Chapter 365

Even Jing Yuan couldn't help but shake his head slightly. "As expected of Mr. Ai Yue, this kind of thing must be a piece of cake for you."

"It wasn't that complicated." Ai Yue raised an eyebrow, then casually put Phantylia away. "You guys also deserve some credit for this."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and waved it, injecting a beam of light into Jing Yuan's wound. The previously open wound began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Jing Yuan was taken aback for a moment, then revealed a subtle expression.

The wound created by Phantylia's meticulously crafted killing move could only be suppressed from worsening and not healed, even for the immortals who, despite having the vitality to survive even if their heads were severed, could not be reattached in time. However, under the interference of Ai Yue's power, it bypassed the need for treatment altogether. With this alone, Ai Yue could use the title of Envoy of Abundance to swindle and deceive people.

But more importantly... once the injuries heal, wouldn't this mess be impossible to leave to Fu Xuan?

Ai Yue paid no attention to Jing Yuan's inner thoughts, because he did it on purpose. After casually healing the only wounded among the participants, he turned his attention to the nameless guests. "How is it, facing a Great Extinguisher?"

"It was quite stressful at first; my palms were sweating," March 7th thought for a moment, a subtle expression appearing on her face. "But later... it didn't seem to matter anymore."

Not only her, but Jing Yuan also showed a similar expression.

In fact, apart from Phantylia's final counterattack, which was indeed impossible to defend against, with the protection of Xing, the group didn't need to worry about their own safety at all. Since there was no crisis of survival, the oppressive feeling brought by Phantylia was naturally greatly reduced.

From this perspective, the fact that Phantylia could calmly prepare a vicious attack that could penetrate the defenses after encountering such a sudden situation shows that he is indeed worthy of being the Great Extinguisher, who has rich experience in destruction. Such on-the-spot reaction is something that not everyone can do.

"Speaking of which, I almost forgot." Ai Yue had obviously thought of this as well. He waved his hand, and the hammer that Xing had been holding in her arms was released from her grasp and fell into Ai Yue's hands.

"Huh?" Xing, who was imagining herself dominating the world with this hammer and reaching the pinnacle of life, was suddenly dumbfounded. "Wait, wasn't this a gift for me?"

"I never said that. This thing is very valuable; even I wouldn't want to part with it." Ai Yue shook his head with a smile, but then tossed Xing a hammer that looked exactly the same on the surface. "As a substitute, this is for you."

If it weren't for the need to rely on something possessing the power of destiny to ensure a direct connection between the Star and the Amber Lord, Ai Yue wouldn't have lent out this item. Now that his goal has been achieved, it's naturally better to keep something of this caliber.

However, since Amber Lord has already acknowledged Xing, there shouldn't be any problem if he continues to use the hammer. But for Ai Yue, there is something else he is worried about.

Having read the plot, Ai Yue knew very well that having two destinies was not the limit for Xing. At least in the foreseeable future, the other party would be able to master four or even more destinies. Under such circumstances, if the protective power accounted for too much due to his own reasons, it would be very likely to affect Xing's contact with other star gods.

After all, everything he had caused had exceeded both the calculations of the Boshizun and the script of the Stellaron Hunters, so he had to be cautious.

Fortunately, Xing is a broad-minded person. If it were an ordinary person, after gaining a treasure and then losing it, even if they knew it was never theirs to begin with, they would inevitably experience some emotional fluctuations. But she simply familiarized herself with the hammer in her hand and then smiled again, clearly quite easily satisfied.

"I really envy your mindset. If it were me, I'd be agonizing over it for days." March 7th looked at Xing with envy, then focused her gaze on the hammer in Xing's hand. "So this is... a fake?"

"To put it bluntly, it's a fake. It looks like the Amber Lord's hammer, but it's not the same thing at all." Ai Yue waved his hand. "I created this using the Power of Light as a base. Although it can be driven using the power of preservation, there is still a fundamental difference."

At this point, Ai Yue glanced at Xing again, then shook his head slightly. "But this kind of difference probably doesn't matter to you anyway."

Xing pondered for a moment, then turned to look at March 7th beside her. "Is he looking down on me?"

"In short, although things here have come to a temporary close, it's far from time to relax." Jing Yuan interjected at the opportune moment, drawing everyone's attention back to the main topic, "Regarding this matter, I still have some things I'd like to Mr. Ai Yue."

