Having traversed the starways for years and resolved numerous Stellaron crises across various worlds, the Astral Express crew recognized the signature instantly. Even veiled beneath the surging, life-rich waves of Abundance energy, that distinct, spatial-distorting aura was impossible for Welt to mistake.
"Ugh..."
Without warning, the accompanying Cloud Knights and Master Gongshu groaned in unison, collapsing to their knees on the metallic catwalk. Their faces twisted in intense pain, sweat beading rapidly across their foreheads.
"What's wrong?! Are you alright?!"
March 7th and Caelus rushed forward, grabbing the fallen soldiers by their shoulders to pull them up. Yet the Xianzhou natives seemed locked in a desperate internal struggle, their teeth clenched so tightly they couldn't immediately speak.
"Quick... get us away from here..." the lead Cloud Knight gasped, his eyes wild with suppressed panic. "The... the Mara inside us... it's flaring up!"
Though the two youths didn't fully grasp the exact biological mechanics at play, the urgent plea to fall back was crystal clear. Supporting the groaning men between them, March 7th and Caelus quickly maneuvered the group back toward their docked Starskiff.
Once they put a considerable distance between themselves and the central furnace, the violent tremors wracking the soldiers' bodies finally began to subside.
Still, the severe energy imbalance left the Cloud Knights temporarily paralyzed, forcing them to lie flat on the deck to catch their breath.
"Quickly... contact the General... or the Master Diviner..." the knight wheezed, tapping his wrist communicator with a trembling finger.
Before March 7th could dial out, an incoming communication request chimed through the console, projecting a miniature hologram of Fu Xuan.
"What is the situation on your end?" Fu Xuan asked briskly, her brow furrowed with concern. "What just happened within the Artisanship Commission?"
With the Divination Commission sitting directly adjacent to the craft halls, the Master Diviner had clearly seen the massive pillar of emerald light soaring into the upper atmosphere. Calculating that the Trailblazers should be passing through that exact sector, she had reached out immediately.
"Master Diviner, a massive wave of corrupted energy just erupted from the central furnace!" the Cloud Knight reported into the receiver. "It's triggering the Mara-struck state in anyone who gets close! Please exercise extreme caution!"
"That energy source is definitely a Stellaron," Welt added, his voice grim as he stepped into the projection's field of view.
In Welt's mind, this was simply the original Stellaron that had caused the initial disaster on the Luofu—he had no way of knowing a second core was currently hidden beneath the roots of the Ambrosial Arbor.
Fu Xuan pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling an overwhelming headache coming on.
The situation was spiraling out of control. Over at the Alchemy Commission, the rogue alchemist Dan Shu had released dense clouds of medicinal mist to block their advance toward the Scalegorge Waterscape. Now, a fresh Stellaron outbreak had paralyzed the Artisanship Commission.
Judging by the report, the affected zone was expanding rapidly, leaving the High Commission stretched impossibly thin on two critical fronts.
With Phantylia gathering power beneath the Arbor's roots, every second wasted increased the risk of catastrophic failure. Eradicating the harbinger as quickly as possible remained the absolute priority.
"Since Mr. Yang and his companions are already on site, why not ask for their assistance?" a relaxed voice suddenly piped up from beside Fu Xuan.
Julian stepped into the hologram's frame.
Having purged Phantylia's Foxian proxy, Julian had tracked the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus to the Alchemy Commission. After sweeping through the cult's outer defense perimeters, he had crossed paths with Fu Xuan just as she received the emergency transmission.
He had been ready to step in and clear the path himself, but the sudden eruption at the Artisanship Commission had briefly paused their advance.
Hearing that another Stellaron had appeared, Julian instantly understood the context: this was the Stellaron Hunters' backup plan to ensure the script stayed on track.
Building a genuine bond with the Xianzhou Alliance and earning a Jade Abacus of Alacrity would prove vital for the Astral Express in the cosmic battles yet to come. Since Elio and his crew were ultimately working to prevent the end of all things, Julian saw no reason to blow their cover.
Besides, the heavy Abundance aura overflowing from the furnace acted like poison to long-life species, but short-life species like Caelus and March 7th were completely immune to its Mara-inducing properties. Leaving the furnace to Welt's team was the most logical choice.
"A formal request of this nature must be approved by the General..." Fu Xuan hesitated, her tone cautious.
Involving off-world guests in a major military crisis was no small matter. If the Trailblazers resolved the threat, the diplomatic debt and compensation owed by the Xianzhou would far exceed what a Master Diviner could authorize on her own.
