"Every genius is born in dazzling brilliance. The Genius Society, which gathers the finest minds across the cosmos, is a sacred place every scholar dreams of."
"We gaze with the highest reverence upon those whom the Aeon of Erudition has cast its glance upon, hoping that he or she stands on the side of order, or at least remains neutral."
"So then, what is your view of the cosmos as it stands today? Ms. Mobius."
The cosmos is ever-changing, yet eternal wisdom never fades.
Many guests from all directions cast seemingly casual glances this way, their gazes lingering beneath the fixed illumination.
"You seem to know everything."
With a soft chuckle, Mobius leaned back slightly behind the table, looking at the uninvited guest before her from a perspective that was low yet carried a sense of condescension.
Jade's exquisite, emerald-like face wore the expression of a friendly chat. She spoke softly,
"The IPC's footprints stretch everywhere. Even I don't know which corners of the cosmos bear its traces. In order to ensure smooth trade routes, the IPC has deployed enormous manpower and resources across countless locations. By chance, Ms. Mobius's heroic display during that great battle was recorded."
Individuals of exceptional combat strength appear from time to time, but geniuses worthy of the Aeon of Erudition's attention are exceedingly rare across the cosmos.
A considerable number fall under pursuit by fellow geniuses, others perish naturally due to lifespan limits. Those who still exist and remain active in the cosmos are few indeed.
And among those few, after excluding the unruly ones and the neutral parties who refuse involvement, those willing to cooperate with The IPC are even scarcer.
Naturally, this makes the existence of Genius' a matter of long-standing attention beneath the banner of interstellar peace.
"That Lord Ravager trapped in the Mosdes Star System is still looping endlessly, unable to find a way out."
A Lord Ravager being trapped within the Mosdes Star System, once this news reached the system's worlds, all of them were stunned.
Under normal circumstances, it was highly unlikely for an Emanator-level existence to ever visit the Mosdes Star System, and even if one did, it would be impossible for its worlds to detect it.
Moreover, Mosdes lacked any top-tier power overseeing it. That meant that not to mention a Lord Ravager itself, even a single legion under one could turn the entire system upside down.
Once the news was confirmed and spread, many civilizations began evacuating. Sentiment and attachment to one's homeland meant nothing when lives were on the line.
"The Intelligentsia Guild discovered some… unique energy particles nearby. They seem to align closely with their most recent research direction, though according to them, this discovery is far beyond their current reach, so far ahead that they can't see the end of it."
Jade smiled as she looked at Mobius.
To ensure the safety of interstellar routes, The IPC had to support the Xianzhou Alliance. After all, no one expected a bunch of destruction-obsessed lunatics to build the cosmos.
A special seal capable of trapping a Lord Ravager was naturally not something that could be easily discovered.
At the very least, the Intelligentsia Guild had no way of untangling its mysteries.
Ever since the concept of the Sea of Quanta appeared in the cosmos, The IPC had continuously poured vast resources into both the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta.
The results were limited, but not nonexistent.
The special energy particles lingering around the seal were the most significant gain.
Although these particles could not yet be collected, the Intelligentsia Guild, backed by The IPC's immense financial power and resources, had managed to observe some of their properties.
They matched the energy fluctuations captured during the incident involving the Dr. Primitive.
Jade suspected that it was precisely this power originating from the Sea of Quanta that had trapped Luxbane.
The power drawn by Pathstriders from their Paths is Imaginary Energy.
According to Ms. Herta's writings, the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta have been mutually antagonistic since time immemorial.
When the two are combined, it isn't difficult to imagine the kind of reaction that would result.
At present, every capable faction in the cosmos is investing deeply in this field, striving to outpace the others.
At such a critical juncture, the sudden appearance of a genius who is very likely a pioneer in the Sea of Quanta, how could The IPC not take notice?
Especially when that genius had also received recognition from the Aeon of Erudition.
As everyone knows, any genius glimpsed by the Aeon of Erudition possesses the potential to reshape the structure of the universe or to establish a major power.
Even if they are not a standout in the Sea of Quanta, they are still a dangerous figure not to be underestimated.
