Uncle Yang Visits

"You are... Jing Yan, correct?" Welt Yang began.

"That is correct," Jing Yan replied.

"You are a powerful individual," Welt Yang stated.

"The feeling is mutual," Jing Yan said with a smile.

In his eyes, Welt Yang was also a man of immense strength.

Throughout his life in his own world, Welt Yang had endured countless great wars, standing against Herrschers, the Honkai, and the People of the Sky, watching many old friends fade into nothingness.

Yet, not only had he survived, but he had even ventured out into the stars.

He had wandered through vast and formidable realms, witnessing existences far more powerful than any he had known before.

After all, in the current universe, the Aeons were essentially the strongest beings in existence.

Furthermore, Welt Yang had once claimed that as long as a Lord Ravager did not appear, he could guarantee the Astral Express a safe retreat—a testament to his sheer resolve.

When he unleashed his full power, he could trade blows with powerful Emanators and possessed the strength to destroy stars.

Of course, not all Emanators were capable of planetary destruction.

Moreover, Welt Yang's abilities did not rely solely on his own strength.

The blood-red, gemstone-encrusted cane in his hand was a Divine Key: the ninth of the previous era, the Star of Eden.

Its power manifested as the control of gravity—the "Earthly Power" of the Ninth Herrscher—granting him the ability to warp space-time and create black holes.

In addition, he was the First Herrscher, the Herrscher of Reason, capable of understanding the essence of all things in the world and reconstructing them.

However...

Even at the pinnacle of strength for a Herrscher or an Emanator, one could not compare to an Aeon.

Therefore, as the Aeon of Eros, Jing Yan's potential was naturally even higher than that of Welt Yang.

Naturally, it was no surprise that he had caught the man's attention.

Welt Yang reached up to adjust his glasses and continued, "The Stellaron appears to have been integrated into your body. Looking at you now, you seem to be suffering no ill effects?"

Welt Yang sounded astonished.

Stellarons were incredibly dangerous, the creations of the Aeon of Destruction, Nanook. They were considered some of the most troublesome phenomena in the universe, and only a handful of powerful individuals possessed the means to handle them.

Most were at the level of Emanators.

For instance, Herta, a member of the Genius Society and an Emanator of the Aeon of Erudition, Nous.

Or the Marshals and Generals of the Xianzhou Alliance, who were Emanators of the Aeon of the Hunt, Lan.

These powerhouses possessed the methods and experience to deal with Stellarons.

Beyond them, for the vast majority of places and planets, a Stellaron was an object of pure destruction.

Most people found it difficult even to seal one away.

At present, the only person capable of using their own body to seal a Stellaron was Stelle.

The specific techniques involved were secrets that could only be obtained from the Stellaron Hunter, Kafka.

Yet, the man before him had achieved something similar.

And what's more...

He had even dealt with Cocolia, who had been empowered by the Stellaron, with such ease?

Welt Yang reached a conclusion without the slightest effort.

This Jing Yan was no simple man.

Even though Welt Yang and Himeko had already been surprised by the information sent back by March 7th, Stelle, and Dan Heng, they were even more astounded now.

"Mr. Welt, you are from the Astral Express, are you not?" Jing Yan asked.

"Indeed. Does Mr. Jing Yan have any interest in joining us on the train?"

"Naturally," Jing Yan said with a faint smile.

"I see," Welt Yang nodded.

"In fact, Mr. Jing Yan would be a perfect fit to travel with us."

"You should be aware of the Stellaron situation within the planet, should you not?"

Jing Yan nodded, roughly understanding what the other man was implying.

Back at the Herta Space Station, the crew of the Astral Express had encountered an invasion by the Antimatter Legion. Stelle had stepped forward to face the Doomsday Beast, only for the Stellaron power within her to go berserk, eventually requiring Welt Yang to help suppress it.

So, when Welt Yang mentioned the Stellaron inside Stelle, he was likely suggesting that if the Stellaron within Jing Yan were to ever spiral out of control, he would likely have the means to help suppress it as well.

"However, I suspect that when it comes to handling a Stellaron, Mr. Jing Yan might not even need my assistance," Welt Yang said, looking at Jing Yan.

"Mr. Welt Yang is a clever man, though perhaps a bit too polite," Jing Yan said calmly.

"That is not mere politeness, but a matter of respect and etiquette. Everyone has their own unique quirks, and if we are to be fellow travelers on the Astral Express, it is best to be accommodating and seek common ground while respecting our differences."

"As the key figure who resolved the Stellaron crisis on Yarilo-VI, you deserve respect. If you have any personal preferences or dislikes, feel free to let us know at any time," Welt Yang said earnestly.

"Alright, I don't think I'm that hard to get along with, am I?" Jing Yan chuckled.

March 7th, who had been standing to the side, stepped forward at these words.

She had been circling Jing Yan just moments ago, inspecting him from every angle, and only spoke up once she seemed satisfied that he was physically unharmed: "Jing Yan, are you really okay?"

"Did you hide the Stellaron inside your body too?"

March 7th sounded somewhat incredulous.

"You could put it that way," Jing Yan replied with a smile.

By now, the others had regained their composure and gathered around.

They had just been checking on Cocolia's status in the massive crater ahead.

It was clear that Cocolia had not survived the sheer force of the Stellaron's explosion.

The deep pit in the ground was now nothing more than a ruin of the battlefield, with nothing of note left behind.

"By the way, the snow has stopped," Jing Yan said, glancing up at the sky.

Only then did the others realize it.

They looked up in surprise as sunlight began to break through the clouds once more.

"The Frost Wave... I remember it was still raging, and now it's just gone?!" Seele found it hard to believe.

As a Pathstrider, she knew of and believed in the power of the Paths.

Yet, seeing it with her own eyes was still a shock.

However, the clear sky now proved that what the trio from the Astral Express had said was entirely correct.

The Frost Wave had indeed been caused by the Stellaron.

Furthermore.

Now that the Stellaron had been sealed, the Fragmentum would gradually shrink until it vanished.

Some parts would remain for a long time, but Jing Yan had already used his power to alter them, stripping away their greatest dangers.

Of course, beyond its hazards, the Fragmentum also possessed the ability to act as a projection of the real world, reflecting scenes from the past.

Such remnants were also preserved.

"But, Mr. Jing Yan, could you explain in detail how you actually managed to do that?"

"And you, Stelle, what did you experience during the fight? How did you suddenly change your appearance?"

Hearing this, Jing Yan smiled. "If you have questions, I will answer them at my discretion."

Stelle scratched her head, as she felt that the experience had been truly wondrous—including the sensation of locking eyes with the Aeon of Preservation, Qlipoth.