Chapter 106: Eternal Faith

Chapter 106: Eternal Faith

King YiTa originated from the cosmic chaos, where the birth of a king is both random and rare, with only one per generation in each royal family.

The Book of YiTa chronicles the entire life cycle of the royal family, from birth to demise, but never records where the kings come from or what species they once were, which seems to be a universal taboo.

Yun Huai never expected that, light-years away and in a world he thought was completely new, he would once again see the familiar language of Earth.

It was just three short lines, but the carving was deeper than the rest, revealing the jade-gold color inside the stone at the strokes' ends.

Relieved by Yun Huai’s words, the people of Sheng Star breathed a sigh of relief. The tablet was so crucial to them that not being able to fully translate it would have been a great loss for Sheng Star's civilization.

The sound of footsteps approached from behind, and Lu Lin'an, arms crossed, mingled into the crowd. Tall as he was, he easily peered over Yun Huai's shoulder.

"…Everything's almost sorted out, Nolan is stable, and I sent him to move bricks after changing clothes." Lu Lin'an's gaze swept around, pausing before asking, "What's happening?"

[You keep messing things up; he must be contemplating whether to continue liking you.]

Yun Huai lowered his eyes, "Nothing much. This is a stone tablet we just dug up from the sand. It contains some records, and I'm thinking about the universe and the future based on it."

【…………】

[Could he really be a cold, unfeeling, romance-averse born king?!]

Ignoring the rambling of his genes, Lu Lin'an followed Yun Huai's gaze to the text, frowning slightly, "What are these scribbles, especially the last few lines? Are you sure these are words and not some sort of spell?"

A few seconds of eerie silence followed, and Alino and Leyaral glanced at Lu Lin'an.

Lu Lin'an, unconcerned: "What?"

Yun Huai turned to him, and Lu Lin'an slightly adjusted his posture before hearing Yun Huai say, "This is the language of Earth."

[? Damn.]

Unlike others who were still pondering what 'Earth' was, Lu Lin'an, already aware of Yun Huai's origins, examined the tablet's text more closely, then commented, "Such complex writing must have been created by a great civilization. The culture there must be quite fascinating."

Yun Huai looked at Lu Lin'an, whose romantic notions gradually faded.

Just as his self-consciousness thought Yun Huai would be upset about these repeated blunders, Yun Huai instead pursed his lips and smiled slightly.

Lu Lin'an was taken aback.

The changes in the young man's expression were subtle but noticeably void of any displeasure. Lu Lin'an could feel Yun Huai's extremely stable emotions, like the vast expanse of the Round Moon Spring, with occasional leaves causing a ripple of sweetness.

"Don't be too tense," Yun Huai said. "We are trying to get along. You can freely do what you want, say what you wish. I'm not someone who nitpicks too much. You didn’t really mess up the King Worm and runaway matter; there’s another reason behind it." Yun Huai now had great trust in Lu Lin'an, but perhaps their past distance made Lu Lin'an overly concerned about his every action.

Lu Lin'an: "I..."

[I'm crying, he's really...]

His self-consciousness was extremely moved, responding first, feeling that the great King YiTa could soothe all unrest and anxiety in the universe!

Yun Huai turned to the stunned Lu Lin'an, pointing to the last few lines of the tablet, "To discuss something serious, this is the prophecy stone tablet left by King Il on Sheng Star. The last few lines are in Earth's language, but Earth has more than one language. This script is the most complex branch of Earth's languages, but I grew up with this branch, so translating it is quite easy for me."

Lu Lin'an's gaze lingered on Yun Huai's moving lips.

Yun Huai knew Lu Lin'an liked him. Previously, being stared at so openly made him somewhat uncomfortable, but now he could return the gaze, finding it amusing to search for himself in Lu Lin'an's golden eyes.

Even the coldest, ice-like person couldn’t withstand the continuous heat of intense passion. The shyness of the early stages having passed, the pull of maturity spread.

Yun Huai was well aware of what he was doing these days, enjoying teasing this dragon immersed in love.

…But now, there was another matter that needed to be dealt with.

