Hunting The Hunt

Caelus laughed, his expression ecstatic, his smile nearly splitting his face from ear to ear. But everyone around him could see the current Caelus wasn't normal.

His face was indeed smiling, yet no one could sense happiness from it. Instead, beneath the facade of excited joy, they felt a suffocating despair.

Everything happened after contacting the Ambrosial Arbor.

And Caelus's body showed no external injuries. The only remaining possibility was that he suffered a mental shock after receiving memories from the Arbor. As for what exactly he saw, the others didn't know. Himeko and the others had some guesses, but there were also those like March 7th who were completely in the dark about the current situation.

In March 7th's view, the current Caelus, after spacing out, suddenly burst into manic laughter, then started spouting strange words while exhibiting terrifying power and pressure...

"This power and that laughter just now... The Joyseeker?" 

Jing Yuan was now on high alert, as if facing a great enemy. He knew today wouldn't bring anything good.

The Joyseeker—or rather, Aha, the Aeon of Elation. Though unaware of what exactly happened to Caelus to make this elusive Aeon suddenly appear and generously bestow such a level of power, clearly, this matter greatly appealed to Them.

However, although Aha's actions were unpredictable, unlike Lan or Qlipoth who were highly revered by the Xianzhou, They weren't a bad seed causing disasters across the galaxy like Yaoshi or Nanook. Therefore, Their advent on the Luofu couldn't necessarily be called a bad thing... probably?

With the generous Aha's help, Caelus's power and aura, in Jing Yuan's view, had already reached the level of an Emanator—but no matter, everything was still under control.

Even if Caelus truly went mad now, he was already fully prepared. Today, as long as the Plague Author wasn't summoned, he, Divine Foresight General Jing Yuan, feared nothing!

Compared to Jing Yuan, who was more concerned with the changing situation and the Luofu's safety, the others were currently more focused on Caelus's state.

"Caelus, what exactly did you see?" Dan Heng's brow furrowed tightly; he had a vague bad premonition. "And when you say you found your purpose in life, what are you referring to?"

Caelus didn't answer, just looked up at the sky.

At this moment, he seemed to feel what Phantylia felt back then when she occupied Twilight's body and shouted at the Aeons... He did indeed sense it now, the gaze from some magnificent existence, currently watching him with amusement and expectation.

But Caelus currently had zero interest in Them, even though he had just received immense power from Them. And he didn't care what They received in return from him either—his eyes now held only the existence of one god.

"Twilight isn't coming back. She died."

Caelus didn't answer Dan Heng's question directly. He smiled, taking a deep breath, his expression gradually calming, as if mentioning a trivial matter.

"From the very beginning, she was killed by my own hands."

Yes, Dabai was Twilight, Twilight was Dabai... Why hadn't he recognized it all along? They looked exactly the same; the only difference was their aura.

If he had recognized her, could he have stopped everything? Unfortunately, when the chance was still in his hands, the foolish clown never learned to grasp it.

Twilight knew from the start she was going to die and calmly embarked on this journey. Every time he met her, thinking there would be countless more opportunities later, she was constantly counting down the few remaining encounters on her fingers...

And did he cherish the time spent with her?

Likely not.

All chances for remedy and change were gone. Caelus's previous goal of finding Twilight had become an impossible, failed delusion. Now that the tragedy was set in stone, what purpose in life should he seek?

Caelus had already figured it out.

Yes, Twilight died willingly... But what created this situation, forcing her to die?

Because Phantylia seized her body and ran rampant? Because the Aeon of Equilibrium wouldn't allow such a perfect existence in the universe? Because the lock of causality dictated that for her to save others, she herself had to disappear?

These were all reasons, but the most direct and absolutely unforgivable reason was right before him.

It was because of Lan.

Because this Aeon of The Hunt chose to kill Twilight, disregarding the countless innocent lives on the Xianzhou who believed in Him, firing the fated arrow.

So there were only two culprits responsible for Twilight's death: himself, who foolishly pierced her heart with ignorance, and that lofty Reignbow Arbiter. He himself was certainly unforgivable, but the other one?

Reignbow Arbiter... No, that Devilish Archer Author!

So what the purpose of life should be next, wasn't it already crystal clear?

"Life's purpose is simple. I want revenge, Dan Heng."

Caelus calmly turned to look at Dan Heng. "I want to kill the murderer. I want to slaughter that damned Lan. That's it."

"?!"

Caelus's words were spoken lightly, yet they were like a colossal thunderclap exploding on the spot. Upon hearing this, not just the Express crew, but also Jing Yuan instantly paled, while only Acheron let out a melancholic sigh.

The current Caelus was strong. Originally harboring the powers of Harmony and Destruction, now generously aided by Aha, he could even be considered strong among Emanators—but before an Aeon, he was still insignificant.

Like an ant challenging an elephant. The opponent didn't even need to step on him; the mere aftershock could pulverize him. Caelus knew this himself, but he didn't change his mind—he wanted revenge.

He wanted revenge, even if it meant resorting to any means necessary, even if it required methods more radical than The Hunt itself. He would make the murderer pay the price!

So what if it's a god? Even gods don't possess eternal existence! The ancient [Permanence] could be submerged in the dust of history, so why couldn't the mere [Hunt] just die?

This world never lacked people bearing killing intent towards Aeons. Yaoshi, Nanook... Too many gnashed their teeth at Them, seeking various ways to eliminate them. But this situation rarely occurred with Lan, because as an enemy of The Hunt, Lan's arrow might genuinely appear before you.

Especially here on the Xianzhou, the territory of The Hunt, uttering such blasphemy before the Ambrosial Arbor of Abundance... This was practically indistinguishable from provocation.

Almost instantly, everyone present could feel the surrounding air freeze, leaving only that gaze observing from the distant void.

While others were awed by this pressure, only Caelus still stood tall, as if wanting to engrave the enemy's appearance into his mind, fearlessly meeting that gaze.

Perhaps a long time passed, perhaps only an instant. When everyone came back to their senses, that gaze had already departed, leaving only Caelus standing there, enveloped in an aura as sharp as a piercing arrow.

It was a blessing from Lan.

He didn't speak upon leaving, yet Caelus seemed to feel the meaning contained within that gaze.

[Come.]

The Aeon of The Hunt, representing vengeance, acknowledged the will that sought to exact vengeance upon [The Hunt] itself.