"...He really changed back!?"
Bailu's tiny hands covered her mouth in shock.
She had treated Mara-Struck patients before, but all she could ever do was suppress the outbreak temporarily with her own power.
To actually reverse a full outbreak turning the afflicted back into their original form, such a miraculous feat was something she had never seen before!
"..."
Even Jing Yuan's eyes widened.
Had the Mara-Struck condition truly been reversed?
Could the miracle that the Xianzhou Alliance had prayed for through the ages finally be within reach?
Jing Yuan took a step forward, ready to inspect the now-restored Cloud Knight Yuan Quan, but Xueyi moved to stop him.
"General, please—do not approach."
Xueyi crouched beside Yuan Quan, carefully examining him.
"This person is... for the moment no longer a Mara-Struck."
She rose to her feet and gave her assessment calmly.
"However, my inspection is not exhaustive. He must be taken to the Ten Lords Commission for judgment and verification before a conclusion can be made."
Though her tone was neutral, within the mechanical shell of her puppet form, Xueyi's soul trembled at the sight of such a miracle.
Once, she too had lost control to the Mara-Struck affliction.
If not for the Ten Lords mercy, she would have long perished beneath the Arbiter-General blade.
She knew too well how dangerous Mara-Struck could be.
Moreover, according to the Book of Life and Death, Yuan Quan's lifespan was not meant to end here.
That meant someone had deliberately induced the Mara within him.
"Indeed."
Jing Yuan nodded in agreement and stepped back, allowing Xueyi and the Ten Lords guards to escort Yuan Quan away.
A miracle like this, witnessed with his own eyes.
Soon, the Ten Lords Commission would uncover whether X and Daichi method could truly save the Xianzhou.
From X's perspective, when Yuan Quan was struck by the Purify Wave.
He saw negative energy spilling out from the man's body, dissipating into the void under the light's influence.
X disengaged from fusion, and Daichi's figure reappeared before the others.
"You two have given not just Luofu, but the entire Xianzhou a tremendous surprise!"
Jing Yuan approached Daichi with a smile.
"Now, we await the Ten Lords' verdict. They are the experts on Mara-Struck cases. If what you claim proves true, if your method can restore those afflicted back to humanity—then you two will become the greatest benefactors of the Xianzhou."
[However, the Purify Wave cannot completely cure what you call the Mara-Struck illness.]
Jing Yuan listened silently, his expression solemn as X continued speaking.
[I have examined his body. Under the influence of the Purify Wave, the negative emotions accumulated within him have been dispersed, and his body has recovered.]
[But this successful treatment does not mean he will never relapse. In fact, based on your own descriptions of its pathology—recurrence is inevitable.]
Earlier, X and Daichi had studied the Xianzhou's history: their pursuit of immortality from Abundance, their resentment of Abundance once the Mara-Struck curse took hold.
X made no judgment on their moral choices, viewing it purely through a scientific lens.
In genetic terms, the Xianzhou people had developed a mutation after attaining eternal life.
This defect manifested as a physical transformation triggered when negative emotions accumulated beyond tolerance—turning them into the "abominations of Abundance" they feared.
The Purify Wave could reverse this because it cleared all negative emotion. Without emotional fuel, the Mara-Struck form could not be sustained.
But this was merely like reformatting an overheated computer—use it the same way again, and it will eventually crash once more.
That was why X said recurrence was inevitable.
The only true way to prevent Mara-Struck from ever occurring again…would be to eliminate all possibility of emotional buildup among the Xianzhou people.
But that was impossible.
Even in the Kingdom of Light, there had been two warriors who betrayed the light and embraced the dark.
Of course, there was another possibility—finding a way to erase the genetic flaw itself.
The Xianzhou Alliance had long considered that route, but even their ally the Genius Society, with all the wisdom of the cosmos had failed to solve it.
Perhaps all they could do now was await a "genius" willing to devote their mind to curing this ancient affliction.
"So, according to X your method serves more as suppression than a cure."
Jing Yuan's serious tone softened into a faint smile.
"That alone is enough, my benefactors."
He lowered his gaze toward X Devizer.
"For thousands of years, the Xianzhou people have endured the suffering of Mara-Struck. So many lives lost whether to the disease itself or to the battles it caused."
He sighed.
"The Alliance has suffered under Mara-Struck for far too long. Your arrival brings the first dawn of hope. Even if it only suppresses the illness, it is still a step forward."
"Perhaps we cannot yet cure Mara-Struck. But someday, a doctor or scholar inspired by your method may find the true answer."
