Outside the Alchemy Commission, a Cloud Knight soldier hurried over with news of the unrest.
At the front of the crowd, Jing Yuan stood with countless Cloud Knights behind him, guarding the Alchemy Commission's perimeter.
"Report, General. We've confirmed the situation at the Scalegorge Waterscape."
"Vidyadhara Preceptor Taoran suddenly made his move, drawing on the Ambrosial Arbor's power to turn himself into an abomination and stir up the seas."
"Fortunately, the Scalegorge Waterscape hasn't seen much foot traffic lately, so injuries were minimal. The Fangyuan High Elder engaged the abomination and had the upper hand at first, but the regenerative nature of Abundance constructs put her at a temporary disadvantage."
"But then an outside force joined the fight, and together they drove the abomination back step by step."
Jing Yuan stared at the scene on the screen—at the Scalegorge Waterscape, a flesh-and-blood monstrosity thrashed through the waters, churning the sea without pause.
"So it really was the Vidyadhara Preceptor…"
He murmured the title under his breath.
He'd suspected it for a long time, but he still hadn't expected the Vidyadhara Preceptor to truly be behind this crisis.
Given the man's temperament, maybe this outcome had been inevitable all along.
Jing Yuan shook his head, set it aside, and asked another question.
"How's the civilian evacuation?"
"Report, General. The civilians have been evacuated safely."
The messenger's tone turned strange as he went on.
"And the ones who handled the evacuation… were the Cangyan guests here for the film promotion."
By the time the Cloud Knights arrived, the crowd was already calm and settled.
Even Robin—famous across the galaxy—had been singing to steady people's nerves.
"The Cangyan guests handled the crisis with incredible speed and composure."
But how was that even possible?
Organizing an evacuation, calming a shaken crowd—none of that was easy.
Sure, evacuation drills were common, but everyone knew those were just drills.
When something real happened, panic and chaos were inevitable.
Yet these guests soothed the entire crowd with practiced methods and lightning-fast efficiency, like they dealt with this kind of thing all the time.
No way. He had to be overthinking it.
The Cloud Knight pushed the thought aside.
Jing Yuan took it as simple praise and nodded. "As long as the Cangyan guests are unharmed, that's what matters."
They were envoys from another Xianzhou ship—film promotion or not.
Their status hadn't changed.
If they were hurt here, Jing Yuan would be tearing his hair out trying to figure out how to apologize to the Fearless General.
That one wasn't easy to meet.
Now that they were safe, he could breathe a little easier.
"Then let's go see the scene ourselves."
With the rear secured, Jing Yuan advanced with his Cloud Knights.
When they reached the shore, the abomination was still twisting and thrashing, throwing up endless sprays of water.
Its massive body stirred the vast ocean, sending swells dozens of meters high crashing outward with each movement.
The moment the Cloud Knights arrived, a burst of seawater drenched them.
It looked intentional on Taoran's part, but really it was just pain—his body spasming on instinct.
The abomination darted erratically through the sea, desperate to shake off the two persistent nuisances at its sides.
In the end, it was even forced to shout—
"Don't come any closer!"
Every blow those two landed tore away huge chunks of flesh.
It could regenerate, yes, but the pain was real.
Taoran quickly realized that at this rate, he'd be beaten down and executed on the spot.
And imagining what waited for him if he was captured, he didn't dare slow down. He could only flee like mad.
Jing Yuan watched him zigzag closer, then bolt away again.
That frantic, mouse-like escape was almost funny.
But if there was one thing that genuinely irritated him…
…It was the nonstop noise.
Jing Yuan's ears were starting to itch. After watching for a bit, he felt like he could recite the whole thing from memory.
"Have fights really gotten this flashy?"
Watching a battle like this, Jing Yuan felt like the times had left him behind.
Especially when he caught sight of the Fangyuan High Elder's bright, delighted grin in the footage—that only confused him more.
Judging by her expression… she seemed to be enjoying fighting amid all that racket.
If that was true, then…
"When I fought alongside Dan Feng, would it have been better if I'd worn speakers?"
An image popped into his mind.
Him and Dan Feng fighting together, with a pair of speakers strapped to him.
