Work to reconnect continued without pause, but every attempt ended in nothing but silence on the line.
No one had imagined something like this happening—right here, right now.
The entire Xianzhou Alliance had lost contact, and every ship might even be in danger.
Some still refused to believe it.
"This must be a temporary communications breakdown. Once it's repaired, we'll contact the Alliance again."
"Yeah, yeah. The Xianzhou Alliance is a civilization that's spanned the cosmos for thousands of years. There's no way we'd fall that easily."
Unable to accept reality, they clung to blind faith instead.
"But the universe has existed far longer," Jing Yuan said, dousing the strategists with cold water. "Who can say how many civilizations have already vanished into the galaxy?"
The universe stretched on endlessly. Who could guarantee a civilization would last forever? Who could guarantee their legacy would endure?
Even LONG, the AEON of the PERMANENCE had fallen somewhere in the vast cosmos. Even TAZZYRONTH, a titan who once stirred the galaxy, had dispersed into nothing.
If even AEONs—beings who carried the might of the universe—could meet such ends, who could promise they'd be the last ones standing?
That icy truth hit them like a plunge of freezing water, snapping everyone out of their daze.
Yes, the Alliance had ruled the star sea for thousands of years—but what did that really prove?
The black void might swallow all life in the very next moment, leaving not even a single bone behind.
Who knew how many civilizations had vanished in the span of a single, stunned heartbeat?
Jing Yuan had to make them grasp how grave the situation was.
"Enough wishful thinking. Notify the entire Luofu—we're going on high alert!"
Standing before the general's seat, he issued the order.
Whether the Alliance was truly under coordinated attack or not, the Luofu had to be prepared.
If this was a false alarm, Jing Yuan could submit a self-criticism and let it pass.
If it was real, then no number of self-criticisms—ten, a hundred—would bring back lives lost while hesitating.
So until communications were restored, the alert would remain.
Better to strain nerves than to lose lives.
After settling this, Jing Yuan returned to the Isolation Prison to question Dan Shu further.
But he hadn't expected Dan Shu to refuse him outright.
"I already told everything to that man named Hoshigaki Sora. If you have questions, go ask him."
Heavy restraints weighed her down, yet her expression was oddly calm.
Ever since she learned from Sora that he'd treated the blind girl, Xiao Yu, she'd been like this.
Even now, her world was nothing but gray darkness—yet it was as if she finally saw everything she'd always overlooked.
Maybe, in her heart, Sora hadn't just saved Xiao Yu. Maybe he'd saved her, too.
That was why she'd held nothing back, pouring everything out to him.
Seeing her like this, Jing Yuan couldn't help but feel curious.
The Disciples of the Sanctus Medicus had hidden within the Xianzhou for countless years. He'd organized countless purge operations.
Yet they always returned, like bamboo shoots after rain—cut them down, and they sprouted again.
As long as there were people who still desired YAOSHI's blessing, the Disciples would never be eradicated.
Generations of generals had tried to deal with them.
Yet during his own tenure, their leader walked right in and surrendered.
It was—truly—unprecedented.
So Jing Yuan asked, "What made you so willing to turn yourself in?"
Dan Shu didn't reply. She simply closed her sightless eyes and said nothing more.
Since she refused to speak, Jing Yuan could only shake his head and go find Sora to discuss it instead.
Dan Shu finally got to savor this rare quiet.
...
Jing Yuan kept close tabs on Sora's whereabouts, so it took him no effort to find and question him about Dan Shu.
Sora understood what he wanted, so he didn't waste time—he laid out everything she'd told him.
The unrest on the Luofu had primarily involved the incident caused by Vidyadhara Preceptor Taoran.
Under the original plan, Taoran was supposed to escape successfully with help from the Disciples of the Sanctus Medicus.
"And according to the plan, he was going to take quite a few of his own people when he left."
Meaning Taoran's later hostage move—taking the Vidyadhara eggs—hadn't been spontaneous at all. It was premeditated.
It just so happened Sora and the others wrecked it.
"And once Taoran succeeded, the Denizens of the Abundance who came to receive them would've been waiting three nebulae away from the Luofu."
Hearing that, Jing Yuan nodded.
He would set a net in that area—one that would make escape impossible.
He wanted to see for himself whether this supposed "unified Abundance clans" claim was real.
With this information, Jing Yuan left to prepare the operation.
Before leaving, though, he asked the question that had nagged him.
"She doesn't seem willing to talk to me. Did you have any particular thoughts, Mr. Sora?"
"What thoughts would I have? I was with you the whole time, wasn't I? Did you forget?"
"Fair point. Maybe she had a sudden epiphany." Jing Yuan nodded. "Rest well, Mr. Sora. We'll speak again."
He departed hurriedly, while Sora watched his retreating figure, thoughtful.
There was something Dan Shu had said to Sora when they parted—something he hadn't shared with Jing Yuan.