"Let me guess," Ai Yue raised an eyebrow, "You're planning to leave Jianmu as it is for now, right?"

"As expected of Mr. Ai Yue, you should have realized it by now," Jing Yuan nodded, his expression turning serious. "Now that the external crisis has been resolved, the next step is to eliminate the internal threats."

"Hey, Brother Yue, what are you guys talking about?" March 7th asked curiously from the side, "Internal hidden dangers... could you be referring to the Medicine Master's Legacy?"

"Yes, but not entirely." Jing Yuan hesitated for a moment before finally speaking, "Logically speaking, this is an internal matter of the Immortal Ship, and we shouldn't involve you all. However, everyone on the Stellar Train has done us a great favor to the Luofu Xianzhou, so it's only right and proper that we don't keep this from you. So I'll be frank."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Even with the Medicine Master's Legacy and the combined efforts of Phantylia, they shouldn't have been able to achieve this so easily—I suspect that the Luofu Dragon-Scythe Clan might be behind this."

"The Dragon-Scythe Clan?" March 7th immediately turned his gaze to Dan Heng. "Isn't that Dan Heng's compatriot?"

"That's true." Dan Heng nodded, but his emotions didn't change much. "Even if Phantylia's strength is extraordinary, if he wanted to transport the star core into Luo Fu and place it at the Jianmu's Mystic Root without anyone noticing, it would be impossible for him to do so without the help of the Dragon-Scythe Clan. And the most suspicious people who could do such a thing are the Dragon Master."

"Dragon Master?" Xing stroked his chin. "Is he a teacher of dragons?"

"That's one way to understand it. Dragon Master are all Dragon-Scythe Clan. They possess great strength and extensive knowledge, and can be described as Dragon-Scythe Elder or similar titles." Jing Yuan nodded. "However, directly questioning them about such matters will not yield any results."

"The Dragon Master are all meticulous people; they wouldn't easily leave traces. They'll mostly claim it's the Medicine Master's Legacy. Without evidence, interrogating them won't yield results, and might even backfire." After reclaiming her life, Tingyun also regained her memories of the Luofu Xianzhou. "So, General, are you planning to put on an act?"

"Yes, since they won't easily leave any evidence, then we'll create opportunities." Jing Yuan smiled. "If they find out that although their plan failed, it severely damaged General Luo Fu and created an opportunity for the next plan, can they tolerate that?"

"That bag took the bait!" Xing realized at this moment. "So, you're planning to put on an act for them?"

As Jing Yuan said, if the true outcome of this crisis were to be publicized, with the unharmed General of the Divine Might in charge, those with ulterior motives would naturally lie in wait once again. Therefore, it was necessary to make them believe that Jing Yuan had indeed been severely injured in the battle.

"Yes, in short, let's first build up the atmosphere of this disaster," Jing Yuan nodded, a hint of helplessness on his face. "To be honest, this is the first time I've felt regret that a crisis has been resolved too quickly. Is this the trouble of happiness?"

If the outside world knew that the crisis had been resolved so quickly, those with ulterior motives would inevitably become suspicious. Therefore, the premise of this charade is to keep the crisis going for the time being.

Fortunately, due to the seal, no one lives in the Scale-Abyss Realm. Even if the Jianmu's Mystic Root is allowed to continue growing, there is no need to worry about it harming others in the short term.

"How exactly do we do that?" Hearing about acting, March 7th couldn't help but show an eager expression. "We can help too!"

"Of course, the cooperation of all the guests is indispensable," Jing Yuan nodded, "But before that, I need to make some other arrangements."

The news of the rebirth of the Jianmu tree could not be contained. After all, such a large Jianmu tree was almost able to pierce through the sky of the Luofu Xianzhou. Even the most oblivious person should have noticed that something was wrong.

Moreover, the inhabitants of the Immortal Ship have long lifespans, and there are still many elderly people on board who personally experienced the last Jianmu Rebellion. With the spread and distortion of rumors, a tense atmosphere quickly spread throughout the entire Immortal Ship.

Under such circumstances, the large-scale operation of the Cloud Cavalry became even more eye-catching. Many people saw the main force of the Cloud Cavalry converging on the Scale-Abyss Realm, indicating that something major had happened there.

Some even say that they saw a golden light shooting straight into the sky from the other side of the Ancient Sea, which was obviously the "Divine General's Mount" commanded by General of the Divine Might fighting against some formidable enemy.