At this thought, a meaningful glint flashed deep within Jade's eyes.
"So that's why you're here?"
"?"
Mobius covered her mouth and yawned lazily, as though utterly bored by these all-too-ordinary scenes.
"Haha, it seems our timing is perfect." At that moment, a hearty laugh arrived alongside firm, steady footsteps.
The two turned their heads to see Jing Yuan and Yukong approaching together.
Once they stopped, Jing Yuan spoke first.
"My apologies for neglecting our honored guests. The Xianzhou has just gone through a major battle."
"The soldiers are exhausted, and there are various miscellaneous matters that require me, as General, to handle. I couldn't personally accompany you earlier, my sincerest apologies."
"Hehe, General Jing Yuan, you're too kind. The Alliance and The IPC both stand on the side of galactic order, safeguarding the cosmos's stability together."
"As the General of the Luofu, it's only natural for you to be busy. Rather, it's my own lack of consideration."
Jade chuckled softly and then turned her gaze to Yukong.
Hearing this, the corners of Yukong's lips lifted slightly as she gave Jade a small nod in response.
Yukong largely agreed with The IPC's role in maintaining galactic stability, after all, only a stable environment could stimulate consumption.
Even zones of chaos often existed by deliberate design from various factions.
However, she knew well that The IPC was not holding up this umbrella out of pure goodwill.
The profits The IPC gained were understandable, but the internal problems within its three major divisions, magnified by those profits, were burdens that were hard to bear.
That said, such issues were unavoidable. Even within the Xianzhou Alliance there were spies and traitors, let alone within a far more complex organization like The IPC.
As long as the decision-makers firmly aligned themselves with the Amber Lord of Preservation, everything would be fine.
"Why haven't we seen General Feixiao or General Huaiyan?" Jade asked curiously.
Yukong replied softly, "The battle has just ended. All the generals must properly arrange matters on the Xianzhou ships under their command. Although this battle thwarted the Legion's scheme to seize the activated planet and bring calamity upon the Xianzhou, our losses were by no means small."
"This banquet is merely the Luofu releasing internal pressure. The true rewards and commendations must wait until all follow-up matters are properly settled."
The Sky-Faring Commission oversees the Xianzhou's external affairs and bears wartime responsibilities at critical moments. Even its staff members were stretched to their limits.
As for this celebration banquet, it would either be converted into credit points, or postponed until everything had stabilized, to be exchanged for vacation time to finally rest and recover.
No matter how much honor is pasted onto war, it can never conceal its true nature.
Death. Victory, glory, status, wealth…
All the external or conceptual things that can be elevated through war arrive hand in hand with death.
One could even say they are merely bonuses attached to death itself, meager rewards handed out by the game of war to the survivors, bought with the sacrifices of the fallen.
The Xianzhou Alliance received a great deal of external assistance in this war, but that still could not change the fact that many Cloud Knights and starskiff pilots perished in battle.
The Xianzhou has no true funerals. Long-lived Xianzhou people are likewise accustomed to partings between life and death.
...
Fyxestroll Garden.
As desolate as ever, eerie sights visible everywhere, clinging like shadows.
The Fyxestroll Garden was destined to experience bouts of unusual liveliness.
Once a gathering and recreation ground for the Foxian people, long ago it became a place where the obsessions of the deceased converged.
At the same time, due to the influence of the Heliobi, many images of Foxians from their lives linger here.
At the edge of a cliff, even in a remote corner like Fyxestroll Garden, which had recently grown lively, few people came by.
At this moment, a girl leaning on a great sword lowered her gaze slightly, watching the figures not far below.
Most were Xianzhou people and Foxians, with the occasional Vidyadhara appearing among them.
No matter how many people came and went, every face bore a solemn expression.
From the moment one stepped into Fyxestroll Garden, this place became a resting ground for spirits.
Even though most people were merely trying their luck, hoping to encounter the remnants of friends they once knew in life.
"Hey, ho!" With a light shout, a small figure leapt straight up from below. A nimble tail swayed left and right in the air, adjusting her posture as she landed.
"Finding you was really hard. If Little Guinaifen hadn't heard people say you came this way, I'd probably still be searching everywhere."
