Inside the Jade Gate of the Xianzhou Luofu.
A fully armed large starskiff hovered before the Jade Gate.
Yukong dialed Tingyun's number over and over again.
"Beep!"
"Beep..."
The continuous busy signals made her heart sink to the bottom.
The distress signal from the Sky-Faring Commission still echoed in her ears, Tingyun's voice intermittent, mixed with the static of twisting metal.
After that, there was only dead silence; she could no longer be reached.
Tingyun, please don't let anything happen to you.
Yukong gripped the control lever tightly, a desperate fire burning in her eyes, looking ready to force her way through the Jade Gate.
"Move aside!"
Several starskiffs ahead quickly formed a blockade, the pilots all feeling a bit overwhelmed.
"Lady Yukong! Your starskiff has not received takeoff clearance! Procedurally, you cannot force your way through the gate! Your starskiff squadron won't make it in time anyway, and it's too dangerous."
"..."
Just then, the Jade Gate in Yukong's eyes suddenly underwent a change.
Pink?
No!
The entire Jade Gate was completely reshaped and replaced by a giant pink door.
Then, alarms echoed within the Jade Gate.
"Malfunction, malfunction..."
"Structural anomaly detected in the Jade Gate, signal source unknown... spatial coordinates shifting... malfunction, malfunction..."
"What's going on?"
The pilots looked at each other, hurriedly turning their starskiffs to stay on guard.
Yukong was also a bit dazed.
At that moment, the door pushed open, and starships sailed out one after another from within.
The pilots quickly recognized the fleet's flags.
At the bow, a flame flag of the Whistling Flames merchant guild fluttered.
And others bore the emblem of the Qingqiu Guard from the Xianzhou Yaoqing.
"People from the Yaoqing?!"
The pilots thought they were hallucinating.
Yukong was also stunned.
"Wow~, is this the 'Xianzhou Luofu' you mentioned, Su-Su? What a massive world-ship."
"Hua would probably really like this style, wouldn't she?"
On the main ship's deck, a flawless beautiful girl caught Yukong's attention.
She had seen many beauties, but she had to admit, even she was momentarily dazzled by this one.
Flawlessly beautiful.
A beauty that didn't seem to belong to the mortal world.
A pure kind of beauty.
But Yukong quickly shook her head vigorously, tossing the stray thoughts out of her mind.
Hua?
What did she just say about "Hua"?
Wait, that's—!
Yukong's breath hitched.
"Tingyun!"
At this moment, Ryuga was standing on the deck, looking at the towering Jade Gate before him, feeling quite shocked.
So this is the Xianzhou Luofu.
A colossal Xianzhou structure standing amidst the sea of stars.
Being there in person felt far more impactful than the images in the game.
Then, he heard someone calling out.
Following the voice, he saw an armed starskiff suspended in mid-air, and inside the cockpit, a woman was staring at Tingyun on the deck.
Ryuga was slightly startled, then recognized the person.
Yukong, the Helm Master of the Sky-Faring Commission.
But this posture?
She probably wanted to lead people to rescue Tingyun herself, didn't she?
As expected of the younger Yukong, fiery and impulsive.
In her youth, Yukong's personality was quite spicy, her methods swift and decisive, once creating the glorious record of running six red lights in a row.
Back then, Yukong was called a "delinquent girl."
Now, she was probably an "Ace."
After the Third Abundance War, only Yukong returned to the Sky-Faring Commission with her broken body.
Since then, she had changed her temperament, shed her sharp edges, and began to immerse herself in official duties, no longer thinking about soaring through the skies.
Since the war hadn't happened yet, Yukong's fiery nature wasn't surprising.
"Lady Yukong."
Tingyun waved her hand happily.
...
Ryuga put away the Anywhere Door, and the Jade Gate returned to normal.
Then, under the guidance of the Jade Gate, the Whistling Flames merchant guild and the Yaoqing's Qingqiu Guard completed their docking.
"I see."
