"Is this what General Jing Yuan meant by 'surprise force'?"
"This Seat dares not speak rashly. I can only say that the Stellaron Hunters' prophecy is more accurate than this Seat's divination. The future Kafka seeks is coming true one by one."
Stelle held her head. "It seems this is the only path left to take..."
"I also don't want to be manipulated by others, but people do not walk alone on their Paths, free of fetters. Everyone's choices not only shape themselves but also push those who walk with them forward."
"The duty of the Master Diviner is to seek good fortune and avoid calamity. I do not want my choices to cause the Luofu to slide into a terrible future."
However, the probability of such a thing happening... should be as small as the Reignbow Arbiter giving up the hunt for the Plaguemark Author.
"Back to business. Extinguishing the elixir furnace without being harmed—only you can accomplish this task. What do you think?"
"Fine, although the Master Diviner didn't say [Please] this time, who told us we are the only ones who can help? Am I right?" March 7th was full of motivation.
"Once the smoke ceases, I will come immediately. I will never let you fight alone."
"Cough cough, starting to practice holding breath now shouldn't be too late..." Fu Xuan muttered in a low voice:
"We are still far from the elixir furnace. Although this Seat is not versed in pharmacology, I know that discussing toxicity without considering dosage is just empty talk."
"Hmph, be that as it may... this Seat is still scared to death inside! This Seat is still young and doesn't want to fall to Mara so soon!"
"I didn't expect Master Diviner Fu's personality to be surprisingly straightforward." As March 7th was speaking, Stelle performed as usual, looking at Fu Xuan with a worried face:
"What if the Master Diviner suddenly has an onset now..."
"This Seat's fortune fluctuates between Dui and Qian. Making a prompt decision will prevent harm, so don't talk too much to shake my resolve!! This Seat will strive to maintain sanity; the rest depends on you."
To prevent the atmosphere from being too tense, Stelle deliberately changed the angle: "Hiss... seeing the Master Diviner so nervous, I'm getting a little scared too~ Is that smoke really harmless to us?"
Fu Xuan was unhappy: "Ha? You don't trust this Seat?" After saying this, her finger froze in the air for a few seconds, then she changed her tune:
"Cough... if this Seat said [I don't know], you wouldn't just quit on the spot, would you?"
"Cast a divination."
"No need to divine. Apart from numerology and divination, this Seat's intuition is also very accurate!" Fu Xuan straightened her back confidently. "Hmm... let me give you some reassurance. You still don't know what [Mara-Struck] is, do you?"
"Seems we really don't know..."
For the past two days, Stelle had been undercover in the [Disciples of Sanctus Medicus] while running around various places on the Xianzhou, like a brick moved wherever it was needed.
Thus, Fu Xuan gave them a science lesson on Mara-Struck: "Healers believe that [Mara-Struck] is related to memories. Although long-life species have extremely long lifespans, the capacity of memory has a limit."
"As hundreds, thousands of years pass, the emotional threshold that long-life species can feel constantly rises. Memories also become thin and weary under the erosion of long days, leaving only the most extreme and vivid sediments."
"Those are almost certainly the dregs of painful and regretful memories... Do you understand? The end for long-life species is to no longer feel joy and happiness, leaving only the pain, regret, and hatred carved in the heart like scars."
"Under these extreme emotions, the self as a human begins to collapse... This is the beginning of [Mara-Struck]."
For some reason, Fu Xuan suddenly envied the people of the Church. Their immortality completely lacked the negative symptom of [Falling to Mara].
"Short-life species don't need to worry about this. Are you reassured now?"
"Ah, then I am reassured. I happen to remember nothing." Even if short-life species could fall to Mara, March 7th felt her current state had nothing to fear.
"No, you still don't understand. The cause of Mara-Struck is not memory, but the emotional threshold being worn down to... forget it, just treat it as memory."
"Hey... does Master Diviner Fu know how many troops the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus still have?" March 7th knew well that full preparations must be made before battle. The group of lawbreakers caught near Exalting Sanctum earlier was just a small part.
