The trip to Cloudford went more smoothly than expected.
Earlier, when Sylvia heard that Tingyun had gone to Cloudford around this time, she was genuinely startled. After all, in the original storyline, the Astral Express crew first met Tingyun there too.
So the moment Sylvia and Tingyun met, Sylvia immediately reached out and touched the other girl.
Partly out of concern for safety, and partly to check if a Heliobus might have possessed her.
Sylvia was practically half a Heliobus herself now. With her abilities fully unleashed, she wasn't exactly overpowered, but she could still sense the presence of other Heliobi.
After confirming there were no signs of Heliobus parasitism within Tingyun, Sylvia finally relaxed.
Aside from the people from the Singing Flame Commerce Guild, those trapped in other areas also received timely rescue after Bella joined the efforts.
Casualties were unavoidable, but at least the survivors could go on living.
Some of the cargo was inevitably damaged, but there was nothing to be done about that.
Even after Sylvia led the team to evacuate everyone from Cloudford, the port still had to be temporarily closed.
No helping it—too much was broken.
The Xianzhou would have to send people to clean up, assess the losses, and repair all the equipment inside.
Under normal circumstances, that wouldn't be a big deal.
But right now…
Sylvia still remembered that the Artisanship Commission's furnace was on the verge of blowing up, and the same went for the Alchemy Commission.
With those two departments severely damaged, the Luofu's recovery was bound to be delayed.
Outside Cloudford—
Sylvia led the way with Bella, finally clearing a passable path through Cloudford.
Once outside, things were much easier. They just needed one of the Sky-Faring Commission's larger starskiffs to evacuate everyone.
While waiting for the Commission's starskiff to arrive, one of their officers mentioned that the chaos on the Xianzhou had temporarily settled down.
After all, the Stellaron had just erupted. Though the Ambrosial Arbor showed signs of revival, it hadn't fully awakened yet.
The first wave of effects had subsided, and those who hadn't turned into Mara-struck by now probably wouldn't for the time being.
It was clear the Xianzhou's response was swift.
The main residential delves had immediately been assigned large numbers of Cloud Knights to maintain order.
Once the Stellaron's disturbances stabilized, the Xianzhou quickly regained a semblance of calm.
They were, after all, a long-lived species accustomed to major crises.
Of course, once the Ambrosial Arbor fully revived, large-scale chaos would surely erupt again.
But thanks to Sylvia's involvement, the Xianzhou authorities now knew the enemy's target was likely the Arbor itself.
Who could say whether the Arbor would truly manage to grow this time?
Hard to tell.
But Sylvia wouldn't underestimate Phantylia either.
Renowned for her scheming, even with most of her power gone, her mind was still sharp.
Phantylia might not wait several days now to trigger the Arbor's full revival.
Sylvia wondered how Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan would handle it.
Had they already sent people to guard the Scalegorge Waterscape?
Sylvia shook her head, watching as all the rescued individuals boarded the starskiff.
Only Huohuo and Tingyun remained by her side.
Mainly because there was still that small starskiff borrowed from the Sky-Faring Commission—someone had to fly it back.
Tingyun, having survived the ordeal, wanted to spend a little more time with Sylvia, maybe share a meal and rest together afterward.
As for Huohuo, it was simpler: since they were all heading back anyway, sticking with familiar company like Sylvia felt safer.
Just then, a call from General Jing Yuan shattered the quiet.
"To think the General himself is calling. This humble one and Huohuo shall take our leave and wait on the starskiff."
Tingyun glanced at the caller ID, saw Jing Yuan's name, and quickly waved Huohuo over, leading her toward the docked starskiff to give Sylvia some privacy.
Seeing this, Sylvia answered the call, and Jing Yuan's full-body projection appeared before her.
Judging by the background behind him, he seemed to be at the Seat of Divine Foresight.
"Miss Sylvia, it's been a while. How have you been lately?"
Jing Yuan wore his usual gentle smile, his demeanor calm and untroubled, as if nothing could ruffle him.
"Thank you for your concern, General. I've been well. But is there something you need, reaching out now? The Xianzhou's internal affairs must be quite busy."
"Hahaha—a little, but it's manageable. After all, we now know who the enemy is and what they're after."
Given the state of the Ambrosial Arbor—though it hadn't started growing yet—and considering Phantylia's severe injuries, Jing Yuan guessed she was likely targeting the Arbor.
First, to use the Abundance's power to reconstruct a physical form and recover from her wounds.
Second, to revive the Arbor and spread Mara-struck transformation across the Luofu, turning it into a land of death.
It wasn't hard to deduce.
She might even be targeting Jing Yuan and Sylvia specifically, seeking their lives.
What else on the Luofu would an Emanator of Destruction find worth coveting?
"Knowing all that and still being so at ease—you truly have steady nerves, General."
"You flatter me. With the Xianzhou shaken, as its general, I must keep morale steady. I mainly wanted to confirm your safety. Phantylia's current whereabouts are unknown, so please be careful while you're out there alone."
"Thank you for your concern, General. I'll be cautious."
"You're too kind. When you have time, you should come to the Seat of Divine Foresight. I'd like to hear your thoughts on this incident."
"…"
Sylvia gave Jing Yuan's projection a subtle look.
Well, aren't you straightforward.
What insights could I possibly have? It's not like I can actually pinpoint where Phantylia is hiding.
But fine, a visit it is. Might as well ask Jing Yuan about his plans.
"Understood. I'll come by later."
--+--
Meanwhile.
While Sylvia was active at Cloudford—
Aboard the Astral Express, high above Jarilo-VI.
Himeko, Stelle, and the others gathered around the conductor Pom-Pom.
They were wrapping up their summary of this trailblazing expedition and had already planned to depart for the next destination.
"Woo-hoo—let's go, let's go! Next stop, Penacony!!"
March 7th enthusiastically raised her hand, cheering the name of Penacony.
If Sylvia hadn't reminded March in a text message earlier, prompting March to seek out Himeko, they wouldn't even have known the Astral Express had received an invitation to Penacony.
Their next destination was Penacony's Charmony Festival.
"Yay—we get to go play with Sylvia!"
Stelle also raised both hands, swaying left and right, looking anything but serious.
Himeko covered her mouth with a light laugh.
"March, Stelle, while the trip to Penacony is meant to be a vacation, this Charmony Festival might not be as simple as it appears on the surface."
While on the Express, Himeko had worked on deciphering the ciphertext within the invitation.
The results were quite interesting. Combined with the Family's widespread invitations, this festival might not be peaceful after all.
"Eh—really?! Don't tell me we're going to get chased by locals again?"
--+--
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.