"Uh, we do know a bit, but they're quite different from the ones here."
"No problem! Just tell me what they do back where you're from!"
Bailu waved her little hand, full of confidence.
---------------------------------------
Just finished reviewing the work reports submitted by her subordinates, she lazily stretched, her graceful waist exuding a seductive aura.
She tapped on her phone screen, and Jade smiled:
"Let me see how little Yelena is progressing with her work on Jarilo... eh?"
Blinking her eyes, Jade tilted her head slightly, gazing blankly at the message Topaz had sent in the group chat~.
[Luofu Xianzhou's First Stop: The Diligent Gardener]
Attached was a photo, Topaz's one hand was not visible, likely holding the phone, while the other held a carrot-like plant next to her face, fingers forming a V-sign.
The whole image looked relaxed and pleasant, as if the person in the photo really was a hardworking little gardener...
"Didn't Topaz go to Jarilo?"
Blinking again, Jade stared at the picture in a daze.
...
At the same time.
Mok Tok was engaged in a meticulous and rigorous plan to rescue Hoolay.
It wasn't without reason that he chose to act at this moment, first there was the Phantylia's Turmoil, then the assault from the Antimatter Legion and another Emanator.
Even with the help of that giant beast, there were still some losses. Losses nonetheless.
That meant the defenses of the Xianzhou were not as tight as before.
In addition, the conflict between the Yuedun Xianyuan and Luofu's internal factions was weighing heavily on his mind.
Yaoqing was, after all, one of those detestable Xianzhou Ships; there was deep animosity between the Borisins and the foxians. There was no guarantee they wouldn't make Hoolay the center of some new scheme.
Whether he was transferred or somehow truly executed, either outcome would be bad for them.
And to rescue their Warlord, they had sacrificed too much over the past 700 years. They had thoroughly learned the structure of Luofu. If Hoolay were transferred to Yaoqing or executed, all their efforts would have been for nothing!
Moreover, the Xianzhou had recently announced its intention to hold a martial arts ceremony soon.
As time passed, their breathing room would disappear, and defenses would become airtight.
In other words, this was their best chance to act!
"Huff." Taking a deep breath, Mok Tok's eyes sharpened again. He asked Nuyi:
"How are those things working?"
Hearing Mok Tok's question, the Borisin replied: "Most of the brothers who drank it showed varying degrees of enhancement, and their recovery abilities greatly improved. Even ordinary attacks could be quickly healed. But a portion of those who drank it died, with their bodies becoming distorted, looking like insects."
"Not bad. With these, our plan to rescue the Brood Lord is solid."
There was no time to dwell on the sacrificed Borisins. As long as the majority didn't die and it didn't impact the rescue plan, their sacrifices were necessary. Every one of those who volunteered for the experiment understood the risks.
Dead is dead.
Mok Tok knew this was the cost Lanner had mentioned, but those hypocritical humans could never understand the glory of the Borisins. As long as they could rescue the Brood Lord, this price was nothing. The Borisin could pay more!
"Hmph, despicable scum. Did he really think I wouldn't notice his little schemes?"
Mok Tok snorted coldly, showing disdain for Lanner's manipulations.
Clearly, the other party intended to use them to further his own experiments. But he had no idea just how powerful the reborn Borisin under the Hive-Father would become!
When the time came, they would reclaim every ounce of what was taken, tenfold!
...
The chaos of the outside world had nothing to do with Godzilla.
No matter the conspiracy, one breath from him made all life equal.
As he quietly enjoyed the peace of time, Godzilla slowly opened his eyes.
His gaze lowered, landing on the petite figure below, Master Diviner Fu Xuan.
She looked up and met his gaze. Fu Xuan cleared her throat lightly: "It's been a while. I heard you were back and thought I'd stop by to say hello."
The small-statured Master Diviner spoke with a hint of awkwardness.
'Indeed, this is the most comfortable place.'
As the pain on her forehead once again disappeared, Fu Xuan sighed in relief.
As the Master Diviner, her duties were heavy, guiding the future course of the Xianzhou. She couldn't afford to slack.
But the pain in her forehead had plagued her for centuries. Rare were the moments she could truly relax. Now, she was slightly addicted.
After finishing paperwork, she would often come here. You could say this had become her most relaxing place.
Godzilla blinked, and his tail slowly stretched toward Fu Xuan.
He poked the Third Eye on her forehead.
Pure curiosity.
But that thing was of no use to him. After gently nudging Fu Xuan toward him with his tail, he slowly closed his eyes again.
No enemies. No urgent matters. The life of an ageless being was just this slow-paced.
Worried? Just take a nap.
Feeling the cold texture of Godzilla's skin, Fu Xuan carefully tucked in her legs and leaned closer to
Godzilla as he gently slept.
...
"First!"
"Second!"
"Show down!"
If anyone was happiest that the Master Diviner wasn't in the office, it had to be Qingque, head of the Carefree Sect under the Divination Commission.
