The Starskiff stopped at the Jade Gate, and Qingzhu had barely stepped off when she noticed the air was several times better than it had been on the Xianzhou Daiyu before.
"Ah, that feels so good! Is this what the Higgs Purifying Tree does? It's incredible! I knew Lord Arbiter of Life cared about our Xianzhou Daiyu most!"
The people who disembarked behind Qingzhu were just as excited and relieved. They were excited that Daiyu could continue to exist in the universe, and relieved that the Aeon they had encountered really was Lord Arbiter of Life.
"Helmsman, the most urgent thing is to check the damage to the other realms first. Since Lord Arbiter of Life entrusted us with rebuilding Daiyu, we can't let Her down."
Reminded by the squad leader, Qingzhu hurriedly nodded. "Right, right! Everyone, split up and head to the different realms and districts. See what the reborn Xianzhou needs, then gather at the Sky-Faring Commission plaza."
At Qingzhu's command, everyone scattered, hurrying to locations and realms across the Xianzhou. Time was life, time was money, and they couldn't keep Lord Arbiter of Life waiting!
Before long, reports of survivors in various places reached Qingzhu. She had been in the Palace of Existence, considering whether to tell the other Xianzhou about Daiyu's situation, and she immediately stood up at the news.
She turned to look at Ayinai, who was lying on her side on a sofa nearby, playing with a map in front of her. Then Qingzhu got up, walked over to Ayinai, and dropped to one knee without hesitation.
"Lord Arbiter of Life, on behalf of the survivors, thank you for saving our lives!"
Ayinai put away the map, a hint of puzzlement on her face. "Why are you thanking me? Since I've decided to accept the Xianzhou Daiyu, its people are naturally mine as well. There's no need to thank me for protecting my people."
She treasured the Xianzhou Daiyu dearly now. It was a treasure that had caught her eye, one she had found after wandering the universe for so many years.
Of course, the present Garden of Existence didn't count. Had it been the Garden of Existence from its early days, Ayinai wouldn't have disliked them so much. Back then, they had still followed the path of [Existence], but now they were walking a twisted path of [Existence], and she disliked those who twisted [Existence].
If the Garden of Existence hadn't still had capable people, and if Aha hadn't constantly interfered, they would have disappeared ten Amber Eras ago.
Qingzhu stood and respectfully acknowledged her words. Then, as though remembering something, she ventured, "Lord Arbiter of Life, is that Garden of Existence really your faction?"
Ayinai paused, clearly not expecting the question. But she had no intention of withholding an answer; it wasn't anything important to begin with.
"They were, once, I suppose. Now... I don't like them. They've twisted my path of [Existence]. I hate them."
As she finished, she folded her arms, and a flash of anger appeared beneath her calm gaze before vanishing.
"What if they find out you're here and come to attack us?"
Ayinai looked at Qingzhu. "You're my Emanator. You can crush those ants easily."
She couldn't intervene herself. Otherwise, Aha, whom she had finally managed to shake off, would surely follow her aura and find her. That hateful masked man had been pestering her constantly of late.
He either wanted her to challenge Nihility one-on-one so he could see which of them was stronger, or wanted her to join that fellow with the ghostly flames in ramming Qlipoth's celestial wall.
It was entertaining enough, but once or twice was plenty. How could anyone do that every day? Qlipoth would hammer them.
Though she wasn't afraid of Qlipoth, she didn't want to draw Preservation's attention to herself.
"The Garden of Existence is nothing but a rotten product of a bygone age. The Xianzhou Daiyu is the true successor."
Qingzhu's eyes lit up as though they could glow. What had she just heard?! The goddess Ayinai had said their Daiyu was the true successor of [Existence]!
"Lord Arbiter of Life, have you said that to the people of the Garden of Existence?"
She stared fixedly into Ayinai's eyes. Right now, she had no time to worry about respecting or revering an Aeon. She urgently wanted an answer!
Faced with Qingzhu's fervent gaze, Ayinai calmly shook her head. "No. I was traveling the universe at the time. I knew they existed, but I never appeared before them."
