In other words, apart from creations of sufficiently advanced technology and the ancient monsters above Yanqing, Godzilla could now roam the universe unchecked.
Satisfied with this realization, Godzilla nodded slightly and then relaxed his muscles.
"Bang!" Yanqing, exerting too much force, was instantly flung backward ten meters before plummeting downward.
Since this guy had helped him, Godzilla decided to return the favor. His tail shot up like lightning.
"Bang!" Yanqing, like a shooting star, flew toward the distant onlookers.
"Ahahaha." The tip of Godzilla's tail curled slightly behind him, as if guilty.
"Too much force."
--------------------------------
Belobog, hospital.
Yukong looked helplessly at Yanqing lying on the bed. Both of his exposed hands were wrapped in bandages, and one of his eyes was covered.
He looked a little miserable.
"Ugh, it hurts so much." Yanqing felt like he had at least a few broken ribs.
Yukong sighed and rubbed her forehead, as if looking at a child who hadn't grown up yet. "Who told you to be so reckless?"
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Yanqing instinctively wanted to scratch his head to ease the awkwardness, but after raising his hand by a centimeter, he decisively gave up.
"However, I feel incredibly light all over right now. I wonder if it's just an illusion."
"Feeling light?"
Hearing Yanqing's words, Yukong was taken aback and then asked, "Can you describe it more specifically?"
"Specifically…" Yanqing thought for a moment and said uncertainly, "It feels like the kind of absolute relaxation I had when I was a child."
Yukong nodded thoughtfully, told Yanqing to rest well, and then walked out.
Soon, she arrived at Ji Yi's temporary residence in Belobog.
"Lord Yukong? Is there something you need from me?"
Yukong nodded slightly. Seeing that there was no one else around, she spoke, "Have you noticed any feeling of your body becoming lighter? Or your mind becoming clearer?"
"Hm? Lord Yukong, you feel that way too? I thought I was the only one."
Seeing Ji Yi's reaction, Yukong became even more certain of her hypothesis. Then, she suddenly noticed Ji Yi's wording.
"You mean that out of all the people who came to Jarilo, you're the only one who felt this?"
Ji Yi nodded. "Yes, when I told everyone, they just thought I wasn't used to being in a new place."
"Can you recall exactly when you started feeling this way?"
"Around… Oh, it was after returning from Jarilo's Beast Lord. I figured the air over there must be better—there are so many plants, after all."
…
Recalling her conversation with Ji Yi, Yukong became even more convinced of her theory. But the idea was too astonishing; she needed to conduct further research and find someone to assist her.
Hundreds of years ago, the Xianzhou once worshipped the Merciful Medicinal King in pursuit of immortality.
However, the immortality granted by the Medicinal King came at a price. Those who sought eternal life from Them suffered the punishment known as the Mara. As Xianzhou people aged, they became increasingly prone to transforming into Mara struck.
Because of this, the Merciful Medicinal King was also known in Xianzhou as the Plagues Author.
It is worth mentioning that among the three major races of the Xianzhou—Xianzhou natives, the Foxians, and the Vidyadhara—only the Xianzhou natives were afflicted by the Mara.
…
Due to the need to gather intelligence on Jarilo, and with ample time at their disposal, the Xianzhou people began blending into Belobog to appreciate the beauty of this newly rejuvenated planet.
"Gather intelligence? Does your civilization even need information from one like ours?" Seele chuckled.
Yukong shook her head slightly and smiled. "Across the universe, there are countless civilizations. Some have never even left their own worlds, yet they may still possess things that even spacefaring civilizations would envy. Your civilization has endured hardships, yet the vitality it exudes is something we need."
To put it simply, the Xianzhou was too old—so old that it had become somewhat rigid. Meanwhile, Jarilo had only just started experiencing good times, giving it a natural advantage in this regard.
After bidding farewell to Seele, Yukong returned to the flagship and began contacting the Xianzhou. Moments later, the screen suddenly went black.
"Oh no, a chess piece blocked the view."
As soon as the words fell, the screen lit up again, revealing Jing Yuan's face. From his posture, he appeared to be lying on his side in a chair, with a chessboard in front of him.
Seeing Jing Yuan's unserious demeanor, Yukong shook her head slightly. No wonder Fu Xuan thought the General spent all day doing nothing proper. With this attitude, who would believe this guy was the General of the Xianzhou?
"Judging by your expression, this trip must have gone quite well," Jing Yuan said with a light smile.
He only knew that Yukong and the others had successfully eradicated the swarm, entered Jarilo, and found Tingyun and the others.
Yukong nodded slightly. "Tingyun, Ji Yi, and the others survived. Apart from them, the rest of the soldiers perished in the chase with the swarm."
Hearing this, Jing Yuan couldn't help but sigh.
The Cloud Knights did not fear death. The moment they embarked on the path of the Hunt, they had already considered their fate.
But an unanticipated death, one without even a record of their deeds, inevitably carried a sense of tragedy.
Yukong didn't let him dwell on his sorrow for long. The information she held was too shocking—keeping it to herself was too much of a burden.
"General, the initial detection of the swarm's appearance was linked to Jarilo's unsealing. According to reports, it was Jarilo's Beast God who saved this place."
"Mm, Yanqing already told me about this. Haha, and his first stop after arriving turned out to be the hospital."
Thinking about how Yanqing had been smacked into a mountain by a tail, Jing Yuan couldn't help but laugh.
"That big guy doesn't seem to use Imaginary energy?" After laughing, Jing Yuan asked.
"I detected a strong nuclear energy source inside it, but what exactly it is remains uncertain."
Recalling the data she had collected, Yukong couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
What kind of organism has nuclear energy inside its body? Are you supposed to hug it for warmth in winter?
Moreover, Yukong found it hard to believe that nuclear energy alone could make a creature grow so massive—or smack Yanqing away with a single tail swipe.
After all, Yanqing was the strongest of the younger generation in the Xianzhou.
The last person to hold that title had already dominated the battlefield at his age.
"Oh, and according to the intelligence provided by Tingyun, that big guy is still growing."
"Huh?" Now, Jing Yuan was truly shocked.
A biological entity naturally growing to a hundred meters was already astonishing—yet it could still grow?
"It seems to grow by absorbing energy," Yukong said.
Jing Yuan pondered.
Things that grew by absorbing energy weren't uncommon, but those were all beings with the power of a Path.
Yet this creature truly grew larger just by absorbing energy. Did that mean its body would continue expanding as its power increased?
If so, then sending those two shiploads of minerals was the right choice.
"Besides that…" Yukong took a deep breath, her expression serious.
Seeing her demeanor, Jing Yuan knew—the real news was coming.
"Based on my deductions, the Beast God of Jarilo possesses a certain ability to suppress Mara." She didn't dare assume it could eliminate Mara entirely.
That would be too outrageous—it was the power of an Aeon.
In the known universe, nothing could compare to an Aeon.
Even the most powerful Emanators were capable of destroying star systems and roaming the universe at will. But even beings as powerful as them stood no chance before a true Aeon.
"!!! Do you realize what you're saying?!" Jing Yuan's once-relaxed expression vanished instantly. His tone became grave, and even his other eye was slightly revealed. His body instinctively straightened—not entirely upright, but at least his attitude was clear.
"I'm not certain, but all signs point to this possibility. Ji Yi, by the age standards of the Xianzhou, should be middle-aged, about time for developing symptoms of Mara. Yet after spending only a short time in Jarilo and meeting that Beast God a few times, he felt completely at ease. Even all his data indicates a genuine alleviation!"