Chapter 211

Story series.

"Perhaps this is the reason her demonic yin body flared up?" Li lamented, "Bai Heng fell in battle, and Dan Feng desecrated his death, turning her into an abyssal dragon... Not to mention Jingliu, just thinking about it makes me want to break down."

Do you think she is pitiful?

No, I just think... she's too exhausted. Li shook his head, "The longer the Xianzhou people live, the more they bear on their backs. Someone like her, who has lived for over a thousand years, probably feels like they're carrying a mountain forward every day."

But compared to her, I actually think there's someone even more pitiable. Shinobu whispered.

Who?

Jingyuan.

Shinobu sat on the railing of the rooftop, her fair calves swaying slightly, her golden eyes gazing into the distance: "My mentor Jingliu's demonic yin body flared up, my comrade Bai Heng fell in battle, and fellow Five Valiants Ying Xing and Dan Feng committed grave sins... I still have my duties as a general, externally I must constantly guard against the Abundance folk's threats, and internally I must contend with the Six Sovereigns and the alliance's high ranks..."

Ah, enough, enough! Li hurriedly interrupted her, "Just listening to that is exhausting enough... Being able to sit in the general's position for hundreds of years without triggering a demonic yin flare-up—this guy is a monster!"

Heh, to be a general, one must have ambitions far beyond ordinary people; otherwise, it simply won't work.

Shinobu smiled faintly, "So when that pink-haired little dwarf named Fu Xuan expressed interest in becoming general, I thought she was too inexperienced... Although she handles Xianzhou affairs decently, to hold onto the general's seat for the long haul, one needs to endure centuries of trials and develop a mindset like Jingyuan's—otherwise, it's nowhere near enough."

—— (just a separator line? It's a line with just "——". We must output 【12】 and its translation. Probably just "——" as is? Should we translate? It's a dash line; likely keep as is. We'll output same.

Jingliu walked up to the star barge and placed a wine jug that rightfully belonged to her inside it.

"I brought your wine jug... Bai Heng. This was originally a gift that person carved for you, but they never managed to hand it over."

"Sorry, only recently did I manage to retrieve it. And only by returning it to your side can my nightmare find momentary peace." Jingliu lifted her gaze to the azure vault of the Xianzhou, "And whatever you ask of me, I will surely fulfill—even if I must hew down the stars of heaven, I will never break my vow."

Jingliu watched as the star barge carrying Bai Heng's relics slowly rose, fading into a faint point of light before vanishing into the Jade Gate.

—— (again separator)

Slaying the Crimson Red Eye

That wine jug was carved by Ying Xing, right? Their relationship... has it reached the point where they can't even bear to mention each other's names?

I recall that when Ren referred to Jingliu, he also used... 'that woman.' Maien reminisced about the battle between Yan Qing and Ren; when Yan Qing wielded that conjured giant ice sword, Ren's expression noticeably shifted.

... I had originally only wanted to casually meet Yan Qing, but after seeing that move, my desire to stab him could no longer be concealed.

The grudge between these two seems far more complicated than a single Yin Yue uprising.

You were actually discussing this? Najerta approached from behind, "Compared to her and Ren's feud, I'm more concerned about Ren's own transformation."

Change?

Najerta nodded: "According to the Rakshasa, as one of the Cloud Valiants, Ren was originally a short-lived species with a lifespan of only about a hundred years. But after enduring the Yin Yue uprising, he became a long-lived species, immortal and ageless... His vitality and regenerative powers far surpass those of ordinary Xianzhou folk."

The source of this change isn't merely Dan Feng's dragon metamorphosis technique; it lies in something hidden within, an influence far more profound... likely connected to the Emissary of Abundance, 【Fleeting】.

—— (separator)

The next stop is the Ministry of Crafts; several people entered the department, seeing the abominations strewn everywhere, and Jingliu was reminded of a certain haughty acquaintance.

"If he were to witness this mess in the Ministry of Crafts, he'd probably laugh at the Xianzhou people's incompetence."

Jingliu looked around, then her gaze settled on Yan Qing again: "Little brother, how about a rematch of our previous duel? Let me see how much your proud swordsmanship has improved."

Yan Qing was somewhat reluctant, but he agreed; they agreed to meet at the Forge of Creation. After sending Yan Qing away, Dan Heng asked in a low voice: "You deliberately sent that child away—what's your purpose?"

Jingliu's thought is simple as well—she just wants to see how many echoes of old acquaintances reside in Dan Heng's every move and stance.

The two practiced with their demonic yin afflictions along the way, watching Dan Heng's familiar spear technique; after a moment, Jingliu collected herself and calmly asked: "This spear still recognizes you as its master. Yin Yue, do you still recall the person who forged it for you?"

"Since I was exiled, it has been by my side... I don't even remember when I started wielding it."

"Your spear technique matches Yin Yue's methods exactly." Jingliu remarked blandly, "Combat is like repeated forging—using intense flames to melt away impurities, revealing one's true nature"—the one who forged this spear for you once said that to you; do you still remember?

"Among us, the one who walks closest to him is you. It's strange—someone so lofty and aloof actually gets along swimmingly with another who looks down on people through their nose."

Dan Heng struggled to recall that experience; the name Jingliu mentioned fluttered like leaves in the wind, stirring up a muffled sound.

"Better to blossom like a fleeting spark and perish in flame than to rot as a useless piece of wood. I will make all Xianzhou folk know that Ying Xing's brief life holds more value than their endless, meaningless lifespans."

—— (separator)

Jujutsu Kaisen

"Not to rot as a useless piece of wood..." The two-faced Sukuna's lips curled upward, forming an arc tinged with appreciation, "That's a splendid idea."

Merely from that offhand remark, Sukuna could almost picture the spirited white-haired man uttering those words and the expression on his face.

The Ying Xing of old is none other than the present Ren; considering he is now undying, possessing not only the Xianzhou people's endless lifespan but also regenerative power that even surpasses his own reversal technique... Sukuna felt only an inexplicable irony.

"Not bad?" Gan Shuo didn't endorse Ying Xing's view, shaking his head slightly. Compared to a fleeting few decades of light, Gan Shuo looked forward to a stretch lasting up to a thousand years, a period so long it could even be described as utterly boring.

As long as one lives long enough, time will inevitably bring interesting things. He lifted his gaze to the light curtain where Jingliu's swordlike figure appeared: "If I had died a thousand years ago, missing out on this fascinating spectacle, even in Hell I would regret it."

That's true.

With a hand propped against his cheek, the two-faced Sukuna involuntarily recalled the first time he beheld the annihilated Nanuk, and a myriad of emotions surged within him.

Insignificant, shocking, fearful, resonant...

And there are countless things he finds impossible to put into words.

It was a novelty he had never experienced in all those millennia. In an instant it weighed upon him, nearly crushing his bones and soul, leaving him momentarily dazed, his limbs filled with a chilling sensation.

Over the centuries, countless have called him a battle-crazed maniac, the embodiment of violence. But the two-faced Sukuna himself understands that he merely seeks combat to give himself intense stimulation, to keep this tedious existence from growing dull.

Merely those mighty or feeble humans flow through his form like water, rotting away, leaving behind nothing but a sheath of blood.

And that pervasive stench of blood will, at dawn, silently dissipate beneath the sun—like mayflies, born in the morning and dead by dusk. All that awaits him remains the same insatiable emptiness.

Yet in that instant when he locked eyes with Nanuk, the vast, abyssal emptiness akin to a colossal beast or a bottomless chasm was almost instantly fulfilled.

It's truly... inconceivable.