"So that's how it is. Thinking about it, that's a detail I overlooked... But if it's just that, it doesn't pose much of a threat. Perhaps... the Xianzhou will even further strengthen its cooperation with the Astral Express on the existing foundation."
Wende watched Jing Yuan explain the details Wende had exposed to Fu Xuan, then nonchalantly withdrew his gaze.
So be it. Even if his [Trailblaze] disguise was exposed, it wouldn't cause any problems. Besides, given Jing Yuan's character, he would most likely help Wende conceal this secret.
If this secret were to spread... then without a doubt, the Xianzhou would face the enmity of an [Aeon].
After all, the entire purpose of hiding his identity was to avoid being discovered. If someone were to grandly announce his identity to the world... who else would he target but them?
Wende was not the kind of Aeon who was without desire, who only followed the will of their Path. That was what made him terrifying; not only could he bear multiple Paths and become their master, but he could also remain completely unswayed by them.
Perhaps he was the second Aeon who could hide among mortals... As for the first...
That would be a certain prankster, of course.
Wende trusted Jing Yuan's judgment. He wouldn't mention this to anyone other than Fu Xuan. However, since he had told Fu Xuan, she would inevitably feed this information into the Matrix of Prescience, and at that point, [Nous] would become aware of Wende's existence.
But as Long had said, it seemed Nous was already aware of him but had made no move. Perhaps in its calculations, Wende's appearance was a predetermined event.
As for what Fu Xuan could divine... regardless of the outcome, Wende guessed it wouldn't have much of an impact on him or the Astral Express. It might even bring more opportunities for the Express and miHoYo Planet.
Judging from this battle, the current power of the Astral Express was still not comparable to that of the Xianzhou Alliance, the IPC, or even [The Family].
On the cosmic scale, the Express's influence was far from that of the top-tier factions.
But now, Wende needed to expand the Express's power. This war had indeed shown him the consequences of insufficient strength as a faction.
The Astral Express couldn't possibly handle a two-front, or even multi-front, war on its own like the Xianzhou Alliance or the IPC could!
It was time to bring this up with Himeko and Uncle Yang. They couldn't always rely on the Xianzhou or the Honkai world. Not only was that unfair to the Honkai world, but it was also a fatal weakness for the Express itself!
---o---
Wende flashed back to the Express and walked into the Parlor Car. He presented his idea to Himeko and Welt, who were still discussing which front to reinforce next.
"You're saying... we should gather all the Nameless in the universe, to let [Trailblaze] converge once more...?"
Himeko closed the lid of her cup, carefully mulling over Wende's words.
"Indeed. Our current strength is still dependent on the Xianzhou and the Corporation. Our own foundation is far too weak."
After deep thought, Welt agreed with Wende's proposal.
As the former Sovereign of Anti-Entropy, he knew full well that one's power had to be firmly in one's own hands. To blindly rely on others would only lead to a desolate and ruined end.
And now, the Path of [Trailblaze] had been rekindled. It had been revitalized from a state of decay, and the Aeon of [Trailblaze] had even returned to their side. They now possessed a solid foundation; miHoYo Planet was the shield of [Trailblaze], and the Express was the road it extended upon.
Coinciding with Kevin's great victory over the Antimatter Legion, which had made waves across the cosmos, who didn't know that Kevin was a warrior of miHoYo Planet?
The Astral Express was currently in the spotlight. If they were to promote the Express at this juncture and call for the [Nameless] to return to the embrace of [Trailblaze], there was no doubt that this was the perfect opportunity!
After hammering out the specific details, the very next day, Himeko, with the promotional help of the IPC and the Xianzhou, sent out a message across the universal network.
Himeko's influence among the Nameless was no less than that of an idol. The Astral Express was considered the orthodox heart of [Trailblaze] by the Nameless. However, due to Akivili's disappearance and the withering of the Path, the Nameless were now scattered across the cosmos. Some were still journeying in the name of [Trailblaze], while others had chosen to retire on some planet, living ordinary lives.
However, now, with the crisis of Destruction spreading throughout the universe, Himeko issued a letter to all Nameless, inviting them to miHoYo Planet to continue the journey of [Trailblaze].
The [Trailblaze] of today was no longer in a state of decay. The Path was not withering but was instead pulsating with a new round of life. Yet, these Pathstriders of [Trailblaze] were unaware of this change. They were too scattered, and information did not travel effectively between them. They had mistaken the strange new feeling within them as some sign of "good health."
They had no idea it was the prelude to the Path's restart!
And when they all learned that the Astral Express had defeated the legendary, fearsome calamity, they all cheered! Even the Nameless who had retired to a pastoral life leaped up from their fields in excitement upon seeing the news!