Just as Dan Feng summoned an azure dragon phantom and tore the enemy apart, the speakers would coincidentally sing—
♪Rending my form—setting free—!♪
Even imagining it was kind of funny.
Except… a scene like that could never exist in this world.
Dan Feng's reincarnation had been exiled by Jing Yuan's own hand, forbidden from ever setting foot on the Xianzhou again.
It could only exist in memory.
In the end, Jing Yuan could only sigh. "If that's the case, no wonder the Fangyuan High Elder enjoys fighting like this."
Jin Xing had no idea what Jing Yuan was picturing. Right now, she was completely absorbed in the battle.
How could she not enjoy it? This was her first time fighting alongside Sora again after so long!
She'd dreamed of this moment for countless years. Now it was finally real.
All she wanted was to shout—
"Witness our perfect teamwork!"
Oh. She'd already shouted it.
Never mind.
Hearing that, the abomination actually paused mid-flight.
"You call this… 'perfect teamwork'?"
If Taoran wanted a chance to escape, he needed an opening.
But under Jin Xing and Sora's relentless pressure, he couldn't find one—so he had to create one.
And her words were the perfect wedge to pry at.
"You're only barely keeping up! You're being saved by that guy's power!"
He was trying to stain her conviction—insult her soul.
All the Vidyadhara knew the Fangyuan High Elder's pride in her strength was sky-high.
And she had every right to be proud.
Earlier, she'd briefly fallen behind Taoran—but he knew perfectly well that was only because he'd caught her off guard.
In a fair, head-on fight, he'd never be able to withstand her.
Jin Xing surely knew that too—which meant now was exactly the time to press it!
"You're nothing but a little tagalong trailing behind him!"
"Without him, you're nothing! You'll always be stuck chasing his shadow!"
Belittling her strength to her face was like a slap across the cheek.
Then the Fangyuan High Elder—with her explosive temper—would surely launch a furious assault.
That would interrupt the suppression from the blue lion beside her, and that interruption would be his chance to run.
Come on. Attack me!
Taoran braced himself, ready to endure her lightning-fast assault.
Yet even after taking another shot from Sora—losing yet another chunk of flesh—the expected attack still didn't come.
What was going on?!
Taoran's instincts screamed. Why wasn't Jin Xing attacking?
Then he looked at her—and felt like the world collapsed before his eyes.
"Following behind him? Would something that wonderful really happen? And forever, too…"
Jin Xing stood there, murmuring dreamily, as if she'd just imagined the greatest thing in the universe.
…?!!?!
Taoran felt his mind shatter like it had been hit by a hundred thousand tons.
Who are you, and what did you do to the Fangyuan High Elder?!
She was proud. Fierce. A dragon maiden who wielded thunder with heavenly authority.
How could she be making that face?!
"Give her back right now!"
If she didn't come back, who else was supposed to save him?!
The answer was… Sora!
BANG!
Another shot slammed into Taoran, vaporizing a large swath of flesh.
Pale bone gleamed starkly—a brutal sight.
But the next instant, those writhing branch-like "scales" crawled over the wound, flesh regrowing until it fully healed.
Even so, the impact sent him crashing into the sea.
"At this rate… we'll never finish him off, no matter how many times we hit him…"
Sora watched Taoran's restored body, a headache forming.
Part of it was that the Scalegorge Waterscape lay so close to the Ambrosial Arbor, but even without that, this regeneration was already a problem.
Then the solution was obvious—combine their strength and blow this bastard to ash in one shot!
Sora slotted the Hyper Ring into Mirage Magnum and began charging. Vast magic gathered at the muzzle.
One shot would erase him completely.
"If you want to kill every Vidyadhara yet to hatch, then go ahead—fire whenever you like!"
Taoran's words made Sora freeze and look over.
In the sea, Taoran's enormous body twisted into tight coils.
And within that ring lay countless egg-like objects clustered together.
Vidyadhara eggs—unhatched clanmates.
Taoran had decided to use them as hostages, buying himself a chance to escape.
And the strategy worked.
Jin Xing immediately hesitated to strike. Sora's gathered energy slowly dispersed. Jing Yuan raised a hand, stopping the Cloud Knights.
"Taoran, you piece of—!"
