Jing Yuan pointed ahead. "Right there, atop the [Exalting Sanctum]."
On the way to the Exalting Sanctum, Jing Yuan analyzed the situation further: "The Hunt is not yet over, and now we must wage war against evil demons once more… Heh, after this battle, regardless of whether the Luofu survives, the Alliance will be locked in a fight to the death with the Legion."
Jing Yuan's stance was clear. Unlike the Eternal Church's extreme focus on a single target, fixated solely on [Destruction], the Xianzhou operated on a group level, adhering to the principle of not striking unless struck first—but when provoked, they would retaliate relentlessly, without cease.
"The Legion has never directly attacked the Alliance. According to intelligence, they're a horde of frenzied war machines bent on destruction… Each of the seven Lords commands a legion with its own distinct style. This won't be easy."
This wave from Phantylia had just pulled a massive aggro for the [Antimatter Legion] right here on the Xianzhou.
"That Lord Phantylia delights in the internal collapse of things themselves, so she orchestrated the Stellaron chaos and pushed the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus to the forefront. Now that her plot is exposed, she has no choice but to take the field personally."
"No, that doesn't align with her aesthetics of destruction. Phantylia must have something else up her sleeve…"
Jing Yuan didn't have time to dwell on it. The Xianzhou Alliance had an Aeon as its ultimate safeguard; he could send someone to check the Shackling Prison later.
He turned to Dan Heng and brought up the past: "Did you know? Back when Dan Feng committed his grave sin, the Ten Lords Commission insisted on destroying you. As for the Vidyadhara, half supported it, half opposed."
"Haha, because the dragon transformation inheritance was only half-complete. The Vidyadhara elders despised you to the core, yet they didn't dare kill you."
"To appease the Ten Lords Commission and the Sky-Faring Commission, under pressure, they still forcibly performed the molting rebirth ritual on Dan Feng—though they deliberately left a flaw."
Jing Yuan picked up a scattered fragment of a voidranger from the ground. "The elders thought they could fool the Ten Lords Commission. Hmph, what a clever plan… but paper can't wrap fire…"
...
Astral Express, Parlor Car.
Himeko lifted her steaming cup of coffee and settled onto the sofa. Her phone suddenly buzzed with a notification.
[Group Chat—Astral Express Family]
[March 7th: [Pom-Pom peeking.jpg]]
[March 7th: @Himeko]
[Stelle: @Himeko]
Himeko frowned. Messaging her at a time like this—could something have happened?
[Himeko: I'm here.]
[March 7th: One good news, one universe-shaking news. Which do you want first?]
Pom-Pom waddled over with a tray. A conductor who didn't prepare exquisite afternoon tea for the passengers wasn't a qualified conductor.
"Passenger Himeko, what's going on, pom?"
"Hmm~ One good news, one universe-shaking news. Which do you want to hear first, Conductor?" Himeko asked for Pom-Pom's opinion.
"They're both good news… Ugh, then let's go with the explosive one, pom!"
"We'll listen to the Conductor, then."
Himeko's lips curved into a faint smile. Pom-Pom pulled out a little handkerchief, wiping the tray while staring fixedly at the phone.
[Himeko: Pom-Pom wants the thrilling one.]
[March 7th: Ah, almost forgot about the Conductor!]
Pom-Pom: …
It was over. Its status in March's heart had dropped!
[Stelle: [serious.jpg]]
[March 7th: Adrian is the [Eternity] Aeon.]
Crash!
The sound of a tray shattering.
Seeing March 7th's message, Pom-Pom and Himeko froze in place.
[Himeko: …]
Pom-Pom's expression went blank, its already drooping ears sagging even lower.
Without a doubt, today was a tragic day for the Conductor. After many Amber Eras of Trailblaze, another event of monumental importance had occurred.
"Waaah~ Passenger Adrian… The Conductor is sorry! The secret… I couldn't keep it…"
Pom-Pom suddenly burst into tears, dark clouds gathering over its head, leaving Himeko at a loss.
There was no time to be shocked; the priority now was to soothe Pom-Pom's emotions.
But… what was this [secret] Pom-Pom just mentioned?
