Asta: Madam Herta's in Trouble-She's Fallen in Love!

"... I received a 60-second voice message from Jing Yuan," Chen Li said.

"So what?"

"But I dare not listen." Chen Li shook his head.

60 seconds is the limit for voice recording duration, but it shouldn't be Jing Yuan's limit.

Jing Yuan certainly wouldn't utter any foul language, since Baiheng's successful awakening was a good thing. As for Jing Yuan as a ghost, that was Baiheng's own idea, and it had nothing to do with Chen Li.

But Chen Li still didn't dare to listen.

Chen Li was afraid that Jing Yuan would discuss with him the two overly sensitive topics of turning the Ambrosial Arbor into a seed of life and making the Xianzhou stand up.

Jing Yuan might believe that Chen Li can solve most of the problems, but as the general of the Xianzhou Jing Yuan also needs to consider the safety of the Xianzhou.

Both of these things sound illegal!

"What's there to be afraid of? You haven't done anything wrong. Besides, if you show this Miraculous Item to Jing Yuan right now, you could make Jing Yuan kowtow to you." The Great Herta didn't care at all.

"It's not that I'm going to do anything bad, it's just that the four companions I brought with me to the Xianzhou are all incredibly talented," Chen Li sighed.

Elysia is still hanging in the sky above the Xianzhou, and Mobius and Vill-V are also dangerous factors.

Sakura was undoubtedly the one who gave Chen Li the least trouble, except for beating up Yanqing.

However, given that Yanqing is Jing Yuan's apprentice, he does indeed cause Jing Yuan a lot of worry.

As for the Miraculous Item Moe Ying Body... let's talk about it later.

Jing Yuan should be very surprised right now.

It would be better to discuss the price once Jing Yuan calmed down.

At the very least... Chen Li must leave a lasting mark on the Xianzhou, such as Meng Yingri!

There's no room for discussion on this.

Just as the Great Herta said, the Xianzhou could not refuse this Miraculous Item.

At the same time, as Vill-V said, which blacksmith wouldn't leave a backdoor in the items he forges?

Therefore, Chen Li needs to let the Xianzhou Alliance know who needs whom.

Even without the Xianzhou, Chen Li continued his daily life, forging Miraculous Items every day.

If the Xianzhou knew the effects of this Miraculous Item but couldn't obtain it, it would surely be tormented by countless claws every day.

Chen Li didn't intend to make things difficult for Jing Yuan or the Immortal Xianzhou Alliance. Chen Li just felt that he might do some extreme things in the future, so he was giving the Xianzhou a heads-up.

The Xianzhou Alliance has an excellent reputation in the universe, but this is only in a visible place.

But in places unseen, there will always be some shady, unsavory people.

Even the Luofu Xianzhou, which was well-managed by General Jing Yuan, still had Cauldron Master Dan Ding Division acting as the agent of the Dan Shu, secretly creating the Medicine Master's Legacy, on the left, and the Vidyadhara Dragon Master colluding with the Medicine Master's Legacy Lineage on the right.

If the Luofu Xianzhou can produce so many talented individuals, imagine how many more the entire Xianzhou Alliance would produce...

From this perspective, the Equilibrium Aeon did the right thing; he couldn't allow the Long-Life Species scruples.

The existence of a single Long-Life Species is not a problem, but if an entire race consists of Long-Life Species, something bad is bound to happen.

Therefore, Chen Li was considering whether to introduce a cleaning mechanism to the Xianzhou...

Or let the Equilibrium Aeon exert its power again.

Fortunately, at present, the highest level of the Xianzhou, namely the generals of the Xianzhou and the marshals of the Xianzhou Alliance, are normal.

Because they can live for many years, and with the powerful the Hunt Aeon as their overlord, the main direction of the Immortal Xianzhou Alliance will not deviate...

But there are always some middle and senior managers who are not behaving properly.

He's either an undercover agent, a moron, or just a complete idiot.

"The Mara-Struck of the Xianzhou natives, the Moon Rage of the Foxians, the Dragon Madness of the Vidyadharas... all can be cured by the Moe Ying Body. In comparison, the Dragon Madness of the Vidyadharas has a lower incidence rate, but if you add the Miraculous Item that can transform other races into the Dragon race..."

"Hmm, do you want to take control of the Xianzhou? Or do you plan to become another big daddy of the Xianzhou?" The Great Herta turned its head when it heard Chen Li muttering to itself.

"That's not it. In this world where only the worst survive, the Xianzhou Alliance is at least stronger than the Interastral Peace Corporation. And since we've created this Miraculous Item, we have to take full responsibility. If the Xianzhou can't create positive Miracles after acquiring the Miraculous Item, then I don't mind taking back the extra gift and giving them another beating. I'll make that clear to the Xianzhou Alliance," Chen Li said.

"A strong counterattack afterward" that isn't written into the contract is called backstabbing.

