Chapter 475

"I don't think you can tell if someone is a real girl just by whether they can wear high heels... It's just that they're a little uncomfortable. By the way, Raven, are you sure that in a place where even signal is a problem, there are World Serpent personnel who need you to deliver a... cell phone to them?"

Using Raven's hand for support, Mei, wearing high heels, emerged from the sandpit in the desert. Under her open and aboveboard surveillance, Raven's mission was also discovered. Now, it seems that she is delivering something that looks like a cell phone to someone. Is the World Serpent also acting as a courier? Raven Courier?

Here, you can study it yourself.

Raven casually tossed the unopened box to Mei. This girl had no idea she was being followed. Logically speaking, Mei had already left World Serpent, so this kind of secret shouldn't have been told to her. But Raven was a double agent after all.

"... What exactly is inside this box?"

Mei gently shook the box in her hand. Instead of opening it directly, she asked Raven, "Heaven knows why Kevin gave me this kind of task. I really don't understand."

"Hmm... If you're asking for my opinion, I think it's really just a phone, and any regular deliveryman could handle it. What, you want to open it up and check it out?"

Raven shrugged, then beckoned to Mei to return the box. However, what she said in jest was taken seriously. As Mei tossed the box back to Raven, in the brief moment the girl caught her left hand on the scabbard at her waist. This was one of the standard starting stances of the Hokushin Itto-ryu. With a flash of light, the box was severed in two by the time it returned to Raven's hand. Of course, thanks to Mei's skillful control, Raven's gloves and the phone inside remained completely unharmed.

Raven looked at Mei speechlessly. There was still a trace of ozone in the air around them, which was proof that the Herrscher of Thunder had used her powers. This girl actually opened it, and opened it like this. This young lady is really reckless now.

"... It's indeed just an ordinary cell phone. There's nothing strange about the electromagnetic field. I can replace the box with a new one. Don't look at me like that... I'm no longer a member of World Serpent, so I shouldn't have to follow World Serpent's rules so strictly, right?"

After carefully examining the phone in Raven's hand, Mei, under the mercenary's speechless gaze, said this with righteous indignation: since she was no longer a member of World Serpent, it wouldn't hurt to slightly hinder the missions of World Serpent members, right? Considering that she and Raven got along quite well, Mei could compensate her with a box; others wouldn't receive such treatment.

"... To be honest, I can understand Kosma's feelings now. Mei, let me make this clear beforehand, I also have professional ethics. Since you've already admitted that you're no longer a member of World Serpent... then I won't say anything more to you."

The pretty girl was speechless. Raven was utterly speechless. It seemed she had to remind Mei that she couldn't say much to her now, since Mei herself had said that she was no longer a member of the World Serpent.

"Really? But you don't seem to mind letting me know certain clues."

He wouldn't say much to me, which means I have to investigate myself if I want to know anything else. I understood Raven's subtext. What an awkward mercenary. If he wanted to tell me something, why didn't he just tell me directly?

"Who knows? Maybe we were just destined to meet again, and somehow we became friends over the past few months... Mei."

After putting her phone away, Raven seemed hesitant to speak. She hesitated whether she should tell Mei about this. According to her principles, she was a member of World Serpent, but given their relationship, she felt she really needed to tell Mei. Mei also sensed that Raven seemed to have something to say, and indeed she did. Mei didn't speak but just looked at Raven. She knew that Raven would say it.

However, this content was somewhat beyond Mei's expectations.

"Sigh, I'll tell you anyway. Actually... the Stigmata Plan can be said to be complete."

Raven's words were astonishing, leaving Mei momentarily speechless. Had the Stigmata Plan already been completed?

"So this is the Salt Lake Base. The scenery looks really nice... Hi! Ancestor Chiyuan, I'm back!"

Aboard Schicksal's flagship, Shen Gonglin returned to Salt Lake Base with Seele and Li Sushang. Although as Bishop of Schicksal, it seemed that being in charge of Schicksal Headquarters was what Shen Gonglin be doing, given the current situation, it was clearly more important for her to be at Salt Lake Base. After all, the Hyperion was there, and the Far East Branch was also there. As she and the two girls stepped off the warship, Li Sushang immediately spotted Fu Hua and waved vigorously at her.

