As he listened to Fu Xuan's speculations, Jing Yuan's gaze flickered across the Jade Abacus several times before he seemed to realize something. Silently, he returned the Jade Abacus to Fu Xuan and said,
"Fu Qing, there's no need to overthink this. I believe Qingque must have her reasons for acting this way. Let's not dwell on this issue for now. After all—"
At this point, Jing Yuan's expression grew solemn as he looked out the window. In the distance, near the Artisanship Commission's grounds, a withered plant suddenly burst from the earth. In mere moments, it grew from a tiny sprout into a colossal tree that blotted out the sky.
Hum…
The massive tree's trunk trembled slightly before clusters of golden fruit began to form upon it. An endless surge of vitality radiated from its branches.
"That's… the Ambrosial Arbor has actually revived?! Could it be because of the Stellaron?"
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"Mr. Yang, we gotta run! There's an earthquake!" March 7th, gripping Stelle's arm, rushed down from the guest rooms upstairs. When she saw Welt still standing by the window, gazing at the scenery outside, she anxiously ran to his side and tried to pull him away.
"March, calm down. Scientifically speaking, the Xianzhou is a massive starship. It doesn't have tectonic plates, so earthquakes are impossible here."
"Huh?" March 7th blinked in confusion. Mr. Yang had a point—while the Xianzhou was far larger than an ordinary planet, it wasn't actually a celestial body.
"Whew, that scared me!" March 7th exhaled heavily, finally calming down.
As for Stelle, whose arm she had been clutching, the girl remained completely dazed, as if thinking: Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
"Then what was that shaking just now?" After a moment of thought, March 7th asked curiously.
In response, Welt pointed his cane toward the distant, rapidly growing tree.
"I believe it's the Ambrosial Arbor—the Xianzhou's Ambrosial Arbor has been reborn."
Following Welt's direction, March 7th and Stelle were both awestruck by the sheer enormity of the Xianzhou's Ambrosial Arbor.
Still stunned, March 7th turned to Welt and asked, "So, Mr. Yang, what do we do now?"
She left the decision to Welt. Ever since arriving on the Xianzhou, both Stelle and March 7th had deferred to him on all major choices.
At first glance, it might seem like the two lacked initiative. But in truth, this was simply self-awareness—from the perspective of wisdom and experience, they still had much to learn.
After a brief silence, Welt adjusted his glasses and spoke. "Let's go investigate. As Nameless, dealing with Stellarons is our responsibility."
After packing up briefly, the group of Nameless left the hotel lobby and headed toward the Artisanship Commission.
However…
"Whoa! Mr. Yang, where are you going?!"
As they passed an intersection, Welt suddenly froze, his pupils contracting sharply as he locked onto a golden-haired man in the distance.
As if sensing his gaze, the man turned and smiled faintly at Welt.
At this, Welt's eyes turned icy, and he charged toward the man like a madman. The sudden scene left both March 7th and Stelle stunned—even the golden-haired man, who had just smiled at Welt, looked utterly bewildered.
But seeing Welt's furious charge and the terrifying aura radiating from him, the man wasted no time. He turned and bolted.
This reaction only further agitated Welt. Channeling Path energy, he accelerated even faster.
A chase ensued. Within mere seconds, the two had vanished from March 7th and Stelle's sight.
"Huh?" ×2
March 7th and Stelle exchanged blank looks before nodding and preparing to give chase. But just as they lifted their feet, they froze again.
They realized Welt was already long gone—how could they possibly catch up?
After a moment of silence, March 7th suggested, "Stelle, maybe we should head to the Ambrosial Arbor first? I bet Mr. Yang will go there once he's… done with whatever he's doing."
—————————————
Meanwhile…
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two figures weaved through the crowds like gusts of wind. Though unsure why Welt was chasing him, the golden-haired man called out as he ran:
"Sir, why are you pursuing me like this? We've never even met before, have we?"
"No, we have met. Or rather, Otto—even if you turned to ash, I'd recognize you." Hearing the man's voice, which overlapped perfectly with the one in his memories, Welt's eyes burned with fury.
Sensing his pursuer closing in, sweat trickled down the man's forehead. "Sir, I'm not this 'Otto' you speak of! My name is Luocha—just a humble merchant!"
"Heh, Luocha—Rakshsa, huh? You gave yourself away before I even pressed you, my old friend!"
From the hotel's intersection to the Divination Commission, then to the Sky-Faring Commission, the two raced like lightning, startling countless Xianzhou citizens going about their daily lives. They even earned a warrant from the Cloud Knights—though unfortunately, the knights couldn't hope to match their speed,71let alone apprehend them.
"Haah… haah… Sir, let's stop and talk properly, please! No more running!" Gasping for breath, Luocha finally skidded to a halt and raised his hands as Welt closed in.
"Otto, what new scheme are you plotting now?" Welt's brow furrowed, his eyes locked onto Luocha's every move as if expecting a sudden trick.
"Sir, I truly am not the Otto you speak of. As I said, I am Luocha—just an ordinary merchant." Meeting Welt's guarded gaze, Luocha spoke solemnly. "Though I don't know what relationship you had with that Otto, please don't associate me with him."
Welt fell silent. After a long pause, he sighed.
"My apologies. I acted rashly just now, Mr. Luocha. I owe you an apology." Hearing Luocha's words, Welt finally cooled down. It made sense—Otto had already perished during his assault on the Imaginary Tree. The man before him now was merely someone who bore an uncanny resemblance.