Chapter 401
After hearing Aglaea's description, Xing couldn't help but widen his eyes. "Such a big, living person, disappeared in Ochema?"
"I'm sorry, it was my oversight." Aglaea's face was etched with unconcealed exhaustion. "The Senate has been making too many moves lately, and most of the gold thread has been used to guard against them, to the point that I neglected the people around me."
"Don't blame this woman. It's a miracle she's even standing here talking in her current state." The speaker was a green-haired man with an eye patch covering his left eye. "I know Yacintes; she wouldn't abandon a patient and disappear without a trace. Someone must have kidnapped her."
The speaker was Anaxagoras, the most unorthodox scholar in the Divine Enlightenment Tree Court, and also one of the Golden Kin. Now, he possessed the spark of reason, and even used forbidden secret techniques to bind his soul to that of the Reason Titan within his body, making him a walking miracle.
Although, according to him, he will soon be unable to walk.
Incidentally, although he personally dislikes the name "Nakshatra," most people are used to calling him by that name. After all, compared to his long full name, Nakshatra is obviously much easier to remember, and you don't have to worry about being accused of padding the word count when you write it down.
"Even if Lady Aglaea's golden thread had a flaw, to be able to exploit that flaw and bring a living person out of Ochema without warning is something no ordinary person could do," Dan Heng added from the side. "We've analyzed all the possibilities, and the most likely one is... that black-robed swordsman."
"Heie? This...is this right?" Xing wanted to deny it outright, but looking at Dan Heng's eyes, she changed her mind in the end. "He might really have this ability, but why would he target Feng Jin? If he harbored ill intentions, wouldn't it be more reasonable to target Tibao and the others?"
Ai Yue had promised that the black-robed swordsman would not attack them, and the fact that the other party had offered up the Time Flame seemed to confirm this. However, for some reason, Xing and Dan Heng did not tell the Golden Kin about this, since Heie had attacked them before, and there was no way to explain that.
"So this matter is still unresolved," Bai E frowned, feeling deeply distressed by the successive departures of his companions. "After all, no signs of struggle were found at the scene of Feng Jin's disappearance, which means that either the other party was able to completely suppress her, or there was an element of Feng Jin's consent involved. There are too few clues to piece together the truth."
Everyone's expressions were solemn, because after the return of the flames of death and reason, only the flame of the Sky Titan remained outside. As a descendant of the Sky Clan, Feng Jin was clearly the only Golden Kin suitable to obtain the power of the Sky. Without her, this flame could not be obtained.
"No wonder they asked me to come too," Saifeier stretched after hearing the whole story. "I understand now. In short, they urgently need to find that pink-haired junior, right? Okay, I'll take it. But seamstress, you know how much I charge."
"Everything has been arranged for you." Even though Saifeier's tone was quite impolite, Aglaea didn't mind. Instead, she responded in a very gentle tone, "However, Saifeier, your own safety should be the top priority. We cannot afford to lose another demigod."
"Don't worry, I understand. Is there anyone in the world who values their life more than I do?" Saifeier pulled down the brim of her hood, making it difficult to see her expression. "When it really comes to fighting, I'll come back and bring Grey and Savior Boy with me."
After leaving those words, she quietly departed from the Genesis Vortex Heart.
"Since we've entrusted it to Saifeier, there's no need to worry too much." Aglaea smiled slightly, but then became serious again. "Next, we should discuss more important matters— Xiadie didn't come back with you."
"She figured out her origins and completed the trial." Xing nodded, then took out the flame that symbolized death. "However, I believe she's always been with us."
"It seems fate is not so easily changed... But even so, she wrote the final rhyme for her epic poem." Aglaea closed her eyes slightly, then opened them again. "My teacher, please recite the oracle for us, and please offer us that burning flame."
After saying that, she stepped aside a few paces, making way for Xing to walk towards the altar.
Everyone else also turned their attention to her, quietly waiting for the ceremony to complete.
The young girl rarely showed a solemn expression, and silently and solemnly completed the ceremony as Tibao chanted.
After all this was done, everyone vaguely saw Xiadie's figure appear before them.
However, Tibao quickly realized that it was merely a divine echo. She walked up to Star, uttered an obscure tone, and then disappeared.
"What... did she say?" Bai E couldn't help but ask.
"That was the language of the Titans," Tibao said slowly, gazing at the spot where the echo had faded. "She said... 'The cold shadow of death has been illuminated by me. Go forth, for the path ahead will be bright, and an eternal fire. Do not forget...'"
What should we not forget? This question was left unanswered, but everyone was reminiscing about their time with Xiadie, and it's safe to assume that they each had their own unique understanding of it.
Just as the atmosphere became slightly somber, Nakshatra's voice rang out again. "Why did you have to make such a scene... It's my turn next."
