Xianzhou!
Ah, the beautiful Xianzhou, my burial ground!
Looking at the platform outside the window, Twilight could barely contain the smile twitching on her face.
Her short life was finally reaching its end. This wasn't just because she only had two months left, but also because of what she had seen just before entering Penacony. If she wasn't mistaken, she suspected that was her future—she would pull off a universe-shaking stunt on the Xianzhou.
Sigh, truly something to look forward to. Even though she wouldn't live, she could still make things lively for the people of Xianzhou.
"Twilight, what are you thinking about?"
"Just happy to be going to a new place with everyone!" Twilight smiled back, but the wheelchair beneath her restricted her movement, causing her smile to falter slightly, her spirits drooping.
Seeing this, a pang of heartache flashed through Caelus's eyes, but he was powerless to help. Twilight's current difficulty in standing up wasn't due to any leg disability, but because of her further weakened physical condition.
The doctors and scholars they consulted couldn't cure Twilight, but they all reached similar conclusions: her body was deteriorating further every moment. It wasn't the functional failure of a specific organ, but the irreversible decline of her entire existence... And this deterioration brought extreme pain.
Yet, Twilight rarely struggled and trembled in agony like she did back in Penacony recently. But the pain itself hadn't disappeared... That could only mean one thing: Twilight was enduring it, afraid of worrying them, just like before.
Caelus didn't know how someone so young possessed such strong endurance. According to Sunday, the torment was enough to make anyone instantly wish for death, yet she just remained silent day after day, quietly spacing out...
"It's okay. Wherever you want to go on the Xianzhou, I'll push your wheelchair and take you there," Caelus patted Twilight's head. Her blue hair was now almost entirely withered and white, creating an indescribable tightness in his chest. At the same time, a strange sense of familiarity lingered in his mind, yet he couldn't quite grasp it.
Hearing Caelus's promise, Twilight's eyes lit up first, but then she grew anxious. "Will this... cause trouble for you again? Looking for doctors for me when I was sick already made everyone so tired..."
"What are you talking about? As long as I'm with you, I'll never get tired."
"Everyone, let's discuss the matters regarding the Xianzhou," Himeko's voice sounded in the main carriage just then. As it concerned their next destination, everyone naturally gathered.
"The Xianzhou Alliance is a coalition of six massive, star-sailing vessels [Xianzhou]. They follow the Path of The Hunt, pursuing Lan, the Aeon of The Hunt, with the mission to eliminate Yaoshi, the Aeon of Abundance. Despite this, they all possess blessings from Yaoshi, most enjoying long lifespans and having profound attainments on the Path of Abundance. The scenery of the Xianzhou is also distinct from other places, truly a destination worth visiting." Himeko introduced the basic situation of the Xianzhou. Although most others on the Express already knew this, she was mainly addressing Twilight and Caelus.
"A few days ago, we received an invitation from the Xianzhou [Luofu]. They are holding the [Luminary Wardance] ceremony during this period and wish to invite us to observe."
"Ceremony? Is it something like the Charmony Festival?" Curiosity gleamed in Twilight's eyes, but also some nervousness. "Will there be another Sunday we need to defeat?"
"Twilight, don't worry. The Xianzhou Alliance is renowned. Following the Path of The Hunt, they are not only powerful but also known for repaying grudges. Furthermore, they have the protection of Lan, the Aeon of The Hunt. Few in the galaxy dare to cause trouble on the Xianzhou,"
Welt noticed Twilight's tension and offered reassurance. "Since they invited us to observe the ceremony, it's likely just a grand event coinciding with our visit, inviting various factions. We can just treat it as sightseeing and relaxation."
"Exactly, exactly! How can there be so many bad guys in the galaxy? Little Twilight, let's not worry!"
March 7th quickly chimed in to soothe Twilight's heart. How could there be so many powerful lunatics like Sunday? Emanators weren't exactly growing on trees! And incidents below that level were trivial to the Xianzhou Alliance, so their trip would definitely be safe.
"Right, Dan Heng, isn't your hometown the Xianzhou? Do you know any details?"
March 7th and Twilight looked expectantly at Dan Heng. After hesitating, he frowned in thought. "...The Martial Arcana Ceremony commemorates the heroic deeds of the Arrow and the Cloud Knights in defeating the Abominations of Abundance and saving the Xianzhou. The content is mostly just starskiff parade performances and martial arts competitions. Strictly speaking, it's not much different from those hamster ball races we saw in Penacony."
"See, Little Twilight? Even Dan Heng said so, no need to worry~"
Watching March 7th try her best to lighten the mood, Dan Heng opened his mouth but ultimately chose to remain silent.
Since he wasn't sure himself, it was better not to worry everyone yet.
Holding the Luminary Wardance ceremony was normal, but the timing was problematic.
Why now? As far as Dan Heng knew, the current time didn't coincide with any festival or anniversary for the Xianzhou, nor had they accomplished any major event requiring celebration...
So what reason was there to suddenly hold such a grand event at this time, inviting factions from all over the galaxy? He didn't remember his old friend being the type to act on a whim.
Could it be that something went wrong on the Xianzhou...?
"Dan Heng, will the Xianzhou trip be inconvenient for you?" Seeing Dan Heng frowning silently, seemingly lost in thought, Himeko thought he was worried about his relationship with the Xianzhou. "Then for this Trailblaze leg, would you prefer to stay on the Express?"
After a long silence, Dan Heng shook his head firmly. "No, I'm going too."
This might be Twilight's last Trailblaze journey; how could he possibly miss it? Besides, if there truly was a conspiracy brewing on the Xianzhou this time, his presence might offer some help.
Most importantly, if he wanted to contact those Preceptors, they probably wouldn't agree unless he arrived personally.
Although he hadn't decided exactly what he would do yet... leaving a path open was always good.
Worst case, he wouldn't use it in the end. After all, he wasn't the Dan Feng of the past; he couldn't commit such a sin again—
"Members of the Astral Express, we meet again."
A sudden female voice interrupted the crew's discussion, and simultaneously, a purple projection appeared in the carriage.
Seeing this sudden appearance, March 7th immediately widened her eyes and summoned her weapon. "Stellaron Hunter Kafka! You again! And you couldn't even change the routine? You already used this one before!"
"Hehe, there was a slight accident earlier, causing the script to be delayed a bit..." Kafka smiled. "Then, to prevent certain troublemakers from disturbing us again, I'll keep it brief this time—I request that you all change your destination to the Xianzhou [Luofu]."
"Unfortunately for you, that topic is already closed," Himeko frowned at Kafka. "We had already decided to go to the Xianzhou. If you hadn't interfered, we might have already departed."
"...It seems the script has encountered another small problem. But no matter, the intended scenes must still play out."
Kafka paused for a second, then smiled charmingly. "Then let me just tell you the information directly. The Xianzhou is currently troubled by a Stellaron, and they have arrested my companion Blade as the culprit. The situation on the Luofu is complex and extremely dangerous. I hope you can resolve the incident there. Otherwise, given time, not only will the hard-won star rail be blocked again, but all residents of the Xianzhou might perish."
"Of course, how you act is entirely up to you. You can even choose not to go to the Luofu because of this..." Kafka's gaze lingered on Twilight for a moment. "However, fate has already set the path. No matter how many times it repeats, it ultimately runs along its track. In a sense, we never truly had a choice."