Yevenko and the others stepped out from the Astral Express onto the Xianzhou Luofu.
However, they'd landed at the opposite end from Feixiao's group.
The scene here was far more tragic. Due to Jerry's escapades, the Cloud Knights had uncovered numerous schemes by the hidden Emanator. Though somewhat prepared, they'd failed to prevent catastrophic damage due to the concurrent Stellaron outbreak.
The area was deathly quiet, filled with countless cargo containers, eerie and unsettling.
March 7th shivered slightly, nervously muttering, "Such a huge port, yet not a soul around. It feels like a scene straight from a horror novel."
She hugged herself tightly. "We absolutely must stick together. Don't split up!"
Hearing this, Yevenko couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh, what's that over there? Let me go check it out alone. Oh, it's too quiet here, how about we try summoning a spirit?"
March 7th rolled her eyes. "Could you not voice every way possible to get us killed?!"
She then noticed the little girl next to Yevenko. Her gaze flickered suspiciously.
"Wait, you and Ei only went back to your train once, how did you suddenly pick up a kid? Don't tell me—"
Yevenko, holding tightly onto Tom with his right hand (to avoid death), clutching Jade Chan firmly with his left (to prevent her reckless wandering), and practically clinging to Raiden Ei with his legs (completing his perfect "no-death" formation), quickly interrupted.
"Don't jump to conclusions! This is my niece from back home. She's on vacation, so she came to visit."
Their playful banter significantly dispelled the tense atmosphere.
Welt adjusted his glasses and reminded them seriously, "Stay alert. Let's move."
They proceeded carefully, soon encountering countless dead or severely wounded Cloud Knights. Many survivors lay broken, barely clinging to life.
Tom glanced at Yevenko, who nodded slightly.
The cat approached a Cloud Knight whose head had nearly detached from his body, though still weakly breathing. Tom casually picked up the head, stuck it back onto the body, then produced a roll of white tape from behind and taped it securely.
The Cloud Knight's breathing stabilized immediately. He slowly stood, astonished at his restored body, murmuring, "This... what happened?"
But suddenly, his expression twisted with horror.
"You... shouldn't have saved me! I—Aaarghhh!!"
A terrifying scream erupted as countless withered vines burst from gaps in his armor, rapidly enveloping him.
Welt, Stelle, and March 7th instantly drew their weapons, prepared for battle.
Yet Tom calmly scratched his head, jumped up, reached inside the knight's head, and pulled out a glowing blue spirit rapidly darkening to black-red. With a small wooden hammer, Tom lightly bonked it.
A bright-red bump immediately appeared atop the spirit's head, and the ominous darkness instantly faded back to gentle blue.
Tom casually stuffed the purified spirit back into the knight, and the vines evaporated into starry dust. The knight stared blankly, murmuring a confused "I..." before collapsing unconscious.
Yevenko's eyes widened dramatically.
He alone understood: the Mara-affliction, a supposedly incurable disease among Xianzhou natives, had just been effortlessly cured by Tom's little hammer.
But considering it was Tom, it all made sense.
Suddenly, shouts echoed from nearby.
"Lady Tingyun! Stay behind me!"
Yevenko's eyes narrowed sharply.
Tingyun?
No… right now, 'Tingyun' is probably Phantylia!
Instantly shifting into survival mode, Yevenko swiftly placed Tom atop his shoulders.
---
Meanwhile, at the Divine Foresight.
Having furiously pummeled Feixiao with an eight-hit combo, Jerry stood exhausted and panting. Leaning leisurely against a cheese platter, he continued munching on cheese.
Feixiao slowly rose from the ground, bewildered. She rubbed the undamaged floor beneath her; despite the soreness from being repeatedly slammed, there was no serious injury—only an irritating sense of humiliation.
Seeing Jerry distracted by cheese again, Feixiao's hand darted out at lightning speed, grasping him tightly.
"Hm?"
"That easy?"
Confused, she loosened her grip slightly, only to see Jerry gazing intently into his cupped hands, utterly engrossed by whatever he held.
Despite her warrior instincts screaming caution, an irresistible curiosity drew Feixiao closer, trying to peer into Jerry's tiny paws.