His tone was relaxed and casual, but as everyone looked at him, the atmosphere became even more somber.
"What happened?" Xing, bewildered, retreated to Dan Heng's side and asked in a low voice, "What happened while I was gone?"
The search for the Death Titan was conducted separately from Nakshatra's plan, so Xing didn't actually know much about Nakshatra's situation.
"Simply put, at that Nakshatra merged himself with the Titan's fire," Dan Heng explained quickly. "And his current life is only being barely sustained by the fire, although it won't last long. But if the fire were removed..."
Dan Heng didn't finish his sentence, but it didn't need to be made any clearer—without the source of power to sustain life, Nakshatra was left with only one path: death.
"Isn't there any other way?" Xing asked, watching Bai E try to stop Nakshatra. "How about we use 'that'?"
Before leaving, Ai Yue left each of them a portion of his power to prevent them from being affected by the rules of Onfaros. At the same time, this power was also driven by them, enabling them to accomplish things that transcended the rules of Onfaros.
As an experiment, Ai Yue and Dan Heng had previously tested it on Tibao and Tining, which restored the powers of the two messengers. If they were used on Nakshatra, it might also prolong his life.
"I'm afraid that won't work." Dan Heng shook his head slightly, clearly having considered this possibility. " At that Nakshatra's soul was already... on the verge of collapse. This isn't a problem that can be solved simply by prolonging his life. Continuing like this will only cause him more pain."
After a moment's hesitation, Dan Heng still used a euphemistic word to describe Nakshatra. In fact, a more realistic description would be "shattered".
If we observe Nakshatra from a higher-dimensional perspective, we can see that the code that constitutes the other party is now in ruins, barely clinging to life. This level of deterioration is clearly beyond what the two of them can repair with their combined strength.
If all the power is poured in but the situation still cannot be changed, then not only Xing and Dan Heng, but even Nakshatra himself would probably not allow such a wasteful act.
Although Dan Heng had impulsive thoughts, he eventually restrained himself after growing up. Right now, they were facing an even more difficult situation, and before Ai Yue returned, this power had to be used in a way that could have a greater impact.
For example...
"Speaking of this matter, I have an idea." Dan Heng's gaze swept over the group of people in front of the water basin without making a sound. "Compared to Nakshatra, there is clearly someone else who needs this power even more."
"Be glad, Celsus ... I will use your soul to sow the seeds of doubt in the new world--"
Moments later, Anaxagoras, the "great performer" who had completed his final act, with the approval of the rational Titan Thersith, removed the fire from his body.
"--The project is now complete, and that concludes my remarks."
Then, it turned into shattered golden light and vanished before everyone's eyes.
Xing subconsciously looked up at the twelve stars hanging high above.
At this moment, only two buildings remain unlit.
Chapter 109 The drug's effects are too strong!
After the ritual of offering the fire ended, everyone was a little downcast.
After all, this time they said goodbye to two companions at once. Although this meant that the Journey of Chasing Fire was one step closer to its end, no one could show a joyful expression.
The journey of chasing fire is one of constant loss, and although Xing was prepared for it, she still felt a sense of loss.
If Brother Yue were here, he would definitely have a way to resolve this perfectly.
The girl's gaze passed through the twelve stars before her, as if looking towards a more distant place.
She didn't actually want to rely on Ai Yue for everything, but unfortunately, ever since she boarded the train, nothing she encountered was small. It could be said that whether it was the Immortal Boat, Penacony, or now Onfaros, each incident started as a major crisis on a galaxy level.
Even a mishap in Onfaros could lead to a cosmic-level catastrophe, a situation that the Nameless One cannot handle on his own and will inevitably require external support.
Since you're going to call for outside help anyway, why not just call for the strongest one?
"Xing, we should go."
After an unknown amount of time, Dan Heng's voice woke Xing from her reverie. She turned her head and found that only the two of them remained in the Genesis Vortex Heart.
"Everyone has left, and there's still a lot to do on the Journey of Chasing Fire," Dan Heng explained, then paused before continuing, "We can also take this opportunity to get some rest."
Seeing Dan Heng's meaningful expression, Xing also nodded.
While it's called a rest, it's actually an opportunity to sort out the current situation, summarize information from both sides, and then prepare for the next plan.
So the two quickly returned to their private room and began sharing information they had missed during their time apart.
Although it was called sharing, Dan Heng did most of the talking. After all, Xing had already said everything he could in the Genesis Vortex Heart, and the remaining details were not very important. Dan Heng, on the other hand, did the exact opposite—he stayed in Ochema to gather more intelligence.
Soon, Xing filled in the information she had missed after she left, including but not limited to Nakshatra had cooperated with the Senate and then betrayed them, then won the final vote that overwhelmed the Senate at the Citizens' Assembly, and then publicly announced that Bai E would become the Titan of the New World, resurrecting them all, etc...
