'No, absolutely impossible.'
The Path of Destruction must hold some deep, esoteric meaning; it could not possibly be as trivial as the Masked Fools preached.
Phantylia was certain of it.
"We know a thing or two about the incident on the Xianzhou."
Welt's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "Miss Tingyun, we have come on this trip specifically to help the Xianzhou seal the Stellaron."
"You are all helping out of a sense of justice; this young lady knew long ago that you benefactors are people with kind hearts." Tingyun's smile remained perfectly pleasant, but her tone was still a masterclass in tactful deflection. "Unfortunately, I am of humble status and cannot make such decisions. After all, you are outsiders. Without the authorization of Madam Yukong, the Helm Master of the Sky-Faring Commission, who would dare to act on their own?"
She turned and began to walk forward, her long sleeves fluttering gracefully.
"Don't worry, Madam Yukong is a reasonable person... Please, follow me."
"Yo, yo, yo... look who this is?"
Aha followed Nanook's previous gaze, the laughter filtering from behind his mask carrying the distinct thrill of finding a new toy. "A Lord Ravager has already quietly slipped into the belly of the Xianzhou Luofu? Now this is truly fun~"
To an ordinary person, Phantylia's disguise as Tingyun was flawless. But in the eyes of an Aeon, it was like a lamp shrouded by a thin veil—the outline was clear, and the essence within was unmistakable.
Nanook merely let out a barely audible snort and said no more. The actions of a Lord Ravager were guided by their own will; He never gave orders, nor did He feel the need to offer explanations.
"Oh my, what a pity Lan isn't here," Aha chirped, leaning in conspiratorially next to Nanook. His tone was thick with regret and a heavy dose of instigation. "I really want to see what kind of expression that 'blockhead' of The Hunt would make upon discovering a mouse in his own backyard... How about Aha gives Him a little shout for you?"
"Alright, alright, stop messing around," Leon interrupted Aha's continuous provocations in a timely manner. "Let's wander around the Xianzhou Luofu first. This is my first time here."
The Luofu he had seen in the game was just a small, curated area. The real Xianzhou was a colossal, ark-like vessel, a floating continental civilization whose sheer vastness made Jarilo-VI seem quaint in comparison. And that wasn't even counting the countless explores folded within the ship's structure, each a pocket world unto itself.
"By the way, Aha..." Leon suddenly thought of something. He turned his head to look at the Aeon of Elation beside him, his tone half-reminding and half-teasing. "You didn't secretly hand our portraits to the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus and write some nonsense on them, did you? Something like 'The Reignbow Arbiter brings chaos, Abundance is merciful, save all living beings,'or'Outworlder Short-Lived Species, praying for the path of long-life immortality'?"
Aha was stunned for a moment, then burst into an even more cheerful peal of laughter. "Hahahaha! Group leader, you really know how to find the fun! Why didn't Aha think of such a wonderful idea just now?"
He rubbed his hands together excitedly, the curve of the smile on his mask seeming to widen. "Aha will go do it right now! I guarantee the group leader will be satisfied~"
'Actually,'Aha thought to himself,'I was only thinking about spreading that joke about Lan having a crush on Yaoshi... I didn't expect the group leader to arrange the framing and fan the flames himself.''Tsk tsk, what a pity. With the group leader's personality, he really should come and be an Aeon of Elation...'
"You haven't done it yet?" Leon was genuinely surprised. Given Aha's penchant for sowing chaos, he expected the Aeon to have already been hard at work. Was it because both Yaoshi and Lan were absent, making the whole affair less exciting?
"Or... did you only send 'wanted posters'to the Cloud Knights' side?" he guessed instead. After all, taking a trip to the Shackling Prison to'experience life' was a classic part of any proper Luofu tour.
"I get it, I get it! The Cloud Knights' side can't be left out either, right?" Aha clapped his hands as if struck by a sudden revelation, his voice full of praise. "The group leader is still the one who considers everything so thoroughly! A two-pronged preparation for double the fun!"
"Fine then..." Leon shook his head with a light smile and didn't try to stop him. He was, in fact, looking forward to the 'famous scene' of either the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus or a squad of fully armed Cloud Knights showing up at their door. Coming to the Xianzhou Luofu and not getting to visit the Shackling Prison at least once just felt like something was missing.
Only, Leon didn't realize at that moment that the 'portraits' Aha was preparing to distribute to the two factions probably weren't of their current appearances.
Aha clapped his hands contentedly, the smile under his mask seemingly reaching his ears. "Done! Next, we just wait for the good show!" His tone was light and brimming with expectation.
On the other side of the Luofu, the Astral Express crew had arrived at the Palace of Astrum with Tingyun, where they met the head of the Sky-Faring Commission—Yukong.
"Everyone from the Astral Express, you've come a long way. Thank you for your hard work." Yukong stood at the front of the hall, her posture dignified and her voice clear. "Tingyun has already informed me of your intentions."
Her sharp gaze swept across the group, her tone gentle but carrying an unquestionable distance.
"Normally, I wouldn't receive visitors personally. But since you know about the Stellaron and have stated your willingness to help the Luofu, then in all fairness, I should give you an answer in person."
She paused slightly, then stated bluntly, "And that is—I must decline your kindness."
"Eh? Why?" Serval couldn't help but ask. She knew firsthand that their crisis in Belobog had only been resolved with the help of the Astral Express. Although the Xianzhou Luofu was powerful, wouldn't it be better to have their assistance?
"The Xianzhou Alliance has its own methods for dealing with Stellarons," Yukong answered, her composure unruffled. "The Xianzhou has soared through the sea of stars for eight thousand years; what manner of storms have we not weathered?"
"Although the current changes have come upon us urgently, the Luofu still has the strength to bear this burden. We do not need to borrow the hands of outsiders to calm this storm." Her gaze fell back on Welt. "You are our guests. Coming from so far away is already an arduous journey; there is no reason to involve you in such danger. I hope you can understand this decision."
"From current indications, the Stellaron's erosion has not yet taken deep root," Welt said, taking a step forward. His voice was steady and earnest. "If its location can be found in time and it can be contained, then whether it's the distorted space or the infected living beings, there is still a chance for recovery."
He met Yukong's gaze directly. "We have personally stopped disasters caused by Stellarons. We have come here not to overstep our bounds, but only to lend a helping hand with the experience we have gained."
"I have made it very clear... this is an internal matter of the Xianzhou. There is no need for the Astral Express to intervene." Yukong's tone gradually deepened, her official distance hardening into an unquestionable resolution. "Out of respect, I received you personally to convey this final decision. There is no room for negotiation on this matter."
"But..." Welt wanted to say more.
"Forget it, Mr. Yang!" March 7th tugged at his sleeve, pouting as she muttered, "They said they can handle it themselves, so why are we still trying to help when we're not wanted? Let's just go!"
"No," Yukong's voice suddenly turned cold. "You cannot leave."
"Hey!" March 7th's eyes immediately widened. "This is too much, isn't it? You won't let us help, and now you won't even let us leave?"
"The Luofu discovered the Stellaron only a few days ago," Yukong explained, her voice devoid of warmth. "Starskiff Haven has been under a complete lockdown since then. No one is allowed to leave."
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