"Waaah~ The fragrant, crispy, crunchy Pom-Pom Pie… It's gone…"
Himeko: ?
So it was grieving over a dessert?!
...
Exalting Sanctum.
The bombshell that Adrian was an Aeon had been dropped, but Himeko still hadn't responded.
"No way, could Himeko have known all along?"
"She might still be processing it. We should give Himeko and Pom-Pom some time." Stelle empathized—she hadn't fully recovered herself.
A few minutes later, Jing Yuan arrived with a man sporting dragon horns.
"Jing Yuan! You're finally here!" Fu Xuan turned around, relieved to see a familiar face.
"Haha, I'm late. Thanks to Diviner Fu's efforts holding the line. I've received the battle reports from the Divination Commission. As for Phantylia's plan…"
Fu Xuan cut to the chase: "[Ambrosial Arbor], the greatest anomaly is right there."
"It's said that the methods of the Lord Ravager Phantylia involve causing internal chaos to bring about self-destruction. She must be trying to tamper with the Ambrosial Arbor, broadcasting the power of the Plagues Author… turning the Luofu into a hellish mire overrun by undead abominations."
Jing Yuan stepped aside. "Hm, I've got it figured out. Everyone from the Express—I've brought someone you'll definitely want to see."
Seeing Dan Heng, completely transformed and in a new outfit, March 7th's jaw dropped; she almost didn't recognize him.
"Y-You're… Dan Heng?! No way… We were so worried."
"You… are Dan Heng, right? What's with those horns on your head…" March 7th double-checked; those dragon horns didn't look like accessories.
"It's a long story, March." Dan Heng briefly recounted what happened after they got separated.
"So you didn't actually fall into the water? That's pretty lucky… Wait, no, you really had hidden powers?!"
She'd thought Adrian was the first—and last—one. Who knew Dan Heng would unlock his SP form right after.
"March, your reaction time is a bit slow."
Stelle wasn't surprised at all by Dan Heng's hidden powers. The Astral Express already had an Aeon on board—what could possibly shock her now?
"Wow… You two are awakening one after another behind my back. Do you need hidden powers to be a Nameless?!" March 7th felt a little out of place. Never mind Adrian being a total bug.
First, Stelle received [Preservation] Qlipoth's blessing on Jarilo-VI; now Dan Heng unlocked hidden powers on the Xianzhou Luofu.
By that logic… the next planet would be her turn?
No, the prerequisite for gaining hidden powers seemed to be getting stabbed through the heart… Yikes, maybe March 7th would just stick to being a regular Nameless.
"Alright, let's put the reunion aside for now. When you all arrived on the Luofu, you said the Express crew was here to resolve the Stellaron disaster. At the time, I hesitated to commit because I suspected the Stellaron Hunters had ulterior motives."
Jing Yuan got to business: "In hindsight, I was overly cautious."
"The Stellaron Hunters do have motives, yes… She sent you all here, deliberately escalating the situation so you'd fight alongside the Xianzhou."
"At this point, your sincerity is beyond doubt… The Luofu owes you a debt of gratitude and shouldn't ask for more." He looked at Fu Xuan: "But as Diviner Fu said, Phantylia's emergence has made things uncontrollable."
"As the General of the Luofu, I must borrow Dan Heng's power—and ask for your full assistance as well."
Seeing Jing Yuan's earnest plea, March 7th and Stelle raised both hands in agreement. They had to help with this.
"Uncle Yang, do we still need to follow protocol?"
"Even if the Luofu's crisis has nothing to do with the Stellaron, with my personality, I wouldn't sit idly by. But my will alone doesn't represent the Astral Express."
As Pom-Pom always said, the ancestors' laws couldn't be broken; the proper procedures had to be followed.
"Explore, understand, establish, connect… The Trailblaze creed the Express crew follows boils down to four words. The journey is arduous, and upholding them is harder than ascending to the heavens."
"Fear, peril, enemies, death… Countless obstacles block the path. The Nameless who can press on are few and far between."
"Whether to advance or depart, the Nameless' destination should be chosen by themselves… just like casting that vote by hand when deciding the next stop on the Express."