Chapter 376

Thus, under Ai Yue's full efforts, the Jianmu's Mystic Root quickly regressed to its most primitive seed state. Even though its volume was now less than one-thousandth of its original size, and even though its internal energy was almost completely drained, Ai Yue could still sense a certain "special quality" emanating from within.

That is the rule that one can sense after directly pointing to the essence of Jianmu, a rule belonging to a prosperous destiny, and this rule is what Ai Yue really needs to intervene in.

Although it had degenerated into a seed, the Jianmu Seed was still enormous, almost half the size of a Stellar Train carriage. However, this was within Ai Yue's expectations. He casually waved his hand, and a colossal creature burst forth from the ground, directly enveloping the Jianmu Seed.

That was Ai Yue's re-editing of his carriage, creating a "greenhouse" specifically designed for the Jianmu tree. Within it, the Jianmu seed would undergo a series of complex and precise modifications, gradually disintegrating its internal laws of abundance, thus creating an opportunity for the intervention of the Power of Light.

The reason why Jianmu is considered a forbidden object and strictly sealed by the Immortal Boat people is because it has the ability to stimulate the Blessing of Abundance within the Immortal Boat people, thereby causing them to fall into the Mara-struck. This is the effect of a certain Abundance Law. Therefore, in order to use it to eliminate the hidden danger of the Mara-struck of the Luofu Xianzhou people, breaking this law is a prerequisite.

Coincidentally, although the laws of destiny and the underlying rules of the universe are not the same thing, they do have many similarities. Ai Yue, who once analyzed and constructed a universe (although it was only the size of the Solar System), is very familiar with this.

Therefore, while the greenhouse tightly sealed the Jianmu seed, Ai Yue also transformed into a ray of light and entered it. Along with the operation of the equipment, he began to dismantle the abundant laws of the Jianmu seed. Although the whole process only took five minutes from the outside, the number of processes carried out inside could only be described as unbelievable.

Ruan Mei originally wanted to use her storage device to record the entire process so she could take it back for careful study, but less than a minute later, all four storage devices she had prepared in advance overloaded. Beneath the thick white smoke was a bionic brain that was emitting a cooked aroma due to overheating.

This is a wet storage device developed by Ruan Mei herself. It is a bionic brain created by studying the biological brain and has performance and read speed far exceeding that of ordinary storage devices. Although she only has four of them, these four storage devices were originally used by Ruan Mei to record all the digital information of Luofu Xianzhou from ancient times to the present.

Originally, Ruan Mei planned that three memory devices would be enough, with the fourth being just for redundancy in case of emergency. However, all of them were overloaded and failed, and only recorded less than one-fifth of the content of Ai Yue's modification of the Jianmu Seed. This means that if the amount of information in the entire process were converted into regular data, it would be almost equivalent to the total amount of civilization currently existing in the entire Xianzhou Alliance.

Of course, this is just a rough estimate and cannot be directly linked to reality, but even so, it is already quite exaggerated. However, considering that this is a kind of modification of a creation of a star god, it seems to make some sense.

Ruan Mei silently put away the four pieces of cooked brain, deciding that next time she would develop a wet storage device based on the brain of an ancient beast.

Ai Yue was naturally unaware of all this, as the modification of the Jianmu Seed was the most crucial step, and even he dared not be easily distracted. He only knew that after everything was completed, Ruan Mei seemed a little disappointed.

However, this disappointment was quickly overwhelmed by the curiosity of encountering new and exciting things.

"This is... a newly sprouted seed of the Jianmu tree?" As the greenhouse doors opened, Ruan Mei curiously examined the giant seed floating before her. "It gives off a feeling... of warmth."

The seed of Jianmu has now completely transformed into something else. Originally, it was a spindle-shaped object with black and gold colors, but what now appears before Ruan Mei is a giant sunflower seed emitting a warm white light.

"Uh, shape doesn't matter," Ai Yue's eyes darted around when faced with Ruan Mei's question, "Why has even the shape changed?" After all, he couldn't very well admit that his first thought about the seed was that it was a melon seed. "Anyway, the performance is definitely fine—okay, get away from me, I'm going to plant it in the ground!"

