Welt Yang's life experience was, frankly, far more dramatic than Evan's.
Marrying his adoptive guardian.
Having a child connected to another guardian figure.
Living with the weight of someone else's legacy.
Of course, in truth—
That so-called "adoptive mother" was Dr. Tesla, the crab-haired genius.
She was only slightly older than Welt herself.
As for the "child" linked to Bronya's adoptive mother—
That was Joachim Nokianvirtanen, also known as Joyce Yang.
Welt's adopted son.
A clone of the First Herrscher of Reason, Welt Joyce.
Bronya's adoptive mother, meanwhile, was Cocolia—
a high-ranking member of Anti-Entropy,
and one of the people who helped Welt create the clone.
The story itself wasn't complicated.
Back in 1955, Tesla and Einstein discovered a special experimental subject—
Welt Joyce.
At the time, Welt Yang was still a child.
The two doctors allowed Joyce to live with them.
Einstein—nicknamed "Chicken-Nest Hair"—fell in love with Joyce
and discovered that he was a Herrscher fighting for humanity.
But the good days didn't last.
A month later, Otto Apocalypse arrived and attempted to recruit Joyce.
After being rejected, he turned hostile—
Killing both Joyce and Welt's biological father.
During the conflict, Tesla and Einstein were turned into ageless beings, frozen in time.
Before his death, Joyce passed the Core of Reason to Welt Yang.
That moment became the root of Welt's lifelong trauma.
Afterward, the two doctors adopted young Welt.
To honor Joyce, he took the name Welt.
He later became the new leader of Anti-Entropy.
During the Second Honkai Eruption, Welt died on the Moon while fighting Sirin—
Then promptly stood back up, functionally immortal.
After the Honkai disasters, Welt married Tesla and adopted Joachim.
And after the events of A Post-Honkai Odyssey—
He arrived in this world.
A man with immense combat experience
and an even deeper emotional history—
Welt studied Evan thoughtfully.
He finished his tea in one smooth motion.
March 7th and Stelle stood with arms crossed, staring daggers at Evan.
Left with no choice, Evan spread his hands.
"What fox spirit?"
"She's Tingyun."
"Tingyun?"
"That name sounds familiar…"
March frowned.
Stelle, meanwhile, suddenly froze.
Tingyun—
Wasn't that the Minghuo Commerce Guild representative
who disappeared from the star skiff incident?
"Don't look at me," Evan said calmly.
"Yes. Exactly what you're thinking."
"But also… not quite."
"That Tingyun isn't the Tingyun you know."
"Someone used her identity to infiltrate the Xianzhou."
"Got it now?"
March and Stelle both stiffened.
They'd been ready to catch a fox seductress—
But instead…
"Wait—what did you just say?!"
"You're telling me someone used Tingyun's identity?"
"Then who was that just now?!"
March finally spotted the real problem.
Even Welt sighed softly before speaking.
"If I'm not mistaken," he said slowly,
"you're saying the current Stellaron unrest on the Xianzhou…"
"…is connected to her?"
"That woman made me extremely uncomfortable."
"She wasn't a Foxian."
"Right?"
"Yes," Evan replied calmly.
"She isn't a Foxian."
"She only borrowed Tingyun's face—and her name."
"WHAT?!"
March's eyes lit up.
"Didn't Jing Yuan ask us to find the mastermind?"
"Then we already did!"
"Evan, tell Jing Yuan right now!"
Evan didn't respond immediately.
Instead, he calmly pressed down March's excited head—
And held Stelle's eager hand still.
"Not yet."
"She's only one piece."
"Jing Yuan's request was very clear."
"Find all of them."
"Catching just one mastermind—what's the point of that?"
Meanwhile—
Xianzhou Luofu, Changletian.
A small courtyard near the Artisanship Commission.
Dan Shu, Chief Alchemist of the Alchemy Commission
and true leader of the Sanctus Medicus,
stood respectfully beside someone else.
A Foxian woman.
She flipped through today's reports.
"Evan. One of the Nameless."
"Arrived on the Xianzhou at nine this morning.
