"Wow! So many Higgs Purifying Trees! Is this-is this the foundation of the Xianzhou Daiyu? With so many Higgs Purifying Trees, the Xianzhou Daiyu must be incredibly wealthy!"
After entering the Jade Gate, Qi Shige saw the Higgs Purifying Trees on either side and marveled at them. They were so rare that seeing so many at once immediately made him think the Xianzhou Daiyu was wealthy.
Qingxin looked a little awkward when she heard him. Wealthy? More like weighed down by debt. If not for the Higgs Purifying Tree seeds Ayinai had given them, the Xianzhou Daiyu wouldn't even be able to trade now.
If it were the Daiyu before the crash, Qingxin could have said without hesitation, "The Xianzhou Daiyu is the wealthiest of the nine Xianzhou!"
But she really couldn't say that now. The Xianzhou had only just set sail and was still too poor. The Daiyu had a complete ecosystem, so naturally, it lacked nothing needed for daily life aboard the Xianzhou.
But the Xianzhou lacked the various specialties and new instruments from other regions beyond it... So trade was the first step after the Xianzhou set sail.
"Ahem, Patriarch Qi Shige, the Xianzhou isn't actually wealthy. These Higgs Purifying Trees you see are all miracles performed by Lady Arbiter of Life."
"Oh, was it Lady Arbiter of Life? Miss Qingxin, what kind of Aeon is our Lady Arbiter of Life?"
Qi Shige was very curious. From the moment Qingxin had said those words, he could clearly sense a change in her emotions. There was none of the reverence that The Family's leaders had for Xipe.
Instead, there was a sense of closeness, like the relationship between friends.
"Lady Arbiter of Life? She's a very approachable Aeon. She doesn't have the lofty airs of other Aeons. On the contrary, she really likes spending time with us mortals. In her words, um... it's to better understand the meaning of our existence..."
As Qi Shige listened to Qingxin, he couldn't help feeling intensely curious about and looking forward to meeting Ayinai, this approachable Aeon.
Palace of Existence
Two soldiers stood at the entrance to the Palace of Existence. Their golden armor was streaked with emerald green and reflected the sunlight, while their faces bore an icy killing intent.
He hadn't noticed it earlier, but only after seeing these two soldiers did he notice the killing intent the soldiers carried. Their aura was as if they had crawled out of a pile of corpses.
In fact, that was indeed the case. Everyone on the Xianzhou now was a survivor of the disaster, and they had only lived because Ayinai intervened. So it was no exaggeration to say they had crawled out of a pile of corpses.
Qingxin led Qi Shige into the Palace of Existence, while the rest of his people were led to their accommodations by Sky-Faring Commission reception staff.
Upon entering the Palace of Existence, Qi Shige saw three people. One was General Youding, Xiahou Chan, whom he had already dealt with.
Of the other two, one stood before a sand table, talking with Xiahou Chan, while the other lay lazily on a sofa, leafing through a novel titled "Overbearing Aha Falls in Love with Me."
Qingxin led Qi Shige to the very center of the hall and said, "Lady Arbiter of Life, Lady Helmsman, General, I've brought Patriarch Qi here. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
"Mm, go on. Oh, and make sure the Halovians are well looked after. Since they've joined the Xianzhou, they're citizens of the Xianzhou."
"Understood. I'll take my leave."
Qingxin left the Palace of Existence after speaking, while Qi Shige stood rooted to the spot. Who had she just called out to? Lady Arbiter of Life? The Aeon of Existence?
He came back to his senses, looked at Qingzhu, and bowed. "Qi Shige, patriarch of the Halovians, greets Lady Arbiter of Life!"
Qingzhu froze for a moment, then realized that Qi Shige had probably mistaken her for Ayinai.
She stepped forward, helped Qi Shige up, and said, "I'm not Lady Arbiter of Life. This is the Arbiter of True Existence."
At Qingzhu's words, Qi Shige's face turned bright red. He had made such a blunder as soon as he arrived on the Xianzhou! He had completely lost face.