At the time, when she saw Taoran suppressed, unable to rise, she'd planned to keep lying low and wait.
"Miss Robin's power is extremely strong—and extremely dangerous. I don't know if this universe can tolerate her existence."
To force someone to completely turn back, her power was definitely not ordinary HARMONY.
Dan Shu understood, too: an innocent man bears no guilt, but a priceless jade invites disaster.
Whether this dangerous universe would allow such power to persist… remained an open question.
Whenever Sora thought of this, his gaze drifted to Robin unconsciously.
But right now she was chatting with friends, smiling brightly.
The little wings by her ears fluttered lightly, happiness flickering and gleaming in their colors.
No matter how you looked at her, she seemed harmless—even slightly airheaded.
Her, a threat to the universe? It had to be a joke.
Sora shrugged and joined their conversation.
On the Luofu, he was still just a guest. Some worries were better left to Jing Yuan and the others.
...
Once the alert was declared, the Luofu fell into a strange atmosphere.
On the surface, everything appeared normal, yet anyone could sense the oppressive gloom beneath.
At times like this, anything that drove away that suffocating feeling was eagerly sought.
Thus, the film—which had started losing steam at the box office—unexpectedly experienced a sudden resurgence.
According to Fenille's calculations, once costs were deducted, the movie's return could only be called a miracle.
"Even if another two thousand Amber Eras pass, it'd be hard to recreate a myth like this anywhere in the galaxy."
Yes—Fenille was calling the profit margin a myth.
It had shattered every economic rule, entering the realm of pure fantasy.
For such a miracle to appear near the end of Amber Era 2157 was thrilling beyond belief.
"And it's all due to my outstanding performance!" Titania declared proudly. "That's why it turned out this way!"
By now, everyone had developed a flawless rhythm for managing Titania.
With Fenille's flattery and everyone's applause, Titania was—of course—one hundred and ten percent satisfied.
This time she'd stolen the show and gained a batch of new believers.
Her divine influence was spreading even wider across the universe!
And that "extra" ten percent satisfaction came from Sora.
Sora sat by the window, pinching the bridge of his nose. A rare hint of fatigue appeared on his face.
"Heh. Don't tell me you saw my popularity skyrocketing and realized you can't compete!"
Sora opened his eyes helplessly—only to see two nostrils pointed straight at him.
Titania's chin was practically in the air. She was so smug she looked like she might tip over backward.
In response, Sora calmly stuck two fingers straight into her nostrils.
"Hey—ow, ow, ow! Let go! Let go!"
Titania flailed in surprise, smacking at him desperately.
But Sora wasn't letting her off that easily. He marched her back and forth by the nose as if he owned her.
"Admit it. Admit it."
"Admit what?!"
Good.
Only when the others were on the verge of losing it did Sora finally let go.
Titania clapped both hands over her slightly reddened nose. "Hey! Wasn't that going a little too far? Sneak attacks are cheap!"
"Can't help it. If I don't fix you now, you'll start looking at people with your chin."
"Y-you—you! Just you wait! Don't let me catch you with an opening!"
She hurled the threat over her shoulder and stomped off.
A gentleman waits ten years to take revenge—and she was a deity!
This nose‑poking grudge? She'd remember it for hundreds, thousands of years!
The instant she found an opening, she'd strike and avenge herself personally.
A cold smile curled at the corners of Titania's mouth.
Which, paired with her reddened nose, was… honestly pretty funny.
Fenille and several members of the Iron Cavalry hurried after her, just in case she went off to cause trouble.
The room gradually quieted again. Sora sat there, pinching his brow, fatigue flickering across his face once more.
"You've been off lately, haven't you?"
Robin sat down across from him.
Ever since Sora dealt with Taoran, Robin had quickly noticed something was different.
"Your temper's been kind of strange. Is it because of the alert?"
"No. Don't worry—it's nothing major. I've just been waking up in the middle of the night for no reason."
And deep down, he kept feeling as if something were calling to him.
It wasn't like some ghost had possessed him… right?
No way. With Titania around, how could he get possessed?
Robin looked puzzled. Before, once Sora fell asleep, nothing could wake him.
So why was he like this on the Luofu?
"Then… want me to try something?"
She used the power of HARMONY to soothe his mind.
As for the results, Sora's verdict was simple: it helped, but not much.
"It feels great while it lasts—but the moment you stop, it's useless again."
With no better ideas, Robin could only suggest he go see Bailu.
After a round of examinations, Bailu put on a very serious expression and handed Sora a prescription.
"Your illness is probably a matter of the heart. Here—take this first."
Sora took it, glanced down, and immediately felt his eyelid twitch.
The entire prescription could be summed up in four words: eat, drink, play, laugh.
In other words—stop holding yourself back. Stop suppressing yourself. Stop suffering in silence.
"Hey! Don't look down on this prescription!" Bailu puffed up, hands on her hips, stamping her foot to make sure she was noticed. "I've tested it personally!"
