After Lord Ravager Celenova developed the intention to recruit Herta a second time, the halo above her head immediately began to flicker with harmonic radiance. At the same time, the Doomsday Beast within the world of the Yongmei Star System opened its enormous mouth.
But this time, what emerged from the Doomsday Beast's maw was not a Star-Crushing projectile... but words inviting Herta to join them:
"Herta, I can see it now. The Honkai Beasts you cultivated were filled with violence from the very beginning. They are born bad seeds... And I have taken a look—Honkai Beasts are selling extremely well across the cosmos, yet the Interastral Peace Corporation is always able to supply them."
"All of this proves one thing—the production rate of Honkai Beasts is astonishingly high."
"High yield plus innate destructive instinct. Such Honkai Beasts are perfectly suited to become subordinates of my Destruction faction. Miss Herta, why not reconsider joining the Destruction faction?"
As the Doomsday Beast embodying Celenova's will spoke, its expression grew exceedingly solemn. "As long as you agree to join, I will spare no effort to persuade the Supreme Leader to grant you the position of Lord Ravager."
Herta, who was commanding countless Honkai Beasts in battle against the Antimatter Legion, curled her lips into a cold smile when she heard Celenova's words.
"Celenova, you truly think highly of me, Lord Ravager. But my answer remains the same as always—refusal."
"That is truly regrettable." The Doomsday Beast representing Celenova let out a sigh.
With that sigh, even more Antimatter Legion forces descended. The battle situation in the Yongmei Star System grew even more intense.
At the same time, far away in the distance, Celenova's true body also let out a quiet sigh. A faint trace of regret appeared upon that breathtakingly beautiful face.
"What happened?"
Not far away, Lord Ravager Phantylia noticed Celenova's abnormality and asked.
Celenova had no intention of concealing anything from Phantylia. She parted her lips slightly and described what had just occurred.
After listening, Phantylia finally understood why Celenova had sighed.
Representing the Destruction faction, she had attempted to recruit Herta twice—yet failed both times. Anyone would feel the sting of that.
After pondering for a moment, Phantylia suddenly caught a key detail in Celenova's earlier words.
"Wait... Celenova, are you saying that within the Yongmei Star System, Herta somehow obtained a miracle seed of Abundance and successfully cultivated it—forming something similar to the Xianzhou's Ambrosial Arbor?"
"Yes. Why?"
Celenova lifted her head, confusion flashing in her eyes. Then she saw Phantylia's face light up with ecstatic joy, the heliobus flames of her true body surging ever higher.
In the next instant, Phantylia burst into laughter. "Hahaha... This is truly wonderful. Though Herta's body does not belong to the Destruction faction, she has helped me, a Lord Ravager, time and again."
Hearing this, Celenova realized Phantylia was referring to the Soul Gems Herta had developed—artifacts that contained the souls of destroyed beings and continuously allowed Phantylia to draw negative emotions from them.
But that was the only unintentional help Herta had given her... what else could she mean?
Wait—the miracle of Abundance.
The Ambrosial Arbor!
When the thought struck her, Celenova looked at Phantylia with sudden seriousness. "You intend to seize that miraculous tree of Abundance and possess it."
"Correct. I long for a powerful body. And a body of Abundance is undoubtedly powerful—supreme immortality, combined with my strength as a Lord Ravager. My power would rise to an entirely new level."
After saying this, Phantylia glanced at the halo above Celenova's head, which continued to flicker. "You're still mobilizing Antimatter Legion troops from across the cosmos to the battlefield to encircle that genius, aren't you?"
"You needn't continue. I will join the war myself, seize the Ambrosial Arbor, and then properly thank that 83rd Seat of the Genius Society—Miss Herta."
Hearing this, Celenova raised her hand and drew out a set of cosmic coordinates—the data of the Yongmei Star System—from her halo and handed it to Phantylia.
"To ensure victory, I will continue dispatching more troops to the Yongmei Star System. But I have given you the coordinates. You may depart now."
"Good, good, good."
Phantylia agreed at once.
