Knock knock knock!
There was a sudden knock on the shop door. Startled by the noise, March 7th, who was lost in thought, quickly composed himself and ran to open the door.
"Welcome to Pink Fairy... Teacher Ye Yan?"
To March 7th's surprise, this time the customer was none other than Teacher Ye Yan, who hadn't appeared in a long time! He was still wearing his familiar black clothes, and in his hand was... a laundry detergent bar?
" Teacher Ye Yan, where's your milk tea?"
"Milk tea is just an external thing, Miss March 7th." Ye Yan nodded to her. "Would it be convenient for you to come in?"
Oh, why are you being so polite with us?
On March 7th, she dragged Ye Yan into the bubble tea shop; she hadn't expected Ye Yan to appear at that moment.
Based on past experience with " Trailblaze," Ye Yan is most likely going to modify something... such as the Engine of Creation of the Jarilo-VI, or the Ambrosial Arbor of the Xianzhou Luofu...
Wait, is Teacher Ye Yan a car modification master in Xianzhou Luofu?
March 7th frowned slightly, as if some force was subtly influencing her " Remembrance "...
Something's not right, this Teacher Ye Yan acting very strangely!
" Miss March 7th?"
Ye Yan waved to March 7th, looking at her Curiosity:
"I need to break the habit of daydreaming."
" Aha ~ Teacher Ye Yan is absolutely right."
The time has come to test March 7th's acting skills! She deliberately dragged ' Ye Yan ' into the milk tea shop; there was no turning back now!
It's not quite a life-or-death struggle. If the fake Teacher Ye Yan really turns against you, then let her talk to her Six-Phased Ice!
She brought over a chair and gestured for ' Ye Yan ' to join her.
" Teacher Ye Yan, please have a seat."
"Hehe~ It's hard to refuse such kindness. Miss March 7th is always so kind." Ye Yan sat down in the chair, a professional smile on his face.
"But I have come here today to ask you for a favor..."
With each word Ye Yan spoke, March 7th's furrowed brows deepened; his tone was undeniably overly polite.
Seriously, they can't even pretend properly. Thumbs down!
Meanwhile, the Grove of Epiphany the " Whispering Woods "
"Hmm... Trianne thinks this is a great idea! So, can Trianne ask the pink puppy for help?"
Mimi wagged her Tail: "... If Little Trianne stops calling me Pink Puppy, I'll say yes!"
Okay! From now on, I'll call you Little Mimi!
"Hmm~ that's more like it... But, although I just casually mentioned a name, what kind of creature is it exactly? Is it really a pink little fairy?"
Mimi fell into self-doubt.
"Alright, whatever it is, they kept their word! Since Little Trianne is cheered up, shall we set off?"
"Alright! Trianne remembers, 'we' are going to ask the big Aya if Cerces would be willing to visit Okhema... Follow this Path of Warp and Weft uphill, and we'll reach the Grove soon."
"What's the meaning behind the name ' Path of Warp and Weft '?" Mimi asked.
"Legend has it that when Moneta sought an audience with Cerces, she would always wear a long white gown. The warp and weft threads that fell to the ground became roads and steps..."
May this Romance road bring Astra Yao to Okhema.
Xing felt that the history of Amphoreus was truly profound, and a strong sense of epic grandeur washed over him.
The three of them and Mimi thus ascended the Path of Warp and Weft, continuing deeper into the Grove of Epiphany.
The giant tree bowed slightly in the silent forest, its body leaning, lying prostrate in the withered, brittle waves. An occasional gust of wind swept through the trees and leaves, sounding like a sigh, trembling and falling into the lightless Ocean above.
Xing couldn't help but wonder, would March 7th like this breathtaking view? She wasn't sure; perhaps Dan Heng...
Well, in both of his lifetimes, he encountered such a huge tree and was in a state of utter distress.
Where is Ye Yan? He must have seen trees even bigger than this...
Unfortunately, I didn't give her the camera this March 7th, so I can't take any photos here to commemorate the occasion.
"What exactly is this enormous tree...?"
Xing, hands on hips, exclaimed, "The Sacred Tree Grand Stage—come if you have a dream!"
"That is the Branch of Rift, the divine body of Cerces. Where it took root, in the plains and basins beneath our feet, trees and shrubs began to grow, gradually forming a sizable and lush forest."
Long ago, the first scholar, Celsus, led the people to establish gardens and courtyards in the forest, naming them the " Grove of Epiphany," for people to awaken their minds, seek knowledge, and attain enlightenment.
Trianne raised his hand. " Trianne knows this! Everyone says that's how this huge academy came to be."
"But is the academy such a quiet place?" Mimi noticed something was off.
"... Something just doesn't feel right. The Grove has always welcomed students, and Cerces would send forth tender leaves on the breeze, stretching out branches to form a path as a sign of welcome."
"But now... neither the emissaries of the Grove nor the Titan seem to be moving."
"Tsk, this Titan is getting a bit clueless."
Xing's gaze lingered on the giant tree. Now that she possessed the " Spear of Divine Retribution " and unlocked additional abilities, could this " Branch of Rift " also...?
"Perhaps everyone is just sleeping in before class starts and closed the door to avoid being disturbed," Trianne guessed.
"In any case... let's walk around the area and check things out first."
The three of them continued to traverse the Grove of Epiphany through Janus's secret path.
"It's been unusually quiet on this journey... What happened?"
The three walked to a courtyard, which was deserted, and the atmosphere became somewhat eerie.
"Something's definitely not right..."
"Even if we're not students, we've already come this far, and still no one has come out to guide us..."
The surroundings were eerily quiet.
Xing's opinion differed. "Maybe... they really are fast asleep?"
"Unlikely... In my Remembrance, the debates in the Grove were constant throughout the day."
Even though Trianne and Xing shouted several times, no one responded to Grove.
"So what do we do now? Turn around and go home?"
"... Oh, by the way, Professor Trianne, could I borrow that golden spindle?"
Xing took the spindle from Trianne and had barely held it in her hand when the familiar notification sound rang out again:
" The Cocoon of Gold " has been included...
" Eternity Oath of Beauty ": Select a target, define its existence as the supreme ideal of Beauty, and expand the absolute domain.
In this realm, the target form will be frozen in its most perfect moment, immune to all external distortions and erosions, until the oath ends.
Ah... is she playing some popular online game? It even has skill descriptions...
Xing pondered, and it was not difficult to understand from this passage that this realm itself was the embodiment of the ideals of " Eternity " and " Beauty," and therefore could not be destroyed by conventional means.
As for its use? She's only just unlocked this skill, how could she know so quickly? She needs to find a Little Bai to practice on first.
This " Cocoon of Gold " is really something; they didn't even provide a beginner's tutorial.
"Didn't Aglaea say that within the boundaries of the Grove, the golden threads it produces can also outline everything around us, whether tangible or intangible?"
"Indeed," Castorice nodded. " The Grove is not only the location of Cerces's roots, but also the place where the ' Cocoon of Gold ' manifested—"
Castorice reached out her hand and, together with Xing, grasped the spindle, muttering something under her breath:
" Moneta! With the 'longitude and latitude' of our oath sealed, I beseech you—may your golden threads and love entwine me!"
"Huh? Is this some kind of ritual prayer?" Xing looked at Castorice, "Should I recite it too?"
"This... is a proverb recorded in the Moneta Priest's Handbook... If it's correct, we should be able to draw power from this butterfly molt using the golden threads."