The image of Leon flashed through Jing Yuan's mind. Just as he was about to explain, footsteps approached from behind.
The Astral Express trio, along with Tingyun and Qingque, were walking toward them.
Jing Yuan's thoughts shifted, and he changed his words with a smile:
"At a time when we need all hands on deck, since the Stellaron Hunters intend to forge an alliance between the Express and us, I won't hold back."
Seeing Jing Yuan's warm, smiling expression, Stelle suddenly grinned with relief.
"March, you ready? We're about to be put to work again."
March 7th laughed too.
"I knew it. The moment the General smiles, we're getting sent on errands."
"It's my fault for having extra expectations of the General," Fu Xuan said, looking at Jing Yuan, her voice rising half a pitch.
"Do us a favor, will you? These elite allies are being used way too often. Is there no one else available on the Luofu?"
Jing Yuan stayed silent, only smiling at Fu Xuan.
On the surface, nothing showed, but inwardly, he sighed repeatedly.
He wanted to do them a favor…
But the mess left by the Luofu's successive crises didn't allow him to.
If he kept playing nice, this Xianzhou would explode.
The arrival of the Astral Express's Nameless wasn't just a cherry on top—it was a lifeline in a snowstorm.
If he didn't rely on that lifeline for warmth, they'd freeze to death.
Not only did he need to use elite allies, he needed to use all of them!
By chance, there wasn't just one chariot piece on the chessboard.
Jing Yuan thought this must also be part of Leon's hinted strategy.
Fu Xuan, unaware of this, saw Jing Yuan staring at her without speaking and nearly stomped her foot in frustration.
"You… why are you staring at me?"
"I must remind the General that the Ambrosial Arbor's location is a closely guarded secret. Letting outsiders access it—"
"Breaks the rules, right?"
Jing Yuan finally spoke, his expression nonchalant.
"And I must remind Fu Xuan: the Xianzhou exists before its rules. In times of crisis, use the rules if they fit; discard them if they don't."
As the General, the Matrix of Prescience Ultima falling into disarray twice wasn't entirely unrelated to him—at the very least, he was complicit.
If he was willing to scheme against even the Six Charioteers, going all-in to trap the wolf, the Ambrosial Arbor … was naturally no exception.
Of course, these thoughts Jing Yuan could only mull over in his mind.
Saying them aloud would be like flipping the table, slapping the faces of the Alliance's old guard.
Just then, Jing Yuan's expression froze briefly before quickly recovering.
Fu Xuan, who'd been watching him closely, didn't miss the change.
Noticing his projection becoming slightly sluggish, she frowned.
He should still be at the Seat of Divine Foresight. Why this expression? Had another unexpected situation arisen?
Before Fu Xuan could ponder for more than a few seconds, Jing Yuan's projection spoke again.
"By the way, I'm about to make a decision that breaks the rules."
"Hm, maybe more than one. Haha, it's quite thrilling to think about."
Truly, Brother Leon lived up to his reputation.
Not long after arriving at the Alchemy Commission, he carved a path to its inner sanctum, left a positioning marker, and swiftly sent a notification.
What a huge help!
The Cloud Knights had stabilized most of the chaotic domains but struggled to locate the Alchemy Commission's domain.
Now, they could finally follow the marker to enter it.
"Fu Xuan, I'm entrusting you with the command token. You'll lead the Cloud Knights to storm the Alchemy Commission's domain and eliminate the internal threat."
Fu Xuan's furrowed brows shot up, her expression one of utter shock.
"Me? Lead the troops? And the Alchemy Commission… wasn't it untraceable?"
"Haven't you always wanted to try what it's like to be a General?"
"As for the Alchemy Commission's domain… with the help of an elite ally, we've found it. I'll send you the coordinates shortly."
"Huh?"
Old Toby felt his brain starting to smoke.
"Another expert?"
He was certain the elite ally Jing Yuan mentioned wasn't their group.
