Chapter 533

Clank, clank, clank, clank.

North of Leon City, the terrain gradually opened up; whether it was an illusion or not, the crimson mist seemed slightly thinner, allowing glimpses of distant scenery—this undoubtedly greatly increased the safety of the Infinite Train as it sped forward.

“The Foundation’s current target is you.”

In the Infinite Train’s cockpit, Kiki was responsible for the train’s safe movement, while Lin Xian stood at the rear, listening as Chu Yan recounted what had happened to her after leaving the Phoenix Society’s headquarters.

What Lin Xian hadn’t expected was that Chu Yan not only openly admitted her collaboration with Hua Xiaoling, but also unreservedly revealed Hua Xiaoling’s—and the Foundation’s—intentions to them, rendering all of Lin Xian’s previous guesses meaningless.

“Me?”

Lin Xian narrowed his eyes and murmured, “Because I’m the Swordbearer?”

Chu Yan removed her mechanical breathing mask and said bluntly, “The Foundation used the Civilization Rehearsal Ball to extract information about you from my consciousness—mechanical awakening, Black Star Forge, the Consumption System… Strictly speaking, they now understand your Mechanical Heart better than the Phoenix Society does.”

Lin Xian’s expression shifted slightly. “When?”

“When you were on Haiyan Island and attacked by the Great Ocean God,” Chu Yan said. “The Commander made the decision.”

“Decision? What decision?”

“To save your life.”

Lin Xian was stunned. He turned to look at Kiki; both suddenly realized—on that day, when the Great Ocean God had suddenly attacked Haiyan Island, that world-ending beast had immediately targeted Lin Xian and Kiki Shizhi, nearly wiping them out in a single strike. But after the three of them fell into the Pacific, the demon god abruptly abandoned pursuit and retreated back into the deep sea, allowing Lin Xian and the others to escape.

Lin Xian clearly remembered seeing that silver-triangular-headed creature, and had never understood why—now, hearing Chu Yan’s words, his heart jolted, and his brow furrowed deeply.

“You mean the Tower People learned the secret of my Mechanical Heart through the Foundation, and that’s why they stopped trying to kill me?”

“Yes,” Chu Yan crossed her arms and sighed softly, looking at Lin Xian. “The Dark Forest Faze —you were testing them, and the Tower People were testing you too. And it all began with the Battle of Dawn City, when we connected to the S-Class Operational Brain…”

Kiki’s eyes widened in shock as she stared at Lin Xian. “Ah!? So you were right all along—the Tower People didn’t retreat because of the threat from Nantianmen; they realized there was a third civilization on Blue Planet, and that’s why they hesitated!!”

Chu Yan fell silent for a moment, then looked at Lin Xian. “Lin Xian, you shouldn’t have saved me back then.”

“Impossible. There was no other choice,” Lin Xian smiled helplessly. “So Professor Ye’s decision was to abandon the Deterrence Era and preserve me?”

“The Tower People lack deep strategic thinking. Their logic is absolute rationalism—like a precisely running computer. When they sense a threat, their first instinct is direct confrontation,” Chu Yan said. “After Dawn City, the Foundation received a message from the Tower People: eliminate you at all costs. Meanwhile, the Star Abyss was also moving against you. Didn’t you ever wonder why your first problem after going to sea was a global catastrophe?”

“Damn…”

Lin Xian rubbed his throbbing temples. “The Great Ocean God was used to test me?! So back then, if that so-called third civilization hadn’t appeared, I’d already be dead…”

“You might not have guessed that when you were in danger, it was Hua Xiaoling who delivered the Civilization Rehearsal Ball to the command room of the Zhen Tian Ship—that’s how this ‘deal’ came about,” Chu Yan said.

“So I should thank Hua Xiaoling??” Lin Xian felt his mind struggling to keep up.

“You don’t need to thank them. They’re just a group of humans who think they’re clever. In some ways, they believe they’re smarter than the Tower People—acting as their proxies on Blue Planet. From a human logic standpoint, they thought they were solving the Tower People’s problem, since they had no idea what hidden dangers that mysterious third civilization might hold.”

Lin Xian suddenly understood. He analyzed aloud: “So now that the Tower People know about my Mechanical Heart, they’ve concluded it’s not a threat—and that’s why the Star Abyss Crimson is accelerating its expansion?”

“But…” Kiki frowned, puzzled. “That doesn’t make sense. If the Tower People learned your secret and stopped trying to kill you, doesn’t that mean the deterrence still exists? Why would they spare you while simultaneously expanding the Crimson?”

Chu Yan exhaled slowly. “I just said—the Tower People lack deep strategic thinking. More plainly put, they don’t believe in conspiracy theories. They don’t assess risk through speculation. But the Foundation does…”

She looked at Lin Xian. “After your Mechanical Heart upgraded, its technological leap far surpassed current human civilization. They easily realized that if your Mechanical Heart reached Level 9, it might truly trigger a reality-altering shift. So they gave the Tower People this assessment—and that’s why you survived. Even after you fell unconscious, they kept searching for you.”

“Well, those people certainly went through a lot…” Lin Xian smiled, then turned to Chu Yan. “So now you’re working for Hua Xiaoling, trying to capture me alive?”

The atmosphere turned tense. Kiki’s gaze fixed on Chu Yan. Though Chu Yan had close ties with Lin Xian and had just helped him, if she truly intended to attack him, Kiki would immobilize her the instant she moved.

Chu Yan’s eyes rested on Lin Xian. After several seconds, she turned her gaze to the crimson earth outside the window and spoke slowly: “Losing some emotions has made the world feel alien to me. Life itself seems more indifferent. Seeing the world this way, I’ve gained a certain understanding—and resonance—with Hua Xiaoling. But I haven’t gone so far as to betray the Phoenix Society. I’ve never once considered betraying you.”

“Then what’s your goal?” Lin Xian asked her. “You appearing here like this—surely not by chance?”

“No.”

Chu Yan raised her left mechanical prosthetic; the weapon hatch on her wrist opened, and a silver Civilization Rehearsal Ball slowly floated out.

“The Foundation left several tracking devices on you. Once you activated that Civilization Rehearsal Ball, they immediately knew you’d awakened. And… your Forbidden Artifacts.”

“Forbidden Artifacts?” Lin Xian frowned.

“You forgot what the Sacred Revelation does?” Chu Yan said. “To us, the Crimson is war fog. But to the Tower People, it’s completely transparent—every piece of information is transmitted globally without delay. It’s a technological system we can’t comprehend. Those Forbidden Artifacts are energy singularities from their multidimensional world. So are psychics—only one is an object, the other a living being. That’s why convoys with more psychics or Forbidden Artifacts face more frequent attacks. In the Eternal Night or within the Star Abyss, it’s even worse.”

Shhh~

Lin Xian reached out and pulled out the black gear, weighing it in his hand. “No wonder Hua Xiaoling could find me so easily. So as long as I try to activate or use a Forbidden Artifact, they can track me.”