"Yukong thanks Mr. Ryuga once again."
"I have already notified the General about this matter. Mr. Ryuga saved Tingyun and many of our Luofu disciples; the General will surely..."
Before Yukong could finish, Ryuga raised his hand to interrupt her: "Spare me the pleasantries, Lady Yukong. I just want to buy a house here; my student likes this place."
Carole waved her hand.
She indeed liked it here.
When she had some free time, she would take some photos and videos for her teacher to bring back to Hua.
She had already formed a good relationship with Tingyun, like sisters.
This was exactly the effect Ryuga wanted.
"Jing Yuan will keep Mr. Ryuga's kindness in protecting our Xianzhou in mind. A mere house is not worth mentioning."
Crack! Snap!
In the sky, a flash of golden lightning passed, and Jing Yuan landed steadily on the deck, looking at Ryuga with a smile.
Earlier, the "Anywhere Door" paralyzing the Jade Gate had given him a fright.
If the other party were an enemy?
The consequences would be unpredictable.
They could invade the Luofu at any time.
Ryuga's danger level was quickly raised to the highest level.
Instead of using a holographic projection, he rushed over in person to confirm, but a subtle flicker passed through his eyes upon arriving.
Ryuga's appearance?
The face he saw earlier through the cycrane surveillance was completely different from the one he saw now.
Refusing to believe it, he pulled up the surveillance footage.
Sure enough.
Before he could even ask, Ryuga raised his hand, palm upward.
Time in a Bottle silently enveloped everyone.
The world inside the bottle was self-contained, time was temporarily isolated, and it also blocked the prying eyes of fate.
Jing Yuan raised an eyebrow: "Mr. Ryuga, what is this?"
Ryuga smiled: "General Jing Yuan, don't worry. I consider myself a friend of Jingliu. My appearance is the effect of a Herta Curio, and as for 'Time in a Bottle,' it's just my personal caution."
"After all, I am currently playing a game of chess with a 'Lord Ravager'."
Whoosh—
As soon as these words were spoken, both Jing Yuan and Yukong's expressions changed drastically.
One sentence, three heavy bombs.
Who was Jingliu?
Others might not know, but Yukong knew a bit.
The General's master, who had broken into the Shackling Prison to take away a death row prisoner and had been struck from the records.
Intentionally calling "Protean Jak'Sho" a Herta Curio was also to reveal to the Luofu that his relationship with Herta was extraordinary.
Everyone knew Herta was a Curio fanatic.
Being able to take a Curio from her was as difficult as invading the Interastral Peace Corporation headquarters.
As for the "Lord Ravager"?
My strength isn't weak, so you'd better be nice to Carole.
Anyone who could play chess with a "Lord Ravager" would know how strong they were.
...
Under the influence of his strong connection with Herta and his Lord Ravager-level strength, Ryuga obtained a large detached house.
It had a small courtyard, a massive amount of Xianzhou Strales, and Carole even got a starskiff.
However, she couldn't fly it yet; it would only be given to her after she obtained a starskiff pilot license.
"What a big house! Teacher, will I be living here from now on?"
Carole walked around here and there.
She seemed very satisfied.
"Mhm! Have you thought about what you want to do in the future?"
Ryuga leaned against the doorframe and asked with concern.
"Not yet. Tingyun said she would introduce me to something. Hmm? Where did Tingyun go?"
Carole tilted her head, looking around curiously.
She was just sitting next to her a moment ago; how did she disappear in the blink of an eye?
"She went to the second floor with Elysia."
Himeko pointed toward the stairs.
Ryuga walked toward the stairs, and just as he stepped onto the second-floor corridor, a cry from Tingyun came from behind a half-open door.
It was quite melodious.
The tingling sensation made Ryuga's legs tremble involuntarily.
(Damn... Is Elysia attacking my harem?)
Instantly, alarm bells rang in his heart.
Then he saw Elysia rubbing Tingyun's fluffy, soft fox tail.
Just like touching Himeko's horns.
