The movie's popularity far exceeded Sora's expectations.
In fact, no one involved in its production back then had anticipated such success either.
Not only did it receive largely positive reviews within the Cangyan—even among the other Xianzhou ships and the Federation of Hope, praise was widespread.
People in the Cangyan watched it and grasped its deeper meaning.
Foxians from other Xianzhou ships felt exhilarated seeing Borisin's ultimate scheme shattered.
The Vidyadhara, seeing their own people rescued, gave it top ratings.
Xianzhou citizens cheered when they saw the general bravely confront the ABUNDANCE without a hint of retreat.
And even those from the Federation, despite missing the deeper implications, watched with total fascination.
Stripped of its Xianzhou-specific symbolism, it was still a strong film—exciting on the surface with meaningful substance beneath.
With such broad appeal, the hype continued to spread relentlessly.
Fortunately, Sora and the others had already moved locations. Otherwise, they would probably wake up each day to crowds outside their door.
"I'm not even going out anymore. The way they look at me, you'd think they want to tear me apart."
Sora spoke resentfully.
Back then, he'd simply hoped it wouldn't flop.
Now, he felt like he'd been slapped in the face.
He'd even seen people posting notices looking for the male lead.
That alone wouldn't have mattered, but beneath those notices, people were pooling money.
On the surface, they were "seeking a master"…
But in reality, it was a bounty.
Worse, the bounty kept rising day after day, to the point that even Sora found it hard to believe.
In other words, if Sora ever hit rock bottom, he could simply turn himself in and claim it.
The reward would allow him to eat and drink lavishly, dining out every meal, for decades without worry.
That was how absurd it was. His first reaction was confusion—then pure disbelief.
Did these people really have nothing better to do?
At times like these, Robin usually comforted him.
"It's normal. You know, I went through something similar back then."
"Really?"
"Of course. Though compared to you, mine was nothing."
When Robin's popularity surged, people sought scandal about her.
But with Sora, they named him outright, actively searching for him.
Scandals and people were fundamentally different things. Even Robin thought this had gotten excessive.
But she also understood something.
"This doesn't matter. Eventually, it'll all die down."
Only because the movie was so popular could such an absurd bounty resurface.
When the hype faded, the bounty would eventually disappear too.
But after hearing her, Sora still looked troubled. He pulled up the notice and showed it to her.
Robin didn't understand why.
"The date this bounty started… was a few hundred years ago…"
He said it with a complicated expression—this was also why he felt returning to the Cangyan would be difficult.
Because a bounty this huge couldn't appear overnight. It had accumulated for centuries.
And the person who issued it was a Vidyadhara from hundreds of years ago, right before shedding their scales to reincarnate.
Afraid of losing that memory, they posted the bounty in that lifetime, before their rebirth.
Afterwards, their later incarnations continued the practice, adding money before each shedding.
Initially, the amount might have been tiny.
But after countless Vidyadhara contributed over the years, the bounty had grown to its current massive sum.
"So," Robin said, "the movie didn't create the bounty."
Sora nodded. "It just brought it back to the surface."
Even for the exceptionally long-lived Xianzhou, "a few hundred years ago" was enough to evoke a sense of weighty history.
Anyone who learned the story behind that notice could understand the longing and old promises contained in it.
"But logically, someone should have been continually adding money, so it shouldn't have been forgotten," Robin said, puzzled. "If the Vidyadhara who started it contributed each lifetime…"
"Because the Vidyadhara who started it died fighting the Denizens of the Abundance."
Robin almost twisted her ankle from shock.
"Huh? If I remember correctly…"
Sora nodded, confirming her suspicion.
The Vidyadhara had suffered terribly after LONG's fall.
Simply put, the entire species could no longer reproduce—no new members could be born.
The Vidyadhara were now a fixed population. Every death was permanent, without replenishment.
Perhaps tens of thousands of years later, the Vidyadhara would dwindle to mere scattered remnants.
The species had no future in sight.
With Sora confirming this, Robin finally understood why he hadn't asked the Divine Manor to remove the notice.
There was a hidden story behind it.
The bounty notice carried something precious entrusted to it.
And Sora had chosen to bear what he felt was his responsibility.
He wanted the notice to remain, so he stayed indoors.
If it vanished, that Vidyadhara's life—and everything they'd struggled to preserve—would truly disappear.
