"What are we doing here?"
Shesha's puzzled voice slowly drifted out.
High above "Heng He Li," Lu Xing's body floated silently, the clouds beneath his feet churning and surging like ocean waves.
"Waiting."
The calm, unhurried voice made Shesha flick its tongue with some dissatisfaction.
"But all that Honkai energy..."
"Its purity is insufficient for you to return to the Judgement-class, Shesha. You must learn patience."
"Hiss!"
Its tongue, crackling with electricity, flicked in and out.
Shesha gave up trying to reason with Lu Xing; after all, whether verbally or physically, it was completely outmatched.
Since it had already chosen a side, there was no choice but to walk this dark path to the very end.
"..."
"What are you waiting for?"
The silence prompted the bored Shesha to ask again.
Currently powerless, and unable to solve everything with its fists, Shesha's mind was working much better than before... its personality also began to change, becoming more like that of a true snake.
Lu Xing did not answer Shesha.
It was only after a good while—after confirming that neither his nor Shesha's mental energy was "connected to the network"—that Lu Xing's voice finally came again:
"Waiting for a..."
"Chance for Lord Moyuli to return to the embrace of the Honkai."
More than ten days had passed since the birth of the Herrscher of Sentience.
After understanding what "The Flame-Chasers" were, the Herrscher of Sentience had made several significant moves:
First, she expanded two pre-existing Honkai energy rifts in the deep regions of the two great oceans.
The Herrscher of Sentience's authority was unrelated to space.
Although she lacked the ability to open new rifts, by using the channel connecting her to the Imaginary Space, maintaining two medium-sized rifts was still well within her capabilities.
This would occupy a certain amount of the Herrscher's "bandwidth," but in terms of tactical arrangement, such an approach was clearly very worthwhile.
The attention of humanity, especially The Flame-Chasers, was drawn to the legions emerging 엔 masse from the rifts, coupled with the wild Honkai Beasts already inhabiting those areas—among which were even two large, unidentified aquatic Emperor-class beasts. The Herrscher of Sentience's objective was achieved with ease.
After this.
The Herrscher of Sentience directly "datafied" her entire body and began comprehensive contact with The Flame-Chasers through human networks. Herrscher abilities change according to the level of civilizational development. This method of directly inserting her mental power and, on a physical level, her bodily essence into the electronic network, caused humanity, which had never encountered such tactics, to suffer immense losses.
To be precise, they were about to suffer immense losses. The Herrscher of Sentience had marked all personnel she judged to be related to The Flame-Chasers during the contact process.
These marks usually acted merely as "listening devices," but when the Herrscher of Sentience wished, she only needed to expend a small amount of Honkai energy to directly kill the marked humans at the mental level via brain death.
Judging solely by the results.
This wave of operations by the Herrscher of Sentience caused destruction to human society that was in no way inferior to that of the Herrscher of Flame.
Lu Xing had not left "Heng He Li."
As the birthplace of the Herrscher of Sentience, a Honkai energy rift had also appeared here due to the instantaneous burst of a massive amount of Honkai energy. The underwater rift was still only a prototype, but judging from its initial scale, it was at least comparable to the rifts in the two oceans that the Herrscher of Sentience had forcibly expanded.
Lu Xing was very interested in this.
The two rifts expanded by the Herrscher of Sentience were already being monitored by humans. If their "source"—the Herrscher herself—was discovered, they could potentially be wiped out in one fell swoop.
Conversely, this nascent rift.
Once it fully formed, if controlled properly, it could very likely become an important source of Honkai energy for the legion.
However...
Lu Xing was clearly not the only one eyeing the rift.
Moyuli, as the Herrscher's companion beast, had very "naturally" claimed this prototype rift as its own, guarding it almost day and night for the past ten-odd days—much like a bird incubating eggs.
After all, for Moyuli, this was the best way to acquire a legion.
For high-ranking Honkai Beasts, the existence of a legion was essential. They were extensions of their will, their best eyes, ears, and shields, and could even be used as rations if necessary.
To create a legion from scratch, wild Honkai Beasts could only rely on fate. Apart from "inheritors" like Lu Xing, Herrscher companion beasts mostly relied on the rifts created by the mutations triggered at their master's birth.
It was perfectly natural and justified for Moyuli to consider the prototype rift its own.
Of course, the law of the jungle... that too was an unalterable principle.
Lu Xing had not made a move so far, mainly out of consideration for the Herrscher of Sentience. Although her main body was not on the physical plane, her surveillance of the real world had definitely not slackened.
To make a move against Moyuli...
Setting aside the issues of victory, defeat, and cost, it would be very difficult to "explain" to the Herrscher of Sentience.
Therefore, Lu Xing needed a suitable opportunity.
"Return?"
"You don't mean..."
It took Shesha a moment to react before it understood what Lu Xing meant by "return."
"Correct."
"Lord Moyuli is about to return to the embrace of the Honkai. However, this process has little to do with us... No, this is my failing."
"After all."
"A mere Temple-class like myself failed to protect the Emperor-class Lord Moyuli, did I not?"
Lu Xing's method was simple.
Although the Herrscher of Sentience had sealed off all intelligence from "Heng He Li" and, relying on her own abilities, had released a large amount of false information to the outside world.
But humans were a very suspicious species. Lu Xing only needed to add some less-than-certain news into the mix, and fish would immediately take the bait.
According to humanity's initial classification of Honkai Beast strength.
Emperor-class = threat to the safety of an entire city. Judgement-class = concern for the safety of an entire country.
A problem in a major city with a population in the tens of millions likely involved an Emperor-class, or even stronger, Honkai Beast.
In other words.
"The ones coming will be Fusion Soldiers."
The whereabouts of several of The Flame-Chasers' strongest individuals had already been discovered. This meant that the Fusion Soldiers coming to "Heng He Li" belonged to the second tier—capable of threatening Lu Xing's safety, but definitely not capable of instantly killing him.
Such Fusion Soldiers, or a team of Fusion Soldiers, for Moyuli... was simply perfect.
"They're here."
Lu Xing's [Super Perception] had become increasingly proficient.
He could even spread the tendrils of his [Super Perception] to every corner of the city without leaking any Honkai aura. This ability astounded even Shesha, the original owner of [Super Perception], who was utterly incapable of such a feat.
Just moments ago.
Lu Xing had sensed two vast and hidden auras—parts belonging to human and Honkai, connected in some special way.
"Two Fusion Soldiers."
Lu Xing's gaze, as if unintentionally, swept over the churning river water.
"Let us see..."
"What kind of excellent show Lord Moyuli can put on."