"Is that the Scalegorge Waterscape? Dan Heng's amazing—he actually split the sea in two! This is just…" March 7th exclaimed.
"Ahem! March, let's not get carried away," Dan Heng interrupted, coughing awkwardly at her praise.
Normally, March 7th's compliments wouldn't faze him, but with so many people present and the matter of the Destruction Lord still unresolved, it felt inappropriate.
"Huh? Haha, sorry, sorry," March 7th gave an embarrassed laugh, scratching her pink hair. "So, we should… ah!"
Just as she was about to say something, March 7th suddenly crouched down, clutching her stomach with her delicate hands.
"March!" "Miss March!" "March 7th!"
A chorus of alarmed cries rang out as everyone rushed toward her in concern.
"March, what's wrong?" Stelle, being a fellow woman, quickly crouched beside her, placing a hand on March 7th's shoulder to check on her.
"I-I'm fine. I just felt a sudden sharp pain in my abdomen," March 7th said, her face pale yet slightly flushed. The pain wasn't intense—more like someone had pinched her waist—but it had come so suddenly that she hadn't been prepared, leading to her dramatic reaction.
"Let me take a look," Fu Xuan said, crouching down like Stelle and placing a hand on March 7th's forehead.
Closing her eyes, Fu Xuan carefully sensed March 7th's physical condition. Strangely, she found no signs of ill health.
"Miss March… could it be your period?" Fu Xuan asked with a peculiar expression.
At Fu Xuan's words, the usually energetic March 7th flushed bright red. Waving her hands frantically, she stammered, "N-no way! It's not the right time for that."
"Then… do you feel anything unusual? Could there be some energy or treasure in your body reacting to the Scalegorge Waterscape's environment?" Fu Xuan asked, hands on her hips, her brows slightly furrowed. After a moment, she continued, "Energy? A treasure?"
March 7th paused, puzzled. Energy? A treasure? What energy or treasure could she have? Could it be, like Dan Heng, she had some hidden secret from her past life? Wait!
Suddenly, March 7th recalled something. When Yun Fan first boarded the Astral Express, he had given her a "Bow of the Hunt."
According to Yun Fan, the bow was a gift from the Lord of Samsara, the Aeon of Causality, forged from the power of Lan, the Reignbow Arbiter's laws.
The Scalegorge Waterscape was the root of the Ambrosial Arbor, brimming with potent Abundance energy. Could the Bow of the Hunt's laws have sensed the Abundance energy?
Moreover, that bow was stored within the dantian Yun Fan had helped her create.
Realizing this, March 7th stood up and hurriedly said, "I know what—!"
"Hehehe…"
A low chuckle echoed from all directions, causing March 7th to freeze mid-sentence.
At the sound, everyone frowned and instinctively looked toward the Scalegorge Waterscape.
There, unbeknownst to them, a blazing cyan-green flame had appeared above the waterscape.
Noticing their gazes, the cyan-green flame slowly approached. Seeing this, Jing Yuan gripped his Stonefire Dreambody and stepped to the front of the group, warily eyeing the flame.
Perhaps sensing Jing Yuan's hostility, the cyan-green flame flickered and transformed into the face of a beautiful woman.
"General Jing Yuan of the Seat of Divine Foresight, Master Diviner Fu Xuan of the Divination Commission, Vidyadhara Dragon Sovereign Imbibitor Lunae, and the Nameless of the Astral Express—greetings."
"You're… Phantylia?" Jing Yuan asked, narrowing his eyes as he gripped Stonefire Dreambody, lightning crackling along its blade.
"Hehehe, indeed. I am Phantylia, General Jing Yuan. It's an honor to finally meet you," the flame replied, its tone light and teasing. "This encounter…"
"Thunder—strike!"
Before Phantylia could finish, Jing Yuan raised Stonefire Dreambody and unleashed a bolt of violet lightning, shattering the flame into pieces.
Everyone was stunned by Jing Yuan's sudden action.
Jing Yuan waved a hand dismissively. "That was merely one of Phantylia's energy constructs. The real Phantylia is still within the Ambrosial Arbor in the Scalegorge Waterscape."
"As some of you may not know, Phantylia's true form is a Heliobus, which lacks a physical body. If my guess is correct, she's currently using the Abundance's power to forge a physical form."
"And the reason she sent an energy clone here was to buy time."
At this, both the Trailblazer and Fu Xuan understood the general's intent. If Phantylia had sent a clone to delay them, it meant her physical form wasn't yet complete—now was the perfect time to strike.
Take advantage of her weakness and strike!
March 7th tightened her grip on her bow, Stelle pulled out her baseball bat, and Dan Heng channeled the Abyss Pearl. The Astral Express gang—no, the Astral Express Nameless squad—sprang into action!
— — — —
At the Vidyadhara's residence, in Bai Lu's chambers…
Yun Fan watched the Medicine Dragon Girl Bai Lu devour her meal with gusto, helplessly rubbing his forehead and letting out a sigh.
With Dan Heng temporarily gone, Bai Lu was left without a teacher. Yun Fan didn't trust the idle, freeloading elders of the Vidyadhara to teach her anything worthwhile, so he had no choice but to give her a two-day break.
During these two days, Bai Lu either wandered around or indulged in eating. Yun Fan couldn't help but worry that one day, this future Dragon Sovereign might end up like a young Ganyu, rolling around like a plump ball.
Yawn~
As Yun Fan yawned out of boredom, a sudden message entered his perception. Thoughtfully, the youth raised his head, looking toward the Scalegorge Waterscape.
"The seal I placed on the 'Bow of the Hunt' seems to be loosening…"