And after receiving Himeko's invitation, the entire universe! Nearly all the [Nameless], even those who had retired, packed their bags once more. Those who had been wandering aimlessly saw hope!
miHoYo Planet!
In an instant, the Realm-Restricting Anchors on every planet connected by the star rails began to flash with an azure light! Millions of [Nameless] began to travel through the anchors to other planets, taking the nearest route to miHoYo Planet.
Just one hour after Himeko published her letter, tens of thousands of people had already gathered on miHoYo Planet! They were all the [Nameless] who had come in response to her invitation!
"Wow! I never expected we had so many colleagues!"
Through the glass of the miHoYo Building, March 7th watched the joyous scene of the [Nameless] below, her voice full of amazement.
Stelle, beside her, also looked surprised. When she first boarded the Astral Express, she thought they were the only ones in the entire universe on the Path of [Trailblaze]. She never imagined... there were so many...
"This is only a small portion. Millions more of our companions are still on their way. Fortunately, the facilities on miHoYo Planet are now quite comprehensive. Accommodating all of them will be a simple matter."
As she spoke, Himeko's gaze turned to Wende with a hint of teasing.
"Mm, indeed."
The certain hands-off boss acted as if he hadn't seen the mirth in Himeko's eyes and nodded very seriously.
"If it weren't a few hundred million people, it probably wouldn't exceed miHoYo Planet's current reception capacity."
Otto slowly walked up behind Wende, a smile on his face.
"Ms. Himeko, your charisma seems to be even greater than I imagined."
Looking at Himeko, Otto's tone was filled with admiration.
"Not at all. I must thank Mr. Apocalypse for his help. If not for you building up miHoYo Planet, I'm afraid it would have been a frustrating experience for our companions."
Himeko returned the smile.
Nearby, Welt watched the pleasant conversation between Otto and Himeko with a complex expression, silently pushing up the glasses on his nose.
Otto and Himeko, conversing happily. In the past, he wouldn't have dared to dream of such a scene.
Wende, at his side, gave Welt a helpless smile. He wouldn't have dared to dream of it either, but this was reality.
According to the plan, miHoYo Planet would become the headquarters of [Trailblaze]. miHoYo Interstellar Inc. would have its official status confirmed, no longer a company under the Astral Express, but a company under [Trailblaze] itself!
---o---
Two days later, the number of [Nameless] on miHoYo Planet reached two million. This was almost all the [Nameless] in the entire universe. They had answered Himeko's call as one, and they looked forward to once again embarking on the journey named [Trailblaze]!
And Himeko would certainly not let their enthusiasm go to waste. After discussing it with Wende for a while, Wende agreed to one of her requests. In fact, it was something he should have done from the start, and beyond her request, he secretly decided on a "surprise."
Two days later, on a Friday, at eight o'clock in the evening, a "Train Meeting" was held on miHoYo Planet. The participants were... all the Nameless who walked the Path of [Trailblaze]!
Wende even dragged Kevin, who was fishing with Jing Yuan, over to participate in this historic meeting.
This grand conference held great significance for the entire universe at this time.
On one hand, it symbolized the faction of [Trailblaze] truly ascending once more to the ranks of major powers, rather than just being a supporting player.
On the other hand, with the war against Destruction now bogged down in a protracted struggle, the aid of another powerful faction would further tip the scales of victory in the Alliance's favor!
Therefore, the other factions in the universe also placed great importance on this meeting. The Luofu even took the initiative to help the Astral Express build defensive fortifications on the battlefront, to prevent the Antimatter Legion from taking the opportunity to disrupt the proceedings.
And so, with the assistance of all parties, this Train Meeting of two million people was convened on miHoYo Planet.
At the meeting, Himeko, as the current navigator of the Astral Express, expressed her gratitude to all the [Nameless] of [Trailblaze]. Then, without much further ado, she got straight to the point and dropped a bombshell.
"Our Aeon has returned."
When Himeko finished speaking, the Nameless below erupted in discussion. But what happened next made everyone believe her words.
The moment her voice fell, the Astral Express, which had been parked on miHoYo Planet, suddenly lifted off the ground, leaving a streak of light in the atmosphere!
At the same time, all the Nameless felt a new power surge within them! This... this was the power of the Path of [Trailblaze]!
For the Path, which had fallen into decay, to be restarted, there was only one possibility!
Akivili of [Trailblaze] had been revived!
Everyone was waiting for Himeko to say these words, but she only gave them a mysterious smile...
Then! A phantom of the Express, a symbol of [Trailblaze], appeared behind Himeko. To her astonishment, the power of the Path of [Trailblaze] flowed into her body! Welt, standing beside her, felt the same power!
This power... it was the blessing of Trailblaze!
