Chapter 1239: with translation of chapter title

"There's no room left for me to hesitate. I must act, so everyone knows the Golden Lineage's leadership hasn't collapsed."

"Quite correct, your judgment. Now, take it."

Hātuōnǔsī opened the sword case on his back and saw a brand‑new treasure sword lying still inside.

The sword's body shimmered with silver‑white and azure light, its hilt a striking gilt, as if melding a sliver of Stikokisia's moonlight and the holy city's sunlight together. It bore no elaborate ornamentation, no gem inlays, only the purest edge forged through a thousand tempers.

""Is… this already finished?" Baiè's gaze fell on the sword blade, his breath catching."

Hātuōnǔsī nodded: "'Qinshen' is the name I gave it."

——

One‑Punch Man.

"This sword…"

"What's wrong?"

"No… nothing." Flashing Fúláishì shook his head, "Maybe I'm mistaken."

"This sword is forged superbly." Yuanzǐ Wushi raised his head, examining Qinshen's blade closely; envy showed on his face, impossible to hide. He too was a sword lover, and at a glance could tell that whether in forging or balance, this sword was a peerless masterpiece.

With this sword, Baiè now had the means to match the Fire‑Stealers in arms.

"Not necessarily; you're greatly underestimating the Fire‑Stealers." Flashing Fúláishì crossed his arms, coldly cutting in, "That monster can split into five or six bodies in an instant; if you let Baiè go in alone, do you think there's even a sliver of a chance?"

"This…"

Fúláishì continued: "The best case is if Xīng and Dānhéng create an opportunity for Baiè to duel the Fire‑Stealers one‑on‑one, pinning the monster's doppelgängers—but even then, Baiè's odds in a one‑on‑one are minuscule. The Fire‑Stealers can be struck by Baiè countless times, their wounds healing, yet if Baiè is hit just once… the fight ends."

"Mm… so we still have to rely on Lady Black Tower's external aid to wipe out the Fire‑Stealers?" Tong Di gritted his teeth, his expression unwilling, "But Laigushi is likewise a member of the Genius Club—not exactly a pushover… I doubt we can just barge in."

The mechanized knight's cold synthetic voice sounded then, reminding: "Even in rational debate, although Laigushi and Black Tower are both Intellectual Envoys, Black Tower still holds the edge—she has other geniuses as aides, which in a genius‑vs‑genius showdown undoubtedly has a huge impact. As soon as Laigushi is broken through, the secrets of the Extinction Sovereign in Wēngfǎluósī will also be revealed."

——

""Prepare for battle, before dawn. Swing the sword, for tomorrow. Befitting your station, Golden Lineage.""

Baiè lightly stroked the blade, only to feel awestruck: "Unbelievable. You've never even laid eyes on that black‑clad swordsman… yet just from my verbal description you managed to reconstruct it to this degree?"

""Precise, your description." Hātuōnǔsī said, "I have already infused it with dawn's power. Heed your will, and its blade will bear golden flame. Swing it, may you be victorious in every battle.""

""Thank you, Hātuōnǔsī—I will guard the souls of Wēngfǎluósī with this longsword.""

""And there's one more thing…""

Hātuōnǔsī produced a bracelet—the very one Aglaea had entrusted to him earlier; now, after tempering in the furnace, it faintly emits a golden glow.

""Sealed here lies the remnant of Aglaea's divinity.""

""……!""

""This is her commission. She had already foreseen her own death.""

Baiè lowered his gaze to the bracelet in his hand: ""She… can she hear us?""

""I cannot be certain. We know little of divinity. In this manner she wishes to accompany you, no matter what.""

""I understand; please entrust it to me for safekeeping. This way I'll have another constant companion." Baiè placed his hand on his chest, "Long ago someone told me: 'May this world never need a savior.' But when the world betrayed her hopes and fell apart, if I am seen standing at the forefront of the crowd, leading people to defy fate…""

""…she would surely smile.""

——

Dungeon Meal.

"Is the 'she' Baiè spoke of referring to Xīlián?"

Qí'ěrzhākè sat cross‑legged by the campfire, stirring a pot of thick soup with a spoon; upon hearing Baiè mention that person, he immediately recalled her.

……that pink‑haired girl who existed only in his memory, having uttered just a few words.

"I recall when the Fire‑Stealers' dagger pierced her chest, the blood that flowed was also golden; she too was a Golden Lineage. Had she not died, she would surely be a member of the Fire Pursuit Journey now." Mārulusī sighed regretfully.

"……That's not quite right either—avenging Xīlián is one of the motivations that drove Baiè to join the Fire Pursuit Journey." Jī'ěrchākè lowered his head, stoking the firewood brighter, "However, I've found a place in Wēngfǎluósī that is exceptionally distinct, markedly different from any other disaster‑stricken nation."

"What?"

Jī'ěrchākè extended a finger: "Fate. More precisely, it is an inescapable fate. Everyone's destiny is like a prewritten script—even noting how they will exit and die—it exudes a cold 'predestined' feeling."

Hearing this, Mārulusī couldn't help but frown slightly: "Isn't that not so strange? If what you say is true, the strongest sense of predestination should belong to Aìli'ōu."

"But Aìli'ōu must constantly sortie, act, and intervene through Star‑Core Hunters to reach the future he envisions; if the Star‑Core Hunters deviate from his script, the future could shift."

As he spoke thus, Jī'ěrchākè's gaze darkened, suffused with a deep sense of helplessness.

"But the distinction of Wēngfǎluósī lies in the fact that everyone is propelled forward by divine oracle; no matter what happens among them, what they endure, even if variables like Xīng and Dānhéng—capable of altering the Fire Pursuit Journey's course—appear, their fate cannot be changed."