The young man composed himself and turned to Alino, "Carefully preserve the stone tablet. The oasis of the Round Moon City has reappeared, and sandstorms will no longer bury this place."

Alino, excited yet instinctively asked, "Do you know what the last part of the tablet says?"

Yun Huai paused, Leyaral's gaze shifting from Lu Lin'an back to him, before hearing the young king say, "It’s not exactly good news."

"But it’s not all bad either. You are the last hope of Sheng Star. Just focus on rebuilding here and strive to preserve your civilization."

As Yun Huai's robe fluttered as if he was about to leave, Alino suddenly asked, "Do you come from Earth? Can Sheng Star communicate with Earth? Everything about you, we welcome as guests—"

The spring water bubbled up from the ground, electronic butterflies circling the flowers around Yun Huai before returning to the king's shoulder, their delicate, realistic wings vibrating slightly with his voice.

"No need," Yun Huai shook his head, "no need for communication. Earth is not in the Heiyao system; its coordinates are almost untraceable. Besides, I am quite content here, not overly longing for my homeland."

Alino pondered for a few seconds, "Understood. We only wish for your well-being; everything else is secondary."

The natives of Sheng Star, though not YiTa people, shared a similar devotion and protective attitude towards the royal family.

This was a friendship sincere enough to transcend species.

Yun Huai felt a warmth in his heart and smiled politely, "Thank you."

The content of the stone tablet was now fully revealed. The people of Sheng Star carefully moved the massive structure while Leyaral stood silently in a corner, his mind busy with thoughts and the subtle hints Yun Huai had just revealed.

No YiTa knew where the royal family originated, but the king himself must know, as their birth isn't literally as an infant; they are mostly young with their own judgment abilities, just that their power is in an initial phase like that of an infant.

This fully grown king gently instructed the natives to sustain Sheng Star's civilization. The word 'Earth' flashed again in Leyaral's mind. Perhaps the new king came from there, but this king, so focused on preserving civilization, seemed reluctant to discuss his homeland.

Even then, he was severing the connection between the two.

He didn’t cling to the past, or rather, Leyaral didn’t know what had happened there that made the young man turn from tender to indifferent in an instant.

[Sounds like some really bad stuff.] The genes were talking to themselves in Lu Lin'an's mind, [Don’t you think about switching me out? If it were me, pure dragon power might locate that little planet. I really feel like hitting someone right now, seriously.]

Lu Lin'an’s expression remained calm as he rarely discussed such a sensitive topic seriously with his self-consciousness: Your ability to talk and think now is because you're using my brain. If you replace me, you'll just become a cold-blooded, merciless, senseless killing dragon beast. You might not even recognize him then.

[…I'll try to control myself? I really like him too, and my instinct would make me protect him, definitely!]

Lu Lin'an scoffed: You can’t control anything, let alone protect. You're lucky if you don't get beaten.

The genes raged in frustration, and Lu Lin'an pushed them back, turning to follow Yun Huai away from the base of the tower.

Alino withdrew his gaze, turning to Leyaral, “Then we'll continue our work, sir.”

Leyaral almost imperceptibly nodded, his gaze still fixed on the direction Yun Huai had left.

Without the high walls, the desert wind blew into the Round Moon City, making the oasis sway like a mirage. Petals and leaves twirled onto the surface of the spring water. Above, a spaceship transporting laboratory waste flew past, causing Leyaral to look up, revealing a hint of Rowland Vitt pattern behind his armor.

The wind had picked up.

But with the rain clouds gone, the wind turned dry, the relentless heat testing the endurance of those living here. Yet, no longer numb or despairing, the faces of women and children were filled with the expression of hope for a new life.

“Peace.”

Alino: “What did you say?”

Leyaral, in a low and steady voice: “This is the peace he loves most.”

He would maintain it, uphold the king's will, and use all his power to counter any threats against the king.

-

The black night draped over the grey-yellow desert, marking Yun Huai's last night on Sheng Star.

Moseri, who not only enjoyed conducting experiments but also liked creating so-called artistic environments, had built a transparent light room on top of a former base building. During the day, it blocked the high external temperatures, while at night, it offered protection against the cold and a view of Sheng Star's unique beautiful star chains.

