Sushang spoke fairly on his behalf, defending her brother.
"Actually, judging by our age ratio, Huohuo, you're about the same age as us, aren't you?"
Hearing that only made Huohuo too embarrassed to speak.
Sushang really couldn't figure out what was going on with Huohuo, so she turned to her brother.
Brother, you're educated. Explain it to me.
Ji Yuan could only spread his hands in this situation.
The books hadn't covered this either.
Seeing that even Ji Yuan didn't know, Sushang brightened up.
Hm, there are things you don't know too. Don't keep saying I haven't read enough books in the future.
At the same time, Ji Yuan found a chance to talk with Tingyun.
Only after learning that the Star Skiff had arrived safely did he finally relax. Now that they had reached Herta Space Station, Tingyun's safety was much more assured. They were finally safe.
Tingyun also asked Ji Yuan about his situation, and he could only tell her that everything was fine.
Seeing that, Tingyun's worries eased slightly.
As long as he was all right.
"Let's go. We're preparing to leave."
Sitting aboard the command ship, Lord Genyi, the commander of this operation, spoke to everyone.
Ji Yuan, Phantylia, Huohuo, and Yanqing stood beside him.
After confirming the last batch of prisoners and loading the final batch of spoils, the Luofu Starfaring Vessel's forces were preparing to withdraw.
This operation had been remarkably effective. Not only had they wiped out numerous Buli Ren troops, but they had also brought back a great deal of loot. Such gains had been rare in previous battles, and the Luofu Starfaring Vessel had truly made a fortune this time.
Once all the fleets had flown into outer space, Genyi continued.
"Next, there is one final thing we need to do."
With that, he immediately issued an order. The long-range weapons aboard every Star Skiff fleet opened at once and unleashed their full firepower upon the planet before them.
In an instant, the planet became a sea of flames.
Even though Huohuo had experienced the battlefield before, the sight made her nervously cover her mouth.
Looking at them, Genyi instructed, "Watch carefully. After defeating Abundance Fiends, this is the sort of cleanup that must be carried out. Otherwise, allowing even one Abundance Fiend to escape would be a disaster for the entire universe."
"But aren't there indigenous animals on those planets too?"
Huohuo asked Genyi.
Genyi said firmly, "Compared to an entire star system, a single planet is nothing. In our war against the Abundance Followers, even a shred of sympathy will only result in countless casualties."
"Mm."
Although Ji Yuan, Sushang, and the others still felt somewhat reluctant, they nodded.
Genyi waved a hand. "All right, let's not talk about such heavy matters. Once we return, the Celestial Ark will probably give you all a proper vacation. Make sure to relax when the time comes."
"Mm-hm! When that happens, I'm definitely going to explore the Luofu Starfaring Vessel properly."
Sushang was the happiest of them all.
Phantylia shot Ji Yuan a sidelong glance.
With a vacation, she would have more time to find him.
Seeing Phantylia's look, Ji Yuan groaned inwardly.
If she keeps such a close eye on me, how am I supposed to report to General Jing Yuan?
Each of them had their own thoughts, some nervous, some happy.
Then, the Star Skiffs started up and set off for the Luofu Starfaring Vessel.
The journey through the sea of stars was long and boring. Phantylia had wanted to tease Ji Yuan, only to discover that Yanqing had dragged him off to practice swordsmanship.
At that moment, she understood even more deeply why Tingyun disliked that brat Yanqing so much.
"Big Brother, your swordsmanship has improved so quickly. I thought you'd been busy with other things and had no time to practice."
Looking at Ji Yuan, whom he had only defeated after nearly a hundred exchanges, Yanqing couldn't help praising him.
"I have been rather busy lately, but perhaps I gained a little insight from actual combat."
Ji Yuan answered with a smile.
Although he hadn't discussed swordsmanship with Yanqing these past few days, he had acquired a new sword technique during that time. More importantly, his physical abilities had improved greatly, allowing him to endure more exchanges against Yanqing.
After stretching his body, Ji Yuan and Yanqing prepared to head back. Just then, a communication from Genyi came through.
Ji Yuan, Yanqing: Is something the matter, Lord Genyi?
Genyi: Here's the situation. Someone wants to hitch a ride with our fleet ahead of us. You two should go welcome her.
Hearing Genyi say that, Ji Yuan roughly understood.
The newcomer held considerable status and strength, enough for the Celestial Ark to treat her seriously. However, she was not important enough to the Celestial Ark for Genyi to welcome her personally. Sending him and Yanqing was merely to avoid any breach of etiquette.
Yanqing: Lord Genyi, who are we welcoming?
Genyi: Do you know the Genius Society?
Yanqing: Mm, I do. It's Omniscient Lord's organization.
Genyi: That's right. This time, you will be welcoming Ruan Mei, member number 81 of the Genius Society and an expert in the field of life sciences.
Ji Yuan: Understood, Lord Genyi.
The two then ended the call and headed toward the reception area.
Ji Yuan looked somewhat excited.
