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Chapter 71: Experiment, Scheme, and the Transformation of the Xianzhou
🕑 Added 2025-05-01 12:04:43 +0000 UTCIf Solon remembered correctly, Ruan Mei was a descendant of Xianzhou immigrants. The surname "Ruan" was rare in China but common in Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam—a reflection of the historical wave of emigration during China's civil war.
This also proved that miHoYo hadn't fabricated Xianzhou's history arbitrarily; many elements could be traced back to real-world parallels.
[Unbeknownst to all, a millennium had passed. Throughout these thousand years, you never ceased reciting Buddhist scriptures for the Archeron Emperor—even during the Xianzhou civil war, the rebellion of the Automatons, or when you were mentally exhausted after hosting an unconstrained assembly. You never missed a day.]
[This was a mad experiment. If the Archeron Emperor could be successfully converted (brainwashed), it would prove he was merely an exceptional yet fortunate mortal. As for the title of Aeon of The Hunt, anyone could claim it.]
[If he endured, however, your subsequent plans would have to be far more meticulous and cautious.]
[The reason you didn't kill him was precisely this—you feared triggering catastrophic consequences, such as the Archeron Emperor ascending to Aeonhood on the spot and obliterating you in retaliation.]
[When dealing with Aeons—existences beyond comprehension and reason—no amount of caution was excessive.]
[A millennium later, the experiment finally reached its conclusion.]
[For a thousand years, you recited Buddhist scriptures to the Archeron Emperor daily, yet he remained unconverted.]
[Keep in mind, you possessed the highest authority over the Path of Abundance aside from Yaoshi themselves. Against those who consumed the Ambrosial Arbor's fruits, you were an overwhelming force. Add to that the supreme Buddhist scriptures you co-authored with Yaoshi and your "Honeyed Words" trait—]
[Even with these three trump cards combined, you couldn't sway him. The Archeron Emperor was truly extraordinary; his ascension as an Aeon was no fluke.]
[Since brainwashing was impossible, you saw no point in keeping him imprisoned. Your plans shifted direction—now, you needed him to follow fate's trajectory and ascend as the Aeon of The Hunt.]
[Thus, you deliberately feigned negligence, allowing the Archeron Emperor to escape.]
[By then, the Mara-Struck plague had begun ravaging the Xianzhou on a massive scale. The people were horrified to learn that immortality came at a price.]
[At the same time, they made a startling discovery: followers of the Sanctus Medicus showed no signs of Mara-Struck transformation.]
[Under your guidance, the Sanctus Medicus seized the moment to preach, "Believe in the Medicus, attain eternal life"—the more devout the faith, the slower the Mara's onset.]
[Almost overnight, converts flooded into the sect.]
[The Sanctus Medicus propagated their doctrine: Yaoshi, in their benevolence, had already granted immortality freely. Those who took without belief would inevitably face retribution, whereas the faithful would enjoy "longevity" for far longer.]
["There's no such thing as a free lunch"—this universal truth lent credibility to their claims, drawing even more converts.]
[At this stage, you knew your long-laid schemes had borne fruit. The faith of Yaoshi and the Sanctus Medicus had taken root in the Xianzhou, unshakable by any force.]
[When the Archeron Emperor learned the truth, he immediately recognized the Sanctus Medicus' ambition to dominate the Xianzhou.]
[Driven by urgency—and subtly guided by your agents—he infiltrated the depths of the Zhuming Xianzhou's prison and persuaded the imprisoned leader of the Reignbow Arbiter, "Sui Huang," into a body-swapping pact, trading his own flesh for the power of the Reignbow's flames.]
[Empowered by the Reignbow's might, the Archeron Emperor mustered his full strength and loosed an arrow at the Ambrosial Arbor.]
[Just as the arrow—carrying his last hope—was about to strike, a pale hand reached out and caught it mid-flight.]
[The interloper was none other than you—the so-called "Demon Monk."]
[You sought only to recreate the myth, not to sacrifice the Ambrosial Arbor. The Arbor was a miracle bestowed by Yaoshi upon the Xianzhou, a symbol of their grace. Moreover, its power subtly influenced all who drew near.]
[There was no chance you'd let him sever it.]
[The colossal force of the clash tore open a rift to the depths of the void, unleashing a flood of imaginary energy that swallowed the Archeron Emperor whole. With a final sigh, he vanished:]
["My failure is but the will of heaven."]
[Watching his disappearance, you smiled eerily. The farce you orchestrated had concluded perfectly. All that remained was to await the Archeron Emperor's triumphant return—his ascension as the Aeon of The Hunt.]
[A millennium of scripture recitation hadn't been in vain.]
[Though you failed to convert him, you had planted a "seed" deep within his soul. In time, it would bloom.]
[You harbored no fear that the seed would fail post-ascension—unless he discarded his very soul. But if he did, would he still be himself?]
[Having steered the Archeron Emperor toward his destined fate, you turned your focus to consolidating the Sanctus Medicus' influence across the Xianzhou.]
[Your excessive favoritism toward the Xianzhou, however, bred discontent among other Abundance-worshipping factions—particularly the Wingweavers.]
[The Wingweavers, born with wings, looked down on all landbound races, disdainfully dubbing them "Dust-Dwellers" while arrogantly styling themselves "Cloud Sovereigns."]
[Their leader, the Feather King—a fellow Emanator of Yaoshi—had long despised you, believing Yaoshi showed you undue favor while you squandered your gifts fixated on an "inferior" race.]
[To teach you a lesson and seize the divine relic Yaoshi left behind—the Ambrosial Arbor—]
[Under the Feather King's orders, the "Sky-Spanning Tree" extended its branches, forcibly linking with the Luofu's Ambrosial Arbor.]
[The Feather King led the charge, but the moment he breached the Luofu—before he could even gloat—you appeared before him and seized his throat.]
["Impossible! How are you this strong!?" The Feather King recoiled in shock.]
[With a cold laugh, you revealed a cruel truth.]
["I am an Emanator because my vessel can hold no more power. You are an Emanator because our master granted you only this much."]
The difference was clear: one was given everything, the other mere scraps. Who was the favored one?
[With that, you drained every drop of the Feather King's Abundance power, leaving him to crumple in despair before discarding his lifeless body and severing the Sky-Spanling Tree's connection.]
[Thus, a crisis was averted before it even began.]
[Centuries later, the Yuque Xianzhou's Divination Commission observed a luminous arrow streaking from the heavens. Soon, the Interastral Peace Corporation, the Intelligentsia Guild, and other major factions confirmed the birth of a new Aeon: The Hunt, Lan.]
[The emergence of the Aeon Lan marked the realization of the mythological "Archeron Emperor's Mandate."]
[A new faction, the "Archeron" devotees, arose to challenge the "Abundance" faithful for dominance.]
