Chapter 136: Xianzhou wouldn't be unable to make gas masks, right?
「 "Master diviner! You're back!"
Just finishing the questioning, Stelle saw the Fu Xuan return with a troop of Cloud Knights.
"I apologize for the wait, everyone. But the deceit of the Disciples is laid bare to me now," Fu Xuan explained with a slight apology.
"Apologies. To avoid dissemination of intelligence, the general and I kept the involvement of the Disciples to ourselves."
"This is a clandestine organization plotting to overthrow the Alliance. They have lurked in the shadows for years, and this time, due to the Stellaron's mischief, they finally couldn't help but reveal their presence. Furthermore, this disaster is inextricably linked to them."
"The conflict is difficult, master diviner, but you have led your forces from the front lines and beyond in pursuit of the enemy. Admirable work," Welt praised.
"Well... It's nothing!" Fu Xuan was immediately flustered by the compliment, displaying modesty on her face, yet unable to suppress the smile at the corners of her mouth.
"Matters of divination require the diviner to be personally involved; only by obtaining firsthand intelligence can we approach the correct result..."
But she suddenly reacted, her amber eyes wide open: "Eh... Wait... what's all this about a difficult conflict? The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus have been scheming for a long time, but our army is in no way inferior. How can things be so difficult?"
"You waited for us because you probably need something again, right?" Stelle was very perceptive.
Fu Xuan smiled slightly and nodded: "It seems you were already prepared."
"sigh The first time we met Madam Yukong, she said something marvelous line..."
Little March was dramatically possessed at this moment, ignoring Tingyun's disgruntled little expression behind her, and squeaked out in Yukong's tone: "These are internal matters of the Xianzhou, no need for you to worry."
"How is it that in the blink of an eye, all the difficult tasks are shoved onto us? Even the IPC isn't as good at ordering people around as you are!" Little March complained dissatisfiedly.
"Lemme guess, what are we up to this time? Could it be... heading to the front lines? Leading the Cloud Knight charge?"
"sigh Who said you'd be heading to the battlefield... Jing Yuan instructed that you are reinforcements who arrived by chance, truly embodying the character for 'surprise'. The Cloud Knights' recent strong attack was merely a feint of the conventional. The time to use surprise tactics is now. Everyone, please follow me."
Fu Xuan led the group toward the seashore, and along the way, she spoke to them about the history of the Luofu's Alchemy Commission.
"After receiving the Ambrosial Arbor, the Alchemy Commission was once the most important departmentinn the Luofu Xianzhou. After all... it was they who transformed all Xianzhou people into long-life species, and it was they who researched various incredible technologies derived from the Ambrosial Arbor."
"But in the end, the alchemists remained unsatisfied and began to take pleasure in manipulating life. The research into the Ambrosial Arbor was like drinking poison to quench thirst... the deeper they delved, the greater their craving." 」
「 .....」
〜Genshin Impact World〜
As Fu Xuan in the light screen finished speaking, within a palace in Snezhnaya, Arlecchino sneered and glanced at Zandik.
Zandik also noticed the mockery in his colleague's eyes and said unhurriedly,
"If the facts truly align with Miss Fu Xuan's statement, then the Xianzhou people are indeed utterly foolish."
"Heh... I actually think they did the right thing."
Arlecchino's sharp nails scraped across the desktop carved from ice, leaving a thin, long mark.
"Those who manipulate life should indeed be met with the cruelest form of death."
The smile on Zandik's face slowly faded. Although he knew the Knave harbored dissatisfaction toward him, he hadn't expected it to reach this extent. It seemed the previous Knave was more compatible with him.
"I understand the thoughts of the Xianzhou alchemists. Regarding that miraculous wood, I would also continue researching it if I were in their place. However, I need to correct one of Fu Xuan's statements: 'manipulating life'... that description is inaccurate for the alchemists."
"On the contrary—I think they are the people who respect life the most on the Xianzhou."
"Oh?"
Arlecchino sounded as if she had heard a tremendous joke, and her sinister laughter immediately echoed throughout the empty hall.
"You've become humorous, Zandik."
Zandik did not respond to her sarcasm. He said leisurely,
"Ultimately, as long as one understands the mysteries of life and grasps the truth behind longevity, many problems on the Xianzhou can be readily solved. Perhaps the Mara-Struck affliction might even be cleared one day."
"As long as we can thoroughly research the power of the Aeon of 『 Abundance 』... what does sacrificing a few people matter? In the end, the Xianzhou is still too weak. To grasp true knowledge, one must pay a tremendous price."
"Researching the power of an Aeon?"
Arlecchino narrowed her eyes:
"Don't you think people who hold such ideas are extremely arrogant and presumptuous?"
"An Aeon is merely a slightly more advanced creature."
Zandik chuckled.
"And what does the power of an Aeon matter? As scholars, we must respect all possibilities. If I had sufficient resources and time, I could create an Aeon too."
—
「 " "Morning bell wakes from dreams within dreams, mist gathers and scatters, body outside the body." Do you see that?"
Fu Xuan led the group to the seaside and pointed to an alchemic crucible nearby that was still emitting smoke. The swirling mist drifted everywhere like clouds and rosy haze, momentarily resembling a magnificent, immortal realm, a celestial palace in the sky.
"This is where the alchemists practiced the way of immortality in ancient times. They built the elixir crucibles here, drew upon the power of the Ambrosial Arbor, and transformed fantastic ideas into reality. Because the smoke and mist in the crucibles never ceased, it was named the "Evemist Mansion" ."
A look of difficulty appeared on Fu Xuan's face as she looked up at the group: "Although the name is elegant, in military strategy, it is a place of death. As long as the crucibles remain lit and the clouds and mist swirl, we cannot approach even a single step."
"Is this the reason the Cloud Knights lost control and became Mara-Struck?" Welt asked.
Fu Xuan nodded: "The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus infused the smoke that permeates this delve with medicinal pellets that elicit mara. Unless the Cloud Knights were able to march with their breath held, they would be doomed to fall into disarray. Moreover, no one could know whether their comrade was about to be stricken with mara. Is there anything better than fear for destroying the morale of an army?" 」
「 .....」
〜Runeterra World〜
Zaun—
"Weird,"
Jinx withdrew her gaze from the light screen, feeling very puzzled.
"The Xianzhou Alliance clearly has technology capable of flying into the cosmic bank, so how come they didn't even prepare gas masks for their soldiers?"
"They can't possibly fail to make even this thing, can they?"
Jinx shook the crude mask in her hand. This little item was an essential possession for every household in Zaun, which was filled with various nerve toxins.
Although Zaun's technological level was inferior to Piltover's and certainly inferior to Xianzhou's, they still possessed the common sense to wear a mask on their face to deal with toxic gases.
"If the Xianzhou really can't even produce gas masks, then I'm genuinely curious how they have persisted in the galaxy for thousands of years."
Silco explained from the side:
"They were probably caught off guard, right? Before the march, Fu Xuan didn't tell the Cloud Knights that their opponent was the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, so being ambushed is normal."
"If this large army were all equipped with masks... it would take a few more days to prepare the supplies. But the current Xianzhou can't wait. If the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus are allowed to continue for a few more days, who knows what Xianzhou will become?"
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