The past grievances have been settled, and now we are all comrades-in-arms sharing the same boat.

"Li Sushang, you're back too."

Unlike Li Sushang's outgoing nature, Fu Hua was much more composed. She had previously thought that Shen Gonglin had gone out to do something again, but she was relieved to learn that he had been called away by Li Sushang. After all, these were turbulent times, and she hoped that Shen Gonglin could stay obediently by her side. As for Li Sushang, Fu Hua was also worried about her. Now that the two of them had returned to the Salt Lake Base, this was the best-case scenario.

"Grandmaster, you can definitely be even happier. Junior Uncle told me that everyone is working hard to prepare for the inevitable crises in the future. How could I possibly lag behind? Now that I've woken up, I can do my part to protect this world. Ancestor Chiyuan, I'm very powerful."

It was as if nothing had happened before. Li Sushang quickly ran off the warship and grabbed Fu Hua's hand. Her grandmaster still looked so calm. It felt like nothing had changed since they parted last time. That's right. She had been asleep for five hundred years, while her grandmaster had actually walked through it all. She truly deserved to be called a living fossil in the martial arts world.

"... Whatever makes you happy. Just call me Fu Hua, no need to call me Ancestor Chiyuan, that's all in the past."

Chapter 261 Master's Sister or Master's Aunt?

Fu Hua dodged the incessantly chattering Li Sushang, and the lively sword fairy girl didn't mind and started chatting with other people. Even though they were enemies last time, she could now talk to others without any reservations. This ability was something Li Sushang was born with. Anyway, she had her junior uncle as her backer, so she wasn't afraid of anything.

"Seele, are you alright?"

Bronya walked up to Seele's side. The girl seemed to be asking Seele a question, but her gaze secretly drifted to Shen Gonglin. That idiot, he had only been back for a short time and was already out wandering around again. This time he even took Seele with him. She was really worried that he would lead Seele astray. She was her good little sister, and she couldn't let Shen Gonglin go astray.

"Sister Bronya, Seele is alright... This time, Seele listened to Sister Bronya and kept an eye on Shen Gonglin, and Seele was able to help everyone."

This delicate and lovely girl also felt a surge of desire to perform. She wasn't just going out to play around with Shen Gonglin; she remembered everyone's instructions. No matter who it was, they had to stay close if they saw Shen Gonglin having any intention of acting on her own. This time, she had indeed helped everyone, hadn't she? Although Seele felt that she had only gone out for a bowl of beef noodles, she still considered herself to have followed Shen Gonglin.

"Yes, Seele is very reliable... it's just that some people aren't so reliable."

Bronya rolled her eyes at Shen Gonglin, who was still as troublesome as ever, but she couldn't do anything about it. Sigh, how could she possibly make Shen Gonglin obedient? This was really difficult.

Shen Gonglin completely ignored Bronya's words. What did that silly little girl know? Right now, she was busy talking to Elysia, who was hiding inside her body. This girl had been restless ever since she returned to the Salt Lake Base. Seeing so many girls made this Elysian Realm girl somewhat unable to resist. So many, so many Herrscher fighting for humanity. Was that the girl who was so close to Mei? She really wanted to come out and have a good chat with her. They were both Mei's best friends, so she was also her best friend.

Why does it feel like someone's watching me? Kiana's keen sixth sense sent a shiver down her spine, but when she looked over, she only saw Shen Gonglin. Was Shen Gonglin watching her? That didn't seem like a problem, since she was watching him too. The girl went to Shen Gonglin's Shen Gonglin, hands on her hips, intending to teach him a lesson, but upon seeing him, she couldn't hold back her anger. Looking at Shen Gonglin, Kiana muttered irritably.

"You're always acting so recklessly... You can't keep doing this after we get married."

The girl's words immediately silenced the surroundings. Several girls fell silent and quietly turned their gazes toward her. Kiana's audacity was growing; she dared to talk about marriage so casually, as if Shen Gonglin would definitely marry her. They absolutely disagreed with this marriage!

