"The stars scattered across the galaxy might crumble under the Stellaron crisis, but the Xianzhou has Lan, the Aeon of the Hunt…"
"Leon and I can still seal the Stellaron, not to mention the Xianzhou Alliance, which can commune with the Aeons."
"I'm wondering if Kafka is hiding something from us, or… if there's an even greater threat lurking on the Xianzhou Luofu."
At this, Welt paused thoughtfully before offering his opinion.
"This is a serious matter. I'll join the mission this time. Leon, your injuries haven't fully healed, so stay on the train with Himeko."
Leon, naturally, didn't object and nodded gently.
He could go once his injuries healed.
As for when that would be, it was entirely up to him.
This way, he could avoid worrying his companions ahead of time while planting a seed for the players.
How to plant it? Simple.
An existence capable of destroying half the Luofu with a Stellaron—he didn't believe it could be anything less than an Emanator.
Experience aside, intuition alone was enough to judge.
To put it bluntly—
The Hunt Aeon, whom the Xianzhou Alliance worshipped, hadn't lived as long as he had.
The difference was that he had never reached the mountain's peak, never glimpsed the vastness below.
As long as the threat of a potential Emanator was laid out, it was reasonable for him to head to the Luofu, injured or not, out of concern for his companions.
However…
Leon's gaze swept over the Astral Express crew, a sigh stirring in his heart.
He couldn't tell.
He genuinely couldn't tell…
Was it manipulation, or did he truly feel something?
If he stripped away the utilitarian desire to gather faith—
If he had no expectation of collecting faith, would he make the same choice?
Examining his heart from the perspective of his true self, Leon let out a soft, amused sigh after a moment.
The answer was yes.
As he'd said before, whether he could distinguish it no longer mattered.
What was the point of clinging to or agonizing over something that had lost its meaning?
Stelle: "Why the sudden sigh, Leon? Are you regretting that you can't join everyone on this mission?"
Leon snapped back to reality, a flicker of worry in his eyes.
"Kafka is definitely hiding something from us. The Xianzhou Luofu is a colossal entity, and its waters run deep."
"A Stellaron wouldn't appear on the Luofu without reason. There must be a mastermind behind it."
"The enemy is in the shadows while we're in the open. You must be extra cautious in all things."
"The Luofu isn't like Jarilo-VI. Its roots are tangled and complex. You and March lack experience, so don't act rashly. Listen to Welt and Dan Heng's advice."
"Sometimes, the ones you need to be wary of aren't just those lurking in the dark."
"Nine out of ten things are off! Husband Leon actually put away his smile!"
"He's switched to reliable mode, with a serious expression and a hint of worry. This means the situation might be dire."
Ah Xian mirrored the same worried expression.
But deep down, she also breathed a sigh of relief.
As expected, her earlier thoughts were correct—Leon wouldn't be heading to the Xianzhou.
This way, she didn't have to worry about him getting axed by the writers.
[Father's injured and not coming along. Can Old Yang fill the gap in my sense of security?]
[Isn't he a Herrscher from Honkai 3rd? I haven't played it, so I'm not sure. Asking the veteran captains?]
[He's probably trustworthy, I guess. Aside from strength, Old Yang's pretty upright and not incompetent.]
[So you're saying Old Yang's strength is lacking? His character story makes him seem strong.]
[Uh, speaking as a veteran captain, if Old Yang was that strong, he wouldn't keep doing the Yang sit-up routine…]
Stelle didn't mess around this time and nodded quietly.
Just as she was about to speak, Dan Heng's voice came from behind.
"March told me everything. If it were another Xianzhou, it might be fine, but the Luofu… I can't go."
This stunned not only Stelle but also March 7th, who didn't understand.
"Why? Do you have a grudge with the Luofu?"
Dan Heng fell silent: "I'm forbidden from setting foot on the Luofu. The reasons aren't convenient to discuss."
"The Xianzhou Alliance has six ships: the Luofu is just one of them. The others are the Yaoqing, Fanghu, Zhuming, Xuling, and Yuque."
"In my memories, the Xianzhou is still quite magnificent…"
Leon wasn't too surprised by Dan Heng's decision.
Some of his past guesses about Dan Heng were already clear in his mind.
No wonder he carried the aura of Permanence.
He was undoubtedly a descendant of Long, just as the Sky Haven Clan were descendants of Qi.
"Dan Heng, you seem to know something about the Luofu. Tell us about its taboos."
"I've never been to the Luofu and don't know much. I only heard one red line from the other Xianzhou—"
"You must never reveal to the Xianzhou people that you yearn for immortality, nor should you openly flaunt faith in Abundance."
"While worshipping Abundance isn't illegal on the Xianzhou, it will likely draw scrutiny and criticism."
Dan Heng glanced at Leon, somewhat surprised.
"The only taboo worth remembering, you've already mentioned. The rest aren't important."
"The Xianzhou's inhabitants don't differ much from us in appearance, but in essence, they're long-lived species with lifespans reaching a thousand years."
"The Alliance is wary of any short-lived species seeking the secret of immortality. The Xianzhou Cloud Knights relentlessly hunt the undying abominations created by Abundance."
"As for other matters, you'll naturally come to understand them once you set foot on the Luofu."
"…I hope everyone returns safely," Dan Heng said softly.
"No rush. We can't forget tradition. Whether we head to the Xianzhou, let's follow the old rules and vote."
Himeko had already sensed everyone's decision, but as she said, this tradition left by Akivili couldn't be ignored.
Whether to embark on the next journey was a choice the Nameless could make themselves—very democratic.
Even in Akivili's era, he followed the majority on the train.
"Raise your hand to agree, keep it down to oppose."
With that, everyone expressed their intentions.
Only two didn't raise their hands.
Leon and Dan Heng.
"Four to two. The Astral Express votes by majority to head to the Xianzhou Luofu." Himeko gave a slight smile.
Stelle looked at March 7th in surprise: "Didn't expect you to vote yes. Don't you distrust Kafka?"
"Uh, after calming down and thinking it over, what if that woman wasn't lying?"
March 7th explained weakly.
"If we don't go to the Xianzhou, a lot of innocent people might suffer… Now's not the time to be stubborn, right?"
Stelle: "You unprincipled woman. But I like you."
Himeko's gaze swept over the group, finally resting on Welt.
"This Trailblaze mission is in your hands, Welt. You've been itching to go for so long—take good care of Stelle and little March."
"Don't worry," Welt nodded solemnly.
March 7th flashed a bright, sunny smile: "Target: Xianzhou Luofu—let's go!"
Himeko looked at Pom-Pom.
"Please, Pom-Pom. Jump coordinates: the star system where the Xianzhou Luofu resides."
Pom-Pom had already prepared for the jump.
Having traveled together for so long, it knew exactly what kind of people they were.
"Jump commencing in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1—"