Finally, after several more days, the Jianmu tree, which had been growing wildly, began to wither and shrink, and the Scale-Abyss Realm gradually quieted down.

As the Cloud Cavalry withdrew from the Scale-Abyss Realm, more and more news spread. It was said that Scale-Abyss Realm had been attacked by the Antimatter Legion, and that the Great Extinguisher had personally arrived, intending to recreate the chaos of Jianmu and use it as a basis to destroy the Luofu Xianzhou.

Fortunately, the general discovered the conspiracy in time and repelled the enemy in a fierce battle, but he also suffered heavy losses. Even the main force of the Cloud Cavalry lost many men in the Scale-Abyss Realm, and the number of men who withdrew was far less than before.

If these were initially just unfounded rumors, their veracity was indirectly confirmed when Fu Xuan was urgently transferred to the Divinity Manor to oversee the daily affairs of the Luofu Xianzhou.

And so those with ulterior motives began to stir again.

Chapter Fifty, Jing Yuan, you must hold on!

"Ugh, this Soda Bean Juice..."

Although the Immortal Ship had just experienced a major crisis, once things settled down, the massive starship quickly returned to its usual bustling and noisy atmosphere. However, the Cloud Cavalry soldiers appearing frequently in the streets and alleys still reminded everyone from time to time that the situation was still under martial law.

Having resolved the crisis, the Stellar Train trio, accompanied by Tingyun, arrived at "Golden Market," a famous food area on Luofu Xianzhou, to sample the local delicacies.

Then they encountered a powerful and insurmountable opponent.

On March 7th, he gulped down a mouthful of Immortal's Joy Tea, trying to mask the strange taste lingering in his mouth, but to no avail. He then looked at Dan Heng beside him and asked, "Dan Heng, do you guys usually drink this kind of stuff?"

"I didn't, don't talk nonsense." Dan Heng tried hard to keep his expression straight, but the twitching at the corner of his mouth still revealed his inner turmoil. "Even among the people of the Immortal Ship, not everyone can accept something like this."

"That's true, so many people say that while Soda Bean Juice is a local specialty, it's not really a gourmet meal, so please don't force yourselves to eat it..." Tingyun explained from the side, but suddenly stopped, then looked surprised, "Eh?"

Following Tingyun's gaze, the two of them also focused their attention on the last person—the gray-haired girl boldly downed the liquid in her cup in one gulp, then gave a thumbs up. "Delicious!"

The next second, she fell straight backward.

"Is it really that exaggerated?!"

Several people frantically tried everything – pinching his philtrum, splashing water, and even using the Power of Light to perform CPR – before finally bringing Xing back to his senses. He slowly opened his eyes, looked at the concerned people in front of him, and couldn't help but show a confused expression. "What happened... how did I end up lying on the ground?"

"Has it become so bad that it triggers the brain's protective mechanisms?" March 7th said, speechless. "Forget it, let's just skip this topic."

As it turns out, Golden Market's reputation is well-deserved. Ignoring a few oddities, the variety of delicious food and snacks that followed quickly made everyone forget what had just happened and immerse themselves in a joyful atmosphere.

Until someone suddenly snapped out of it, "Wait a minute, isn't it a bit much for us to be so relaxed?"

"What are you trying to say?" Xing asked, her hand holding Fried Cake in one hand and Roasted Bird Wing Root in the other, with Qiongshi Bird Skewer dangling from her mouth. She mumbled indistinctly, "Did you eat too much and get too full?"

"No way! I've been watching my calorie intake!" the pink-clad girl immediately retorted. "Wait, you almost led me astray. I meant, should we go check on the general and the others?"

"It doesn't seem necessary," Dan Heng pondered. "After all, the general wasn't actually injured."

"Yeah, that's true." March 7th scratched his head. "How should I put it? It just feels like if we're the only ones lounging around like this, it's a bit... uh, I feel guilty?"

"I think you're just itching to get your hands dirty, aren't you?" Xing swallowed the snack in her mouth, looking like she knew everything. "That's just how the Nameless One is, he can't stand it if he doesn't cause some trouble every day!"

"I can't believe it's you saying something like that... You've only been a nobody for a few days!" March 7th couldn't help but retort, looking at Hoshi's "I'm very experienced" expression. "However, what you said does make a lot of sense."

