In the time it takes to drink one cup of milk tea, Adrian recounted the entire story to the two of them, including how Tingyun had been replaced.
"So… this is the real Miss Tingyun? And because we've been blessed by [Eternity], we can see through the disguise?" March 7th asked.
"Precisely. It helps when the church is your makeup artist, a special service courtesy of [Eternity]."
"I feel like we're missing the point here. A Lord Ravager mingling on the Xianzhou is far too dangerous!" March 7th grabbed her phone, ready to send this bombshell news to the [Astral Express Family] group chat.
"Uncle Yang is in danger!" she cried in a panic. Who would have thought the Lord Ravager was right beside them? That level of acting was wasted on a villain.
What exactly is a Lord Ravager? They are Emanators selected by [Destruction] Nanook, the leaders of the [Antimatter Legion]. To those who obey THEIR will—even those willing to tread the Path of Destruction—the Wound God will leave a path to survival, delaying the onset of doomsday. Bestowed with Destruction's power, twisted and reversed, these few souls have endured the gaze of the divine, thereafter becoming the [Lord Ravagers] feared by all worlds.
It is said that under Nanook's seat, there are currently seven Lords. They are the executors of Destruction's will, artists of war, and weapons of combustion refined to the utmost purity. They bring dooms that span the stars, thoroughly implementing their different ideologies of Destruction, making them the most dangerous figures in the universe.
This particular Lord, Phantylia, adores the self-destruction of mortals. Many souls have been lured by her into abysses of no return; she's a psychological deviant who loves to inflict multiple layers of mental and material destruction, leading her victims from spiritual collapse to physical annihilation.
"Don't be afraid, March. This is the Xianzhou Alliance, protected by [The Hunt]. Why would we fear a mere Lord Ravager?" Stelle comforted her, stroking March 7th's head.
From their current vantage point, the Luofu had at least two upright Emanators stationed. If it truly came down to clashing with a Lord Ravager, the enemy would surely be the one to fall.
Freesna left too abruptly, so Stelle hadn't even had time to ask for her contact info. After all, the Priestess was a powerful reinforcement. Stelle had already figured out how to lure Freesna to the Luofu. The reason was simple: just say the planet was about to suffer an [Lord Ravager] infringement, and ask the Priestess Sister to lend a hand. Without fail, she would arrive fully armed the next second, crossing countless star systems to appear before them. Eternity's express delivery, kid!
"Besides, we still have Teacher Adrian. With him here, we're sure to win!" As Stelle said this, she suddenly realized something. Up to now, she had never personally witnessed Adrian make a move. Her deepest impression of him was flicking her forehead at the space station. Compared to Welt, she actually looked forward to Adrian making a move more, after all, he was an open [Eternity] Emanator. Pontiff Blake only needed to exert a slight effort to melt Jarilo-VI's windsnow, ushering in a spring day unseen for a century.
However, Stelle heard his weapon seemed to be a bar of soap… thought-provoking.
"Ugh… After hearing all this bombshell news, I've completely lost interest in sightseeing," March 7th grumbled. "I think we should tell Dan Heng and the others about the intelligence first. We can't keep all the fun to ourselves."
What a shame about the milk tea shop exploration. Stelle originally wanted to sit a bit longer and enjoy her drink, damn those [Destruction] forces!
"I look forward to hearing your good news~"
"Wait, wait, wait?! Teacher Adrian, you're not coming with us?"
"To be honest, I've contracted a severe illness where leaving the milk tea shop will cause immediate death." Adrian's face was completely serious.
"Who would believe that!"
...
The Exalting Sanctum Inn.
Phantylia, disguised as Tingyun, settled Welt at the Exalting Sanctum Inn. With the Stellaron Hunter already caught, her scene was over for now. The Astral Express crew were not to be underestimated; they handled matters with true efficiency. The Luofu's General had just finished speaking, and the Stellaron Hunter was netted. Kafka's disguise had been truly exquisite; even Phantylia couldn't detect it… Was that the Astral Express's special merit?
