Yingxing subconsciously lowered the hand holding the jade communicator and stared blankly at the one person and one dragon in front of him who kept dropping massive revelations one after another.
He saw the High Elder completely abandon his usual arrogance, speaking with a deeply emotional tone Yingxing had never heard before as he talked about the past with Zero,
"At that time, the Vidyadhara couldn't control the power of the Dragon Ancestor, and the Tang Sea became increasingly dangerous…"
Dan Feng had long noticed Yingxing's uncertain and shocked gaze.
But he had no time to worry about his friend.
This time, besides stalling Zero, Dan Feng had another objective.
The moment Zero met him face-to-face, he had already seen through Dan Feng's plans.
But seeing through something was one thing. Saying it out loud was another.
If Dan Feng's idea succeeded, then by using the Vidyadhara's internal methods, he could extend his friend's lifespan while also increasing the Vidyadhara population.
In that case, whether it was the Xianzhou, which avoided "immortality" and opposed abominations, or the dragon elders who didn't get along with Dan Feng, neither side would be able to find fault.
However, the box Yingxing brought back from the battlefield immediately changed the nature of the matter.
Dan Feng guessed that inside it was very likely the target of this expedition... Shuhu.
Other than an Emanator of Abundance, what else could survive neutron radiation?
After reaching this conclusion, cold sweat broke out across his back.
By sheer accident, he and Yingxing had brought an Emanator of Abundance into the Luofu! Into Scalegorge Waterscape.
If they had walked a few more steps inward… they would have reached the "Plagues Author's remains" sealed by Imbibitor Lunae.
If Shuhu came into contact with the Ambrosial Arbor…
Dan Feng forced himself to pull his thoughts back.
With Zero here, Shuhu would definitely not be able to stir up trouble again.
This matter could be big or small. It all depended on Zero's attitude.
At worst, it would mean Imbibitor Lunae had violated the alliance, and the Vidyadhara would once again face the same difficulties they had when they first joined the Xianzhou.
At best, it would mean the Abundance Emanator Shuhu had been deceitful and cunning, tricking the Master Artisan and the High Elder to sneak into the Luofu.
And Zero's attitude was already very clear. By bringing up the alliance himself, he was also subtly warning the Vidyadhara and giving Dan Feng a way out.
As long as a reasonable explanation could be given, the matter could easily be smoothed over.
Right now, Dan Feng had to make the big issue small, and the small issue disappear.
This wasn't just for himself. It was also for Yingxing, and for the entire Vidyadhara race.
Dan Feng lowered his eyes and revealed a bitter smile at the right moment.
"To be honest, whether it was thousands of years ago or now, the Vidyadhara have never truly been qualified to become allies of the Xianzhou."
"What does the 'Plagues Author's remains' sealed by me and the other four High Elders even amount to…?"
Dan Feng forced himself to continue speaking flattering words to Zero, "It was you who gave us a place to stay..."
Zero thought to himself, 'This acting… is way too clumsy.'
'If you've never said flattering things before, then don't say them.'
He couldn't listen anymore.
Zero turned his head first, avoiding Dan Feng's gaze.
Yingxing's mind went completely blank.
He struggled to sort out the key information from their conversation. Combining it with various things his friends had mentioned in casual chats, he finally managed to piece things together.
Yingxing turned to look toward the direction of the Imbibitor Lunae statue placed within Scalegorge Waterscape.
Wait, Zero is the former Marshal who suggested killing all opposition to the High Elder.
And the "Reignbow Arbiter" followed by the Xianzhou and the Galaxy Rangers actually answered his call whenever summoned?
Yingxing slowly turned back and stared blankly at the two of them.
He had studied under the general of Zhu Ming and spent his days thinking about how to improve his forging skills.
Because he was a short-life species, aside from the weapons recorded in Xianzhou history books, Yingxing knew almost nothing about the rest of history.
Yingxing racked his brain.
What was it that Jing Yuan said?
The former Marshal had commanded the Xianzhou for thousands of years. At the same time, he had also been the longest-serving overseer of the Interastral Peace Council. He had led the Xianzhou to end the Emperor's War and eradicate the source of the Swarm Disaster…
Yingxing murmured, "Zero…"
Zero and Dan Feng both looked toward him when they heard.