The people of Sheng Star were skilled in weaving complex-patterned fabrics. Alino, along with others, had set up a large hammock-like cradle in the light room for their esteemed guest.

This young chief of the Moseri tribe only obeyed Leyaral and Yun Huai, making Sheng Star seem like a small YiTa territory among foreign clans. However, the foreign clan's lord seemed indifferent to the "rebellion" within his territory.

When Lu Lin'an entered, he saw a small bundle adorably wrapped up in the large hammock. To him, Yun Huai, no matter how much he grew, always appeared through a lens of diminutiveness.

Due to the transition to a mature body, Lu Lin'an could no longer easily determine Yun Huai's state from his blood flow rate. Often, that blood was steady and strong. Whether King YiTa was sleeping or daydreaming, Lu Lin'an would tread lightly regardless.

He approached, resting a hand on the edge of the hammock, his gaze inspecting the young man inside like one would a cub, then locked eyes with a pair of beautiful purple eyes.

"Thought you were asleep," Lu Lin'an said softly.

Yun Huai: "No, just thinking."

Lu Lin'an looked at him for a moment, then asked, "Nolan and the King Worm are still here. Do you still need them?"

Yun Huai blinked, "For now, no. I think I've almost figured out where the storm's weakness lies."

Lu Lin'an hummed in confusion. Yun Huai shifted his body and patted the empty space beside him, "Come up and talk."

Lu Lin'an: "Ah?"

Yun Huai repeated, "Come up."

[Oh oh oh oh oh~]

Lu Lin'an reacted quickly this time. Although his mind was fast, his movements were slow as he carefully nestled into the hammock, worried that it might tear under his weight.

The weight of a fully grown dragon is no joke.

Fortunately, the craftsmanship was excellent. Lu Lin'an adjusted his legs and feet, and upon feeling secure, happily turned to look at Yun Huai.

Being tall, he could only half-sit, half-lean, with one long leg lazily resting on the ground, maintaining parallel contact with the floor without needing any support.

Yun Huai, already small, was completely obscured by Lu Lin'an's larger frame in the hammock.

Lu Lin'an turned to look at him, his voice slightly hoarse, "You didn't kick me off this time."

Yun Huai replied quietly, "Do you want me to? If so, I can give you a kick."

[Definitely not! He's fully grown now! You can't even keep up with his blood flow, one kick might send you flying 18 meters away!]

Lu Lin'an decisively shook his head, simply enjoying the close, scorching breath of Yun Huai. Sparks flew around the light room, occasionally aligning with the star chains in the sky.

Lu Lin'an felt like he should say something in this atmosphere, but found it hard to speak, not wanting to break the quiet moment.

Yun Huai appeared to be daydreaming, staring at the star chains. After a few seconds, their voices overlapped.

"That stone tablet—"

"That stone tablet—"

Lu Lin'an paused, then laughed, "We seem to be getting more in sync."

Yun Huai coughed.

Lu Lin'an gently pressed his feet down, causing the hammock to sway slightly. With his heart and eyes full of affection for the young man, he said, "You go first. Allowing a partner to speak first is our tradition."

Yun Huai finally spoke: "...I wanted to say, the tablet has text in the language of Earth. It's very likely that King Il and I come from the same place."

Lu Lin'an added, "Possibly even from the same star system."

Yun Huai tilted his head in confusion.

Lu Lin'an found the gesture irresistibly cute. He reached out, and Yun Huai didn’t move away, so Lu Lin'an ruffled the hair of the young King YiTa and then placed his forearm behind Yun Huai's head for more comfort.

"A star system is vast, with countless planets hosting countless lives. Lower species struggle to understand physical rules, while higher ones who have surpassed these rules sometimes observe them and decode their languages. I’m thinking, Earth might not be in a good situation. It could be an observation subject of some advanced planets."

Yun Huai fell into thought on the swaying hammock. Having been a king for so long and visited many diverse planets, he knew Lu Lin'an's words were not alarmist. So, King Il either came from Earth or was a life form from a higher-level planet in the Milky Way.