"Could it be Dan Heng? Does he know Dan Heng's back on the Luofu?"
"But that doesn't add up. Unless Dan Heng and Jing Yuan knew each other before and had a deep connection."
"And that's assuming their relationship isn't bad."
"But the fact is, Dan Heng was banned from entering the Xianzhou Luofu, so Jing Yuan's relationship with him is likely… well, who knows!"
Old Toby's mind was wrestling with itself.
"After all, those in high positions often can't act freely, right?"
The livestream audience pondered and agreed it made sense.
[Could it be Leon?]
[Don't be silly. Leon's recovering on the Express.]
[Who says he couldn't sneak off and enter the Luofu?]
[If Leon came to the Luofu, he'd have his own perspective storyline like Dan Heng. There's none so far.]
[I agree. It's unlikely Leon's here. Otherwise, the Xianzhou arc would have three perspectives, which would be confusing.]
Stelle raised an eyebrow: "So we're not the elite allies?"
"No, no, you are all indispensable elite allies as well," Jing Yuan said with a sly smile.
"You never let me lead troops before. Why the sudden change?"
Before finishing, Fu Xuan seemed to realize something, her expression quickly turning serious.
"Understood. I'll do as you say."
March 7th: "So what does the General want us to do?"
Jing Yuan: "It's not about ordering you—it's a request, an open and honest invitation. I'm inviting you all to join the operation to seal the Stellaron."
"Fu Xuan will deploy the Cloud Knights, but I'd like you to take the lead, using a shortcut through the Artisanship Commission to reach the Alchemy Commission's coordinates and rendezvous with Fu Xuan."
Stelle: "You're every bit the General—really know how to put people to work."
March 7th: "Sigh, you really don't treat us like outsiders."
Stelle: "After all this free labor, shouldn't we call it quits?"
"I, Jing Yuan, am not one to forget gratitude. The Luofu faces a great crisis, yet you've stayed by our side, braving danger without hesitation."
"I deeply admire that. However, with the situation so urgent and the enemy at hand, if I were to haggle with you now—"
"Wouldn't that diminish your kindness and shame the Luofu?"
"Once the crisis is resolved, we'll definitely discuss rewards."
"No big deal. When your banner drops in the second half, my request's simple: a double five-star in ten pulls," Old Toby said hopefully.
[For real, just come out of the banner obediently—that's the biggest reward.]
Jing Yuan: "I'll have to trouble Miss Tingyun to guide our guests a bit longer."
Tingyun smiled and agreed.
"It's my duty, and I'm happy to oblige."
Fu Xuan glanced at the blue-clad girl trying to blend into the background, minimizing her presence.
"Qingque."
"…What does Master Diviner command?" Qingque instinctively stood at attention.
"Go to the library and retrieve the records on the Ambrosial Arbor to give to the Nameless."
Having understood Jing Yuan's intent, there was no need to hide this classified information from their allies.
"Your orders, I obey! Honored guests, please follow me."
Stelle and the others followed Qingque to the library, and within minutes, they had the Ambrosial Arbor intel in hand.
Qingque: "I was planning to take you all around after the Divination Commission closed for the day and teach Mr. Yang how to play cards."
"Sigh, who would've thought a big ol' tree branch would suddenly tear through the sky? Scared me half to death."
"Life's just like that, full of surprises."
Stelle nodded quietly: "Surprises always weave through life, don't they? I get it."
Welt: "I appreciate your kindness, Miss Qingque, but the card game will have to wait for another time."
Qingque: "Mm, mm, you all have important tasks ahead. I wouldn't dream of delaying you with trivial matters. I know my priorities."
"You all better come back safe, okay? When you do, come find me in Exalting Sanctum to hang out~~"
Stelle's eye twitched.
Exalting Sanctum, not the Divination Commission…
The subtext was that she sneaks out to slack off every day!
And she hasn't been fired by Master Diviner Fu Xuan yet—could it be…?