Reported the Minghuo Commerce Guild star-skiff incident."
"During the Stellaron unrest, suspected use of antimatter explosives on Xuanye Avenue—
eliminating three Abundance spirit beasts."
"Incidents at the Artisanship Commission.
Incidents at the Alchemy Commission."
"Observed accompanying Cloud Knight Lieutenant Yanqing
and General Jing Yuan."
"Combat strength: unknown."
"Afternoon—sparred with Yanqing at the Changletian training grounds."
"Used a strange sword art. Completely suppressed Yanqing."
"Stopped only after Jing Yuan arrived."
"Estimated combat strength: above Yanqing."
Phantylia's fingers paused.
She continued reading.
Beyond this—
There was almost nothing.
Only Evan's origin.
Jarilo-VI.
An unfamiliar name.
Even the Sky-Faring Commission's mole couldn't locate it.
Possibly already erased from the star charts.
"Above Yanqing. Stopped when Jing Yuan arrived…"
That meant—
At most, below Emanator level.
Yanqing's file she knew well.
The most promising swordsman of the Xianzhou.
Given time, he might reach Jingliu's tier.
Not an Emanator—
But frighteningly close.
Phantylia inhaled slowly.
The more she read, the more Evan fit her plans.
If she could pull him into the Path of Destruction—
Grant him its power—
She would gain the strongest warrior under her command.
And she was confident she could do it.
Because she was a Suiyang.
An energy lifeform known across the cosmos.
Their leader, the Blazing Sovereign, was sealed in the Zhuming Xianzhou—
Yet when Lan destroyed the Ambrosial Arbor with a single arrow—
That strike had borrowed the Blazing Sovereign's power.
Every Suiyang possessed a unique ability.
Wrathflame — aggressive, powerful.
Drifting Smoke — venomous tongue, schemer.
Horned Ember — foresight; foresaw defeat but was ignored.
And Phantylia herself—
Naturally had her own method of recruitment.
Today's probe had already given her most of what she needed.
Combined with intelligence from the Sanctus Medicus—
She was eighty percent certain she could win Evan over.
She tapped the report lightly.
Then looked up.
"Miss Dan Shu."
"Yes? What are your instructions, Envoy?"
Dan Shu bowed deeply—
her empty gaze fixed forward.
"How do you evaluate this man?"
"Nameless are famous across the cosmos," Dan Shu replied.
"Known for aiding the weak."
"But, Envoy…"
"Could he interfere with our plan?"
Phantylia lowered her gaze.
Calm.
Cold.
Dan Shu—
The true leader of the Sanctus Medicus—
Was nothing more than a chess piece.
She yearned for light.
And Phantylia had promised her—
Once the Ambrosial Arbor revived,
she would grant Dan Shu a new body.
Dan Shu accepted.
After all—
She had lived without sight for over two centuries.
No science could help a Xianzhou native.
Only the miracle of Abundance could.
That was why Phantylia contacted her—
Reviving a conspiracy that had slept for thirty years.
Handing over the Stellaron.
Not because the Sanctus Medicus alone could handle it—
But because someone higher also desired the Arbor's power.
Realization dawned on Dan Shu.
"…You mean…"
"He's worth recruiting?"
"Not just him," Phantylia replied softly.
"All of the Nameless are."
She narrowed her eyes, fan lifting to hide her expression.
"I understand," Dan Shu said.
She'd heard rumors.
The dragon responsible for the Imbibitor Lunae incident—
The abomination born from Baiheng—
Had once been a Nameless.
Never boarded the Express.
But still one of them.
Across the cosmos, the Nameless were said to connect the stars.
Without them—
The universe would return to the Dark Forest.
Recruit them?
Dan Shu smiled.
They liked helping the weak, didn't they?
And wasn't the Sanctus Medicus' creed exactly that?
"Merciful Medicus.
Let the Arbor bloom."
A secret order was issued that night.
Gather all information on the Nameless.
Use any means necessary to recruit them.
And if—
If they could bring Evan into the fold—
Within the Sanctus Medicus,
their rank would jump two full tiers.
To read advanced Chapters, head over to p@treon:
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