Chapter 217: Jing Yuan: Fortunately, It Has Nothing to Do with the Luofu
Zaitian, naturally, harbored his fair share of skepticism.
The universe was infinitely vast, a sprawling canvas where divine entities and cosmic anomalies emerged with frightening regularity. However, an existence capable of effortlessly bypassing the Interstellar Peace Corporation's heavily fortified network—hijacking countless secure terminals to force an automated broadcast—was an entirely different beast. Looking across the endless sea of stars, entities possessing that level of absolute technological dominance could likely be counted on a single hand.
Thus, he chose the middle ground. He neither blindly accepted the terrifying implications nor foolishly dismissed them. With a few swift keystrokes, he encrypted the anomalous data, filing it away under a highly classified tag: To be observed.
Xianzhou Luofu, Scalegorge Waterscape.
"Now that the ambrosial arbor's seal is complete, my business on the Xianzhou Luofu has officially come to an end," Dan Heng said, his voice calm, echoing faintly against the ancient Vidyadhara ruins.
Beside him stood the legendary figures of the High-Cloud Quintet. Today, they weren't just five warriors bound by a tragic past. They were six. The group had gathered once more, sharing a rare, quiet moment of reflection. And right in the center of this gathering of legendary heroes stood the diminutive Vidyadhara High Elder, Bailu, looking quite proud of her inclusion.
"Do you have any plans to stay on the Luofu?" Jing Yuan asked, a lazy yet perceptive smile playing on his lips. "The exile decree has been officially lifted., after our little operation, the Vidyadhara Preceptors won't dare to act recklessly again anytime soon. This would be the perfect time for you to return to your homeland."
Just hours prior, they had successfully executed a flawless trap, luring the scheming snakes out of their comfortable holes. A whole faction of corrupt Preceptors harboring ill intentions had been swiftly rounded up and escorted directly to the dark depths of the Shackling Prison. Naturally, the bait for this dangerous maneuver had been none other than Dan Heng and Bailu themselves.
Initially, Jingliu had been vehemently opposed to such a convoluted plan. Upon hearing that the Preceptors were causing trouble for the young High Elder, the swordmaster's immediate, ice-cold response was to draw her blade, march straight into their council chambers, and physically cut the problem down to size. Jing Yuan had been forced to intervene, physically stepping in her path to talk her down.
The General had felt quite helpless in that moment. He, too, preferred to be firm and cut through political messes with decisive action. However, going to such radical extremes would have been a diplomatic nightmare. If blood had been spilled in the Preceptors' halls, explaining the massacre to the rest of the Xianzhou Alliance would have been impossible.
Currently, the Luofu was already under intense scrutiny due to the unresolved crisis surrounding the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus. If Jingliu had actually slaughtered the Vidyadhara elders, Jing Yuan might have been able to shield himself from the political fallout, but Jingliu would have been branded an irredeemable, high-priority wanted criminal across all six ships. That was a fate entirely different from her current, quietly tolerated status.
"As a Trailblazer, the Astral Express is still waiting for my return," Dan Heng replied, shaking his head slowly. His gaze drifted toward the distant horizon, past the holographic sky of the Luofu.
He was no longer the Imbibitor Lunae, Dan Feng; he was Dan Heng, the quiet archivist of the Express. The Luofu held a certain nostalgic beauty, but it was no longer where he belonged. His family was out there, traveling the stars.
'Though,'he added silently,'if friends like Jing Yuan or Bailu ever face true danger, I will not hesitate to return.'
"That really is a pity," Jing Yuan smiled, his golden eyes crinkling softly. He didn't push the issue further, respecting the young man's choice.
"Hmph. In that case, the two of us will simply continue this endless pursuit. This is the price you and I must pay." Blade leaned against a ruined pillar, crossing his arms over his chest. His tone was as cold and unyielding as cracked iron.
"Give it up already," Dan Heng sighed, rubbing his temples in genuine helplessness. Now that Bai Heng had miraculously returned to them, why was this stubborn swordsman still so dead-set on chasing him across the cosmos?
