The Xianzhou was rife with turbulence, and Chen Lin had long suspected that the Mara-Struck phenomenon wasn’t directly caused by the Stellaron. Instead, the Stellaron seemed to act as a catalyst, triggering a latent curse tied to the Xianzhou’s long-lived population.
Fu Xuan, though straightforward in her thinking, often exhausted her mental capacity after navigating a single turn of logic. It only took a few questions from Chen Lin for her to spill the relationship between the Stellaron and the Mara-Struck.
It was as he had suspected. The Stellaron’s energy had accelerated the latent “destruction” factor inherent within the Xianzhou people, and that factor was tied to their long lifespans.
“All Xianzhou people, without exception, face the scourge of the Five Declines once their lifespan surpasses a certain threshold, inevitably leading to the Mara-Struck condition,” Fu Xuan explained, pacing back and forth with her head held high. “The Stellaron’s energy simply brought these latent disasters forward, which is why the number of those succumbing to the Mara-Struck has surged recently!”
“Miss Tingyun mentioned this before,” Chen Lin said thoughtfully. “The risk of succumbing to the Mara-Struck is said to start at around 800 years old. Yet many of the Cloud Knights afflicted aren’t even half that age.”
“Hmph, the Stellaron Hunters and the Stellaron itself must be connected. I warned the General not to misunderstand you or the Astral Express. The Stellaron Hunters’ attempt to sow discord was full of holes,” Fu Xuan declared confidently.
“The Diviner is perceptive,” Chen Lin said, offering praise.
Fu Xuan’s chin tilted even higher, and a triumphant smirk appeared on her face. “Naturally. With my divination, all treachery shall be laid bare!”
“Truly, the Diviner is extraordinary. However, I do have one question…”
“Ask away, my dear junior. This seat shall answer them all,” Fu Xuan replied with pride.
From her corner, Qingque watched the exchange, her gaze toward Fu Xuan tinged with pity.
Poor Diviner. She doesn’t even realize she’s being played by Old Chen, spilling everything she knows without restraint. By the time she realizes it, it’ll be far too late.
To her credit, Fu Xuan was indeed knowledgeable. From astronomy to geography, and even the man-made weather systems and cloud seas of the Divination Commission, she explained it all in detail.
After a while, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from outside the grand hall, cutting their conversation short.
Chen Lin turned to see a mature woman in a long green dress entering, accompanied by a dozen Cloud Knights carrying stretchers.
“Diviner,” the woman greeted Fu Xuan with a nod before turning to Chen Lin. “You must be the renowned Governor Chen Lin, the one who reportedly brought a Mara-Struck patient back from the brink of death?”
Her gaze landed on Chen Lin, the only unfamiliar face in the hall. Fu Xuan, of course, was known to her, and the young girl in the corner stacking tiles was clearly a member of the Divination Commission, leaving only the man standing before the Diviner as the esteemed guest.
Hearing this, Qingque froze mid-stack, her gaze snapping toward Chen Lin in disbelief.
Old Chen… can do that?
“This is Dan Shu, a master alchemist from the Alchemy Commission,” Fu Xuan introduced. “Her expertise has led to the development of thousands of new elixirs for healing injuries, setting bones, and promoting longevity. She’s widely regarded as the most accomplished alchemist in the history of the Xianzhou Alchemy Commission.”
Chen Lin couldn’t help but marvel at the Xianzhou’s abundance of talent. Fu Xuan was already a prodigy, but Dan Shu—who didn’t appear particularly old—had achievements that were equally impressive.
“Chen Lin greets Alchemist Dan Shu,” he said politely.
“There’s no need for such formalities, Governor Chen,” Dan Shu replied modestly.
She directed the Cloud Knights to lay the stretchers down neatly. “These patients were on duty at the Alchemy Commission yesterday when their symptoms suddenly worsened, showing signs of succumbing to the Mara-Struck. While elixirs have temporarily stabilized their condition, it continues to deteriorate. Two have begun to develop external growths on their necks, while the other two have hardened keratin sprouting from their elbows.”
The Cloud Knights, knowing their place, promptly left after setting down the stretchers, leaving the room to the higher-ranking officials.