"Wow! Junior Uncle, are you getting married? Then Kiana will be my Junior Aunt? Junior Aunt, I, your junior nephew Li Sushang, greet you!"

The atmosphere was incredibly awkward, but the sword-wielding girl remained unaffected. She ran over excitedly, shouting. Although she had a slight crush on Shen Gonglin, it wasn't a big deal for those in the martial world. Upon hearing the news, her first reaction was to clasp her hands in greeting to Kiana. Although she hadn't had much interaction with her, she knew how outstanding the girl was. Having Kiana as her junior master's aunt didn't seem so bad.

And she seems quite easy to talk to; maybe I can persuade her to do something outrageous in the future.

"Ah, okay... no problem, no problem. Sushang, right? If you encounter any problems at the Salt Lake Base in the future, just come to me."

"Little Aunt? "Kiana was flattered by this title. This was the first time someone had acknowledged her relationship with Shen Gonglin. She had already decided to marry Shen Gonglin, but it seemed that no one else was so willing. From Seele Theresa, whenever she brought it up, they would use the excuse that they were too young to consider such things. Only Li Sushang openly admitted it and even changed how she addressed her.

This behavior caused Li Sushang's popularity in Kiana's heart to skyrocket. What a good girl! Kiana felt that she and Li Sushang would definitely get along well in the future. This girl is so cute! But the title "Little Martial Aunt" made Kiana blush a little.

"Li Sushang, don't call her that. Just call her Kiana. If that doesn't work, you can call her Shigu."

Fu Hua couldn't hold back any longer. How could she possibly respect her grandmaster when she was spouting such nonsense? "Little Martial Aunt"—that kind of address sounded so improper. Kiana was, in a way, her disciple, so it was acceptable for Li Sushang to call her Martial Aunt. But calling her "Little Martial Aunt" was utterly disrespectful. They weren't even married yet; how could she address her like that? If she really wanted to, she could just call herself that.

"Grandmaster" sounds better than "Master Aunt".

"Master Aunt? I think Junior Master Aunt is more appropriate, after all, it sounds more suitable and nicer..."

Kiana muttered to herself, "The Class President is so serious. I think 'Little Martial Aunt' sounds pretty good, much better than that weird 'Martial Aunt'." But for some reason, everyone seemed to agree with Fu Hua's words.

"No way, 'Master Aunt' sounds better than 'Junior Aunt,' that's what Bronya thinks. What do you think, Seele?"

The emotionless loli said, "If it's my junior aunt's words, doesn't that mean she acknowledges her relationship with Shen Gonglin? Bronya doesn't approve of this marriage, so my junior aunt is the most suitable. Kiana only wants to be Shen Gonglin's wife, is just dreaming. Bronya doesn't agree with that at all." While speaking, the girl didn't forget to build an alliance for herself. Seele must think so too.

"Sister... Sister is right... Seele also thinks 'Shi'gu' sounds better."

With Bronya's signal, Seele also cast her vote against it. If it was her junior sister-in-law, wouldn't that prove that Kiana and Shen Gonglin were a couple? Although Seele sometimes felt that the two of them were indeed quite suitable, suitable doesn't necessarily mean it will work out. For Sister Bronya's sake, Seele felt that she had to stick to her position.

Chapter 262 Flying into the Sky

What? "Little Martial Aunt" sounds much better. Kiana was still very excited about this, never expecting to be someone's elder one day. Heaven knows why the others disagreed so much. If Theresa were here, she would definitely be on Kiana's side.

"By the way, where is Theresa? The bishop is here, how could my lovely deputy not come out to greet him? Does she not respect me as her superior? It seems I need to teach her a lesson and let her know that such subservience is not tolerated here."

There was no sign of the cute white-haired little girl. Usually, she would come out to greet him when he returned. This time, not only Theresa, but even Einstein and Tesla did not come out. What happened to them?

