"Grandpa, I'm leaving now. Remember to take good care of yourself. As soon as we leave Amphoreus, I'll come right back to see you."
At the port of the Zhuming Xianzhou, Yunli bid a reluctant farewell to her grandfather.
After spending some time together on the Zhuming Xianzhou, it was time for Derick and Yunli to depart. Yunli couldn't bear to part with Derick, so she decided to leave with him. Once the matter in Amphoreus was settled, they would return to the Zhuming Xianzhou to get married.
General Huaiyan had been strongly against it at first, but he couldn't stand up to Yunli's stubbornness.
After much thought, Huaiyan finally agreed to let Yunli leave with Derick.
Huaiyan knew that Yunli was young and had a restless nature. If she were forced to stay at home for a long time, Huaiyan worried that her bad mood would negatively affect her pregnancy.
Besides—
Although Huaiyan still found Derick disagreeable, he knew the boy was capable and very responsible. Even if Yunli went with him, Derick would ensure her safety.
"Alright, remember to be careful once you're out there. If you see something happening, don't jump into a fight. After all, you need to pay extra attention to your condition right now."
Huaiyan reminded Yunli.
"I know, Grandpa." Yunli scratched her head and said to Huaiyan in an embarrassed tone.
Huaiyan shot her an annoyed glare.
"Expecting you to take care of yourself? I'd have better luck believing that little brat Derick isn't a womanizer."
Derick, standing to the side, speechlessly turned his head away.
Say what you want, old man, but please leave me out of it.
Huaiyan glared at Yunli, then glared at Derick, before saying to Yunli, "After you leave this time, listen to your big sister Lingsha if anything comes up. With that girl looking after you, I can rest a little easier."
After Huaiyan finished speaking, Lingsha quietly stepped out.
Huaiyan had gone to great lengths to ensure Yunli was cared for. Using the excuse of a medical exchange, he had sent Lingsha to Yunli's side—a small, willful use of his authority.
"Okay, I understand." Yunli nodded gently. Then she looked at Lingsha and said, "Sister Lingsha, I'll be in your care."
Lingsha gave a slight nod.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Huohuo was also saying goodbye to Tail.
"Mr. Tail, I'm leaving now. You stay here on the Zhuming Xianzhou and focus on mastering your new power," Huohuo said to Tail.
At Derick's suggestion, Huaiyan and he had begun to devise a way for Tail to master the energy of the Zhuming Xianzhou's Incandescent Emperor. The process turned out to be quite smooth.
Tail could even share a portion of its power with Huohuo, boosting her strength as well. Furthermore, Tail was not imprisoned; he only needed to remain on the Zhuming Xianzhou for a few days to adjust.
Once the energy stabilized, his consciousness and freedom would remain unaffected.
So, a plan was made: Huohuo would first go with Derick to Amphoreus, while Tail would remain on the Zhuming Xianzhou and reunite with her when Derick and the others returned for the wedding.
This was the first time the girl and the Heliobus had been separated in several decades.
Faced with Huohuo's reluctance, Tail spoke with a carefree air, "You little girl, why are you getting all teary-eyed? Just wait for me to get a power-up, and then no one will be able to bully you… well, except for that Derick fellow."
Tail whispered the last half of the sentence.
Tail was well aware that even if he fully mastered the power of the Incandescent Emperor, he would still be no match for Derick. When facing Derick, it was best to just know his place.
"Mr. Derick would never do that," Huohuo hurriedly defended him.
Tail turned away, speechless.
Great. That girl Huohuo has completely fallen for Derick. It wouldn't be surprising if something happened between them one day.
Seeing Tail's exasperated expression, Huohuo knew she was being a bit lovesick.
But Mr. Derick had saved her twice. He really was so, so handsome.
As for the matter between him, General Feixiao, and Yunli, Huohuo simply pushed it to the back of her mind.
Tail flew quietly into the distance, but after a short while, he still shouted a reminder back to Huohuo, "Little Huohuo, remember to stay safe! You're usually timid, but you get unusually brave at critical moments. Derick won't always be there to protect you."
Huohuo nodded repeatedly.
"Mhm, I know, Mr. Tail."
