Chapter 438

The Fairy Elysia excitedly explained to Mei, and in the meantime, the typewriter printed out a document. The fairy happily handed the document to Mei, but Mei hesitated. She held the document but did not read it, instead looking at Elysia.

This is her past, and now she is standing right in front of her. To delve into someone else's past is not a commendable act of inquiring into it, so now that the matter has come to this, Mei hesitates.

"Mei, feel free to read on. I don't have any secrets I can't tell you. Please read it carefully. After all... it's my story, and I hope you can understand me well."

Understanding Mei's hesitation, Elysia smiled. She was such a gentle child. She didn't know where to begin with what she wanted to say, so she decided to let Mei understand for herself, to objectively and fairly understand everything about Elysia. She could always trust Elysia.

"...OK."

Mei opened the file. Since Elysia had said so, she would take a good look at Elysia's past.

The woman walked along the dark avenue, looking at the pitch-black surroundings. Eden couldn't help but frown. She didn't like this place, didn't like this darkness. Perhaps it was because she had spent too much time with Elysia. She preferred things that were more vibrant and sunny. From the very beginning, she had disliked this name, both now and in the past. The Deepest Place, this was a place Eden didn't want to come to.

This reminded Eden of the back alleys of the theater, those corners that were the complete opposite of the stage, filled with empty bottles left over after the drinks had been finished.

Sigh, how long ago was the last time I was here?

With a slight sigh, Eden continued her journey. She knew she was here, in this darkness, to see her old friend. The darkness was as oppressive as ever, as if it were eroding her vision. Darkness... recede.

Feeling the darkness spreading, Eden raised his hand, and the light instantly dispelled the encircling darkness. Although this light seemed insignificant in this the Deepest Place, it at least allowed Eden to see himself clearly and the path beneath his feet.

It's still all darkness, so... let me add a little light to myself.

Once again, light dispelled the darkness, and Eden arrived before the prison. Looking at the woman sitting inside, Eden greeted his old friend.

"As always, I enjoy testing visitors... Aponia."

Eden's gentle voice rang out, and the woman behind the prison raised her head.

"Eden, is that you?"

"Of course, you know that the visitor is me, Aponia. Then you... must also know why I have come. We are both witnesses to that banquet. That night, we lost a mutual friend."

Like a casual chat between old friends, the surroundings changed in an instant. Eden and Aponia arrived at the stairway from the Elysian Realm of Bliss to the Eternal Elysium. The environment here was much better; Eden didn't like that kind of darkness.

"Or perhaps, we are witnessing a new beginning."

"So, you left that place in the Elysian Realm and hid it deep inside?"

Eden spoke, and what she said might not be understood by others, but the two of them understood it perfectly. If Shen Gonglin were here, he would definitely award them the title of best riddle solver, but unfortunately, he is not here now.

"Eden ... We all have too many feelings that are hard to let go of, too many memories of the past that we want to recall. Just as you are captivated by yesterday's music, I also need a place... to put this long and thorny path behind me."

Aponia's eyes were filled with reminiscence. The reason she kept it there was naturally because she couldn't bear to part with it. It was a place that every Flame-Chasers could not forget, and she needed to preserve it.

"Judging from Elysia's reaction, does she know about it?"

"Well, although it was my own selfish reason, but... you know, it's Elysia after all. After finding out, she accepted it almost happily."

Aponia's expression was incredibly gentle. After all, it was Elysia, and only she could accept everything like this, because she always loved everyone, and only Elysia could do that.

Eden remained silent for a long time before the Golden Sigil Flame-Chasers: "I respect you, Aponia, and I respect your and Elysia's decision. You know, people usually say that I am the giver and you are the receiver."

The topic was abruptly changed, but Aponia couldn't quite understand this assessment; she couldn't bear the title of "the bearer."

"The bearer... I couldn't even bear her departure, so why do I deserve this name?"