Ayinai put down her novel, stood up, and gave a lazy stretch, once again taking on her dignified, graceful bearing.
"No matter. I'm quite different from other Aeons, after all, so it's understandable that you mistook her for me."
"Since you've decided to join the Xianzhou, it's time I fulfilled my promise. As for your family's defect, I can turn it into a strength that your lineage will be proud of."
The moment Ayinai finished speaking, Qi Shige dropped to his knees. The sudden action caught Qingzhu and Xiahou Chan off guard. They wanted to help him up, because they knew Ayinai didn't like this.
To Ayinai, everyone had their own meaning of existence, and kneeling was a defilement of that meaning.
Qi Shige waved them off. He had to kneel for this!
"Lady Arbiter of Life, because of our congenital defect, our lineage has suffered far too many cold stares and far too much injustice. Now the Xianzhou is willing to take us in and even treat us. Your kindness to us is as great as a mountain. I kneel to thank you on behalf of my people!"
Ayinai didn't move aside when she heard him. He had given his reason for kneeling, after all. Was he kneeling to thank her on behalf of his people? This act of kneeling had meaning in its existence, so she was willing to accept it.
After kneeling, Qi Shige stood up. "Lady Arbiter of Life, from this moment on, the Halovians of the Qi Lineage are at your command."
Ayinai nodded, then took out a small vial of liquid under the three people's gazes. The liquid was a beautiful pale green, with strands of gold running through it.
The vial floated toward Qi Shige, who hurriedly caught it without daring to be careless and held it carefully in his hands.
"Your Excellency Arbiter of Life, what is this?"
Ayinai said, "This is Gathering Juice, extracted by refining the root sap of a thousand-year-old Higgs Purifying Tree and the stamens of a thousand-year-old Sound-Gathering Flower."
"R-refined from a thousand-year-old Higgs Purifying Tree and a thousand-year-old Sound-Gathering Flower! Lady Arbiter of Life, this-this is far too precious!"
Qingzhu and Xiahou Chan, standing to one side, looked stunned. A thousand-year-old Higgs Purifying Tree and Sound-Gathering Flower! They were things money couldn't buy!
How could it not be precious? Thousand-year-old Higgs Purifying Trees and Sound-Gathering Flowers could only be found on Higgs, but the planet was now under the Garden of Existence's jurisdiction, and other factions had no way of entering.
Yet Ayinai had simply given them something so precious!
"Precious?"
Ayinai tilted her head. "It isn't precious. There are some in the center of the Fortune Forest Realm. I transplanted them there. The roots of these plants, imbued with my divine power, are highly potent.
"When you bathe at night, add one drop. A single drop will be enough for several hundred people. Continue for three days, and after that, your defect will become the strength you're most proud of."
After the attractive defect was treated with the Higgs Purifying Tree sap in the Gathering Juice, the susceptibility to interference would be eliminated, but the attraction would remain. Combined with the gathering effect of the Sound-Gathering Grass sap, the attraction could be amplified.
After three days, diligent practice would bring them to the result Ayinai envisioned. Although the ever-present attraction meant they couldn't learn the Halovians' abilities to control and dispel negative effects, they would gain the ability to help mobilize the power of Paths.
That would turn individual support into group support. After all, removing negative effects and control effects one person at a time was less effective than mobilizing the power of Paths to cover a group all at once.
Hearing Ayinai's words, Qi Shige was overjoyed. He immediately declared that he would do exactly as she said and that he would not disappoint her.
Just as Qi Shige was about to leave, Qingzhu called him back. He turned around and looked at her in confusion.
Qingzhu said, "Now that you've joined the Xianzhou, the family name Halovian no longer suits you. How about this: Halovian?"
Qi Shige was overjoyed. Qingzhu's willingness to give them an identity proved that their place on the Xianzhou was secure. Since they had found a new home, they naturally needed a new identity.
"Thank you, Helmsman. On behalf of all the Halovians, I thank you."