Dan Shu patiently described each patient’s symptoms to Chen Lin, aware that as an outsider, his understanding of the Mara-Struck might be limited despite his fluent Xianzhou dialect.
Chen Lin knelt beside one patient, carefully rolling up their sleeve to examine them.
Each person displayed different manifestations of the Mara-Struck, but a common theme emerged: bizarre, grotesque growths sprouting from their bodies.
As he observed, a new bone, wrapped in layers of muscle and skin, began to emerge from the patient’s torso. Though unconscious, the Cloud Knight’s face twisted in agony, reflecting the unimaginable torment the growths caused.
Even Fu Xuan, despite her experience, couldn’t hide her discomfort.
When she saw Chen Lin place his hand on the patient’s disfigured face, a surge of anxiety rose within her.
“Junior, can they be saved?” Fu Xuan finally asked, unable to contain herself.
The hall fell silent. Even Qingque stopped stacking tiles and edged closer, curiosity overcoming her usual indifference.
Chen Lin remained silent, his mind reeling from the overwhelming negativity emanating from the patient’s mind.
If the two Cloud Knights he had saved near the cargo dock were like small villages of negativity, this patient’s mind was a sprawling metropolis of despair, anger, and anguish.
Chen Lin hesitated to delve deeper, fearing his own psyche might be affected.
“Most likely, I can save them,” he said after a deep breath.
Fu Xuan’s voice trembled with urgency. “Then what are you waiting for? Save them!”
Dan Shu’s eyes gleamed with a mix of hope and astonishment.
“There will be severe side effects,” Chen Lin warned. “The most significant being total memory loss.”
He explained that his method involved using psionics to erase negative memories and reshape the patient’s mental state, as well as forcefully removing their external growths. However, the process was highly taxing and far from sustainable on a large scale.
“Even so,” Dan Shu said softly, “it is better than letting them perish. I implore you, Governor Chen, to save them.”
Nodding, Chen Lin placed his palm on the patient’s forehead and closed his eyes.
Psionic energy surged from his hand, forming countless threads that pierced the patient’s mind.
These threads, unbreakable in the mental plane, shredded the neural pathways housing negative memories, erasing them entirely. Simultaneously, Chen Lin used his computational prowess to surgically remove the patient’s aberrant growths.
The mental strain was immense, but Chen Lin persevered. When the process was complete, the patient’s mind was wiped clean of memories, and their grotesque growths had vanished.
A low hum reverberated through the hall.
As the swirling winds of the Xianzhou settled, Fu Xuan suddenly clutched her forehead, a sharp pain cutting through her mind. A powerful and domineering force seemed to ripple through reality, leaving her eyes dry and a fleeting but profound sense of fear clawing at her soul.
In the next instant, the grotesque form of the Cloud Knight lying before them smoothed out as though the disfigurations had never existed. The protruding bones vanished, and the metallic-like keratin on their skin dissolved.
It was as if the dying, Mara-Struck Cloud Knight had been resurrected.
The three witnesses stood frozen, their mouths agape as if beholding a miracle.
Chen Lin exhaled deeply, shaking off a faint fatigue in his mind. Rising to his feet, he turned to Dan Shu. “Please, examine them.”
Dan Shu, already kneeling beside the patient, quickly conducted her inspection. Barely half a minute passed before her astonished voice echoed through the hall.
“They’re completely healthy! All external symptoms have disappeared. How did you do it?”
Fu Xuan’s intense gaze bore into Chen Lin, her curiosity plain as day.
This was part of the agreement Chen Lin had made with the Xianzhou—his contribution in exchange for mutual benefits. Without hesitation, he explained, “I removed all negative memory fragments to stabilize their psyche and corrected the physical abnormalities by reverting their bodies to their original state, erasing the pain caused by their transformations.”
“This…” Dan Shu was dumbfounded.
Removing memories? Correcting physical deformities?
Who could possibly do such a thing?
“My background should be no secret to any of you,” Chen Lin began, his tone calm. “The empire I hail from follows the path of psionics and spiritual mastery. A sufficiently strong mind can transcend the boundaries of physical reality. Simply put, when a psion’s mind reaches a certain level of strength, they can develop abilities akin to extraordinary powers.”