In the next moment, her heliobus body rapidly dissipated into a wisp of smoke and vanished. Celenova immediately understood—Phantylia's true body had already set out. What remained here had merely been a projection of heliobus flame.
...
Through the spatial leap of a Lord Ravager of Destruction, Phantylia arrived within the already shattered Yongmei Star System in a very short time.
She opened her eyes, a faint smile curling at her lips.
The demonic stars of Abundance, the army of Destruction, an Emanator of Erudition, swarms of Propagation... Within this star system, so many factions have gathered.
But this is good... The more chaotic the situation, the greater my chance to snatch the Ambrosial Arbor from the flames.
With that thought, Phantylia locked her gaze firmly upon the colossal tree on the True Chrysalis Swarm Planet not far away. Her eyes brimmed with greed and desire.
At last, she quietly transformed into a Honkai Beast and slipped into the Honkai Beast ranks that were battling the Antimatter Legion. Bit by bit, she approached Herta. Bit by bit, she drew closer to the True Chrysalis Swarm Planet—closer to the God Tree.
Whale.
Phantylia's disguise was flawless. Whether it was her aura or her innate killing instinct, everything was indistinguishable from the genuine article.
But who was Herta? A genius whose research stats were maxed out.
Through the Will of Honkai runes and her authority over the Honkai Beasts, she swiftly detected the faint irregularity within the swarm.
Without hesitation, she activated the Research System's appraisal function. In an instant, she identified the enormous "big fish" lurking within the Honkai ranks—
More precisely, a colossal one.
Lord Ravager Phantylia!
A second Lord Ravager had entered the war.
Herta's heart sank. Immediately, she opened the space of her Stigmata and resonated it with Ruan Mei's Stigmata Space, instructing Herman to act at once—inform Ruan Mei that another Lord Ravager had joined the battlefield, and tell her that if they could just hold on a little longer, a turning point would arrive.
"Lord Ravager Phantylia—the powerhouse of the heliobus race." Ruan Mei's brows knit slightly as she spoke to Herman.
"Second Miss Herta, the situation has grown even more troublesome. However, you may tell Herta that with the assistance of the Super Herta Astral Computer and the Solar Radiance Gene, I have already suppressed the influence of the Lygus Irontomb virus upon the biological sun-computer."
"My trump card can be further unleashed—but it can only last fifty-six seconds. If no turning point appears after fifty-six seconds, we must consider boarding Ruanruan and retreating along the star rail."
Herman's heart stirred upon hearing this.
Fifty-six seconds.
Could it be that the present Ruan Mei had already mastered the method to create the Propagation Emanator—the Starcrusher Swarm King?!
"Very well. I will inform Herta. Fifty-six seconds is enough. Within fifty-six seconds, a turning point will certainly arrive."
"Mm."
Within Ruan Mei's Stigmata Space, her consciousness gave a slight nod. In the next instant, boundless energy of the Path of Erudition erupted. The sun also extracted biological computational power and handed it over to Ruan Mei.
Ruan Mei began synthesizing a dangerous piece of biotechnology on the battlefield itself:
Starcrusher Swarm King · Skaracabaz!
Upon the True Chrysalis Swarm Planet—most of which had already been devoured by the God Tree—countless insect corpses drained of vitality rose into the air under Ruan Mei's divine power. In an instant, they underwent genetic recombination and achieved genetic ascension.
Endless insect genes intertwined. At last, a colossal insect the size of a star manifested. Its body was black and deep blue, emanating terror and strangeness. Its mouthparts were grotesque beyond measure, ringed with layers of sharp fangs.
The moment it appeared, it released an earth-rending screech.
Proclaiming the return of the Propagation Emanator!
"???"
Phantylia, who had transformed into an insect and was on the verge of infiltrating the True Chrysalis Swarm Planet to complete her possession of the God Tree, widened her eyes at the sight.
"What is that thing?"
"Isn't that the Starcrusher Swarm King? Didn't it perish in the ancient Propagation War? How has it been reborn?"
