As Himeko and Mr. Yang looked like they still wanted to press for more details, Sylvia stepped in directly.
"I didn't have time to ask too thoroughly back then. Once we get to Penacony, I'll take you to meet the local representative. He's the one who knows the situation best."
"…That works too." Welt nodded.
Himeko, of course, had no objections. Since Sylvia had already done so much for them regarding Penacony, it was reasonable to assume she simply didn't have the spare time to dig into the planet's long, convoluted history.
"In that case, let's talk about the auction. You're more familiar with the Luofu and the IPC than we are, but as for Asta, leave the invitation to me."
Himeko readily accepted the task of inviting Asta. For a long time, the Astral Express had relied on Herta's commissions to keep things running smoothly.
Naturally, their relationship with Asta was far more intimate than Sylvia's.
As for the Luofu, Himeko knew their connections there didn't compare to Sylvia's. And regarding the IPC—well, during the recent incident on Jarilo-VI, Topaz had essentially done them a favor by giving them some leeway. It was safe to say the IPC wouldn't be of much help.
"Hmm, that would be a huge help, Himeko. You all should get some rest; I've already authorized your access."
Sylvia planned to take a trip to the Xianzhou Luofu over the next couple of days. It had been a while since she last visited, and she thought it would be a good opportunity to touch base and bring up this matter.
Though her ultimate goal was to pull a fast one on The Family, the mask was genuine.
If you put it on someone, they really could become an Emanator. It might be a tiny bit weaker than a "standard" Emanator, but the Path of Elation was truly formidable. And who knows? If Aha was in a good mood, they might just patch up the difference.
With that in mind, Sylvia left the spaceport and headed toward the surface of the planet.
As soon as she landed, she found that March 7th and Stelle had already vanished somewhere.
Dan Heng, on the other hand, seemed to have given up resisting; he was in his Imbibitor Lunae form, leaning against a rock by the side of the road.
"…What's this about?"
Sylvia descended beside him, looking down in curiosity, wondering what kind of trouble he'd gotten himself into.
"Don't bother looking. I dosed him with something. He'll be back to normal in half a system-hour once the medication metabolizes."
Ruan Mei was nearby, busy fiddling with her tablet. She didn't even look up as she spoke.
Sylvia chuckled at that. She leaned down toward Dan Heng, a wide grin on her face.
"Oh, Dan Heng. How did you let yourself get caught so easily? I even warned you, you know. Are you really that out of practice?"
"..."
Dan Heng opened his mouth, but not a single word came out. He had been careless, and he had underestimated Ruan Mei's methods.
He hadn't even realized when he'd been drugged; by the time he regained his senses, his draconic form had manifested, but he found himself sprawled on the ground, powerless.
Sylvia let him off the hook with a laugh and turned her attention to Ruan Mei.
"Is it working?"
"Just getting started, but it should be effective. Perfect timing—come with me, I'll be using you as the subject. The other artificial draconic progeny aren't as strong as you; they don't meet the standards for dragon-transmutation."
Ruan Mei gestured with her right hand, signaling Sylvia to follow. The smile that had been on Sylvia's face just a moment ago—when she was busy mocking Dan Heng—suddenly stiffened.
Well, it was her turn to be the guinea pig.
Nevertheless, Sylvia followed Ruan Mei into the lab. Dan Heng watched her silhouette recede, his expression complex, deep in thought.
Suddenly, a draconic creature that looked like a young Qilin, seemingly having caught the scent of the thick aura of Permanence radiating from Dan Heng, pounced on him with delight.
A moment later, all anyone could see of Dan Heng was a pile of fluff.
--+--
Twelve system-hours later.
Dan Heng, who had long since recovered, along with the rest of the Express crew and Mei, were having a picnic in the clearing.
Suddenly, a resonant dragon's roar exploded from the laboratory. The roar, filled with majesty and an inexplicable pressure, made all the nearby draconic progeny bristle.
It was the absolute authority of a superior. Dan Heng felt it most intensely.
As everyone looked toward the lab, the dome of the laboratory slid open. A pure white, slender, winged dragon, tens of meters long, soared out from the ceiling.
Its scales, as white as jade, reflected a breathtaking, ethereal brilliance.
It looked like a noble, immortal being, completely detached from the dust of the mortal world. The powerful aura it exuded only highlighted its nobility and grandeur.
Dan Heng's pupils contracted.
A High Elder...
He was certain that none of the other known High Elders could compare to the dragon before him.
"What, what is that?! What a beautiful dragon!!"
