[HSRGSS] Chapter 102: A Thousand Years Later, Heavenly Ascendant

A thousand years had passed in the blink of an eye.

For Lucian, this was undoubtedly the longest stretch recorded inside a script, yet spending every day with the stunning beauty Jingliu somehow made time flow even faster, making a thousand years slip away like a snap of the fingers.

On a planet named Riyao-XI, where the Abominations of Abundance had entrenched themselves and enslaved the natives, the Xianzhou Yaoqing dispatched their starskiff pilots and Cloud Knights to eradicate them.

"I heard the general hired those two from the Heavenly Ascendant this time. Is that true?"

"It's true. I just saw them earlier."

"Great! Man, the general sure knows how to spend. Now that we have the Heavenly Ascendant joining the battle, our victory is certain!"

As the Yaoqing's starskiff pilots chatted over the comms, easing the pre-battle tension, a foxian woman pilot with light-purple fur perked up and joined the conversation.

"Is it the legendary Cangcheng's Heavenly Ascendant?! They're amazing! I've heard stories about them since I was a kid!"

"Of course. In nearly a thousand years of battles, the Heavenly Ascendant has never lost—not even once."

"Especially the Moonlight Sword Immortal. Every time she shows up, she looks unstoppable!"

"Yeah... Honestly, even the Luofu's Sword Champion might not be a match for her."

"But her master, the Azure Sword Immortal, is so low-key. I've seen him a few times—he's insanely handsome! I'd marry him instantly if I could! Too bad he and his disciple are a perfect pair. I don't stand a chance at all."

"I wonder if the Heavenly Ascendant is still recruiting. I'd love to cling to their coattails."

Just like that, the starskiff pilots traded words back and forth.

Simply talking about the undefeated group known as the 'Heavenly Ascendant' washed away much of their tension—it felt as if victory was already guaranteed.

At the same time, a handsome man and a beautiful woman stood atop a mountain, side by side, gazing over the local scenery.

Jingliu: "Master, how much of the Yaoqing's spoils will we take this time?"

Lucian: "Well, the operation's not that big, so we'll take thirty percent. However, since they're our old customers, twenty percent will do."

Jingliu: "Alright, so how should I make my entrance for maximum aura?"

Lucian: "Obviously, as usual. Wear a black eyepatch, walk down from here with ice spreading under your feet, then take it off—straight-up dazzling, like breakfast and dinner in one."

Jingliu: "Master, it's called 'Crescent Transmigration.' Please, don't call it like that. It ruins my aura."

Lucian: "You? In front of me, what aura could you possibly have?"

Jingliu: "Just watch. One day, I'll catch your sword without kneeling an inch."

Jingliu's gaze remained unwavering as she said this, as if catching Lucian's sword had become an obsession—something she could not die in peace without accomplishing.

Lucian did not understand why Jingliu was so fixated on taking the Immortal Kneel, so he only smiled and remained silent. Even if she had ten thousand years, she could never withstand a conceptual ability.

A thousand years had passed, and now Lucian and Jingliu could speak freely about anything, though there was still a certain wall between them—an unspoken boundary that neither dared to cross.

Regardless, Lucian felt this was already good enough.

Unlike in the original story, where Jingliu had been someone else's disciple for centuries and still remained distant, the Jingliu before him had grown up with her hometown intact, her entire childhood spent with him by her side, so her mindset was naturally better—aside from her parents being killed by the Abominations of Abundance.

Jingliu had her own thoughts when it came to certain emotions.

Yes, they were close, but Jingliu never pierced that final layer of wall between them.

Lucian did not force the matter either and simply let things happen naturally.

Of course, whatever Jingliu wanted to do, Lucian would always support her.

If she wanted to hone her swordsmanship and improve, Lucian accompanied her from battle to battle. By calling themselves the Heavenly Ascendant, they could join any war the Xianzhou Alliance fought—so long as they got a share afterward.

It had been this way for a thousand years, which was why they had never gone to the Luofu to take part in the Luminary Wardance Ceremony.

As a result, Jingliu was not the Sword Champion of the Luofu known as the 'Transcendent Flash,' but instead bore the alias Lucian had given her—'Moonlight Sword Immortal,' a reputation forged through countless battles—like now, when the two were aiding the Yaoqing in eradicating the Abominations of Abundance on Riyao-XI.

