanctuary sorcerer known as the "Battlefield Dancer" wore a bespoke bladed long skirt. With a single spin of her body, the hem's edge transformed into a high-speed buzzsaw, dazzling onlookers of every stripe.
Lois raised an eyebrow. "'Upright Sword Body'? Isn't that the miracle even she didn't dare to use in the past? She only dared to train with a sword body sorcery spirit, didn't she?"
"It does sting a bit," Ingrid admitted frankly. "Nothing I can't handle, though."
What a stubbornly competitive roommate... Lois and Adele finally understood why Ingrid had looked thoroughly drained of energy lately. They still vividly remembered Sonia's state whenever she finished training with the sword body sorcery spirit—looking like a poor kitten that had been thoroughly trampled.
In truth, Ingrid's reasoning was simple, bordering on childishly naive: precisely because Sonia had only ever managed to train with the sword body sorcery spirit back then, Ingrid felt compelled to persevere with the miracle Upright Sword Body. She wanted to accomplish a regimen that Sonia herself had left incomplete.
Achieving this minor feat did not mean she could ever catch up to Sonia, nor did it suggest she possessed potential on par with hers. More likely, the young swordswoman was driven by an inexplicable surge of pride—her friend was so brilliantly outstanding that she grit her teeth and pushed herself to be better, too.
A pride born of feeling small, compelling her to stand all the taller.
Lois harbored similar sentiments, having extended her own daily cultivation time by thirty percent as of late. Only Adele had risen above such foolish emotional impulses, continuing to savor her rosy, carefree campus life as she always had.
"When will this snow ever stop..."
"Sigh..."
"When will the starry sky go back to normal..."
"It's all because of those damn cultists..."
A fair number of passersby near the mall entrance were grumbling. Just like Adele, the majority of people never checked the weather forecast, because for the past thousand years, Jialesi had never needed one. It had perpetually maintained a comfortable, constant temperature of twenty-two degrees Celsius, always basking in bright sunshine and gentle breezes. Now, the repercussions of the starry sky's shattering had rippled throughout the Starry Country, and this land, sheltered in a greenhouse for 1,668 years, was finally facing the raw elements of nature.
Under ordinary circumstances, such a drastic climatic shift would have triggered severe natural disasters. Yet, under the strenuous efforts of the Starry sorcerers within the aristocratic hierarchy, the country was transitioning into a natural realm in an orderly fashion. Aside from a brief bout of initial chaos, things had swiftly settled back on track, as if contingency plans for a 'shattered starry sky' had existed all along.
Nevertheless, regardless of how capable sorcerers might be, the bygone era where the Starry Country's weather could be tweaked at whim was gone for good. This land was returning to the natural cycle of the four seasons. Even in the capital of Jialesi, it snowed when it was time to snow.
Good weather was no longer the exclusive privilege of high society.
It was only natural for the citizens to complain. When had they ever witnessed Jialesi plunging below freezing? If the light screen broadcast channels hadn't been running round-the-clock reminders listing open winter-wear shops and urging everyone to buy warm clothes, most people wouldn't have even known they were supposed to bundle up in the cold.
Though Lois and the others had grown accustomed to the shift, hearing these endless grievances still prompted them to quicken their pace.
They made their way up to the third floor, arriving at a quiet lounge bar called "Carving Time." Since it was the afternoon, only a handful of patrons were present. The melodic theme song of *Staggered Blades of Cunzhou* lingered in the air. Upon spotting them, the bartender greeted them, "Students from Sword Flower? Miss Aisha is already waiting in Private Room Three."
Before heading in, Adele asked curiously, "Hasn't this song been banned?"
The young bartender gave an easy smile. "Please don't report us, then," he added. "They say it's banned, but no one actually enforces it. If Daedalose's songs were forbidden, we'd be stuck with worn-out old tunes and instrumental tracks."
"That would be a tragedy for future generations," a dashing, roguish middle-aged man sitting at the bar remarked with a laugh. "They'll never know there once was an era named Daedalose. Colin, put their drinks on my tab."
"I appreciate the thought," Lois said, narrowing her eyes, "but that won't be necess—"
"Don't get the wrong idea, I have no ulterior motives." The older man raised his glass toward them. "I've just been sick and tired of that starry sky for a long time... A toast to victory for the Sword Princess!"
"Hey, come on," the bartender said, his mouth twitching. "Could you take that outside? Talking like that will get our business shut down for inspection."
"Haha, let the folks from the Throne Room come looking for me down in the Abyss!" The man drained his cup in a single gulp and slammed the glass firmly onto the marble counter. Without glancing back, he strode toward the exit. "Have fun, ladies of Sword Flower!"
Lois and the others turned toward the bartender, who merely shrugged. "A regular. I don't know his real name, just his moniker: 'Hidden Blade'... a sword sorcerer."
