The traces of the Aeons have always been elusive.
The last time the Xianzhou managed to contact the Hunt Aeon, through the Cloudpeer Telescope was, truthfully, a stroke of luck.
If not for the relatively close relationship between the Aeon and the Xianzhou Alliance, even if contact had been established, there was a high probability that It would not have intervened at all.
That was, of course, on the premise that there were no Denizens of Abundance nearby.
Even so, as one of the few supreme instruments capable of contacting an Aeon, the Cloudpeer Telescope required an entire set of procedures that could only be described as excessively complicated, whether for maintenance or activation.
Any outsider wishing to approach the Cloudpeer Telescope had to be accompanied by a General.
As for Herta, an Emanator of Nous, she was personally escorted by one of the Generals, General Yaoguang.
"So what is it you want from me? I do not believe you are the sort to casually lend out something like this." The Cloud Knights dispersed around them, leaving only Herta and Yaoguang walking side by side.
As a genius, Herta understood the twists and turns behind matters like these all too well.
By normal procedure, this would involve a long stretch of drawn-out, meaningless conversation, slowly grinding toward the real topic.
But Herta could not be bothered with that.
She was a genius, and geniuses had privileges. All that trouble would only waste her precious time.
If she had that much free time, she would rather go improve her relationship with Godzilla, or tinker with her cooking skills and make a soft, fragrant little cake for Ruan Mei.
With one hand on her hip and the corner of her mouth slightly raised, Herta glanced sidelong at Yaoguang and spoke directly.
"Lady Herta truly lives up to her reputation for speaking plainly. According to the topics discussed within the Alliance, what I am about to say should have been treated with extreme caution, after all, it concerns the fate of the entire Xianzhou Alliance."
"However, considering that the one I am speaking to is the highly reputable Lady Herta… I will speak frankly."
With a light laugh, Yaoguang slowly swept her gaze across their surroundings.
The Cloud Knights maintained vigilance and distance at a measured range. Along the path stood the guards assigned to protect the Cloudpeer Telescope, ensuring that no unrelated individuals could overhear their conversation.
Her crimson lips parted slightly as Yaoguang calmly laid everything out.
"The Xianzhou hopes, through Lady Herta's connections, to establish a… deeper level of cooperation with Godzilla. A grand collaboration that could influence the entire Alliance."
Herta raised an eyebrow, looking at Yaoguang with interest. "Oh? Did you discover something about Godzilla that even I failed to notice?"
A genius like her considered herself far ahead of the pack in this regard, though she could not entirely rule out the possibility that, within the vast Xianzhou Alliance, one or two exceptionally lucky individuals had stumbled upon something she had overlooked.
"Heh. And that is precisely why the Alliance places greater trust in Lady Herta's credibility. As for what comes next, I hope Lady Herta will not spread this information. As for verifying the truth, the Alliance has already mobilized three separate medical teams…"
"Through reliable channels and firsthand experience, a general from one of the Xianzhou has reported to the Alliance that Godzilla possesses the ability to suppress mara."
...
Mara.
Ever since the people of the Xianzhou received the blessing of longevity, it had been a nightmare that haunted them endlessly. Like a shadow, it clung to them, and no one could escape the calamity known as mara.
Through generations of scholarly research, it was not difficult to conclude that the essence of mara lay in the Xianzhou people's bodies being unable to withstand the grace brought by the blessing.
Overabundant memories accumulated into an invisible yet tangible blade, one that would inevitably turn inward when the mind could no longer bear the weight.
All beings across the cosmos had long accepted this setting.
Any life blessed by the Abundance inevitably carried side effects of varying severity.
In some cases, it even resulted in horrifying scenes of mutual devouring.
By comparison, the fact that the Xianzhou people merely succumbed to mara due to an overload of memories was already a blessing envied by countless followers of Abundance.
As for mara, Herta personally leaned toward viewing it as a form of mental illness.
Yet because it involved the Abundance, even someone like Herta was at a complete loss. There was no helping it, Aeons were simply that unreasonable.
She considered herself capable of matching an Aeon in intellect, but Aeons themselves were cheats, their power defied logic.
And now, someone was telling her that the Mara, a curse the Xianzhou had endured through endless hardship and countless failed attempts by experts across the stars, could be suppressed?
