Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan's expressions didn't surprise Sylvia in the least.
The very nature of a Heliobus meant that once it intended to infiltrate a place and stir up trouble, effective countermeasures were hard to come by.
Jing Yuan pondered briefly, then turned to Sylvia and said:
"I've heard of an Emanator of Destruction whose method is to plunge a world into chaos first, then let the Antimatter Legion crush it in one sweep. But no one has ever learned their name… Could it be…?"
"I can't say for certain, but it's likely this one's doing. Phantylia does prefer pulling strings from behind the scenes—stirring up conflict, letting civilizations destroy themselves, and then moving in to reap the rewards. It fits the pattern of what's happening with the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus now."
Sylvia nodded in agreement. Then Fu Xuan, standing nearby, suddenly asked:
"That Sky-Faring Commission's Amicassador who was targeted by the Disciples earlier—could she have been chosen by Phantylia as a vessel to infiltrate the Xianzhou?"
Fu Xuan's brow was tightly knit.
If this were true, then the Luofu's current situation was far from optimistic.
To put it bluntly, the Luofu had been focusing on recovery and rebuilding in recent years, and its combat strength had taken a significant hit.
The current Vidyadhara High Elder had withdrawn from the world, and the previous Sword Champion had become a forbidden subject.
Only one Cloud Knight general remained guarding the Luofu.
And while Jing Yuan was praised for his 'divine stratagems,' his martial prowess, though not lacking, wasn't particularly outstanding among the other generals.
Yanqing was still young and inexperienced, his skills not yet fully matured.
The new Vidyadhara High Elder was not only young but also came with a complicated background, and hadn't inherited the powerful arts that a High Elder should possess.
To say that the Luofu's strength was in a transitional decline wouldn't be far from the truth.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have paused their Hunt in recent centuries to recuperate.
Being targeted by an Emanator of Destruction who specialized in scheming from the shadows was… not good news.
Fortunately, the Divination Commission had Fu Xuan and the Matrix of Prescience, plus the cunning of the General of Divine Foresight.
They still had some cards to play. And with the intelligence Sylvia provided, the Xianzhou wouldn't be completely in the dark, unaware of who the enemy was until the last moment.
Plainly speaking, the present Luofu might have enough wisdom on its side, but when it came to pure martial power, there were no guarantees.
With only Jing Yuan holding the fort, it was hard to feel completely at ease.
And once their thoughts drifted in that direction, both Fu Xuan and Jing Yuan couldn't help but think of the mysterious Emanator standing behind Sylvia—the one who acted so intimately with her.
Gaining the assistance of a mysterious Emanator would, without a doubt, be a massive boost to the Luofu's morale.
And using that as a pretext, Jing Yuan would find it easier to push through the plans he had in mind.
Heck… Jing Yuan didn't even need the lady named Acheron to actually take action. With Sylvia here, many things already had room for maneuver.
Of course, the matter was of grave importance. Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan couldn't make a decision based solely on Sylvia's account.
When the safety of the entire Luofu was at stake, they couldn't afford carelessness.
So, after some brief pleasantries, that day's meeting came to a temporary close.
When it was time to leave, Qingque was again assigned as the guide. Yanqing and Qingzu had both been given tasks by Jing Yuan. And Fu Xuan, now that she had a clear target, would spend the next few days carefully performing divinations with the Matrix of Prescience.
There was a chance they might uncover some clues.
Jing Yuan would have liked to chat more with Sylvia and personally take a stroll through the Artisanship Commission, but Fu Xuan stopped him sternly, forcing him to stay at his desk and deal with the day's affairs.
Instead, it was Fu Xuan and Sylvia who left the Seat of Divine Foresight together.
Soon after boarding the starskiff, a transfer notification popped up on Sylvia's phone—the sender's name was actually 'Seat of Divine Foresight.'
Sitting across from her, Fu Xuan had one leg crossed over the other, perched primly with her back straight.
"Received it already? Some miscellaneous rewards. It wasn't convenient to mention it in person earlier. Aside from credits, the rest will be notified via mail. The Xianzhou does not forget favors owed."
Sylvia glanced at the amount and nodded, then her eyes unavoidably drifted toward Fu Xuan's white-stockinged feet.
Because of how she was sitting directly opposite, Fu Xuan's crossed legs had hitched her already short skirt up a little, exposing nearly her entire thighs.
It looked… incredibly tempting.
"Ahem…"
Perhaps Sylvia's gaze was a bit too direct. Fu Xuan suddenly recalled the last time she'd asked Sylvia for a massage.
Thinking Sylvia was just instinctively assessing her out of professional habit, Fu Xuan gave a light cough, her cheeks slightly flushed, and said:
"This one has important matters to attend to today, so I'm afraid I cannot ask you for a massage, Sylvia."
"…Ah, yeah, it's fine. If you're ever tired, Fu Xuan, you can contact me anytime."
Called out like that, Sylvia realized her stare had been a bit too obvious and quickly averted her eyes, looking instead at the starskiff's walls and interior.
"Let's return to the subject of the Emanator of Destruction. This one will perform detailed divinations based on the intelligence you provided. And if possible, I would like to ask you, Sylvia, to assist in one divination session."
"Me?"
Sylvia looked at Fu Xuan in confusion. Though the blush on Fu Xuan's face hadn't yet faded, her expression had turned serious.
Fu Xuan nodded and replied:
"You thwarted the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus' scheme, and since that incident was in service to that Emanator of Destruction, you're certain to have drawn her attention. Using you as a starting point, the divination results should be more accurate."
"No problem at all. Just helping you with a divination session is nothing. Anytime I'm free works."
Cooperating with Fu Xuan's divination likely meant a trip to the Matrix of Prescience.
Sylvia was rather curious about that—the Matrix had looked quite impressive in the game.
As for whether it might detect her secrets… Sylvia wasn't too worried. The Matrix was, at its core, still about deducing information—it couldn't actually read memories out of thin air.
More than that, Sylvia's mischievous side wondered what kind of adorable expression Fu Xuan might make if, while scrying with the Matrix, she 'accidentally' glimpsed how she looked in Sylvia's memories.
Honestly, Fu Xuan was truly formidable, but she was also incredibly cute!
The always proper Master Diviner, blushing and flustered in such a cute way—it was downright irresistible.
If it weren't so improper, Sylvia would really love to hold the Master Diviner in her arms and dote on her properly.
Among the people Sylvia knew now, when it came to pure cuteness, the Master Diviner was definitely number one.
--+--
Meanwhile, Acheron stood in the void, not far from the slowly sailing Xianzhou Luofu.
Earlier, when passing the starport where the two of them had once set foot, Acheron had considered whether she should contact Sylvia and have her open a portal to bring her back directly to the Luofu.
But on second thought, if she let Sylvia know she was back so directly, wouldn't that ruin the whole training plan from the start?
"Hmm… I'd better observe quietly for now. If nothing's going on, I won't let Sylvia know. Otherwise, she's sure to scold me again."
Muttering to herself, a faint smile touched Acheron's lips.
Then, with a single step, she traversed the void and entered the Luofu seamlessly, without alerting a single soul.
"Now, let me think… What might Sylvia be doing right now…"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.