Sylvia skimmed through the file records briefly.
Nothing seemed out of place compared to her own recollection—it was just that the events in the report were described in greater detail.
Naturally, she couldn't take the files with her, but as for those few photos inside…
Jing Yuan pondered for a moment, then printed out the photos on paper and handed them to Sylvia, adding a reminder:
"Though they're just photographs, they still pertain to the Xianzhou's secrets. Please do not spread them carelessly."
"I understand."
Sylvia nodded, reaching out to take hold of the pictures.
Drawing on her ability, she focused her senses and suddenly felt as though she were there in person—watching the High Elder command the sea, using the mighty power of Permanence to seal away the Ambrosial Arbor.
A damp, heavy air, mingled with the scents of Permanence and Abundance, washed over her face.
It was as if she had truly stepped into the Scalegorge Waterscape of those bygone years.
Pulling herself out of the memory, Sylvia glanced up at Jing Yuan.
He was still watching her with his usual composure—it seemed her brief dive into the recollection hadn't revealed anything unusual.
"Thank you, General."
Having gotten what she wanted, Sylvia bowed slightly toward Jing Yuan in gratitude.
From Jing Yuan's perspective, he had merely printed out a few photographs for her from the Seat of Divine Foresight's archives.
Hardly a matter worth mentioning.
"No need to stand on ceremony, Young Friend Sylvia. It was just a small favor."
Now that she had the printed copies, Sylvia was eager to try extracting a Light Cone from one of the High Elder's images as soon as possible.
Besides, at the moment, there really wasn't any particularly urgent information to exchange.
Sylvia was inclined to leave early, but Jing Yuan brought up the matter of the Astral Express.
"Speaking of which, I should apologize to you, Young Friend. Though it was thanks to your introduction that the crew of the Astral Express learned so swiftly of the events on the Xianzhou, suspicions have still arisen among the Six Commissions."
Seeing that Sylvia's expression didn't seem feigned—though he couldn't guess why she wanted these photos—Jing Yuan wisely chose to let the topic drop.
He then returned to the subject of the Astral Express.
"What arrangements have you made, General?"
Hearing Jing Yuan's words, Sylvia suddenly remembered—yes, there was still that matter to consider.
If her guess was correct, they were probably being sent to capture Kafka.
Sure enough, as Sylvia had suspected, Jing Yuan spoke unhurriedly:
"While you were on your way here, I already requested the Astral Express crew to assist in apprehending the Stellaron Hunter, Kafka. That way, they can clear their name and ease the doubts of others."
Sylvia nodded, then suddenly thought of a question—did Jing Yuan know Dan Heng was on the Express?
Probably not. After all, Dan Heng had drifted through the cosmos for a long time before boarding. And this was the first time the Astral Express had come to the Xianzhou since its repairs.
Thinking of this, Sylvia spoke up as well:
"By the way, General, did you know much about the Astral Express and its crew before this?"
"Oh? I'd heard a little about the resumption of the Trailblaze, and I knew something of the new Navigator. As for the other passengers, this was indeed my first time meeting them."
Jing Yuan gazed at Sylvia with interest. Since she had deliberately brought up the Express crew here, surely there was more to it than just this.
"It's quite interesting, actually. The High Elder in these photos you gave me—his name is Yubie, right?"
As she spoke, Sylvia tapped the face in one of the photos with her finger.
Then, under Jing Yuan's gaze—which seemed to guess what was coming and was visibly struggling to hold back—Sylvia smiled and said:
"I met the Astral Express on The Blue. There's a passenger on board whose appearance, compared to this High Elder… well, let's just say they're strikingly similar, if not identical."
"..."
General Jing Yuan's composure slipped a little. Or perhaps, when facing Sylvia, he hadn't felt the need to maintain an impenetrable facade.
"Are you certain about this, Young Friend Sylvia?"
"Absolutely."
"...Forgive me for asking further, but have you also heard about some of the Luofu's past calamities?"
Honestly, Sylvia inexplicably knew far too much. While there were still many secrets she wasn't aware of, when it came to Luofu history, she seemed familiar with numerous details.
Now, with this brought up, Jing Yuan wondered if she could even recount the events of his own youth in detail.
"I've heard a little."
"I see... Now I understand why you suddenly brought the Astral Express to the Xianzhou."
Jing Yuan wore a smile that seemed to see right through Sylvia's intentions.
In his view, Sylvia had clearly recognized the identity of that Express crew member and knew about the Luofu's difficulties in the Scalegorge Waterscape area—hence her decision to bring them here.
Yet Sylvia hadn't made any decisions on behalf of the Xianzhou; everything was still left to Jing Yuan to choose whether to accept her suggestion.
Seen this way, it seemed Sylvia truly cared a great deal about the Xianzhou.
"You flatter me, General. It was merely going with the flow."
Sylvia chuckled softly. She felt Jing Yuan was probably overthinking it a bit.
After all, it was the Stellaron Hunters who had truly drawn the Express here.
She had just helped smooth the way and open the door for them.
But never mind—it was a minor matter. Besides, Jing Yuan hadn't explicitly stated anything, so it would seem odd if she rushed to explain herself.
Seeing that the matter was concluded, and Jing Yuan's composure had been gently shaken by Sylvia's final remark, it seemed he wasn't in the mood for further casual chat.
So Sylvia bid Jing Yuan farewell and left the Seat of Divine Foresight ahead of time.
--+--
Back in her own residence, Sylvia leaned into the sofa, gazing at the photographs spread on the coffee table.
She lowered her head and activated her skill, [Memory of Photographs].
From the several photos, familiar memory traces simultaneously emerged, gathering together and coalescing into a single Memory Bubble.
Sylvia reached out and lightly touched the bubble—her vision blurred for an instant.
Then she saw a High Elder, unfamiliar yet somehow recognizable.
If her memory served correctly, the one before her now should be Yubie, the Imbibitor Lunae who had made the decision to seal the Ambrosial Arbor—and behind him, hundreds of Vidyadhara tribesmen bearing draconic features.
All of them were performing Cloudhymn magic, exerting their full power to command an immense expanse of ancient sea descending from the sky.
It was like a river of stars falling, as though heaven and earth had overturned.
Boundless seawater poured down from above, while beneath Sylvia's feet surged the endlessly rolling ocean.
And deep beneath those waters…
Sylvia could vaguely make out the massive roots, radiating a dense aura of life, standing immovable as the sea currents washed over them.
In the end, the entire cavern realm was transformed into a vast ocean, leaving only a handful of floating islands for people to rest upon.
Afterwards…
The Imbibitor Lunae, Yubie, walked alone upon the waves.
He performed a Cloudhymn art of immense scale—complex, vast, and exquisitely refined, woven together with endless Permanence and seawater, taking shape across the whole cavern realm.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.