With the Vidyadhara gone, only the Xianzhou humans and Foxians remained.
Perhaps due to the Vidyadhara's parting words, the atmosphere showed no signs of easing.
Both leaders stood silently, neither opening their mouths.
"I overheard what your Xianzhou commander just said—seems you have some ideas about the Heaven-Mending Creation?"
At last, the elderly Foxian broke the awkward silence.
"Huh? Xianzhou commander?"
Sora was confused. When had he become the Xianzhou commander?
"Oh, you aren't?" The Foxian leader asked, somewhat surprised.
Earlier, seeing how Sora had led much of the discussion, the elderly Foxian had assumed Sora was the real leader behind the scenes, with the young man merely a figurehead.
But now, his assumption was obviously mistaken.
This became especially clear from the young man's expression—the true commander—who had been standing at the front of the Xianzhou delegation. His face visibly darkened upon hearing those words.
He was the genuine Xianzhou commander, yet had been mistaken for someone else. Anyone would find that irritating.
"Oh dear, my old eyes must truly be failing after these hundreds of years," the old Foxian hurriedly said, placing blame on himself.
After this awkward exchange, the scene fell silent once more.
Yet as though oblivious, the elderly Foxian repeated his earlier question.
He had noticed Sora's wager against the Fangyuan Dragon Lord—a bet to keep everyone alive through the crisis—thus assuming Sora belonged to the Xianzhou and might know secrets about the Heaven-Mending Creation.
But reality suggested otherwise.
This outsider, who wasn't even part of the Xianzhou faction, had unexpectedly assisted in sealing Xi.
Introducing this new variable meant even greater uncertainty ahead.
Trouble, trouble—why must this old fox face so many headaches at such a critical moment?
Exhaustion filled the elderly Foxian's heart. Coupled with the looming threat of the "sky collapse," he felt utterly drained.
Thus, he rose and turned to Sora. "Does this gentleman perhaps have a solution for the collapsing sky?"
Sora closely examined the elder's face in response.
White-haired and wrinkled—this Foxian was truly very old. Yet despite his cloudy eyes, they still held a sharp gleam.
"The current collapse has been paused by me," Sora admitted openly after careful consideration.
He sensed this elder wasn't easily deceived; honesty was best met with honesty.
Upon hearing this, the old fox finally loosened his grip on his staff.
"In that case, I'll look forward to seeing your capabilities."
With that, he prepared to leave.
When the young Xianzhou commander stepped forward, intending to stop him, the Foxian leader paused briefly and remarked:
"I fully understand the Xianzhou's wish for all races to unite, but right now, everyone struggles simply to survive."
He looked the commander squarely in the eye. "Shouldn't we resolve the crisis first before discussing other matters?"
The Xianzhou had always hoped to unite all races and restore past glories, but current circumstances differed greatly.
He had to prioritize his people's safety first.
The implicit message was clear—you must first show proof before earning trust.
Xi's governance over several centuries hadn't been exemplary, yet it genuinely maintained stability in the Cangyan.
Since the Xianzhou had sealed her, they now had to prove they could ensure everyone's survival.
Otherwise, wouldn't everything else be mere empty talk?
After finishing, his cloudy gaze swept towards Ahri, standing beside Sora.
Oh? So there's a Foxian with him?
That could be a good thing.
Feeling somewhat reassured, the elderly Foxian realized at least someone among his kind had direct ties to Sora.
With that, the Foxians departed, leaving the place utterly silent.
Only the Xianzhou group remained in the General's Office.
They exchanged glances, completely taken aback by the outcome.
"I started off with grand ambitions, thinking after defeating Xi, leader of the Heliobi, we could unite all Xianzhou races…"
The young commander sighed regretfully. "But now it seems my expectations were too high."
"That's a natural reaction. When life and death are at stake, people inevitably focus on themselves first," Sora replied without judgment. It was human nature.
"If you want to change their minds, you'll need to earn their trust through actions."
Yet such mindsets could also easily be reversed; concrete actions were all it took to regain their support.
The young commander, fully aware of this, nodded in agreement.
"So, what we need now is to prevent the sky from collapsing."
Once successful, the Foxians would naturally trust them.
"In other words, our interests align—for now, at least."
Sora smiled, extending his hand toward the young man. "Let's cooperate temporarily."
He needed to mend the sky to win his bet with the Vidyadhara, and the Xianzhou needed to reassure the Foxians.
Their goals aligned perfectly.
Precisely for that reason, Sora proposed this cooperation.
"Mr. Sora has already helped us greatly. How could we possibly refuse?"
Without Sora's aid, they'd likely have suffered heavy losses confronting Xi.
He could even be considered their savior; such kindness wouldn't soon be forgotten.
"But I have a small favor to ask," the young commander said hesitantly, scratching his head slightly. "If you win your bet, could you perhaps assist us somewhat regarding the Vidyadhara?"
"Only a Xianzhou unified by all races can truly be called Xianzhou."
At these words, Xi's orb, tucked within Sora's embrace, suddenly trembled.
Naturally, Sora noticed, but his expression remained unchanged.
"If I truly win the bet, I'll certainly lend my support in that matter."
As he spoke, he shook the Xianzhou commander's hand, sealing their temporary alliance.
Yet at that moment, Sora felt something odd about the young commander.
Although his hand bore calluses from regular weapon use, why was it…so soft?
Puzzled, Sora discreetly eyed the young commander standing before him.
Sure, the commander looked slightly androgynous, but otherwise completely normal.
Look at that tall figure, the upright posture—clearly a healthy young man!
Oh, wait…does he have a dimple when he smiles?
Upon closer scrutiny, Sora noticed this particular trait.
