The confrontation between the Xianzhou Alliance and the planet Rahu did not last long.
For the long-lived Xianzhou people, the measure of time is not something they are especially sensitive to. What short-lived species perceive as long ages and lingering regrets feel to them as if they happened only yesterday.
This is also one of the major reasons why many Xianzhou people fall into mara at an early stage.
Due to the large amount of memories which makes them hallucinate things.
Unfortunately, even when most people understand this truth, they still inevitably sink into self-doubt, because they are human, with self-awareness and rich, complex emotions.
From the moment emotions manifest in the minds of intelligent life, it is fated that their growth will be accompanied by trials and suffering.
One starship after another altered course, luring the planet Rahu toward a desolate star system devoid of civilization.
The moment the planet Rahu awakened, the Xianzhou Alliance, began to respond.
An emergency alliance meeting was convened.
Many people were on high alert; the conference chamber grew quiet enough to hear a pin drop.
As the incident had occurred so suddenly, most participants attended in the form of projections.
Once everyone was present, those unable to keep their composure spoke up first.
"How could the planet Rahu suddenly awaken? The Cloud Knights stationed there were all elites. No small group could possibly sneak in, and a large force would never be able to launch a direct assault."
"Our understanding of that planet is far too limited. Could it be an internal mechanism of the planet Rahu itself?"
"That's possible. Strictly speaking, we have no real experience in completely defeating it."
There was still one sentence left unsaid.
What changes would occur after the planet Rahu swallowed the Xianzhou Cangcheng, no one knew.
"Enough, enough, enough. We didn't gather here to argue about useless speculation."
Seeing the room filled with chatter, Feixiao couldn't help but knit her brows and clap her hands.
"Rahu is something an Emanator of Abundance cooked up. On the battlefield it's a genuine weapon of mass destruction. Anyone here who thinks the Xianzhou should directly confront that thing must be ready to accept the consequences!"
"That may be so." As Feixiao finished speaking, a white-haired elder of the Vidyadhara race, leaning on a cane and exuding quiet authority, took over.
"We all understand the power of Rahu, but we suffer from a lack of practical countermeasures. I ask Victory General not to be hasty, and to allow us to seek a complete solution."
Seeing this Vidyadhara elder, Feixiao swallowed the words she was about to speak.
The elder came from the Xianzhou Fanghu, one that had suffered catastrophic losses during the Third Abundance War, surviving only after the Lux Arrow from the Aeon of the Hunt, at the cost of losing one-fifth of its territory.
That battle was precisely when Rahu first appeared.
Had it not been for the Aeon's intervention, that Rahu, already sinking into dormant layers of collapse, would have completely overwhelmed the Xianzhou.
But now, the High Cloud Quintet who had once defeated it could no longer reunite.
Rahu, which had swallowed Cangcheng, had suddenly awakened.
It was truly dangerous to the Xianzhou.
"General." Fu Xuan glanced at Jing Yuan and said softly, "Could it be related to the Ambrosial Arbor?"
With the eye granted by Nous, she could see the trajectory of the Arbor's vitality. The current anomalies of the planet Rahu might be linked to it.
Even if someone claimed the two were unrelated, Fu Xuan would not believe it.
The timing was far too coincidental for her not to suspect a connection.
Jing Yuan did not respond to Fu Xuan. He was thinking as well.
The occurrence of the two events was indeed uncannily close.
But he also noticed that after awakening, Rahu was merely advancing aimlessly, rather than charging straight toward the Luofu.
This made him uncertain. Was this connected to what was currently happening on the Luofu?
"What's everyone so anxious about? That thing isn't even heading toward you. Right, General Foresight?"
At that moment, an ill-timed chuckle sounded, and the presence of General Yao Guang emerged with it.
"Rahu is clearly just running around without purpose. As long as we confirm it wasn't deliberately awakened to carry out slaughter, wouldn't it be enough to just lure that big thing away? Is there really a need to panic like this?"
"Heh. General Yao Guang makes a fair point. However, it carry countless implications. There's no guarantee someone isn't stirring trouble behind the scenes."
"If an Emanator is acting in the shadows, then even if we deploy large numbers of Cloud Knights around Rahu, it may still be futile."
"Moreover, allowing an Abundance abomination of this scale to rampage through the cosmos poses tremendous danger to countless worlds. This old man only hopes that things can be settled peacefully this time." Huaiyan spoke.
Arguments continued without resolution.
The danger posed by Rahu was too much.
And so they were afraid. At its root, the blessings borne by the Xianzhou people came from the Abundance.
No one could be certain whether a creation of Abundance like Rahu would one morning appear before another Xianzhou ship, turning it into a lifeless zone of death.
The threat of Rahu undeniably existed, but it was not their raw power that the Xianzhou feared most.
Whenever they recalled the horrifying sight of people trapped in a cycle between death and rebirth, unable to live, unable to die, the tragedy left their mouths dry and their throats tight.
People they had once met, spoken with, and eaten beside were consumed in despair on that planet, and there was nothing they could do.
That suffocating sense of helplessness lingered in their hearts, almost enough to make them pass out.
"Dispatch Cloud Knights to communicate with civilizations along Rahu's route, and provide follow-up relief and support."
"Notify the Interastral Peace Corporation. Several of their trade nodes lie along Rahu's projected path. If they still want this region, they must ensure the safety of all living beings in the surrounding star systems!"
With additions from all sides, the Marshal, Hua, made the final decision.
Thus, the course of action was set.
The vast conference hall emptied, the crowd dispersed, projections faded, and the tension finally eased.
....
"...General, I still feel there may be a connection here."
Despite the Marshal's final decision, Fu Xuan's brows remained tightly furrowed.
A sense of unease clung to her.