Elysia had awakened another strange hobby.
"Just once."
"Mhm, mhm."
"You promised, just once."
Tingyun's voice trembled, sounding like she was on the verge of tears.
In the end, Elysia was wickedly unfaithful to her word, hugging the whole thing and rubbing her face against the tail.
Her eyes narrowed into crescents, her face written with an expression of "bliss to the point of ascension."
Tingyun only felt her whole body go soft, her bones turning to mush.
"Miss Elysia, why didn't you close the door? The benefactor saw us."
Tingyun suddenly pulled back her tail and stood up, her cheeks as red as the sunset. "Oh my~ that's enough. Thank you for satisfying my curiosity; I'll be happy all day."
"So this is what a tail feels like? It's so soft, like a cloud."
Elysia said with a smile like a flower.
...
Under Tingyun's introduction, they had a meal of "Chili Oil Beef Offal Stew."
The red oil floated on the surface, the aroma was pungent, the tripe was crisp, the tendon was soft and waxy, and the spiciness spread from the tip of the tongue to the throat.
Unfortunately, they didn't see Bailu in the Exalting Sanctum.
But no matter.
It was time to return to Omphalos.
Before leaving, he had to go to Ruan Mei's place to hand over the Herrscher's body to Mobius.
Just as he stepped out of the Anywhere Door, Ryuga ran into Ruan Mei.
She was dressed in an elegant Eastern qipao with a white lab coat over it, sitting under a lush ancient tree.
She held a small celadon cup, tea steam curling up.
While savoring the tea's aroma, she tasted the exquisite pastries on a white porcelain plate.
Ryuga knew this was her habit.
After an experiment ended, she would sit under the tree alone and quietly enjoy pastries.
"Want some pastries?"
Ruan Mei looked up, her eyes as clear as water, a very shallow trace of surprise flickering in them, but it vanished in an instant.
She quickly returned to her habitual indifferent posture.
"Don't even try."
"There's no medicine this time."
Ruan Mei took a light sip of tea, and to prove her innocence, she specifically picked up a piece of jujube paste cake, elegantly put it into her mouth, and chewed gently.
"I'm not eating it anyway. I have business; I need to find Mobius. Where is she?"
Ruan Mei put down her teacup, her fingertip lightly tracing the rim, as if weighing something.
After a moment, she said flatly.
"Room 923."
After saying that, Ruan Mei no longer looked at Ryuga, picking up the teapot again, her movements for refilling the water still elegant.
"..."
Ryuga truly couldn't see through this woman.
...
Ruan Mei's research institute was very large; she wasn't the only one there.
Stepping out of the elevator, he followed the long, narrow corridor all the way to the end before seeing Room 923.
He didn't have a room card.
But for the "Omnipass," he could go anywhere.
The room was large, and on the frosted bathroom glass, the steam was dense, outlining a graceful figure.
The silhouette was faint, the curves carrying a bewitching magic.
"Who is it?"
An alert voice sounded from inside the bathroom.
"Your dear boss."
"..."
The atmosphere froze for a moment, and the glass door was suddenly pulled open with a 'clatter'.
"Cough cough—"
Ryuga was caught off guard and widened his eyes, nearly having a nosebleed.
It was a visual critical hit.
Wet green hair clung to Mobius's smooth skin, small streams of water sliding down from the ends of her hair, flowing slowly along the curves of her skin.
Passing over her slender waist, all the way down...
Ryuga was completely stunned.
Curvy in all the right places, the proportions were nearly perfect.
Her waist was so slender it looked like it would break, as flexible as a water snake, truly living up to the nickname "Snakey."
Her skin was like white porcelain, with a warm luster.
"Don't you think I might be an impostor?"
Ryuga steadied his mind and cleared his throat, feigning composure.
"Oh, my dear boss, are you doubting my intelligence?"
Mobius raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"First, no one knows I have a boss."
"Second, the surveillance saw you."
As she spoke, Snakey pointed to the snake-shaped robot in the corner of the bathroom.
