Thus, the Divine Foresight General Jing Yuan personally took on the role of guide.
Yanqing followed a step behind, extremely cautious as he attended to the two before him—
one was his master,
the other an Emanator who had just openly revealed his hand.
The Genius Society…
Yanqing had heard the General mention it before.
Even within the Xianzhou, there were scattered records about it.
Xianzhou texts recorded that after enduring three great calamities,
many Xianzhou people began to waver in their faith and doubt the future.
A number of scholars completely abandoned the old belief in Yaoshi,
and instead turned toward the All-Knowing Lord, Nous.
This faction came to be known as the Erudition Sect.
However, joining this sect required strict qualifications.
Most of its members were devoted academics,
absorbed in ivory-tower research with little interest in worldly affairs.
Because of this, during the era of faith crises,
the Erudition Sect remained small, restrained, and low-profile—
allowing it to quietly persist within the Alliance.
The Erudition Institute of Investigation, located on the Xianzhou Yuque,
was its most prominent representative.
With a history spanning several thousand years,
it still served as the Alliance's academic core,
continuously supplying high-level Erudition-aligned talents
to various Xianzhou commissions.
As they headed toward the Alchemy Commission,
Jing Yuan hesitated slightly before speaking.
"There was something I wanted to ask back at Sichen Palace," he said.
"Evan, you're from Jarilo-VI, aren't you?"
"Do you happen to remember someone named Igor?"
Evan smiled faintly.
"Igor—yes. A hero of Jarilo-VI, though that was centuries ago."
Records of Igor were scarce on Jarilo-VI now.
After all, he lived hundreds of years in the past.
Most of the warriors who fought against the Antimatter Legion back then
were buried beneath the eternal snowfields.
If Evan remembered correctly,
all that remained of Igor in the end
was a mechanical arm.
Where he fell—
no one knew.
"Indeed… it's been hundreds of years," Jing Yuan said quietly.
"Would you like to hear Igor's story?"
"Igor?"
"…Yes. I would."
Evan nodded.
Though he had only lived as a "native" of Jarilo-VI for half a year,
he had grown attached—to Seele,
to the Underworld,
to Belobog itself.
Especially the day he left,
when little Hook cried so hard she could barely stand.
He'd almost taken her with him.
Almost.
But she was too young.
If she didn't stay in school, she'd grow up to be a true menace.
As for Igor—
heroes were loved everywhere.
"Do you know of the War against Abundance?" Jing Yuan asked.
"At that time, I was just like Yanqing is now—
a mere Cloud Knight lieutenant."
"I couldn't change anything. I couldn't save anyone."
"The Xianzhou fought the Abundance peoples again and again.
Even now, the embers of that war haven't fully cooled."
"Even the Luofu has only known thirty years of peace."
"And it was seven hundred years ago
that I met Igor."
Back then, Igor's homeland had been invaded by the Antimatter Legion.
So he chose to leave his world behind
and seek help from the wider cosmos.
He traveled across the universe,
entering arena after arena.
He gave up prize money,
used every stage he stood on
to tell the public about his doomed home—
warning them of the Antimatter Legion.
Again and again,
Igor was disappointed.
Jarilo-VI was poor.
Isolated.
Insignificant.
No one was willing
to fight the Antimatter Legion
for a world like that.
Jing Yuan wanted to help him.
But the war against the Abundance was reaching a critical stage.
The Xianzhou was mobilizing for survival itself.
There was no time—
no strength—
to send aid to Jarilo-VI.
In despair,
Igor returned home.
He chose to fight alongside his people
until the very end.
And there, he fell.
Seven hundred years ago—
The Antimatter Legion invaded Jarilo-VI.
Igor sought help from the stars.
At the same time,
the Calamity of Shuhu erupted.
Half of the Luofu's Hollow Domains were destroyed.
Nine out of ten Cloud Knights perished.
The former Luofu General Teng Xiao died.
Baiheng, one of the High-Cloud Quintet, was lost.
This triggered the Imbibitor Lunae Rebellion.
The High-Cloud Quintet shattered.
Dan Feng was forced into reincarnation—becoming Dan Heng.
Yingxing was corrupted by Shuhu's flesh—becoming the Stellaron Hunter Blade.