"Master Diviner, I am fully aware of the circumstances," Jing Yuan's projected image materialized beside them, his expression warm yet resolute. "Let us entrust the Artisanship Commission to our honored friends from the Astral Express."
Through Kafka's intercepted memories, Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan were already well aware of the broader terms surrounding the Express's involvement, so there was no need for grand diplomatic posturing.
"Naturally," Jing Yuan added, looking at Welt through the transmission, "the choice remains entirely with our guests."
Although Welt wondered briefly why the Xianzhou military was relying so heavily on foreign aid, a quick, unanimous vote among the three Trailblazers sealed their decision. They accepted the task without hesitation.
"You have the eternal gratitude of the Luofu," Jing Yuan said, bowing his head slightly. "A substantial reward shall be prepared upon your victorious return. However, should the enemy prove too formidable, please prioritize your own safety above all else."
With the agreement settled, the transmission cut out. Jing Yuan turned his gaze back to Julian. "Are you truly confident in handling Dan Shu's preparations alone?"
As a native Xianzhou citizen, Julian was theoretically just as vulnerable to the medicinal mists designed to target long-life biology.
Julian offered a faint, amused smile. "Leave it to me."
His Psychic authority easily formed an airtight barrier around his body, blocking the volatile particles from reaching his lungs. Furthermore, he carried the essence of Yveltal—an entity whose very authority stood as the absolute antithesis to Abundance.
However, considering Dan Shu might still hold valuable intelligence regarding the cult's remaining hideouts, Julian decided against vaporizing the area himself. Raising his right hand, he projected Yveltal's dark form directly into the air above the mist.
"Caw!"
The dark legendary entity let out a piercing, ethereal cry, expanding its shadow-draped wings across the courtyard.
In an instant, a terrifying suction force erupted from Yveltal's core, pulling every trace of dark vitality straight out of the floating medicinal mists. The concentrated life force that powered the cult's alchemy was devoured clean in seconds, leaving behind nothing more than a harmless layer of thin, evaporating water vapor.
Fu Xuan watched the scene unfold, her eyes flickering with quiet amazement. Is this the entity Yanqing reported from his previous mission?
She had heard descriptions of a dark creature capable of countering Abundance power, but witnessing it in person was a different story entirely. This wasn't merely countering or neutralizing energy—it was outright predation.
With the mist completely gone, Julian stepped back, letting the Cloud Knights take the lead. Fu Xuan immediately issued the command, sending squads of armored soldiers pouring into the sanctuary to arrest Dan Shu and her remaining followers.
Deprived of her fog, Dan Shu tried desperately to summon her divine master's avatar for aid, blissfully unaware that Phantylia's external proxy had already been crushed by Julian. The Lord Ravager was currently deep beneath the Scalegorge waters, fully occupied with absorbing the Arbor's core—she had zero interest in saving a disposable mortal cultist.
Stripped of her backup, Dan Shu was captured without further bloodshed and taken into custody for interrogation.
With the path cleared, Fu Xuan deactivated the localized spatial seals, leading her forces directly toward the Scalegorge Waterscape to rendezvous with Jing Yuan and Dan Heng.
Meanwhile, back at the Artisanship Commission...
After dropping Master Gongshu and the wounded Cloud Knights off at a medical station inside the Divination Commission, Welt, March 7th, and Caelus returned to the craft halls.
Even without a guide, the colossal tree radiating a dual aura of Stellaron energy and Abundance power was visible from miles away. The towering boughs reached high into the sky, serving as an unmistakable beacon for the trio as they navigated the metallic walkways.
As if sensing approaching threats, the thick roots surrounding the central furnace writhed violently. Dozens of Abominations of Abundance burst from the bark, hurling themselves at the intruders.
Yet the Express crew's combat synergy was lethal. Cutting a bloody path through the corrupted beasts, they pushed all the way to the base of the monumental tree.
"What on earth is that?!" March 7th gasped, coming to a dead stop.
Beneath the massive trunk sat three colossal flower buds—one towering in the center, flanked by two slightly smaller blossoms. Each bud was the size of a small mountain, easily rivaling the physical scale of the Engine of Creation they had fought on Jarilo-VI.
As if reacting to their presence, the petals began to unfurl with a deafening, metallic rumble.
A giant Ebon Deer stepped out from the central bloom, flanked by two massive spiritual sheep. The three divine Abominations stood tall against the artificial sky, radiating a heavy, suffocating pressure that weighed upon the entire district.
It was the raw, instinctual dread of standing before a higher tier of living destruction.
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