"Although that's not what I wanted to say... indeed, the truth might be the opposite. Perhaps I am the one who has suffered favoritism, the one who has been tormented by fate. And you, Aponia... you are the true giver, bestowing discipline upon all, giving them hope, and even the path forward..."

The two spoke very slowly, a conversation that might sound rushed to others, but it was just right for them. After all, the things they were talking about were so heavy for everyone, and perhaps it was this slow pace that allowed them to calm themselves down.

"What everyone sees is not her true self, just like what happened that night."

"The path it walks is not the path that others see. Eden, the secret we have guarded until now, will soon see the light of day again and be revealed to all."

Aponia spoke softly, and the words that came from her mouth...

"Is this a new prophecy, Aponia?"

For someone who can often see the future, is this something she is seeing?

"No, this is... my wish."

"Wish... It's quite surprising to hear that word from you, Aponia. I never thought that even you would be changed by Mei."

Chapter 132 Visitors from Another World

Eden raised her hand to support her cheek, a playful glint in her eyes. It was truly astonishing that Aponia, who believed in fate, would utter such a wish. Was it because of Mei's change?

"... If she is the one who will bring change to the Elysian Realm, then I will gladly accept it. She... has the same lines as Elysia..."

While she spoke of Mei, Aponia was thinking of the future she saw in Shen Gonglin. That casual encounter had revealed a lot to her about Jingu Shen Gonglin. He was like Mei... no, he was even stronger than Mei. This ability to break free from fate was something even Aponia couldn't describe.

"Eden... do you have that key with you?"

Aponia gently shook her head, clearing her mind of all thoughts. She couldn't be sure of anything until the very end. The nun looked at her "friend" before her, and Eden stretched out his hand. A golden Crystal Flower quietly bloomed in Eden's hand, and a gentle light filled the woman's golden eyes.

"I've always carried it with me. I think... we all probably do the same."

"When all the keys are gathered, and the Crystal Flower blooms again... Eden, will you sing that song one more time?"

"Okay. That's my wish too. Then, let everyone on the face listen together."

Eden's expression grew even gentler, and she wanted to sing her favorite song to everyone.

I wonder what kind of riddle-solving exchange the Riddle Sisters are having. At this very moment, Shen Gonglin and Mei are also carefully reading Elysia's past. Meanwhile, on the other side, the Hyperion is also carrying out its work. Although the girls are a little flustered because someone is not around, they still have to do what needs to be done.

"Cheer up, perk up... Seriously, Kiana, sit still! We're having a meeting, what's wrong with you guys? Do you even look like you're fighting the Honkai and saving the world?!"

In the conference room at the Salt Lake Base, Theresa banged on the podium, trying to get the group of slackers below to take it seriously. Honestly, they had no sense of organization or discipline at all. She had said there would be a meeting today, and not only were these guys late, but now that they were getting down to business, they were all so lazy. Did they really think the world was safe?

"Fighting the Honkai... So what's the topic of our meeting today? I remember last time we were discussing what to eat for dinner. Today I'm voting for Chinese food."

Tesla raised his hand and said this. With someone taking the lead, the meeting room finally became lively. Fu Hua pushed up her glasses and raised her hand to second it. She was originally from Shenzhou, so eating Chinese food was of course acceptable to her. Moreover, Shen Gonglin also liked Chinese food. It wouldn't be bad to start getting used to it again from now on.

"But I wanted to eat hamburger patties today... Okay, then I'll vote for Chinese food too, I want to eat beef stew with potatoes."

Kiana thought for a moment and raised her hand, while Theresa, unable to contain herself any longer, tapped the blackboard again. What were these guys thinking? Couldn't they be serious for once? Or did they think that the only thing to discuss in this meeting was what to eat for dinner? They were a super-large organization fighting against the Honkai! Schicksal and Anti-Entropy had already reached a deep cooperation agreement. Durandal and Rita certainly wouldn't be holding meetings at headquarters to discuss these things, while they...

"I'm not asking you what to eat! We're having a meeting right now to discuss our next steps. Honestly, how did you all turn out like this without Shen Gonglin coming back? I don't remember raising you to be like this, unable to live without a man!"