Jin Xing's curse came out on instinct. To Taoran, it was practically praise.
The angrier she got, the more clearly it proved how important those eggs were.
Even unhatched, they had value. That was enough.
"I'm leaving. Try to stop me, and I'll crush every egg!"
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Try me!"
With leverage in hand, Taoran's tone even overpowered Jin Xing's.
He tightened his coils slightly, and everyone watching held their breath.
No one had expected Taoran to do something so depraved.
"You still call yourself Vidyadhara?! Using unborn clanmates like this?!"
"Whether I'm Vidyadhara or not isn't for you to decide. All I want now is to leave the Luofu!"
Taoran didn't care anymore. Survival was the only thing that mattered—even if he had to sacrifice everything else.
The scene hit a deadlock.
Neither side yielded, tension sharpening to a razor's edge.
Then Jing Yuan spoke.
"Notify the Sky-Faring Commission. Clear a route out for him."
"General!"
No one had anticipated Jing Yuan's order.
"Hahahaha! That's more like it, General Jing Yuan. Hurry it up!"
Taoran exhaled cold air, freezing the Vidyadhara eggs into a single mass. Then he dragged them along as he began moving toward the exit.
This was his only trump card. He certainly wasn't going to discard it.
Both sides advanced slowly toward the opening corridor in the sky, each watching for the slightest mistake.
The instant Taoran exposed an opening, countless Cloud Knights would surge forward.
Taoran understood that perfectly.
He'd lived on the Luofu for centuries as a Vidyadhara Preceptor.
He knew the Cloud Knights well—and their weaknesses even better.
He'd put himself firmly on the winning side!
As he drew closer and closer to the corridor, everyone's nerves tightened further.
Yet as Taoran looked down at the blue sea, a trace of reluctance rose within him.
No matter what, the Luofu was still where he'd grown up. Once he left, he might never return.
But so what?
He had a brighter future ahead.
Closer. Closer.
He was about to escape once and for all—
But at that critical moment, Taoran realized he couldn't reach the corridor.
Because…
[CHAMELEO, GO!]
[CHA-CHA-CHA-CHA-CHA-CHAMELEO!]
Sora dropped his invisibility and slowly revealed himself. He seized the abomination's tail, locking Taoran in place and cutting off his escape.
"Don't go yet. There's plenty more I haven't shown you."
[BUFFA, GO!]
[BU-BU-BUBUBU-BUFFA!]
A red glow condensed into a bull's head over Sora's other shoulder.
Then raw, overwhelming strength lifted Taoran and swung him around!
Seeing the opening, Jin Xing instantly transformed into a bolt of golden lightning and snatched away the frozen cluster of Vidyadhara eggs.
"You bastard—!"
Taoran cursed, but the moment he tried to unleash freezing breath at Jin Xing, his entire body was forcibly spun again.
Sora used him like a pivot, whipping that massive form faster and faster—faster and faster!
In the end, all anyone could see was a dark-cyan disc spinning wildly in the sky.
Violent wind howled loud enough to deafen. No one would've believed that sound came from an abomination.
Taoran was spun so hard he couldn't tell up from down, east from west.
Even when Sora finally released him and slammed him into the ground, Taoran was still dizzy.
By the time his senses returned, countless Cloud Knights had already surrounded him.
The commander at the front delivered the final judgment.
"Taoran, you've violated the Alliance's forbidden laws. Surrender immediately!"
Taoran answered with a hoarse chuckle.
"Surrender? So you can torment me before executing me?"
He'd never accept a fate like that.
"I am Vidyadhara Preceptor Taoran. Even if I die, I'll leave my mark on this place!"
The flesh of the abomination began swelling uncontrollably.
He meant to self-detonate, scattering Abundance blessing across the entire region.
Then anyone who came afterward would know exactly what this place had become.
This was—
"Awooo!"
Before he could finish, a massive golden maw swallowed him whole.
The crisis ended instantly.
But everyone's eyes snapped to Sora.
More precisely—to his waist.
If they hadn't seen wrong, that giant maw seemed to stretch out from there.
"So… if I say it just got hungry and popped out on its own, would you believe me?"
Sora blinked innocently, the very picture of purity.
Everyone nodded as if their lives depended on it.