"Hmph, I hope you really mean it." Tail shook his head and grumbled, but a glance at Derick brought a reassured smile to his face. "But with that guy around, I guess I don't have to worry about little Huohuo getting seriously hurt."
Huohuo bid farewell to Tail and walked over to Derick's side. Then, she followed him and the others, boarding a starskiff to head for the Yaoqing Xianzhou.
...
Herta Space Station, lowest level, Ruan Mei's laboratory.
Ruan Mei tested Derick's Second Clone once more and sighed with some disappointment. It still hadn't become an Emanator.
Even after devouring the entire Swarm King, and though the little dark creature's internal energy had increased, it still hadn't reached the level of an Emanator.
Ruan Mei had no idea that most of the Second Clone's energy had been channeled to Derick's main body to make him an Emanator. With Derick having absorbed so much, there wasn't enough energy left for the Second Clone to become one.
"A large amount of the energy in its body has vanished inexplicably. I have no idea where it went."
Ruan Mei mulled over various possibilities in her mind. She had a few ideas, but she couldn't be certain of anything.
Just as Ruan Mei was contemplating this while looking at the Second Clone, the laboratory door opened, and Herta and Screwllum walked in.
"Did the experiment fail?" Screwllum asked Ruan Mei, observing her and Derick's Second Clone.
Ruan Mei nodded gently.
"Yes, the energy within its body did not reach the level of an Emanator. More work is needed to make it one."
"What do you plan to do next? The Swarm King you created won't be easy to make again," Herta continued to ask.
To create a Swarm King with Emanator-level energy was an incredibly difficult task, even for Ruan Mei. The materials had to be collected, and its cultivation required time.
This failure was different from the last; although that one had also failed, fragments had remained. This time, it was completely devoured, and restoring it would take considerable effort.
"I plan to make a trip to the Xianzhou Alliance. I'm going to act on that proposal. On the way, I can also help it try to devour a more powerful lifeform."
Ruan Mei said to Herta.
As for that more powerful lifeform, it was naturally the remains of the Propagation Aeon that Luocha had brought to the Xianzhou. Ruan Mei was extremely curious about and longed to study the contents of an Aeon's remains.
"Then you won't be going to Amphoreus with us?" Herta asked Ruan Mei.
"That's right. The Imperial Scepter doesn't hold much appeal for me."
Ruan Mei nodded gently.
Under normal circumstances, Ruan Mei would have wanted to study the Imperial Scepter. But with the remains of the Propagation Aeon now within reach, the scepter's allure had faded.
"It seems it'll just be Screwllum and me going to Amphoreus this time, then," Herta said to Ruan Mei, adjusting her pointed hat.
Ruan Mei asked Herta, "Are you two planning to depart now?"
Screwllum nodded. "Yes, we are preparing to leave. However, we are not heading directly to Amphoreus. We will first go to the Yaoqing Xianzhou to rendezvous with the others."
"The Yaoqing Xianzhou? You mean with Derick and his group?"
"Yes." Herta nodded. "Although we haven't met, Ms. Himeko of the Astral Express acted as an intermediary. We've made contact and plan to travel to Amphoreus together."
Ruan Mei nodded gently.
The mention of Derick made Ruan Mei feel that something was amiss, but even with the information she had, it wasn't enough to form a proper hypothesis yet.
...
Penacony.
Firefly and Silver Wolf were still wandering the streets when two figures appeared before them.
Silver Wolf, busy with her game console, glanced up as they approached, then looked back down and greeted them while still playing. "Kafka, Blade. You two are here too."
"Yes. Elio was worried something might happen to you two, so he sent us to provide support," Kafka replied with a smiling nod.
"The two of us would have been fine," Silver Wolf muttered under her breath.
Kafka continued, "This mission is more than just helping Derick. Amphoreus was originally supposed to be the next stop for Blade in Elio's script. But now, many new variables that even Elio cannot predict have been introduced. We must be extremely careful."
"I see."
Silver Wolf nodded.
Then she asked, "In that case, when do we depart?"
"The ship has been arranged. The next step is to head to the Yaoqing Xianzhou. It's definitely not suitable for us to go alone this time. It would be better to go with Derick and the others," Blade said from the side.
