Aha knew that they and Lan were different.
They could only risk death, descend upon the Luofu with their true body, in order to gain Zero's trust.
But what about Lan?
This Aeon had known their close friend since the earliest days, and was the faith of the Xianzhou people.
Because of that, Zero would not easily make a move against Lan.
After all, when a certain race is weak to a certain degree, their pain, anger, and struggle will only make the strong find it interesting.
Just like a kitten small enough to fit in your palm.
It arches its back, hisses at humans, using its own way to give you a warning before attacking.
But would you care?
The answer is naturally no.
You wouldn't care.
You know it's weak, you know that even if it tries its absolute best, it can only reach your pant leg.
Its soft, powerless paw pads can't hurt you in the slightest.
You would only find it cute and interesting.
Because of that, Lan only needed to use a fragile, harmless avatar like a human to approach their close friend.
By doing this, they showed that they wouldn't fight Zero, wouldn't interfere with any of his decisions. They only needed to stand before their close friend, and that was enough.
Lan was favored.
It was just that Aha didn't know to what extent that favor went.
But judging from how much their close friend doted on Nanook… even copying one-tenth of that onto Lan would be enough to stay alive.
Aha originally thought that no matter what tricks Lan pulled… their close friend wouldn't easily fight this Aeon.
But this time, they weren't so sure.
Aha never expected… that Lan would mess up this badly.
The Aeon raised their head.
Two massive phantoms that blocked out the sky and sun slowly lowered their heads toward where they stood.
The Cloud Knights and the Vidyadhara present all froze in place.
The entire universe knew that the Xianzhou was special.
Aside from its enviable welfare system, they were also favored by Aeons.
Among all Aeons, only the "Hunt" Aeon had almost without reservation bestowed divine power upon the Xianzhou.
The spirits it granted stood guard over each Xianzhou ship, protecting the people.
And now, the spirit that represented the "Reignbow Arbiter," the spirit that only existed in Xianzhou legends, the spirit that could only be seen on the battlefield…
At this moment, it descended upon Scalegorge Waterscape.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, the two divine beings simultaneously assumed a posture of submission.
An unbelievable guess formed in everyone's minds.
'Could it be… the "Reignbow Arbiter"?!'
Of course. Aside from the god they followed… what else could make gods bow their heads?
Afraid of disturbing the divine, they asked in a dazed tone, as if a gust of wind could scatter their voices, "The Reignbow Arbiter?"
They looked at each other, saw the same answer on each other's faces, and instantly became excited.
Someone almost dropped their weapon.
Someone staggered, nearly unable to stand.
Others fell to their knees in worship.
Aha thought, 'This is really something.'
Who would have thought that the spirits Lan granted to the Xianzhou, after sensing the presence of an Aeon, would actually run out on their own.
They had deliberately chosen a weak, useless avatar to gain their close friend's trust, and what happened? They couldn't suppress the spirit at all.
Lan had actually, by accident, exposed their close friend's uniqueness right in front of his wife.
Aha looked at Jingliu walking over step by step, and felt like laughing.
But why couldn't they laugh?
This was even more entertaining.
Even though Aha was the "Joy" Aeon who loved seeking amusement, at this moment they didn't dare turn their head to look at the expression on Zero's face.
Aha silently moved their feet backward.
Some kinds of fun bring joy, others… bring death.
If they saw something they shouldn't… their close friend would definitely get angry out of embarrassment and kill them.
Anyway, they had already gotten the jade abacus. Might as well take this chance to slip away.
The crowd shouted "Reignbow Arbiter," their voices deafening.
But Zero couldn't hear it clearly.
He was on the verge of losing control of his expression, and couldn't even spare attention for Aha, who had left his side at some unknown time.
After a long while, the buzzing in his ears finally stopped.
He found his voice.
"Shuhu is insidious and cunning…"
Zero suddenly stopped.
Yingxing had gone through too much in a short time.
First, the green plant brought back from the battlefield had turned into Shuhu, the "Abundance" Emanator that the Cloud Knights had campaigned against twice.
Then Jingliu's lover, his friend Zero, had suddenly become the strongest human in the universe, the former marshal of the Xianzhou.