"Hmph, who told you to leave at the worst possible time and come back at the worst possible time? Theresa and the others are at a critical moment in their mission right now. When we came to An-Utu, she specifically instructed us to bring you back, saying it was for some kind of ceremony. Let's go."

Remembering what Theresa had told her, Kiana had to put aside the matter of whether she was her aunt or master. She grabbed Shen Gonglin's hand and quickly ran into the Salt Lake Base. This guy was finally back, so now it was time to move on to the next step of the mission.

Bronya and the others quickly followed. Although the mission was proceeding smoothly even when Shen Gonglin was away, everyone at the Salt Lake Base had been busy during this time. But after his return, everyone seemed to have a pillar of support. The Hyperion's modification was complete, and the next goal was the stars.

The group arrived at the airport where the Hyperion was docked. The huge white warship was quietly moored there. Since the War of Schicksal, this original flagship of the Hyperion had been with them until now. No matter when she saw the Hyperion, Shen Gonglin couldn't help but sigh, "Warships are indeed the romance of men." Tesla and Einstein were also there, and Theresa and Fu Hua were waiting not far ahead.

"Hmph, how about it? My work is pretty good, isn't it? With the full assistance of the former bishop of Schicksal, the modification of the Hyperion is finally complete. I can feel the surging power from the Hyperion's engine even from this far away."

Seeing Shen Gonglin approach, Tesla proudly showed off to Shen Gonglin, saying that she was very satisfied with the modifications to the Hyperion, especially the engine, which was absolutely perfect.

"Surging power? "Shen Gonglin felt as if she could sense the resentment emanating from Otto's burning Soul Steel body just by standing there. Tesla seemed to really enjoy this job. Shen Gonglin could even see the faint dust on the tip of her nose. Tesla was very conscious of her personal image, so the fact that she was in this state could only mean one thing: whenever she had free time, she would personally modify the engine. The entire engine was modified by her own hands. Just how much hatred did she harbor for Otto? Shen Gonglin was speechless.

"Yes, yes, Tesla is amazing. Let me pat you on the head."

Shen Gonglin reached out to touch Tesla's head again, but this time Tesla reacted very quickly. The girl grabbed Shen Gonglin's wrist and pulled him down. The girl's voice was very deep. Luckily, he reacted in time, otherwise he would have lost face again.

"Can't you see where you're going? There are so many people watching, and you still want to do this? Can't you wait until there's no one around? Honestly... Don't touch me!"

Tesla lost face because of this last time, and now Shen Gonglin wants to do the same thing to her again. The girl warned Shen Gonglin in a low voice, and released her before the others came over. This idiot is too Shen Gonglin. Doesn't he know how to save face for himself?

"Shen Gonglin, you're back! Look how the Hyperion is doing. This time, our Hyperion is fully capable of fighting in outer space."

At this moment, Theresa and the others also came over. The Vice-Bishop crossed his arms and Shen Gonglin introduced the Hyperion to Rin. As the warship that had accompanied them all this time, Theresa was happy to see that it had become even more powerful. The more prepared they were now, the easier it would be to fight. The Hyperion was no longer satisfied with Earth; its goal was the stars and the sea.

"You mean the modification... Actually, I can't really tell from the surface. But to put it simply, the Hyperion can now travel in outer space. As expected of my ship."

Shen Gonglin patted the hull of the Hyperion. She was indeed quite interested in outer space travel. It would be a wonderful thing to take everyone to explore the stars and the sea in the Hyperion.

"Theoretically speaking, that is true, but only in theory. Our next task is to test the operation of Hyperion in outer space and the deployment of its various functions."

Einstein pointed out the key tasks for the next stage. The reason they hadn't gone to greet Shen Gonglin was because they were busy with this. The theoretical preparations were complete, but the specific practical operations had not yet begun.

"Oh, so does that mean someone needs to pilot the Hyperion to outer space for experiments? Who is that person?"

What Einstein said was indeed important, but it wasn't enough if the theory passed; simulations were even more crucial. Someone had to actually pilot the Hyperion and operate it. Shen Gonglin around. Kiana and Bronya were currently on Valkyrie training missions every day. Einstein and Tesla weren't combat personnel, and they wouldn't be able to handle any special situations. So, as for Fu Hua and Seele... they clearly couldn't pilot a ship. And the only suitable candidate was herself?

