Xingtie: Starting with an in-depth analysis of the Yellow Springs

Xing closed her eyes, immersing her thoughts in Onphalos's adventure.

Unfortunately, her phone kept vibrating in her pocket, making it impossible for her to concentrate; this was simply an impossible task. Glancing at her phone shouldn't bother her...

Saifeier sent a message.

This means that since the treasure chest could not be found last time, the River Styx is now receding, which is the best time to find it. We sincerely invite Xing to use the power of the miracle of time to split the spoils 30/70.

As for who gets three and who gets seven, that's none of your business.

It must be admitted that even in this difficult and struggling period of low morale, some people are still living happily. Sai Fei'er, her desire for wealth is boundless and overwhelming, more surging than the sea in Lin Yuan Realm.

So she decided to cheer herself up with those shiny gold coins.

Heading to Stikocia.

[Star: I never imagined that I would have so many connections with Onpharos. This must be considered deep involvement in the progress of a world. Senior Mikhail, I have not failed your legacy.]

[Pam: Mmm, Misha will be so happy, Pam.]

[Xia Die: Your Excellency, I am well.]

[Fou: I'm very curious. Cypher's obsession with treasure is practically ingrained in her bones. As a demigod of trickery, how exactly will she interpret the truth of trickery?]

[Paimon: Me too. I've learned my lesson now. Cypher is definitely not as simple as she seems.]

[Aglaia: She... is the greatest hero in my heart.]

[Saifei: Seamstress, what are you doing? Don't be so sentimental, okay? This feels so foreign to me, meow!]

"...The moonlight in Stikosia is so beautiful." After her initial remark, Mimi suddenly sensed something ominous. She decided to go find Saifei'er first.

Upon arriving at the city gate, there was a strange object on the right.

"...A piece of black cloth?"

Mimi flipped through the pages of my book, thinking, "This looks so familiar... Have I seen it somewhere before...?"

"Who tore my clothes?" Xing laughed and scratched her head.

"...No, your clothes don't have any holes!" Mimi exclaimed helplessly, her gaze sharpening. "This is...this is the Fire Thief's cloak? How did it get here..."

[Bai'e: Oh no! It's the Fire Thief again! What is he trying to do? The fire of the Styx has already been returned; why is he going there again?]

[Danheng: Perhaps at this time in the past, the flame had not been taken away.]

[Star: Maru, now it's my turn to sacrifice myself.]

[Mimi: Xing, we'll protect you. Don't forget, we still have the power of time.]

A strange aura appeared behind me.

Mimi turned around in a panic, "Mimi! Mimi!!"

"—Star, watch out!"

A sword-wielding figure dressed in a black robe and wearing a strange mask stared at them menacingly, his dark body rising and falling with his breath.

Xing took a step back, adopting a defensive stance, "The pink puppy is your target!"

"How heartbreaking! Let's not joke around right now—" Mimi said sullenly, hands on her hips, looking at the Fire Thief. "Anyway, let's try our best to deal with it first! Once we find an opening, we'll use the power of time to escape to the past!"

The Fire-Stealer let out heavy breaths, as if each breath was an unbearable pain.

"The River Styx..."

"It contains large fish... with few bones and plenty of juice."

[Bai E: ???]

[Feng Jin: Big fish...? Few bones and juicy? The Fire Thief likes to eat fish, so could we use fish as bait to teach him a lesson?]

[The Fire-Stealing Walker: I don't...eat...fish...]

[Grandpa Tail: Unbelievable!]

Nicole: Pfft…! Hahaha, so he says he doesn't eat fish, but suddenly he seems a bit slow.

[Aglaia: ...Sephiroth.]

[Sai Fei'er: No, seamstress, how could you guess that! Your gold thread can't possibly penetrate video; then who could possibly be fooled by you?]

[Abao: Hehe, no matter which life you're in, your habits are still the same.]

Mimi was shocked, "...Huh?"

"The journey to the fire...stop...meow...meow."

Mimi was incredulous, "...Meow, meow?"

The Fire Thief's outrageous statement shattered the two's worldviews. His seemingly unsolvable existence was actually... adorable?

