Chapter 182: Leon: Why Did You Open the One You Just Closed?
The group trailed after Fu Xuan, handling a labyrinth of dilapidated pill furnaces and decaying corridors. The air was thick with the dust of ages and the faint, metallic tang of forgotten alchemy.
"After being bestowed with the Ambrosial Arbor, the Alchemy Commission was once the most vital of all commissions on the Xianzhou Luofu," Fu Xuan began, her voice echoing slightly in the desolate halls. "After all, they were the ones who transformed all Xianzhou people into the Long-Lived Species we are today. They researched countless incredible technologies, all derived from the Arbor's grace."
Her pace slowed. "But in the end… the alchemists were not satisfied. They began to find a perverse pleasure in the manipulation of life itself. Studying the Ambrosial Arbor is like drinking poison to quench a thirst—the deeper one explores, the more hopelessly addicted one becomes."
Fu Xuan stopped, her gaze fixed on the distant ruins, where massive, golden-veined roots coiled around crumbling structures like great serpents. She whispered, her words carried on the thin, hazy air.
"At dawn, the dream within the dream dissolves; in mist, the soul beyond the self wanders."
She gestured toward the heart of the ruins. "Everyone… do you see that over there?"
"Oh, what a huge pill furnace," Leon observed with a casual smile. "And it's still puffing out smoke."
"This place is called 'Cloudhymn Palace,'" Fu Xuan explained, turning to Leon with a professional air. "In ancient times, alchemists practiced the path of immortality here. They built these furnaces, drawing power from the Ambrosial Arbor to turn their thoughts into reality. Though the name is elegant, it is, in fact, a strategic dead end."
Seeing the questioning looks, she elaborated, "As long as the pill furnaces remain lit and this mist lingers, we will be unable to advance a single inch."
She explained how the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus had laced the pervasive mists with alchemical powders that induced the Mara-Struck state. This meant the Cloud Knights couldn't even trust the soldiers standing beside them, never knowing when an ally might suddenly succumb to madness. Unless they could march while holding their breath indefinitely, a direct assault was impossible.
"This is a 'poison' specifically engineered to target the Cloud Knights," she concluded. "It has no effect on ordinary people."
"So, the Cloud Knights' initial assault was just a feint," Welt deduced, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "The Grand Diviner wants to use the main force to attract attention while we secretly extinguish the furnaces and disperse this mist."
"Mhm." Fu Xuan nodded, making no secret of the strategy. "The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus have abandoned a century of hiding to reveal themselves now; they must be certain of their victory. However, no matter how well-prepared they are, their plans are ultimately only designed to counter the Cloud Knights."
A flicker of confidence entered her eyes as she looked at the Astral Express crew. "They know nothing of your abilities or even your existence. They have no way to defend against you."
"Then will this mist affect us?" Caelus asked, ever curious.
"This mist was designed for the Cloud Knights," Fu Xuan replied with a faint smile. "The Ambrosial Arbor is a taboo of the Luofu, and the Xianzhou Alliance has always prided itself on self-reliance. How could the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus possibly anticipate that the General would dare to invite outside help? Naturally, they wouldn't have made extra preparations for dealing with Short-Lived Species."
"Is this what General Jing Yuan meant by his 'hidden trump cards'?" March 7th realized with a snap of her fingers.
"This one dares not speak presumptuously," Fu Xuan sighed softly, a complex expression on her face. "I can only say… the Stellaron Hunters' prophecy is proving more accurate than my own divinations. The future Kafka seeks is coming to pass, one event at a time."
"So, this is the only path we can take?" Stelle asked, blinking.
"What if I don't want to act according to their prophecy?" Caelus added, frowning slightly.
"It is the only path that leads to the best known ending," Fu Xuan replied, shaking her head. "If there were another choice, no one would willingly jump off a cliff. Besides, this is not my decision alone. The Grand Diviner's duty is to seek fortune and avoid disaster. I refuse to make a choice that would lead the Luofu toward a worse future."
Her gaze swept over them, firm and resolute. "Returning to the matter at hand—extinguishing these pill furnaces without being harmed by the mist is a task only you can accomplish. What do you all think?"