Theresa emphasized the current task, which made Kiana and Fu Hua feel embarrassed. They both sat up straight and prepared to take it seriously. That's good. But why Einstein also embarrassed? She wasn't included in the people she just mentioned.

"It's because that guy never comes back... I don't need him to live, I live a very fulfilling life every day."

Kiana muttered to herself, although she also missed Shen Gonglin, she hadn't completely become a hopeless case of waiting for her husband. Durandal had designed a lot of training programs for her. Ever since they fought side by side at the old headquarters of Schicksal, the Valkyrie and she had become closer. Now, she had even specially designed a training plan for her. So recently, Kiana had been training hard and hadn't become so obsessed with men that she couldn't eat or drink all day long, as Theresa had said.

"Is that so? That's good. Let's start discussing our next steps now. Our current task is to upgrade the Hyperion to train it for various functions in outer space combat. Do you understand?"

Theresa rubbed her temples in exasperation, then simply stated the meeting's topic. Judging from their expressions, they weren't really interested in a proper meeting, so she might as well just say it directly: now that Schicksal and Anti-Entropy had reached an agreement, the only enemies were the Honkai and World Serpent. What they needed to do now was to strengthen the Hyperion's all-domain combat capabilities, since future battles would most likely take place on the moon.

"Clear."

Hearing the fluctuating responses, Theresa was speechless. Could this organization still be considered a massive force fighting against the Honkai? Sigh, she couldn't really blame them. Even she herself was a little distracted because Shen Gonglin hadn't returned, and her work efficiency had dropped many times over. Why wasn't that guy back yet? Didn't he know his family was waiting for him?

"Alright, alright, seeing you all like this... I'll leave the specific modification tasks for the Hyperion to you all, Doctor. Kiana, you guys just focus on training and try to bring out all the results of your training in battle... Now we can discuss what we should eat tonight. You all said you wanted to eat Chinese food, right?"

The important meeting was hastily concluded, and then Theresa raised the same question. Not only Kiana and the others, but even Theresa couldn't help but feel a sense of lethargy. It seemed that only discussing what to eat for dinner could keep everyone energized, which wasn't good.

"So didn't I already say we should eat Chinese food? We can have oil-splashed noodles. I saw something online... hey, this is... Shen Gonglin!"

Tesla offered his suggestion, and just then, a strange crack suddenly appeared in the center of the conference room. This ability... isn't that Shen Gonglin?

Chapter 133 I'll Give You a Punch

The rift opened abruptly, as if space itself had cracked open. This wasn't the Herrscher of the Void's ability, but they had all seen similar things before. Countless eerie giant eyes were visible within the black rift, along with the grotesque ribbons adorning its sides. There was no mistake, it belonged to Shen Gonglin ...

"You're finally back. I've missed you so much... Wait, no, not Shen Gonglin?"

Kiana rushed over upon seeing this, and at that moment, a blond figure emerged from the crack. Kiana hugged him tightly before realizing something was wrong; this person was much older than her. How could it be Shen Gonglin? Who was this person...?

"This is quite an unexpected welcome... Hmm? Who are you?"

The figure that appeared before everyone shocked them. The face was undoubtedly identical to that of Shen Gonglin, but the long golden hair that reached her waist and the figure that overwhelmed everyone present proved that she was not Shen Gonglin. This suddenly appearing girl had an incredibly mysterious and noble aura. She looked at the white-haired girl who was throwing herself into her arms with some surprise. She smelled a familiar scent on this girl.

That's why she didn't avoid it immediately.

"Who are you?"

The entire conference room instantly went on high alert. The newcomer was not Shen Gonglin, but her strange abilities and appearance were exactly the same as Shen Gonglin's. Kiana immediately jumped away, and the Valkyrie watched the strange woman in the Daoist robe warily. Who was this person?

"I am... Why should I tell you? Where is Shen Gonglin? I need to see him."

