After catching her breath, Bailu moved her short legs to Godzilla's side, plopped down, and leaned against Godzilla's head, gazing at the stars above.
The night sky of Luofu was beautiful. Even among starships, people never gave up their yearning for beauty.
In fact, it was precisely because they lived on starships that the people of Xianzhou had a longing for beauty that many others couldn't understand.
"Mm~"
Stretching lazily, Bailu let out a satisfied sound.
Patting Godzilla, Bailu softly said: "If only it could always stay like this."
----------------------------------------------
Bailu had known for a long time that the elders did not like her nor recognize her.
In their eyes, she, who had not been appointed through the elders' resolution but was designated by the former Vidyadhara High Elder Dan Feng as the current Vidyadhara High Elder, was not qualified to inherit the position of Luofu Vidyadhara High Elder.
Of course, a large part of the reason was that her power as Vidyadhara High Elder was incomplete, only half of it.
And she did not know how to use this half before resealing the Ambrosial Arbor with Dan Heng.
The Vidyadhara High Elders always tried to restrain her. After understanding Dan Feng's actions, she also realized that these old folks were simply worried that she would, like the previous Vidyadhara High Elders, act willfully and ignore the Elders' Council.
In fact, during the years of conflict between the Vidyadhara High Elders and the Elders' Council, the prestige and power of the Elders' Council had been drastically reduced to a near negligible level.
In front of the Vidyadhara High Elders who held power, the authority of the Elders' Council seemed extremely laughable. It was not that no Vidyadhara High Elder tried to coexist harmoniously with the elders and listen to their experience, but the elders always managed to speak in a self-righteous tone that would inevitably strain their relations.
At one point, even a certain general of Luofu suspected that the elders simply enjoyed making things difficult.
"Since I can remember, the elders have controlled me, the Alchemy Commission made me heal and save people. Even if I wanted to sneak into the Aurum Alley for some snacks, I had to do it secretly. If discovered, a large group would come to catch me and bring me back. Oh right, you don't know where Aurum Alley is, do you? Hmm~ I'll bring you some snacks when I return."
Bailu giggled and patted Godzilla.
Suddenly, she froze, realizing a serious problem!
"My allowance is used up."
Thinking of her empty allowance, Bailu sank into a gray state.
For a child, having no allowance was an unspeakably severe matter!
"Careless, I should have saved some..." Bailu muttered.
Godzilla slightly opened his eyes, his huge vertical pupils gazing at the petite little girl. The Vidyadhara girl was still counting on her fingers how much extra snacks she had eaten, leading to her allowance being insufficient.
Poke.
"Stop that."
Poke.
"Wuuu—I'm angry now."
Bailu turned her head, puffed her cheeks, intending to give Godzilla a good scolding.
Then her gaze was attracted by a gem that Godzilla had wrapped with his tail.
It was a large gem, its smooth luster especially charming under the distant lights.
"Eh! How do you have this!" Bailu's eyes widened in disbelief at the gem on Godzilla's tail.
Unfortunately, Bailu did not know the name of this gem. She had just happened to overhear people discussing a similar one when passing by a jewelry shop. She remembered the discussed price was...
...
"Three hundred thousand credits!" Qingque exclaimed, her eyes following the movement of the gem up and down.
"This thing is worth three hundred thousand credits! And that's the purchase price—if processed and sold it could double. You, you, you—where did you get this thing?"
"Hehe, Godzilla gave it to me. He heard me say I ran out of allowance and gave me this."
In Godzilla's eyes, Bailu was still a cub. Although she indeed was a cub, as everyone knew, not all long-lived were the same. Compared to the Xianzhou long-lived who risked falling into Mara and rarely lived beyond a thousand years, Godzilla certainly had authority in the realm of long life.
Seeing a cub looking dejected before him, Godzilla didn't mind offering help.
Of course, the premise was that this cub was one he recognized.
Bailu giggled. Faced with Bailu's situation, Qingque looked at her with envious eyes.
"Ah~~ why don't I have such good luck!"
"Didn't expect that any random ore from this big guy is worth so much. Say, if we can't afford food someday, could we ask him to support us?"
March 7th fiddled with the gem and winked at Stelle, then quickly added with a laugh,
"Godzilla is really generous. But thinking of how many ores he has, enough to pave the sea, it's not surprising."
"By the way, Bailu, where are you going to sell this?"
Bailu had already thought about this question.
"The Artisanship Commission. I heard they've been short on ores lately. If I send this over, maybe they'll even give me a bonus."
Hearing the words "Artisanship Commission," Qingque's body stiffened. If she remembered correctly, the ores there were mostly...
"Ahem, I suddenly remembered Lady Fu Xuan assigned me a task. Let's skip the Artisanship Commission. Call me when you're done, okay? Bye!"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Qingque dashed off at lightning speed, so fast even Bailu was left in awe.
She had trained her speed hard to outwit those trying to capture her, but never expected to be outpaced by Qingque, who worked a desk job. Is this what the books call 'there is always someone better out there'?
...
"The Artisanship Commission—has it become so disordered that they no longer even have their own officials stationed?"