What concerned Phantylia most was still that man on the way: reclusive, taciturn, yet his appearance was uncannily similar to Pontiff Blake! She nearly fell for his scheme and comprehended one principle: do not judge by appearances, do not act on impulse.
Sigh~ Acting out others' lives is also not easy~ Rushing east and west, hurry and let this Xianzhou [Destroy]…
Phantylia waved open the bone-gathering fan. This body's flexibility was not bad. Especially this fluffy tail—though it felt very comfortable to touch, its maintenance was another complex set of steps.
"There's still one lurking Hunter, troublesome…"
Phantylia returned to Tingyun's former bedroom. Just as she turned on the light, she discovered a golden figure sitting before the sofa. Strange… in broad daylight, how could someone trespass into a residence?
"Another Stellaron Core eruption, another mind-beguiling secret transmission of the Yaowang, and a Lord Ravager to boot—what a grand array."
The golden figure slowly rose. Phantylia heard the familiar voice, and her instinctive reaction was to bolt without hesitation, as if fear was carved into her very bones. If only she had the [Abundance] body obtained from the Arbor of Exalting, with Lord Nanook's bestowed power, how could she fear a mere [Eternity] Emanator?
The key was that she had nothing right now! It was like a game where you planned to develop properly, waiting until the economy was strong before launching a full-scale harvest on the enemy. In the end, you look over and see that the opponent's economy is several times higher, and their equipment is complete—the kind that gets a 13.0 rating after the match, completely unbeatable.
Phantylia knew the gap in strength with Blake all too well. Fight and she couldn't win; run and she couldn't escape. He could precisely locate her position. In this situation, there might only be one way to survive: go find [Nihility].
Mm… Seems like death either way.
Encountering anyone else would have been fine—even the Astral Express crew, Phantylia was confident she could withdraw unscathed. Of all people, she runs into an [Eternity] Emanator. This damn matching mechanism.
Just like [The Hunt]'s Lan, [Eternity]'s Ite paid great attention to mortals, almost without reservation granting power to the Eternity Church. If you asked where the Lord Ravagers surpassed the church… perhaps only in numbers could they crush them.
...
Evernight Pavilion Square.
"The hexagram fluctuates, between Dui and Kan. The boat's journey is arduous, feet mired and unmoving."
At Evernight Pavilion Square, Fu Xuan stopped her steps, turning back to Dan Heng, who was escorting Kafka.
"This seat just divined a hexagram. It indicates a discrepancy with the current state. It seems today we cannot ride the starskiff straight to the Divination Commission. That side is also afflicted by the Stellaron Core, and some trouble has arisen," she explained.
"Sigh, without me presiding, who knows what chaos has befallen the commission interior… I'll go ahead one step to prepare the interrogation. Farewell."
"What about her?" Dan Heng pointed to Kafka, whose hands were locked in shackles.
"The prisoner must for now stay by my side without deviating a single step; this is Jing Yuan's order."
"The General also said that during Kafka's interrogation, you and your companions must be present."
"You underestimate this seat too much. A promise is worth a thousand gold! Even if the heavens collapse, I will certainly keep my word… of course, the probability of that is infinitesimally small," Fu Xuan said, her mouth twitching slightly. Jing Yuan is only digging pits for me; the day I become General is far off…
"To make this prisoner [speak], the Divination Commission must employ special means. The matter involves secrets and cannot be disclosed. Please forgive us, but this seat swears: even when ready, the interrogation will absolutely not begin without you all present."
"Preparation work will take at least one day. At that time, I will assign a disciple to wait here. Once internal affairs are sorted, I will send word to have the guide lead you all into the Divination Commission. Please all patiently wait…"
"What's wrong?" Seeing Fu Xuan suddenly go silent, Dan Heng followed her gaze, thinking she had spotted that dangerous man.
"That's the disciple I will assign."
Fu Xuan gritted her teeth, looking at Qingque playing jade tiles not far away. So these past few days of not showing up to the Divination Commission, she's just been squatting here playing jade?!