March 7th, ever the enthusiast, was the first to gasp in wonder. Among those present, only Mei recognized the dragon's true identity. She offered a soft smile, gazing up at the white silhouette in the sky.
"Mm, truly beautiful."
"Whoa—it's flying over here! Wait, wait, wait! Why is it crashing?!"
March 7th watched the white dragon beat its wings and descend toward the ground.
She excitedly raised her camera, but as she watched the massive beast grow larger and larger in her viewfinder, she realized the giant creature was heading straight for her!
Boom—
A gust of wind whipped past. Then, a soft white radiance bloomed.
The massive draconic body shifted and condensed into the form of a white-haired girl.
Sylvia stepped out from the light. If it weren't for the wings, tail, and dragon horns that she hadn't yet had time to retract, no one would have believed the dragon was her.
Dan Heng looked at Sylvia without a word, though he offered a rare, genuine smile.
Regardless of anything else, he was glad to see a companion's strength grow so significantly. The others chattered and gathered around, curious about what had transpired.
Meanwhile, back in the lab, Ruan Mei looked down at the test results and shook her head slightly.
"Experiment log, attempt 102. This experiment was only half successful... The subject successfully underwent dragon-transmutation after consuming the serum."
As far as the conclusion went, Sylvia had indeed succeeded. But unlike Dan Heng, for whom this was more like the liberation of innate power, Sylvia's form was a timed transformation.
It was as if her physical body still couldn't fully bear the weight of this power, forcing her to revert to her human form before she hit the point of physiological overload.
She hadn't tested the exact combat capability yet, so Ruan Mei wasn't certain, but it definitely wouldn't be weak.
"Strange. That Dan Heng fellow has a physical constitution that doesn't even match Sylvia's—who has endured so much torment—so why is the transmutation process so much more restrictive for her?"
Ruan Mei pondered. Surely the Path of Permanence didn't play favorites? Perhaps direct descendants grew and transformed more easily, while "transfer students" like Sylvia found it more difficult? Or was it the difference between innate and acquired traits?
"I wonder... what would be the result if I created a 'natural' draconic progeny? And if I were to manufacture a Vidyadhara directly, what then?"
Ruan Mei scribbled down her hypotheses while analyzing the sensor data. "But one thing is certain: the path I'm on is the right one."
Closing the ceiling hatch, Ruan Mei took a moment to breathe. She had gained a great deal of information from Dan Heng, this former High Elder.
Firstly, while it was commonly thought that the title of High Elder was passed down through generations, in reality, it was the same dragon inhabiting new identities through constant reincarnation.
This was a discovery she hadn't known before. It meant the power of the High Elder never truly left the individual.
The current High Elder of the Luofu was not the one before her, and she had heard the legacy of the High Elder had faced major issues.
This confirmed that the existence of a High Elder was truly unique within the Path of Permanence, and it was highly unlikely that an outsider could reach that level simply through "cultivation."
"Hmm... I'm actually quite curious to see that little High Elder in the rumors with my own eyes."
After seeing Dan Heng, Ruan Mei immediately wanted to observe Bailu.
Unfortunately, she only had a basic understanding of Dan Heng's situation, which explained why it had been easy to bring him here. Bailu, however, was a different story; she was essentially unreachable.
--+--
Outside the laboratory, as the dragon-transmutation ended, the power ebbed away like a receding tide.
Compared to the borrowed powers of Abundance or Destruction, the power of Permanence felt significantly more natural to her.
Even though her strength had spiked exponentially, there was no feeling of "friction." That was the benefit of being on one's native Path.
Sylvia joined the picnic, her mind occupied by thoughts of this new power.
She felt like she was becoming less and less human. But the Path of Permanence seemed to be like that anyway, so there wasn't much to say.
As long as she still looked like a person, it was fine. Fortunately, Ruan Mei had good aesthetic taste, otherwise, Sylvia definitely wouldn't have dared to drink her concoctions.
Based on the photos March 7th had taken, she looked stunning in her draconic form. Sylvia was eager to spar with Mei and see exactly how strong she was, but her body felt weary after the transformation.
Forcing such immense power into her system meant there was a "cooldown" period.
Using the power of the Ambrosial Arbor to heal her body was a viable option, and she was doing just that, though it would take about half a system-hour.
That wasn't much of a restriction, though—after all, how often do you run into enemies of that caliber in normal life? Her usual Herrscher form was already enough to handle most opponents.