Sora didn't want them forgotten. If sacrificing some freedom could preserve their legacy, it was the one thing he could do now.
Once Robin understood Sora's intentions, she said nothing further.
If Sora chose to stay here, she wouldn't leave either.
Just as she reached out to tell him her decision, the door suddenly swung open.
"Sora!" Titania burst in, rushing inside.
Seeing the two of them sitting silently, she paused, visibly confused.
"What are you two doing?"
Robin turned her head away and coughed awkwardly. Faced with this question, she didn't know how to respond.
But Titania's confusion disappeared as quickly as it came.
Shaking it off, she eagerly started bragging to Sora.
"Sora, guess what? I'm way stronger than you now—several times stronger!"
Titania announced excitedly. Ever since her last embarrassment, she'd been searching for a chance.
And today she'd finally found it—a chance to surpass Sora in one move!
Naturally, she'd rushed over to show off.
She shoved a notice into Sora's hands, closed her eyes, and basked in triumph.
It was as if she could already see Sora's shocked expression.
Without realizing it, Titania stirred up a breeze, lifting her hair dramatically—looking oddly heroic.
She had finally won! Was this victory?
It really was… lonely.
Sora wondered how many bottles of soda Titania had downed to get this "drunk."
Their popularity contest had settled days ago.
What exactly had brought Titania over now?
Then he saw the three large red words at the top and went silent.
[WANTED NOTICE]
Beneath was Titania's silly grin, printed large.
The string of zeros below made Sora feel slightly dizzy.
Was there some hidden treasure buried in the Cangyan?
How else could the bounty amount possibly exceed one hundred million?
Yes—this was how Titania had "defeated" Sora: the number.
Sora's bounty accumulated over centuries and barely reached ten million.
Titania's bounty, however, started by immediately soaring past one hundred million.
This was the source of her current pride!
Whatever else—wasn't this number bigger than Sora's?!
"Bigger, my ass. What on earth did you do?"
Sora looked utterly bewildered. He had no idea what had happened.
Had Titania tried to assassinate Feng Liqi? Committed some heinous act?
How did she suddenly become wanted for over a hundred million?!
"She hasn't done anything lately. How did this happen suddenly?" Robin leaned in, equally shocked.
Sora had stayed inside, but Robin was unrestricted and went out daily.
And lately, she'd mostly seen Titania on the street signing autographs.
Titania had played the villain, but everyone knew her circumstances.
She'd enjoyed her popularity, even giving away small statues she'd created with her powers.
Had something gone wrong with those statues?
Robin immediately suspected the issue. Titania was, after all, a PROPAGATION larva.
Even though her power had diminished greatly after being absorbed by the Golden King Insect—placing her at most at an Emanator's level—
It was still PROPAGATION.
Could those statues be assimilating people?!
Realizing how serious this would be, Sora decided to seek answers directly from Feng Liqi.
Before leaving, he warned Titania to stay inside.
"Until we know what's going on, don't go anywhere."
Titania shrank back sulkily but complied.
Sora asked Robin to watch her and prepared to find Feng Liqi for answers.
But just as he was about to leave, someone familiar appeared.
"Sora. I heard you've been hiding out here," Jin Xing said, arriving with a group.
"Can't help it. You know what it's like," Sora replied, eyeing the excited crowd behind Jin Xing.
Immediately understanding, Sora said, "You're here for Titania?"
Jin Xing nodded with a complicated expression.
"Strictly speaking, we're not here just to 'see' her. We're here to invite her."
…Huh?!
Sora froze. Had he heard that right?
"Invite?" Jin Xing had a famously explosive temper.
In all of Cangyan, there were barely any people who could control her—besides him, perhaps only Ahri and a few others.
Hearing the word "invite" coming from her mouth made Sora briefly suspect the person in front of him was an imposter.
Was this really Jin Xing?
"We'll discuss the details later. Could you please allow Lady Titania to come with us to Fangyuan?"
She'd even added "Lady."
Now Sora was almost certain someone had switched Jin Xing with a double.
The destination raised further suspicion. Beneath Fangyuan lay Flame Prison—the Cangyan's hellish prison.
Was she trying to spare his feelings and stage a sting operation—luring Titania to Fangyuan just to arrest her?
"I'll warn you first: Feng Liqi might not even be able to handle her."
Titania might appear scatterbrained, but the crystalline pincer-spikes she could summon were among the hardest substances in the universe.