Hearing this, Silver Wolf put her game console into her pocket, thought for a moment, and nodded seriously. "You're right. Going to the Yaoqing Xianzhou is an excellent choice."
"I'm surprised to hear you say that," Firefly remarked, finding it strange that Silver Wolf had agreed so readily without any questions.
"Why not?" Silver Wolf puffed out her chest and spoke to Firefly with a straight face. "I'm almost finished with the games I bought here on Penacony, and a place like Amphoreus isn't technologically advanced enough to have video games. If I don't restock on the Yaoqing Xianzhou, what am I supposed to do when there's nothing fun to do over there?"
Firefly's mouth fell slightly open, unsure of what to say.
Seeing her expression, Silver Wolf smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "Of course, that's not the main reason. The most important thing is to find that Derick fellow and discuss your condition. Since he was able to resolve that Misha-what's-his-name's situation, maybe there's a cure for your amnesia too?"
"Mhm."
...
After several days of travel, Derick and his group arrived at the Yaoqing Xianzhou.
It had to be said, the Yaoqing Xianzhou lived up to its reputation. Although its location wasn't hard to find, it was situated in a region of space that was perennially a warzone.
During their journey alone, Derick and his companions encountered no fewer than ten groups of space pirates attempting to rob them.
However, with the strength of Derick's group, all the pirates who came to plunder them became "kind benefactors" who ended up adding to Cipher's private treasury.
Finally, they reached the Yaoqing Xianzhou.
During their descent from space, Derick and the others continuously observed the state of the Yaoqing Xianzhou.
Compared to the Luofu and the Zhuming Xianzhou, which were filled with traditional Xianzhou style, many of the buildings on the Yaoqing Xianzhou had a corporate aesthetic. These were industries funded by the Interastral Peace Corporation, which had also driven a shift in the local architectural style.
Sushang, a native of the Yaoqing, often complained that the architecture of the Yaoqing Xianzhou was looking less and less like the Xianzhou.
But while the exterior might have changed, the Xianzhou people within would never change. The character of the Xianzhou people was immutable.
The starskiff landed at Qingqiu Port, and Derick immediately noticed that besides the bustling ships coming and going, there was an even greater number of new starskiffs being born.
Seeing the curious looks on Derick and the others' faces, Yunli immediately explained, "Grandpa once told me that if you want, you can find a staff member at Qingqiu Port. With their help, you can assist in the birth of a new starskiff and witness the miracle of biotechnology."
"Furthermore, you even get a chance to name the new starskiff. A few months later, the little one you named will appear on the battlefield to exterminate the Denizens of Abundance, fighting for the survival of the entire galaxy."
Just as Yunli finished speaking, Jiaoqiu appeared before the group.
"Indeed, Miss Yunli is correct. If any of you are interested, I can arrange it for you right now."
After speaking, Jiaoqiu paused and said to Derick with a smile, "The second-in-command of the Yaoqing Xianzhou has finally arrived. General Feixiao knew you were coming and specially arranged for me to welcome you."
Hearing Jiaoqiu's jest, Derick gave a slightly embarrassed laugh.
He had been to the Luofu Xianzhou, Penacony, and the Zhuming Xianzhou, but this was his first time on the Yaoqing Xianzhou.
Seeing Derick's embarrassment, Jiaoqiu stopped teasing him and continued, "Derick, General Feixiao said she wants to see you alone to check on the results of your training during this time."
These 'training results,' are they the proper kind?
Seeing Feixiao's usual excuse, Derick, Castorice, and the others all groaned inwardly.
However, if Feixiao heard that, she would seriously claim that at least half of it was proper.
Indeed, with Derick's power now at the Emanator level, Feixiao naturally wanted to test his combat strength.
Feixiao's desire for battle was even greater than her desire for procreation.
"Alright, I'll go find Teacher Feixiao now," Derick nodded.
Then, Jiaoqiu looked at Castorice and the others and suggested, "As for you ladies, perhaps you'd like to visit the Red Fox Theater first to watch the most authentic and traditional Pingrong Opera?"
They had come a long way and needed rest. At a time like this, enjoying a splendid opera could help everyone relax and rest better.
______
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