After dinner, night fell. The rest of the crew went to rest, while Sylvia and Mei headed to the Xianzhou Luofu. They stayed at their usual accommodation. Mei looked at Sylvia with a smile, already knowing why she was here.
"Where do you plan to go first? The Seat of Divine Foresight or the Divination Commission?"
"The Divination Commission, I suppose. I haven't seen Fu Xuan in a long time; I should go say hello."
Sylvia decided to pay Fu Xuan a visit. The recent Ambrosial Arbor rebellion had kept the administrative branches of the Luofu incredibly busy.
Judging by the posts Qingque had been making on social media, it seemed like the "overtime hell" had finally ended just a few days ago.
"Do you want to come?" Sylvia invited Mei. Now that she thought about it, Mei hadn't really visited the Divination Commission yet. Or the Seat of Divine Foresight, for that matter. Back when Sylvia was running around busy with everything, Mei had mostly stayed out of it.
"No, that's alright. I'll go buy some of your favorite snacks instead." Since they were on the Luofu, Mei decided to satisfy Sylvia's appetite first.
"But I just finished eating!" Sylvia complained, though her mouth was already watering.
It had indeed been a while since she'd had local food. Penacony's cuisine was delicious, but it was ultimately localized and modified; in terms of pure flavor, it couldn't compete with authentic Xianzhou food. As for the food on Separius—well, let's not even go there.
At that thought, Sylvia clapped her hands.
"Ah... how about we ask Tingyun to build a 'Xianzhou Eco-Garden' on Separius?"
"?"
Mei gave her a look. Was it really worth spending that much money just for a snack? Didn't she have the ability to teleport...?
Though Mei desperately wanted to retort, she didn't oppose the idea. If Sylvia wanted it, they would build it! Separius was mostly barren anyway; it was better to put it to use.
"I'll ask Tingyun later and see if the Luofu has any business services for this kind of thing!"
Sylvia was clearly excited. Leaving that behind, she pushed the door open and headed out.
Although she could teleport, it was someone else's administrative territory, and without any urgent business, she decided to take a Starskiff.
--+--
When she arrived at the Divination Commission, Sylvia went through the back entrance and, surprisingly, didn't see Qingque. Assuming she was busy playing cards, she went straight to find Fu Xuan.
Before Sylvia could saunter into the Master Diviner's sanctum, however, Fu Xuan seemed to have anticipated her arrival. She blocked Sylvia's path at a nearby pavilion.
Fu Xuan stood with her arms crossed, head tilted back, glaring at Sylvia with distinct annoyance.
"I was wondering who the 'honored guest' mentioned in today's divination might be. And here it is—the elusive Sylvia, who only appears when she pleases."
"Uh..."
Sylvia, who had been about to wave a friendly greeting, was caught off guard by the sarcasm. Her hand hung in mid-air, unsure of what to do, so she just scratched her cheek.
"Lady Fu Xuan~ are you angry?"
"Hmph, what would I have to be angry about? It's just that you come to the Luofu time and time again without a word, and when you're free to play cards, you don't come to see me. You're like a ghost online, too."
Fu Xuan gave a heavy, displeased sniff. She looked like she was prepared to pull out her portable divination matrix and whack Sylvia over the head if she didn't provide a good explanation.
Sylvia immediately put on a sunny smile.
With a flick of her wrist, she produced a cup of extra-sweet "Immortal's Delight," then giggled and circled behind Fu Xuan, massaging her shoulders with her nimble hands.
"Uh, cough! You see, Qingque told me you were so busy you weren't even going home. I thought it best not to disturb you."
"Mm... ah..."
Fu Xuan's face turned slightly red. Sylvia's hands were as nimble and soft as ever. Determined not to let her guard down, Fu Xuan quickly broke free of Sylvia's grasp and sat down on a nearby chair.
Although she had mentally accepted the explanation and blamed Qingque for the misinformation, she still scoffed again for appearance's sake.
"Hmph."
Fu Xuan took a long, vigorous sip of the sugary tea. Her mood visibly improved.
"Speak. You coming to the Divination Commission in person—surely it's not just for idle chatter?"
Fu Xuan bit the straw and glanced at Sylvia, who was sitting next to her, her small feet swinging restlessly. According to the divination from a few days ago, Sylvia was supposed to bring something worth paying attention to.
Truth be told, if she hadn't foreseen this, she would have already boarded a Starskiff to another Xianzhou ship.
The matter regarding the Ambrosial Arbor had sparked a massive reaction within the Alliance. Jing Yuan couldn't leave easily, so it fell to Fu Xuan to represent them to the Alliance.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL