"Celenova, helping you recover caused my body to deteriorate ahead of schedule. I'm going to use a Stellaron to revive the Ambrosial Arbor on the Xianzhou Luofu, and you're going to help me."
Hearing Phantylia's request, Celenova narrowed her eyes slightly before speaking in a soft voice, her tone as calm and unhurried as ever.
"Of course, I'll help you, but I still haven't fully recovered, so I can only provide military support for now. As for Stellarons, how many do you want?"
"The more troops, the better, but I'll also need your technical support," Phantylia replied without the slightest hesitation. "Give me a Stellaron and a way to rapidly revive the Ambrosial Arbor. I can handle the rest myself."
"Heh, so you're planning to disguise yourself as someone from the Xianzhou Alliance again and stir up the Xianzhou natives from within, making them tear each other apart?" Celenova said with a faint chuckle, a trace of amusement appearing in her eyes. "No matter how many times I see it, I still think you have quite the artistic sense for Destruction, though not quite as much as me."
"Hmph, what's so interesting about blasting each other with warships?" Phantylia scoffed dismissively, clearly unimpressed. "Destroying a civilization through its beliefs is the best way. Watching people willingly abandon everything they once stood for and bring ruin upon themselves is far more meaningful. We've never agreed on this point, so there's no need to keep arguing about it."
Celenova looked at her quietly for a few moments before asking a question that had been lingering in her mind for quite some time.
"Are you really planning to go alone? Shouldn't you wait until I recover so we can move together?"
"Does this body look like it can afford to wait?" Phantylia casually pointed at herself, the subtle signs of instability already beginning to show throughout her current body. "I don't want to wait even one more day."
Celenova fell silent at that.
If she had not been severely wounded for no apparent reason, she would not have needed to trouble Phantylia with handling this matter in her place.
In a sense, she owed Phantylia for this now.
After a brief period of silence, Celenova spoke again.
"What if you get captured without me helping you keep the Yaoqing occupied?"
Phantylia immediately smiled in disdain, as though she had just heard something ridiculous.
"Can't you hope for something better for me? I'm relying on strategy, not brute force. As long as I obtain the immortal fruit of the Ambrosial Arbor and gain a new Abundance body, what could a mere Arbiter-General possibly do to me?"
Naturally, that was not arrogance born from ignorance.
An Emanator of Destruction possessing an Abundance body—just imagining such a combination was enough to understand how terrifying it would become.
Needless to say, the Destruction authority granted by Nanook, combined with the seemingly endless vitality of Yaoshi's Ambrosial Arbor, would create a monster that was far more troublesome than either power alone.
Still, one of her informants inside the Xianzhou Luofu had recently reported a rather ambiguous piece of intelligence, claiming that a former Arbiter-General had supposedly returned from the dead.
Phantylia naturally did not believe it in the slightest.
If the Arbiter-Generals truly possessed a way to resurrect themselves, they would have done so long ago and would never have suffered such devastating losses thirty years ago.
Anyone with half a brain could tell that this was most likely smoke and mirrors arranged by that scheming Jing Yuan. He wanted to create an atmosphere of uncertainty, obscure the truth, and intimidate hostile forces through psychological pressure.
As far as deceptive tactics were concerned, she was hardly inexperienced herself.
If the Xianzhou Luofu could claim that Arbiter-General Teng Xiao had returned, then she could just as easily spread rumors that Lord Ravager Zulo had returned as well.
Once enough people repeated a lie, it would inevitably begin to influence reality.
Even so, to avoid any unforeseen accidents, she still intended to infiltrate the Xianzhou Luofu under a fabricated identity first and personally verify the truth before carrying out her plans. She had no intention of underestimating her enemies and suffering a humiliating defeat because of carelessness.
"Since you insist on going, then I wish you success in your Destruction."
As she spoke, Celenova raised a hand, causing ripples of energy to spread through the air as two Stellarons emerged before her, which she promptly took before handing them over to Phantylia.
"Take the extra one as a token of thanks."
Phantylia accepted the two Stellarons without hesitation, casually storing them away before immediately turning around and striding off, as though she could not wait to leave.
"Focus on recovering from your injuries. Once I obtain a new body, I'll come back to see you again."
"Mhm. I hope you'll bring back good news."
After Phantylia departed, her figure gradually disappeared into the distance, causing the surroundings to fall silent once more.