"You installed that thing in the bathroom?"
Ryuga glanced at the surveillance screen in the bathroom, rubbing his brow speechlessly.
"Is it not allowed?"
"It is. Your place, your rules."
The atmosphere fell silent again.
"By the way, are we just going to stand here like this?"
"Oh? Indeed, it feels a bit cold..."
Mobius winked seductively, slowly raising her hand, her fingertip hooking, as soul-stirring as a venomous snake luring its prey.
"My dear little white... no, little boss, do you want to come in and warm up with me?"
The end of her sentence was so sweet it could drip honey.
"Who's afraid of whom?"
Ryuga steadied himself, strode into the bathroom, and pulled the frosted glass door shut with a 'click'.
Mobius chuckled, leaned back, and slid into the bathtub.
A pair of smiling eyes winked at him.
"Let's talk business first."
"..."
The veins on Ryuga's forehead throbbed; he knew it wouldn't be that easy to get his way.
He simply sat down on the edge of the bathtub and took out Mobius's notebook.
"Oh? You went back to the Moth of the Flame?"
Seeing her notebook, Snakey's eyes flickered.
"Not just your research data, but also the Herrscher's body, as well as the bodies of Honkai Beasts and Deadweights."
Ryuga nodded and told Mobius about the Stigma Project.
At this time, Mobius had not yet created the prototype of the "Stigma," but the seeds had already been sown.
Dr. MEI transcribed her life's research into human genetic factors.
And when these recessive genetic factors were expressed in the humans of the next era, "Stigmas" would appear on their bodies.
Stigmas recorded a large amount of technology, knowledge, and power, each possessing different characteristics and abilities.
Because the technology in the Stigmas was driven by Honkai energy, Stigma holders all had excellent Honkai energy resistance.
"Why only women?"
"My personal preference."
Mobius fell silent: "So, you believe that in this era, we cannot defeat the Honkai?"
"Honkai is not to be defeated, but to be embraced."
"The conditions for achieving that embrace in this era are insufficient."
Ryuga shook his head regretfully.
"I don't understand."
Mobius pressed.
"This is an era about to be driven mad; the era itself is already evolving into something negative, gloomy, and insane."
"What kind of Finality will the Finality reflected by such an era be, and how can it be embraced?"
"The 'Herrscher of Finality' created by the accumulation of too many negative emotions will be beyond redemption, unable to achieve a beautiful future."
Ryuga said, pausing for a moment.
Elysia already understood before the final banquet that this era could not be saved.
That's why she had an all-night talk with Dr. MEI and participated in the "Project Ember" of the next era, hoping to create a better era, one reflected by beauty and warmth, and embraced with tenderness.
Origin probably couldn't gain the Cocoon's approval.
Otherwise, the one who became Finality in this era would have been Origin Mei, not Kiana. Elysia couldn't gain the Cocoon's approval either, because she was a natural-born Herrscher, not one who turned from a human into a Herrscher.
Even with the "Power of My Imagination."
Of course, there were other reasons that destined the previous civilization to be unable to embrace it.
"Even with you, it won't work?"
"It would! Although it's a bit troublesome! But for certain reasons, I've placed the hope of achieving the embrace in the next era."
"Does Elysia know?"
"She doesn't, but she should have realized it too."
Mobius sighed long and hard.
A beautiful leg slowly emerged from the bubble bath, outlining a breathtaking curve.
Languid and alluring, it made Ryuga's heart skip a beat and his throat go dry.
"I'm really tired."
"By the way, little boss, you're so close, do you want to be swallowed in one bite by Snakey?"
Mobius suddenly looked sideways, her lips curling into a bewitching smile, her eyes flowing like honey-coated poison.
This was the signal.
Ryuga's heart heated up, and without any hesitation, he suddenly stood up and jumped into the bathtub.
Water splashed everywhere, spreading layers by layers
Soon, the sound of splashing water echoed in the bathroom.
To be continued…
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