Oh! The goddess Ayinai personally acknowledged us as the true successors. That's one victory; I'm the goddess Ayinai's first Emanator, and the first Emanator of the Path of [Existence]. That's two; the goddess Ayinai never revealed her divine form to them, yet she's staying on our Xianzhou Daiyu now. That's three!
In short, our Xianzhou Daiyu has completely defeated the Garden of Existence! Hahaha!
"Hehe, I understand! Rest assured, Lord Arbiter of Life, the Xianzhou Daiyu definitely won't let you down!"
"Oh, right, Lord Arbiter of Life, I have an immodest request."
Qingzhu bowed with her hands clasped. Ayinai said, "What is it? Go ahead."
Qingzhu scratched her head with an embarrassed smile. "It's the survivors who've woken up. They haven't seen your divine form yet. Now that they know who saved them, everyone really hopes to meet Lord Arbiter of Life."
Her voice grew quieter as she spoke, and she felt a little embarrassed. Qingzhu, oh, Qingzhu, what are you doing?! It's already an enormous honor for the Xianzhou that the goddess Ayinai saved it. Why are you pushing your luck? What if you upset the goddess and she stops caring about our Daiyu?!
Ahhh! Qingzhu! You really are a **!
As Qingzhu's thoughts churned, Ayinai said calmly, "I see. That's no problem at all. It's perfectly normal for subordinates to meet their superior. I'll project myself wherever the survivors are."
"Really? Thank you so much!"
Qingzhu was overjoyed, and her respect and affection for Ayinai grew even deeper!
At the same time,
the Alchemy Commission, the Artisanship Commission, the Sky-Faring Commission, the Divination Commission, Stargazer Navalia, the Exalting Sanctum...
A projection of Ayinai appeared before every survivor on the Xianzhou Daiyu. The projections even spoke, and what they said was no different from what Ayinai had told Qingzhu and the others.
The people of Daiyu were excited to learn what had happened, and under the soldiers' lead, they shouted a slogan.
"Hold fast to reality, never fall into Nihility, let all things exist forever!"
"Hold fast to reality, never fall into Nihility, let all things exist forever!"
"Hold fast to reality, never fall into Nihility, let all things exist forever!"
Afterward, the Xianzhou Daiyu neither set sail nor contacted the other Xianzhou. In Qingzhu's words, Daiyu, a Xianzhou believed by outsiders to have crashed, was now their best trump card, allowing them to catch their enemies off guard through their lack of information.
The Xianzhou Daiyu had also sent people to contact the Daiyu refugees who had escaped, and they all said they were willing to return home. Apart from those already taken in by other Xianzhou, the Starskiffs still on the run turned around and headed for the planet Talasa.
They had even thoughtfully destroyed their tracking devices, making it look as though their Starskiffs had been destroyed along the way. Among them was Qingzhu's deputy, Qingxin.
Over the next few years, Ayinai mostly helped the people of Daiyu embark on the Path of Existence, wandered around the Xianzhou Daiyu, and visited the Senfu Artisanship Commission to check on the Higgs plants she had planted.
During that time, some of the Daiyu refugees on other Xianzhou returned. Others had already started families on the other Xianzhou and couldn't bear to leave their family and friends, so they stayed. Qingzhu expressed understanding for their choices.
In the tenth year after the Xianzhou Daiyu's reconstruction, it gave its army a new name: the Manifest Existence Army!
The squad leader who had followed Qingzhu was promoted to general: General Youding, Xiahou Chan.
When he was elected general by popular vote, Ayinai appeared. Under everyone's respectful and adoring gazes, Xiahou Chan's aura grew stronger still, and he ascended to become an Emanator.
And Ayinai was not entirely responsible for this. More of it was due to Xiahou Chan's understanding of [Existence] and the Path of [Existence]'s recognition of him. Of course, most important of all was Ayinai's recognition.
"I will not fail my mission! I will devote my life to practicing the path of Existence!"
Ayinai greatly admired him. He was upright and incorruptible, honest and brave. If he hadn't risked his life to escort Qingzhu back then, her first Emanator would have been gone.
So, to reward him, Ayinai melted down the shears she had once used to prune the Higgs Purifying Tree on Higgs, and in an instant they became a long halberd. Xiahou Chan was so excited he could hardly speak, and in the end he swore to devote his life to [Existence]!