["The Foxians and Vidyadhara each have their own farewell rituals. I've seen Foxian warriors place their departed kin in star skiffs, letting them drift to distant stars—they call it 'Qingqiu's True Departure.'"]
["As for the Vidyadhara… they're more mysterious. It's said that when they grow old or are gravely injured, they transform into a pearl-like egg and are reborn as infants…"]
["My mom calls the Vidyadhara 'dragon descendants.' When I was little, she told me stories about how they could all turn into giant dragons. I don't know if that's true…" Sushang's expression was a mix of longing and curiosity.]
[Hearing Sushang mention the Vidyadhara, Dan Heng said calmly, "Only certain Vidyadhara can transform into dragons."]
["Whoa, Mr. Silent Guy finally speaks!" Sushang looked at Dan Heng in surprise.]
[Dan Heng ignored her teasing and explained calmly, "Your mother is correct. The Vidyadhara are dragon descendants, heirs of the Permanence Aeon. In the past, some among them could indeed transform into dragons, but not all have the aptitude."]
["This power is a rare inheritance, requiring numerous rituals and trials to awaken. For those who inherit it… it's hard to say if it's a blessing."]
"The ancestors of the dragon race were Aeons? So, by his account… Bailu isn't a descendant of our Four Seas dragon clans but a dragon descendant from beyond the stars," Ao Guang said, a faint trace of disappointment in his eyes.
"Is Big Brother jealous?" Ao Run noticed a fleeting sadness in his brother's gaze.
"…"
Ao Shun, the Dragon King of the North Sea, swam closer. "Big Brother, no need to be jealous. Though they're descendants of an Aeon, their bloodline is quite diluted. Every one of our Four Seas dragons can transform, but only a rare few Vidyadhara can. Their power is far inferior to ours."
His words seemed to strike a deeper chord with Ao Guang, who sighed. "What use is power? We Four Seas Dragon Kings are bound by Heaven's decree to guard the demonic beasts at the ocean's depths, surrounded by magma day and night… The Vidyadhara may have weaker powers, but they live freely on the Xianzhou, unburdened."
"Big Brother makes a fair point, but there's no need to envy them for that alone," Ao Run said, swimming closer and lowering her voice. "The Vidyadhara speak of self-sustained reincarnation, but they don't mention how they propagate. Sushang only spoke of 'near-death injuries,' not true death. Have you considered, Big Brother, what happens if a Vidyadhara truly dies?"
"If they can't reproduce, and their cycle of reincarnation is broken, doesn't that mean one less Vidyadhara in the world?"
"Hm…" Ao Guang acknowledged her reasoning. If the Vidyadhara were truly immortal and could reproduce endlessly, their population would have overrun the Xianzhou by now. Why would the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus go to such lengths to obtain Vidyadhara marrow?
Though free, they must worry about their race's survival… In that light, the Vidyadhara's situation wasn't necessarily better than that of the Four Seas dragons.
Ao Run's words brought Ao Guang some comfort and clarity.
——
["I've heard stories of the Permanence Dragon and its descendants. Many myths praise Them for possessing perfect, immortal life," Luocha said, puzzled. "But for some reason, They vanished among the stars, as if They never existed—leaving only scattered heirs."]
["Even the span of heaven has its limits, and all life has a predetermined end. Even Aeons cannot claim true immortality; they, too, will eventually face their end," Luocha said meaningfully, glancing at the reliquary he carried.]
["Uh, one more question… Do you know the person in the coffin?" Sushang asked suddenly.]
["I do."]
["A friend?"]
["…No," Luocha shook his head.]
["Then… uh, a lover?"]
"She asked the question I didn't dare to," Li Sushang said with a chuckle, eagerly awaiting Luocha's response.
Could it really be Kallen's counterpart?!
Durandal seemed to see through Li Sushang's thoughts and said calmly, "It's probably not Kallen. I noticed that when mentioning Aeons… Luocha's gaze toward the reliquary was quite complex."
"Sushang, haven't you noticed? Since Luocha appeared, everything related to him has been tied to 'death'—partly because of that reliquary, but he himself seems very interested in the topic."
Durandal took a deep breath and said deliberately, "So I suspect the contents of his reliquary aren't an ordinary human's remains but something tied to an Aeon. Perhaps an Emanator of a fallen Aeon… or something else."
"Aeon-related? That wouldn't surprise me," Li Sushang said casually, unfazed. "Doing earth-shattering things in secret fits his style perfectly."
["Haha, where's your mind going, girl?" Luocha couldn't help but laugh. "The one in the coffin is neither kin nor friend—just someone I met once. I agreed to deliver it as a favor, that's all."]
["Let's end the chat here. You've all rested enough."]
[Dan Heng and Sushang nodded, continuing onward together.]
[But after a few steps, they spotted a short-haired girl in the distance, surrounded by several Mara-struck.]
[The girl clutched her arm, panting heavily, clearly gravely injured.]
[The trio hid nearby, observing. Sushang peeked out, scanning the surroundings to ensure no other enemies were present, then turned back urgently. "Silent Guy, Luocha, let's go! Quick battle, take these guys down and save that girl!"]
["Didn't we agree you'd handle it?" Luocha teased, unable to resist.]
["I-I…" Sushang scratched the back of her head sheepishly, then clasped her hands together, lowering her voice to a pleading whimper. "I'm outnumbered here! Please, please! If we pull this off, I'll award you both the 'Heroic Deed' medal!"]
["No more dawdling! Let's go!" Dan Heng, ever decisive, drew his Cloud-Piercer and charged forward first.]
[The trio's strength was formidable, and they quickly dispatched the three Mara-struck. Sushang was the first to reach the girl, asking with concern, "Miss, are you okay?"]
["…Asking the obvious," the girl's voice was as cold as a winter sky.]
"Wait! Look at that girl…!"
Inside Fontaine's Research Institute, several researchers stared in shock at Xueyi's battered, mechanical body on the celestial screen.
"That's not a human body—it's more like some kind of mechanical construct, similar to Lady Herta from the Space Station, but with more natural joints and lifelike skin texture… It's practically indistinguishable from a real person!"