029 The Resting Place of the Staff of Eternity

“All for the sake of this sword?” Huanluo asked.

Andy’s gaze was unwavering as he replied resolutely, “That’s right. I will never allow anyone to use the power this sword brings to command or destroy Ikasia at will!”

“For such an unpredictable reason, you called every commander of Ikasia’s garrison here just to guard me?” Huanluo raised her head.

“No,” Andy was clearly unaware of this: “I didn’t call you all here. With everyone here, who’s guarding the city?”

“But…” The junior commanders behind Huanluo exchanged glances, whispering among themselves, “It was that person who told us you were in trouble, Andy, and asked us to come and help you!”

“That…?” Huanluo’s brow furrowed tightly.

“This isn’t right, I didn’t call you all here. Then the defense line…” Before Andy could finish, a thunderous boom shattered the air, followed by screams and the long-unheard roar of a magical beast.

Andy’s once-steady face turned rigid. He could not believe he had been the one to fall into the trap. The surrounding commanders were equally stunned.

Huanluo’s expression hardened, a murderous aura swirling about her as she shouted, hurling her sword toward Andy.

Though not the ancient divine blade bestowed by the king, this was the bloodthirsty sword that had accompanied Huanluo through countless battles. Its blade was sharp and chilling, a weapon that would not rest in its sheath without tasting blood. Andy’s subordinates wanted to step in and block the sword, but Andy’s hand gesture stopped them in their tracks. They stood, ready to die, as the bloodthirsty sword flew toward Andy, while a serene smile crept onto Andy’s lips.

He closed his eyes calmly and waited for the moment of release. Then a sharp sound cut through the air—the sword brushed past his cheek. Andy opened his eyes in confusion, only to see Huanluo already issuing orders.

“You few, go hold the western flank. You, the east. If the casualties are too great, fall back, but remember—preserve our living strength!” Those assigned their missions dashed straight to the battlefield. Only then did Huanluo turn to Andy. “You and I will head to the southern front, to die if we must. Do you object?”

Andy stared in disbelief at the resolve on Huanluo’s face, as if scenes of war were nothing new to her. In moments, he regained his composure, walked over, retrieved Huanluo’s sword from the split magical barrier, knelt on one knee, and offered the sword back to her with both hands. “Yes, Commander!”

On the other side, after everyone had dispersed, including Liang Yin and the others, someone who had been forgotten in a corner finally crawled out from the magical shield. Huanluo’s sword was indeed sharp, and her strength was not merely talk; her single throw had blasted a gaping hole in the barrier.

“Hurry, hurry! Set up the Staff of Eternity and we’ll go help Huanluo!” someone urged anxiously.

Liang Yin, by contrast, seemed much calmer. She drew out the Heart of Eternity and toyed with it in her palm, but made no move to set it in place. “These past days, you’ve been acting strangely. What’s made you, someone who always avoids trouble, so eager to help me find the Heart of Eternity and get close to Xiao Luo?”

The other didn’t know how to explain. How could she say outright that they might be the key to her way home…?

Seeing her companion’s flustered look, Liang Yin only grew more still. She admired the Heart of Eternity in her hand. “Such a beautiful stone. But I wonder what intentions the one who helped me retrieve you really has. If someone were impersonating her, do you think I’d suffer a huge loss?”

Hearing Liang Yin’s wild suspicions, the other knew there was no hiding the truth. But with Huanluo’s situation so urgent, she gritted her teeth and confessed, “You’re right. I need you, the Staff of Eternity, Huanluo, and her ancient divine sword to help me accomplish something. That’s why I had to find the Staff for you, make sure you could use it, and get close to Huanluo so she would help me!” With a fearless resolve, she lifted her head, ready for Liang Yin’s furious barrage.

But after waiting a long while, nothing came. She opened her eyes in confusion, just in time to witness a sacred moment.

As Liang Yin set the Heart of Eternity into the slot on the Staff, the entire staff seemed to come alive. In an instant, it floated into the air, bathed in a shimmering blue radiance that enveloped it completely. White mist from the Heart of Eternity swirled and entwined with the blue light, gradually merging until the blue faded into the staff itself. What had once appeared to be an ordinary wooden staff now looked coated in a gleaming blue lacquer, the deep blue blending with brown, making the Staff of Eternity dazzling and full of power.

A smile unconsciously appeared on Liang Yin’s face. She reached out to grasp the staff, which hovered quietly in midair. But as she drew near, the staff’s light suddenly flared, as if resisting her with all its might. Liang Yin ignored its warning, rising on tiptoe, nearly touching the staff.

Bang!

The energy from the Staff of Eternity sent her flying. Her companion hurried over to help her up. Liang Yin stared in confusion at the staff floating in the air. “What’s going on?”

“Maybe it’s lost its way on the road to choosing a master,” her companion replied, eyes fixed on the floating staff.

“What’s there to wonder about? I’m the most suitable master for it!” Liang Yin stood up, challenging the staff with her gaze. “From the first moment I saw its picture, I knew it belonged to me!”

Liang Yin drew all her magical energy, gathering the water element into her palm and compressing it into a sphere.

Her companion asked curiously, “Why do you think it’s yours?”

“Well, I’m not sure myself,” the sphere in Liang Yin’s hand grew larger, “but ever since I first saw it in a book, it kept appearing in my dreams. When I finally held it, I felt a long-lost familiarity. In my past life, it must have been mine!”

With all her strength, Liang Yin hurled the orb at the Staff of Eternity. The staff remained unmoved, absorbing all the energy. Unwilling to concede, Liang Yin tried several more times, only for the staff to absorb each blast. Her companion could even see the blue light from Liang Yin’s attacks being drawn into the Heart of Eternity. If the Heart had life, it must be sated by now.

“This…” Liang Yin looked at the staff in frustration. Huanluo was still holding out on the front lines; two mages helping would be invaluable, but here she was, caught in a standoff with a magic staff, with no idea when she could break free.

She glanced impatiently at her companion, who, surprisingly, showed no sign of irritation. Instead, she pointed at the staff floating in the sky. “Look, isn’t the light around it much less now?”

Only then did Liang Yin come to her senses and observe carefully. “It really does seem that way…”

Stardust Chronicle 029_029 The Return of the Staff of Eternity—end of update!