The woman produced a folding fan from somewhere, opening the small fan to cover half of her flawless, pretty face. Her purple eyes swept around, and although she didn't see Shen Gonglin, she did see several girls who were surrounded by Shen Gonglin's aura. Without a doubt, these girls must have a Shen Gonglin. The blonde woman... that is, Yukari Yakumo, immediately became grim after realizing this.

The feeling right now is like a wife who has finally found a heartless man after a long and difficult journey, only to find that he has already started a new family. It's so frustrating that it's impossible for Yukari Yakumo to have a good look on her face.

"Shen Gonglin? Who are you, and what is your relationship with Shen Gonglin?"

Theresa crossed her arms and looked at Yukari Yakumo. Her intuition told her that this blonde woman was not an enemy, but there was still some dissatisfaction with the Theresa's arrogant attitude. There seemed to be some accusation in her voice. Shen Gonglin was now the Archbishop of Schicksal on the surface. They could joke around as much as they wanted in private, but in this situation with "strangers", they still protected Shen Gonglin.

"I am... Why should I tell you? Since he's not here, I'll go find him myself."

Yukari Yakumo straightened up. The Great Sage jumped down from the crack and walked towards the door of the conference room as if no one else was there. She opened the spatial barrier and then successfully located and teleported. The place was indeed filled with the aura of Shen Gonglin, and she could not locate him. Yukari Yakumo could only teleport to the place where his aura was the strongest, but he was not there. It was really annoying.

Fortunately, we've already arrived in this world; it's just a matter of time before we're ready to go.

"Stop right there! Behave yourself."

Yukari Yakumo's nonchalant attitude infuriated Kiana and the others. She clearly didn't respect them at all. This was Salt Lake Base, their stronghold. How could they allow this unknown person to trespass? Kiana immediately stood in front of Yukari Yakumo, while Fu Hua and Bronya also blocked her way from other directions. They were telling her not to treat Salt Lake Base like her backyard.

"Oh? So, you want to fight me?"

With a playful look in her eyes, Yukari Yakumo glanced at the three people blocking her way. Two of them had an incredibly strong aura of Shen Gonglin on them. Without a doubt, Shen Gonglin must have already had some kind of relationship with them, even though they looked like young girls. This meant that they hadn't gone all the way yet.

Then there's no need to be too lenient. Since they dared to treat me like this, I'll teach them a lesson on how to respect their elders!

"Tell me your identity honestly, and I might go easy on you."

Looking at Yukari Yakumo in front of her, Kiana rubbed her hands together, ready to make a move. Just seeing that face made Kiana eager to try. She was very angry after Shen Gonglin ran away, but she couldn't bear to hit Shen Gonglin. And just at this moment, a girl with the exact same face as Shen Gonglin appeared. Wasn't this a perfect punching bag?

"What a disrespectful little girl. If you want to fight, come on. I should teach you a lesson on how to respect your elders."

With a snap, Yukari Yakumo slammed her folding fan shut. Her words were tantamount to a battle declaration. Kiana and the other two exchanged glances and immediately launched their attack. The aura emanating from her opponent left them with no intention of holding back. Just by looking at her, they could tell that this blonde woman was no ordinary person. So the three of them used their full strength. Yukari Yakumo snorted coldly, but when she was about to use her demonic power, the Great Sage's expression froze.

How could I forget my own situation? Although Yukari Yakumo seems very powerful, and she was indeed very powerful in the past, due to some kind of restriction, the power of the Great Sage is now less than one-tenth of what it used to be. Without some kind of magical liquid to temporarily break through the restriction, I am just a weakling who can't even beat a useless elf. Not to mention that I have exhausted my most basic power and haven't recovered it in order to locate and teleport. How could I possibly be a match for these few reckless women?

"Wait, wait a minute! I am... Ouch!"

Realizing he was no match for the others, the Great Sage immediately tried to negotiate, but it was too late. The three attacks were already upon him. Kiana punched Yukari Yakumo in the eye, and the Great Sage cried out in pain. Then Fu Hua used a joint lock to subdue her and pin her to the ground. Bronya summoned Heavy-duty Rabbit, its black muzzle aimed at the woman lying on the ground. It felt... surprisingly easy.

