Alchemy Commission.
At this moment, Lingsha had no mind to tend to the potted greenery she had carefully cared for day and night. Her beautiful eyes were fixed on the Scalegorge Waterscape.
As the Cauldron Master, she had to remain stationed at the Alchemy Commission, suppressing any unrest.
Fortunately, the Alchemy Commission bordered the Scalegorge Waterscape, standing here, one could vaguely glimpse the major events unfolding within.
The Vidyadhara who had attained the position of a Six Charioteer at such a young age murmured softly:
"The Ambrosial Arbor of Abundance…"
...
Central Starskiff Haven, Palace of Astrum.
A mature Foxian helmswoman presided here, guarding against every possible contingency.
So busy was she that she even forgot to check Qingni's letter of guarantee.
Far away, the Divination Commission likewise had capable figures standing watch.
All Six Charioteers were in position.
A full night was more than enough time for the Luofu to prepare comprehensive measures against any sudden situation.
Regardless of whether a visible impact would occur, everything was done to prevent disaster before it happened.
From their vantage point, they could not see beneath the Arbor's roots, where a being that should no longer exist in the vast galaxy appeared.
Anyone who laid eyes upon her could not, deny that the beauty of this body was breathtaking, striking straight at the soul.
She coiled gracefully around the trunk of the Arbor, her expression languid, utterly relaxed.
Natural and at ease, with nothing to concern herself with except whether she was full.
The vitality contained within this Plaguemark was simply too immense. Without eating, she still felt a clear sense of satiety.
Unlike the dull discomfort that sometimes followed ordinary meals, the absorption process left her whole body warm, as if she were bathed beneath thick, radiant light.
Dense life energy manifested as a soft emerald glow, gently climbing over Mobius's body, lightly brushing her cheeks.
Mobius, who had rarely felt warmth since birth, felt as though she had returned to mother nature.
Below, Bailu, every cell in her body starving, instinctively received this surge of life energy.
She took it in. It was somewhat ironic: even the Vidyadhara High Elder had no relatives to accompany them in childhood.
Ordinary Vidyadhara at least had like-minded friends or elders who stayed by their side from a young age.
But the High Elder, holder of absolute authority among the Vidyadhara, had only the teaching of the Preceptors, endless rules, and the fervent expectations of the clan.
Only Bailu was different, though those days had already passed, and she was no longer who she once was.
Yet her childhood experiences remained vivid.
An immature heart faced the world's most primal malice, struggles for power, harsh discipline, and even attendants who had been by her side since childhood harboring ulterior motives.
Thankfully, she no longer had to face the ugliness of that world.
She could be her purest self again. Treating patients with a kind heart.
Sneaking out when her cravings struck, taking advantage of Lingsha's inattention to gorge herself in Aurum Alley with Guinaifen and Sushang.
Quietly crawling onto Lingsha's chair when tired and sleeping soundly.
No need to worry about annoying studies, endless rules, tedious etiquette, or Preceptors who might appear anytime, anywhere.
In the eyes of ordinary people, Bailu's status was noble, but she herself had only been free for a short while.
The abundant vitality placed Bailu within a warm ocean, immersing her completely.
Emerald energy enveloped Mobius, who had taken the form of Ouroboros, and Bailu together.
From the outside, one could only vaguely glimpse figures within, and the reassuring sense of calm radiating outward.
Seeing this, the two who had been observing the situation finally let out long breaths of relief.
"What comes next is waiting."
Looking at the Ambrosial Arbor, which was continuously losing energy, Jing Yuan remarked slowly.
As the Diviner of the Divination Commission, her duty was not merely to foresee the Xianzhou's future.
The Eye of Wisdom bestowed by Nous allowed her to clearly see the traces of energy flowing from the Ambrosial Arbor toward Mobius.
The overflowing energy made even Fu Xuan's body feel the urge to draw closer.
But she knew her own limits all too well.
Mobius could devour energy on this scale with ease due to the Aeon of Voracity's factor.
Bailu, on the other hand, absorbed only a limited amount and could withstand it thanks to her increasingly unique physique.
If it were herself, she would probably explode in the next second, leaving Qingque to take over the Divination Commission.
Letting Qingque take over the Divination Commission was something she cared deeply about, but before Qingque had matured, at the very least, before she corrected her habit of sneaking off during work hours to slack off and play tiles, Fu Xuan would never allow her to lead the Commission astray!
Just imagining the Divination Commission being turned into a gambling hall under Qingque's leadership sent a chill down Fu Xuan's spine.
…
Somewhere in a corner of the galaxy.
"Uu, " A bizarre planet, larger than a star, released a spine-chilling shriek.
Piercing wails rang without end. If anyone were to stumble upon this place, they would be so terrified they couldn't even hold onto their ship's control stick.