"The number is few, mostly bewildered alchemists and healers. Although they can drive strange beasts to fight or strengthen their bodies with elixirs... in the end, they are no match for the Cloud Knights. That is precisely why these people came up with the idea of spreading the demonic mist."
"With such a disparity in strength, yet they ended their dormancy and raised a rebellion. This is abnormal; these people are waiting for some turning point..."
Fu Xuan feigned confusion, now just waiting for Phantylia to drop the act and show herself.
"Once the furnace is extinguished and the smoke disperses, this Seat will arrive immediately."
Fu Xuan turned her head and began practicing holding her breath in front of everyone.
"Sigh, I always feel that although long-life species can live a long time... in terms of worries and pain, they are no different from us short-life species."
March 7th lamented, but saw Stelle beside her pull off the hourglass necklace again.
"Traditional switches still have safety hazards. What if demonic mist leaks out?"
Stelle had felt a little regret for not absorbing the power of the [Ambrosial Arbor]. Now was the perfect chance to make up for it.
"Wow~ Are you really using that thing as a vacuum cleaner?"
Stelle didn't answer directly. This was the omnipotent [Eternity] Hourglass!
"March, witness the great work of [Eternity]!"
She slammed the hourglass onto the ground, and all the mist was sucked clean in an instant.
Not far away, Fu Xuan was still practicing holding her breath. Seeing this scene, she almost choked herself.
"Good... excellent! This Seat will lead the army to rendezvous with you immediately!" She shouted at the top of her lungs.
...
"The furnace... is extinguished."
The Master of the [Disciples of Sanctus Medicus] stood before the Creation Furnace, where not a wisp of smoke remained, and changed her tone:
"It doesn't matter. What should come has finally come." She had already sensed several auras behind her.
"It's you, Dan Shu..." Fu Xuan stood in front of everyone. Unlike the original plot, after Stelle's undercover operation in Exalting Sanctum ended, she hadn't met this Chief Alchemist of the Alchemy Commission.
"Chief Alchemist greets the Master Diviner... You don't seem surprised."
"Mmh, the General and this Seat knew perfectly well that the [Disciples of Sanctus Medicus] must be hiding in the Alchemy Commission. We just couldn't catch any evidence to condemn the Six Commissions, so we had to wait for you to jump out yourself."
As soon as the words fell, a group of Cloud Knights instantly surrounded the scene, with no intention of letting Dan Shu go.
"Very well. Introducing the Stellaron evil into the Xianzhou, reviving the Ambrosial Arbor, luring people into Mara-Struck... The Ten-Lords Commission will settle these great crimes with you one by one."
"Crimes? If what I have done is a crime, then the ancestors of the Xianzhou share my guilt! It was they who accepted the gift of [Abundance] and transformed their descendants into long-life species..."
Dan Shu raised her arm, pointing at the [Disciples of Sanctus Medicus] accomplices beside her.
"The [Disciples of Sanctus Medicus] are merely walking the path they once walked, pursuing transcendence. What crime is there?"
"Back then, the mysterious roots of the Ambrosial Arbor covered the Xianzhou Luofu like a living thing. My race dominated the star ocean, unmatched. Everyone could attain immortality and transform freely... With the miracle of Abundance on the nine Xianzhou ships, what a glorious era that was!"
"Look at now, what state has the Xianzhou fallen into?! Willing to be driven by the Demon Bow, repeatedly suffering devastation from the denizens of Abundance, the Ten-Lords Commission even forcing us to give up immortality..."
"Then... friend, why not choose to believe in [Eternity]?" Before Adrian could interject, Stelle interrupted Dan Shu.
"[Eternity]...?"
Stelle stroked her chin. Leaving aside her identity as a Pathstrider of [Eternity], the Aeon of [Eternity] was watching right beside them; shouldn't she promote it a bit?
"Sigh~ That's why I say, the thinking of you [Disciples of Sanctus Medicus] people is too generalized. Times are changing; we can't be as superstitiously feudal as before."
"Uttering such wild words, merely a nameless traveler... Where do you get this conclusion?" Dan Shu's veins popped. Why is there someone slapping my face right up close!
"Then let me ask you: after begging [Abundance] for so many years, has Yaoshi ever looked you in the eye?"
"Uh..."