They quickly dealt with Yukari Yakumo, but Kiana and the others were extremely surprised. They felt that this person shouldn't be so weak, given the aura of a powerful figure... Never mind, let's deal with her first.

"Speak up, who are you, or Bronya will open fire."

Chapter 134 Don't be impulsive anymore!

Is that all?

The battle ended incredibly easily, a result that surprised everyone in the conference room. After all, this blonde girl had arrived with an imposing aura, and people would have believed she was some kind of Honkai incarnation. But how could she have been so easily subdued? Her combat strength was probably comparable to Tesla and Einstein. How dare she launch a surprise attack on the Salt Lake Base when she was so weak? Was she tired of living?

"Who are you, and why did you launch a surprise attack on Anti-Entropy Headquarters?"

Theresa stepped forward, the young girl crossing her arms as she looked at Yukari Yakumo, who was being pinned to the ground. The Great Sage looked incredibly miserable, with huge dark circles under his eyes. No one could look handsome with those. Luckily, the conference room had been cleaned very well, otherwise, being pinned to the ground like that, his pretty little face would definitely be filthy.

Seeing Yukari Yakumo like this, Theresa felt secretly pleased. After all, she usually couldn't bear to beat up Shen Gonglin, but now seeing this person with the exact same face as her being bullied like this, Theresa felt quite satisfied.

"Yes! Tell me quickly, and how come you look exactly like Shen Gonglin? What exactly do you want?"

Kiana, along with Fu Hua, pressed down on Yukari Yakumo Yukari Yakumo tried to struggle, how could she possibly be a match for Kiana and Fu Hua in her state of being unable to use her demonic power? When had the Great Sage ever suffered such a loss at the hands of anyone else? If she were to suffer a loss, it would only be at the hands of Shen Gonglin. These guys... Yukari Yakumo felt incredibly humiliated. Once she drank Rin's soup and broke through the restrictions, she would definitely kill them all!

"I'm his sister! Why would I be looking for him? If you don't believe me, I can show you the evidence..."

There was nothing she could do; even a great sage like her could only suffer in this situation. Otherwise, these guys would never let her go. Yukari Yakumo struggled to open a gap, and a photograph floated out. In the past, the photographs were all of Yuyuko, but now the remaining ones were mostly of Shen Gonglin.

"Let me see the photo."

Theresa caught the photo that fell from the sky. The two doctors from Anti-Entropy also gathered around. It really was Shen Gonglin! They were extremely familiar with Shen Gonglin. Looking at the person in the photo, they immediately confirmed it. And this woman... already looked very much like Shen Gonglin. With the photo for comparison, the identity of that older sister... was very credible!

"Fu Hua! Kiana, and Bronya, what are you three doing! How could you treat Sister Jingu like this? How could you be so reckless? I don't remember raising you like this... Sister Jingu, are you alright?"

She immediately seemed like a completely different person. Shen Gonglin's identity had always been a mystery. He was picked up by Himeko when she was retrieving Kiana and the others in Changkong City. According to the investigation, he was not a native of Changkong City, so no family or friends could be found. And now, suddenly, an older sister appeared... Judging from her face, she was probably her biological sister. Thinking about how she had bullied Kiana's biological sister like this on their first meeting, Theresa quickly ran over and told Kiana and the others to let her go.

This isn't Fu Hua's half-baked guardian; she's Shen Gonglin sister.

What the heck? Didn't you just signal us to do it? How come it seems like we're the ones in the mess now?

The Valkyrie Trio, pushed aside, were somewhat bewildered. Seeing Yukari Yakumo being helped up by Theresa and dusting off nonexistent dust, Fu Hua and the others finally realized—she was Shen Gonglin's older sister... And what had they just done? They'd pinned their first-time meeting's Shingu sister to the ground and beaten her up...