And finally, Yingxing himself.
He had actually become a Vidyadhara.
After wave upon wave of shocks, even the descent of an Aeon didn't seem that surprising anymore.
That was Zero, after all.
Even the "Reignbow Arbiter" had to come when called.
Yingxing quickly accepted the situation. He even had the mind to quietly ask Dan Feng, "Should we kneel too?"
Dan Feng held the box, unconcerned. "Kneel for what?"
The one person who should most receive the Xianzhou people's worship… had never let anyone kneel before him.
Zero stood in place, paused for quite a while.
He forcefully swallowed the metallic taste rising in his throat, and continued, "Attempting to seize the Ambrosial Arbor."
Dan Feng had treated too many patients. With just one glance, he saw the problem.
He hurried forward a few steps, squeezing past the Aeon.
With one hand, Dan Feng supported Zero's arm so he could steady himself, and with the other, handed the box to the Aeon.
The High Elder rarely used honorifics.
"Reignbow Arbiter, please."
Lan hesitated, wanting to say something in defense, yet having no way to explain.
They struggled to resist the urge to look back, took the box, and walked toward the Luofu general and Jingliu.
Lan clearly heard the Luofu general mutter, "I'm giving you half a day off. Remember to keep an eye on your jade abacus messages."
The Cloud Knights were special. They had to stay alert to messages at all times, so they could return immediately when the Luofu needed them.
Jingliu gave a very soft "Mm."
Her gaze passed over the "Reignbow Arbiter" that everyone was praising, landing behind the Aeon, and she immediately frowned.
Dan Feng's face showed alarm. One hand wrapped around Zero's shoulder, while the other tried to reach for the wrist of the person beside him.
"…Are you alright?"
Zero nodded, avoiding Dan Feng's hand.
Whenever Dan Feng encountered an uncooperative patient like this, he couldn't help but feel anger rise inside.
"At least let me check your pulse!"
Zero didn't react, softly praising him instead.
"Dan Feng, you did very well."
"Next, get some rest."
Dan Feng suppressed his anger. "You're the one who should be resting!"
Zero ignored him and continued speaking, "I'll take Yingxing with me first."
Dan Feng instantly calmed down.
Shuhu entering Scalegorge Waterscape was his failure.
Zero could skip the following procedures and protect Dan Feng.
But he was determined to die, believing that while he could be protected alive, that might not be the case after death.
So, Zero wanted to resolve everything once and for all.
He would only let the Luofu proceed according to normal procedures, turning a major issue into a minor one, and a minor one into nothing, so that after his death, Dan Feng wouldn't be dragged out and held accountable for old matters.
And those Dragon Elders who were fighting him for power had been waiting for this exact day when he made a mistake.
Dan Feng could experiment on Yingxing and turn him into a Vidyadhara.
Then… what about the Dragon Elders?
Next, Dan Feng would definitely have to face questioning alone from the Ten-Lords Commission.
Yingxing staying by Zero's side was the safest option.
Zero raised a hand and rubbed his brow, continuing, "Whether to choose power or reproduction, that's for you to decide."
"Of course, I know this isn't a small matter, but I don't have much time. I'll have to trouble you and the other four High Elders to make a decision as soon as possible."
He lowered his eyes, as if drained of strength, paused for quite a while before continuing, "And also, the medical kit. Don't forget."
Dan Feng thought, 'What medical kit do you need? You clearly want a blood-drawing syringe, don't you?'
Zero said each word clearly, "Lastly, don't say what shouldn't be said."
Dan Feng looked deeply at Zero and said, "Alright."
When Zero raised his eyes again, Yingxing and Dan Feng were gone.
The person beside him had been replaced by Jingliu.
Jingliu reached out, trying to copy Dan Feng's earlier movement and wrap an arm around his shoulders, but her height wasn't enough, so she settled for linking arms with him instead.
The two remained silent for a long time. Jingliu's gaze burned as she stared at his profile and asked, "Don't you have anything to say to me?"
There was no expression on Zero's face. He turned his head and met Jingliu's eyes.
His voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, "What do you want to hear?"
[🎉 Shoutout to Paulius for joining p@treon. Thank you very much.🤗]
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