"Why should we little guys panic? Let the big shots worry about the important things. That's the secret to maintaining a happy mind and body."
"Besides... Mr. Ye Yan, with you standing here, it shouldn't cause too much of a stir."
Despite his high Emanator, he chose to live a life like ordinary people. Anyone who didn't know better would really think that Ye Yan came to Luofu to start a business and promote the local food culture, carrying the expectations of his family.
Qingque continued, "But you see, even in this critical moment of [ Ambrosial Arbor ]'s resurrection, I stayed at my post to take care of your shop. Employees as hardworking as me are rare indeed!"
"Didn't the diviner give you any instructions?" Ye Yan served a cup of milk tea.
"She told me. She saw me on the road and asked me to go to the library to look up records related to [ Ambrosial Arbor ]. Such a small matter is something I can handle in fifteen minutes."
" The Astral Express crew is incredibly powerful. I heard from others that even the general treated them with great respect. They're truly remarkable! It's a pity they left in such a hurry that they didn't have time to bring any gifts."
"I was originally planning to wait until the Divination Commission got off work, then take them around for a stroll, and even teach Mr. Yang how to play cards."
"They have important responsibilities ahead of them, and we can't afford to let this matter interfere. I know what's important and what's urgent. I hope they can return safely." The girl prayed.
"In that case, I'll leave the work of minding the shop to you."
After settling Qingque in, Ye Yan originally planned to go to the Artisanship Commission to deal with the [ Abundance Ebon Deer ] first, but there seemed to be a familiar aura there, which meant that the children of the Church had gone to provide support.
Hmm... then let's go back to the Alchemy Commission and find Dan Heng and the others.
Putting everything else aside, Ye Yan's shop is absolutely safe, not to mention the security measures on it.
Judging from this dilapidated decor, I reckon even the Fragmentum Monsters and Mara-Struck Soldiers wouldn't give it a second glance; they'd just skip it over.
There's nothing we can do; this bubble tea shop has such a low profile.
Divination Commission, Jing Yuan, began telling Xing stories from the ancient times.
"As you are all just passing through, it's not surprising that you don't know much about the history of the Xianzhou. Let me tell you a story."
"Long ago, before the Xianzhou ascended into the sky, our ancestors lived on the land of a certain planet. Like you all, the Xianzhou native at that time were Short-Life Species, with a lifespan not exceeding one hundred years."
The emperor who ruled that kingdom could not bear the fleeting nature of life, lest his empire fall into the hands of others a century later. So he poured all his resources into building nine colossal ships and set sail for a celestial star rumored to be visited by gods, hoping to obtain elixirs of immortality and eternal youth.
Upon hearing this, March 7th cautiously asked, "So... did he succeed?"
"Yes and no. Yes, because the nine giant ships endured a long and arduous journey, ultimately witnessing the manifestation of the gods, and discovering all sorts of incredible immortal powers from the Yaoshi's appearance."
"No, because the fleet lost its way from that point on and never managed to return home."
"That's not so bad. After all, the one who truly experienced the adventure was Xianzhou, so it's a good thing that he got what he wanted." So far, March 7th felt that the ending of the story was quite satisfactory.
Not bad...?
Jing Yuan sighed, "Our ancestors thought the same thing, but the Miracle of granting immortality was nothing but wishful thinking."
"Take Luofu as an example: Immortality seems like a wonderful thing. But what follows is overpopulation and resource scarcity... In the struggle for survival, the immortal beings, unable to become human, even degenerate into beasts."
"Unlike the Church's concept of 'immortality,' thanks to the blessing of the Heavenly Lord of the Eternal World, their physical bodies are confined to a certain moment, making the aforementioned situation almost impossible."
It would be a lie to say I'm not envious, but it seems there are also drawbacks... Everyone has a unique way of doing things, and some even have problems controlling their emotions.
Jing Yuan had, after all, visited the Church of Eternity as a guest. As far as food was concerned, unless you were from the [ Destruction ] faction, you wouldn't be given a hard time by the restaurant owner (for example, the food given to guests' pets...).
"After paying countless blood and tears and paying a heavy price, the people of Luofu finally understood that [immortality] was not a gift bestowed upon them, but the beginning of a cruel trial."
Because of his initial contact with the Church of Eternity, March 7th harbored a persistent illusion about the word "eternal life."
"Even for the Church of Eternity, immortality is a torment. According to research, only [ Emanator ] can counteract the wear and tear brought by the torrent of Years."