The planet's surface was composed of countless forms like sludge, endlessly reshaped, kneaded, and crushed.
The screams erupted from their mouths with every reshaping. Their lifeless eyes barely had time to glimpse the silent starry sky before being crushed again, only to reappear elsewhere on the planet the next moment.
The same fate repeated endlessly, in an infinite cycle.
Farther away, Xianzhou-style starships hovered silently in the void. The warriors aboard dimmed the ships' lights to such an extent that, from the outside, they were almost indistinguishable from the boundless starfield.
A closer look revealed that it wasn't the stars at all, but one Xianzhou vessel after another!
The entity capable of drawing the Xianzhou together on such a scale was none other than,
The terror spoken of by elders in countless childhood memories.
The living planet: Rahu.
What was being crushed again and again and then revived was none other than the people who had once lived on the Xianzhou Cangcheng!
The long-silent [Activated planet Rahu] began to stir!
The Cloud Knights aboard the starships immediately sensed that something was wrong with this abomination, unable to remain calm.
"General, [Activated planet Rahu] is exhibiting unknown reactions. Suspected awakening!!"
"All personnel withdraw. Maximum alert!!"
The tearing roars echoed through the entire fleet. The well-trained Cloud Knights adjusted instantly.
The massive cannons mounted on the starships locked on, immense energy gathering, ready to fire at any moment.
Just as tension peaked.
"Weng!!"
"Wu!!"
Special energy fluctuations resonated with piercing wails, forming an unbearable shriek!
On the instruments, energy readings visibly skyrocketed. Everyone stared nervously at the distant enemy and the alarms flashing with red light.
No one knew how much time passed ....
"Bang!"
Without any warning, centered on [Activated planet Rahu], an overwhelming suction force erupted from nothingness.
Countless scattered meteoroids were drawn in relentlessly, and in the next instant, a planet that had never birthed civilization but did harbor life was dragged in by that terrifying pull and swallowed whole!
At this sight, everyone's pupils shrank violently, many trembling uncontrollably.
To prevent instinctive emotional reactions, the Cloud Knight Alliance had deliberately mobilized Cloud Knights from various Xianzhou for this watch, excluding only the survivors of Xianzhou Cangcheng.
They were already desperate enough. There was no need to make them face the annihilation of friends and family once more.
Although, even now, only a handful of people still survived ....
"Fire! All ships, full power! Draw this damned abomination away! All Cloud Knights, rotate in sequence and lure it away!"
After the brief shock, the commanding general roared.
"Has the report been sent to the Alliance!?" His bloodshot crimson eyes snapped toward the signal officer.
"It's been sent. The Alliance hasn't responded yet!"
Hearing this, the general let out a long breath.
As long as the Alliance knew, that was enough .... In this short window, the fleet's firepower poured out without restraint, surging toward the awakened abomination.
Like the most dazzling fireworks in the universe.
But against this activated planet that every Xianzhou had marked in their hearts, eager to destroy at all costs, it was useless!
Meteoroids, swallowed.
Planets, swallowed.
Starship attacks, swallowed!
As if it devoured everything, as though mocking the futility of their efforts.
[Activated planet Rahu] did nothing at all. Simply remaining there and engaging in the most primitive act of feeding was enough to inspire genuine despair.
The general said nothing. He raised his head and closed his eyes.
After a short while, he slowly opened those weary eyes again.
In just this brief moment, he felt utterly exhausted.
The psychological pressure had already surpassed that of every previous battle he had experienced.
With every act of devouring by [Activated planet Rahu], the people of Xianzhou Cangcheng wailed endlessly. Those shrill cries flooded into his mind through the starship's monitoring systems without pause.
Every confrontation with this thing was a test of mental endurance.
Sometimes, he truly envied the Foxians. He even found himself thinking a bit of a dark joke.
After all, Foxians were not a long-lived species, only three hundred years of lifespan.
Being devoured by [Activated planet Rahu] would mean death in the blink of an eye.
"I really am old now. Last time I went head-on with those Borisin, I was splattered with blood all over." Staring at the ceiling, he muttered to himself.
But now was not the time to rest. His thoughts snapped back into place, his mind reconnecting.
"Pass the order." He took a deep breath, his gaze firm, his tone ruthless.
"Have everyone line up in sequence by number and lure away [Activated planet Rahu]!"
The speed of an activated planet was far from as sluggish as it appeared. Otherwise, Xianzhou Cangcheng would not have been devoured.
And what the awakened [Activated planet Rahu] would do was obvious.
Feed, feed madly!
What they had to do now was become its food. Only food could capture its interest.
And during that time, the Alliance would make the most correct decision, either return home bearing glory, or carry honor upon their backs and fulfill their oath.
In the eyes of the Cloud Knights, there was no such word as retreat!
---------------
T/N: Just a note: Not sure if this is cannon or not.