Chapter 116: Ao Guang "Every clan has its own difficulties!"
「 "The foxians and the Vidyadhara have their own ceremonies. Foxian soldiers place their dead in Starskiffs and then let them drift out into the stars. They call it 'the Verdantia Returning.'"
"As for the Vidyadhara, they're... more mysterious. They say that when a Vidyadhara is very old or has a fatal injury, they turn into an egg that looks like a pearl. When the shell breaks, they come out looking young again..."
"My mum calls the Vidyadhara 'Dragon's Scions.' When I was young, she told me stories of how the Vidyadhara could turn into dragons. I don't know if that's true..."
Sushang showed a look of both longing and curiosity.
Hearing Sushang talk about the Vidyadhara, Dan Heng said flatly: "Only a special Vidyadhara can turn into dragons."
"Well, look at that, Mr. 'Muffled Gourd' has finally spoken up." Sushang looked at Dan Heng with a surprised expression.
Dan Heng ignored her teasing and calmly explained: "Your mother is correct. The Vidyadhara are Dragon Scions, and also descendants of the Star God of 『 Permanence 』. Therefore, some among the Vidyadhara were once able to transform into dragons, but not everyone possesses the aptitude."
"The power was a rare inheritance, passed down only to those who could complete numerous rites and challenges. For the inheritor, it was hard to say whether it was a blessing or a curse." 」
「 .....」
〜Journey To The West World〜
"The ancestors of the dragon race are Star Gods? Then, according to him... that girl Bailu isn't a descendant of our Four Seas Dragon Clan, but a Dragon Scion from beyond the sea of stars."
A faint look of disappointment was visible in Ao Guang's eyes.
"Big Brother, are you perhaps envious?"
Ao Run noticed a flash of melancholy in his elder brother's eyes.
"..."
North Sea Dragon King Ao Shun leaned over:
"Big Brother, there's no need to be envious. Although they are descendants of a Star God, their bloodline is quite thin. Every member of our Four Seas Dragon Clan can 'transform into a dragon,' but only a very few among them can do so. Their power is far inferior to ours."
These words seemed to sting Ao Guang even more deeply. He couldn't help but sigh:
"What good is power, even if we have it? Don't we Four Seas Dragon Kings still have to obey the Heavenly Court's Imperial Edict and guard against the sea monsters beneath the ocean floor? Day and night we associate with this magma... Although the Vidyadhara are weak in power, they are free and unrestrained on the Xianzhou."
"Big Brother has a point, but if that's the only reason, there's no need to be envious."
Ao Run slowly swam over and whispered,
"The Vidyadhara only speak of self-sustaining reincarnation, but they never mention how they reproduce. That girl Sushang also mentioned 'fatally wounded,' not true death—but Big Brother, have you ever considered what happens if a Vidyadhara truly dies one day?"
"If the Vidyadhara cannot reproduce, and the self-sustaining reincarnation cycle is broken, doesn't that mean there will be one less Vidyadhara in the world permanently?"
"Hmm..."
Ao Guang admitted that she had a point. If the Vidyadhara were endlessly reincarnating and could reproduce infinitely, the Xianzhou would have been overrun by Vidyadhara thousands of years ago. Why would Yaoshi's Legacy go through such trouble just to get a Vidyadhara Marrow?
Although they are free, they must worry about the survival of their clan... Looked at this way, the situation of the Dragon Scions in Xianzhou is not necessarily better than that of the Four Seas Dragon Clan.
After Ao Run's explanation, Ao Guang felt somewhat relieved and comforted.
—
「 "...I've heard the story of Long the Permanence and their descendants. Many myths and legends praise the Star God for a rich and immortal life." Luocha said, puzzled,
"But for some reason, the Star God of 『 Permanence 』 disappeared among the stars without a trace — almost as if they had never existed... leaving only their descendants."
"Heavenly lifespan has an end; all life has a predetermined limit. Even a Star God can hardly be called Undying; surely, they will eventually reach the moment of passing." Luocha looked meaningfully at the coffin he carried.
"Uh, let me ask you one more question... Do you know the person in the coffin?" Sushang suddenly asked.
"Huh... Yes."
"A friend?"
"...No." Luocha shook his head.
"So, uh... a sweetheart?" 」
「 .....」
〜Honkai: Impact 3rd World〜
"She asked the question I didn't dare ask back then."
Li Sushang chuckled; she was very much looking forward to Luocha's answer.
It couldn't really be Kallen's counterpart, could it?!
Durandal seemed to see through Li Sushang's thoughts and said faintly:
"It shouldn't be Kallen. I just noticed that when mentioning the Star God... the look in Luocha's eyes when he glanced at the coffin was quite complex."
"Sushang, haven't you noticed? Since Luocha appeared, every topic related to him has involved 'death'—partly due to the coffin beside him, but he himself seems very interested in this topic."
Durandal took a deep breath and said, word by word:
"So I speculate that the contents of his coffin are not the remains of an ordinary human, but something connected to a Star God. Perhaps the Emanator of a deceased Star God... or something else."
"Star God related? If that's the case, I wouldn't be surprised."
Li Sushang took it quite lightly, saying casually:
"'Secretly doing something earth-shattering in the dark—' that fits his usual style."
—
「 "Haha, miss, whatever gave you that impression?" Luocha couldn't help but laugh: "The individual in the coffin is neither friend nor relative — we met only once. By chance, I made someone a promise, and so I have to run this errand."
"Let's leave it at that, shall we? I think we've all had enough rest."
Dan Heng and Sushang nodded, then paired up again and continued forward.
They hadn't walked far when they saw a short-haired girl not far away, surrounded by several Mara-Struck.
The girl clutched her arm, panting incessantly, seemingly severely injured.
The three hid nearby to observe. Sushang poked her head out, looked around to ensure there were no other enemies, then turned back and urgently said: "Muffled Gourd, Luocha, let's go together! Let's deal with these guys quickly and save that girl!"
"Didn't we agree earlier that you could handle everything?" Luocha didn't forget to tease Sushang at that moment.
"I, I..."
Sushang scratched the back of her head awkwardly, then pressed her hands together, lowering her voice further, pleading desperately: "I can't fight four hands with just two fists! Please, please! After we succeed, I'll give you two a 'Courageous Act' award!"
"Stop stalling! Let's go!" In the end, Dan Heng was the most straightforward, charging out first, raising his Chuyun.
The three of them were quite skilled and quickly eliminated the three Mara-Struck. Sushang was the first to arrive beside the girl, asking worriedly: "Miss, are you alright?"
"...That's obvious." But the voice was as cold as March. 」
「 .....」
〜Genshin Impact World〜
"Wait! Look at that girl...!"
Inside the Fontaine Academy of Sciences, several researchers were staring in astonishment at Xueyi's damaged and broken body on the screen.
"That's not a human body; it looks more like some kind of mechanical chassis—like Ms. Herta from the space station, but the joints of the body are more natural, and the skin texture is rendered more realistically... It's practically identical to a real person!"
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