The phrase "taking drastic measures afterward" written into the contract shows that they cannot tolerate any wrongdoing.

"Someone like you, a complete outsider, should naturally be aware that this is just 'cooperation.' If a genius can't do whatever he wants, then what's the point of being a genius?" The Great Herta nodded in agreement.

The Great Herta knew that Chen Li needed a positive Miracle to obtain the Miracle Crystal.

If Chen Li lends the Miraculous Item to someone and that person cannot fulfill his request, it's perfectly normal for Chen Li to take Miraculous Item back. This is because the rental fee Chen Li asks for is really cheap.

Just as the Great Herta never believed that the few or a dozen Miraculous Items it selected from the Herta Space Station to give to Chen Li would actually be enough to buy the Miraculous Items that Chen Li forged for itself.

The Great Herta felt that even if it gave the Herta Space Station to Chen Li, it wouldn't be enough to cover the cost of a single use of the Key of Destiny's Invitation could invite the Aeon.

Therefore, the Great Herta always felt that Chen Li handing over the Miraculous Item to him was a collaboration rather than a sale.

But there are always some people who fail to recognize the facts.

It is precisely because Chen Li asked for a low rent that he was able to do whatever he wanted.

Otherwise, the Dragon race could sign a co-governance agreement with the Alliance, and by making numerous contributions to the Alliance in suppressing the so-called "Longevity Plague," they could obtain autonomy over the Fanghu Xianzhou.

It wouldn't be unreasonable for Chen Li to exchange this Miraculous Item for enough wealth to fill half a Xianzhou.

Autonomy of the Xianzhou? Chen Li doesn't want it, because if he does, he will be the one who suffers.

After all, with this Miraculous Item, the average lifespan of the Xianzhou natives can be increased by at least 200 percentage points, and their mindset will remain youthful!

Only those Long-Life Species free from the torment of Mara-Struck are truly Long-Life Species.

Chen Li felt that Jing Yuan really needed to learn from Huai Yan. As a legendary man who could withstand pressure, how could he only endure pressure for 700 years?

The capable should do more work, Jing Yuan should shoulder more responsibilities!

General Huai Yan of Zhuming Xianzhou is said to be over 3,000 years old and still serving as a general, having retired from public life several times and returned to the battlefield again.

This proves that 3000 years old is precisely the age to take risks!

A good general should be used until the very end! Then let him win the Revival Match, and continue using him after he comes back to life!

Chapter 203 Asta: Ms. Herta is in trouble! Ms. Herta has fallen in love!

Novice Task (Part 5)

Forge 15 Miraculous Items (26/15) (√)

Forge 1 One-star Artifact (6/1) (√)

Completed 10 Miracle Check-ins (12/10) (√)

Job level upgraded to lv4 (√)

Reputation increased to level 3 (Lv2: 157/200)

"Now all that's left is reputation... Judging by this progress, one more big project and we'll be almost done." Chen Li was quite pleased to see that his Novice Task was finally nearing completion.

It cost Chen Li 90 Crystals to create the One-star Artifact [Moe Ying Body].

It can be said that this Miraculous Item is the one that Chen Li spent the most Miraculous Item after acquiring the "Elation" attribute, mainly because this Miraculous Item has no obvious side effects.

It possesses both meme-level spread and the ability to transform infected individuals into whiny monsters, granting them pseudo-invincible attributes. It can be said to be quite excellent in every aspect.

And most importantly, this Miraculous Item also has an overlimit mode.

Once the overlimit mode is activated, this Miraculous Item will change the underlying logic, transforming into a true "Moe-Ying Virus," turning all infected creatures into "Ying-Ying Monsters," and this transformation is irreversible.

It could totally give the entire Honkai: Star Rail world a little shock with its whining monsters!

However, since this overlimit mode requires Crystals, Chen Li felt that he would never be able to use this function in his life.

After creating this Miraculous Item, Chen Li has not yet received any benefits because it has not yet been handed over to the Xianzhou Alliance.

The reputation increased by 80 points compared to two days ago, mainly because Chen Li was too unrestrained in the Honkai: Star Rail world, even causing irreparable damage to the Nanook's body. In addition, he often "passively" spread the reputation of his Genius Society members, thus becoming famous far and wide.

In a world like Honkai: Star Rail, with a vast Worldview that transcends even planetary boundaries, a grand production will be much more effective! Chen Li really likes it!

After the Xianzhou Cute Day is successfully held, Chen Li will have the opportunity to raise his reputation to level 3 and complete the Novice Task.

Therefore, Chen Li will stop at nothing to get Meng Yingri!

"Hehehe, Jing Yuan, don't blame me!"

As for what kind of preconceived notions this would create when it spread to other worlds, Chen Li didn't care; as long as he gained fame, that was enough!

"Speaking of which Chen Li, you seem to have never mentioned what abilities you have after becoming the Emissary of Equilibrium?" The Great Herta interrupted Chen Li's sinister laughter, which sounded like that of a villain.