He smiled faintly. “Coincidentally, my particular abilities include influencing the mental states of others and altering physical reality. That’s how I managed it.”
Fu Xuan’s brows furrowed as she turned to Dan Shu. Both saw the same incredulity mirrored in each other’s eyes.
Such power actually exists?
“Oh! I get it now!” Qingque clapped her hands in mock enlightenment. Twirling a Mahjong tile in her fingers, she quipped with a knowing smirk, “It’s cogito, ergo sum, huh? No wonder—Old Chen, you’re hiding quite the hand!”
Ignoring Qingque’s theatrics, Chen Lin nodded. “Precisely. However, I don’t know if my methods will be of much help to the Xianzhou. In matters of medicine and pharmacology, Dan Shu is far more capable. I’m afraid my expertise is limited to offering ideas.”
Dan Shu offered a gentle smile. “Even so, Governor Chen, your methods have provided a fascinating perspective. When I return to the Alchemy Commission, I’ll conduct some experiments based on this approach. Whether successful or not, exploring the connection between psyche and physical health could open new paths. On behalf of the Xianzhou, I sincerely thank you for your selfless aid.”
“Marvelous!” Fu Xuan exclaimed, though she unconsciously stepped back.
Only now did it dawn on her just how frightening her newly acknowledged “junior” brother could be. The realization that Chen Lin could tamper with someone’s memories was enough to send a shiver down her spine.
What if he made me do something against my will?
Her face turned pale.
Chen Lin didn’t notice Fu Xuan’s retreat, preoccupied as he began treating the remaining three critically ill Cloud Knights.
With each attempt, his skill grew sharper. Deleting memories and reshaping minds became almost second nature.
He was confident that, with the element of surprise, he could reduce any fully conscious adult to a mental state akin to an infant’s in mere seconds.
However, reconstructing memories was far more challenging. A single mistake could lead to logical contradictions, rendering the effort fruitless. Still, this small group served as a decent practice round.
After half an hour, all four Cloud Knights had been successfully healed. Dan Shu, amazed by the results, hurriedly directed the recovered patients to be carried away for further observation, thanking Chen Lin profusely before departing with barely contained excitement to test her theories.
Left in the grand hall, Fu Xuan eyed Chen Lin nervously, keeping a noticeable distance between them.
“Why are you standing so far away?” Chen Lin asked, bemused.
“Far? Am I?” Fu Xuan avoided his gaze, feigning ignorance. “Perhaps I’ve simply grown weary from today’s exertions…”
Anyone with eyes could see through her poor excuse.
Chen Lin glanced toward Qingque, who, now back in her corner, mimicked his earlier gestures with exaggerated flair—placing her palm on her forehead and striking dramatic poses toward Fu Xuan.
Sighing, Chen Lin finally spoke. “Well, it’s unfortunate. I’m only 27 this year—hardly experienced enough. My abilities require the subject to be either unconscious or cooperative; otherwise, they’re entirely useless.”
“Wait, you’re only 27?” Fu Xuan’s posture relaxed, the wariness in her gaze dissolving. Straightening, she adopted a more composed tone. “Age is irrelevant to ability. For someone as young as you to have such skills… well, you have decades ahead of you to achieve even greater heights.”
“Ah… but I’m not what you’d call short-lived.”
“…What?”
Fu Xuan’s initial intention of offering sage advice as an elder came to an abrupt halt.
“I once entered the Void Realm and received a divine blessing for wisdom. After that, my psionic abilities underwent a significant evolution, granting me physical immortality.”
Chen Lin’s words referred to one of his traits, Chosen One, a unique feature bestowed during his initial awakening. Though its immortality effect hadn’t activated initially, it did so after his full psionic awakening.
Chosen One: This leader is a divine vessel, capable of wielding extraordinary psionic abilities to achieve immortality.
In short, he wouldn’t die of natural causes, only from physical destruction.
Fu Xuan froze, her thoughts grinding to a halt as she processed his words.
“Immortal…” she murmured. “You’re joking, right?”
Chen Lin’s calm smile was all the confirmation she needed.
—
This is a fan translation of 在星穹铁道点群星科技树真的没问题吗? by 杏雨诗韵 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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