"Although I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm, this is indeed not your task. Shen Gonglin, you have other things to do. The person in charge of piloting the Hyperion to outer space for actual operations is Ms. Theresa."

One look at Shen Gonglin's expression and you could tell he'd misunderstood. Einstein had put forward the real candidate. This mission required a reliable person whom everyone could trust. Although Theresa looked like an ignorant little girl, those who knew her well knew that she was actually quite reliable, so she was the most suitable candidate.

Chapter 263

Theresa? Why send Theresa on this mission? Isn't she just an ignorant, stupid little girl? Shen Gonglin felt that she was more suitable, but judging from everyone's expressions, it seemed that Theresa was a foregone conclusion to be the pioneer.

Since that's the case, then Shen Gonglin doesn't intend to compete with her deputy bishop for the position. As a qualified leader, Shen Gonglin excels at delegating authority. However, Einstein just mentioned that he has other tasks, such as washing the deck in space.

"This is to have you test the powers of the Herrscher of the Void. You and Kiana both possess the abilities of the Herrscher of the Void. This ability is undeniably very convenient. With this ability, we can do a lot, whether in combat or support. If the future battlefield is in space, we need to test whether the powers of the Herrscher of the Void can be used normally. Kiana will stay at the Salt Lake Base as insurance, and you need to use your Herrscher abilities to get to Theresa's side after she goes to space. Do you understand?"

It seems that Rin Shen Gonglin is trying to shirk her responsibilities again. Einstein then emphasized his mission: he wanted to test whether the Herrscher of the Void's ability could teleport such a long distance. This was indeed a considerable challenge for Shen Gonglin, as he had never attempted such a long-distance teleportation since acquiring the ability. It was quite interesting.

With Shen Gonglin as the test subject for the Herrscher of the Void, Kiana remaining at the Salt Lake Base as a safety net, this way, even if something happens to Rin Shen Gonglin, Kiana can use the Herrscher of the Void's powers to bring her back. This is indeed quite important. Ideally, the Herrscher of the Void of the Void's powers would remain undisturbed during the space battle. Under Einstein and Tesla's orders, everyone began to get busy. Theresa is going to become an astronaut, isn't she? Shouldn't she be given her favorite bitter melon juice?

"Everyone has become very reliable now."

Under the overall command of the two doctors, everyone began their work. Although they were all on standby on the ground, the preparations required their help. Fu Hua and Kiana were carrying boxes of bitter melon products onto the ship, while Theresa was free. She only had this little bit of free time left. Once the experiment started, she probably wouldn't have this kind of free time anymore.

"Yeah, yeah, especially me, I've become incredibly reliable now... What's with that look? Does that mean I'm unreliable now?"

Shen Gonglin nodded in agreement with Theresa's words, while the white-haired girl next to her was speechless at her shameless behavior. Who taught Shen Gonglin to boast like this? How come this girl has no self-awareness at all? The girl sighed deeply. Shen Gonglin seems to have not changed at all.

Even though everyone has almost become unrecognizable to each other, he seems to remain the same as before.

"Reliable, reliable, you're the most reliable... You seem to have changed so much all of a sudden, Kiana, Bronya, Mei, and Fu Hua... It hasn't been that long, but they've all become such reliable warriors, working so hard on the front lines against the Honkai. I can't just lose to them like this. Shen Gonglin, just wait and see how I perform."

Leaning on the fence, Theresa looked down at her lovely students. Less than a year ago, they were living carefree lives at St. Freya's Academy, but in such a short time, they had all transformed. Kiana, in particular, now exuded reliability. The girl who used to hate training now performed exceptionally well in every session. Only when she was with Shen Gonglin Jingu could Theresa still see a glimpse of her former Kiana self. This, she thought, was a sign of growth... It would be even better if she weren't so obsessed with marriage. She's just a little girl; what's the point of thinking about marriage all the time?

