Exhausted of all Path energy, Sparkle felt a wave of fatigue wash over her. Her body went limp, and she staggered backward, nearly falling.
Fortunately, the gentlemanly Yun Fan didn't stand by and watch the beautiful young lady tumble to the ground. Catching her slender waist, he pulled the unwilling Sparkle into his embrace. Gazing at her pouty lips—so exaggerated they could practically hang an oil bottle—the boy couldn't help but chuckle.
"Oh dear, it seems our Miss Sparkle isn't feeling too well. In that case…"
"Ah!"
With a startled cry from the girl, Yun Fan scooped her up in a princess carry. "Then let's head back to the room for some proper rest. And while we're at it…"
Leaning down slightly, he brought his lips close to her delicate, pink ear, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe, sending a tingling sensation through the innocent girl. "…I'll give you a little punishment."
———————————————
"You ***! Shameless **! Hypocritical scum!…"
Half a system hour later, in the Reverie Hotel, Yun Fan wore an expression akin to an elderly subway rider as he listened to Sparkle's relentless stream of insults, his lips twitching involuntarily. In a way, this little brat's combat prowess far exceeded his expectations.
Compared to Belobog's "Big Duck" (Bronya Rand), the pink-haired diviner from the Divination Commission, or even our future Dragon Lord—the one who declared, "This young lady will slap you so hard even your mother won't recognize you"—Bailu, Sparkle was in a league of her own.
Honestly, Sparkle usually appeared playful, cute, and refined. Even in her PV, she carried herself with the grace of a literary maiden, exuding an air of elegance in every gesture.
Who would've thought that someone so cultured could spew such obscenities that even the text system nearly crashed?
'Today's been an eye-opener.' Yun Fan massaged his temples in frustration. He couldn't fathom why Sparkle was so furious. Was it sheer embarrassment?
That didn't make sense. All he'd done was spank this little brat like a misbehaving child—nothing more. Why was she so incensed?
"Miss Sparkle, don't you think that's enough?" Yun Fan attempted to cut her off, but the moment he spoke…
"I &♢*…!"
"Alright, alright, carry on. I won't interrupt… haha, I won't interrupt…"
With that, Yun Fan waved his hand and strode straight toward the Dream Pool. Under Sparkle's mix of shock and indignation, he stepped into the dreamscape.
Seeing this, Sparkle had no choice but to cease her verbal assault. After all, what was the point of hurling insults if no one was around to hear them?
"Is this guy really so trusting? Doesn't he fear I'll ambush him while he's dreaming?" Sparkle tiptoed to Yun Fan's side. After confirming he'd truly entered the dream world, a complicated expression crossed her face.
Didn't he worry she'd seize the opportunity to strike him down in his vulnerable state? Standing by the Dream Pool for a long while, Sparkle ultimately refrained from harming the boy lost in dreams.
"Hmph, be grateful. Lady Sparkle is letting you off this time."
...…
"Ahead lies our destination—the Xianzhou Luofu."
In the depths of space, the crew of the Astral Express performed a targeted jump using coordinates provided by the Stellaron Hunters. After the familiar dizziness of warp travel, the train, originally in a remote corner of the cosmos, found itself in the star system where the Xianzhou Luofu resided.
After roughly half a day's journey, the Astral Express arrived at the Luofu's docking area.
"So this is the Xianzhou Luofu? It's so… so massive!" March 7th stared in awe at the colossal starship before her. Legends spoke of a mythical fish in the northern seas named Kun, so vast its size spanned thousands of miles.
Yet even if such a creature were placed before the Xianzhou now, it would pale in comparison.
"Indeed. It's said the Xianzhou embodies the pinnacle of technological prowess from the ancient Sui Empire. The resources expended in its construction were beyond measure. For eight thousand years, the Xianzhou has soared through the cosmos, birthing countless heroes and legends along the way."
Himeko added, though this wasn't her first time boarding a Xianzhou ship. Still, the sight never failed to stir a sense of awe within her. What would it be like, she wondered, if the Astral Express could one day match the Xianzhou's grandeur?
"Dan Heng, will you be joining us?" Welt asked. At this, the group's attention turned to him.
Since the incident at Herta Space Station, Dan Heng's identity as a Vidyadhara Dragon Lord had become known to all. And now, as descendants of the Aeon of Permanence, the Vidyadhara were aligned—or allied—with the Xianzhou. Naturally, this made the Xianzhou Dan Heng's homeland.
Welt's words stirred something in Dan Heng's heart, but in the end, he shook his head.
"I won't be going. After the Dan Feng incident, the former Vidyadhara Dragon Lord is no more. What remains in this world is only Dan Heng."
His words cast a somber silence over the Express crew. Yet they said nothing more. Every member of the team had their own secrets and freedoms. As friends and companions, they respected Dan Heng's choices and realizations.
"In that case, this time, let's have Old Welt lead the team, with March and Stelle joining."
After completing docking procedures, Welt disembarked with March and Stelle. Perhaps due to Qingque's rescue of Tingyun—or maybe because Yun Fan's butterfly effect had altered events—the Luofu, though affected by the Stellaron crisis, hadn't suffered as severely as anticipated.
At the very least, the Cloudford hadn't been ravaged by disaster. Instead, ships and vehicles came and went in an endless stream, travelers and tourists chatting and laughing, the entire scene vibrant and bustling.
"Wow! It's so lively! Mr. Yang, Stelle, let's go explore!" The cheerful March could hardly contain her excitement and immediately tried dragging Welt and Stelle off to sightsee.
"March, wait a moment." Welt adjusted his glasses, a thoughtful expression on his face. After scanning their surroundings and observing the passersby, he shook his head. "Something feels off. The Stellaron Hunters claimed the Xianzhou was suffering from the Stellaron disaster, but based on what we're seeing… it seems we've been deceived."