Now, only the vast, empty expanse and the distant glow of the stars remained.
Celenova slowly closed her eyes and turned toward the direction in which Phantylia had departed before quietly muttering to herself.
"From this day onward, the Third Fleet shall be placed under Lord Ravager Phantylia's command..."
Through the power of Harmony, that command instantly spread throughout the entire Third Fleet of the Antimatter Legion under her command.
A military force numbering in the tens of millions was handed over to Phantylia just like that.
'With this many troops, even if the infiltration fails, she should still be able to force her way through with direct military confrontation.'
Only then did Celenova feel slightly reassured.
Although Phantylia often acted according to her own preferences, there was no denying her capability. Surely, with such overwhelming military strength at her disposal, she would not end up getting captured alive.
===
Xianzhou Luofu, Fyxestroll Garden.
Late at night, Lucian's residence had already fallen completely silent, leaving only the soft chirping of insects drifting faintly through the moonlit air as the silver glow of the moon spilled across the courtyard and rooftops, bathing the entire residence in a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere.
Inside one of the bedrooms, however, the atmosphere was anything but peaceful.
Jingliu's usually cold and detached voice had long since become tinged with unbearable hoarseness, the fragmented sounds repeatedly breaking apart under the strain of relentless exertion.
Even her normally composed and cold expression had become difficult to maintain.
"Stop..."
Baiheng had already surrendered completely and no longer possessed the strength to assist Jingliu any further.
Now, the lively foxian woman who normally never missed an opportunity to joke around had become unusually quiet, looking as though she had exhausted every last bit of energy she possessed.
Lucian, meanwhile, was still full of vigor.
He had always preferred eliminating the support (Baiheng) first before dealing with the carry (Jingliu). He especially enjoyed seeing a carry left isolated and helpless after losing all outside assistance, after all.
He let out a low chuckle and was just about to say something when the room's door suddenly emitted an extremely faint creak.
In the next second, a pink-haired figure carefully slipped inside, moving so cautiously that she resembled a thief trying not to get caught.
Who else could it be but Fu Xuan?
She had originally planned to quietly sneak in and join them without attracting attention, yet the moment she entered, she immediately met the simultaneous gazes of Jingliu and Lucian, along with Baiheng's deeply amused smile.
Baiheng instantly seized the opportunity to tease her.
"Oh my? And who might this be? Didn't you say official business wouldn't be handled until tomorrow? So why are you suddenly working overtime again?"
Hearing that, Fu Xuan's face instantly turned scarlet, embarrassment practically radiating from her entire body as though she wanted to dig a hole and bury herself on the spot.
Clearly, she had been caught red-handed.
It was humiliating beyond words, yet since she had already come this far, retreating now would only make things even more embarrassing.
Suppressing her overwhelming embarrassment, Fu Xuan quickly walked over while pretending to remain composed.
"...Q-Quit talking nonsense!"
Her tiny voice trembled like a mosquito's buzz, yet it still carried a stubborn sense of determination.
"Can't I change my mind? It's... It's my turn now!"
As soon as those words left her mouth, even Fu Xuan herself became unbearably embarrassed. Her eyes darted around nervously as she completely failed to muster the courage to look directly at Lucian or Jingliu.
Seeing her adorable act of saying one thing while clearly wanting another, Lucian found her irresistibly adorable.
"Alright, Xuan gets the final say."
In the next instant, with a single motion of his arm, Lucian pulled Fu Xuan directly into his embrace, causing her to immediately stiffen for a brief moment before instinctively leaning closer, her expression becoming even redder than before.
Jingliu quietly moved aside, exchanging a knowing look with Baiheng that practically screamed, 'Just as expected.'
It truly was Fu Xuan's signature 'ended up loving it after all' law—perhaps delayed, but never absent.
===
Inside another bedroom, Himeko lay on her bed, tossing and turning restlessly beneath the dim moonlight.
At this moment, she felt strangely unsettled.
She was obviously exhausted after everything that had happened during the day, yet no matter how hard she tried, she simply could not fall asleep. Her thoughts continuously replayed the chaotic and blush-inducing scenes from earlier, leaving her mind tangled in complete disorder.
Every time she thought she had finally calmed down, another fragment of memory would surface, making her ears grow warm all over again.
In the end, after struggling for a while longer, she finally gave up trying to sleep.
Since she was awake anyway, perhaps she could go talk to Lucian for a bit—a casual late-night conversation between friends.