The girls immediately grasped the source of his goodwill toward the Sword Princess. Even if everyone else across the Starry Country came to despise her, sword sorcerers never would. As the first recorded Starry sword sorcerer to ascend to demigodhood in 1,668 years, she had become an enduring spiritual monument in their hearts.
When they pushed open the door to the private room, warm air eagerly enveloped them, yet without a trace of dryness. Inside, apart from Aisha—a prophecy sorcerer from Truth University—sat their fourth-year senior, Leonie, the 'Orange Dancer.'
A flame sorcery spirit was fluttering through the air, the cozy warmth radiating from this tiny fellow.
"We heard someone offering to buy you drinks all the way from in here, and just because you go to Sword Flower," Aisha teased with a smile. "It really feels like Sword Flower University has struck gold. Your reputation is already eclipsing Truth University's."
"He was mostly just trying to show off in front of young girls," Lois said as she slipped off her down coat. "With lines that smooth, there's no way it was his first time buying a drink for someone."
"Still, you can't deny that Sword Flower University has profited immensely," Leonie chimed in warmly. "Plenty of people have asked me whether they should have their children apply to Sword Flower or Truth University. A year ago, how could Sword Flower have even dared to compare itself to Truth?"
"And what did you tell them?"
"I didn't recommend either. Sword Flower seems to be raising its admissions criteria, so throwing money around isn't enough to squeeze a student in anymore," Leonie remarked with a sigh. "Who would have guessed that what catapulted a university to fame wasn't high-ranking tournament finishes or an elite faculty, but simply that its most brilliant student committed the greatest crime in the history of Starry?"
Aisha flicked on the private room's light screen. Central Channel 7 was still broadcasting the wanted notice in a relentless, twenty-four-hour loop:
"...Citizens who spot any of the following suspects should immediately vacate the area, seek safety, and notify the nearest law enforcement department without delay. Please note that all suspects listed below are extraordinarily dangerous. Under no circumstances should anyone attempt contact, pursuit, attack, or any other hazardous action. A handsome reward will be granted for every verified lead!"
"Yaxiu Heath. Ring leader of the Four Pillar Cult, chief feeler of the evil gods, mastermind behind the 'Shattered Starry Sky' incident. Danger level: Extreme. Strength: Five-Wing Demigod!"
"Daedalose Lena. Core member of the Four Pillar Cult, feeler of the evil gods, primary executor of multiple attacks. Danger level: High. Strength: Suspected Legendary!"
"Spectre Prophet. Ancient sorcerer resurrected from antiquity, loyal lackey to Yaxiu Heath. Slaughtered over ten million people in ancient times (refer to the *Spectre Manual* for details). Possesses an exceptionally sadistic nature. Danger level: Extreme. Strength: Five-Wing Demigod!"
"Sonia Servie. Core member of the Four Pillar Cult, primary executor of the 'Shattered Starry Sky' incident. Danger level: Extreme. Strength: Five-Wing Demigod."
Adele suddenly burst into giggles.
"What's so funny?"
"The thing she hated most was her student ID photo—she looks totally like a country bumpkin with an untrimmed fringe," Adele snickered. "She must be throwing a complete fit right now!"
Lois took a closer look and couldn't help smiling either. "That's true."
Resting her chin on her hand, Leonie chuckled. "You girls really aren't worried in the slightest, are you?"
"Worried about what? Even the Throne Room wouldn't dare dispatch people to capture them; they're only asking the public for leads," Adele said with a look of starry-eyed longing. "A demigod sorcerer, wow... Do you think she can slash open space with a hundred thousand tons of force with just one sword swing now?"
"Sanctuary sorcerers can already cleave through space," Ingrid pointed out. "And a hundred thousand tons is far too small a figure for that level."
"Alright, why did you call us here?" Lois looked toward Aisha. "Surely not just to admire Sonia's unflattering photo?"
"Can't friends just hang out?" Aisha spread her hands. "I'm still a female college student enjoying her youth, unlike certain people running off with a secret society to destroy the starry sky."
"If Leonie were the only one who invited us, I'd buy that, but who doesn't know you can never keep your mouth shut?" Adele teased dismissively. "Besides, what kind of secret demands meeting face-to-face? Wouldn't it be easier to make a group chat online, so we wouldn't have to trudge through the snow?"
"This really can't be discussed online—the monitors would flag and shut the group down immediately," Aisha said with an air of deep secrecy. "I managed to dig up some truly shocking dirt this time."
Everyone's curiosity was instantly piqued, but Aisha took her time. Leisurely pouring each of them a drink, she waited until they were feeling pleasantly buzzed before smiling.
"You've probably all guessed by now that Yaxiu is Sonia's lover, right?"
Chapter 1035