"According to Elio's script, it is not yet time for you to die," Blade sneered, a dark, dangerous glint in his crimson eyes. "I don't mind stretching out the process of my revenge. Perhaps... drawing it out will make the final act much more interesting."
Dan Heng stared at him, utterly speechless. The sheer stubbornness of the Stellaron Hunter was a force of nature.
"Hey, hey, can we lighten the mood a little? What's with all this gloomy talk of chasing and bloody revenge?" Bai Heng suddenly bounded forward, her foxian ears twitching in mild annoyance. She hopped up and unceremoniously smacked Blade lightly on the back of the head.
Blade stiffened. He slowly turned his scarred face away, clicking his tongue, but remained completely silent, not daring to snap back at her. Seeing the terrifying, unkillable Stellaron Hunter get scolded like a misbehaving child caused a ripple of genuine laughter to break out among the rest of the group.
The warm atmosphere was abruptly shattered by a sharp, high-frequency chime. Jing Yuan's personal jade token was ringing.
Assuming it was an urgent military report from the Seat of Divine Foresight, the General pulled the device from his sleeve. Before he could even unlock it, the screen flared to life on its own. A holographic projection burst into the mid-air space between the Quintet.
The first thing that caught Jing Yuan's eye wasn't a tactical map or a panicked Cloud Knight. It was a wildly animated, running emoji of Aha's laughing mask. Right below the bizarre account name sat the striking, unmistakable blue verification badge of the Interstellar Peace Corporation.
"The Aeon of Elation, Aha... has joined the network?" A single drop of cold sweat slid down Jing Yuan's forehead. His usually relaxed posture went rigid.
Panic flared briefly in his chest. Had that chaotic Aeon recorded everything that transpired during their secret visit to the Luofu? Were they about to broadcast the Xianzhou's deepest secrets to the entire universe?
It wasn't until his golden eyes locked onto the video's title that the heavy weight in his chest dissipated. He exhaled a long, shaky breath. The video was blatantly mocking the Preservation.
Thank the Reignbow Arbiter. It had absolutely nothing to do with the Luofu.
"What is this nonsense?" Jingliu frowned, her icy gaze fixed on the bizarre, colorful video playing in the void above them.
"I'm not entirely sure. It appears my personal jade token has been forcibly hacked," Jing Yuan replied, his tone turning serious. "There aren't many entities in the cosmos capable of bypassing my encryption."
As the commanding General of the Luofu, the security protocols woven into his jade token were military-grade, vastly superior to any ordinary civilian device. Yet, it had been breached as effortlessly as paper tearing.
"This is... content from the game Leon created," Dan Heng noted, glancing at the projection. He had already seen these exact clips circulating on his own phone back on the Express, so the visuals didn't surprise him in the slightest.
However, just as Dan Heng assumed it was merely a harmless promotional clip, the video shifted. The screen displayed a chaotic Aeon Group Chat, followed immediately by a terrifying, hyper-realistic cinematic sequence. The colossal, blazing hammer of Qlipoth, the Aeon of Preservation, descended from the heavens with apocalyptic force.
Hiss...
The sheer pressure and visual fidelity of the descending hammer were so overwhelmingly realistic that several members of the Quintet sharply inhaled, instinctively tensing their muscles for an impact that wasn't there.
Dan Heng and Jing Yuan exchanged a heavy, loaded glance, both falling into a grim silence. Their minds raced for one very specific reason: they were acutely aware that five actual Aeons had recently been wandering around the Xianzhou Luofu in mortal guises.
Blade, leaning against the pillar, narrowed his eyes. He knew the truth as well.
Currently, only Jingliu, Bai Heng, and little Bailu were completely in the dark regarding that terrifying cosmic playdate.
Why would Aha, the master of chaos, specifically hijack the IPC network just to post a humorous video about a backwater ice planet like Belobog? The implications were deeply unsettling. A terrible, sinking premonition began to take root in Jing Yuan's gut.
'No, no, no,'Jing Yuan mentally chided himself, forcing his racing thoughts to slow down.'Things haven't reached the worst-case scenario yet. Don't scare yourself over a prank.'