Great Herta knew that if Chen Li laughed like that, someone would definitely be in trouble, but Great Herta didn't think it would be him, so he didn't pay attention.

"I thought you could suppress your curiosity until tomorrow."

"Because the Equilibrium Aeon and his Arbitrators are so mysterious, even more mysterious than mysterious, I'm very curious," the Great Herta said.

"The power of this Emanator may seem immense, but it truly is immense."

"... Get to the point."

"This Emanator's power may not be anything Miraculous Item or magical, but it has certainly brought me a lot of convenience. One of its names is the Trial of Equilibrium."

"I've heard of this. It seems that the Arbiter of Equilibrium provides certain Pathstrider with Equilibrium Trial. The strong will gain opportunities, and the weak will have a chance to catch their breath. After passing the trial, they will face stronger opponents, more difficult puzzles, and richer rewards," said the erudite Great Herta.

Arbitrators champion the concept of "mutualism," praising its eternal focus and patience. But universal laws cannot transcend time and space, and mortals can only seek the beauty of "Equilibrium" in the mundane world, sparing no effort to erase the extremes of the world: beauty and ugliness, joy and sorrow, good and evil, love and hate—countless opposing concepts are created and interpreted, merely to satisfy the arbitrators' obsession with a "zero-sum" universe.

However, the trial of Equilibrium does not mean that the sum of the gains of the strong and the losses of the weak is zero. This is because every being in the universe has different adaptive strategies and survival mechanisms.

The higher your Equilibrium level, the stronger the enemies you face and the more difficult the puzzles, but you will also gain more material, spiritual, countable, and uncountable rewards... The rewards will match the power you possess.

"So... would you like to give it a try?" Chen Li invited.

"No need. I don't need it." The Great Herta shook its head.

Arbitrators are sometimes mistaken for gods in some worlds, but they are far too inexperienced for the Great Herta.

For the Great Herta, the Wisdom Envoy, the Equilibrium level could no longer restrain her.

Because she has already reached the pinnacle of this universe, second only to the Aeon.

So... surely it's impossible that some Memokeepers from the Flowing Light Memory Court, whose brains seem to be missing a screw, would come to spy on the Remembrance of the Wisdom Envoy with the Aeon of Intellect Envoy at the Great Herta?

"Not every arbitrator is Emissary of Equilibrium, just as not every Genius Society member is Wisdom Envoy. The Equilibrium level I cast on you should be able to affect you. Do you really not want to give it a try?"

"No, I'm still annoyed by that woman messing up my experiments every day," the Great Herta said irritably.

"Oh, that's the second point. You can now call out the name of the Silent Lord at will, because when it comes to manipulating causal chains, the Equilibrium Aeon is the real expert. He manipulates the cause and effect of the entire universe... According to the rule that subordinates are not allowed to contradict their superiors, the Silent Lord cannot affect the causal chains near me, so naturally she cannot freely appear along the causal chains or hear us talking about her."

"Real?"

"Of course," Chen Li said.

"Polka Kaka is a bitch! Phew, that feels much better."

"However, the Equilibrium Aeon is very stingy. He only gave me the ability to counteract the influence of the causal chain, but not the ability to manipulate the causal chain."

"What's the big deal? You can just forge one yourself, can't you?"

"That's what I was thinking too. I've always wanted to forge a Miraculous Item that can slap someone through the internet cable, but after thinking about it carefully, it would be better to forge a Miraculous Item that can slap someone through the chain of cause and effect." Chen Li nodded.

A portion of this Equilibrium power can be set aside to forge Miraculous Item.

"Once you've finished crafting this Miraculous Item, let me borrow it for a moment." The Great Herta's eyes lit up.

"No problem."

"No wonder you said the power the Equilibrium Aeon gave you might not be as Miraculous Item treasures. Both of these advantages are... alright, but not enough."

"The power bestowed upon me is like this; it's far inferior to what I could obtain by consuming it myself. However, the power of Equilibrium has a third advantage: I can see the connections between things and achieve Equilibrium," Chen Li said.

"Equilibrium? For example?"

"Dad once said that Equilibrium isn't important, connection is. Do you know what the biggest difficulty in using the Judgment of All Things is? It's not the difficulty of cutting the lines or the cost of splicing them. It's finding that line. For example, right now I can see the connection between Sirin and the Imaginary Tree." Chen Li looked at Sirin, who had been sullen because of the absence of Chen Li.

"This has already exceeded the limits of the Emissary of Equilibrium, hasn't it? The Equilibrium Aeon has been quite good to you."

"Don't get me wrong, I got this after consuming the Glance of the Equilibrium Aeon. I won on my first try, I'm pretty lucky."

The [Connection] was something Chen Li obtained, while the [Equilibrium of Connection] was a gift from the Equilibrium Aeon. The two are perfectly matched.