Chapter 432 The Train Burning Brightly

"This guy has gone insane."

Mimi shook her head. "This...this has been a consensus for a long time, hasn't it? But this is a life-or-death emergency—"

"Heh...heh heh..." The Fire Thief in front of them couldn't help but laugh, even letting out a (＞^ω^＜) meow sound, "...Hahahaha!"

As the smoke cleared, Sai Fei'er burst into laughter, "Hahaha... Sorry, seeing you two standing there so unguarded, I couldn't resist giving you a little scare!"

[Star: Damn it, how dare you watch me make a fool of myself! Bad cat, bad cat…!]

[Mimi: You startled them too.]

[Tian: Little Fei, how could you scare Little Gray and the little dog like that? Be careful, or I'll have Aya teach you a lesson. You're such a handful.]

[Saifeier: Sister Tian, ​​I'll take you with me next time.]

[Tian: Hehe, that's more like it.]

"This is fake too, run—" Xing grabbed Mimi and was about to enter through the gate. This person has such poor manners, let's go...

Saifeier's eyes narrowed into two crescent moons. "Hey, don't run away, don't run away—I'm the real Saifeier, no doubt about it!"

"Don't be angry. This whole thing was just to remind you that Onfaros is not safe at all. It's full of roving threats, including that black-clad swordsman... You have to be vigilant no matter where you are!"

Xing crossed her arms, her gaze unfriendly. "I'm terrifyingly strong; I don't need to."

"Hmm? But I saw you just now, your hair was standing on end in fright!" Sai Fei'er teased.

Mimi was a little curious, "So, that Fire Thief was Miss Saifei'er in disguise? A trick? It looked so real... Is this the power of the Demigod of Deception?"

"Disguise? No, no, no, not that kind of trick to fool children. Let me think of how to explain..." Her eyes darted around. "For example, just now, after you recognized that piece of cloth as belonging to the Fire Thief, what were you thinking?"

Mimi chimed in, "Hmm... Could the Fire Thief be nearby?"

“That’s right. Then, you heard footsteps—which I made on purpose—and what were you thinking then?”

"Oh no... it must be the Fire Thief Walker!"

“That’s right, that’s exactly it.” Saifeier smiled and nodded. “All I did was use various inducements and suggestions to make you believe that something that doesn’t exist is true…”

"Lies—that's Zagres's trademark. As long as everyone believes them, illusions can become reality!"

Mimi wagged her fluffy tail twice, "The power to turn lies into truth...it really makes my pink fur stand on end!"

The reason they told Xing about the true nature of the scheme was because the seamstress trusted them completely and was an honest person who couldn't possibly trick her, so it had no impact whatsoever.

Now it's time to go treasure hunting.

[Hanabi: Hehe, little kitty, I'm quite satisfied with your power. A lie, if believed, can be indistinguishable from the truth—a very powerful force. However, it still depends on the user's own perception.]

Wendy: Deceiving others, deceiving yourself, deceiving the world—from the moment you acquire the divine right to trickery, you've likely lived a life of lies forever.

[Sai Fei'er: I admire your insight. Haha, but I'm only interested in shiny gold coins; lies work wonders for me.]

[Aglaia: Is that really the case?]

[Bai E: Sigh, if only I had Sai Fei'er's mental state.]

[Star: Yes, yes, as long as you get on the train with me, it won't be long before it's like Sunday again. So, do you want to join the train? And finally, let's create Nanook!]

[Bai'er: Is it alright? If I'm still alive in the future, and Onpharos has regained its peace... Partner, I promise you, I will keep my promise.]

[Danheng: Agreed.]

[Walter: The train is getting more and more lively. I'm really looking forward to the day when Beyer boards it.]

[Himeko: Although we haven't truly met yet, the Starry Sky Train welcomes you.]

[Pam: The train conductor also agrees with Pam.]

Just as I was about to go treasure hunting with Sai Fei'er, my phone vibrated again; this time it was a message from Bai E.

Seeing the current situation, he couldn't stay idle, so he invited Xing to go to the Tree Garden for special training to prepare for the final battle for the Sky's Flame.