After unanimous consultation among the high-ranking officials of Luofu (actually, it was a concession by the Dragon-Scythe Clan), the planting site for the new Jianmu trees was still chosen in the Scale-Abyss Realm. After all, no one lives there permanently, and it is in a semi-abandoned state. For the Luofu Xianzhou, where land is extremely valuable, it is just right to place the new Jianmu trees.

Moreover, placing such a magnificent spectacle, radiating abundant vitality, here would be very beneficial to the reincarnation of the Dragon-Scythe Clan. Therefore, although many Vidyadharas were dissatisfied with this plan, no one dared to stand up against Jing Yuan under the complete suppression of the Dragon Master.

Ruan Mei quickly retreated to the farthest point along with the carriage, standing under the Xianlong Dayu Palace, gazing at Ai Yue's location in the distance. At the end of the Vidargraha Ancient Ruins, Ai Yue also revealed a serious expression. He reached out and aimed at the Jianmu Seed from a distance, then slowly "pressed" it into the ground.

Logically speaking, the soil here, having been soaked by seawater for a long time, is obviously not suitable for plant growth. However, Jianmu itself is not something that can be viewed through the lens of common sense, and with the Power of Light, it can naturally ignore such trivial details.

In any case, it is not a plant that actually relies on nutrients to grow, but a divine creation born from extraordinary power.

As the seed took root in the earth, Ai Yue released the last layer of suppression it had been under. Freed from its limitations, Jianmu immediately revealed its true power as a creation of the gods.

Almost the instant Ai Yue released his grip, a pure white beam of light shot straight up from the Scale-Abyss Realm, piercing through the sky in an instant. At the same time, the Power of Abundance that had been dissipating throughout the Scale-Abyss Realm began to surge wildly toward the Jianmu Seed under some invisible pull.

Seeing this, Ai Yue did not stop it, because he knew very well that Jianmu had been transformed and was no longer the plague scourge it once was. It was absorbing the Power of Abundance only to use it as nutrients for its own growth. It had an internal energy conversion system, and unless Yaoshi came in person, no one could turn it back to its original form.

And indeed, after absorbing the Power of Abundance contained within the original Jianmu tree, the new Jianmu tree finally revealed its completely new form amidst the light.

To everyone's surprise, what was planted was a sunflower seed, but what grew was a straight and resilient green bamboo.

Its form appeared in the world for only a brief moment before gradually disappearing amidst a slight tremor. But this was not the end of everything; rather, it was the beginning of the true blessing taking effect.

As the jade bamboo trembled, a refreshing breeze suddenly swept across everyone's faces. In a daze, everyone seemed to see countless bamboo leaves falling with the breeze, swirling and flying towards them.

Jing Yuan subconsciously reached out, wanting to catch the lush green bamboo leaf, but although he felt a warm touch, his hand remained empty.

No, it wasn't empty; rather, the instant he touched the bamboo leaf, some kind of power spread through his body.

It wasn't until he experienced this feeling firsthand that Jing Yuan realized the soldiers who had returned to human form were right. It was indeed a transformation, like being reborn, but it brought no pain or torment, only the refreshing ease and relief of the nightmares that had weighed on his heart melting away like snow.

Despite the lack of concrete evidence, he instinctively felt that the threat that had been hanging over him was no longer there.

But before Jing Yuan could fully savor this wonderful and pleasant experience, his expression suddenly changed.

He raised his head and looked up at the cloudless sky. His face, which was usually adorned with a confident smile, showed a rare solemnity.

As a general and the Hunt envoy blessed by the Lord of the Empyrean Bow, he sensed before anyone else that a swift and sharp arrow was hurtling towards the Luofu Xianzhou!

That was a sharp arrow from the Lord of the Empyrean Bow!

But why?

The event happened so suddenly that Jing Yuan had no idea it was going to happen. As a result, although his mind was aware of what was going on, his body remained frozen in place like a statue.

What should we do? Should we use the Divine General's Mount to stop it? But even if we could stop it, how would we explain it to the people afterwards?

This moment of hesitation cost him his last chance to strike—but it also relieved him of all his worries.

With a piercing cry, everyone saw an arrow, accompanied by a fierce wind, streak across the sky and strike the spot where the Heavenly Jade Bamboo had been.

However, there was no explosion, no smoke or dust, and no terrifying destruction that swept across the entire celestial ship.

After a brief moment of calm, a dazzling... fireworks burst open in the sky?

