After the farce, Blake returned to normal and explained the situation to Tingyun.
"So, as my saviors say, this humble lady… was rescued by an Aeon?"
"Yes, yes! I'm so jealous, Miss Tingyun, to be favored by the supreme Lord Ite. I'd love to experience it myself… no! Even witnessing it would make my life worthwhile!" The priestess cast an envious glance at Tingyun.
"Ahem." Blake coughed lightly. The priestess realized her outburst and calmed down.
"That dazzling flash at the critical moment was granted by the Aeon of [Eternity]. But it doesn't add up…"
Tingyun was puzzled. She'd only set out with the [Blaze] trade group yesterday. Unless that Aeon was hiding on the ship, THERE was no reason to save an attacked convoy.
Not all Aeons were as kind-hearted as the Reignbow Arbiter or the Mender of Fates.
Unless… this Aeon of [Eternity] really had nothing better to do. Adrian had told her that Eternity and [Elation] were close, mingling since thousands of Amber Eras ago.
If you had to measure Aeons by [Divinity] versus [Mortality], these two were definitely leaning toward [Mortality].
Playing jesters among gods, yet secretly steering the fates of mortals.
Tingyun's knowledge of these secrets came from the storyteller, Mr. Xiyan—Adrian, who mostly shared Church-related tales.
One night at the [Sleepless Earl] teahouse, Tingyun sat with the owner, Mengming, and witnessed a dramatic scene:
Several foreign archaeologists gathered to discuss the mysteries of the cosmic Aeons.
"I've noticed… you all seem to underestimate Ite's divine power. Though called the [Eternal Heavenly Monarch] on the Luofu, THEY seem neutral. But as a professional archaeologist, I'd like to share my view."
Even with a mask, Tingyun could see the speaker's confident expression.
"Eternity? If Lord Adrian were here, this would be a lively scene," Mengming said, sitting on Tingyun's lap. She'd heard plenty of Adrian's stories.
"Hehe~ You know Lord Adrian's personality—homebody, loves milk tea. I tried to get people to boost his shop's business, but he politely declined."
"Sigh~ Why even open a milk tea shop? With such bleak business, he's probably losing money daily." Mengming lowered her head, missing the masked man's sudden twitch nearby.
"Let's hear what you've got. In countless Amber Eras, no one's glimpsed THEIR true form. I say… THEY might not even exist."
Another brown-haired archaeologist countered, pulling amber crystal sand from his pouch.
"The supreme Amber King—each divine descent scatters star sand with THEIR falling hammer. No need to explain what that means."
"To the Amber King, it's mere dust… but to us, each grain holds the essence of [Preservation]."
"Compare that to Ite… has THEY left any symbolic relic? In other words, Ite doesn't not exist—THEY fell long ago!"
The masked man scoffed, arms crossed, mocking:
"Oh, please. Who knows the Aeon of [Eternity] better—you or me? THEIR traces span star systems. How do you conclude THEY fell?"
"Anyone who's been to the Eternity Church knows they treat people with sincerity, serving every visitor well. Before leaving, the staff even take you to the gift shop to pick a free souvenir."
"You haven't been to the Church, so you don't know its wonders… Tsk, tsk. Fine! Let me enlighten you!"
The masked archaeologist stood, rummaging mysteriously in his pockets.
"Behold!"
"Soap? Buddy, you carry toiletries?" The onlooker nearly spat out his tea.
"Uh… wrong item, one sec." He dug again, muttering, "That's odd. I checked before leaving… Did that guy take it?"
The golden, wavy-haired female archaeologist beside him, also masked, couldn't stand it. She whispered, "Uh… maybe check your pants pocket?"
He did, finding the item—a mini hourglass.
"Oh! My twelvefold thanks, colleague!"
"Haha…" She smiled awkwardly. The masked archaeologist got back to business:
"As we all know, hourglasses measure time. Even today, many planets use them. Some places even have mystic arts to enhance weapons with hourglasses."
"What if I said… this was created by the Aeon of [Eternity]?" He grinned mysteriously, continuing:
"The first hourglass crafted by a god must hold supreme power!"
"As an archaeologist, my next historical treatise will boldly prove my latest findings from Amber Eras of research! Obtain the hourglass, become an [Eternity] Emanator, and earn THEIR gaze!"
"Come visit the Church to buy…" The masked man rambled on.
His female colleague chimed in: "Based on my studies and some speculation, I believe this historic hourglass might be a token, secretly passed down."
"Take the well-regarded Eternity Church. Ever thought… their successive priestesses undergo secret rituals before taking office?"
"Hold up, are you two just promoting the Church?" The brown-haired man couldn't take it.
"Brother, we're stating facts. Rumor has it the current Bishop holds a similar hourglass, personally bestowed by the noble Ite!"
"Really? I'll have to research more. I was too quick to judge. If I get the chance, I'll visit this Eternity Church…"
"Hey! Brother, if I recall, in five system hours, a gondola driven by the Lamenter will pass near the Xianzhou, stopping by the Eternity Church."
"Wanna join the fun? What do you say?"
"Oh! Bl… ahem, count me in!"
With their enthusiasm, the brown-haired archaeologist couldn't refuse. They reached a consensus, left the teahouse humming.
"Hmm… is the Eternity Church really as great as they say?" Mengming mused, then realized, "Wait, those three didn't pay!"
…
Recollection ended, Eternity Cathedral.
"Miss Tingyun, could you detail… the story before THEY intervened?"
Facing Blake's question, Tingyun didn't hesitate, sharing information.
She only hoped her trade group companions were safe. Being the sole survivor would be her greatest pain.
After recounting the harrowing experience, especially mentioning "Annihilation Lord," Blake's lips visibly twitched.
"Lowly scum. The [Destruction] fluctuations detected at the Xianzhou weren't false."
"Miss Tingyun, let's set out now. I swear in [Eternity]'s name to return you safely!"
"Also, as Church Bishop, the [Hunt]'s Lan and our Aeon are on good terms. When a brother's in trouble, how could we not help? The Eternity Church will deploy all forces to aid the Xianzhou Luofu!"
Growing more impassioned, as Blake continued, a crack suddenly appeared in the cathedral's stained-glass dome, emitting a faint shattering sound…