Sai Fei'er sighed, realizing how popular the Trail Blazers were. But everything had to be done in a first-come, first-served manner; she'd settle things with the baby first, then send Xing and Mimi to the Tree Garden.

Her obsession with collecting treasures stemmed from a desire to defy a predetermined divine decree: you will walk with greed, and you will perish for every penny…

As long as one keeps accumulating treasures, one will not end up penniless; as long as one's desires do not cause harm to others, it cannot be considered greed.

A sly glint flashed in Sai Fei'er's bright, jewel-like eyes. "As long as I continue down this path, no prophecy or destiny can catch up with me."

"Grey, quickly let me witness the power of time. Let's go find the treasure..."

[Star: That's sophistry. You've been walking with greed for a long time.]

[Sai Fei'er: So what? The more money I have, the less likely I am to meet the condition of not getting a single penny. That way, I can defy the oracle and even change the seamstress's fate.]

[Zhongli: Greed is not just the desire for wealth and fame; any extreme craving for anything falls into the category of greed.]

[Jing Yuan: Isn't the constant desire to live a kind of "greed"?]

[Saifei: What do you mean? Are you cursing me to die? I just want to live, so what? Why is it that the Golden Descendants are destined to die? Why…!]

[Aglaia: Relax, Sefaria. I know you didn't mean it that way, and I've never blamed you for it. Everyone has the right to live, including you.]

[Sai Fei'er: Seamstress, I want to go home...]

[Aglaia: Come back, your room is still here, and I even sewed the bedding myself... Have a good night's sleep, my kitty.]

[Zhongli & Jingyuan: Sorry, Jingyuan/Zhongli did not mean that.]

Several days later, at the site of the train car crash, a place of utter despair...

The carriage was still engulfed in flames, turning half of the ruins a fiery red.

"...So this is one section of the Star Train you mentioned. My memory bank has gained another interesting anecdote. Thank you for your guidance, Lord Danheng."

Dan Heng remained polite to Lai Gu Shi beside him, saying, "I never expected that you, as a member of the Senate, would be willing to travel so far to inspect the train."

"The people of Ohmma respect wisdom and crave knowledge. If all the citizens of the city knew about your origins, many more would likely become interested in exploration—but the discussion of the outer realms remains a taboo."

"It has been a long time since you two gentlemen first arrived in Ohma. I suppose you have been searching for a way to leave?"

Dan Heng admitted, "I have indeed been continuously gathering clues and making various attempts. Unfortunately, the more I learn, the stronger my sense of powerlessness becomes."

Chapter 433 "Neutral" Lai Gushi

"Your Excellency need not blame yourself. The problem that has troubled so many scholars in Onphalus for thousands of years cannot be solved overnight, even if you are exceptionally talented."

Danheng consulted materials in the Tree Garden and learned about the taboos of the outer realms. Those scholars attributed it to the curse cast by Aigle.

Aegler's personality indeed matched this description; like the changing weather, his joy and anger manifested in the celestial phenomena. But it was precisely because the sky was so closely connected to the citizens of Ohma that Aegler decided to save the campaign for the very end of the Fire Chasing Journey.

After a period of conversation, Legos completed the scan of the train carriages and decided to inspect and repair the power unit components.

Danheng found the process incredible. "You seem to know its structure perfectly. Have you ever repaired anything like this before?"

“No.” Lygus remained calm. “The Antikythera people have always been sensitive to machinery. When Kephale created our people, he endowed us with a unique advantage, making us extremely good at deconstruction and learning.”

"If you could give me some time, perhaps I could completely repair this damaged carriage and restore it to its original condition. In that case, you and Lord Xing could begin your journey home sooner."

Danheng doubted, "But...isn't the key to the problem with Aigle?"

"Suppose, Lord Danheng, I can open a path for you two to escape Onpharos, and bypass Aegler's divine punishment..."

"Would you be willing to stop supporting the Fire Chasing Journey?"

[Kazina: I understand. In the timeline where the Trailblazers left Onpharos, the omnic was Laigus, and he had the authority to break the sky blockade.]

[Paimon: Uh, shouldn't we have known this a long time ago?]