The crowd agreed with the reasoning and dove back into the story, encountering Xueyi.
A puppet judge of the Ten-Lords Commission.
She was injured, and Luocha used special methods to heal her, which Dan Heng recognized as stemming from Abundance…
Thus, the conversation seamlessly shifted to whether Luocha was a villain.
Based on the current story, Luocha's presence on the Xianzhou didn't seem like he was here for trade.
For veteran Honkai Impact 3rd players, his face was practically a stereotype.
It wasn't impossible for him to be a good guy, but the odds of him being one were slim.
Confusing, right?
Exactly.
Just like the convoluted real name he claimed for himself.
Before the discussion could continue, the perspective switched back to the Divination Commission, returning to the moment where Kafka said Aeons could be killed.
This time, Kafka added details that lore enthusiasts found even more compelling.
"I can tell you about some things that happened in the past: the stories of fallen Aeons."
"Long, the Permanence; Idrila, the Beauty; Ena, the Order; Tayzzyronth, the Propagation; and… Akivili, the Trailblaze."
"These were names that once resounded across the cosmos. Now, they're gone, leaving only unclaimed Paths."
Stelle's mind flashed back to what Leon had said.
That line she and March 7th had taken as a joke.
Instinctively, she asked Kafka, "Are those the only Aeons that fell?"
Kafka gave Stelle a surprised look for a moment before gently shaking her head.
"Not quite. Two other Aeons fell, and there's also Oroboros, the Voracity, whose fate is unknown."
"What were the names of those two Aeons?"
"Sadly, if I knew, I'd have told you already."
"Not even Elio knows?"
"Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't. But it doesn't matter. The truth will come to light eventually."
Kafka didn't seem to be lying.
"There are three known ways, from a human perspective, to cause an Aeon to fall."
"First, when Paths with overlapping concepts collide, the broader Path will engulf the narrower one—"
"Ena, the Order, was assimilated by Xipe, the Harmony, in this way."
"Second, divine wars between Aeons."
"The weaker one naturally falls, and that was the fate of Tayzzyronth, the Propagation."
"It's also what the Xianzhou Alliance, under the guidance of The Hunt, aims to achieve by eliminating the abominations of Abundance…"
"What about Akivili?"
Stelle asked curiously, "Was They killed by another Aeon too?"
"That question might only be answered by the Aeon of Erudition," Kafka replied.
Hearing this, Old Toby felt an itch on his scalp, as if his brain was sprouting.
"Alright, brothers, hear me out—just a hypothesis—"
"Suppose Leon's joke was true. Who do you think he was an Emanator for?"
"Burning his body and soul, sacrificing himself—that sounds vaguely tied to Order, like giving oneself up to uphold something."
"But that's unlikely. I think it's more about the innate abilities of the Sky Haven Clan."
"After all, Leon can manipulate wind and calls that ability to transfer or bear costs 'Healing Wind Therapy.'"
"Propagation? That Path's concept feels completely unrelated to Leon."
"Permanence… hard to say for now. Doesn't quite fit either."
"Voracity? No way, ruled out."
"Beauty is one of the two possibilities. Beauty has many definitions."
"Finally, aside from the two Aeons Kafka doesn't know about, that leaves Trailblaze."
"Could it be a case of missing what's right under our noses? Was Leon perhaps an Emanator of Trailblaze in the past?"
"Maybe because he joined the Express mid-journey, we overlooked that possibility."
"Of course, this is just a baseless guess. Take it as a bit of fun, and don't spread it as fact."
[Hiss… don't say that, but really, don't say that!]
[Leon's so good to the Express crew—almost too good. He's got a completely different attitude toward outsiders. He could totally be a Trailblaze Emanator.]
[If that's the case, maybe what he's waiting for is the Astral Express setting sail again!]
[No, no, no, I don't think so.]
[Got a better theory?]
[If he really was a Trailblaze Emanator, even if he lost those memories, how could he board the Express and not remember? He wouldn't hide it either.]
[What if?]
[You said 'what if' yourself—that means it's a long shot.]
[You can't judge based on how nice Leon is to the Express crew. By that logic, his attitude toward outsiders makes him seem more like an Elation Emanator.]
[Sure, but Aha's still alive…]
[Being an Emanator of a fallen Aeon doesn't stop him from being an Elation Emanator now, right?]
[Your theory's very Elation-esque. I like it, but it's even less likely.]
Stelle set aside the mystery of Akivili's death for now.
"What's the third way to kill an Aeon?"
Kafka's lips curled into an enigmatic smile, her tone carrying a pointed undertone.
"Humans possess a sense of self… Hold on, the time's about right."
"What do you mean?" Stelle froze.
"Oh, it's starting." Kafka tilted her head to look into the distance.
Even within the Matrix of Prescience Ultima, everyone felt a violent tremor.
"That's… the Ambrosial Arbor?!"
The disturbance seemed tied to the miracle granted by Yaoshi.
Across the Luofu's domains, buildings shook, and countless eyes turned toward the source of the anomaly.
At the sight, confusion on countless faces turned to horror.
The Ambrosial Arbor was reviving?
What was happening?
Kafka effortlessly broke free of her restraints and strolled unhurriedly to the edge of the Matrix of Prescience Ultima.
Noticing Kafka's newfound freedom, Stelle chased after her without hesitation, only to be stopped mid-stride by a black-clad man wielding a sword.
She halted.
Taking in the man's appearance, realization hit her.
It was Blade.
As expected, he'd escaped the Luofu's control.
"Let's go, Blade. We've got two more places to hit."
Kafka stood at the edge of the Matrix of Prescience Ultima, spreading her arms and falling backward.
Seeing Stelle had no intention of pursuing, Blade sheathed his sword, leapt after her, and vanished below.
Stelle rushed to the edge of the Matrix, stopping to peer into the mist-filled depths below, her brow furrowing.
March 7th noticed the commotion, her face filled with worry.
"What? Kafka escaped? Darn it, how are we supposed to explain this to Master Diviner?"
"If she wasn't lying to me, we probably don't need to explain anything," Stelle shook her head.
"…Hey, you didn't get brainwashed by her, did you? Or fall under her Word of Command?"
"Relax, I still remember some of your embarrassing moments, so I'm neither brainwashed nor under her spell. Hm? Where's Miss Tingyun?"
Welt: "She left the Matrix of Prescience Ultima during Kafka's interrogation. She's probably waiting outside. Let's go find her to lead us to Master Diviner Fu Xuan."
Tingyun was indeed outside the Matrix.
Seeing her staring intently at the strange giant tree in the distance, March 7th asked, "That's the half-dead tree Qingque showed us, right? How did it suddenly start growing?"
"Spectacular, absolutely spectacular!"
Tingyun's tone was peculiar.
Whether it was an illusion or not, Stelle seemed to detect a hint of eerie fanaticism in it.
"I'm so lucky! Even for a long-life species, not many get to witness such a marvel in their lifetime!"
Stelle: ???
Big bold move!
You've been eating too many red beans, Miss Tingyun.