"If it weren't for the two of us knowing how to block your acupoints (those special pressure points in martial arts that can stop bleeding), using our internal martial arts to lock down your qi, and literally freezing you solid, you'd be a goner!" Fifteen days have passed, but Queen Jill is still fuming, poking Jasper Xiao's forehead with her jade-like finger: "Soloing the Demon King? Aren't you something! What, you afraid Sauron would kill us or something? Listen, I'm the backup you called in—backup, you get it? If I don't show up to help, what kind of backup am I? Can you trust me a little? Can we please just be friends already?"
Jasper Xiao's nose was squished, his eyes all scrunched up, forced to keep grinning like a fool—he looked nothing like the World Sovereign. To be fair, his situation back then was seriously dangerous. The twins basically dragged him back from the edge of death.
"Let it go. He must have his reasons for doing what he did." Once the third round of Spirit Rings lit up, Teacher Yang’s personality started coming back online. He could finally open his eyes like a normal person, and his whole vibe was getting more chill, more easygoing. He looked at Jasper Xiao: "I think I can guess a few things. I bet you went to face Sauron alone not just to beat him, but to solve a riddle in your heart. Am I right?"
"Teacher Yang, you really are a life coach—straight to the point!" Jasper Xiao braced his arms and slowly sat up. "I’ve had this knot in my heart for ages, and now, I finally worked it out."
"Was it Sauron who gave you the answer?"
"Not really. I didn’t get the answer from him—I figured it out myself." Jasper Xiao stared out at the endless plains and the scars left by war: "For a Paladin like me, good and evil is a heavy, ultimate question. Because good and evil are two sides of the same coin, and nothing in this world is truly permanent. Every action, no matter how righteous, will always cast some kind of shadow."
"That’s why Paladins usually don’t dare dig too deep into this stuff. Even the folks who taught me the path of the Divine Light would subconsciously dodge these questions."
"But as time and experience pile up, every action adds up, and eventually those shadows get so big you can’t ignore them anymore. What then? At that point, it’s easy to lose your way, maybe even destroy all your beliefs and burn out every bit of light you had." Jasper Xiao looked up at Teacher Yang and smiled: "You get what I mean, right?"
"Of course." Teacher Yang also laughed, easy and free: "You know, I’m an old hand at wrestling with inner demons. And looking at you now, I’d say you’re pretty much an old hand yourself. Did you have some kind of epiphany about good and evil?"
"Sort of. I mean, I haven’t figured it all out yet, and I’m nowhere near being a saint or a sage, but at least I made some progress." Jasper Xiao’s eyes were clear: "I can’t explain good and evil perfectly, and I’m not qualified to teach anyone, but at least I know what I need to do, and how to keep moving forward."
"I still can't clearly say what I'm supposed to take on, what burdens I should carry, or what I should or shouldn't do when things go wrong." He spread his fingers, staring at his palm, mumbling to himself: "But at least now, I know where my path is. At least I know if I just keep walking step by step, leaving my own footprints, I won't go wrong."
"That's enough." Yang Qi sprang to her feet: "Looks like you don't need me worrying about you, kid. In fact, you’re doing just fine. Since that’s the case, I’ve got a ton of stuff to deal with, so I’m not gonna waste any more time here. I’m out!"
Whoosh! Yang Qi leaped into the air, shooting across the sky like a flying shuttle, landing far off in the distance to the cheers and screams of the crowd below. As a legendary hero, every time she shows up, it’s like a superstar making a grand entrance—she always causes a huge stir.
Jasper Xiao instinctively raised his hand, wanting to hold her back, but in the end could only drop it helplessly: "Sigh, still as impatient as ever. Seriously, what’s she so busy with these days?"
"You were out cold for so long, so you probably don’t know—she’s got a ton on her plate. I’ll skip the little stuff, let’s talk big picture." Teacher Yang started listing things off: "The Flame Tide sucked up the entire hell-root from the depths of Doom Volcano, and that little light orb leveled up like it did a triple jump. Now the Flame Tide is basically a super furnace with a whole world inside. She’s busy melting down the Wings of Transcendence, the Transcendent Armor, and the Transcendent Heart in there, which is taking up a lot of her energy. Am I right?"
Jasper Xiao nodded: "Melting down transcendent elements is definitely no easy task."
"Also, after that big battle, the younger folks all took some hits. As the leader, she’s got to comfort and encourage everyone, so they don’t end up traumatized. Especially that Mecha Fatty—his Battle King Pill got smashed to bits by the Mountain Giant, and lately he’s been following her around, begging her to fix it. That’s a whole mess in itself, right?"