The Nameless below cried out in alarm. Then, everyone saw a pair of eyes glance toward Himeko and Welt on the high platform!
Those eyes were sacred and full of power, wise yet benevolent... This was their Aeon! Their Aeon had returned! And he had bestowed upon Ms. Himeko and the uncle with glasses the status of [Emanators of Trailblaze]!
"..."
Welt's left hand trembled slightly as he pushed up his glasses. His right hand, holding the cane-form of the Star of Eden, began to shake uncontrollably. He then retracted the cane and clasped his hands behind his back, assuming a very dignified posture.
Only he knew that his body was currently being washed by the power of [Trailblaze]. The process... was a bit unfriendly to the elderly...
Was this not to be expected of Wende's blessing? He felt as comfortable as if he had just had a massage. Didn't you see Himeko trying to act calm, but her face was already flushed red!
But... this is indeed a surprise. Thank you, Wende.
Hiding in the shadows, Wende nodded with great satisfaction. Although he couldn't appear in person, entrusting the power of an Emanator to Himeko and Welt was absolutely the most correct decision he had ever made.
This way, the Astral Express now had four Emanator-level combatants on public display.
As for why "on public display"...
While everyone remembered Kevin's world-destroying sword strike, they had forgotten about Wendy, who had played a crucial role at the beginning. The current Wendy absolutely possessed Emanator-level power. And as for Tingyun and Jingliu, there was no need to say more about those two; they could even pin an Aeon down beneath them ().
Of course, with the help of these two million Nameless, the Astral Express was about to reach a new milestone.
But there was another problem. Arranging these Nameless was one thing, especially since there were still five battlefronts waiting for the Astral Express's reinforcements. But another matter was troubling Wende.
That was...
---o---
[Simulated Universe, Aeon Chat Room]
[Destruction] Nanook: @Akivili
[Destruction] Nanook: Stop playing dead! Let me destroy you!
[Destruction] Nanook: Come out!
[Nihility] IX: oO
[Elation] Aha: Lol
[The Hunt] Lan: @Qlipoth, why did you personally bless a mortal?
[Preservation] Qlipoth: (Clang... clang... clang...) @Aha
[Remembrance] Fuli: ...
Wende silently closed the Simulated Universe chat group. From the Aeons' conversation, it wasn't hard to see that [Nihility] IX was very talkative today...
Oh, that wasn't the point. The point was, aside from the one mindlessly raging, the conversation between [Preservation] Qlipoth and [The Hunt] Lan had caught Wende's attention.
Judging by Qlipoth tagging Aha, it was ninety percent likely that he went to the front line to grant Kevin his blessing because of Aha.
Wende didn't want to know Aha's motive for now, but looking at it this way, and recalling the Swarm Disaster of the past, Wende realized that Qlipoth wasn't as cold and aloof as his followers believed. In reality, he actively responded to requests from Aeons of a similar level.
However... it seemed the only Aeon who could move him was Aha. Now, Wende might be added to that list.
After all, among the Aeons who would go out of their way to ask other Aeons to help someone else, besides Xipe and Aha, only Wende could be considered.
Xipe could be directly passed over. Although their Path was relatively less restrictive, it was limited to others requesting their help.
But as for the prankster Aha, the Path of Elation certainly wouldn't stop him from rallying others!
Wende suddenly had a bold idea. If he were to ask the [Aeon of Preservation] to deal with the [Aeon of Destruction], would Qlipoth help him out?
After all, Destruction and Preservation were opposing Paths. And Nanook's old wounds had never healed. If one were to compare the combat power of the Aeons, it was obvious that Qlipoth, a survivor of the Twilight Wars and the oldest living Aeon, was much stronger than the newborn Aeon, Nanook.
Thinking of this, Wende suddenly remembered that there seemed to be an even more ancient Aeon inside his body.
Dragon had been quiet for the past two days, which put Wende at ease.
But as the saying goes, when a child is quiet, they're definitely up to no good. Although Dragon was an old monster who had lived for who knows how long, given his malicious personality of startling people in the middle of the night, Wende really felt he was secretly preparing something big.
Maybe he was planning to screw him over again?
Forget it. Rather than chatting with that guy, it was better to avoid Nanook for now. When he had just bestowed his blessing, the fluctuations from the Path of Trailblaze must have been noticed by these Aeons. But so what if they noticed? As long as he wore the mantle of Akivili, no one would know that he was also Order!
The only thing to fear was that Nanook himself would be unable to restrain the beast within and come looking for a 1v1 duel with Wende.
And after successfully devouring the Path of Propagation, Wende was confident he wouldn't lose to Nanook... he was just afraid that he might use too much force and end up devouring the Path of Destruction... then things would get really complicated!