After calling his name, Yingxing didn't know what else to say.
That legendary leader recorded in the archives was actually standing right in front of him.
Yingxing felt dizzy, countless thoughts flashing through his mind. After a long silence, he finally forced out one sentence, "So you're the strongest human who made the entire universe tremble..."
Zero, "..."
Dan Feng, "..."
Aha's expression twisted. Holding the box in one hand, He raised the other and tightly covered His mouth.
If He dared laugh at a time like this… His life would be over! He'd die right here on the Luofu.
There was a knife in His best friend's coat pocket.
Aha carefully observed with the corner of His eye.
Zero's face showed no expression, but his hands hanging at his sides were clenched into fists.
Based on Aha's understanding of his best friend… he probably wished he could dig a hole and bury himself on the spot, right?
The man with dragon horns on his head suddenly lost control of his expression. He opened his mouth, about to say something, but Zero interrupted him, "Dan Feng, your acting is too clumsy."
Without changing expression, Zero extended one hand toward Aha.
Aha understood and immediately handed him the box.
Zero took the box and asked in a deep voice, "Yingxing, where did you find this?"
Dan Feng instantly relaxed.
He knew Yingxing too well.
Aside from forging, Yingxing simply couldn't think about multiple things at the same time!
With this interruption, Yingxing definitely wouldn't keep asking about Zero's identity for a while! If he said a few more lines about the strongest human… how could he possibly stall until Jingliu returned?
Sure enough, after hearing this, Yingxing subconsciously began answering Zero's questions.
From time to time, Zero asked for details, such as whether Yingxing had directly touched the object inside the box, and the full process of how the weapon had been used at the time.
After getting his answers, Zero casually handed the box back to Aha.
"Dan Feng, skip the flattery."
His tone was gentle, but his words were not polite at all.
"Don't lie to me."
"After learning what was inside that box, did you ever think about using it?"
Facing Zero's gaze that seemed to see through everything, Dan Feng tried his best to suppress the urge to look away.
His Adam's apple bobbed as he raised his eyes to meet Zero's.
Dan Feng shook his head.
"Marshal, I never thought about using Shuhu."
Hearing this, Yingxing sucked in a sharp breath and looked at the box in disbelief.
'Shuhu wasn't dead?! He had actually brought an Emanator of Abundance back to the Luofu?!'
Dan Feng said firmly, "I have always remembered the alliance I made with you. The Vidyadhara will never betray the Xianzhou Alliance and the Reignbow Arbiter."
He held Zero's gaze. After a moment, Zero looked away.
For some reason, Zero's voice carried a trace of coldness.
"In that case, I will also fulfill my promise and do everything I can to help Imbibitor Lunae."
"In exchange, do three things for me."
Dan Feng nodded without hesitation.
He knew this matter was already half resolved.
Dan Feng no longer needed to worry about Yingxing or the Vidyadhara.
Next… he only needed to stall for time.
Aha hugged the box and leaned closer, pretending to be confused.
"Best friend, why can't I understand any of this?"
Zero was silent for a moment before replying, "There is another option."
Aha's eyes lit up.
Had his best friend changed his mind?
He continued asking, "What option?"
Zero said calmly, "Fail one more time."
Aha stopped talking.
Fail one more time… didn't that mean starting the engine and drawing them again?
Wait, how did his best friend's thoughts circle back to the Aether Phase Engine again?
Dan Feng didn't know the inside story and didn't understand the hidden meaning between the two, so he simply waited quietly for Zero's instructions.
Zero turned toward Dan Feng, "Now, the first thing. Answer a few questions."
"The Vidyadhara are descendants of the Aeon of Permanence. Rather than long-life species, they are closer to being undying beings. If the Aeon of Permanence were to grant a blessing to humans..."
As he was speaking, Yingxing's mind finally finished processing the shocking information about Shuhu. After recovering, he looked at Zero and suddenly asked, "Zero, are you planning to break up with Jingliu?"
Zero turned his head toward Yingxing.
"How could that be?"
Dan Feng thought to himself, 'That's right, you're not planning to break up with Jingliu. You're planning to make her a widow.'
[🎉 Shoutout to Paulius and CJ for joining p@treon. Thank you for keeping me motivated.🤗]