The situation within the Scalegorge Waterscape had already devolved into utter chaos. Vast numbers of Abominations of Abundance clashed fiercely with the Cloud Knights, the battle incredibly brutal.
Although the Xianzhou side, aided by the Express crew and Jing Yuan, held an absolute advantage against these Abominations, they still struggled to completely eliminate the continuously spawning monsters.
Fortunately, their superior high-end combat power still allowed them the leeway to execute a decapitation strike against the Ambrosial Arbor deep within the Scalegorge Waterscape. As long as they destroyed the Stellaron and caused the Arbor to wither again, everything would naturally resolve.
And indeed, they proceeded exactly like that. Under the cover of the others, Caelus and Welt broke through the endless enemies in one go, reaching the base of the Ambrosial Arbor.
"Such powerful life force... Is this the power of the Aeon of Abundance?"
Gazing up at the Ambrosial Arbor, too vast to take in fully, even the well-traveled Welt couldn't suppress a sigh of awe. But as a rational adult, he didn't let himself be overwhelmed by shock, immediately preparing to take action and seal the Stellaron completely. "Caelus, I'll seal the Stellaron now. Please keep watch nearby—"
Welt's voice caught. The reason was simple: the hand he was about to raise to unleash his power was now firmly held down by another pair of hands.
And the one making this move was none other than Caelus.
"Caelus, what are you doing?" Welt's brow furrowed tightly. "This is no time for fooling around! The situation is urgent! We need to quickly seal the Stellaron—"
"Uncle Yang, we can't seal the Stellaron yet..."
Caelus's voice trembled slightly, but his grip on Welt's hand didn't loosen in the slightest. "This Stellaron can stimulate the Ambrosial Arbor's power. If we seal it, the Arbor might wither again..."
"We want it to wither! This thing brings longevity—"
Welt's voice suddenly cut off. He knew what Caelus meant.
Yes, any elixir of longevity in this world is ultimately just a crude imitation of the Aeon of Abundance... If one seeks to extend life, the most perfect method in the universe was right before them.
The Ambrosial Arbor, a miracle personally bestowed by the Aeon of Abundance.
"Caelus, what are you thinking?! How could you possibly do such a thing!"
Without hesitation, Welt refuted his junior with unusually fierce words. "Putting aside the Xianzhou's attitude towards the Aeon of Abundance and longevity, and ignoring things like the Mara-Struck—didn't you see those Abominations of Abundance born from the Arbor outside?! This thing ultimately only brings disaster! It's impossible to save Twilight by relying on something like this!"
"But what if, Uncle Yang?! What if it really can save Twilight... What if it's the only thing that can save Twilight?!" Caelus clenched his fists, his gaze unwavering. "I'd rather be hunted by the Xianzhou than watch her leave, knowing there was a way to save her..."
"...Do you think Twilight would be happy if you did this?"
"Even if she's not happy, even if she hates me for it, I'll still do it!" Caelus looked directly at Welt, his eyes filled only with determination. "No matter what, I have to keep Twilight alive."
Looking at the stubborn, iron-willed Caelus before him, Welt suddenly felt an inexplicable unease in his heart.
Welt had seen determined people, and many who would defy the world to achieve their goals. But among them, Welt had only seen something similar to Caelus's current state in the eyes of two individuals... Otto Apocalypse and Kevin Kaslana, the two people he detested most.
And the fire in Caelus's eyes now mirrored theirs—a madness willing to burn everything else down to achieve its own purpose.
Leaving the Ambrosial Arbor was definitely a bad idea, and indulging the current Caelus was an even worse idea—Welt reached this conclusion almost instantly. He didn't want the junior he helped raise to grow into those two madmen.
Have to find a way to calm Caelus down—
"Uncle Yang, I need your help."
Welt, still pondering how to persuade Caelus, was stunned by the words. He hadn't even started, and the other side was already trying to win him over?
"The Ambrosial Arbor is constantly releasing Abominations of Abundance right now. It definitely needs to be temporarily shut down, otherwise, we can't even leave the Scalegorge Waterscape. However, I hope, Uncle Yang, that you won't seal the Stellaron completely, but leave some room for maneuver, allowing us to reawaken it a second time if needed," Caelus explained. "Then, if Jing Yuan's medicine can cure Twilight, we can find an excuse later to come back and reinforce the seal here. If not, then..."
"Caelus, your proposal is too dangerous. I cannot agree," Caelus's crazed words and that shock of gray hair even started giving Welt flashbacks, feeling as if Otto had possessed Kevin's body and was raving before him. But fortunately, he retained his rationality and refused Caelus without hesitation. "There must be other ways."
"But what if the other ways don't work?"
"..." Welt fell silent.
Yes, no one could guarantee the medicines hidden by the Xianzhou could cure Twilight. After all, even the esteemed Emanator of Erudition, Herta, couldn't solve this problem. Relying on those elixirs was less realistic than hoping for remnants of the Aeon of Abundance's blessing.
But this action was simply too dangerous, potentially affecting countless lives across the galaxy. How could he make such a selfish decision—
"Uncle Yang, Twilight won't even get to celebrate her first birthday..."
"..."
Finally, a trace of confusion and turmoil flashed through Welt's eyes.
In a daze, he seemed to see that blue figure beside him, growing from petite and cute to elegant and poised, then abruptly shattering into fragments.
Yes, she was still just a child...
...Caelus was right. If he completely dealt with the Stellaron problem now, then later, if they needed it, the Xianzhou would absolutely not give them a second chance to awaken the Stellaron.
So the only possibility was now... Welt even had to consider if this was Twilight's only chance in her entire life.
Welt remained silent. Caelus didn't disturb him further, just looked at him steadfastly. After a long while, Welt finally looked up and sighed heavily. "So that's it... Is this how those guys felt too!"
"Caelus, this Stellaron within the Arbor must be sealed now. Even if we don't do it, the Xianzhou people will reinforce it themselves during later inspections..." Taking a deep breath, as if making a monumental decision, Welt's tone shifted. "Therefore, we just need to ensure we can quickly trigger a situation identical to today's when the time comes..."
"You also have a Stellaron inside you... As long as we link you to the Ambrosial Arbor, reawakening it then won't be difficult. However, this might take some time, perhaps a few days."
A few days?
Caelus thought for a moment, then nodded heavily.
Twilight should still have over a month left. A few days wouldn't make much difference... Better yet, use this opportunity to find something like the Ambrosial Arbor that could cure her completely as a gift. That would surely make her happier.
By the time they left the Scalegorge Waterscape, everything would be alright.