"Since that's the case, why don't you all listen to my suggestion?" Tingyun, who had been watching from the sidelines, finally spoke up at the opportune moment. "Actually, even if you don't participate in the plans of these important figures, there are probably still many places on the immortal ship where you can show off your skills."

"That's wonderful!" March 7th exclaimed excitedly, but then couldn't help looking up at the other side of the sky. "But I'm still very curious, what are Brother Yue and the others doing right now?"

Meanwhile, at the other end of the alley, far away from Golden Market, Ai Yue also looked up, sensing something. However, he only drifted off for a moment before turning his attention back to the matter at hand.

"How is it, Mr. Ai Yue?" Standing beside him was Jing Yuan, who had used "serious injury recuperation" as an excuse to hand over all the work to Fu Xuan. Seeing the other's reaction, he couldn't help but have a slight misunderstanding. "Is it perhaps a bit tricky?"

As he spoke, he couldn't help but look at the scene before him again.

The two of them were now standing in front of the burl formed by the Jianmu's Mystic Root. After the performance was over, the next thing to deal with was this hidden danger that had been buried in the Luofu Xianzhou for who knows how many years.

Taking advantage of the recent rebirth of the Jianmu tree, Jing Yuan dispatched a Cloud Cavalry to completely seal off the Scale-Abyss Realm, thus preventing the Chiming Dragon Master from further spying on the area.

This relatively closed environment was also perfect for Ai Yue to conduct research on the Jianmu's Mystic Root.

"Oh, no, that's not it." Ai Yue waved his hand casually, then abruptly asked, "Speaking of which, when did you confirm my identity?"

Faced with such a seemingly random statement, Jing Yuan only paused for a moment before revealing a knowing smile, "I was wondering if I could keep this from you, but it seems I was overthinking it."

"Who told you to be so calm?" Ai Yue raised an eyebrow. "A general known for his wisdom, a ruler whose every decision affects the safety of countless people on the Immortal Ship, to so easily trust a stranger from outside the country—that's quite illogical, isn't it?"

Even before the final battle, Ai Yue had noticed that Jing Yuan's attitude towards him was excessively mild. Theoretically speaking, whether it was Phantylia trying to meddle with the power of Jianmu or Ai Yue trying to analyze and change the properties of Jianmu, the risks they might pose to the Immortal Ship were the same. Even if he was an ally, Jing Yuan had no reason to give in so easily and let him do as he pleased.

Unless the other party already knew about his identity and personality beforehand, and was certain that he wouldn't do anything out of line.

What Ai Yue needs to confirm now is how much Jing Yuan actually knows about his identity, as this will determine how he should explain the subsequent plans to Jing Yuan.

"Prioritizing urgent matters and prioritizing Luofu's interests can't be entirely inexplicable," Jing Yuan lazily explained, then shook his head. "Fine, there's no need to hide anything—you guessed right, Mr. Ai Yue. In fact, I already knew of your existence long before we even met everyone on the Stellar Train."

After a pause, Jing Yuan continued, "After all, the Xianzhou Alliance is a strategic partner of the Interastral Peace Corporation, so we are able to know a lot of information about the company's internal affairs immediately."

"Therefore, I also know that there is someone with a very high position in the company currently on the Stellar Train."

Jing Yuan was a smart man. Although he didn't know Ai Yue's purpose in suddenly confirming this matter, he was also very clear that being honest in this regard would be beneficial for future cooperation, so he did not hide anything.

"Looks like the company's confidentiality measures are pretty good." Ai Yue shrugged, neither confirming nor denying Jing Yuan's answer. "I thought my information would already be on the desks of every one of the Seven Generals of the Emperor's Bow."

"After all, we're just partners with the company; we're not close enough to exchange internal information. Besides, your details are likely kept highly confidential within the company." Jing Yuan smiled. "However, this isn't the only reason I decided to trust you."

"After all, we all know that not everyone in the company is a good person."

"I completely agree." Recalling that guy named Oswald, Ai Yue couldn't help but shake his head. "But things should be much better now... well, they should be."

"What truly convinced me to believe you was the actions of Miss March and the others. Whether it's a matter of birds of a feather flocking together or being influenced by one's surroundings, you, as one of them, must be a passionate person." Jing Yuan smiled and began to flatter Ai Yue without making a sound. "Not to mention, you also possess such a powerful and mysterious force."

"Alright, I have a pretty good idea now," Ai Yue nodded, ignoring the boastful words in Jing Yuan's speech. "Now, I also have something to tell you."

