Chapter 220: Enkidu, the Chains of Heaven — And the Alliance Jade Abacus of the Xianzhou Zhuming

The discussion continued.

Although Feixiao had been sent by the Alliance...

She personally held no prejudice against Jing Yuan.

Having only served as an Arbiter-General for thirty years...

She knew full well that Jing Yuan, as her senior, still had much she could learn from.

Unfortunately...

Some people in the Alliance’s upper echelons simply refused to act like decent human beings.

There was nothing she could do about that.

So she could only carry out the questions the Alliance had entrusted to her.

Her inquiries were straightforward.

First...

How had the Astral Express, as Nameless, become involved with the Stellaron Hunters?

After all...

The Stellaron Hunters were no ordinary organization.

Every major power in the universe had placed them on their wanted lists.

Second...

Phantylia, one of the Lord Ravagers, had never attacked a Xianzhou flagship before.

So why had she suddenly targeted the Luofu...

Only to attack someone who seemed utterly insignificant?

It didn’t make sense.

Of course...

Those were all questions the Alliance wished answered.

They had nothing to do with Feixiao’s own opinions.

Meanwhile...

Huaiyan quietly wandered over.

He stopped beside Evan...

Leaning in as though trying to smell something.

"General Huaiyan..."

"What exactly are you doing?"

Evan asked curiously.

The old man sighed.

"I’ve heard..."

"That you’re capable of wielding the Taixuan Sword Art."

"And by fortune..."

"I once witnessed the Marshal herself draw her sword."

"So I was wondering..."

"Whether Mr. Evan might..."

"..."

Evan scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"Well, General..."

"I know you’re the greatest swordsmith in the Alliance."

"But unfortunately..."

"None of the Aeons have ever gifted me a divine weapon."

"That said..."

"There is something I could let you examine."

Huaiyan’s intentions had been obvious from the very beginning.

The old general immediately realized Evan had seen through him.

He let out an embarrassed laugh.

"Ah..."

"It seems I was rather presumptuous."

"My apologies."

Evan smiled.

It wasn’t often Huaiyan encountered an ally of the Xianzhou...

Much less one who was also an Emanator.

Naturally...

He was extremely interested.

If such a powerful ally could forge closer ties with the Alliance...

Huaiyan would gladly support it.

Without another word...

Evan reached into his inventory.

A chain appeared in his hand.

It wasn’t particularly long.

Nor did it look especially impressive.

He handed it directly to Huaiyan.

"General."

"I obtained this treasure by chance inside an ancient secret realm."

"It is called Enkidu, the Chains of Heaven."

"It moves according to its owner’s will..."

"And exists solely to restrain those who possess Divinity."

"In other words..."

"Anything granted by a god..."

"Carries Divinity."

"Divinity..."

Huaiyan’s eyes immediately lit up.

At first glance...

It looked like an utterly ordinary chain.

But the moment he drew near...

The chain reacted.

If it truly responded to objects imbued with divine authority...

Then...

Could this weapon even restrain an Emanator?

Enkidu...

A Noble Phantasm.

A treasure created specifically to bind beings with Divinity.

A Noble Phantasm itself was nothing less than a crystallized miracle.

The proof of a Heroic Spirit’s legend made manifest.

It embodied humanity’s prayers for miracles.

Possessing power capable of reproducing the feats recorded in myth.

Some took the form of swords...

Spears...

Bows...

Others appeared as shields...

Crowns...

Or rings.

Their strength depended entirely upon the legends that shaped them.

They were...

Weapons forged from the imagination of mankind itself.

"So..."

Huaiyan murmured thoughtfully.

"Something like this..."

"Could potentially restrain even an Emanator?"

Evan shrugged.

"Who’s to say?"

"I’ve never actually used it against one."

This treasure had come from a treasure chest created within Taiyi’s Dream.

By the time he’d obtained it...

The dream had already been resolved.

Whether it truly functioned against Emanators...

Even Evan couldn’t say for certain.

At the very least...

It no longer required magical energy.

Instead...

It operated entirely through Imaginary Energy.

Judging from his own understanding...

If empowered by an Emanator’s level of strength...

It ought to be capable of restraining another Emanator.

"I’ll leave it in your care for a while, General."

"You can study it to your heart’s content."

"..."

"But..."

Evan narrowed his eyes mischievously.

"Shouldn’t I receive something in return?"

The veteran general had lived for thousands of years.

Naturally...

He understood exactly what Evan meant.

Without hesitation...

He tossed over a jade communicator.

"This should look familiar."

"Jing Yuan already gave your group one."

"This one..."

"Comes from the Xianzhou Zhuming."

"From this day onward..."

"You are allies of the Zhuming as well."

"And one more thing."

"I’ll personally forge a weapon for you."

"A spear?"

"A saber?"

"A sword?"

"What would you like?"

Evan pondered for a moment.

"A spear would steal Dan Heng’s spotlight."

"A saber doesn’t really suit me."

"So..."

"A sword."

"I can recreate swords using Imaginary Energy..."

"But that’s ultimately only an energy construct."

"General..."

"Would you forge me a Xuanyuan Sword?"

"A Xuanyuan Sword?"

"It’s shaped like this."

With a flick of his hand...

Evan materialized an exact replica.

He passed it over.

Huaiyan examined it only once.

Yet within that single glance...

Every detail of the weapon had already been committed to memory.

As expected of the Arbiter-General of the Xianzhou Zhuming.

The man who had taught countless master craftsmen.

His eyes alone...

Were measuring tools.

One look was all he needed.

"Don’t worry."

"I won’t damage your chain."

"As for this Xuanyuan Sword..."

"Hmm..."

"I’ll first inspect the Luofu’s Artisanship Commission."

"If their forge isn’t up to the standards of the Zhuming..."

"I’ll return home..."

"And forge it personally."

The old man narrowed his eyes at Evan.

The more he looked...

The more interested he became.

Talented young people like this...

He had only ever encountered twice before.

Yunli’s father...

And...

Yingxing.

Yingxing...

The mere thought of that name...

Filled Huaiyan with bitterness.

From Yunli...

He had learned the truth.

Yingxing had absorbed Shuhu’s flesh...

Transforming himself into an immortal monster of Abundance.

Even Jingliu...

Could no longer kill him completely.

Since then...

Blade had wandered the universe...

Searching endlessly for his own death.

He blamed everything...

On his former self.

And on Dan Heng’s previous incarnation.

Had the Transmutation Arcanum never existed...

Had Baiheng never become the draconic abomination...

None of it...

Would have happened.

That was why he pursued Dan Heng so relentlessly.

Not merely for answers...

But to see whether Dan Heng possessed the means...

To finally grant him death.

What Huaiyan never expected...

Was that Yingxing...

Would become Blade.

Join the Stellaron Hunters.

And end up wanted across the universe by the IPC.

Wanted posters could be found...

On nearly every Xianzhou flagship.

Even tucked away in forgotten corners of the Luofu.

Except...

On the Xianzhou Zhuming.

There...

No wanted poster for Blade existed.

Even Yunli had once remarked...

That she had never seen Yingxing in person.

She didn’t even know what he looked like.

She had only heard her grandfather mention his name countless times.

The greatest disciple he had ever taught.

She had long wished...

To one day see...

The sword Shard Sword with her own eyes.

Huaiyan had never cared whether Blade was a Stellaron Hunter.

The Xianzhou Zhuming had never issued a warrant for Blade.

Instead...

The only notice that existed there...

Was a missing person notice...

For Yingxing.

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