Chapter 122: "Curious Realm of Mechanism, an excellent Cloud Retainer trapping device!"
「 "Many Xianzhou comrades who were lucky enough to survive the wars became stricken with 'Mara-struck' — a condition that immortals are susceptible to."
"Had it not been for the enlightenment and protection of the Reignbow Arbiter, the Xianzhou Alliance you see today would never have existed."
Behind this seemingly beautiful longevity lay an abyss of endless blood and tears.
Jing Yuan's eyes drooped slightly as he sighed, "Now that the story has been told, you all should understand what kind of disaster the rebirth of the Ambrosial Arbor will bring, right?" 」
「 .....」
〜Dragon Raja World〜
Japan, Shinjuku District, Takamagahara.
It was past midnight, and the table was a mess of cups and plates. The chubby hostess and her best friend were fast asleep, leaving only Caesar and Chu Zihang awake in the private room.
Caesar poured the remaining half-cup of sparkling wine into his mouth; only the ice could barely stimulate his gradually drowsy mind.
"It seems longevity isn't necessarily a good thing."
"No, I think it's very good. Even if one eventually falls into Mara-struck, longevity is still a good blessing,"
Chu Zihang suddenly said.
"Someone like you would definitely be the chief enforcer of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus on Xianzhou."
"The pursuit of longevity is not uncommon in our country's history, and many books record it, such as 'Zhou Yi Can Tong Qi'... It's an ancient book from 200 AD that records alchemical chemistry, with detailed descriptions of how to extract 'Tai Yi' from all things in nature. Many later emperors followed it, seeking longevity."
"Did they succeed?"
"Of course they failed, unless the emperor was a pure-blooded dragon—but what I want to say isn't that, but rather a commonality among ancient seekers of longevity."
Chu Zihang said expressionlessly,
"So-called 'longevity'... has always been a privilege enjoyed by only a very small number of people, not a benefit that the general public can enjoy."
"Take mixed-bloods for example: mixed-bloods don't get sick, have longer lifespans, and stronger powers. One could even say this is a more perfect human form—but imagine, if overnight all humans in the world became mixed-bloods, can you imagine what the world would become?"
"...It would probably be the end of the world the next day,"
Caesar mumbled.
"Yes, when a certain special group's proportion in society exceeds a certain limit, it will touch the population redline and cause disaster... This is the origin of Xianzhou's population explosion and resource scarcity crisis."
Chu Zihang continued,
"If from the very beginning the Xianzhou emperors had firmly controlled the fruits of the Ambrosial Arbor, with only the imperial family and a very small number of nobles allowed to enjoy them, it should have reduced many unnecessary disasters."
Caesar sobered up quite a bit and nodded,
"Indeed, Xianzhou's divine fruit of longevity is like the first generation of mixed-bloods discovered by our ancestors, except the former was popularized among the masses, while the latter intentionally kept the bloodline firmly in the hands of a few, only passing it down among excellent peers. So even after thousands of years, the threshold for the number of mixed-bloods has never been broken."
—
「 After asking Jing Yuan their doubts, the Express crew prepared to depart.
Before leaving, Stelle said her final goodbyes to Fu Xuan, informing her of Kafka's escape.
"This Master had already anticipated it." Fu Xuan was not surprised, shaking her head gently, "Chasing her would only be a waste of effort. The Matrix of Prescience revealed Kafka's innocence to me. The most urgent matter now is to deal with the Ambrosial Arbor."
"Since the Stellaron's erosion began, apart from the alchemists and doctors stationed in other delves, no one from the Alchemy Commission has reported back. It's closest to the Ambrosial Arbor, so the situation is likely grim."
To reach the Ambrosial Arbor, one must first pass through the Artisanship Commission and the Alchemy Commission. Under Fu Xuan's urging, everyone immediately boarded a starskiff and headed for the Artisanship Commission's realm.
At the Artisanship Commission, just after disembarking from the starskiffs, they saw many artisans gathered at the entrance of the Artisanship Commission.
"Huh?" Tingyun was quite surprised, "This Artisanship Commission's realm has been shut down ever since the Stellaron's erosion. Why haven't these people taken starskiffs to safety?"
"Maybe the Artisanship Commission is more dedicated to their jobs? Think of the Diviners of the Divination Commission; it just goes to show you how much of a difference there is when you have nothing to compare to..." March 7th grumbled.
"At the end of the day, work is work — you need it to live. Y'know, March, adults forget what "relaxation" means after a certain age, hehe..."
"Uncle Yang, you're speaking like a seasoned veteran..." March 7th couldn't help but imagine what Welt must have experienced in the past. 」
「 .....」
〜Honkai: Impact 3rd World〜
"Haha... If March 7th knew that the Mr. Welt she's so curious about is now a corporate drone at an animation company, currently working overtime to finish animations because of an upcoming project deadline, I wonder what kind of expression she'd have?"
Himeko let out a soft chuckle on the other end of the phone.
"Watching that almost omnipotent Uncle Yang diligently working overtime...hehe, that scene is quite novel, isn't it?"
"Didn't I say? There's no such thing as 'relaxation' in the adult world."
Welt didn't back down,
"What? Is your work at the Academy very easy?"
"..."
A timely silence came from the other end of the phone.
Going on missions now and then, and having to take care of Kiana, Mei, and the others, Himeko found that she had started developing a resistance to coffee without even realizing it.
A small word like "work" is the ultimate destination for countless adults.
—
「 "In this day and age, are any of the Paths in this world easy to tread?" Tingyun smiled faintly, "Everyone, look, this Artisanship Commission is full of workshops, buildings, state-of-the-art mechanisms, and craftsmen designing brand-new concepts."
"Their tradition is to stir up trouble now and then—either making entire realms and pavilions vanish into thin air, or causing mechanical puppets to riot or something."
"Honored benefactors, please be careful. From what I see, there's probably some enormous trouble inside, so big that these artisans dare not enter, yet have no way to escape." 」
〜Genshin Impact World〜
Teyvat Continent, Mt. Aocang.
"As expected, as soon as she heard 'state-of-the-art mechanisms, and craftsmen designing brand-new concepts,' Cloud Retainer stretched her neck, wishing she could stick her head into the light screen to investigate, hahaha..."
"Hmph, what's so special about that? The Xianzhou's art of mechanisms is quite intricate and meticulous. This adeptus has always been fond of such things, so what if I look a few more times? I'll admit it openly."
The cheongsam-clad older sister with a high ponytail raised her hand and pushed up her half-rimmed glasses,
"...It's you, old man Jiehu, aren't you quite interested in talismans? When that girl Fu Xuan activated the Matrix of Prescience, why didn't I see you use adeptal arts to make rubbings of the talismans on it?"
"Oh, you mean those faintly visible talismans? Actually, it's not that this adeptus was lazy, but rather that the talismans inscribed on it were truly complex and difficult to decipher, and studying just one wouldn't be very meaningful. Unless I made rubbings and studied all the talismans of the entire Matrix of Prescience..."
"With that much free time, wouldn't it be better for this adeptus to come to Mt. Aocang and chat over tea with the two of you?"
—