However, the abominations had gone into hiding, still mobilizing their forces, so they could only wait.

Bored of waiting, Lucian pulled a sofa from the System's storage space and sat down.

Seeing this, Jingliu calmly walked over and sat beside him.

Lucian glanced to his side and saw a breathtaking immortal beauty clad in half-armor.

In his eyes, this beauty, whom he had watched since her youth, had never lost her luster.

Compared to the refined and delicate girl from the past, the beauty before him now bore a sharp, heroic air forged through years of battle—her presence was ethereal, like a pure white moon.

Lucian instinctively reached out, as if to pluck that beautiful moon from the sky—and to his surprise, his hand met warmth.

He looked down to find Jingliu leaning her head into his palm so naturally, tilting it slightly, smiling faintly.

"I'm a thousand years old now. You still see me as a child, Master?"

Upon hearing this, Lucian gently rubbed Jingliu's head for a while before withdrawing his hand with a smile.

"No, I just wanted to check if you've gone bald from my training."

"I'm not bald." Jingliu giggled, then straightened up and looked into the distance, smoothly changing the subject. "Master, do you remember that clever boy from two hundred years ago who helped us deal with the Puppeteer Jellyfish?"

At the mention of 'Puppeteer Jellyfish,' Lucian immediately recalled a white-haired youth.

"Yeah, I remember. If I'm not wrong, his name is Jing Yuan."

"Yes, him." Jingliu nodded calmly. "I think he might become the Luofu's Arbiter-General in the future. Why don't you take him as a disciple?"

"No." Lucian shook his head. "He and I are not fated as master and disciple."

As if he would give Jing Yuan the privilege of being his grand-disciple.

"It's been a thousand years, and you've never taken another disciple... Do that many people truly have no fate with you, Master?"

"Of course. I have only you as my disciple."

Upon hearing this straightforward answer, Jingliu gave a subtle smile and said nothing more.

With that, the two sat quietly side by side, gazing at the scenery from the mountain in a peaceful silence.

Jingliu's words had reminded Lucian of the event from two centuries ago.

In March, the Heavenly Ascendant had accepted a contract from the Luofu to lead a group of new recruits into real battle and temper them.

However, due to an unexpected accident, the battleship transporting them was forced to make an emergency landing on an oceanic planet heavily corrupted by abominations—newly emerged, long-lived creatures known as the Puppeteer Jellyfish.

Not long after the landing, they hijacked the minds of the Cloud Knights, infiltrated the battleship, and nearly succeeded in turning it into their nest.

Because the Cloud Knights whose minds had been overtaken continued to act normally, it became impossible to tell friend from foe.

As paranoia and suspicion spread, the situation gradually spiraled out of control, putting everyone on edge.

Just as Lucian was about to intervene to save the recruits from annihilation, a white-haired recruit stepped forward.

"Everyone! I am Cloud Knight Jing Yuan, and I have not been controlled!"

"Listen! Those creatures invade the back of the neck, seizing the central nervous system to control our minds and bodies! As long as you protect the back of your neck, they can't harm you!"

Jing Yuan's expression was firm, his eyes radiating confidence, as if victory was already his.

"Now, check the back of everyone's neck! If there's anything abnormal, it's definitely them! You just need to remove it, and their mind will return to normal!"

Upon hearing this, those unaffected naturally cooperated, but those already controlled definitely would never allow such an inspection.

As a result, chaos erupted as nearly half the Cloud Knights began to riot.

However, just as the riot began, Lucian casually lifted his sword and gave a light swing—his movement was ethereal, almost lazy—and in that instant, everyone fell to their knees before him, hands pressed together, unable to move.

Immortal Kneel, as a conceptual ability, possessed an immense targeting range and could selectively affect anyone Lucian wished with just a thought.

"Kiddo, you're impressive. You'll become someone great."

As Jing Yuan stood frozen, witnessing such an unbelievable scene, Lucian patted him on the shoulder and praised him with a calm, serene smile.

On that day, Jing Yuan saw what it truly meant to wield absolute strength for the first time—one swing, and ten thousand knelt!

Compared to Lucian, the Sword Champion of the Luofu was nothing at all!