They could even pierce QLIPOTH's Crystal Wall. Their power was not to be underestimated.
No matter how tough the alloy, one strike from those crystals would be enough.
Simply put: in the universe, there was currently no place that could truly imprison Titania.
Jin Xing nodded at Sora's warning. "Relax."
Well, if that was the case… Sora could only take Titania along and see what exactly was going on.
Around Fangyuan, endless blue waves churned. None of them were here for the first time, so there was no need to admire the scenery.
Jin Xing guided them directly to an extravagantly decorated building.
Inside, loud, excited chatter spilled out—like countless people fervently discussing something.
But the moment Jin Xing opened the door, all sound ceased abruptly.
Sora looked carefully and realized everyone inside was a virtual projection.
And judging by the draconic features—the horns and regal bearings—these were all Vidyadhara.
As soon as Sora and the others entered, all eyes immediately fixed on Titania.
Their burning gazes seemed intent on studying her down to the bone.
"I brought her. I've said what I needed to say. You'd better have your words ready before speaking."
The moment Jin Xing arrived, her aura reverted to the version Sora remembered.
"And especially—no more unauthorized 'wanted notices.'"
At her words, all the projections simultaneously shifted their gaze toward someone off to the side.
He was extravagantly dressed, a single horn on his forehead, exuding authority.
Yet, in reality, he had the lowest status in the room.
Because every other person here was a High Elder from the various Xianzhou ships—and seated at the head was the High Elder of the Xianzhou Fanghu, also the current Vidyadhara Leader.
This man was the only exception—a Vidyadharan Preceptor.
And he belonged to the Xianzhou Luofu—the sole Xianzhou ship whose High Elder was still young.
From Jin Xing's words, it appeared Titania's wanted notice had been issued by him.
"I was acting for the Vidyadhara's survival! What if she got kidnapped by someone with ill intentions? I issued it as a protective measure—"
"Protective, my ass. Keep talking and I'll go straight to the Xianzhou Luofu and slap your mouth shut!"
Jin Xing snapped immediately.
The Luofu Vidyadharan Preceptor choked, speechless.
Everyone knew Fangyuan's High Elder had a volcanic temper. When she erupted, no one dared interrupt.
Because she genuinely would ignore all decorum and berate anyone who tried to stop her.
Moreover, the Luofu Vidyadharan Preceptor's actions this time truly had no justification.
"I've brought her here. You have thirty minutes—use your preferred method to notify the Alliance and revoke the wanted notice."
Jin Xing sat down, sharply tapping the table to emphasize her deadline.
"Or I'll leave right now for the Xianzhou Luofu and slap your mouth myself."
The Luofu Vidyadharan Preceptor had bypassed Jin Xing entirely, forcing the issue by petitioning the Alliance directly to issue Titania's wanted notice.
How could Jin Xing swallow such humiliation? Today, she intended to teach him the meaning of angering a High Elder who'd survived countless crises.
The Luofu Vidyadharan Preceptor's face shifted colors, but he could only obediently follow instructions and start silently working.
Only after Sora confirmed the wanted notice was withdrawn did he pat Jin Xing's shoulder, signaling her to stop.
The High Elders from the other Xianzhou ships stared with mouths agape.
In the past, Jin Xing's anger wouldn't subside for at least an hour once provoked.
Even the current Vidyadhara Leader, the Fanghu High Elder—had trouble reining her in.
Yet today, she'd stopped after just a few sentences?
Were they dreaming?
Sora ignored their thoughts, utterly confused.
"So…what exactly do you need?"
For the Luofu Vidyadharan Preceptor to forcibly petition the Alliance and create such an uproar—what massive issue required this level of commotion?
Especially involving Titania.
Even if Titania was currently sulking over losing the wanted notice—the one figure she could boast about surpassing Sora with—
Sora still had to protect this idiot.
"About that—we'd like you to look at something first."
Several documents were placed before Sora. He opened them and found a medical examination report.
Based on various hormone levels and physiological responses, the final result read:
Pregnant.
That alone might not mean much, but Sora froze when he saw the species listed.
If this report was real, no wonder these people were losing their minds.
The room went completely silent. The High Elders from every Xianzhou ship quietly waited while Sora and the others read the report.
None dared make a sound—either out of fear of Jin Xing or worry about startling Sora's group into leaving.
Only after all three finished did the Fanghu High Elder seated at the head speak.
"Miss Titania, what do you think of this report?"