"Well, how could my archdeacon possibly lose to anyone? Keep it up!"

Shen Gonglin also cheered Theresa on, and then he wanted to go down and help. It was rare for Shen Gonglin to be willing to help, after all, he had just seen the Class President's little eyes. She clearly wanted him to help but wouldn't say it. Fu Hua looked particularly interesting like this, so Shen Gonglin wanted to tease her a bit. But Theresa pulled him back again, the headmistress puffing out her cheeks and looking a little angry.

I'm about to become an astronaut, and instead of spending this time with him, he's not taking advantage of it. What is he planning to do? What an idiot! This cluelessness is exactly the same as before.

"Don't you have anything else you want to say to me? Shen Gonglin, think about it carefully."

Theresa, hands on her hips and leaning slightly forward, questioned him, "The esteemed headmistress is about to embark on a solo mission. Doesn't he have anything else to say?" How could Shen Gonglin be so heartless, or perhaps he simply hadn't considered this?

It's infuriating! Look at the kind of person Kiana has fallen for! Shen Gonglin has a lot to improve and is far from being marriage material. But don't worry, Kiana, the headmistress will definitely train Shen Gonglin into someone perfectly suited for marriage. We'll leave it to her.

"Hmm... Eat well and drink well, and try to grow taller."

Theresa clearly wanted him to say something to her, but Shen Gonglin really didn't understand what she expected him to say. It wasn't like they were saying goodbye or dying. After thinking it over, this was the only thing he could think of. Although Shen Gonglin was good at arguing, he was really not good at verbal sparring. Getting him to say something sentimental was harder than climbing to heaven.

"That's it? You don't have anything else you want to do?"

Even a hug would be nice. Theresa looked at Shen Gonglin speechlessly. What did he mean by "eat well, drink well, and try to grow taller"? If that was all it took to grow taller, she wouldn't have been like this for decades. A hint of disappointment appeared in the young girl's eyes. Shen Gonglin was really annoying. Couldn't he say something heartwarming to make her blush? She had taken such good care of his sister when she came, why didn't he praise her?

Or perhaps... in Shen Gonglin's mind, taking care of his sister is just a matter of course? After all, they're family, so it's only natural for her to take care of his sister? Thinking about it this way, it doesn't seem like there's anything wrong with it; it really is something she should do.

Chapter 264 Can't Stand Up

Anything else you want to do? Oh right, even Theresa herself almost forgot, there really is something she has to do. Not noticing Theresa's hesitation, Shen Gonglin suddenly remembered something very important. After all Hyperion has only recently been modified to have the ability to travel in outer space, and who knows what dangers it might encounter? We need to get insurance for Theresa.

Without thinking, Shen Gonglin suddenly moved closer to Theresa. The young girl, who was still thinking about something, was startled. What was this guy trying to do, getting so close all of a sudden? Even though this was their blind spot, he couldn't just do something like that.

"Just bear with it, it will pass quickly, it won't hurt."

Look, what kind of wild and inappropriate things is Shen Gonglin saying now? Theresa's eyes widened, wanting to say something. She didn't understand why Shen Gonglin was suddenly so sensible, but the current environment and atmosphere weren't quite right. What was going on? Was Shen Gonglin really such a brave person? Theresa had always thought he was just a stupid and arrogant fool.

"Huh? Wait, wait a minute, I'm not... Hiss!"

Before Theresa could refuse, Shen Gonglin opened his mouth and pressed it close to her neck, his sharp teeth easily piercing her skin. Theresa finally understood what Shen Gonglin wanted to do. Theresa had experienced this before, long ago, and now, enduring it again, that familiar feeling instantly flooded Theresa entire body. Sure enough, even if she had experienced it before, it didn't mean she could handle it. "That idiot Shen Gonglin, what is he trying to do? Doesn't he know I still have a mission to carry out? What am I supposed to do now that he's put me like this?"

Filled with resentment, Theresa was helpless. The girl's small body collapsed limply onto Shen Gonglin, her beautiful blue eyes now misty with tears. Shen Gonglin's ability was simply too unfair.