Jing Yuan:?

Chapter 69: We're All Bros

The Hunt arrow struck the brand-new Jianmu tree, and then... it exploded into a firework?

Is this correct?

Jing Yuan stared at the scene unfolding before him, his mind filled with question marks and ellipses.

There are clearly too many unreasonable aspects to this matter. First of all, Jing Yuan can confirm that the arrow just now contained genuine malevolent energy, exactly the same as the Emperor's Bow arrow that the Immortal Ship summoned through special means during the war. Obviously, this arrow was aimed at cutting down the Jianmu tree.

Moreover, the strange pause between the arrow hitting the Jianmu tree and the fireworks exploding suggests that there are clearly other secrets hidden within.

But reality didn't give Jing Yuan much time to ponder what had happened, because he could see countless eyes converging from all directions, waiting for him to provide a reasonable explanation for what had just occurred.

Yes, what's important now isn't the truth, but how to make everyone feel at ease accepting what just happened.

"The rebirth of the Jianmu tree has brought about a complete transformation for us; this is a miracle rarely seen in the world!" Jing Yuan, true to his cleverness, found a reason almost instantly. "Even the Lord of the Empyrean Bow sent his congratulations, as evidenced by the fireworks just now!"

The impromptu explanation was somewhat crude, but it was enough to appease the public. After all, they were still immersed in the joy of their transformation, and a plausible excuse was enough to convince them.

Seeing the people getting excited again, Jing Yuan took the opportunity to announce the official start of the large-scale celebration that had been prepared in advance. Then he quietly withdrew from the crowd and returned to the Divinity Manor.

For ordinary people, this matter is over, but for them, it may have just begun.

"The Emperor's Bow is sent as a congratulatory gift?" In the Divinity Manor, Fei Xiao, who had arrived a step ahead of Jing Yuan, revealed a mischievous smile. "You really dare to say that, Jing Yuan. If this gets out, wouldn't that be considered a crime of deceiving the Emperor?"

As a general herself, and having just been spotted by the Star God of the Hunt, Jing Yuan could perceive things that Fei Xiao could perceive as well, perhaps even more so. Therefore, she knew very well that the purpose of that arrow was to destroy the Jianmu tree, and there was absolutely no other possibility.

As for why it turned into fireworks, you'd have to ask the person involved.

"Regardless, we've passed this hurdle for now," Huai Yan said from the side. "The most urgent thing is to go to the Scale-Abyss Realm to check on Mr. Ai Yue's condition. If there's anyone who could change the outcome of that arrow, it would be him."

Compared to the other two generals, Jing Yuan was much calmer. In fact, he had already arranged for the Cloud Cavalry to be stationed at the edge of the Scale-Abyss Realm to ensure that Ai Yue could successfully complete his plan. And judging from the message just sent back, everything in the Scale-Abyss Realm was normal, and there was obviously no problem.

"No need to go."

Accompanied by a familiar voice, Ai Yue appeared before the three. He immediately found a seat and sat down, constantly shaking his right hand as if he had been burned by something. "Wow, is Lan always this ruthless? Doesn't he know this is his territory?"

Upon hearing this, Jing Yuan and the others immediately confirmed their previous guess—the arrow was indeed aimed at Jianmu, and it was blocked by Ai Yue.

This raises a rather subtle point—why would the Hunt God who has always protected them want to destroy the Jianmu tree that transformed the Immortal Ship people?

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ai Yue," Jing Yuan said instinctively, "But isn't there some misunderstanding?"

He didn't believe that the Lord of the Empyrean Bow, whom he had always followed, would still want to destroy the newly formed Jianmu tree, even knowing that it was a great being who had ascended to the Star God level. Even if such a being didn't have such a strong will as Ai Yue, he should at least be able to distinguish between different situations.

"What are you apologizing for? You ordered that arrow to be shot!" Ai Yue waved his hand, clearly not taking the matter to heart. "As for the misunderstanding, that was indeed a misunderstanding."

At this point, Ai Yue's expression became somewhat subtle, as if he had been caught trying to slack off. "In short, you handled it very well, and there's no need to worry about any subsequent repercussions. The matter is settled."

"I see," Jing Yuan and Fei Xiao Huai Yan Huai Yan a glance, then breathed a sigh of relief. "But what exactly happened?"