Taking quick steps with her short legs, Bailu complained as she looked at Yunli, who seemed lost in thought.
"What's wrong with you? You look so down." Holding her gourd, Bailu slowly sat down to Yunli's left and turned her head to look at her.
Carefully, she reached out a hand toward Yunli's forehead and muttered softly, "Don't tell me you bumped your head back there…"
"You're the one who bumped your head!" Yunli snapped irritably. "A swordsman of the Xianzhou Zhuming is built tough. Forget injuring my brain, I could smash the floor with my head!"
She shot an annoyed glance at the increasingly outrageous Bailu and the hand frozen halfway in the air.
Bailu scratched her head and laughed sheepishly. "Ehehe… I just saw you looking so gloomy. What's wrong? Making that face, even though we won, right?"
The days and nights of the recent war were the longest Bailu had ever witnessed since birth.
Even the Xianzhou Yaoqing, despite repeated great victories, had never experienced a battle that dragged on for so long.
Though compared to wars that lasted years this could only be called a minor conflict, those few short stretches of time still constituted an extreme-intensity war.
Several figures at the level of Emanators joined the fray, throwing the starry sky into chaos.
They truly shattered stars! The aftershocks alone were a terror most of the cosmos could not withstand.
"…Are you thinking about the people who were sacrificed?" Bailu suddenly asked softly.
"…Yeah. It feels like I saw them just recently, and now I'll never see them again. I don't really know how to put it into words." Yunli nodded slightly, her eyes lowering.
It wasn't that she had never experienced partings between life and death.
On the contrary, she had encountered death at a very young age, the death of someone closest to her.
As she grew older, protected by her grandfather, she grew up strong. During her hunts for demonic swords, she experienced partings again and again, accidents, natural causes.
At first she felt deep sorrow.
As time passed, with age and experience, she went through more of these moments. Though the sadness remained, she learned to suppress it, to press it down deep inside.
She thought she had fully accepted all this, until this war erupted.
At first, she fought with all she had.
But as the intensity of the war escalated, endless waves of Void troops harvested the lives of her companions. She fought desperately, yet before one's strength reaches a certain level, all effort is futile.
Only then did she understand, it wasn't that she could calmly face death.
Rather, death had been gentle. It gently broke the farewells she was destined to experience into small pieces, letting her feel them bit by bit.
Tempering the heart. And when her heart became strong enough, it suddenly increased the pressure and delivered a blow like this.
The battlefield she was on was only a small part of the whole and not near the center, so there was no need to worry about a Lord Ravager suddenly arriving there.
It wasn't about protecting Yunli either, otherwise Huaiyan would never have let her carry her weapon around hunting demonic swords.
"…Actually, I'm pretty unhappy too. I've been feeling all stuffy inside." Scooting forward a little, the two short-booted legs swung gently in the cool breeze.
Reflected in her eyes were the faint candle lights below as Bailu spoke softly.
"At first, I wanted to go to the battlefield too. I'd never been before, after all. I'd read storybooks and watched illusion plays, where the protagonist slaughters enemies on the battlefield and turns the tide."
"But no matter what, Sister Lingsha wouldn't let me go. She kept me by her side and even said that if I dared sneak off, she'd break my horns."
"Why would sneaking off mean getting your horns broken?" Yunli asked, slightly stunned.
"No idea," Bailu replied simply.
"… "
"… Heh."
"Hahaha…" The girls' silver-bell laughter drifted off together into the cool wind.
...
After laughing, Bailu's expression relaxed quite a bit as she continued.
"I stayed with Sister Lingsha the whole time, treating the wounded. There were so many of them."
"But she told me this was only a small portion. I asked her where the others were, and she calmly said they weren't coming back."
"…Those who can return are the lucky ones."
"So after that, I worked really hard helping out in the back. I just don't know why my healing speed could never keep up with how fast the wounded were brought in."
"Often, just after saving one person, a whole group would be sent over. I kept healing and healing, I don't even know how many people I treated before we finally got news that the war was over. Honestly, at the time, I thought I'd be staying there for decades…"