[If we can help, then it's worth it.]
X's screen flickered, and a beam of light extended from it.
Falling gently into Jing Yuan's hands.
[This is a stored Purify Wave. You may analyze and study it.]
He explained calmly.
Daichi had once told him stories of his future, of a team that had been dear to him: Team XIO.
According to Daichi, they were an extraordinary group.
United, loyal, and invaluable in battle.
One of them, Dr. Gourman could recreate the Baradhi Shield armor after just one glance at Ultimate Zero.
If such being could replicate advanced technology from mere observation, then surely the Xianzhou could decipher this light wave too.
After all, as the saying goes.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
"This… truly is a precious gift."
Jing Yuan said quietly.
He held the light in his palms. It wasn't blinding—it was gentle.
As he touched it, a warmth spread from his hands throughout his body, even clearing the fatigue clouding his mind.
Memories surfaced—once painful ones but under this light, he felt peace instead of sorrow.
So this was its true power: not just suppression, but severing the root cause of Mara-Struck.
Cutting off the tree from its poisoned roots.
He chuckled softly.
"Ah… after feeling that, I think I can stay on duty a little longer. Hopefully Fu Xuan won't nag me about retirement again."
Jing Yuan now fully understood how valuable this light was.
Just as X said, it could not cure the disease but it could contain it.
If the Xianzhou could replicate it and the people received regular exposure, they might finally keep Mara-Struck under control.
But first, they would need the Ten Lords Commission's report on Yuan Quan's condition after recovery.
If all is well, Jing Yuan could already foresee what would follow.
The Alliance would devote all resources and perhaps even enlist the Genius Society to study and harness this light wave.
Holding that radiant hope in his hands, Jing Yuan looked back toward Daichi and X.
He remembered what X had said when they first met.
To walk in Preservation, to follow the path of protection, to selflessly guard what one cherishes—that is the duty of a follower of Preservation.
Looking at them both, Jing Yuan couldn't help but think: all were followers of the Aeon, yet how vastly different they could be.
Clutching the light, he said solemnly.
"On behalf of the Xianzhou Alliance, I accept this gift."
Daichi nodded.
"If it can help the Xianzhou, that's all that matters."
—————————————————
As they awaited the results from the Ten Lords Commission, Daichi and X passed the time idly at home.
"Hey X, didn't we get a Doomsday Beast Spark Doll after we beat that thing?"
Daichi, basking in sunlight on the balcony suddenly remembered the Spark Doll he'd nearly forgotten.
[That Spark Doll? I stored it's data earlier.]
A stream of data flowed across X Devizer, and a small lifelike Doomsday Beast figure appeared in Daichi's hand.
He examined it closely, it looked almost real.
Well, that's because it was made from the real Doomsday Beast.
Daichi set the Spark Doll atop X Devizer screen.
Of course, the simple device didn't have the same emotion-analysis function as those shown on TV.
[Daichi, what are you planning with that Spark Doll?]
"I was thinking… maybe we can turn it into a piece of battle armor for you."
[You mean the kind that lets me channel a virtual monster's power to transform?]
"Exactly. It just feels like our battles are missing something without it…"
[That's a strange idea.]
Having never worn armor before, X sounded puzzled.
"But, well… without Team XIO or someone like Dr. Gourman around, I guess that idea's stuck for now…"
Daichi lifted the terminal toward the sun. Its light gleamed across X's screen, almost as if it were whispering inspiration to him.
"Hmm…"
He studied the terminal intently—then his eyes lit up.
"Right! If there's no Dr. Gourman then you can be the one, X!"
[Me?]
"Yeah! You already converted the Doomsday Beast Spark Doll into data before, right? So maybe you can turn that data into power for yourself!"
"Armor would be a huge help in battle! If you could really convert the Spark Doll into an Cyber Card, we'd have so many more options!"
[Convert the Spark Doll into an Cyber Card… interesting. I'll try!]
The screen flashed several times. The figure dissolved into streams of light and data, merging back into the terminal.
[Channel it's energy… no, that doesn't work…]
[Absorption—also fails…]
[Armor—maybe if it attaches to the body's surface…]
[Extract its traits… adjust parameters… now, like this…]
As X muttered to himself, the terminal suddenly flared with light.
A faint pattern appeared across the surface—and then with a soft click, a card slid out from the screen.
[It's done!]
X's voice rang with excitement.
Daichi snatched the card mid-air and inspected it, it bore the image of the Cyber Doomsday Beast upper body, gleaming faintly with energy.