As these thoughts ran through her mind, Qingque's eyes sparkled brighter and brighter. She could already envision herself getting promoted, reaching the same rank as the general, bringing honor to her ancestors, and ultimately reaching the pinnacle of life—
And then... slacking off even harder!
"Emanator? Keep dreaming." Yun Fan chuckled and shook his head.
"You've only just stepped onto the Path of Causality. There's still a long way to go before reaching Emanator-level. While I could make you an Emanator with a mere thought, I'm sure our hardworking, brave, and kind-hearted Miss Qingque would prefer to achieve that rank through her own efforts, right?"
No, I wouldn't!!! I want to laze around!!! Qingque wept internally, screaming in silence. But what else could she do?
"By the way, Qingque, don't go telling anyone that I'm the 'Lord of Samsara,' alright? Otherwise... hehe!" Yun Fan smirked, his gaze shamelessly roaming over Qingque's modest figure, his tone dripping with threat.
"I-I understand." Qingque shrank back. This guy is an Aeon! Sure, he's handsome and powerful, but for the sake of my purity... Wait, actually, that might not be so bad...
Ah! Qingque, what are you thinking?! Snap out of it!
...
"What a terrible personality." Fu Xuan massaged her temples after hearing Qingque's story. Given that this guy had tried to undo her clothes during their first meeting, "terrible personality" might even be an understatement.
Thanks to Qingque's selective omissions and edits, Fu Xuan only learned that: Yun Fan teased Qingque and, as an apology, helped her step onto the Path of Causality.
Now that Qingque had also entered the Path of Causality—while Yun Fan was an Emanator and thus not a good reference—what could an ordinary Pathstrider of Causality achieve?
Lost in thought, Fu Xuan abruptly stood up.
"Qingque, come with me to the training grounds."
Some time later...
"Diviner Fu Xuan, I really can't take it anymore! What's gotten into you today? Is bullying me that fun? Wuwu..."
Cloud Knights Training Grounds...
Qingque lay sprawled on the reinforced floor, looking utterly defeated as she fake-sobbed.
Meanwhile, Fu Xuan frowned, deep in contemplation.
How...? Qingque just stepped onto the Path of Causality, yet her control over causality is already enough to pose a faint threat to me.
Had she not activated the Matrix of Prescience, she might have genuinely been caught off guard.
And this was despite Fu Xuan walking the defensive Path of Preservation.
Tch. How irritating.
——————————
Time flew like a fleeting steed, days slipping away like a shuttle through cloth.
In the blink of an eye, dozens of days had passed.
During this time, many events had unfolded across the universe.
First, news emerged from Herta Space Station that Herta, the Emanator of Erudition and 83rd member of the Genius Society, had published a thesis discussing aspects of the Path of Causality.
Next, the Xianzhou Alliance announced the emergence of a Pathstrider of Causality, with rumors of an Emanator of Causality making appearances.
Then came the wild claim that the Aeon of Causality and the Aeon of the Hunt were long-lost brothers who had finally reunited after millennia apart.
In short, the rumors grew increasingly absurd. Aside from the initial reports, almost everything else was pure fabrication.
But the most outrageous rumor had to be the one spreading from the Xianzhou Luofu: "The Aeon of Causality is an exceedingly amiable Aeon—especially toward beautiful women. Spend a night with him, and you too can become an Emanator of Causality."
"How do people come up with this nonsense? What a waste of talent not writing scripts."
Qingque's home...
Yun Fan leaned back on the sofa, scrolling through interstellar forums on his phone with a frown. The sheer absurdity of the rumors eventually gave him a headache, so he locked his screen and set the device aside.
"Ugh, being home alone is so boring. Well, not that this is my home anyway." He sprawled lazily across the sofa, his gaze drifting across the pristine white ceiling.
"Hmm? It's you again. What kind of whirlwind blew you here today?" Yun Fan yawned, not bothering to turn around.
As his words faded, the air behind him twisted.
Then came a cacophony of sounds—laughter, weeping, anger, lamentation...
"Ohhh~ Causality found me again, wahahaha—sob—Aha has no face... Aha has no face..."
Several jester masks materialized amidst swirling imaginary energy behind Yun Fan. This was none other than the leader of the Masked Fools—the Aeon of Elation, Aha.
As a veteran who had once ascended the Imaginary Tree, Aha's strength was undeniable, ranking among the top of all Aeons. Aside from old-timers like the Aeon of Preservation, Qliphoth, or the Aeon of Nihility, "IX," few could match Aha in combat.
A few days prior, while roaming the cosmos in search of amusement, Aha had caught wind of rumors about an Emanator of Causality appearing on the Xianzhou Luofu. Following the trail, he arrived at the ship.
To ordinary beings, Yun Fan's identity might remain hidden. But to a fellow Aeon, Yun Fan's presence shone as brightly as the morning star in Aha's eyes.
Thus, the two Aeons—Elation and Causality—met on the territory of the Hunt.
"Wahahaha... Aha has no face..." Aha continued repeating himself.
"Alright, alright, you have no face. Get to the point—why are you here?" Though Aha was usually erratic, his visits always had purpose.
"Wahahaha, Causality so rude, wahahaha... Aha found something fun. Aha thinks Causality will like it too."
As Aha spoke, an image unfolded before Yun Fan. After a brief glance, Yun Fan smacked his forehead.
The main storyline has already started?!