Chapter 161: Stelle, Caelus: We Beat Up Aha? That's Freaking Awesome!
"You… you truly don't know what's going on?" Fu Xuan asked, her gaze sweeping over March 7th with suspicion before locking back onto Leon.
After all, those five… individuals… had all arrived with him. She paused, a thought striking her with the force of a physical blow. Wait… how could someone who travels so calmly with five Aeons possibly be an ordinary person?
Even an Emanator couldn't command such a procession.
Which meant… Fu Xuan's eyes bored into Leon's face, searching for any crack in his serene facade.
Leon, noticing her intense stare, simply offered a gentle, disarming smile in return. So handsome, a stray thought flitted through her mind before she ruthlessly quashed it. No, now was not the time for such distractions.
Only an Aeon can walk side-by-side with another Aeon.
Could it be? Was Leon also an Aeon?
But the sea of stars hadn't witnessed the birth of a new god in a very long time, not since Nanook's ascension… No, wait… Fu Xuan's mind began to race, frantically connecting disparate threads of cosmic lore. Perhaps she needed to reframe the question. What kind of existence could possibly "pull" five Aeons to the Xianzhou for a "team-building" trip?
A name suddenly surfaced from the deepest archives of her memory.
Akivili, the Aeon of Trailblaze—the fallen deity.
If it were Akivili, everything would click into place. Fu Xuan had read obscure records detailing how Nanook, the Aeon of Destruction, was once a fervent admirer of Akivili before his own ascension. If Leon was the returned Trailblazer, it would hardly be surprising that Nanook would follow him.
As for Aha… everyone knew of the deep, chaotic friendship He shared with Akivili. The Lord of Joy had even been a passenger on the Astral Express for a time.
And what of Nous, Qlipoth, and Fuli? While she hadn't heard of any close ties they shared with the Trailblaze, she had glimpsed scattered records of a particular incident: Aha and Akivili had apparently once driven the Astral Express straight into the Amber Lord's celestial fortifications.
As for why The Erudition and The Remembrance had come along… Fu Xuan couldn't piece that part together just yet.
But the more she considered it, the more the theory solidified in her mind. This felt like the truth.
"Hey, hey, Fu Xuan, what's with that look? How could we possibly know what's going on!" March 7th protested, scratching her head in genuine confusion. She then added offhandedly, "It's not like several Aeons actually came to the Xianzhou Luofu for 'team-building,' right?"
Leon's smile froze for a fraction of a second. 'And you claim you're not cheating? I want to see your hand! Let me check your cards!'
Fu Xuan's expression hardened. 'And you claim you don't know?'
She stared intently at March 7th's face, which was a mask of pure, wide-eyed innocence. For a moment, Fu Xuan couldn't tell if the girl was truly oblivious or simply a master actress.
And if Leon really was the returned Akivili… what was her next move?
"That's right," Fu Xuan took a deep, steadying breath, making a snap judgment. "You guessed correctly."
From the looks of it, the Astral Express crew was unaware of Leon's true identity. In that case, her best course of action was to pretend she didn't know, either—even if her gut screamed that her theory was correct.
But the matter of the other five Aeons… that had to be made clear.
The crew was stunned into silence.
"Is the Grand Diviner joking?" Welt asked, adjusting his glasses as his tone grew cautious.
"I'm not joking…"
Kafka's leisurely voice cut through the tension. An elegant, unbothered smile remained on her lips, as if she didn't know the meaning of fear. Which, to be fair, she didn't.
"That was said by Elio himself."
"Ahhh???" March 7th's brain short-circuited, unable to process the confirmation.
"Wow, March, you even guessed that? That's amazing!" Stelle, however, was already giving her an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
"Wait, wait… let me get this straight…" Qingque's pupils had shrunk to pinpricks, and her voice trembled. "Grand Diviner, those five people… could they be…"
She was clever, after all; otherwise, Fu Xuan wouldn't have been grooming her as a potential successor. From the Grand Diviner's reactions and pointed questions, Qingque had already pieced together the terrifying truth.
"Yes…" Fu Xuan looked at her subordinate, a sense of shared misery passing between them. "If I'm not mistaken… they are indeed here on the Xianzhou for 'team-building'…"
She took another breath, listing them off like a death sentence. "The Aeon of Destruction, the Aeon of Erudition, the Aeon of Preservation, the Aeon of Remembrance, the Aeon of Elation… and the Stellaron Hunter."
Fu Xuan had almost blurted out Nanook's title, Progenitor of Destruction. But remembering that the entity in question might still be on the Luofu, she quickly corrected herself.
Qingque's legs gave out. She swayed, barely able to stand. "I-I… I, Qingque, have truly made it… I played Celestial Jade with three Aeons all afternoon… and I even won four rounds…"
Leon instinctively reached out, steadying her before she could collapse.
Wait. No.
Qingque's head snapped up, her eyes wide with a new wave of horror as she stared at Leon. These five Aeons… he had brought them all here.
Which meant he… Oh, heavens. Today, she hadn't just played cards with Aeons; she had also been casually supported by another being who was very likely an Aeon himself.
Welt felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. He now fully understood why Fu Xuan and Qingque looked ready to faint; their reaction was perfectly normal. As the pieces clicked into place, he also understood why that prisoner being escorted had reacted so strangely near the space anchor, and why he seemed to exude two different presences.
That man in the suit wearing a smiley-face mask… was Aha.
And if that person was Aha, then the other four were indeed Aeons as well.
This was beyond terrifying. Of course, Welt had only seen four of them. At the time, Fuli had been disguised as a Cloud Knight, her face hidden by a helmet, so he hadn't seen her true appearance. If he had, her current form would have sent another jolt through him.
Welt adjusted his glasses again, unable to help but offer a silent prayer for the Xianzhou Luofu.
He hoped they could withstand this.
Suddenly, the lingering threat of the Ambrosial Arbor seemed so insignificant. That was merely the remnant of a dead Aeon. But right now, on the Xianzhou Luofu, there were five living Aeons.
And… they had all been brought here by Leon.
Welt was no fool. In that single instant, his mind raced through a dozen different implications, each more staggering than the last.
Dan Heng was also silent, his expression grim and solemn.
Only Stelle and Caelus had stars sparkling in their eyes. Instead of fear, they were buzzing with excitement.
"Whoa! So cool! Does that mean… back at the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus's base, we beat up Aha?!" Stelle exclaimed.
"We're so awesome!" Caelus added, puffing out his chest.
The two of them stood tall, beaming as if they had accomplished something truly magnificent.
The others could only stare. "..."
Was that really something to be proud of?
Even Serval, standing off to the side, couldn't help but facepalm. While she didn't fully grasp the power of an Aeon or share the same level of reverence, seeing the reactions of Welt and the others told her just how serious this was. She hadn't expected Stelle and Caelus to maintain such a… positive attitude.
It was utterly baffling, but at the same time, their ridiculous cheerfulness managed to slightly lighten the oppressive mood.
"I must report to the General immediately. Please excuse me." Fu Xuan, having regained a sliver of her composure, turned to leave without a second's hesitation. With a suspected Aeon still present, she felt exceptionally constrained. It was time to slip away.
"Master Fu Xuan, I'll go with you!" Qingque scrambled to follow.
Grand Diviner, don't leave me, Qingque, all alone! If I stay here, who knows if he'll actually turn me into a shadow general!
Fu Xuan shot her a look. Get lost.
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