"I'm a god!"
Titania reflexively corrected him, clueless as to why the topic had suddenly shifted to her.
She hadn't really read anything, just putting the report down when Sora and Robin did.
By copying their actions, she assumed she could avoid attention.
But then they specifically called her name.
Titania hadn't anticipated this at all.
With everyone staring, asking Sora for help would now be humiliating.
She desperately searched her memory.
Vidyadhara checkup, pregnancy test, High Elder meeting… She quickly pieced together clues, condensed them, and reached an answer—
"I don't know!"
Titania declared proudly.
Right. Even if she didn't know, she had to maintain her dignity as a god!
A god's pride couldn't be diminished. She was absolutely, unquestionably correct!
The atmosphere plunged into silence again. Everyone stared blankly at Titania.
No one expected the person who might restore the Vidyadhara's glory… would behave like this.
"Um… Miss Titania… g—god. Are you truly the creator of this statue?"
Even the Fanghu High Elder cautiously chose her words.
Titania glanced curiously at the stone statue on display, then readily admitted it.
"I made it!"
Indeed, it was one of her previously given-away statues.
As she spoke, she snapped her fingers—and effortlessly conjured an identical statue out of thin air.
That single action caused the Vidyadhara High Elders' breathing to pause.
Each of them locked onto Titania with blazing eyes, their gazes so intense it felt as if they would consume her whole.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Hey! Hey, hey, hey!"
Jin Xing slapped the table, jolting everyone back to reality.
"They're guests of the Cangyan. Mind your manners!"
"But Fangyuan High Elder—don't you understand what this means to us?"
A power capable of making a Vidyadhara pregnant—allowing them to conceive new life.
The Vidyadhara had withered for so long, and finally, a turning point appeared!
The most urgent priority was figuring out how Titania had done this.
Jin Xing let out a cold laugh. "So what if I do? So what if I don't? Are you planning to force her?"
"She's a leader of the Federation of Hope now. She held her ground through that earlier swarm disaster. Before you act, you'd better think carefully."
Her words carried clear warning—especially directed toward the Luofu Vidyadharan Preceptor, whose expression instantly soured.
"I…"
"Shut up. Keep polluting the air, and I'll head straight to the Xianzhou Luofu!"
Jin Xing had long been sick of him.
The Luofu High Elder was still young, so temporarily placing this man in charge was understandable—but now he'd dumped this whole mess onto her lap.
By reason or emotion, Jin Xing had no intention of playing nice.
Titania, standing off to the side, still didn't fully grasp the situation. But she did realize she was the center of everyone's attention.
So, lifting her chin and puffing out her chest, she proudly accepted their scrutiny.
Meanwhile, Sora and Robin quietly exchanged glances.
The entire situation—this gathering of Vidyadhara High Elders, including generals from other Xianzhou ships—could be summed up very simply:
A Vidyadhara was pregnant.
That single sentence was enough to shake the entire Vidyadhara people.
As previously mentioned: since LONG's fall, the Vidyadhara had lost the ability to reproduce, trapped in a state of gradual decline.
It wasn't that no one realized their future was bleak. But facts couldn't be changed.
From LONG's fall until today, the Vidyadhara had only lost people.
Across countless years, only a single new Vidyadhara had appeared.
That was decades ago, when the Luofu High Elder used ABUNDANCE to transform someone from another species into a Vidyadhara.
The use of ABUNDANCE was strictly forbidden by the Alliance, so the Luofu High Elder had been forcibly made to shed their scales and reincarnate.
Furthermore, the Luofu High Elder had converted someone from another species—not revived a true Vidyadhara.
But this "success" placed the entire Vidyadhara people in danger.
To increase their numbers, converting others was their only option.
Yet, where on the Xianzhou could they find people to convert?
If they forced the issue, they would directly oppose the Xianzhou Alliance.
Thus, even though the transformation had "worked," many wished it had never happened.
Some Vidyadhara even tried secretly spreading this forbidden technique, seeing it as their last hope.
But the Fanghu High Elder, understood clearly:
If they actually did this, how would they differ from the Abominations of ABUNDANCE?
And the Xianzhou Alliance hunted Abominations relentlessly.
In short, the Luofu High Elder had left her with a switch that could plunge the entire Vidyadhara clan into destruction.
Pressing it would inevitably lead to their annihilation.
This issue had since lodged itself in the Alliance's throat like a bone.
