"I wonder how Sucrose's research is coming along!"
Several days had passed since she had given Sucrose the dragon blood and the other materials.
Ellin figured it was about time for their appointment. After chasing away the people who had come to propose or arrange a marriage, she headed straight to Sucrose's house.
"Ellin, you're here!"
When Sucrose opened the door and saw Ellin standing outside, she was clearly delighted!
"Come on, let me show you what I've accomplished these past few days!"
Without waiting for an answer, Sucrose took Ellin's hand and led her to the backyard.
The moment they entered the backyard, Ellin's eyes widened in surprise.
The backyard gate felt like a portal to another world. The instant she stepped through it, she seemed to have arrived in an entirely different world!
The backyard before her was even more spectacular and beautiful than it had been last time!
Holding Ellin's hand, Sucrose strolled through the backyard with a sweet smile, introducing her newly cultivated plants one by one like a little girl showing a friend her new toys.
"Look, Ellin! This is the 637-Type Improved Enlarged Mist Flower!"
Ellin followed Sucrose's gaze, and her eyes widened!
An upright Mist Flower stood in the center of the yard. It was at least six meters tall, with raised branches and an open blossom nearly a meter across!
Clouds of ice crystals drifted from its blossom on the breeze like pollen, making the yard dazzlingly beautiful. Once they landed and melted, they also watered the other plants.
"My goodness, is that even a Mist Flower anymore?" Ellin couldn't help exclaiming.
"Hehe, impressive, right? It's a mutated Mist Flower I cultivated using Cryo Regisvine genes and watering it with Dragon Blood Potion!"
"Now look over there! That's the 902-Type Improved High-Yield Sweet Flower!"
Ellin looked where she indicated and saw a sweet flower nearly five meters tall, bearing three blossoms that were each about half a meter across.
Of course, that wasn't the most important part.
What mattered was that sugar water kept dripping from the centers of all three blossoms. Three buckets had been placed beneath the sweet flower to collect it, and they were already almost full.
Sucrose filled a bowl for Ellin to try. After one sip, Ellin found that the sugar water had a fresh, botanical fragrance and was wonderfully sweet. It was similar to honey, but without honey's thickness, and tasted delicious!
"And that one is the work I'm proudest of!"
"Look over there! That's the 9527-Type Enlarged Small Lamp Grass!" Sucrose said, happily pointing at a plant.
In fact, even without Sucrose's introduction, Ellin had already noticed the so-called Small Lamp Grass. This "small" lamp grass was the largest, most eye-catching plant in the entire backyard!
By her estimate, this "small" lamp grass stood over ten meters tall, spreading over most of the yard like a great tree!
Its main stem split into a dense mass of branches, which in turn bore countless blue flowers.
Even in daylight, these flowers gave off a faint blue glow. At first glance, they looked like countless stars gathered into a little patch of starry sky, blooming in Sucrose's yard!
"Good grief. Are you sure that's called Small Lamp Grass?"
Ellin instinctively drew in a sharp breath.
"Hehe..." Sucrose scratched her head sheepishly. "It doesn't really fit, but... I honestly have no talent for naming things."
Then Sucrose took Ellin's hand again and introduced her other creations.
This little yard held all the hard work Sucrose had poured into her research over the years.
And so the two girls spent a long time strolling through the dreamlike little yard, admiring its marvels that were so unlike anything in the outside world.
Only after a long while, once they had seen every plant in the yard, did the two girls sit side by side on the stone steps by the entrance.
Sucrose was still admiring her masterpieces, her cheeks flushed with excitement.
"Thank you, Ellin!"
After sitting lost in thought for a long time, Sucrose suddenly spoke.
"I'm so glad I met you..."
"Since I met you, not only have I fulfilled my dream of filling my house with skeletal specimens, but I'm already halfway toward realizing my dream of creating a paradise!"
"Wait, only halfway?"
Ellin paused. "I think everything in this yard is already worthy of a paradise!"
"That is true..."
Sucrose smiled shyly. "But strange and wonderful plants are only one part of a paradise. To me, an immortal realm should be a beautiful place cut off from the outside world, far from worldly affairs."
"I may have created lots of unusual plants, but I still don't have the ability to create a place isolated from the world."
"But I still want to thank you, Ellin. With your help, I've gathered almost all the plants my paradise needs. My next research topic will be how to create a true 'paradise' to house them!"
"Wait!"
Suddenly remembering something, Ellin raised a hand to interrupt Sucrose.
"Create a place? Isolated from the world? Far from worldly affairs?"
"Now that you mention it, I just remembered I have something that fits those requirements pretty well."
With that, Ellin took Sucrose's hand and led her back into the house.
A few minutes later...
"Wow!!!"
"Ellin, this place is!!!"
Sucrose stared wide-eyed, her face filled with astonishment!
After taking her back inside, Ellin had brought out a teapot, then held a Realm Dispatch and given her a gentle push. Sucrose's vision had gone black, and a second later, she had arrived here.
Before her lay a self-contained space, with a vast sea of clouds stretching as far as the eye could see.
Several enormous islands floated above the clouds, connected by golden ribbons of light that formed pathways between them.
This place had day and night, as well as a sun, moon, and stars.
"Ellin, what is this place?"
"Hehe, something made by Liyue's adepti. Impressive, right?"
"It's incredible! Is this a paradise created by an adeptus? I never imagined I'd get to see a miracle like this with my own eyes!"
Overwhelmed by the wonderful surprise, Sucrose clenched her fists, her face flushed with excitement.
Watching the excited Sucrose beside her, Ellin smiled too.
"This Sub-Space Creation may be wondrous, but it's a little lacking in life."
"So, if possible, Sucrose, would you be willing to transplant your creations here?"
"Is... is that really all right?"
"Of course!"
Ellin nodded with a smile. "I only acquired this Sub-Space Creation recently, and I haven't had time to decorate it yet. So while it bears the name of a paradise, it isn't truly one."
"That's why I thought it would make me very happy if I could work with you to turn this place into a true paradise."
"Of course... if you don't want to use your creations in my paradise, I understand. After all, they're your..."
"No, no, no! I'd love to! I'd love to!"
Sucrose nodded furiously.
"How could I possibly refuse? You've gone to such trouble to give me this opportunity, Ellin. I can't thank you enough!"
"In that case..."
With a sweet smile, Ellin held out her hand to Sucrose. "Then... let's create a true paradise together!"
Before you continue