"I think it would be safer to report this to the Marshal again," Fu Xuan suggested.
Hearing her words, Jing Yuan, who had been deep in thought, turned his head, his gaze landing on Fu Xuan with a hint of surprise.
"Could it be that Lady Fu doesn't know? I thought that with Lady Fu's intelligence and wisdom, you would have already deduced that I reported this to the Marshal in advance."
Once those words were spoken,
"What?!!" Fu Xuan's eyes widened, disbelief filling her gaze.
"When did you…" Her words caught in her throat.
"That very night. I worked overtime and contacted the Marshal. She approved my actions."
A faint smile hung at the corner of Jing Yuan's lips, like that of a pure and innocent big boy.
"…" Then what exactly was the point of me spending these two days unable to eat or drink tea, barely even having the energy to supervise Qingque slacking?!
!!
Fu Xuan felt as if she really had been dragged down by this general. With her own intelligence, she should have realized long ago that Jing Yuan would never dare do something this big behind the Xianzhou's back.
So that's how it was, he had the Marshal backing him.
In simple terms: if it succeeded, it was great news, worth celebrating.
If it failed, someone would take responsibility. The Marshal herself wanted to see the Abundance creation that had plagued the Xianzhou for thousands of years disappear within her lifetime.
With drooping eyes, Fu Xuan stared at Jing Yuan dully.
She said nothing, but everything that needed to be said was already said in the Artisanship Commission.
"Ha ha, Lady Fu, now isn't the time to be happy. Let's hurry up and deal with the aftermath."
Based on his many years of experience tormenting the Master Diviner, Jing Yuan was very certain: if he didn't make a run for it now, he wouldn't be able to leave later even if he wanted to.
Laughing awkwardly, Jing Yuan took off at full stride, moving so fast that he even outpaced Feixiao rushing to work early in the morning.
"Crack!!"
····
To most worlds across the galaxy, the revival of aRahu was nothing more than extra gossip for idle chatter.
This was especially true for a universe-spanning megacorporation like the Interastral Peace Corporation.
"A living planet is reviving and swallowing worlds?"
Scratching his head, the employee responsible for external liaison rubbed his eyes, suspecting there was a problem with his vision.
What the hell is a living planet… oh! The thing the Abundance coalition used to attack the Xianzhou!
Got it!
…But also not really.
Well, when uncertain, just report it upward. That way, the supervisor won't have any excuse to dock his salary.
Situations like this weren't uncommon within the IPC.
Everyone who received the report wore the same bewildered expression.
How could a living planet just activate on its own like that?
"So what exactly is that thing…?" Gently rubbing her brow, Topaz complained weakly.
Given the corporation's scale, and the fact that the Xianzhou couldn't easily keep this hidden, Rahu also entered the IPC's field of view after it was discovered.
However, even the most radical factions within the IPC had no desire to get involved in a thankless war.
Everyone here was in it for profit, who would really risk their lives for this?
Setting aside self-preservation, the Cloud Knights stationed in the surrounding star regions near Rahu were an even greater deterrent.
"I remember that there are a few planets over there being developed by the Market Expansion Department."
"You're not mistaken, Little Yelena. The Market Expansion Department is already holding meetings to deal with it."
As they spoke, a communication line connected automatically, an incoming request from Lady Jade.
"Hi~ Little Yelena, how's the business trip going?"
"Very well, Lady Jade! Oh right, you just mentioned the Market Expansion Department's restricted zone?"
Gossip was the instinct of all intelligent life. Business elites were no exception.
"I'm not entirely sure about the details either, but I heard their supervisor didn't look too good when they got the news." Jade covered her mouth and chuckled.
As always, the Market Expansion Department was widely disliked.
Although the IPC was large enough that losing a few planets was barely more than an itch, the performance metrics and responsibilities tied to them were another matter.
Especially for the aggressive Market Expansion Department.
"I wonder what kind of move the Xianzhou will make. To be honest, I really hope they can completely deal with this scourge that's been roaming all over the galaxy."
Shaking her head slightly, Jade sighed.
Jade wasn't purely soft-hearted. If decisive measures were needed, she would not hesitate.
…
Xianzhou Luofu.
Fu Xuan was seething. Qingque was going to suffer.
"Qingque! Find me all the records of past Abundance wars… then bring out the data on Cangcheng too. And while you're at it, get me a cup of Taro Boba!!"
After a practiced spot-check confirming that Qingque was screwing around outside, Fu Xuan issued her orders without hesitation.
The budget would not be approved. The results had to be good.
This was the authority of the Diviner of the Divination Commission!
At this moment, Qingque, still confused about what had even happened, froze in place, her brain kicking into overdrive as she filtered the information she'd just received by force.
"What… what is this supposed to mean?"
After sorting her thoughts, it roughly boiled down to,
Forced overtime???
…
Scalegorge Waterscape.
Beneath the roots of the Ambrosial Arbor.
Two emerald-green jade-like forms quietly awaited their hatching.
The immense vitality rapidly resonated with the life within, continuously shaping their bodies.
The dense life force even condensed into a mist, shrouding the already ancient and vivid colors of the palace grounds with new, mysterious hues.
A steady stream of vitality was drawn from the Ambrosial Arbor and infused into them.
Even as life force was lost, new vitality flowed in to fill the Arbor's outer shell, keeping it perfectly still.
From the outside, the Ambrosial Arbor looked no different than usual.
Bailu lay curled up quietly, hugging her tail as she slept sweetly.
From time to time, she took a little bite at her tail, it felt a bit sturdier than before.
But her sharp teeth didn't bring any unpleasant sensation this time. The life force around her was so abundant that it formed a wide space just for her playful amusement.
Everything was peaceful, as if time itself had slowed to a gentle halt.