"To put it simply, the main reason is me," Ai Yue somewhat guiltily, shifting his gaze. "If I had known that the Hunt Star God had a considerable amount of attention focused on Jianmu, I wouldn't have used the underlying rules of the Abundant Destiny to construct a new Jianmu just to save trouble."

"I don't quite understand," Fei Xiao frowned. "What does it mean to construct a new building block using the underlying rules of a bountiful destiny?"

"Simply put, after I dismantled the old Jianmu, I didn't completely discard it. Instead, I reused it to form new Jianmu," Ai Yue explained simply, then scratched his head. "Oh dear, you can't blame me for that. Designing entirely new structures is too troublesome, and there simply wasn't enough time."

"So, the Lord of the Empyrean Bow thought the newly born Jianmu tree was still a scourge of plague, which is why he shot that arrow?" Jing Yuan quickly understood Ai Yue's meaning and nodded thoughtfully. "And what does it mean that things have been resolved?"

"The misunderstanding has been cleared up," Ai Yue smiled. "I established a temporary connection with Lan through that arrow and explained the matter to Him. As a result, He will not target the new Jianmu tree. It's that simple."

He added, "Oh, by the way, I also asked Him to help me put in a good word with the other celestial ships, but I don't know how He will handle it."

"I see, that's wonderful." Although he still couldn't imagine how Emperor Gong would describe this matter, Jing Yuan still smiled. "If everything goes smoothly, then the last obstacle to implementing this matter within the Xianzhou Alliance will disappear."

Just like any new policy, the biggest obstacle to getting the entire Xianzhou Alliance to accept Ai Yue's power is the stubborn conservatives, who are likely to use arguments such as "ancestral laws cannot be changed" to resist accepting new things.

But now that even our ancestors have stepped in to help and act as persuaders, these people probably have nothing to say, right?

Of course, besides these, there may be various other obstacles, but there's no need to talk about them; the Xianzhou Alliance can handle them on its own.

"In short, it's a win-win situation," Ai Yue shrugged. "We've solved the problem of the Mara-struck and gotten our reward. It's about time we set off."

"You got paid?" Jing Yuan was taken aback for a moment before realizing, "Does that arrow count too?"

"Why not? I just wanted to experience the power of the Hunt God; how I obtained it is unimportant." Ai Yue smiled. "This saves you from having to put yourselves in a difficult position, doesn't it?"

Jing Yuan immediately looked somewhat embarrassed. "You knew all along?"

He had indeed thought that it would be great if there were a way to have the best of both worlds, but unexpectedly, such a result was achieved by sheer chance, although the process was a bit nerve-wracking.

When Jing Yuan saw the Hunt arrow strike the newly built tree, he almost died on the spot with a snap—if the curse of the Mara-struck hadn't been lifted, he was afraid he would have sprouted branches and leaves on the spot.

"It's not hard to imagine, after all, the power of Lan is a very important strategic resource for you," Ai Yue nodded and said. "However, it seems that I should actually be able to communicate with Lan through Jianmu, but because I don't understand this power, I've overlooked this possibility. It's like I'm blind to what's right under my nose."

Unlike before when he was more eager to contact the power of other star gods, this time, because he could feel the power of the Hunt Path everywhere, Ai Yue did not rush to analyze the power of the Hunt, but instead focused his attention on the Jianmu tree.

If he had known the power characteristics of the Hunt Path beforehand, he would have been able to sense a certain warning system that Lan had left in the Jianmu's Mystic Root. This warning system would not have been triggered even in the previous disaster of Jianmu Rebirth. It would only attract Lan's attention after it reached the point where "even the power of the Immortal Ship could not eradicate it".

In other words, this was the last line of defense—but it was triggered by friendly forces.

"In short, it's great that everything went smoothly." Jing Yuan said, then subconsciously glanced at Ai Yue's right hand. "Uh, Mr. Ai Yue, your hand..."

Although Ai Yue no longer reacts as violently as before, a closer look reveals that his right hand is still trembling slightly, indicating that the injury from the arrow has not completely subsided.

"The situation was urgent, so I had to catch it with my bare hands. But it's not a big problem; it'll be fine in a little while." Ai Yue smiled, revealing a hint of joy. "You know, as expected of the Hunt Star God, that arrow is really fierce. If the Hunt is this fierce, just how fierce can the Destruction Star God be?"