And so, with that idea in mind, Himeko quietly put on a coat and gently stepped out of her room.
At this hour, the moonlit residence was exceptionally quiet, with empty hallways and a cool night breeze that occasionally drifted through the windows.
Yet from Lucian's room, there seemed to be some rather strange sounds faintly drifting out into the night.
'What is that noise?'
Confused, Himeko slowly walked closer, only to suddenly notice a white-haired figure near the window.
'Is that Miss Jingliu?'
In Himeko's vision, Jingliu appeared to be bracing herself against the windowsill as though she was in considerable discomfort.
'Is she ill? Or has something happened?'
Concern immediately rose within Himeko, and her naturally warmhearted personality prevented her from ignoring the situation.
As a result, she quickly walked over.
"Miss Jingliu, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
When she heard Himeko's voice, Jingliu's body suddenly trembled violently as though she had been startled.
"Don't come over!"
Jingliu hurriedly spoke in a suppressed voice filled with unprecedented panic without even turning her head.
Himeko froze briefly.
Yet Jingliu's reaction only convinced her even further that something serious was wrong.
How could someone as kindhearted as Himeko possibly leave at a time like this?
Not only did she refuse to back away, but she hurried over even more anxiously.
"Miss Jingliu, is it an old injury acting up? I know a little about treatment and care—ah!"
Before she could finish speaking, she had already reached a distance close enough to clearly see inside the room through the window.
Now, the bright moonlight illuminated the entire room with startling clarity.
Jingliu was not sick at all—rather, she was in a situation entirely unlike anything Himeko had imagined.
*Buzz!*
Himeko's mind instantly went completely blank, while her face exploded into a fiery red as though someone had ignited it on the spot.
"T-This... Sorry!"
Himeko exclaimed in embarrassment as her legs stiffened completely, leaving her unable to even move her feet.
Jingliu, meanwhile, secretly let out a small sigh of relief, inwardly grateful that Himeko's interruption had finally broken Lucian's relentless momentum and given her a brief chance to breathe.
Lucian himself, however, remained shamelessly calm, even finding enough leisure to cast Himeko a helpless yet teasing glance.
Since this was his own residence and only female friends were present, he had not bothered setting up any soundproof barriers in the first place.
"Oh? Is that Himeko? Perfect timing! Wanna practice a little in advance? You'll have to sooner or later anyway—Mph—aahh~!"
Baiheng suddenly leaned over the window to greet Himeko and casually tossed out another outrageous line without the slightest restraint. Before she could finish speaking, however, Lucian seemed to silence her directly, reducing her remaining words to a muffled moan.
Unfortunately, the damage had already been done.
Baiheng's words struck Himeko like a bolt of lightning from the heavens.
'Practice in advance?! Sooner or later?!'
A wave of indescribable embarrassment instantly surged through Himeko's heart, accompanied by the faintest trace of jealousy that even she herself failed to notice immediately.
"Sorry! I interrupted! I didn't see anything!"
Himeko spoke at astonishing speed before immediately turning around and fleeing in complete panic, practically scrambling away with both hands and feet. Her heartbeat pounded wildly against her chest as though it was about to burst free, while the heat on her cheeks became so intense that it felt capable of frying an egg.
In her eyes, this was simply far too outrageous.
Under the open moonlight, they were actually doing something like that together.
Just thinking about it made her entire face burn even hotter.
Just like that, Himeko sprinted all the way back to her room and slammed the door shut with a loud bang before leaning heavily against it, gasping for breath.
However, no matter how hard she tried, the fleeting images she had just witnessed continued replaying uncontrollably in her mind, such as the tense curve of Jingliu's pale back, Lucian's sturdy arms, and...
'Stop! I absolutely cannot keep thinking about this anymore!'
Himeko frantically shook her head, desperately trying to banish those overly explicit, adults-only images from her mind.
Unfortunately, her racing heartbeat showed no signs of calming down, while the burning heat on her face only intensified further.
'Just friends... Just friends... It has nothing to do with me, nothing to do with me...'
Himeko took several deep breaths and quietly repeated the words to herself over and over again, as though trying to forcibly hypnotize herself into believing them.
Yet for some reason, the more she repeated those words, the less convincing they seemed to become.
===
[A bonus chapter for every 300 Power Stones]
[Support and get early access to upcoming chapters at: patreon.com/VALRRR]