Another big shot. He wondered how much he could get out of her.
Not long after Ji Yuan and Yanqing arrived at the docking area, a small spacecraft stopped before them.
Then, a black-haired beauty in a qipao stepped down from the spacecraft.
"Hello, I'm Ruan Mei. It's a pleasure to meet you."
The Woman Who Cultivated an Emanator
The woman before them was not particularly tall, yet she carried an especially strong Eastern elegance.
She wore a hollowed-out teal-blue qipao that exposed her waist, with black gauze beneath it. The dress's high slit revealed a pair of beautiful, alluring legs, while the thin heels on her feet further accentuated her mature charm.
Unlike Tingyun's girlish playfulness, Ruan Mei gave off a poised and mature feeling.
Her long black hair was pinned up with a hairpin, while a plum blossom ornament decorated one side.
She presented the image of a noble and gorgeous beauty from the East.
A smile curved her lips, making her seem approachable.
Yet as Ji Yuan looked at Ruan Mei, he always felt a deep indifference beneath that friendly expression.
She doesn't care about us at all.
Ji Yuan thought to himself.
But considering her identity as a member of the Genius Society, her intelligence was probably beyond that of ordinary people like them by an unknown margin.
Ji Yuan called himself a genius too, but compared to a Genius Society member, the gap in intelligence between them was probably greater than the gap between him and a dog.
Her indifference was normal.
The question was how he could get something out of her.
While Ji Yuan was still thinking, Yanqing had already begun introducing the two of them.
"Ms. Ruan Mei, hello. I'm Yanqing, and this is Ji Yuan. We were sent by Lord Genyi to welcome you."
"Yanqing? Are you the disciple of that Luofu General? I'm very pleased to meet you both. Is Mr. Genyi waiting for me? All right, I'll trouble you to lead the way."
Ruan Mei spoke to them both very politely.
As Ji Yuan led her onward, he asked, "Is there something you came here for?"
Ruan Mei shook her head and said gently, "I did not come here for anything in particular. A minor mishap involving an experimental lifeform caused a fuel leak in my small spacecraft, and it could not make it to the next planet. I saw your fleet and merely wished to hitch a ride."
Yanqing still had the temperament of a young man. Seeing someone in need of help instantly stirred his heroic spirit, and he patted his chest as he promised Ruan Mei, "Don't worry, the Luofu Starfaring Vessel will definitely be willing to help you."
"Thank you." Ruan Mei smiled and nodded. She then took a box from the small bag she carried, removed two pastries from it, and handed one each to Ji Yuan and Yanqing.
"These are the last two I have left from my journey. Would you like to try them?"
"Thank you."
Yanqing took one from Ruan Mei with a smile and immediately put it into his mouth.
Ji Yuan, on the other hand, gave Ruan Mei several extra looks.
He remembered that Ruan Mei was an expert in life sciences. Had she created a whole bunch of creatures aboard that small spacecraft of hers?
This isn't going to turn into an Alien situation, is it?
If it does, this ship is going to get lively.
Ji Yuan thought to himself.
He put away the pastry and said to Ruan Mei, "Um, I've had a bit of a toothache these past two days. I'll save it until my teeth feel better."
"Mm."
Ruan Mei glanced at him but said nothing more.
Afterward,
Ji Yuan and Yanqing led Ruan Mei to the command room.
Genyi came out to welcome her there.
Ji Yuan and Yanqing found it boring to stay, so after escorting Ruan Mei to the command room, they left.
Once they were away, Ji Yuan forcefully knocked Yanqing on the head.
Yanqing was usually a swordsmanship prodigy with an extremely sharp sense of danger, but he had no guard up around Ji Yuan at all. When Ji Yuan struck, Yanqing was completely unprepared and got hit on the head.
"Big Brother, what are you doing?!"
After getting knocked on the head like that, Yanqing covered his head and asked Ji Yuan aggrievedly.
Ji Yuan warned Yanqing, "I'm warning you not to trust other people so casually. You ate something a stranger gave you? What if Ruan Mei wanted to harm you?"
"Harm me?" Yanqing tilted his head and thought for a moment before quickly shaking it. "That's impossible. Why would she want to harm me? Besides, who would go out of their way to harm someone from the Celestial Ark Alliance?"
The Celestial Ark Alliance was famously vengeful and held grudges like no one else.
If someone set up a Celestial Ark Native, they either had to kill them outright, or if even one survived, they would face endless pursuit.
"You still need to be careful. You only get one life. If you're tricked to death, getting revenge for you won't bring your life back."
"All right, Big Brother, I understand."
Yanqing nodded miserably.
Ji Yuan observed Yanqing carefully for a while and found that nothing seemed to be wrong with him.
Thinking it over, Yanqing was right that few would willingly provoke someone from the Celestial Ark Alliance. More importantly, Ruan Mei truly had nothing to gain from people like them, so there was no need for her to scheme against them.
With that thought, he felt slightly more at ease.
At that moment, the system's voice sounded in Ji Yuan's ear.
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