"This week's news flash: inorganic lifeforms have rioted across the universe today. The Interastral Peace Corporation has dispatched rescue teams to the affected areas. Planets within the galactic trade system are advised to look after their own safety and await the arrival of the corporation's fleet.
"In addition, according to reliable sources, the Xianzhou Daiyu, which crashed a thousand years ago, has now appeared in the star system where the Xianzhou Yuanqiao is located. As for why the Xianzhou Daiyu has returned from the dead, no one in the know has yet come forward."
Garden of Existence
"Garden Master, the miracles of Existence discovered around the main star system have become increasingly scarce lately. Does this mean the goddess has left our star system?"
The maid delivered her report on recent developments in a dignified manner. Ever since the Garden was founded, it had stationed people to guard nearly every miracle of Existence.
As a faction that followed the Aeon of Existence, the Garden had already deemed these miracles of Existence the property of the goddess of Existence. As her followers, they naturally had to protect them.
There was one exception, a planet that no one had dared lay a finger on to this day: Higgs, the place where Ayinai, the Aeon of Existence, had ascended.
Higgs had since developed into a lush green planet, and a race had emerged there: the Faerie Race.
In outsiders' eyes, every member of the Faerie Race was a coveted piece of property. That was right: property. The Faeries grew up on Higgs, and because the site of Ayinai's ascension had absorbed the divine power she released when she ascended, every tree and living creature there contained the divine power of Existence.
It was not the power of the Path of Existence, but divine power originating from an Aeon. This divine power was stored deep within their bodies, making every member of the Faerie Race a skilled fighter. They could even be said to excel at warfare.
This divine power could be considered the Faerie Race's ultimate trump card. Unless absolutely necessary, they would never use it.
Likewise, they had long coveted the Faerie Race. After all, if such a powerful race joined their faction, the benefits would certainly outweigh the drawbacks.
After a moment's thought, the Garden Master shook his head. "I don't know either. Although the Garden has always followed the goddess, we have no way to contact her."
The Garden Master sighed helplessly, his aged face wearing a suitably helpless and heartbroken expression. "I must not be devout enough to move the goddess, so I can't get her to grant me the position of Emanator. What an incompetent leader I am."
His perfectly measured look of sorrow made the maid before him feel sorry once again for the Garden Master and his devotion.
"Enough, enough. The goddess must have her reasons for acting this way. We need only offer her some help when the time is right. You may leave."
"Yes, I'll take my leave."
The maid bowed, completely unaware of the predatory look in the Garden Master's eyes.
When the maid straightened up, the Garden Master resumed his kindly, dignified demeanor, as though he were not the person who had just looked at her so aggressively.
After the maid left, the Garden Master stood and turned to gaze at the bustling scene outside the floor-to-ceiling window.
"Pah! Those Faeries don't know what's good for them. Once I've fully unraveled the miracle left behind by the Aeon of Existence, I'll slaughter every one of you myself! Anyone who refuses to obey me must die."
That was right, a miracle of Existence: a planet personally enlightened by Ayinai and left with a miracle. On that planet, everything seemed to have entered a turbulent flow of time. Those who went in might age rapidly, or they might rapidly grow younger. Aside from Pathstriders of Existence who wrapped themselves in the power of the Path of Existence, everyone who entered remained inside.
Some left behind a pile of bones, while others vanished into the universe without a trace. Passing the trial was simple, too: survive inside. That was all.
As for him, he had once become so absorbed in it that he had nearly died inside. His aged appearance was entirely thanks to that experience.
But it had also strengthened his resolve to conquer the planet completely. After more than ten years of effort, he had found a way to pass the trial.
The Garden Master walked over to a bookcase and reached out to move a few books among its rows.
The next moment, the bookcase slid apart to either side, revealing a pitch-black entrance. The Garden Master stepped inside without hesitation, and the lights along both sides of the passage came on the instant he entered.
The Garden Master followed the passage down and finally pushed open a door amid a chorus of screams.
Beyond the door was a laboratory, where several containers filled with nutrient fluid stood on display. Inside each container was a naked girl.
And the girl screaming on the operating table was the maid who had left only a short while ago.
When the maid saw the Garden Master, her eyes filled with disbelief and shock, which then turned into overwhelming fury.
"Such perfect curves, such supple skin. Hmm~ What a shame I don't feel like enjoying them right now."
After stroking her, the Garden Master took out a handkerchief and wiped his hand, then turned to look at the doctor in a white coat beside him.
"What are the results?"
"Garden Master, she has an extremely high tolerance for the environment in the trial grounds, but..."
The Garden Master frowned. "But what?"
"But... her physical capabilities are too poor. She has excellent tolerance, but her body can't sustain her until she reaches the limit of that tolerance. In other words, she has the ability, but not the necessary physical condition."
The Garden Master gave her a cold glance, his eyes as indifferent as if he were looking at a corpse.
"So she's just like the others-another piece of trash? No, she's a somewhat useful piece of trash. Erase her consciousness, then throw her into a container. Although she's no longer useful, her body's biological functions are still quite useful."
With that, he turned and left without looking back, cursing as he shut the door. "Damn it, why are they all such useless trash? They can't even handle this little thing!"
But the moment the Garden Master returned to his office, the door was pushed open, and a gardener rushed in, his face full of excitement.
"Garden Master, Garden Master, good news! Tremendous news!"
The Garden Master had barely settled into his seat when he heard the gardener shouting about good news, and he couldn't help feeling a little interested.
"Good news? What good news? Let's hear it."
"Garden Master, Daiyu-the Xianzhou Daiyu that crashed a thousand years ago-it still exists! It didn't crash!"
The Garden Master took a sip of tea, a hint of surprise on his face. The Xianzhou Daiyu's crash was known throughout the universe, but now that the crashed ship had appeared in the universe again, there could be no doubt: the goddess had intervened.
"Oh? And?"
The Garden Master calmly took another sip of tea. How was that good news? It was less welcome than the news that Auntie Wang's dog next door had given birth.
"The Xianzhou Daiyu is now a faction that follows the goddess, on the same side as us! And, and there's an Emanator on the Xianzhou Daiyu! An Emanator of Existence!"
"Pfft!!!!"
The tea the Garden Master had just drunk sprayed out of his mouth, his face full of shock. An Emanator of Existence! An Emanator of Existence, something that had never appeared anywhere in the universe since the birth of Ayinai, the Aeon of Existence! There was no way the major factions could fail to understand what that meant.
The faction where the first Emanator appeared was often considered the orthodox faction of the entire Path, equivalent to the emperor's direct line.
Now an Emanator of Existence had appeared, and the Garden of Existence, which the universe's major factions had favored, had been passed over. The one chosen was the Xianzhou Daiyu, which had only recently shown itself in the universe!
This was nothing less than grinding the Garden of Existence's face in the dirt-especially his, as its Garden Master!