Chapter 398: Silence Beats Sound

On the other side, Shan Kui and Xiao Zhao stood quietly aside, their gazes fixed on the front— the entirely jet‑black figure of Arceus had already vanished without a trace, while Huo La remained frozen in place, his eyes vacant.

The two lowered their voices and began to whisper.

"Xiao Zhao, look at Huo La—what's wrong with him?" Shan Kui gently tapped Xiao Zhao's arm, her tone carrying some worry, her eyes never leaving Huo La's silhouette.

Xiao Zhao gently shook their head, brows slightly furrowed: "I'm not sure. Should we go over and call him? Maybe we can wake him up."

Shan Kui pondered for a moment, reached out and held Xiao Zhao, gently shaking her head: "Let's wait a bit longer. That black Arceus has already left, so there shouldn't be any danger. Let him recover on his own."

Just as the two were speaking softly, Huo La suddenly perked up, as if jolted awake from a daze, then slowly furrowed his brows, a helpless wry smile tugging at his mouth, his eyes still holding lingering bewilderment.

Seeing this, Xiao Zhao hurried forward, asking urgently: "Huo La, are you okay? Is something hurting you?"

Huo La gently shook his head, steadied himself, his voice carrying a hint of fatigue: "I'm fine."

He glanced at the still‑unconscious A Zhu on the ground, then looked up at the sky—those once‑torn Space-time Rifts were slowly healing, gradually calming.

"Let's go back to Zhuqing Village."

Huo La said softly, his tone unruffled yet containing a barely perceptible sense of relief.

Xiao Zhao was momentarily stunned, then a surprised smile spread across their face, quickly asking: "Huo La, does that mean… everything's resolved?"

Huo La lifted his head, gazing at the sky gradually clearing, and replied softly: "I think so."

Inside Zhuqing Village, the atmosphere in the Yin He Dui Hui Yi Shi was heavy, the air itself seemed taut.

Majamu, Xingyue, BeiLiLa and other senior members of the Galaxy Team sat at the sides, Dr. Laventon, Zhu Bei, and Gangshi were also present, the three teams' core gathered together, all bearing a lingering solemnity.

In the corner, Wang Luo sat with his hands bound, head bowed, exuding a hint of loneliness that set him apart from everyone else present.

Huo La stood in the hall's center, his gaze slowly sweeping each face, taking in everyone's unease and anticipation.

After a moment, he slowly raised his hand, exhaled heavily, his voice steady and firm: "If nothing goes wrong, the Hisui crisis has already been resolved."

When his words fell, the conference room fell silent for an instant, then everyone's expressions varied.

Majamu's brows eased slightly, a trace of relief flashing in his eyes;

BeiLiLa's tight mouth twitched a little, his expression still cautious;

Dr. Laventon adjusted his hat, a look of satisfaction appearing on his face.

Meanwhile, Wang Luo in the corner, upon hearing this, trembled slightly, his bowed head slowly lifted, the gloom in his eyes fading, revealing a sense of relief as if a weight had been lifted.

Wusi Lady sat to one side, her silver hair neatly arranged, her face marked by the wrinkles of time. Hearing Huo La's words, the fingers gripping her staff unintentionally tightened, the knuckles paling slightly; her eyes held both joy and a barely perceptible unease.

Xingyue was the first to break the silence, leaning forward slightly, his tone tinged with urgency and uncertainty: "Huo La, can you be sure? This isn't a trivial matter; we can't afford any mistake."

After all, Hisui had long been assaulted by Interdimensional Energy; everyone had been worn down physically and mentally by this crisis, and dared not easily believe the danger had truly been lifted.

Huo La slowly nodded, his tone resolute: "Arceus told me personally. The Space-Time Trio—Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, I have already subdued them all, and the torn Space-time Rifts in the sky have begun to close slowly."

He paused, then explained briefly, "The whole cause stems from Giratina attempting to breach the Main World and stir things up, while Dialga and Palkia, fighting over territory and authority, sought to settle the dispute, which triggered the subsequent cataclysms."

Listening to Huo La's casual explanation, Wang Luo's expression shifted slightly, his fingertips unconsciously clenched, his lips moved as if to speak, but he held back, lowering his head again, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

"Oh yeah!" the cheerful Gangshi could no longer contain himself, clenching his fist tightly, standing up excitedly, his voice booming, "So, everything will get back on track?"

Huo La looked at his excited demeanor, gently nodded, his tone carrying a hint of relief yet a barely perceptible weight: "Yes. From now on, no Pokemon will ever again be attacked by Interdimensional Energy, and the disasters caused by SpaceTimeChaos will never recur. This crisis that swept Hisui has finally ended."

The solemnity in the conference room completely dissipated, replaced by an unmistakable joy as everyone murmured.

At that moment, Xiao Zhao clutched his sleeve, his voice rising softly, tinged with cautious unease: "Then… Huo La, are you about to leave?"

The words caused the entire hall to fall silent instantly, the previously spreading joy evaporated like cold water, and the atmosphere grew heavy again.

Everyone stopped their conversations, their gazes all darting toward Huo La, eyes full of reluctance and worry, the very air seeming taut once more.

Huo La tugged at his lips, his Adam's apple moving as he tried to say something to comfort them, but nothing came out; finally he gave a heavy nod, his eyes holding an unspeakable helplessness.

Silence beats sound.

That simple nod surpassed a thousand words, instantly casting a veil of melancholy over everyone's hearts; the conference room was left with oppressive silence, no one spoke again, only the sound of breathing was clearly audible.

Finally, Captain Majamu was the first to break the hush; he stood, clapped his hands, and said cheerfully: "Come on, everyone, stop worrying about these troubles! Since the greatest crisis in Hisui has been resolved, what we need to do now is celebrate properly; the rest can be discussed later."

With Majamu leading, Wusi Lady also slowly lifted her head, tapping her long staff, her tone gentle yet firm: "I also think Captain Majamu's suggestion is wise; resolving this crisis so completely is no small feat, and we should celebrate properly."

After the two spoke, the others also regained composure, suppressing their reluctance and echoing in agreement.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the conference room eased again, everyone exchanging remarks, diving into a discussion about how to celebrate, their tones gradually regaining some vitality.

Huo La stood aside, quietly watching the lively scene before him, observing how everyone forced away their reluctance and tried to smile, a gentle smile curling at his mouth.