Beyond the Blue Planet—
Herta Space Station.
Lower level. A mysterious laboratory.
A Foxian woman had only just awakened not long ago.
At that moment, she seemed to be speaking with someone.
But soon—
Soft footsteps echoed nearby.
She turned her head.
A woman in a white coat over a cheongsam slowly walked in.
"Sister Yukong~"
"Miss Ruan Mei is here, I'll hang up first."
"Take care of yourself, Tingyun. Once your condition improves, I'll send a star skiff to pick you up."
"Don't worry, Sister Yukong. With Madam Herta and Miss Ruan Mei here, I'll be fine."
On the Xianzhou Luofu, inside the Sky-Faring Commission—
Yukong's lips twitched.
You really expect anyone to believe that?
Little Tingyun… maybe take a look at the nine tails behind you before saying that.
Back at the space station—
Tingyun obediently ended the call and looked toward the approaching figure.
"Miss Ruan Mei~"
"Mm. It seems your condition has improved significantly."
"It's all thanks to you, Miss Ruan Mei. If you hadn't rescued me from that star skiff… I would have already died at the hands of that Lord Ravager."
"Lord Ravager… Phantylia…"
Ruan Mei murmured the name, a faint smile appearing on her lips.
"I'd really like to study the body of one of those Lord Ravagers…"
"I heard Phantylia, like the Wubbaboo, is a form of energy life."
"I wonder if it could be connected to the 'life solidification' technique Evan mentioned?"
Tingyun stared blankly at her.
When she first woke up and learned that the famous Ruan Mei had saved her—
She had been shocked.
After all—
Ruan Mei's reputation was known across the universe.
Her obsession with life sciences far exceeded what most people could imagine.
And when Tingyun discovered she now had nine tails—
It was even harder to accept.
Thankfully—
They didn't seem to harm her Foxian physiology.
During these days—
She had heard about a certain genius named Evan.
It was said that on the Xianzhou—
Phantylia's crisis had been resolved so easily because of him.
Which only made Tingyun—
More curious.
"Miss Ruan Mei…"
"What kind of person is this Evan?"
"Evan?"
Ruan Mei smiled faintly.
"I don't know much about him."
"But if I had the chance…"
"I'd rather study him myself."
That expression—
Made Tingyun feel… deeply uncomfortable.
Wait… why does it feel like she wants to dissect someone?!
A chill ran down Tingyun's spine.
…
Xianzhou Luofu — Divination Commission
At this moment—
Fu Xuan stood within the Matrix of Prescience, performing divination on the future of the Xianzhou.
The Matrix of Prescience—
Even by Xianzhou standards—
Was an absurdly advanced system.
And now—
Fu Xuan was using it to calculate the near future.
To determine—
Whether anything unusual would occur.
Xianzhou divination relied on three elements:
The Matrix of PrescienceThe divination methods of the Xianzhou YaoqingAnd the Foresight Eye granted by the Aeon of Erudition
Only with all three combined—
Could Fu Xuan push her divination ability to its peak.
She was confident—
She could find the most optimal future for the Xianzhou.
And so—
As the Matrix operated—
Her Foresight Eye rapidly processed the results.
After countless calculations—
Fu Xuan's expression gradually turned strange.
Uneasy.
"What?!"
"I go to the Yaoqing for official duty—and something happens to the Luofu?!"
"The future shows trouble ahead?"
"Is Phantylia causing chaos again?!"
Her gaze shifted—
Toward Qingque, who was quietly trying to sneak away.
Without hesitation—
Fu Xuan grabbed her by the collar and dragged her back.
Not long after—
She sent the divination results to Jing Yuan.
Seat of Divine Foresight
Jing Yuan calmly read the report.
Like usual—
He narrowed his eyes and stroked the white lion beside him.
"Relax, Fu Xuan…"
"It's nothing serious. Everything is under control."
"I already know about Phantylia."
"What about the matter I asked you to divine earlier?"