She had finished her daily work early. The moment the Master Diviner left, Qingque nonchalantly slipped out a side door.
She arrived at the battlefield of the Mahjong Arena, ready for war.
"Qingque, you're slacking off again!"
"Eh eh! I'm not! It wasn't me!" That familiar voice rang from behind, and Qingque jolted. The tiles in her hand nearly flew out and smacked her opponent in the face.
Wait!
According to her calculations, the Master Diviner would need at least two hours at the Scalegorge Waterscape. Where did that voice come from?!
She turned her head, only to see Bailu cheerfully holding a plant freshly plucked from Scalegorge Waterscape, smiling at her.
There were two unfamiliar people standing nearby.
"Phew, you scared me to death. I thought Lady Diviner was back. Honestly, don't you know scaring people can be deadly?"
With a displeased glare at Bailu, Qingque crossed her arms and motioned to the two behind her.
"This is Miss Topaz from the Interastral Peace Corporation, and this is Sister Serval from Jarilo, yeah, the big one from that planet."
"From the Godzilla planet."
Qingque seemed thoughtful as she looked up at the much taller Serval.
...
Why are all these people so tall?
"A rare guest indeed. This is the first time I've met someone from Jarilo. How about I show you around? I'm not bragging, but when it comes to knowing every corner of the Luofu, I'm your gal."
Finding good spots to slack off without being caught by Lady Diviner is serious business.
"Then I'll be counting on you. I was hoping to look around. All this magical tech of the Xianzhou fascinates me," Serval said with a smile at Qingque's offer.
"Then Qingque, you take Sister Serval and Miss Topaz around first. I've got something to do at the Alchemy Commission, I'll catch up later."
"No problem!"
Qingque flashed a V sign with her fingers.
Oh yeah! Another great excuse to slack off!
Waving goodbye to Serval and Topaz, Bailu ran toward the Alchemy Commission with a basket in her arms, dashing off in a flash with her short legs.
"So, you two, where would you like to go first?"
Serval paused for a moment and asked, "Where can I learn about mechanical creations in Luofu? Is there anywhere open to outsiders?"
"Eh?"
Qingque's beaming smile froze instantly, she didn't know how to answer.
...
Alchemy Commission.
Running all the way, Bailu jumped into the Alchemy Commission with her basket.
"Big Sis Lingsha, I brought the stuff you wanted!"
With a thud, she set the basket down and looked at Lingsha curiously.
"Big Sis Lingsha, what do you want this stuff for?"
She recognized the plants, they started growing in Scalegorge Waterscape after Godzilla arrived. It's said that giant beast was somehow related to these plants. Was the Commission trying to suppress something?
"Of course they're useful. Everything in this world exists for a reason."
Bailu touched her chin and thought for a while.
"What about mosquitoes?"
"...Mosquitoes provide food for many small animals."
Lingsha laughed and patted Bailu's head, then knelt down and carefully examined the plants in the basket.
They were all species never seen before, completely new. But from their appearance, she could recognize hints of other plants. Still, appearance alone wasn't enough to understand them.
"You still haven't told me what you need them for," Bailu pouted, her tail swaying as she asked again.
This time, Lingsha didn't keep it a secret. She picked through the plants carefully and replied,
"The Ten-Lords Commission is planning to replicate what Ms. Ruan Mei once did, to create a natural barrier that can restrain and deter prisoners."
"Eh! Isn't that really dangerous? That thing before was huge!"
Bailu gestured with her hands to show just how big.
Seeing her reaction, Lingsha chuckled, "We're well aware of the risks. The prison doesn't need anything so terrifying. Just something to slow down prisoners trying to escape. Besides..."
Lingsha looked helpless. "We're not capable of creating anything like what Ms. Ruan Mei made."
In the field of life sciences, Ruan Mei was undoubtedly a top expert.
While the Alchemy Commission was skilled in many arts, they couldn't match the sheer technical brilliance of geniuses like her.
Besides, if something like that were really created, the Ten-Lords Commission would never allow it to be placed in the prison.
Hearing this, Bailu finally relaxed, patting her chest and letting out a sigh of relief.
"You scared me. I thought you were going to follow the old path too."
"Listen to yourself," Lingsha said with a helpless smile, lost in thought as she looked at one of the plants in her hand.
...
The next day.
"Big Sis Lingsha, you called us over in such a rush, do you need help with something?"
Yunli stepped inside, barefoot with her heavy sword on her back and her toenails painted bright red, curiosity clear in her voice.
But her attention was quickly drawn to Yanqing on the other side.
"Hmph!"
Upon seeing Yanqing, Yunli gave a cold snort and deliberately brushed past him.
Young people often believe they're invincible, or at least unbeatable among their peers.
Naturally, she didn't look kindly on another young genius like Yanqing, especially since he caught her sword the first time they met, making her appear weaker.
Though, to be fair, that didn't really matter, if he hadn't caught it, the abomination would have escaped. As a Cloud Knight, Yunli understood that.