Jasper Xiao nodded again: "Just hearing Mecha Fatty’s okay puts me at ease."
"Third, Gandalf’s got a whole mess of issues popping up. Ever since she used the Ring of Fire, it’s like that ring bonded to her. Even though she gave it back to Gandalf afterward, he can’t use its power anymore. Lately he’s been glaring at her with those old eyes, hunting her down for an explanation. Gandalf’s no pushover, so that’s another headache, right?"
Jasper Xiao rubbed the Ring of Heaven on his left hand, feeling a bit troubled: "Yeah, seems like this ring won’t come off either…"
"Oh, and here's the most troublesome one of all." Teacher Yang reached behind her and, with a flourish, produced a sword. Technically, it was a sword case—crafted entirely from jade, shimmering with a mystical glow, clearly not your average weapon. Any master smith versed in the Way of Weapons would be left speechless: this perfectly squared jade case was built to the specs of a legendary artifact.
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"What's this?"
"The Dark Demon Sword." Teacher Yang patted the sword case. "Sauron's gone, but this mystical weapon remains. Thanks to its dark nature, even tossing it into a tide of flames or hellfire wouldn't destroy it. When it comes to darkness, it's on par with the Supreme Demon Ring—a real troublemaker. That's why I made this special case: to seal its sword spirit and keep it from causing havoc. Leaving it in this world is risky, but we can't take it with us. So, after some discussion, we decided—"
Pop! Teacher Yang stuffed the jade case into Jasper Xiao's arms. "It's yours."
"For me?" Jasper Xiao hugged the sword case and shook his head. "A weapon like this is worth a fortune in the hands of master smiths like you. I could seal it with holy light and stash it in my storage space, then return it to you once we're back on Earth."
"No need." Teacher Yang swept her sleeve, pressing the sword case firmly into Jasper Xiao's arms. "You said it yourself: good and evil, light and shadow, two sides of the same coin. This Dark Demon Sword is your gift for surviving against all odds."
Jasper Xiao fell silent for a moment, running his hand over the warm jade case and smiling faintly. "I heard you made a 'Seeker's Sword' for Yuxi once—I was pretty jealous. So, are you giving me a Seeker's Sword today too?"
"Exactly. But don't get cocky just because you offed the Demon King at the crucial moment of becoming a god, kid. Don't underestimate the Dark Demon Sword." Yang Qi warned seriously, "Neither of us would ever be swayed by this sword, because our path isn't about good or evil. But you're different—your journey's unique, so it can actually affect you. We're giving you this sword in hopes that it'll help you reach enlightenment, not lead you astray."
"I hope one day you master it and turn it into a holy sword. But if you get corrupted by it—" Teacher Yang grinned mischievously, flexed her arms, and playfully shadowboxed in the air. "Then I'll finally get a chance to smack you on the head and pay you back for that whack you gave me! Honestly, I'm kinda looking forward to seeing you go dark."
Jasper Xiao burst out laughing and reached out his hand. "No way! You'll never get the chance—I'll never pay back that hit! When I finally turn this into a holy sword, I hope you—and all of you—can soar the skies with me!"
Above the skies lies the realm of the gods.
"Deal! Whoever gets there first—" Teacher Yang slapped Jasper Xiao's hand, gripping it tight with a ringing, decisive thump. "—we'll meet there, no matter what!"
In the blink of an eye, another ten days passed.
Regarding Sauron, two legends are now making the rounds in White City. One is the famous "Three Heroes" tale—they say three people took down Sauron together. The other is the "Legend of the Supreme King," claiming Jasper Xiao defeated the Demon King solo.
None of the three are the gossiping type, so nobody outside the trio knows what really happened. Sure, Jasper Xiao did handle Sauron alone, but no one else witnessed it. Anyone spreading that second legend clearly has an agenda—probably just trying to build Jasper Xiao’s reputation.
Why build up his reputation? Isn’t it obvious? It’s all for his official coronation.
Because of this, the twins have been teasing the Paladin nonstop: "Once you max out your reputation, you don’t have to worry about a thing—someone will always step up to handle the PR. You couldn’t avoid becoming king if you tried!"
Ten days later, guests from all nations gathered in White City for the victory banquet celebrating this epic battle. The win was so glorious, everyone—dwarves and elves included—was shoulder-to-shoulder, guzzling ale and breaking into wild tap dances.
That night, in the forest outside the city, Galadriel met with Yang Qi.