Regardless, the fact that King Il and he came from the same place could be part of the reason why his predecessor could predict his arrival so accurately.

Seeing Yun Huai silent, Lu Lin'an increased the frequency of his toe-tapping slightly, "Did King Il leave instructions on the tablet, so you now know the Eye of the Storm's weakness?"

"Not entirely," Yun Huai's voice was soft and nasal, "I had guessed a bit before. His prophecy just further confirmed my speculation."

Lu Lin'an's voice was deep, "So what did he say?"

[Look at you, daring to ask such intimate imperial matters now. In the past, he wouldn’t even give you a punctuation mark, believe it or not.]

With Lu Lin'an opening up this line of thought, King Il fit perfectly into Yun Huai's fantasy of higher beings—aloof, mysterious, from the unknown, possessing immense power and advanced civilization.

King Il had left only a few sentences on the tablet, but it seemed each word was carved personally with royal power.

[Every species will face storms of destruction and also new hope. I saw your reflection in the spring water. Your power will punish and heal all and become the most noble and great of the YiTa royal family. —To my successor, Il Senihorst.]

Yun Huai didn't tell Alino all this but roughly recounted it to Lu Lin'an, "The warriors of Dayuga, the runaways of the Creation Star Domain, and the King Worm that shrinks at my sight, all confirm King Il's words. My existence is the bane of the Eye of the Storm; I can significantly suppress its influence on interstellar beings."

Lu Lin'an listened quietly.

Yun Huai: "King Il foresaw all this through premonition, which is why he left Eliade near K420 to accompany my growth. He was a great king, his will to protect the empire and the new king spanning four hundred years to this day."

And this will continued to operate, like an elder guiding a younger generation to wield a sword against calamity. King Il gave Yun Huai not only firm guidance but also an absolute sense of mission as a member of the royal family.

Yun Huai turned, his brow slightly furrowed, to face a pair of piercing golden eyes.

Beneath Leyaral's mask was a stunningly exotic allure, but this man exuded an irresistible wildness. He was no less than Leyaral, but his immense power often prevented others from closely observing his beautiful golden irises and handsome facial features.

The young man softly asked, "Did you hear what I said?"

Lu Lin'an's gaze shifted, stopping his toe-tapping, and the hammock stilled.

"I heard every word, and I remember it all. It's just that sometimes I get lost in your beauty and cuteness, so my response might be a little slow."

Yun Huai, resigned: "So, I'm saying, I may have to face the Eye of the Storm head-on, just like King Il once stood in the Battle of the Fall. I'm telling you this in advance so you understand and are mentally prepared. I am a king of an empire."

Even in darkness, he must press on.

If the storm can't resolve him, then he will resolve the storm.

Lu Lin'an: "Can the busy and noble King YiTa date me?"

Yun Huai was stunned: "…What?"

Lu Lin'an's eyes twinkled brighter than the star chains: "I mean, after this battle, let's officially date. I'll take you to Hai Ran Star, where I grew up fishing and playing. How about that?"

Yun Huai was momentarily dazed, and in that second, Lu Lin'an leaned closer, his hot breath grazing Yun Huai's lips before settling beside his nose, restraining himself.

Warmth and romance gradually enveloped them.

Lu Lin'an rested his forehead against Yun Huai, like a lone beast finding a warm den.

He moved his toes again, and in the swaying vision, Yun Huai heard Lu Lin'an laugh, "I liked you from the first sight. With me, you are always free to do and say what you want, no matter what you do, I'll be with you and fight all enemies together."

Yun Huai's eyelashes trembled, momentarily at a loss for words. Lu Lin'an's expression was carefree, "Want another kiss?"

After a few seconds, Yun Huai said, "...Do you want to?"

Lu Lin'an's tailbone ached with the heat of longing, a dragon's instinct craving affection: "Of course."

Yun Huai paused, then indulgently turned his head, his earlobe tingling with delayed heat. He showed the other side of his face, buried in the crook of the dragon's arm, and whispered almost inaudibly, "Then this side too, needs one."