In truth, Phantylia was far from the only one stunned. Celenova—and even the will of Shuhu, Emanator of Abundance—were equally shocked.
Especially Shuhu. After snapping out of his bewilderment, a thought surfaced in his mind.
In this Yongmei incident, it isn't just me attempting resurrection. Even the Propagation Emanator—the Starcrusher Swarm King—seeks revival?
Excellent!
The more chaotic the scene, the greater my chances of breaking free and reviving successfully!
"Herta, Ruan Mei—you are finished. Now it isn't only we of the Abundance faction and the Antimatter Legion of Destruction. Even the Starcrusher Swarm King has emerged to oppose you!"
Ruan Mei merely cast a calm glance at Shuhu's will. Then she raised her palm and uttered a single word.
"Go."
"Raaaah!"
The Starcrusher Swarm King immediately shrieked and charged toward Lord Ravager Phantylia, who was disguised as an insect.
Something is wrong. How could the Starcrusher Swarm King detect me? My disguise is flawless—even my aura is that of an insect.
Phantylia was filled with confusion. But she knew she could no longer maintain her disguise. Otherwise, she would be torn apart by the Swarm King's King Cannon—its disintegration ray.
Thus, Phantylia reverted to her true form and clashed with the Starcrusher Swarm King. The surrounding space of the True Chrysalis Swarm Planet collapsed under their battle.
"Another Lord Ravager?!"
Shuhu's eyes widened. Then he sensed something amiss.
Wait... why was the insect attacking a Lord Ravager? And just now, the genius named Ruan Mei had said "Go"—only then did the Swarm King launch its attack upon Lord Ravager Phantylia.
That meant the Swarm King's resurrection was closely connected to Ruan Mei. Perhaps its revival itself was Ruan Mei's creation.
If that speculation were true...
A chill ran down Shuhu's spine.
The wisdom of a genius had reached such a degree? She could even manufacture an Emanator of Propagation?!
If this strand of Shuhu's Blood of Abundance were truly sent into a laboratory by Herta or Ruan Mei, then with their abilities... could they artificially create an Emanator of Abundance?
At that thought, Shuhu felt a wave of cold dread.
At the same time, Phantylia—locked in combat with the Starcrusher Swarm King—also sensed something amiss.
The Propagation Emanator before her was far too weak. It was nowhere near the might it had displayed during the ancient Propagation War. Its strength was not even one percent of its former self—perhaps even inferior to the Ten Stonehearts of the Interastral Peace Corporation.
An opponent at this level could not stop her.
Phantylia grew fiercer as the battle progressed. She unleashed a sky-obscuring heliobus palm and smashed the Starcrusher Swarm King flat.
Then she prepared to press forward and seize the miracle of Abundance in one decisive push.
But at that very moment, the flattened flesh and blood of the Swarm King began to divide.
In the next instant, two Starcrusher Swarm Kings appeared, launching a simultaneous assault upon Phantylia.
"Damn it... Even at one percent strength, the survival capability of Propagation remains this terrifying?"
Helpless, Phantylia could only halt her advance and continue battling the Swarm King.
Each clash ended with Phantylia gaining the upper hand. She could even smash Skaracabaz flat. Yet every time she did, it would split again—endless division without end.
Under such circumstances, Phantylia grew increasingly weary. She had even begun considering a temporary retreat.
Time passed second by second.
Soon, fifty-six seconds elapsed.
The hundreds of divided Starcrusher Swarm Kings suddenly turned to ash and vanished.
Phantylia was overjoyed. "All dead? Was the Swarm King's revival only temporary? Wait... Ruan Mei's aura is weakening. That means the Swarm King's resurrection was indeed her method. And now she has exhausted her strength!"
"In that case, this moment is the perfect opportunity for me to seize the miracle of Abundance."
Without hesitation, Phantylia charged toward the True Chrysalis Swarm Planet—the God Tree—with astonishing speed.
At that very instant, lightning flashed, and a voice rang out.
"Phantylia. Halt."
?!