At the Divination Commission—
Fu Xuan frowned.
"No result."
"I cannot determine Evan's origin through direct divination."
"But…"
"This time, when calculating the Xianzhou's future—"
"I found that Evan will also appear during the next crisis."
"…I see."
Jing Yuan slowly opened his eyes.
Then smiled.
"Understood."
"You'll be heading to the Yaoqing soon—prepare yourself."
"The Phantylia crisis isn't over yet."
"One day…"
"The Xianzhou's blades will pierce through her and seal her completely."
"Understood, General!"
After the communication ended—
Jing Yuan slowly stood up.
Looking at the massive chessboard before him—
He seemed to realize something.
After a long pause—
He finally spoke.
"The Martial Arts Ceremony on the Luofu…"
"What a perfect opportunity."
"If you don't come, Phantylia…"
"I might actually be disappointed."
"The Ambrosial Arbor crisis may have ended…"
"But those Borisin that Evan mentioned…"
"Not a single one has been found yet."
The Borisin—
A race related to the Foxians.
Jing Yuan didn't believe—
That the chaos involving the Alchemy Commission and the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus—
Was the whole story.
The Sky-Faring Commission's trade network—
And Tingyun's disappearance—
Remained unresolved.
Jing Yuan never believed in coincidences.
If the Astral Express wasn't lying—
Then the Borisin were the real threat to come.
Just in time—
After the Luofu incident—
Jing Yuan had reported everything to the higher authorities.
As expected—
Those old officials, long removed from war—
Blamed everything on him.
So—
During the upcoming ceremony—
The Marshal would send two generals to the Luofu for investigation.
One of them—
Was the longest-living general of the Xianzhou—
General Huaiyan of the Xianzhou Zhuming.
A legendary veteran.
The only one to successfully overcome Mara.
The other—
Was the General of the Xianzhou Yaoqing—
Feixiao, the "Heavenstrike General."
But her mission—
Was not just to investigate.
She would also go to the Shackling Prison.
"…Wait."
Jing Yuan's expression changed.
"Shackling Prison… Borisin…"
"Borisin War Leader—Hoolay!"
"So that's it…"
Everything clicked into place.
"The Borisin attacks on Tingyun… the Antimatter Legion…"
"It wasn't just about the Ambrosial Arbor."
"They were trying to disrupt the Shackling Prison…"
"And free Hoolay."
Hoolay—
A major criminal under the Ten-Lords Commission.
One of the most dangerous warriors among the Denizens of Abundance.
The Borisin—
Had always been a great enemy of the Xianzhou.
Their ancestors shared the same origin as the Foxians.
Both were blessed by an external deity known as the Plagues Author.
They drank from the Scarlet Spring—
And gained immortality.
But over time—
The Borisin enslaved the Foxians—
Using them as cannon fodder in their conquests.
So far—
Three large-scale wars had broken out between the Xianzhou Alliance and the Denizens of Abundance led by the Borisin.
Every war—
They were a nightmare to deal with.
But after their war leader Hoolay was captured—
They had steadily declined.
The Xianzhou Yaoqing—
Had been fighting them ever since.
Feixiao herself—
Was once a Foxian enslaved by the Borisin.
Her hatred for them ran deep.
"So… they came for Hoolay."
"In that case…"
Jing Yuan smiled faintly.
"It's time to set the stage properly."
Outside—
At the training grounds—
Since Evan left—
Yanqing had been practicing the Taixu Sword Art relentlessly.
For him—
Mastering the form was easy.
But the spirit—
Was still far beyond his reach.
Even now—
His Taixu Sword couldn't break through even a single layer of Jing Yuan's defense.
Of course—
There was also the difference in power.
Jing Yuan walked out of the hall.
Then slowly entered the training ground.
"Yanqing."
"Come—it's been a while since we sparred."
"Huh?! General—wait! I haven't fully mastered the Taixu Sword yet!"
"Doesn't matter."
Jing Yuan smiled.
"I'm starting."
"Get ready."
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