Marvelous Mecha

"The quantum train will inevitably accelerate human development, yet it is always accompanied by the risk of destruction—be it internal contradictions, external factors, or natural and man-made disasters. From ancient times to modern days, the cycle of destruction and rebirth remains unchanged."

"I do not know how to understand the disaster you speak of."

"Knowing the will of Heaven is difficult to defy; I have observed celestial events and found no reversals." She stood with her hands behind her back, her gaze burning as she looked at Feng Yi, saying, "The Qian hexagram is in full force, the dragon ascends to nine-five, excessive vigor leads to ascension, ascension without governance then leads to decline, and the overbearing dragon will have regrets."

Feng Yi was taken aback, viewing Roland more like a witness of the times, not expecting such a response. He knew a bit about the I Ching and hexagrams.

The 'Qian' hexagram she referred to usually denotes heaven, with ancient people often using it as a metaphor for the emperor, also known as nine-five supreme, the Yellow Emperor, the true dragon, hence the ordinary folk calling it the nine-five supreme.

The Qian hexagram is further divided into nine-three, nine-four, nine-five, and upper nine—a flying dragon in the sky is called upper nine, and beyond upper nine is called overbearing. Thus, the overbearing dragon having regrets implies that when things reach the extreme, they reverse. This is what Feng Yi could grasp, but how does this relate to Roland's prophecy?

No matter how Feng Yi tried to connect, he couldn't link Roland's prophecy together: "Are you implying that the overbearing dragon is referring to the quantum train?"

"Perhaps. A few years ago, I observed the stars and divined a hexagram."

"What hexagram?"

"One plants many ghosts, two the demon empress is born, three races in four years with five as the limit."

Hearing this, Feng Yi felt his mind roar like a thunderclap on a clear day.

He couldn't understand the first two lines of Roland's statement, about planting many ghosts and the demon empress being born, but the three races mentioned by Roland, didn't it refer to humans, the Titan Elf Clan, and Cantelu?

Despite the storm surging in his heart, Feng Yi still asked her, "What do you mean by planting many ghosts, the demon empress being born, three races, four years, and five as the limit?"

Roland explained to Feng Yi that planting many ghosts referred to the first year of the epoch, when a human pandemic caused massive casualties—what else but many ghosts could it be called?

This made Feng Yi lower his head, it's true, for various reasons, even he wasn't spared. Zi Yu's term 'dead ghost elder brother' wasn't without reason, though he now existed beyond the previous concept.

The so-called second demon, Roland called 'Bizarre' only accounted for one, the second, even she did not know.

The concept of three races undoubtedly referred to humans, the Titan Elves, and Cantelu.

By the fourth year of the epoch, the world formed a tripartite situation of three races, yet everything would be fundamentally broken within the maximum limit of five years.

Initially, she didn't quite understand the significance of these five years, but as the quantum train emerged, she seemed to suddenly understand.

In other words, excessive vigor leads to ascension, ascension without control precipitates decline – what is called the overbearing dragon having regrets is, in fact, the last hurdle for humanity stepping into a brand-new stage and the toughest threshold to cross.

That's why Roland said she wasn't supposed to reveal these things.

After listening to her account, Feng Yi's heart couldn't find peace for a while. In a trance, he suddenly grasped a key point as if he suddenly understood Lasso's true intention in going to the Jade Clear Sect.

Right, it's the Jade Clear Sect's treasure, known as the Five-Colored Exquisite Pagoda, consisting of five layers divided by Yin-Yang Five Elements, composed of five types of Yin-Yang plants.

The honeysuckle vine represented metal, ivy represented wood, narcissus represented water, flame lily represented fire, and Central Earth was the Bagua diagram composed of thirty-six trees forming the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Formation, with seventy-two vines weaving the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends, corresponding to the 108 constellations.

This object can alternate Yin and Yang, corresponding to the annual cycle's twelve solar terms, precisely forming a small world of its own, the Five-Colored Exquisite Pagoda can reflect the sun, moon, and stars above, assess life and death, fortune and misfortune below, overturn heaven and earth's Yin and Yang, penetrating future prophecies, it's a marvel of ingenuity.

So Lasso's real purpose of going to the Jade Clear Sect was neither for matchmaking nor for reminiscing with old friends but to use the Jade Clear Sect's unparalleled treasure to observe Yin and Yang changes and thus predict future fortunes and calamities.

Indeed!

It was evident that this old man had more plans at the Jade Clear Sect than it appeared, something just felt wrong, and only now did Feng Yi finally realize Lasso's true purpose.

"You must know Lasso, don't you?"

"Lasso..."

Chewing over this word, Roland's thoughts fell into a brief recollection...

Of course she knew him. The first time she met Lasso, they were about the same age as a newly enlisted Feng Yi, even the Wind Power and Eggy on Feng Yi were entrusted to Lasso back then.

Roland wasn't nostalgic about the past because she trusted Lasso, which is why she entrusted Eggy to him.

"Why are you asking about Lasso?"

"I was wondering if you and Lasso's prophecy come from the same source?"

Standing as naturally as though reflecting, Roland said, "I once traveled the world with Lasso, teaching him the art of star gazing and divination, yet Lasso was unaware of my identity." Her voice paused for a moment, then continued, "Lasso had an insightful mind and broad thinking, but unfortunately, he wasn't suitable for altering the overall world framework."

Upon hearing this, it's impossible for Feng Yi to not be shocked, discovering that Eggy, and even Lasso, had such a connection with Roland.

"Why are you telling me these secrets?"

"I have revealed secrets that shouldn't be spoken, so it doesn't matter about these anymore. Honestly speaking, I feel humanity is at its end, and meeting everyone like this is a final commemoration." Roland didn't forget to dish out a dose of cynical prediction on humanity's fate.

"Are you so unconfident about humanity? Pardon me, but I cannot agree."

"I do not understand your meaning."

"The individual standing before you is an 'exalted' existence."

"Exalted..."

Mulling over the word exalted, Roland fell into a brief hesitation...

If an apple could be called exalted, then a seemingly ordinary apple would certainly reveal different features from various angles, instead of being a typical apple. This apple might be rounder than other apples, or perhaps was the apple that smashed through a planet, but in essence, it still isn't exalted. If the apple's volume were sufficient, speed appropriate, and hardness adequate, then the possibility of shattering a planet certainly exists.

But essentially, it is just an ordinary apple, not an exalted apple.

Wait, why would I associate with apples?

"Are you talking about it?"

Roland's mind buzzed with a flurry of chaotic thoughts, and in that instant, space around her and Feng Yi shifted—the sound was a requiem from the cosmic expanse...

An apple was continuously colliding with planets at light speed. Though the destruction of the planet and the apple couldn't be caught by the naked eye, Roland could perceive all that unfolded before her, and astonishingly, it was indeed an apple that shattered the planets.

As they spoke, Feng Yi presented an apple to Roland, and by this time, the apple that had penetrated several planets had indeed returned to his hand.

"As a token of gratitude for Eggy, this 'apple' is for you."

At some moment, she and Feng Yi had already returned to the place they were standing earlier, the only difference being that Feng Yi indeed held a golden apple.

Roland attempted to take it, feeling its weight, roundness, and warmth, appearing as though it could be eaten.