"You are serious?" Herta raised an eyebrow as she spoke.
Do not misunderstand, she was not doubting the possibility of mara being suppressed. She was simply curious.
"How did you arrive at this conclusion?" Godzilla was not the kind of existence that allowed others to act freely around him without consequence.
Just from the fact that her puppets had been mercilessly swatted away when she tried to approach Godzilla to obtain some novel research samples, it was clear enough.
When this guy struck, he did it for real.
"Strictly speaking, it was not that we sought him out. Rather… well, you should be aware of the ecological zone centered around Godzilla. When our people entered that area, they were affected."
"The long-accumulated pressure was released, and the troubles caused by mara gradually faded away. According to his description, it felt something like… the clouds parting to reveal clear skies?"
Hearing Yaoguang's words, Herta nodded thoughtfully. Her slender fingers lightly pinched her chin as realization dawned on her.
"No wonder that pink-haired midget likes to stay near Godzilla so much. So that is why. Though something still feels off… ah, right, there was also that improvement to her eye condition."
During her time in Belobog, Herta had often seen Fu Xuan lingering around Godzilla.
Whenever she went to look for Godzilla, a quick glance to the side would almost always reveal a patch of pink that clearly did not belong to him.
At the time, Herta had more important matters to think about and had no interest in paying attention to such a minor detail.
Who would have thought that such a small detail would end up leading to such an intriguing topic.
"No wonder you agreed to my request so quickly. This favor must be worth far more than I imagined." Herta's tone drifted as she spoke slowly.
The Cloudpeer Telescope was indeed important, but that depended on what it was being compared to.
What would happen if the Xianzhou people were freed from the torment of mara?
Even now, Xianzhou citizens who lived past eight hundred years were placed under strict supervision by the Ten-Lords Commission.
Those who lived over a thousand years were exceedingly rare, and almost all of them were outstanding figures in their respective fields.
Just look at the previous Sword Champion of the Alliance.
And this was under the current circumstances, with mara still looming over them. If mara were no longer a concern, beings already considered near-immortal by ordinary standards would continue to delve deeper into their fields. Those with talent would only push themselves even further.
Over time…
Just imagining the distant future that might come to pass made Herta itch to witness such a spectacle.
But still, borrowing the Cloudpeer Telescope was nowhere near enough to balance out the magnitude of the Alliance's request.
And besides…
"So what is your plan? Enter Godzilla's territory and let the ecological effects spread to every Xianzhou ship? Bringing that many Xianzhou vessels into his domain would not be a trivial matter."
"That is precisely why we need the help of Lady Herta. Once this is accomplished, anything the Xianzhou has, as long as it does not affect the daily lives of its people, is open for negotiation," Yaoguang said with certainty.
"Heh. That condition is also meant for Godzilla, is it not?" Herta chuckled softly.
"That is correct."
Yaoguang showed not the slightest hint of embarrassment. Under normal circumstances, such terms would indeed be awkward.
But what if the bargaining power on their side was more than sufficient?
Even Herta had to admit that, as a force standing at the apex of the cosmos, the conditions offered by the Xianzhou Alliance were irresistibly tempting. They were terms even she, a genius, had never encountered before.
It was enough to show just how much resolve the Xianzhou Alliance had committed to this matter.
And it was not surprising. If the Alliance could not even offer conditions like these, then Herta would have nothing further to say about them.
After all, this was the Xianzhou Alliance's only possible chance to break free from a curse that countless predecessors had struggled against, yet never managed to overcome.
"Let us be clear first. I cannot guarantee that Godzilla will agree to your terms. I can only bring it up in front of him. If he refuses, the favor I owe you will remain. When the time comes, we can discuss compensation separately."
Herta did not like owing people favors, though of course, when it came to small advantages, she was more than happy to take them.
"Did you ever consider resolving this through force?"
Yaoguang shook her head slightly, her tone casual. "Those people may be unbearably slow when handling affairs, but when it comes to major decisions, they are not fools."
That meeting had been a closed-door discussion, accessible only to those of sufficient rank.
Big matters were handled in small meetings.
The option of force had naturally been considered. But whether Xianzhou natives, Foxians, or the Vidyadhara, all were unanimous in believing that force was the worst possible choice.