What she absolutely couldn't forgive, however, was her grandfather praising him!
In front of others was one thing, she understood etiquette and social norms well enough.
But her grandfather had praised him even when they were alone!
Said things like "If only you were as obedient as him."
It was outrageous... She just couldn't let that go!
"Hmph, wait until the martial tournament, I'll wipe the floor with you," she muttered under her breath before turning to Lingsha, who was smiling sweetly at her, and asked again.
"Of course I called you two here for something fun. Follow me to the back and we'll talk more in detail."
The two had no suspicions and followed Lingsha.
After turning a corner, they were startled to find Lingsha already a hundred meters ahead, but that wasn't even what caught their attention the most.
In front of Lingsha, the ground was filled with unfamiliar plants: slowly moving vines, flowers with sharp teeth, and species whose stamens were on fire.
Isn't it dangerous to have such a huge flame on your head!?
"This is the surprise I prepared for you two." Lingsha covered her mouth and giggled.
"These were actually new defensive installations the Ten-Lords Commission asked me to research. Since you two talented swordsmen are in Luofu, I thought, why not take this chance to match the strength of top-quality martial artists with these botanical test subjects?"
"So, I'm counting on you. Help me test the weight of these toys. Oh, and there's a reward for whoever passes first."
The two, who had long figured they were brought here to help, looked at the bizarrely shaped plants in front of them, their mouths twitching slightly.
No wonder the Alchemy Division has declined, makes perfect sense!
Still…
"Hmph, let's treat this as a warm-up before the martial ceremony." Yunli cracked her knuckles and readied her stance.
"Luofu swordsmanship values agility in footwork, Miss Yunli. I'd say this contest favors me," Yanqing said with a slight smile, head held high.
...
In the end, neither of them passed.
Seeing one bound tightly by vines and the other trapped in a flower's mouth, Lingsha approached with a smile to release them.
"It's all your fault! I was almost across!"
"You're the one who started it! You even swung your sword at me!"
"You were blocking my way!"
"It was a test to see who passed first, what's wrong with being in front?"
"Lingsha sis! / Director Lingsha!"
Seeing them turning their anger toward her, Lingsha quickly said,
"You both could've passed. It's just that the space was too small and limited your performance. That's my fault, I should've let you go separately."
Upon hearing this, the two glanced at each other and turned away with a huff.
Lingsha shook her head slightly.
These two really can't see eye to eye anywhere, huh. Is it always like this when talented people are brought together?
"But since these things can stall even you two for a moment, with some minor adjustments, they'll be ready for use in The Shackling Prison. I think the Ten-Lords Commission will be satisfied."
She glanced back at the lazy, idle plants now that there were no enemies. Lingsha seemed thoughtful.
Yanqing and Yunli might not have used their full strength and were interfering with each other, but the fact that these plants could hold them back at all proved their value.
"Lingsha sis, where did you get all these creepy plants from?"
Yunli curiously touched a vine she had sliced off, it was still moving.
"If I'm not mistaken, these are from the Scalegorge Waterscape, right?"
Although Yanqing hadn't visited the Scalegorge Waterscape much lately due to other matters, he still recognized these plants. After all, back on Jarilo-VI, he and Gepard had witnessed many Rift creatures being devoured by similar vegetation.
It had left quite an impression.
He had seen many attacking plants, but ones that could directly eliminate Rift creatures? Even he, with his experience, rarely encountered them.
"Yanqing is right. I asked Bailu to bring these back from the Scalegorge Waterscape."
"I heard Godzilla is in the Scalegorge Waterscape. Can I go there?"
Upon hearing that, Yunli's interest was instantly piqued.
She'd only seen Godzilla's world-destroying might in videos, never in person.
'Please, just let me go already.'
She couldn't just run wild around Luofu on her own either. With how strict the guards were now, if the Cloud Knights spotted her, it could turn into another big hassle.
"I'm afraid I can't decide that."
Hearing Yunli's request, Lingsha shook her head slightly.
She herself hadn't even gone to the Scalegorge Waterscape. These plants had been acquired by Bailu.
Not because she was scared, but those giant divine beasts, who could say they didn't have strange requirements? If you entered recklessly and somehow offended one, that'd be real trouble.
"If Director Lingsha wants to go, I can guide you. Don't worry, Godzilla is very friendly."
Just... his punches hurt a bit.
Yanqing did know quite a bit about Godzilla. At the very least, he knew that as long as your intentions weren't malicious, Godzilla didn't mind being visited.
Of course, don't disturb his sleep.
Didn't even Madam Herta, who tried to draw his blood on their first meeting, get ignored by him?
But that was purely for research. If someone tried to use Godzilla's blood for something evil…
"Then I'll gladly accept your offer. Oh, right, I don't even know what gift to prepare."
"A gift… let's just go. Whatever Godzilla wants, I doubt we could afford it anyway."
Yanqing shook his head and advised.
He still remembered the general's 'thank-you gift', emptying out the entire warehouse of the Artisanship Commission.