Xianzhou Luofu, Central Starskiff Haven, Palace of Astrum.
As the host, Jing Yuan had undoubtedly arranged for full-service hospitality.
So when Lumina arrived at the Palace of Astrum, despite still wearing her disguise, the Cloud Knights guarding the entrance immediately let her pass.
Stepping inside the vast hall, she saw only three figures standing in the center: a woman, a man, and an elderly man. There were no other staff members present.
Jing Yuan must have requisitioned the entire Palace of Astrum for this.
Ignoring this, Lumina strode forward.
The trio's appearances came into focus.
"Miss Lumina, it's a pleasure to meet you for the first time," the two generals besides Jing Yuan greeted her with dignified courtesy as she approached.
"It's my pleasure as well. May I ask your names?" Lumina nodded to Huaiyan before turning her gaze to Feixiao, seeking introductions.
This time, it wasn't a case of Lumina favoring beautiful girls over others. The elderly man was simply quite short, forcing her to crane her neck downward to properly see him—a rather tiring endeavor.
Lumina's gaze settled on the woman before her.
Fox ears, dashing looks, and an aura of spirited gallantry—to most, she'd undoubtedly appear as the "older sister" type.
But Lumina cared little for such formalities. Anyone she could manipulate as she pleased would be addressed as "little sister."
"Xianzhou Zhuming, Huaiyan."
"Xianzhou Yaoqing, Feixiao."
The pair offered simple self-introductions, deliberately omitting any emphasis on their military ranks—or even mentioning them at all.
It made sense. A general's rank was meant to intimidate subordinates or those of lower status. In a conversation with Lumina, unless there was a specific reason, highlighting their rank would be entirely unnecessary.
After all, Huaiyan and Feixiao's impressions of Lumina were based solely on Jing Yuan's words—hardly reliable. They needed to proceed cautiously, wary of stepping on any landmines.
"Ah, so you two are the Generals Jing Yuan mentioned?" Lumina nodded, completely unconcerned with their underlying thoughts.
As long as they didn't stand before her and declare, "I am a Xianzhou General! Who dares defy me? Who dares oppose me?" Lumina wouldn't care in the slightest.
"May I ask what brings you here?"
"I abandoned a newly met friend just to come find you directly," Lumina said with a bright smile, her gaze fixed on Feixiao throughout.
"My apologies, Miss Lumina," Huaiyan replied, though he didn't understand what she meant. "We weren't aware of this."
Normally, having Generals Jing Yuan, Huaiyan, and Feixiao present would have made such deference unnecessary. But Lumina's universal status dictated that even if they didn't need to be polite, they had to maintain a facade of utmost courtesy.
It was almost embarrassing to admit, but Lumina's influence across the cosmos likely surpassed that of any Xianzhou vessel. She possessed status, connections, influence, and power—she was even capable of defeating an Abundance Emanator wielding both the Abundance and Destruction Paths.
As long as Lumina didn't explicitly demand the Ambrosial Arbor or threaten the Xianzhou directly, the Xianzhou Alliance would maintain a facade of polite deference. After all, this was the way of survival in the cosmos.
"Ah, no worries," Lumina replied, "I was just making a casual remark."
"I'm very easy to get along with," Lumina said, shaking her head at Huaiyan's apology, her gaze still fixed on Feixiao's face.
"Heh heh heh, since Miss Lumina puts it that way, I'll get straight to the point." Huaiyan chuckled, then asked, "Miss Lumina, what are your thoughts on the Xianzhou?"
"Do you mean the Luofu, or the entire Xianzhou Alliance?"
"The Xianzhou Alliance."
"Then I can't answer that," Lumina said with a smile, spreading her hands. "I haven't visited the other Xianzhou, so I can't offer a proper evaluation."
"As for the Luofu, I have little to add."
"As long as the people can live happily, free from worries and disease,"
"As long as they don't harm others, the Luofu can do whatever it wants."
Lumina's answer was simple: any faction that could secure its own interests without harming others was inherently good, requiring no further judgment.
After all, if we were to delve deeper, ninety percent of the forces in the cosmos truly practice the Path of Destruction...
"I see. Miss Lumina's answer is worthy of being included in textbooks for the entire Xianzhou to study," Huaiyan said with a smile, offering top-tier flattery.
Lumina: (˵ ¬ᴗ¬˵)
"One more thing, Miss Lumina..."
"What exactly did you do to General Jing Yuan within the Ambrosial Arbor on the Luofu?"
Huaiyan didn't state it directly, instead hinting at it circuitously.
Hearing Huaiyan's veiled remark, Lumina finally understood: the earlier pleasantries had been mere formalities; this was the true purpose of their meeting.
Lumina carefully recalled her actions toward Jing Yuan within the Ambrosial Arbor.
Hmm... what exactly did I do to Jing Yuan back then?
Oh, right—I alleviated his Mara-Struck condition.
Having remembered, Lumina replied confidently, "Ah, that? It was just a minor technique, something only I could accomplish. And there are no lingering side effects, so please rest assured."
Huaiyan, Feixiao, and Jing Yuan: ...
Is this even about reassurance anymore?
Jing Yuan was on the verge of succumbing to Mara when you forcibly extended his lifespan by five hundred years using the Ambrosial Arbor's power, without any side effects or lasting consequences. How can anyone possibly feel at ease about that?
If word of this gets out, it could spark internal chaos within the Xianzhou Alliance.
Five hundred years of unconditional life extension with no side effects—how could anyone resist such a temptation?
However, since Lumina had spoken so decisively, the three of them couldn't press the matter further.
Knowing that this ability could only be wielded by Lumina herself, they felt somewhat reassured.
If Jing Yuan were to live too long and attract unwanted attention, they could simply fabricate a plausible explanation to deflect scrutiny.
After all, across the entire Xianzhou Alliance, aside from a few fervent fanatics, no one dares to confront an Abundance Emanator.
In Xianzhou textbooks, Abundance Emanators are portrayed as the very embodiment of evil.
The textbook author had heaped every conceivable term associated with villainy and wickedness upon the Abundance Emanators.
However, the next edition of the textbooks would need revision... specifically, it would need to be clarified that all Abundance Emanators except Miss Lumina...