After tidying up his words, Ai Yue told Jing Yuan about the Solar System.

"I never imagined that the entity behind that mysterious civilization was actually you... In that case, the report submitted to the Six Imperators will need to be revised again." Jing Yuan, as expected of someone who had seen the world, quickly calmed down despite the absurdity of Ai Yue's account and began to analyze the pros and cons. "You're telling me all this now, could it be...?"

"Yes, it's that Mo Fei." Ai Yue took out a delicate little object from his pocket and casually tossed it towards Jianmu's Mystic Root. "There's a lot going on in Luofu, so I've found some help—don't be nervous, they're all reliable people."

Jing Yuan's attention was focused on Ai Yue, so when the other party made a move, he immediately recognized what the other party had thrown out—it was actually a section of an old-fashioned train carriage.

Of course, considering its current size, describing it as a train toy would be more appropriate.

However, since it was Ai Yue who threw it out, Jing Yuan did not underestimate this tiny, toy-like object. He knew very well that one could not judge such a prop simply by its appearance.

Considering the other party's current identity as an anonymous customer, Jing Yuan had every reason to believe that this thing must have been taken off the train by the other party.

But what's the use of pulling out a section of a train carriage at this point? Could it be that the train created by the Pathfinder Star God also possesses characteristics like the miracle of abundance, capable of suppressing the Jianmu's Mystic Root?

The moment this question flashed through Jing Yuan's mind, he saw the section of the train undergo a dramatic transformation the instant it hit the ground.

As the outer shell of the carriage disintegrated and unfolded, countless complex and intricate mechanical structures suddenly expanded out of it like inflated balloons, growing at a speed that even surpassed that of plants affected by the Power of Abundance.

In the blink of an eye, the carriage, which had looked like a toy, transformed into a metal cage before Jing Yuan's eyes, tightly binding the Jianmu's Mystic Root to the spot.

Because the seal on the Jianmu tree had been broken by Jing Yuan and others, it is still reviving even though it has lost the supply of star core energy. Roots are constantly extending from the wood gall, almost covering the surrounding ground.

But now, the mechanical structures that have sprung up from the carriage easily severed those roots, thus forcibly suppressing the state of the Jianmu's Mystic Root to the level it was when it was sealed, even more withered than before, to the point that the Jianmu's Mystic Root could not even maintain the appearance of Dragon Head.

However, the proliferation of train carriages clearly did not end there. Centered on the mechanical structure that bound Jianmu's Mystic Root, more devices were deployed, and soon a base-like structure was built on the spot.

"This is my portable experimental base," Ai Yue said smugly, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Jing Yuan's somewhat stunned expression. He spoke in a tone of smug pride, as if showing off a toy. "How about it? Not bad, right?"

"This method, as small as Sumeru Mustard Seed, is truly wondrous," Jing Yuan quickly recovered his senses and nodded in praise, but his gaze remained fixed on the building before him. "However, what about the helper you mentioned earlier?"

Jing Yuan recalled Ai Yue's words, but ultimately swallowed the rest of his sentence, "Could it be this base?"

Clearly, the helper they're referring to should at least be an organic life form, not a base vehicle.

As if in response to his question, the experimental base in front of him slowly opened its doors, and a mature woman with long, wavy green hair walked out.

"The world is so big, it's really different. I never expected to encounter something so wondrous." The other person had clearly only come out to greet Ai Yue, as they were holding a computer when they appeared, observing the various data the monitoring device was reading from the Jianmu's Mystic Root. "You can leave now. Leave the rest to me."

After saying this, the other party returned to the experimental base, clearly eager to get started.

"As you can see, that guy just now is called Mobius. That's how she is when she's working, don't take it to heart," Ai Yue explained simply. "Like she said, we can leave the preliminary research on the Jianmu's Mystic Root to her. We can use this time to take care of other things."

"Other matters?" Jing Yuan hadn't even had time to process the information he'd just received when he looked at Ai Yue again. "Mr. Ai Yue, if I may be so bold, the most important thing on the Luofu Xianzhou right now is dealing with the Jianmu's Mystic Root."

He never forgot the promise Ai Yue had made to him—after all, as an old fellow who had been in charge of the Immortal Ship for hundreds of years, Jing Yuan could sense that the time for his Mara-struck to take effect was getting closer and closer.