Cloud-Gazing Mirror

From the day the military report stated "departing from the Yuque" until the actual arrival of the Cloud-Gazing Mirror, exactly ten days had passed, just as Yaoguang had said.

Over the course of ten days, the fog over Fanghu grew thicker each day, and the mirage in the sky drew closer each day. At first, it was just the eaves and watchtowers, but later even the window frames, brackets, and hanging lanterns became clearly visible—but these were not even the Jidu Mirage, but merely its reflection of the scenery of Fanghu.

The Jidu Mirage is high above, yet we haven't even caught a glimpse of its true form. The thought of this made Fu Xuan feel a nagging, stabbing pain in his heart, as if something was slowly devouring it.

In contrast, Jingxing lived like a craftsman. He would begin transforming the Path Energy at dawn, resting when he was tired, and then getting up to start again when he was rested enough.

In the afternoon, Fu Xuan carefully wrapped each piece, put them in a box, and handed them over to Yaoguang.

Jingxing was curious about how Yaoguang planned to manage his energy, but Fu Xuan didn't know either. He asked Yaoguang, Yaoguang Jidu Mirage."

Aside from moments of distraction, Fu Xuan still kept an eye on him as usual. He also frequently took Jing Xing out for Jingxing to clear his head. Although Fanghu was very large, the two of them quickly explored most of the beautiful scenery in Fanghu.

On the afternoon of the day the Cloud-Gazing Mirror arrived, Zhenhai Platform was packed with people. Many of the Pearl-Bearers had been reassigned to guard the scene. Meanwhile, Luofu and Yaoqing's Cloud Knights were still at the front lines resisting the onslaught of the Denizens of Abundance Allied Forces.

Looking at the different situations on both sides, Jingxing was at a loss for words to describe his feelings.

If we apply this situation to the Klimt Constitutional Republic back home, the people of other planets would definitely be very unwilling.

Just then, Fu Xuan's Jade Abacus rang. After reading the message, she placed the Jade Abacus face down on the table.

"The Cloud-Gazing Mirror has arrived." She looked at Jingxing. "It's to be sealed on the Zhenhai Platform until the war ends. No one can unseal or use it without the Marshal's order."

"Can we go take a look?" Jingxing was very interested in this magical Xianzhou Curio seemed to have influenced the fates of many people.

"I'm not going. You can go if you want."

"Why? If the Lord Diviner doesn't go, no one will explain it to me." Jingxing stood up, leaning forward as he poked Fu Xuan's cheek. "Don't you find it boring sitting here?"

Fu Xuan put down his pen. "I'm worried that Master can detect me."

"And then what?" Jingxing had originally wanted to ask this. But after thinking about it carefully, he could figure out what Fu Xuan was worried about—the Yuque Diviner, who could be her and Yaoguang's master, was probably a divine being. What if he could analyze something from Fu Xuan's condition...?

"Alright," Jingxing sighed regretfully, "Then I'll go myself."

This time, Fu Xuan didn't stop him.

Zhenhai Platform is located on a cape south of Fanghu Xianzhou, which is under the direct jurisdiction of Huyuan Zun. When Jingxing over, no one on the deck looked in his direction—he was still the same person who could not be seen by anyone.

The waves crashed against the rocks below the cape, one after another, like someone beating drums in the distance. Two rows of Pearl-Bearers stood at the bottom of the steps, each of them very clean and looking nothing like they had been in a battle. Further in, the people of the Yuque Divination Commission stood there, their robes all cut to their wrists, making them look like seventeen pillars.

Well, judging by their demeanor alone, Jingxing felt that the group from the Yuque Divination Commission looked more like soldiers.

However, based on his understanding of the Xianzhou Alliance, the Jade Abacus Xianzhou didn't have a martial spirit, at least not as much as Yaoqing. Why were these people from the Divination Commission like this?

As Jingxing pondered, he stepped up the stairs. The bronze door at the very top happened to be open, and once inside, he could see a foot-long blue cloth covering something. Without a doubt, the Cloud-Gazing Mirror was underneath.

To be honest, Jingxing originally thought he was going to see something amazing.

When the cloth was quietly lifted, a very old round mirror came into view, placed on an even older bronze base. The mirror was so dark that it could not reflect anything at all, and there was a ring of shiny wear around the edge, as if it had been hammered by the years.

This mirror can summon the gaze of the Aeon of the Hunt, and can shatter half of Fanghu with a single blow... It looks so ordinary.

Jingxing put the cloth down, stood there for a while, and suddenly felt like laughing.

He had seen the viewing telescopes the company sold, and the Imagenesis lights in Dual-Phase Paradise that could project an entire street into the sky; none of them were as magical as this mirror.

Yet this very thing could make the High Elder of the Vidyadhara so wary.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind them, and an old man came out from behind.

He was also short, not much taller than Fu Xuan. He wore a plain-colored Daoist robe with sleeves cut to his wrists, and his left hand was exposed, with a metallic sheen on it—it looked like a prosthetic.

The old man didn't speak, but pressed a button on the edge of the mirror before looking up. "Very good, no problem. Bring the documents."

The Divination Commission's disciple quickly responded, holding the list and stepping forward. The old man took the pen and began to write.

"Lord Diviner," the disciple asked in a low voice, "Do you really believe General Yaoguang's prophecy that this mirror will be useful?"

The old man didn't stop writing. "If you blindly believe in Jade Abacus, how can you know your destiny?"

The disciple was taken aback. After the old man finished writing the acceptance form, he handed the pen back, then stopped at the very bottom of the booklet.

That column was very short, and the first four slots were already filled: the date of sealing, the location of Zhenhai Platform, and the commands of the Marshal and the High Elder.

There was a blank space at the bottom, with three words printed next to it: "Mirror Guide".

Jingxing happened to be standing behind him and caught a glimpse of the word.

The old man glanced at it, then raised his hand and wrote his name down, "Jingtian".

"It seems unlikely that Fu Xuan will be able to personally guide the Cloud-Gazing Mirror," Jing Jingxing mused to himself. "Unless we can find a way to restrain this old man."

By the time Jingxing returned to the Tidewatch Pavilion, it was already dark.

Fu Xuan remained seated, a booklet open on her lap. Hearing footsteps, she looked up at Jingxing Xing.

"You look troubled. Did something happen?"

"It's nothing, I just glanced at that mirror." Jingxing shook his head.

How are you feeling???

"At first glance, it looks like an old mirror." Jingxing sat down opposite her. "Even more shabby than the things displayed in the window of the Dual-Phase Paradise. I thought it would have a lot of antique charm, so I'm a little disappointed."

Fu Xuan's lips twitched slightly. "We don't talk about those things; the Divination Commission only cares about practicality."

Jingxing looked Fu Xuan up and down. "Is this outfit practical for you?"

Before Fu Xuan speak, he said with a look of sudden realization, "Well, from an aesthetic point of view, it is indeed very practical."