Jingliu, broken by loss and madness, fell into mara.
And in that chaos,
Jing Yuan rose as the new General of the Luofu.
For hundreds of years,
he repaired a broken Xianzhou.
Then, four hundred years ago—
When the Xianzhou finally recovered enough to hold a martial gathering,
Jing Yuan sent an invitation toward a world
that had already vanished from the star charts—
Jarilo.
He hoped Igor's descendants might come.
He never expected that three hundred years later,
a Nameless from Jarilo-VI
would step onto the Luofu.
Perhaps…
this was fate.
"I didn't have the strength to help him back then," Jing Yuan said softly.
"But at least—
seven hundred years later—
I can meet someone from his homeland."
"At least his name still echoes in the universe."
He sighed, his expression solemn.
Seven hundred years ago had been a turning point—
for Jarilo-VI,
and for the Xianzhou alike.
A reunion delayed
by seven centuries.
"I understand," Evan said quietly.
Though he hadn't been born on Jarilo-VI,
the days he spent in the Underworld
had bound him to that planet.
"General Jing Yuan, Igor never blamed the Xianzhou."
"He was a hero of Jarilo-VI."
"He returned to his world and fought for it."
"And the future of Jarilo-VI—
will be better."
Jing Yuan nodded.
If possible…
he resolved to help Jarilo-VI someday.
But first—
the Stellaron crisis had to be resolved.
A Stellaron erupting immediately after the Nameless arrived
was coincidence—nothing more.
Yet under Xianzhou security,
for a Stellaron to be smuggled aboard at all—
Without an internal traitor,
it would have been impossible.
So who was it?
A Foxian?
A Vidyadhara?
A Xianzhou native?
The undercurrents were too deep.
Anyone could be suspect.
Evan smiled faintly, eyes narrowing.
"Enough reminiscing. We've arrived."
Jing Yuan followed his gaze.
"The Alchemy Commission…
as expected, it was targeted before anything else."
"Yanqing—go assist the nearby Cloud Knight garrison."
"Yes, General!"
Yanqing sheathed his sword and departed at once.
Watching his back, Evan spoke lightly:
"Your Luofu really has no shortage of traitors."
Jing Yuan didn't respond.
Because it was true.
The Luofu had enjoyed thirty years of peace.
Perhaps some had already forgotten past suffering.
Or perhaps someone sought to overturn the present order entirely.
Jing Yuan stared at the Alchemy Commission, eyes cold.
"Let's go," Evan said calmly.
"At this point, it's probably already soaked in blood."
Xianzhou Luofu — Within 30 Minutes of the Stellaron's Eruption
Two of the Six Commissions had fallen:
Artisanship Commission
Alchemy Commission
Thanks to Cloud Knight support,
all craftsmen escaped the Artisanship Commission safely.
The Alchemy Commission, however,
was not so fortunate.
At Sichen Palace, the headquarters of the Sky-Faring Commission,
chaos erupted the moment the Stellaron awakened.
As Helmswoman Yukong,
she immediately sealed all ports, gates, and transit routes.
Abundance spawn began appearing across multiple Hollow Domains.
Creatures like Changyou were difficult
even for seasoned Cloud Knights.
Worse still—
the Arbor's revival accelerated mara outbreaks among Xianzhou citizens.
The Ten-Lords Commission was fully mobilized.
Judges Xueyi and Hanya
led forces to suppress mara-stricken unrest.
Yukong sealed the Jade Gate without hesitation.
No one in.
No one out.
Yet—
At that very moment,
a star skiff docking request appeared in the Huangzhong System.
"Report! Lady Yukong!"
"A star skiff is requesting permission to enter port!"
Yukong didn't even look at the data.
"Denied."
"The Luofu is in crisis.
No entry—under any circumstances."
All Six Commissions were now investigating the traitor.
Yukong knew it.
Fu Xuan knew it.
Without an inside accomplice,
a Stellaron could never have been brought aboard.
And the first two targets—
The Alchemy Commission.
The Artisanship Commission.
Medicine and weapons.
The Luofu's logistical backbone.
Yet even the General
had not identified the culprit.
Who was manipulating everything from the shadows?
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