"Before you all came, I was miserable every day—stewing inside, eating badly, living badly…"
As she spoke, she leaned toward Jin Xing.
"But now? Jin Xing‑jiejie takes me everywhere to mess around. Look—my mental state is way better than yours."
Bailu had been playing nonstop lately. Ever since Jin Xing arrived, she'd basically entered an endless stretch of "happy time."
Even with the Luofu on high alert, she was still getting to do things she'd only dreamed about before.
So yes—her mental state really was completely different.
She was living proof of that prescription.
"Trust me. It works!"
With that, she immediately started pestering Jin Xing to go play something else.
After saying goodbye, Sora held the prescription and fell into thought.
Was this really just a mindset problem?
He tried to trace it back. Why had his mindset shifted?
When he first arrived on the Luofu, he'd been fine. The change had started… around the Taoran incident.
After Taoran's unrest, his mental state had slipped into this strange new pattern.
"Then during that time… what happe—"
"Hoshigaki Sora!"
The sudden shout snapped him back.
He looked up—to see a young man riding a flying sword straight toward him.
Yanqing.
And the news he brought was urgent.
"The general's side found something new. He wants you there to discuss it!"
...
Based on the intelligence Sora received, Jing Yuan had laid countless traps in that region.
The intruders walked straight into them. In the end, reduced to only three survivors, they surrendered.
Now Sora stood watching them, bound off to the side.
Their bodies were bird‑like, each with a single horn growing from the top of the head—an unmistakable trait that confirmed their identity.
"The Gudiao clan came to the Luofu as 'visitors,'" Jing Yuan said with a smile to Sora. "So naturally, I had to invite Mr. Sora to meet our honored guests."
Honestly, seeing Jing Yuan still smiling at a time like this was a little impressive.
The man's nerves of steel really weren't ordinary.
"Jing Yuan, if you think bringing some unblessed monkey here is going to humiliate us, then your plan is going to fall flat."
Even as prisoners, the Gudiao couldn't resist throwing barbs.
To them, this kind of humiliation was cheap—childish, pointless.
They were just about to sneer again when a gust of wind slammed into them, and they didn't even understand what had happened.
"Gah—!"
One of the Gudiao was suddenly in Sora's grip, fingers locked around its throat.
"Hey, you monke—"
Another Gudiao flared up—but the moment Sora's eyes shifted to it, it froze.
What kind of gaze was that?
Cruelty lay buried deep within it—as if he were waiting, waiting for it to say just one more offending word…
So he'd have an excuse to kill them. Openly. Cleanly.
Terror swallowed the Gudiao whole. Its body went slack, collapsing to the ground in a daze.
"Tch. Boring."
Sora tossed the Gudiao in his hand aside, irritated.
Then a flicker of confusion crossed his mind.
Why had he even done that?
Posturing in front of beaten stragglers was pointless.
Whatever. The real business mattered more.
"I hope Mr. Sora will keep this matter confidential," Jing Yuan said solemnly.
That seriousness made Sora's heart sink.
"So it's real?"
They'd still wondered whether only the Luofu had been cut off—whether the other Xianzhou ships had actually been attacked.
Now, it seemed, the answer was clear.
"Yes. After capturing them, I immediately had Fu Xuan use the Matrix of Prescience Ultima to examine their memories. That confirmed it."
Jing Yuan played back what had been extracted—nearly identical to what Dan Shu had said earlier.
Every Xianzhou ship was under attack, harassed nonstop, communications completely severed.
Each was isolated, without support.
And among them, only one Xianzhou ship had broken away—shutting out all signals, vanishing without a trace.
"And the name of that ship, Mr. Sora, should be familiar to you."
"The Cangyan?"
Jing Yuan nodded and brought up another memory image.
In it, at a gathering place of the various clans, footage of a battlefield was being projected.
They needed it to shift blame and divide responsibility.
And because of that, Sora saw the true situation on the Cangyan battlefield.
Cloud Knights wreathed in flame tore through Abominations of Abundance like blades.
A six‑tailed white fox threw back its head and howled.
And most eye‑catching of all was someone screaming "I'm so scared!" while slapping down entire swaths of enemies with a single palm.
Sora's mouth twitched. And twitched again.
In the end, that "terrified" figure did what it always did—turning into a canopy of sky, wrapping the Cangyan, blasting out of the encirclement, and vanishing without a trace.
"This is the only Xianzhou ship that escaped. The others are all trapped in their own predicaments."
Sora said nothing. He just stared at the Gudiao's memories.
And deep in his mind, a voice suddenly rose.
—Kill, kill, kill—kill them all! They're all enemies! Let's slaughter them clean!
—Hahaha! Let the blood of Abominations of Abundance spray across the stars and stain the earth!
The moment that thought surfaced, Sora understood.
Oh, shit.
He wasn't actually developing a mental illness… was he?
---
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