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General Assf- Yingxing was not kidding when he said he could depend on Master Diviner Fu Xuan, who technically could be the only one competent in her job. She showed it when she caught Yukong the Stellaron Hunter effortlessly. Dan Heng remembered when Yukong fired her arrows above, only for Fu Xuan to use whatever power she had to prevent everyone from getting holed through by the projectiles.
Standing above the Matrix of Prescience is Yukong - the very woman who created and left Dan Heng in the Space Station. She is the same Stellaron Hunter who stole Herta’s Stellaron and inserted it in his chest, giving him life. She is the same woman who lured them here, the same woman Dan Heng has an urge to punch just for bringing them away from their intended destination for some script.
“Let's begin.” Fu Xuan said, making a few hand gestures as the Matrix began to spin. The core - with Yukong in it - began to gleam with her power. Her third eye blazed with power, extracting whatever information Yukong had.
Yukong seems anything but worried. In fact, she looked nonchalant, ignorant even. It was as if it was in her intention to get caught.
Dan Heng saw Fu Xuan’s face twist, seemingly in fear. The glimmer in her third eye and the Matrix intensified. It was almost blinding them, almost burning their eyes.
Suddenly, Fu Xuan gasped, her chest heaving as the Matrix stopped spinning. The glimmer began to die down. She looks at Yukong with horror - such a facial expression that seems uncharacteristic for a stern woman like her.
“That's why… You're here?” She panted.
The Matrix lowered Yukong down, finally stopping its operation. However, the Stellaron Hunter remained tied up by her cuffs. She still looks nonchalant despite the tense environment she may have caused, which only riled Dan Heng up even more.
“You may ask her anything.” Fu Xuan faced him, “But whatever she says, take it with a grain of salt.”. She walks away, urging Dan Heng to confront Yukong.
Dan Heng nods before walking to the now-dormant Matrix, facing Yukong. The woman never smiled at anyone. However, chills go down his back as she smiles at him of all people - like a fox showing a prelude before she reveals her traps. For now, he would take Fu Xuan's advice.
“I'm sorry you had to see me in such a state.” Yukong said, with a weary smile. Her voice was as anything I remembered.
“What are you doing here? What is your endgame?” Still, Dan Heng kept up a stern front, refusing to fall under her (motherly) charms. He kept his guard up. He barely resisted the urge to whip out his bo-staff, not wanting to cause more chaos than usual.
“What else? It is to bring the Astral Express to the Luofu even if it's through getting caught, getting Jing Yuan arrested… It is all what Elio wanted.” Yukong answered, “The power of the Hunt is an incredible asset that may prove useful to you and the Express someday, so I had you and the Express come here to establish a connection between the Nameless and the Alliance.”.
“So, what is it to us, Yukong?” Dan Heng asked, still using his stern voice. However, he could feel his facade wavering at every second he faced this woman.
“Elio still holds information that none of us can uncover until we reach that point, Dan Heng.” Yukong answered, “But if there is one thing you should know about the end is that: you will face Nanook the Destruction. Since you will face an Aeon, you will need all the help you can get. If we follow Elio’s plan, the possibilities of survival are increased.”.
Dan Heng was silenced. I would fight the Aeon of Destruction? Was that who drew his gaze upon me for the first time? He remembered that golden gaze, his wounds dripping with ichor blood. The Stellaron that pulses in him resonated with Nanook’s gaze as it grew out of control. Had it gone out of control any longer, he would've destroyed the Space Station.
“You know, Dan Heng, even Aeons can be killed.” Yukong said, “Long the Permanence, Idrila the Beauty, Ena the Order, Tazzyronth the Propagation,... Akivili the Trailblaze… Such names were once known in the cosmos, but when they all perished, they left behind masterless paths, but never the stories they are known for.”.
“How?” Dan Heng asked, “How can Aeons be killed if they are beings of godly proportions?”.
“One: Fusion.” Kafka listed one way, “Overlapping concepts, thus why Ena the Order was absorbed by Xipe the Harmony.”.
“Two: War between Aeons.” And another, “The stronger side will annihilate the weak, thus why Tazzyronth the Propagation was killed. Under the guidance of the Hunt, the Xianzhou aimed to destroy the abominations the Abundance created.”.
“Abominations? Mara strucks?” Dan Heng remembered them. They are either conscious or as dead as they can get despite the long life status. However, at the end of the day, it is said they fall under the abominations befalling their kind.
“Exactly.” Yukong nodded, “The first charioteers of the Xianzhou Alliance were the Elixir Seekers, who aimed to search for Yaoshi’s blessings to seek immortality. When they found the Aeon, immortality became a curse, resulting in the beasts you encounter and the growth of the Ambrosial Arbor.”.
“So, they tried to kill the Abundance? But how?” Dan Heng asked. It seems he was still drawn to Yukong’s stories.
“The Hunt appeared, shooting their arrow which stopped the growth of the Ambrosial Arbor.” Yukong answered, “Ever since, the Xianzhou followed the Hunt in pursuit of the Abundance to kill them once and for all.”.
As Dan Heng was about to ask the third way to kill an Aeon, the ground shook. The roots below them tangled with the foundations of the Matrix. The tree trunk began to grow uncontrollably.
“It has begun.” Yukong laughed.
Dan Heng could only stare in horror as the branches of the tree grew, the “leaves” now falling like autumn. The Ambrosial Arbor began towered over them. It could even possibly encompass the whole Fleet in terms of height.
He faced Yukong, only for the latter’s restraints to release her. She began walking towards the edge. Dan Heng growled before running towards them, unveiling his bo-staff to fight anyone who stops him.
However, a black-haired man with blue eyes clad in traditional white Xianzhou armor pointed his spear at him, stopping Dan Heng from charging completely. His lazy smile looks eerie as if he has any intention to cut Dan Heng down. So, this was Jing Yuan - the man wanted by the whole Luofu and the Stellaron Hunter that they caught prior to Yukong.
“Don't try fighting him, Yuan.” Yukong ordered. Suddenly, “Yuan” lowered his spear before facing the former. “We've got other places to be.” She said, before she decided to free fall with her back first.
Jing Yuan followed, his spear seemingly propelling him faster. Dan Heng could only stare at the trail they left. He does not know where exactly they would fall, but he knows they would survive.
“Damn it.” Dan Heng cursed, staring at the still rapidly growing Ambrosial Arbor.