To make matters worse, later on, the Luofu side experienced incidents of Vidyadhara forcibly restoring the reincarnated High Elder's memories.
This further eroded the Alliance's trust.
After all of this, the Vidyadhara became increasingly vulnerable.
Yet their decline remained undeniable—trapping the Fanghu High Elder in an impossible dilemma.
And now, at this very moment, a radiant figure had descended before her, like a god.
This was their best chance to clear up misunderstandings with the Alliance and simultaneously revitalize the Vidyadhara!
They'd found a new path—one that didn't require any damned "dragon-transforming art" to replenish their numbers.
And without that temptation, the allure of the Abundance blessing would diminish drastically.
This was why Titania had become unimaginably important to them.
"…So we sincerely request, Miss Titania, your help for our people."
The Fanghu High Elder at the head of the gathering was principled and straightforward. She knew exactly what needed to be said at this moment.
"If you agree, we'll naturally provide generous compensation."
Unfortunately, Titania didn't particularly care about rewards.
Jin Xing, closest to her, saw immediately that Titania intended to refuse.
Panicked, Jin Xing instinctively grabbed Sora's hand.
Robin: ?!
But Jin Xing didn't notice Robin's expression. One thought echoed repeatedly in her mind:
Trust him, and shut up.
Sora caught Jin Xing's pleading gaze.
He fully understood the Vidyadhara's precarious situation within the Alliance. And the awkward spot they were now in… really could be resolved with just a small effort from him.
In that case, why refuse?
"Ahem." He coughed, instantly drawing attention.
Others might not know, but Sora knew exactly how to handle Titania.
"Compensation alone isn't strictly necessary for us."
Titania nodded. As expected of my nemesis—he truly understands me!
The Vidyadhara High Elders immediately looked crestfallen.
Right. Someone with Titania's power—what good could money possibly do?
"But currently, the god does seem to lack one crucial thing."
…Huh?!
Instantly, everyone's eyes locked onto him.
"Aren't you worried about not having enough supporters…?"
Sora tilted his chin slightly, and Titania understood immediately.
Exactly! What she needed most right now were followers!
And more specifically, followers numerous enough to crush Sora.
The Fanghu High Elder, observing this, instantly understood: Sora was helping them.
With Sora already offering such a clear hint, she had to act now.
"If this succeeds, then beyond compensation, every Vidyadhara household across the ships will dedicate a special place to your stone statues!"
Titania's eyes lit up instantly.
Seeing her reaction, Sora knew it was essentially settled.
Only then did he notice Jin Xing's hand gripping his, damp with sweat.
Clearly, she'd also been panicking. Fortunately, Sora hadn't disappointed her.
"Thanks."
"It's nothing."
Robin: Something feels very wrong!!!
Since Sora had played that card, Titania gladly accepted.
Following this, Sora smoothly proposed a strategy to spread the statues across every Xianzhou ship.
"Isn't the movie popular lately? Let's use that as a chance to hold special screenings across all the ships."
During these events, Titania could distribute the statues directly to the Vidyadhara on each ship.
A perfect excuse.
"I'll immediately apply to the Alliance. Please wait a moment!"
Overjoyed, the Fanghu High Elder instructed her people to quickly submit the itinerary.
Once the Alliance approved the plan, their first stop would naturally be…
The High Elder considered briefly, then turned decisively toward the Luofu Vidyadharan Preceptor.
"Taoran, arrange the first stop at the Xianzhou Luofu."
"I expect you to host our guests properly—and rectify your earlier mistake."
"If you slight them and cause them to back out…"
The other High Elders stared dangerously at him.
Just try it and see.
Luofu Vidyadharan Preceptor Taoran's palms turned slick with sweat.
He hurriedly agreed.
"I'll personally oversee everything. Rest assured."
"What nonsense are you saying? Bailu is young, but you don't get to decide everything!"
Jin Xing immediately returned to her usual fiery self.
At this, Taoran quickly bowed and apologized.
But the expression in his eyes—when no one was watching—turned dangerously cold.
Thus, amid Titania's favorite flattery, their first destination was set as—
The Xianzhou Luofu.
---
T/N: i did research because yknow new characters and stuff, and lo and behold its not dragon lord well it is its the literal translation but the english localization is High Elder ya so we will be using that from now on
im back, did a poll on my patreon on the new schedule and releases for webnovel so yeah
beep boop