The General rapidly reviewed the recent string of chaotic events on the Luofu. The most glaring diplomatic disaster had occurred when Aha broke out of the Shackling Prison. In their infinite wisdom, the Ten-Lords Commission Judges had immediately issued high-priority wanted posters for the five escaped criminals—who just so happened to be literal Aeons.
Fortunately, Jing Yuan had intercepted the orders and canceled the bounties before they could circulate widely. Aside from that minor hiccup, the citizens of the Luofu hadn't done anything to directly offend the Elation. There shouldn't be any lingering grudges.
In the absolute worst-case scenario, the fallout would be limited to what was currently playing in the video. Cocolia's brazen, public accusations against the Preservation might draw the ire and dissatisfaction of the IPC. If the Corporation decided to throw a tantrum over it, the Xianzhou Alliance possessed more than enough military and economic might to withstand their pressure.
Rationalizing it this way, the knot in Jing Yuan's chest finally loosened. He relaxed his shoulders.
'It's not a big problem. The tactical advantage is still mine.'
But the universe, it seemed, loved to mock the General's optimism.
Just as Jing Yuan let his guard down, the video ended, and a flashy, neon-colored preview banner violently popped onto the holographic screen.
Upcoming Preview: The Aeons' Luofu Team Building!
Do You Crave Immortality?
Open up, Cloud Knights...
Seeing those bold, flashing words, Jing Yuan felt the blood drain from his face. His vision literally darkened at the edges, swaying as if he had been struck by a physical blow.
What in the name of the Hunt had those cosmic entities been doing in the shadows of his ship?!
"Jing Yuan. What is the meaning of this?" Jingliu demanded, turning her razor-sharp gaze toward the General. Her hand instinctively drifted toward the hilt of her sword. "The Aeons' Luofu Team Building? Are you telling me that at this very moment... there are Aeons residing on the Xianzhou?"
"Sigh..." Jing Yuan rubbed his face, a bitter, exhausted smile forming on his lips. The illusion of control was thoroughly shattered. "At this point, I'm afraid I can't hide it from you all any longer."
Resigning himself to his fate, the General finally recounted the horrifying, absurd truth. He detailed the recent, covert gathering of Nanook, Qlipoth, Nous, Fuli, and Aha, all treating the Luofu like a vacation resort.
"What?!" Bai Heng's jaw dropped, her fox ears standing straight up in sheer shock. "You mean to tell me that five Arbiters were just casually hanging out on the Luofu this entire time?!"
'Five Arbiters?'The corner of Jing Yuan's mouth twitched imperceptibly.'Bai Heng, your choice of using the respectful Xianzhou term Arbiters for that chaotic group of trespassers is truly... cautious.'
"Is... is this actually true?" Bailu squeaked, her large, draconic eyes widening to the size of saucers.
"It is. Dan Heng and Blade... should also be fully aware of this matter," Jing Yuan said, shifting his gaze toward the two quietest members of the group.
"...Hmph." Blade merely tightened his crossed arms and let out a cold snort, offering a silent, begrudging admission.
"I am indeed aware," Dan Heng nodded calmly, his expression betraying none of the internal stress he had felt during that incident.
Jingliu fell into a deep, stunned silence.
The sheer magnitude of this revelation was too shocking to process. Throughout the known history of the cosmos, no one had ever recorded an instance where Nanook the Destruction willingly cooperated with Qlipoth the Preservation. Add Nous the Erudition, Aha the Elation, and Fuli the Remembrance to the mix, and the concept of them having a casual team building retreat on a Xianzhou ship sounded like the punchline of a madman's joke.
"Wait a minute, hold on," Bai Heng frowned, scratching her cheek in genuine bewilderment. "Why wasn't the Reignbow Arbiter there with them?"
She looked around the group, her confusion evident. "Isn't the Xianzhou Alliance strictly the Reignbow Arbiter's territory? If five supreme Aeons decided to drop by for a visit, shouldn't Lan have come out to receive them as the host?"
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