Of course we believe you.
You're strong. Whatever you say goes.
In any case, the unrest caused by the Vidyadhara Preceptor seemed to have temporarily concluded.
...
The Cloud Knights thoroughly searched the Scalegorge Waterscape shoreline, collecting every scrap of Taoran's remaining flesh to destroy it.
Another trait of Abominations of Abundance was that their flesh could be infectious.
To avoid triggering Mara, every bit had to be cleared.
Elsewhere, at the evacuation assembly point, Robin found herself face-to-face with an unexpected visitor.
"Robin-jiejie, this is Dan Shu-jiejie. She heard we ran into trouble and came to help."
Xiao Yu introduced the woman behind her, whose eyes were dull and unfocused.
Robin nodded, extending her hand. "Hello. Welcome—and thank you for helping."
"It's nothing. When you see trouble, you naturally want to lend a hand."
Robin smiled gently. "And it helps. The Alchemy Commission's ointments really do work wonders."
Dan Shu and Robin exchanged a smile.
Taking the chance, Xiao Yu quietly whispered Dan Shu's other identity into Robin's ear—she was also an Incomplete One, just like Xiao Yu.
Yet despite being born with a disability, Dan Shu had risen to become the Alchemy Commission's Chief Alchemist.
"Even with such a challenge, Miss Dan Shu, you've achieved so much. It's truly impressive."
"It's all right. I'm used to it."
Robin spread her wings, letting the power of HARMONY gently embrace Dan Shu.
Even if the Incomplete Ones said they were used to it, the topic still hurt.
So Robin offered what strength she could, easing the ache and unease.
Dan Shu froze.
Not because she was "used to it," but because something else occupied her heart.
Her true identity was the leader of the Disciples of the Sanctus Medicus—those on the Xianzhou who worshiped YAOSHI.
She'd come to see Xiao Yu to say goodbye.
Phantylia had already given her a task.
Once it was done, the number of injured civilians on the Luofu would certainly be minimal.
And at that point, Dan Shu could no longer remain here.
She'd come to bid farewell.
But when Robin's power washed over her, a storm erupted in Dan Shu's heart—bringing endless regret.
Yes, she'd grown up surrounded by ridicule—but people had encouraged her, too.
Without their support, how could she have walked the path of medicine?
Without teachers who held nothing back, how could she have reached her current position?
Teachers who guided her studies, friends who brought her joy and support, family who understood her and took pride in her…
Everything she'd shoved into the farthest corners of her memory surged back all at once.
—I am the leader of the Disciples of the Sanctus Medicus. I seek the power of ABUNDANCE for people's happiness!
Wrong. It was your damaged body, and your friend's death, that made you desperately crave survival.
—What's wrong with wanting to live? Isn't everyone born into this world to survive?
Think carefully—how did your parents, your friends, your teachers hope you would live?
Would they ever forgive you for turning to YAOSHI?!
Dan Shu's mind swirled, questions clashing endlessly with answers.
But all those answers pointed to the same conclusion—
Stop this. Start over.
By all logic, Dan Shu shouldn't have had these thoughts.
The fact that she'd become the leader proved her commitment to the Disciples ran deeper than most.
Her faith in YAOSHI should've been stronger than anyone's.
Yet the instant Robin's gentle power touched her, she began repenting without realizing it.
Maybe it was because Robin had just connected countless hearts, soothing their panic.
Or maybe it was because Robin's song had drawn cheers from so many people.
Either way…
Dan Shu was hit hard.
She clutched her head and dropped to her knees.
"What… what have I done?!"
Her sudden collapse immediately drew attention.
Xiao Yu rushed over, anxious at her side.
"Dan Shu-jiejie, what's wrong? I was just about to ask Sora-gege to help heal your eyes!"
Dan Shu froze at those words.
"You mean… heal my eyes?"
Being blind from birth was the ache she carried her whole life. The moment Xiao Yu said it, her body reacted.
"Yeah! Sora-gege's amazing! He did some magic for me and—whoosh!—my eyes got better!"
Xiao Yu spoke with exaggerated excitement. "And just now, when I saw you applying medicine, Dan Shu-jiejie, you looked so pretty—so beautiful!"