"No wonder, now I understand why Chair Blake's mental state is so abstract..."
As soon as she finished speaking, a ghostly whisper rang in Xing's ear:
The Script states: Those who gain immortality will ultimately seek death.
"Because in the Years that followed, the Denizens of Abundance had also received the Yaoshi's blessings repeatedly invaded the Xianzhou in their quest for Miracle, committing countless atrocities. Those Xianzhou comrades who were fortunate enough to survive the wars fell into a longevity disease called [ Mara-Struck ]."
"If we hadn't been fortunate enough to receive the enlightenment and protection of the Reignbow Arbiter, the [ Xianzhou Alliance ] would not exist today." Jing Yuan's eyes were full of stories.
"War is equally cruel... Now that the story has come to this point, you should understand the disaster that the rebirth of the Ambrosial Arbor will bring, right?"
If the conversation continues, the topic will veer towards the Church. Jing Yuan coughed twice:
"Ever since the Reignbow Arbiter cut down the Ambrosial Arbor, it has been dead for thousands of years. Apart from those who are familiar with ancient books and history, most people on the Xianzhou only regard it as an old piece of dead wood, and they don't even know its origin."
"The ancients placed this piece of withered wood in full view of everyone, deliberately making it seem insignificant, but in reality, they sealed it off layer by layer with the Art of Subspace Creation. Even if one were to advance towards the [ Ambrosial Arbor ], one would never be able to reach it."
"However, now someone has brought the Stellaron onto the Xianzhou and planted it at the base of the Ambrosial Arbor. They intend to use this power to revive the Ambrosial Arbor and achieve a 'hidden' purpose."
Thanks to Ye Yan's advance spoiler, Jing Yuan saw through Huan Phantylia's little scheme. It was the first time he had seen a [ Destruction ] Emanator so eager for the [ Abundance ] immortal power.
Hmm... if that's the case, why not seek [ Eternity ]?
"Those who provide the Stellaron and those who activate Stellaron, in my view, have different goals."
Fu Xuan frowned as he recalled the contents of the divination not long ago.
"Action will bring misfortune, nothing will be gained... It truly comes true as the divination foretold, how despicable. After being broken for thousands of years, the once withered and lifeless [ Ambrosial Arbor ] has been reborn, the future of the Xianzhou is uncertain."
"I'm sorry, Kafka escaped..." March 7th took the lead in apologizing on behalf of Xing, but to her surprise, Fu Xuan was not surprised at all, and even showed an expression of 'just as she expected'.
Surprisingly, on March 7th, he didn't fly into a rage. It seems he consulted a divination master and had already made preparations.
"I had anticipated this; pursuing her would be a waste of effort. [ Matrix of Prescience ] has revealed Kafka's innocence to me. The most important thing now is to deal with Ambrosial Arbor."
Fu Xuan mentioned the Alchemy Commission: "Since the Stellaron began to erode, apart from the alchemists and Healer stationed in other grotto-heavens, no one from the Alchemy Commission has reported anything."
"That place was originally where alchemy formulas were refined and traditional Chinese medicine was studied on the immortal Xianzhou. It's very close to the sealing site of [ Ambrosial Arbor ]. Once the evil spirits in the Stellaron erupt, it's probably doomed."
"Furthermore, the general believes that someone within the Alchemy Commission has betrayed the Xianzhou. Those traitors who claim to be from the ' Disciples of Sanctus Medicus ' have been plotting for a long time, taking advantage of the opportune moment to carry out their conspiracy. I must act as soon as possible..."
After Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan left, the Astral Express Crew gathered together to discuss their next move.
"Sigh... one thing leads to another. We're getting ready to go to the [ Artisanship Commission ]... wait, they haven't assigned us a guide yet!"
"Should I call Phantylia over now?"
Thinking back, Xing had two profile pictures of Tingyun in her phone: one was the image of the Lord Ravager, Phantylia, and the other was the real Tingyun.
"Sigh... I hope nothing else goes wrong..."
" March 7th, be careful!"
Bang!
With a deafening roar, the massive black shadow slammed directly into the center of the Matrix of Prescience.
"Cough cough... What was that thing that flew over with a bang?" March 7th covered his mouth, brushed away the dust that had been kicked up, realized something was wrong, and immediately pulled out his ice bow.
As the thick smoke dissipated, the auspicious beast born from the Ambrosial Arbor and guarding its roots— the Abundance Ebon Deer —appeared unharmed before everyone.