Meanwhile, the young commander, subjected to Sora's intense gaze, suddenly stiffened slightly.
...
With both sides agreeing to cooperate, matters finally settled down.
During their conversation, Sora learned the young Xianzhou commander's name:
Yu Qi.
It sounded completely ordinary—and indeed, it was ordinary.
Yet despite his youthful appearance, Yu Qi was actually about the same age as Sora—possibly even older. This reminded Sora once again that on the Xianzhou, appearances never reliably indicated age.
But these minor details weren't important now. What Sora urgently needed was more information about the Heaven-Mending Creation ritual.
Thus, Yu Qi naturally invited Sora to visit the Xianzhou settlements within the Jiulan Realm.
"Even though we've lost most of our archives, that place still holds more information than anywhere else," Yu Qi explained.
Sora considered for a moment. He wouldn't discover anything just standing here.
Might as well take a look.
Leaving a few people behind to maintain order, the Xianzhou delegation prepared to return directly to Jiulan to report their mission's outcome.
Yet some among them hesitated about leaving the General's Office unattended.
"Are we really just leaving like this, leaving the place empty?"
After finally driving out the Heliobi and reclaiming the General's Office, shouldn't they at least leave a small guard behind?
"A place without its people is just a building," Yu Qi calmly replied. Though young-looking, he clearly understood the situation. "Remember: it's not the building that's powerful, but the people occupying it."
Both General Futian and Xi had made the place significant precisely because of their strength. Without capable occupants, no matter how grand the structure, it held little meaning.
At present, the strongest figure wasn't the legendary General Futian of centuries past, nor Xi, revered as an Upper God.
Currently, the strongest individual was the man sitting before them atop the starskiff, gazing into the sea of clouds.
He was now the most notable figure in the realm.
Yet Sora himself was entirely unaware of his new status. At the moment, he and Ahri were busy marveling at the scenery around them.
Feng Liqi had previously visited Jiulan, so she was mentally prepared for the sight.
The fragmented Xianzhou wasn't very large, but severe isolation had formed between regions. Coupled with the lack of starskiffs, most Foxians had rarely—if ever—stepped outside the Tushan Realm.
Now that Ahri had finally left Tushan, seeing the outside world for the first time, she couldn't help but exclaim in wonder at the endless clouds.
But soon, Ahri noticed something strange in the distance.
"Sora-gege, quick, look over there!"
Following her finger, Sora saw the distant object clearly…
"A mountain?"
Indeed, the strange shapes Ahri noticed were mountains—towering peaks visible even from afar.
"Yes, those are the Jiulan Mountains, forming our boundary with the Central Prefecture," Yu Qi patiently explained. "Jiulan Realm derives its name not only from LAN, Aeon of the HUNT, but also from this mountain range."
As the Xianzhou's richest and most prosperous realm during its golden age, Jiulan was home to many spectacular landmarks. The Jiulan Mountains ranked among the most famous.
Now, these mountains provided a natural protective barrier for the Xianzhou people.
In front of the Jiulan Mountains lay Central Prefecture, ruled by the Heliobi; behind them was the gathering place of the Xianzhou.
After hearing Yu Qi's explanation, Sora nodded in understanding.
Yet just then, he noticed something unusual about a particular mountain.
All the other peaks rose sharply like weapons, yet this mountain's summit was sliced flat.
Drawing nearer, Sora spotted something flickering atop its peak—fire. White-gold flames danced endlessly on the mountaintop, burning fiercely without pause.
It seemed as though these flames had burned continuously for centuries without extinguishing.
Seeing this, Sora quickly realized what he was witnessing:
This must be the legendary sight left by Xi, the one said to have burned for hundreds of years.
Sora had heard of this phenomenon several times already. Centuries ago, Xi had hurled a spear from Central Prefecture, killing the Xianzhou commander of that era and leaving behind this eternal flame.
And now, Sora was finally witnessing this wonder firsthand.
Moreover, Xi herself—the creator of this landmark—was currently nestled comfortably in Sora's arms.
Thinking of this, Sora took out the orb containing Xi.
As the saying went, one should visit famous landmarks alongside their creator—he wondered how Xi felt about it now?
Faced with Sora's blatant provocation, Xi immediately began vibrating furiously.
Seeing she still had so much energy, Sora contentedly tucked her orb away behind him again.
The pleasures of a Xi-brand massage orb—truly, only those who'd experienced it understood its greatness.
After crossing the mountain range, they finally reached their destination.
"Welcome, everyone, to the Xianzhou settlements beyond the Jiulan Mountains," Yu Qi formally greeted Sora.
Looking down from above, Sora saw countless people living peacefully, seemingly untouched by threats of any kind.
The darkness spreading across the sky had been blocked by the Jiulan Mountains, leaving only blue skies overhead.
"From here, people's wishes seem simple—to survive, and perhaps lead better lives," Sora remarked thoughtfully.
"You're absolutely right, Mr. Sora," Yu Qi answered softly. "But in life, certain things remain beyond our control."
Yu Qi then extended his hand, guiding Sora forward. "Come, I've arranged everything already. All the information you need has been fully prepared."
Only now did Sora feel slightly astonished. Yu Qi had quietly handled everything without any fuss.
No wonder he'd risen to commander.
"No need for surprise, Mr. Sora. I genuinely wish to restore harmony among all races on the Xianzhou and free our people from constant threats," Yu Qi said firmly. "This has always been my deepest wish, my very purpose."
Yet Yu Qi knew achieving unity and peaceful coexistence among the races would be extraordinarily difficult.
Separated for centuries, each race had already developed deep divisions.
That was precisely why he needed Sora's help.