"Ambrosial Arbor! It's the Ambrosial Arbor's aura!"
"You've come to the Luofu again!"
"Hurry! Hurry! Hurry and let me out!"
Before the Jade Gate of the Xianzhou Luofu, Lumina stood quietly, cradling a little kitten in her arms as she awaited guidance.
The kitten in her arms suddenly bristled, its tail shooting straight up as it mewed incessantly.
"You're so noisy! Can't you be quiet for once?"
Lumina tapped the kitten on the head, annoyed by its incessant mewing.
"Put me down! Put me down!"
"Wretched woman! Let me go!"
Perhaps it was a stray; the kitten was clearly indignant at Lumina's treatment. Its already bristled fur seemed to stand even more erect, and it continued to mew and struggle relentlessly in her arms, desperate to escape the clutches of this cruel woman.
"If you keep squirming and mewing, I swear, the moment we enter the Luofu, I'll find some stray cat to play with you."
Growing impatient with the Little Kitten's fussing, Lumina issued a direct threat.
Perhaps sensing Lumina's irritation or fearing the prospect of being forced to play with a random stray she might pick up in the Luofu, the Little Kitten in her arms instantly became docile. It lay quietly in Lumina's embrace, awaiting her instructions.
"Now that's more like it. What took you so long?" Lumina nodded in satisfaction at the now-well-behaved Little Kitten and gently stroked its small head.
It was no secret that the Little Kitten nestled in Lumina's arms was none other than Phantylia—her captive... or rather, the one she was protecting. Phantylia was simply too pitiful for Lumina to bear, so she had imprisoned... protected her.
Now that they had returned to the Luofu, Lumina would use this time to make Phantylia experience some humiliation... no, to let Phantylia experience the artificial splendor of the Luofu, to bask in the invigorating atmosphere that permeated the Xianzhou Luofu.
Honored guests, welcome to the Xianzhou Luofu.
Please gather your belongings and enter the Xianzhou Luofu in an orderly manner.
Before long, a voice echoed in Lumina's ears.
Hearing this, Lumina stopped petting the Phantylia Kitten and flew into the Luofu.
In no time, Lumina arrived at the Central Starskiff Haven of the Luofu.
Following her usual practice, Lumina first suppressed her aura, then began looking around for any stray kittens.
!
Meow~ Meow~ Meow Meow Meow~
As if sensing Lumina's intentions, Phantylia's inner alarms blared. No longer lounging lazily with half-closed eyes in Lumina's arms, Phantylia began gently nuzzling against Lumina's body, behaving like an affectionate kitten who understood her owner's desires.
"Look how panicked you are! I'm searching for beautiful girls, not stray kittens," Lumina said, feigning helplessness once she had successfully intimidated Phantylia. She acted as if her previous actions had truly been about finding beautiful girls.
Hmm... alright, Lumina wasn't lying after all.
Lumina's real purpose was simply to scan the surroundings for any Xianzhou beautiful girls. Helping Phantylia find a little wildcat was just a convenient side benefit.
Of course, Lumina had no intention of actually getting Phantylia a wildcat to play with.
After all, she hadn't even played with one herself. Why should Phantylia, her "spoils of war," get to experience it first? (Scratch that!)
"Meow~ Meow~ Meow~" Phantylia clearly didn't believe Lumina's nonsense, snuggling closer into her arms, appearing so obedient and understanding.
That wretched woman, Lumina, what wouldn't she do?
Besides, this involved Phantylia herself. She wasn't about to gamble on it.
If Lumina actually found her a wildcat, her image as a Lord Ravager would be completely ruined.
Though it was already pretty much gone anyway...
"Let's go, let's go. If there's anything you want to eat, just tell me."
"I'm in a good mood today, so I'll buy you some."
Cradling the Phantylia Kitten in her arms, Lumina hummed magnanimously, signaling that the kitten could have anything she wanted from the food stalls along the way.
"Meow, meow, meow."
The Phantylia Kitten showed not the slightest interest in these so-called snacks. After a few meows, she curled up again in Lumina's arms.
Seeing this, Lumina didn't mind. She chuckled softly and continued walking through the Central Starskiff Haven.
Compared to her last visit, the Luofu hadn't changed much.
Aside from a slightly larger crowd and livelier atmosphere, nothing seemed particularly different.
But thinking about it, this made sense. Though she had traveled to the Space Station, Apricot Grove, and Penacony during her time away from the Luofu, her stays in each place had been brief—mere days at most.
Most of her time had been spent traveling.
Even the Astral Express, dedicated to the Trailblaze, likely spent more time in transit than actively pursuing their mission.
Without dwelling on it further, as if sensing something, Lumina's gaze drifted to the Berrypheasant Skewer stall nearby. Her beautiful eyes flickered with mischief as a wicked idea took root. Cradling the Phantylia Kitten in her arms, she strode directly toward the stall.
"Three Berrypheasant Skewers, please."
"Right away! Here are your three Berrypheasant Skewers!"
"Thank you."
After purchasing the skewers, Lumina cradled the Phantylia Kitten in one arm and carried the three skewers in the other as she strolled down the street.
"Here, Little Phantylia, a treat for you." She offered one of the skewers to the kitten nestled in her arms.
"Meow, meow, meow."
Perhaps due to the earlier incidents, even though Phantylia didn't want to eat, she still extended a paw to take the skewer and began nibbling on it.
The sight of a tiny kitten holding and nibbling on a Berrypheasant Skewer was undeniably comical.
"Wow! Even little kittens love Berrypheasant Skewers?"
Thanks to Lumina's deliberate efforts, she finally heard the voice she'd been waiting for—a voice that unmistakably belonged to a beautiful girl...