"I want to grow up to be just like you!"
Those words made Dan Shu's hands fall limply to the ground.
A crack opened in her heart—and widened quickly.
"So… that's how it is."
She struggled to her feet, then slowly began walking away.
Xiao Yu tried to chase after her, but Dan Shu stopped her sharply.
"Xiao Yu, stay here. Big Sister still has something important to do."
Xiao Yu looked at her curiously. "What important thing?"
"To make someone who took the wrong path… turn back."
Dan Shu left.
Compared to how she'd arrived, her departing figure looked unbearably desolate.
...
Jing Yuan was still at the Scalegorge Waterscape dealing with the aftermath of Taoran's incident when an urgent transmission came from the Seat of Divine Foresight.
"What did you say?!"
He could hardly believe what he'd heard.
"General—the leader of the Disciples of the Sanctus Medicus just turned herself in…"
Even the messenger sounded like they couldn't quite grasp it. The Disciples stayed deeply hidden, never exposing themselves.
Yet now their leader had walked right into the Seat of Divine Foresight and surrendered.
"And the reason she gave was… 'I can't set a bad example'…"
Saying it out loud felt surreal.
This was way too sudden.
Not just the messenger—even Jing Yuan was briefly stunned by that explanation.
He lowered his communicator and instinctively turned toward Sora beside him.
"Sora, what do you think?"
Sora had been enjoying the sea breeze, relaxed and carefree, only to suddenly be asked this.
Huh? What do I think? What does this have to do with me?
"General Jing Yuan, my name's Hoshigaki Sora, not Yuanfang."
He wasn't magically able to know everything.
Jing Yuan heard the jab and realized he'd phrased it poorly.
"In that case… Mr. Sora, why not accompany me to the Seat of Divine Foresight and see for ourselves?"
For some reason, Jing Yuan had a strong feeling this incident was connected to Sora.
He didn't know why—but he trusted the instinct.
After all, this was the same man who'd fought his way through the Swarm disaster time and again.
His records were classified at the highest level, accessible only to a select few.
But Jing Yuan had personally witnessed his ability. He trusted him.
Since Jing Yuan invited him so earnestly, Sora had no reason to refuse.
So he returned to the Seat of Divine Foresight alongside Jing Yuan—with Jin Xing quietly trailing behind.
The moment they arrived, the leader of the Disciples of the Sanctus Medicus dropped a bombshell on all three of them.
"Every Xianzhou ship has already been targeted. A wave of unrest is about to sweep across them all."
"The mastermind is Lord Ravager Phantylia—who has unified several Denizens of the Abundance clans."
At first, Jing Yuan struggled to believe her. The Xianzhou Alliance had traveled the stars for countless generations; its strength was legendary.
Even a Lord Ravager couldn't target every ship simultaneously.
"If you don't believe me, try contacting the other Xianzhou ships," Dan Shu said calmly.
"Divide and strike. That's their method."
The Xianzhou Luofu:The unrest here was sparked by Taoran's upheaval, along with its many aftereffects.
The Xianzhou Yaoqing:The Borisin clans and Xiangliu will mount a counteroffensive, tying them down in prolonged clashes.
The Xianzhou Zhuming:Their engine core, housing confiscated Sui Emperor fragments, will be targeted.
The Xianzhou Fanghu:An Abundance-blessed "Taowu clan" will invade.
The Xianzhou Cangyan:The Zhuhuai and Gudiao—two Denizens of the Abundance clans—will delay them.
The Xianzhou Yuque:With its heaven-peering arts, it will face Rahu, Devourer of Worlds, who will devour everything nearby.
The Xianzhou Xuling:If it dares to emerge, countless clans will swarm in and release all the imprisoned criminals within.
As they listened, their hearts sank.
Wasn't this… a bit too far-fetched?
"Report, General. All communications with the other Xianzhou ships have been severed."
When that message arrived, everyone present came to the same grim realization:
This… might all be real.
---
T/N: AHHH I DIDNT MISS YOU!!! UGHH TRANSLATING THIS TAKES SO LONGGGGGG!@!! IT TOOK ME lets see 1 FUCKING HOUR TO TRANSLATE ONE CHAPTER AHHHHHHHHHH
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