Target: Agyhaazo

Yan Qing looked at the long lock of hair that had been cut off and knew he had lost. But he wasn't a sore loser, and his injuries weren't serious enough to affect his movements, so he immediately stood and returned the salute. Then he said with a sigh,

"I didn't realize the sword in your hand was a flying sword too, Teacher Dan Lei. I couldn't even force you to use your full strength.

"But I learned a great deal, and I'll make sure to practice hard before sparring with you again."

Hearing that, Dan Lei realized Yan Qing had started calling his opponent "Teacher" the moment he lost much earlier than he'd expected. So he promptly turned him down.

"Yan Qing, I'm not worthy of being called your teacher. When it comes to the path you walk, you're ahead of me. I only won today through sheer luck."

Dan Lei was telling the truth. In terms of raw strength, he was definitely no match for Yan Qing.

But the information gap between them was enormous. Dan Lei knew nearly every move Yan Qing had, while Yan Qing knew nothing about Dan Lei.

Besides, this was only an assessment spar. Neither of them would fight to the death or use their most powerful attacks.

For instance, Dan Lei hadn't used the Nichirin Greatsword's high-heat mode.

Yan Qing had only fought with the blades of his flying swords. He hadn't activated the tech or other nasty tricks built into them.

So Dan Lei put away the Nichirin Greatsword, transforming it back into a Conceptual Artifact, then walked over and used Medicine Dragon Healing the World to heal Yan Qing's external injuries.

After being healed, Yan Qing touched his chest and back, which had each been slashed open moments ago. Now all that remained were bloodstains and torn clothes to show he'd been wounded; the skin beneath had healed completely.

Just then, Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan came down from the Audience Seats.

Seeing Yan Qing still feeling around for his injuries, Jing Yuan asked,

"Yan Qing, did you learn anything from that fight?"

At the sound of Jing Yuan's voice, Yan Qing reflexively saluted him and replied,

"I learned a great deal. In future battles, I'll pay closer attention to the details of the fight and the environment, so I don't blunder into a trap."

Jing Yuan nodded. Yan Qing had understood the situation well enough. His biggest mistake today had been failing to notice Dan Lei laying a formation during the fight, which led to [Swallow Returns] being broken.

But one had to take things one step at a time. Yan Qing still had plenty to learn about dealing with opponents who knew how to scheme.

Jing Yuan had more important business to attend to now. He took out a Jade Abacus and handed it to Dan Lei.

"Dan Lei, this is your travel permit.

"It also serves as your passport when traveling between the stars.

"Factions that work with us, such as the IPC and the Genius Society, will recognize it.

"It also proves your status as a resident of the Xianzhou. If you're treated unfairly on another planet, the Xianzhou Alliance will stand up for you, as long as you're in the right."

Jing Yuan's words carried considerable weight. Everyone knew the Xianzhou Alliance was a staunch follower of the Aeon of the Hunt.

And revenge was one of the very essences of the Hunt.

In the current universe, aside from true lunatics like the Antimatter Legion and the Xianzhou's sworn enemies among the Antimatter Legion, even the larger factions knew better than to provoke the Xianzhou Alliance.

Even the utterly inhumane Oblivion Gang wouldn't dare run its mouth carelessly around them.

After all, if you truly angered the Xianzhou Alliance, they would hunt you down.

The Xianzhou Alliance had seven Emanator-level powerhouses in plain sight. Even the IPC had to think carefully before deciding whether it was worth antagonizing them.

And if the Xianzhou Alliance truly lost its temper, it could even call upon an Aeon.

By contrast, the IPC couldn't call on the King of Amber to come to its aid.

To put it bluntly, if someone expendable like one of the Ten Stonehearts truly angered the Xianzhou Alliance and wasn't in the right, the IPC might actually sacrifice them to save itself.

Something like Topaz getting the company's approval to attack the Stellar Train, as happened in the Jarilo-VI storyline, would never occur.

If Topaz dared make that request, the company would suspend her on the spot and call her back to see if she'd lost her mind.

In other words, the Jade Abacus in Dan Lei's hands was a literal lifesaver. Unless he got into trouble with some clueless little pirate or a hostile faction of the Xianzhou Alliance, it could save his life.

Dan Lei quickly accepted the precious Jade Abacus, then saluted Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan in thanks.

"Thank you, General. I'll make sure not to bring shame upon the Xianzhou Alliance while I'm out there."

Jing Yuan believed him. He also suspected Dan Lei would cause quite a stir on this trip. He only hoped the boy wouldn't turn the universe upside down.

So Jing Yuan tentatively asked,

"Dan Lei, although your travel permit won't restrict which planets you can visit, have you decided where you're going?

"I'd personally advise against going somewhere too remote on your first long journey."

Dan Lei had already settled on a destination while cramming on knowledge about interstellar factions, so he answered at once,

"I've decided. I'm going to Agyha.

"It's remote, but still within the IPC's interstellar network, and the routes haven't been blocked by a Stellaron disaster. The Antimatter Legion isn't particularly interested in the place, either.

"Besides, it's famous across the universe as a treasure-hunting hotspot. The various factions there are a chaotic mix, but it should still make a decent place to gain experience."

Jing Yuan simply nodded when he heard Dan Lei was going to Agyha.

But Fu Xuan spoke up at once.

"Agyha? Dan Lei, don't tell me you heard there were remains of the Locust Plague Ancestor there and want to try your luck."

Fu Xuan had guessed Dan Lei's intentions exactly. He really was going to Agyha partly to search for the body of Tayzzyronth, the Aeon of Propagation.

Dan Lei remembered that in the story, when Aventurine stood trial over the Agyhaazo Aventurine Case, he had insisted that finding Tayzzyronth's remains in Agyha's yellow sands wasn't impossible. Jade had even acknowledged his point afterward.

It was obvious, really. The Genius Society wasn't so easy to fool. If Agyha's sand had nothing special about it, they wouldn't have poured enormous resources into searching for the perfect construction material.

Still, from what Dan Lei had learned, the Genius Society had paid a tremendous price to thoroughly scan the entire planet from the inside out without damaging it. They had yet to find what they wanted, or any unusual energy fields—let alone the remains of an Aeon.

So no one believed the planet held an Aeon's remains anymore. It was all just a legend.

But there was no doubt that other valuable things lay beneath Agyha's sands. They simply cost too much to mine and didn't interest the Genius Society's members.

However, what the Genius Society dismissed wasn't necessarily worthless to treasure hunters. Agyha also had a unique ecosystem, and its local biological materials sold well across the universe.

Of course, Dan Lei couldn't say outright that he was searching for an Aeon's remains. He didn't expect to find them himself; it was just a side quest.

His main goal was to absorb the Great Source of this enormous planet and fill the Holy Grail. So he smiled and replied,

"Lord Diviner, you're joking. I'm just one person. How could I possibly go looking for an Aeon's remains? Finding them would just get me killed.

"Something that precious would certainly have guardians. For all I know, there could be super-insects at the Emanator level. I'm not even enough for one of them to chew half a bite."