Of course, all of this operated on the premise that the Aeons did not interfere. If an Aeon were to intervene… well, it was better not to think about it. Without their interference, everything was within a controllable range. But once an Aeon made a move, the future would become utterly unpredictable, its direction depending entirely on the whims of a god.
"Well, even though the Grand Diviner didn't formally say 'please' this time, who else can help with this but us! Right, Uncle Yang?" March 7th said cheerfully, planting her hands on her hips.
"Once the mist begins to clear, I will advance immediately. I will never let you fight alone," Fu Xuan promised solemnly.
"It shouldn't be too late to start practicing holding our breath now, right?" Leon teased, a grin in his voice.
"Exactly," Stelle chimed in, nodding seriously. "You look perfectly fine."
A faint blush crept up Fu Xuan's neck, but she had apparently learned to show a little weakness. "We are still far from the furnaces. Though this one is not versed in pharmacology, I know that discussing toxicity without considering the dosage is mere nonsense. … this one's heart is actually scared to death."
She put a hand to her chest dramatically. "I'm still young. I don't want to fall into the Mara-Struck state so soon."
Hearing this, the members of the Astral Express crew raised their eyebrows in unison. Was this the same haughty Grand Diviner they had met before?
Sensing their collective gaze, Fu Xuan coughed twice, her composure snapping back into place like a shield.
"This one's fortune is held within my own hands. As long as I remain decisive, I will not be harmed," she declared sternly. "So do not say more to unsettle me. I will do my best to maintain my sanity. The rest… I leave to you."
The Astral Express crew shared a knowing smile before turning and heading toward the smoking furnaces.
"So, what exactly is 'Mara-Struck'?" Stelle couldn't help but ask as they walked.
"Mara-Struck…" Leon began, his voice softening. "Although the Long-Lived Species have long lives, the capacity of one's memory eventually reaches its limit. After hundreds or thousands of years, the threshold for feeling emotions keeps rising. Memories gradually become thin and weary under the erosion of time, until eventually, only the most extreme and vivid residues remain… which are almost certainly pain and regret."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "The end for the Long-Lived Species is when they can no longer feel joy or happiness, leaving only unforgettable pain, regret, and hatred. Under the erosion of these extreme emotions, the self as a human gradually collapses… and that is the beginning of the Mara-Struck state. Short-Lived Species don't need to worry about such things."
"Ah, then I can rest easy," Stelle said with unshakable confidence. "I happen to remember nothing at all."
"Sigh. Even though Long-Lived Species live for so long, their troubles and pains don't seem much different from ours," March 7th lamented with a sigh.
"Hey, wait—Miss Tingyun, why are you still following us?" March suddenly called out, turning back in surprise to see the fox-eared woman trailing gracefully behind them. "We're very close to the pill furnaces now!"
"Thank you for your concern, but this humble girl is fine," Tingyun replied with her usual sweet smile. "It's just that the General ordered me to follow you, so I dare not disobey a military order."
"Your life is at stake, Miss Tingyun. Please go back. We will explain everything to the General," Welt advised gently, pushing up his glasses. The more he observed her, the more suspicious he became of Tingyun's identity.
"It's really not necessary. Although this humble girl is not young, I have only been traveling between the stars for a handful of years. If calculated by experience, it's actually only about a dozen years'worth," Tingyun giggled, covering her mouth with her fan. "My benefactors, I'm afraid you have all'lived' longer than I have."
"That's impossible! I'm not even a year old, just a few months!" Stelle and Caelus declared firmly in unison.
"And I have amnesia, so in terms of memory length, it's definitely not as long as yours," March 7th added, nodding vigorously.
Welt was momentarily speechless. Was that really the point?
"The mist… has it thinned out a bit?" March 7th asked, looking around after they had successfully sealed the first massive furnace.
"How could it be that fast? We need to pick up the pace," Welt reminded them.
Stelle, however, was overcome with curiosity. She reached out and touched the furnace lid again. With a deafening whoosh, the furnace mouth that had just been extinguished roared back to life, belching a thick column of acrid smoke.
"Close it, close it quickly!" March 7th yelped, jumping in anxiety. "Why did you open the pill furnace you just closed?!"
"It's fine, I just wanted to take a look."
Stelle scratched her head, a picture of innocence, and casually sealed the pill furnace once more.
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