Not to mention that Godzilla was currently on good terms with the Xianzhou. Initiating violence against an ally ran completely counter to the Alliance's values of friendliness and peace. And even if they truly resorted to force, the Xianzhou would suffer immense consequences.
Jarilo was considered Godzilla's territory simply because he could not be bothered to move elsewhere and had grown accustomed to it.
In other words, territory meant nothing to him. He could change locations at any time. And when that happened, the Xianzhou would be facing an existence capable of crushing multiple Emanators, a being standing at the very apex beneath the Aeons.
Below the Aeons, Godzilla stood alone.
Seeing Herta agree to help, Yaoguang's smile grew even wider.
Though she had seemed indifferent during their conversation, as one of the Generals, her concern for the Xianzhou's future was no less than anyone else's.
Besides, if mara truly could be suppressed, she herself would be able to live longer, would she not?
Once she retired, she could sleep until late morning, head out just to eat, and in her spare time check in on newly joined youngsters.
She would put on a stern face to deliberately scare them, then turn around and recount her own glorious past.
Heh. That kind of life sounded far too comfortable.
The pleasant atmosphere carried them all the way to their destination.
The Cloudpeer Telescope.
"We have arrived. This is the Cloudpeer Telescope, the supreme instrument of the Jade Vault."
Yaoguang lifted her gaze slightly, looking at the massive, mysterious construct before them, vast and profound, as though speckled with faint starlight, and could not help but sigh with emotion.
At this moment, the newly appointed Master Diviner of the Yuque had already been waiting for some time.
"General Yaoguang, please refrain from approaching the Cloudpeer Telescope too closely. I know what you are thinking."
With her hands folded over her abdomen, the Master Diviner narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked at Yaoguang, who was inching ever closer, and spoke softly.
"I know, I know. It is not like I am going to break it," Yaoguang muttered quietly as she stopped in her tracks.
Pretending not to hear, the Master Diviner turned her gaze to Herta, who was also observing the Cloudpeer Telescope, and said gently, "Lady Herta, this is the Cloudpeer Telescope. To activate it, I must operate it personally from start to finish. You may tell me the message you wish to send, and I will transmit it to the last known location of the Reignbow Arbiter."
Herta nodded slightly and looked back at the Diviner. "I have heard that using this thing to send messages requires first interpreting the meaning of Lan's words?"
The Master Diviner inclined her head. "Every word of the Aeon's proclamations must be interpreted with utmost care to avoid error. Normally, the previous Diviner would have been better suited for this task. It is just that…"
Herta already knew the story of the previous Master Diviner before coming here. When it came to interpreting the language of the Hunt, his skill truly had been unmatched.
Unfortunately, such a talent had died.
"Alright then, let us begin." The Master Diviner nodded and asked softly, "May I ask what Lady Herta wishes to inquire of the Reignbow Arbiter?"
"My request is simple. I just need Them to fire a single Lux arrow."
"Oh… ah?!" The Master Diviner and Yaoguang did not react at first. Just as they were about to begin the operation, realization hit them at the same time, and they both stared at Herta in shock.
"Lady Herta, do you mean…?"
"Yes. Exactly what you are thinking." Herta nodded matter-of-factly.
The sheer absurdity of the request left Yaoguang and the Master Diviner staring at each other.
hey had assumed Herta's intention was to converse with the Reignbow Arbiter. After all, she was a genius who had twice paid homage to Nous. Who would have thought…
"If that is the case… allow me a moment to think."
Rubbing her throbbing temple gently, the Master Diviner took a deep breath. In all her years, this was the first time she had ever heard a request like this.
Setting aside whether the Aeon would even respond to such a demand, the sheer outrageousness of it alone… was comparable to the Luofu suddenly producing several once-in-a-generation geniuses on par with the Cloud Knights' Quintet.
Who contacts an Aeon just to ask them to show off their divine power? The Master Diviner was screaming internally.
But there was no helping it. This time, it was the Xianzhou who needed Herta. Though it was a mutual exchange, Herta had more than one option, while the Xianzhou's wish was far too great.
It was just that, if they went through with this…
"How far away would the Aeon need to be so that receiving the message would not affect the Xianzhou…"
And how exactly were they supposed to get the Reignbow Arbiter to loose an arrow…