Of course, the most crucial information is that Nakshatra, as an electronic life form within Onfaros, was actually able to transcend this world and discover the truth of the entire Onfaros. This was not only a shock to the people of Onfaros, but also an incredibly exaggerated thing in the eyes of the nameless guest who knew the truth.
"That's really crazy." After hearing Dan Heng's description, Xing couldn't help but scratch his head. "Are all smart people like this?"
"Those who lead the world always exhibit extraordinary qualities; you should be used to it." Dan Heng nodded. "Also, there's the matter of Laigushi."
Upon hearing this, Xing immediately perked up. "You found him?"
Laigushi was the mastermind Ai Yue mentioned before leaving, but due to time constraints, Ai Yue only left this name and didn't mention anything else, which forced Dan Heng to find out more information.
Xing originally thought that finding such a final boss wouldn't be easy, but after her trip to the Underworld, she actually received news?
"Hmm, the other party hasn't completely disappeared behind the scenes, and is even quite... frank?" Dan Heng thought for a moment, and finally used this word to describe Laigushi, "He calls himself a 'Divine Audience,' an absolutely neutral entity, and he presides over the citizens' assembly."
"Based on my judgment, it's highly likely that the other party chose to operate in Ochema under this identity in order to observe the experiment up close."
As he spoke, Dan Heng pulled out a portrait depicting a machine with its eyes covered, a circular hole running through its chest, and arms wrapped around its torso.
"This is Laigushi?" Xing carefully examined the portrait, then a baseball bat appeared in her hand. "Very good, lead the way!"
"You're joking, right?" Dan Heng looked at Xing calmly until the other person grinned foolishly and put away his baseball bat before continuing, "Besides, it's too late to go look for him now— Laigushi has disappeared."
"When did this happen?" Xing was taken aback. "Is the security situation in Ochema really that bad? First it was Feng Jin, and now it's Laigushi?"
"It's undeniable that Lady Aglaea's control over Ochema is indeed declining, which is why I want to use the Power of Light." Dan Heng shook his head. "However, at least Laigushi shouldn't be involved in this. Since he was able to expel Mr. Ai Yue's clone in Onfaros, I'm afraid no one can stop him."
"To put it bluntly, this guy ran away on his own, right?" Xing stroked his chin, frowning. "Oh no, I smell a conspiracy."
"I had the same feeling." Dan Heng nodded. "The most crucial point is that the Onfaros don't know Laigushi's true identity, and we don't even have a way to warn others..."
At this point, Dan Heng couldn't help but sigh.
It wasn't that they wanted to keep the information to themselves, but rather that the information itself lacked credibility— Ai Yue's existence was completely unknown, and they couldn't explain the source of the information. Moreover, even if Aglaea could use the golden thread to verify the authenticity of the words, such a piece of information alone was meaningless.
The entirety of Onfaros is under Laigushi's control. How can the characters in the story rebel against the creator of the tale?
Since that's the case, it's better to retain a sliver of hope to prevent the Golden Kin from falling apart internally.
"Even if we issue warnings, it won't make a difference," Hoshi sighed. "Compared to the Onfaros, Laigushi is practically a god. Even if we want to be wary of him, we don't know where to begin."
As the creator and current administrator of this world, Laigushi's authority over it is beyond the imagination of ordinary people. Although Ai Yue only entered as an avatar, he still transcended the underlying logic of Onfaros. Yet, even so, wasn't he still expelled by Laigushi when he found an opportunity?
Even if the Golden Kin wanted to be on guard, could they really prevent it?
"Let's talk about something meaningful, instead of dwelling on the past." Discussing what's already happened won't change anything, and Dan Heng quickly adjusted. "What I'm more curious about now is the reason for Laigushi's disappearance. Why did he do that?"
"Of course it's to make things bad, what else could it be?" Xing said matter-of-factly.
"That's true, but do you remember Mr. Ai Yue saying that Laigushi wouldn't target us?" Dan Heng said. "If his target isn't us who intervened in the experiment, then why would he suddenly change his usual behavior?"
After expelling Ai Yue's clone, Onfaros only had Xing and Dan Heng left to influence the experiment, but Laigushi clearly had no intention of harming them, otherwise they wouldn't be alive now.
So the question arises: if Laigushi didn't intend to eliminate these destabilizing factors, why did he suddenly disappear? What changes occurred that led him to make such a decision?
Upon hearing this question, Xingye looked thoughtful, then her eyes lit up. "Could it be that Brother Yue is back?"
"It's very likely!" Dan Heng seemed to have never thought in such a positive direction before, and he immediately became excited. But after a moment's thought, he shook his head. "No, I'm afraid we're being too optimistic—if it really is Mr. Ai Yue, then I believe Laigushi definitely can't stop him."