Though Jingliu wore an eyepatch, her perception of the surroundings was unaffected.
Sensing the Ambrosial Arbor roots filling the Artisanship Commission, she spoke.
"Heh, Luofu has many affairs nowadays. Handling the Ambrosial Arbor roots here at the Artisanship Commission is indeed a problem." Jing Yuan smiled slightly at Jingliu's words.
As they spoke, a figure appeared at the top of the stairs, slowly walking down.
"He's here." Sensing the approaching presence, Jingliu slightly raised her head, her eye gazing at Dan Heng.
"...Long time no see." Dan Heng said calmly as he looked at Jingliu.
Though not long ago, Jingliu had exchanged blows with both him and Blade.
"Imbibitor Lunae." Jingliu whispered, then shook her head: "Better to call you by your name of this lifetime, Dan Heng, as you said."
"..."
"Weren't you going for a walk? You can't just stand here. Come on, let's go over there and talk."
Jing Yuan clapped his hands and chuckled.
The two had no objection.
As they walked, Dan Heng slowed his pace, gradually aligning with Jing Yuan.
"Is this the reason you called me here?"
"That wasn't my intention."
"...You could have just said so directly."
"That wouldn't be fun. Life needs a bit of mystery, doesn't it?"
Shaking his head, Dan Heng stopped discussing the topic with Jing Yuan and instead turned his attention to Jingliu.
"She is...?"
"...Revisiting old places, that's all."
The idle conversation ended there.
Suddenly, Jing Yuan felt his phone vibrate. Logically speaking, he had already informed others not to disturb him at this time.
In other words, for someone to contact him despite this order, could it mean something major has happened again?
"Hmm?" Seeing the message on his phone, Jing Yuan raised an eyebrow; the situation seemed rather serious.
"What's wrong?" Dan Heng looked at him in confusion.
"Two special guests have arrived at Luofu. No need to worry, Lady Fu has already gone to receive them. Let's continue."
Putting away his phone, Jing Yuan spoke with his usual smile.
...
At this moment, Stargazer Navalia was hosting two visitors.
The tall and short figures firmly attracted everyone's attention.
Besides the fact that both of them were rare figures, the greater reason was...
"Why does that short one not look human?"
"You don't get it, do you? This is one of those longevity extension techniques from the short-lived species. Let me think, I believe it's called... mechanical... mechanical ascension?! Yes! Mechanical ascension!"
"What are you talking about? I remember there's similar technology on the Xianzhou as well, hidden in the Artisanship Commission."
Hearing the discussions around her, Herta looked on speechlessly, as if watching some irretrievable garbage bouncing around in front of her.
"Pfft, a bunch of ignorant fools. Mechanical ascension? As if I would need such a thing."
"After all, even among the people of the Xianzhou, those who travel outside are few, and there are too many differing understandings of the outside world." Ruan Mei shook her head slightly and said softly.
"Hmph, you have the nerve to talk." Herta crossed her arms, frowning as she stared at Ruan Mei.
"Do you know how terrifying it was to run into you halfway?"
"Perhaps my appearance isn't that frightening." Ruan Mei still responded calmly.
Herta clicked her tongue. She didn't need to think to know that Ruan Mei must have used some method that made her presence hard to detect to track her and arrive at Luofu first.
As for whether she might have monitored her phone communications… impossible, absolutely impossible!
That one specializes in life sciences; if even her own communications couldn't escape surveillance, she might as well quit the Genius Society and go join the Daycare Club!
As the two became the center of attention, two squads of Cloud Knights cleared the area and surrounded the two for protection.
Then...
"Your arrival at Luofu brings me great joy. May I ask if you encountered any discomfort during your journey?"
Fu Xuan approached slowly, her gaze fixed on the two world-renowned geniuses.
"Lady Herta, Lady Ruan Mei, welcome to Luofu."
"Enough with the pleasantries. Lead the way quickly. I don't want to keep standing here like a fool."
"Of course, failing to greet you in advance was already Luofu's discourtesy. Please follow me."
Fu Xuan slightly nodded, gesturing for them to proceed, and led the way.
'Herta and Ruan Mei…'
Fu Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly.
She was no stranger to Herta, this genius.
Not all members of the Genius Society were still alive.
For example, Sserkal lived only twenty-nine days yet produced research results that shocked the universe.
Herta had successfully continued her path and, as an active genius, had gained widespread fame across the cosmos. Many worlds told tales of Lady Herta, and countless geniuses from various planets strove to enter Lady Herta's space station.
As for the one beside her...
Ruan Mei was, according to intelligence, a reclusive figure whose name was only thunderous in the field of life sciences, impossible to ignore.
It's no exaggeration to say these two were geniuses who would receive the highest treatment wherever they went.
Now, they had come together to Luofu, and at a time when Luofu had just gone through a dreadful event—it was hard not to overthink.
"If I may be so bold to ask, do you have any research you wish to conduct in Luofu, or is there something you wish to collaborate with Luofu on?"
Fu Xuan deliberately asked in a curious tone.
"I am here to seek the miracle of life," Ruan Mei said softly.
But her words struck Fu Xuan like a bolt from the blue.