Phantylia looked up to see, within the shattered starry sky of the Yongmei Star System, a massive Xianzhou vessel had appeared. Moreover, one of its generals had already used spatial leap to arrive at a point closer to the God Tree than she.
"General Jing Yuan of the Xianzhou Luofu."
Phantylia's eyelids twitched as she gazed at the figure before her—long-bladed weapon in hand, a golden divine spirit standing behind him.
"You have come to join this war as well?"
"The Xianzhou will not stand by and watch the Emanator of Abundance who has brought countless calamities upon the Xianzhou Alliance revive. Furthermore, Miss Herta maintains excellent relations with our Xianzhou. So—halt."
"Heh. You have arrived at just the right time. But still too late."
The moment her words fell, Phantylia's body twisted and dissipated into a wisp of green smoke.
It was merely her projection.
Her true body had, at some unknown moment, already approached the God Tree. Her hand caressed its immense trunk, greed filling her eyes.
"The blessing of Abundance... now belongs to me!"
The instant those words fell, Phantylia's consciousness merged into the God Tree.
In that moment, the tree transformed—taking the form of an incomparably gigantic woman.
That woman was Phantylia.
"The situation has worsened. A Lord Ravager walking the Path of Destruction has fused with the miracle of Abundance. At the instant their Paths intertwine, her strength will inevitably rise by an entire tier."
Jing Yuan's brows furrowed deeply.
"No..."
Herta, who had been commanding the Honkai Beasts in battle, diverted a thread of attention toward Jing Yuan.
"What Phantylia fused with is not the true divine tree of Abundance, but merely the one I created. And the most important thing about the God Tree I created... is not the tree itself—but its fruit."
The moment Herta finished speaking, space around her opened, and a fruit emerged.
It was the fruit of the God Tree—formed by absorbing the life force of nearly the entire True Chrysalis Swarm Planet and all the insects of Propagation.
The fruit emitted a strange fragrance.
More importantly, Herta was certain that ever since her journey to Punklorde, her strength had already reached the highest level beneath that of an Emanator—only a hair's breadth away.
Now, she had synthesized the God Tree, planted it, nurtured it to maturity, and allowed it to bloom and bear fruit. The accumulation was sufficient.
All that remained was to consume the fruit in a single bite, absorb its energy, and seize the opportunity for self-coronation.
Without hesitation, Herta bit into the fruit.
Boom!
The chakra energy within the fruit erupted inside her body, coursing through her meridians and blood vessels, remodeling her cells. The number of her cells multiplied severalfold.
This meant she had become far harder to kill. At the same time, her lifespan expanded enormously.
More crucially, upon the Path of Erudition, she finally crossed that decisive step and completed her self-coronation.
Boom!
The gates of the Path of Erudition flung open.
This time, it was not Herta using Herta's Key or the Herta Magic Wand to pry open the Path's gate. Rather, the Path of Erudition opened of its own accord, pouring radiant Erudition energy into Herta—washing over her body and completing her self-coronation.
Upon the tip of Herta's pointed hat, a crown manifested.
It was the crown of Erudition. The crown of knowledge. Proof that she had transcended the boundary and achieved the rank of Emanator.
Herta could clearly feel that after completing her coronation, she no longer needed her wand. She herself could open the Path of Erudition and channel its energy. Moreover, the conduit she formed was far broader than the energy channel constructed by her wand.
She closed her eyes, adapting to her continuously strengthening self.
Her aura rose without cease—climbing higher and higher.
Until, at last, it reached an ultimate peak.
More importantly, the commotion of Herta's ascension to Emanator—her self-coronation—was immense even amid the increasingly chaotic Yongmei Star System.
All factions sensed it immediately.
They were stunned.
Ruan Mei herself had not expected Herta to become an Emanator so quickly.
How long had it been since she became a genius?
About a month?
To reach Emanator in such a short span was utterly monstrous.
More importantly, Herta had not ascended through the blessing of Nous—but entirely through her own power.
That was even more monstrous. Terrifying. Almost horrifying.