"Maybe they're having a little tug-of-war right now, like..." Xing was still trying to justify her guess, but seeing Dan Heng's expression, she couldn't help but give up. "Okay, I'll think about it some more."
Is it possible that Ai Yue has come? Of course, it's possible, but it's only a possibility. To take it as a reality would be foolish.
Therefore, it wasn't that Dan Heng couldn't think of this possibility, but rather that he subconsciously excluded Ai Yue from the scope of speculation, so that his reasoning would be more valuable.
After a moment of silence, Xing spoke again, "Dan Heng, when did Feng Jin disappear?"
Why are you suddenly bringing up Feng Jin again?
Dan Heng glanced at Xing subconsciously, only to find a serious expression on the other's face. He then instinctively replied, "It was before the Citizens' Assembly."
"So, Feng Jin disappeared before Laigushi, right?" Xing nodded. "Is there any connection between them?"
"You mean, Feng Jin's matter affected Laigushi? But this shouldn't have Laigushi's doing..." Dan Heng frowned, then suddenly realized, "Heie!"
Feng Jin might not be able to attract Laigushi's attention, but what about that black-robed swordsman? Judging from all the signs, that black-robed swordsman is also a special figure who is detached from the Onfaros system!
If Feng Jin was indeed kidnapped by the black-robed swordsman, then Laigushi's reaction to this doesn't seem impossible to explain?
"That guy is elusive and ridiculously strong; he's clearly not a normal person." Xing nodded. "The key is that Brother Yue's attitude towards him is also quite subtle. It seems like he's on our side, but not entirely... In short, if there's any special factor at play, he's the only one I can think of."
"It's highly likely. The black-robed swordsman willingly handed over the Flame of Time to us, and even put on an act in front of the Golden Kin, adopting a hostile stance. This is very strange." Dan Heng nodded, then pondered, "But what could be something that aligns with our goals yet conflicts with the Golden Kin?"
"The Journey of Chasing Fire," Xing uttered the key phrase. "Brother Yue said that Heie would stop the Journey of Chasing Fire, but wouldn't harm us. Does that mean the Journey of Chasing Fire cannot be completed, but that doesn't prevent him from helping us achieve our goal?"
"So, it's very likely that Heie is right?" Dan Heng seemed to have found an inspiration. "Mr. Ai Yue said that this world is trapped in some kind of vicious cycle. Could it be that Heie has been preventing the true Re-creation, thus constantly restarting the current cycle?"
"But what's the point of doing this?" Xing scratched his head. "Does this really stop the Iron Tomb from being born?"
She was stunned for a moment after saying that, then she and Dan Heng exchanged a glance—clearly, they seemed to have really found the truth.
"If that's the case, then everything makes sense." Dan Heng quickly sorted out his thoughts. "According to Nakshatra's theory, the Re-creation is essentially a completely new cycle. The Golden Kin acquire power in this generation will become Titans in the next cycle. And from our perspective, this generational change will provide nourishment for the birth of the Iron Tomb."
"But Heie somehow obtained the truth, so in order to block the experiment's progress, he prevented the Re-creation, and then reset this cycle more than 30 million times?" Xing followed up, filling in all the information she could think of. "It sounds flawless. Did we really guess right?"
"It could just be a coincidence, but in any case, this is the most plausible guess we can piece together," Dan Heng nodded, then shook his head. "The only thing I can't figure out is that Heie obviously hasn't transcended Onfaros's rules either, so how did he manage to do this?"
"Who knows? Maybe someone will help?" Xing guessed casually, then sighed. "If A Qi were here, she might just blurt out the truth right away."
"If March heard you say that, she'd definitely complain about you." Dan Heng smiled slightly as he thought of his other companion. "But... I also think you have a point."
"In short, what we need to do now is find Feng Jin and Heie and figure out what exactly happened." Xing shrugged, then began to summarize, "Heie clearly wants to communicate with us, but it seems that no other Golden Kin can be present."
Last time, it was because Bai E and the others got close that Heie faked two attacks and sent them flying.
"It's hard to say. What you said earlier reminded me," Dan Heng shook his head. "If Feng Jin was really taken away by Heie, and this attracted Laigushi's attention, then it means that this change in the other party is likely unprecedented. This could mean that Heie has changed his mind... Of course, this is just speculation."
"So in the end, we still need to talk to each other alone first," Xing stretched. "Alright, that's settled then. What's next? Aglaea's matter?"
"Yes, Ms. Aglaea has become increasingly aloof lately. I Nakshatra say that the mental strain her powers cause is astonishing." Dan Heng nodded. "Ms. Aglaea is Ochema's strongest defense; she can't afford to be harmed, so I was thinking..."