Hearing Ai Yue's words, Jing Yuan couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. "Mr. Ai Yue really is... quite the inquisitive soul."

Then he put on a serious expression and said, "No matter what, we will definitely give you satisfactory compensation for this matter."

"Hey, we're all buddies, why bring this up?" Ai Yue waved his hand, then changed the subject, "Besides, if we're talking about compensation, I've already received it."

As he spoke, he took out a small, exquisite object from his pocket. As soon as the object appeared, the three Generals present all focused their attention on it.

It was an arrowhead that looked like it was made of metal—it had no intricate patterns and didn't look very regular, as if it had been forged by a blacksmith.

But this unremarkable arrow, once taken out by Ai Yue, caused a slight breeze in the originally closed room, and a strong the Hunt power was emanating from it.

"This was given to me by Lan. When necessary, I'll shoot it at my target, and He will come to fight alongside me," Ai Yue explained simply, then put it away, a subtle expression on his face. "How should I put it? You all truly are of the same lineage; the things you give each other have the same effect."

"Although they may sound similar, the effects are worlds apart." Jing Yuan nodded, then added, "In short, Mr. Ai Yue, the Xianzhou Alliance will always remember..."

"Alright, alright. I won't hesitate to ask for your help when I really need it, so don't bother with any promises," Ai Yue interrupted Jing Yuan before he could finish speaking. "In short, you're on your own to handle the rest. Contact me whenever you've settled everything."

As he spoke, Ai Yue's figure had already quietly disappeared, leaving only his last words. "No need to come and see me off."

Once Ai Yue's figure had completely disappeared, the three Generals relaxed simultaneously.

"Although I know Mr. Ai Yue is a humble person, I still can't help but tense up after realizing his strength," Fei Xiao said with a hint of longing on his face. "My strength has clearly improved compared to before, but the stronger I get, the more unfathomable Mr. Ai Yue seems. He's really amazing."

"What you can sense is only the part that Mr. Ai Yue made you feel." Huai Yan stroked his beard and shook his head slightly. "However, I agree with you. Just the mere presence of such a great being, who stands on equal footing with the Star God, is already an immense pressure."

"Fortunately, this person is on our side, and it's not hard to tell from his words that he also strongly agrees with the purpose of the Hunt," Jing Yuan smiled. "This means that as long as we don't betray our long-held beliefs, we don't have to worry about becoming his enemy."

"Indeed, the thought of having another powerful backer gives me even more confidence," Fei Xiao couldn't help but laugh. "I've decided that once I get back, I'll start searching for the Antimatter Legion. When I find them, I'll definitely teach those bastards a lesson!"

"It's good that young people are energetic. Old men like me can only do some logistical work," Huai Yan said with a smile, stroking his beard. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Wait, did we forget something?"

"No, right? All the problems that needed to be dealt with have been handled. What else could there be?" Jing Yuan thought carefully for a moment, then shook his head. "Could it be that Elder Yan is referring to Miss Ruan Mei's matter?"

"No, I was wondering, does the new Jianmu tree have a name?" Huai Yan pondered. "And, if one day we honor Mr. Ai Yue, what should his title be?"

The room fell silent immediately after he said that. After a moment, Jing Yuan hesitantly took out his phone. "Uh, should we ask?"

Chapter Seventy: A Temporary Farewell to the Immortal Ship

After consultation among the three Generals, Jing Yuan finally sent a text message to Ai Yue to inquire about the matter.

Then I got a reply that said, "You guys figure it out yourselves."

Are you kidding me? Ai Yue deliberately skipped this topic during the discussion precisely because he knew his naming skills were extremely limited. And yet Jing Yuan still pressed him for details—"What, do you guys on Immortal Ship like names like 'Jianzhu' that are completely thoughtless?"

As for honorific titles, Ai Yue didn't care at all. After all, if a title wasn't chosen well, it would only embarrass the people of the Immortal Ship, so why should he bother with it?

They could just put Ai Yue's name on it, make up some random thing like "Ai Yue Siming," and see who's embarrassed then.

In short, after leaving the aftermath to the Xianzhou Alliance to handle, Ai Yue quickly returned to the Starry Stellar Train, which he had been away from for a long time, and met the nameless passengers who had been waiting for a long time in the observation car.