Although some time had passed since the Ambrosial Arbor calamity broke out on the Luofu, the details hadn't been widely spread. How could she know? Did she have spies within Luofu? But intelligence said she preferred solitude and disliked noisy environments.
Fu Xuan felt her third eye ache, a sign of mental overexertion.
"Ahem, Lady Ruan Mei, though you are our guest, as the Master Diviner of Luofu, I have the duty to remind you that it's best not to meddle with matters related to abundance here."
"Hmm? I have no intention of inquiring into abundance. That is not the purpose of my visit."
Ruan Mei shook her head slightly, and Fu Xuan was stunned.
The miracle of life, but not for abundance?
Individually, she understood both statements, but together they seemed increasingly unfamiliar.
Since when did the blessing of abundance no longer tie into life itself?
If these words of Ruan Mei were to reach the ears of the abundance people, they would surely not escape being harassed by them.
"Don't mind this fellow, she's just out for a walk. We're here to meet a friend, nothing else."
At the critical moment, Herta stepped forward and attracted most of the attention.
Though Herta had low emotional intelligence, that didn't mean she had none.
On the contrary, she extracted quite a bit of useful information from Fu Xuan's message.
For example, the Ambrosial Arbor.
Herta's gaze was drawn to the huge tree in the distance. But unlike the records, the situation seemed to have changed.
"Ambrosial Arbor."
Staring at Ambrosial Arbor's body, Ruan Mei spoke softly.
Fu Xuan nodded slightly and responded with a smile.
But inwardly, her wariness towards the two deepened.
The geniuses of the Genius Society were all figures who could shake the universe. For them to visit together just to meet a friend?
That Herta would have a friend she would visit personally? Hard to imagine.
...
"Would you two like to sit for a while at the Divination Commission, or go for a walk?"
Fu Xuan asked.
"Let's walk. It's boring to just sit around in the jurisdiction." Herta said indifferently.
"In that case, allow me to guide you both around and let you experience the customs of Luofu."
Fu Xuan nodded, dismissed most of the Cloud Knights, and slowly walked the streets of Luofu with Herta and Ruan Mei.
"The Ambrosial Arbor of Luofu, the miracle bestowed by Abundance, shouldn't look like this, right? It seems a bit odd."
Looking at Ambrosial Arbor, Herta spoke without hesitation.
"Hmm? You two are interested in Ambrosial Arbor? To be honest, Ambrosial Arbor indeed didn't look like this earlier. Although the severed Ambrosial Arbor still looked withered, its current state seems even less fitting."
Fu Xuan shook her head and said.
Undoubtedly, the Ambrosial Arbor forcibly cut off by Godzilla was even less attractive than its previous withered self.
But for Luofu, such a change was naturally a good thing.
Even Fu Xuan turned a blind eye to the private celebrations of the Divination Commission.
Official celebrations were to be attended, but inviting a few friends privately could be dismissed as casual gatherings.
Ruan Mei's eyes flickered.
This small reaction was easily detected by Fu Xuan. She remembered that Ruan Mei's major was life sciences, right?
"Ahem, you two, although Ambrosial Arbor is large, it's rather uninteresting. How about we go to Aurum Alley or Artisanship Commission to experience the local customs of the Xianzhou?"
...
After a brief stroll, Fu Xuan confirmed that the two really showed no interest.
Obviously, there was another very important reason why geniuses were called geniuses.
These people always had aspects that ordinary people could not understand.
She would rather spar a few rounds with the general than receive these two.
If it weren't for Yukong's absence, this job shouldn't have been hers.
Hmm, she now owed the general three more favors.
"Speaking of which, I heard there was a Stellaron Crisis in Luofu some time ago. How was it resolved?"
Herta, holding a bottle of soda bean juice, asked casually.
"That's no secret. The situation was extremely dangerous at the time. It was a member of the Astral Express who summoned reinforcements and helped Luofu overcome the crisis. Otherwise, even if Luofu survived, sacrifices would have been inevitable."
Fu Xuan said. This was no secret, after all, Godzilla's existence was destined to be extraordinary.
Herta's eyes flickered, indeed, they were getting closer.
But...
Herta glanced helplessly at Ruan Mei, who was also listening.
If she were alone, she would have straightforwardly discussed Godzilla's information with Fu Xuan.
But Ruan Mei's presence undoubtedly drew this Diviner's attention.
Especially when Ruan Mei stared at Ambrosial Arbor. If it weren't for the fact that they hadn't done anything and declared their intentions publicly, she wouldn't doubt that this little pink-haired dwarf would assign someone to 'accompany' them — in fact, to monitor them closely.
"I've heard much about the Xianzhou's Alchemy arts; may we have a look ourselves?"
At this moment, Ruan Mei spoke.
"That's possible." After some thought, Fu Xuan finally agreed.
Although the Alchemy Commission was adjacent to the Scalegorge Waterscape, she could use the excuse that the Scalegorge Waterscape was the sacred land of the Vidyadhara to dissuade them from going there.
After all, the Vidyadhara preceptors didn't want outsiders to disturb the Scalegorge Waterscape either.
Fu Xuan was thinking for their sake, after all.