Smiling sweetly, Jerry raised his small fist right before Feixiao's face.
Then—
Pow!
A direct punch to Feixiao's eye. She staggered back, head spinning, finally steadying herself with several cartoon stars orbiting above her head. A distinct black eye rapidly formed beneath her right eye.
Shaking off the dizziness and stars, Feixiao immediately spotted Jerry sprinting toward his mouse hole.
With incredible agility, she leapt ahead of him, snatching a nearby ornate box from a shelf and trapping Jerry beneath it.
Smirking triumphantly, she announced, "There, captured. See? Just a peculiar little mouse."
Yet when she glanced at Jing Yuan, he merely smiled knowingly.
Confused, Feixiao glanced down again and saw a neat, mouse-shaped hole now appeared in the box's side. Jerry calmly emerged and resumed his dash toward freedom.
Annoyed, Feixiao grabbed a solid jade sculpture, attempting to block Jerry. Without pause, Jerry twisted the jade as if it had a handle, opening another mouse-shaped door and continuing onward.
Determined, Feixiao snatched Jerry again, gripping him fiercely. This time, she swore she wouldn't be distracted by his tricks.
However, a moment later, she froze in disbelief.
A small mouse-door outline appeared clearly on the back of her own hand, which Jerry promptly opened, stepping out leisurely and politely closing it behind him.
Sliding smoothly down Feixiao's arm and leg as if enjoying a slide, Jerry hopped back onto the floor and continued his escape.
Feixiao: "…"
She stood frozen for a moment before regaining her fierce determination. With blinding speed, she overtook Jerry once again, flicked him airborne, drew back her arm, and gathered all her power into one mighty punch.
With swirling cyan energy, her strike created gale-force winds. She unleashed the punch straight at Jerry.
BOOM!
The sound alone shook the entire Divine Foresight.
Jerry soared backward at immense speed, colliding fiercely against the wall.
Smack.
Yet, incredibly, the wall remained utterly unmarked. Jerry flattened cartoonishly like a pancake, slid comically to the ground, bounced, returned to normal, and casually entered his mouse hole.
A second later, he reemerged holding a triangular piece of cake, munching leisurely by the entrance and scratching his head innocently at everyone staring in shock.
Feixiao stood silently for a long time.
Then, wordlessly, she returned to the desk, leaning wearily against a pillar in contemplation.
Generals Huaiyan and Jing Yuan exchanged quiet glances.
Did she just... give up?
But Feixiao recovered quickly; after all, she'd experienced countless strange battles. Though baffled, she soon regained composure.
Turning to Jing Yuan, she sighed, "I now understand why you suspected an Abundance creation. That level of immortality—even my strongest blow had no effect."
She touched her smooth hand where Jerry had opened a "door" and shook her head in disbelief.
Abundance creations either showed clear attributes or hinted mysteriously at deeper ones. Jerry seemed utterly unfathomable, possessing incredible durability and bizarre, incomprehensible powers.
It felt as bewildering as when she'd been Salan, gazing upon a Xianzhou general—utterly beyond comprehension.
Could he be an Aeon in disguise?
She quickly dismissed the thought—no Aeon would bother playing such childish games.
Perhaps they simply hadn't found Jerry's weakness yet.
Watching Jerry desperately trying—and failing—to drag a cheese-filled dish into his tiny hole, Feixiao finally relented.
General Huaiyan stroked his beard, sighing softly. "It seems General Jing Yuan's current strategy is the wisest. At least the mouse hasn't turned hostile yet."
Feixiao nodded slowly. "Agreed. Let's first focus on rooting out this hidden Emanator. Afterward, we'll carefully study this peculiar mouse."
Jing Yuan smiled gently. "Precisely."
Dark circles met dark circle as Jing Yuan and Feixiao exchanged sympathetic looks. Jing Yuan faintly recalled the equally bizarre cat that had attacked him in a dream, sensing a vague connection.
He shook the absurd thought away—no point thinking about something so distant. More pressing matters demanded attention.
Just then, a Cloud Knight approached urgently, kneeling respectfully.
"Generals, we've received word: the Nameless aboard the Astral Express have just arrived on the Luofu."
Surprised, Jing Yuan murmured curiously, "Oh?"