"The first step," Lin Yi began, "is to create a micro-pocket realm—a particle-sized space with a massive internal volume."
"The second step is to imprison a large number of Abundance abominations inside it."
"The third step is to install the Mystic Light Mirror and connect it to the Tenfold Radiant Domain."
"The fourth step…"
"We launch the particle at near-light speed using a pulse torrent, assisted by warp travel."
"When it collides with a target, it will send a signal to the coordinates of Lan, the Aeon of the Hunt, transmitted through the Tenfold Radiant Domain."
"The message simply says:
'There are Abundance abominations here.'"
He continued calmly.
"To prevent calculation errors—or in case Lan moves too fast—we also embed a broadcast into the cosmic microwave background radiation."
"One fast, one slow."
"Immediate strike or delayed strike."
"And just like that…"
"A planetary strike using an Aeon is complete."
"The arrows of the Heavenly Bow will become my weapon."
"I point."
"It fires."
Seeing Ruan Mei staring at him silently, Lin Yi sighed.
"Come on, don't look at me like that."
"Isn't this the perfect method for actively guiding an Aeon's actions?"
"Before this, Aeons were completely uncontrollable."
"But now?"
"This is a perfect opportunity to collect close-range data on an Aeon's attack."
After all—
As long as there were genuine Abundance monsters present…
Lan wouldn't care if he was being used.
After a long silence, Ruan Mei finally spoke.
"An extremely fascinating idea."
"Your inspiration seems endless."
She stopped talking after that.
Instead, she gazed quietly at the stars, as if lost in thought.
Seeing that she wasn't in the mood for conversation, Lin Yi didn't disturb her.
He opened his research log and began reviewing several short-term experiments and long-term projects he needed to prepare.
Lin Yi knew his weakness very clearly.
He didn't possess the knowledge foundation of a true genius.
So he adopted a different strategy.
Instead of trying to be a jack-of-all-trades like the others—
He specialized in ideas.
Anything he didn't understand?
He simply handed it to someone who did.
That's why he never conducted research alone.
Instead, he moved between factions and researchers, constantly borrowing momentum.
Without Herta, he could never have proven the Tree-Sea cosmology from conclusion to process.
It was like solving a math problem.
If you didn't know how—
You simply didn't know.
The Panacea project was similar.
Lin Yi had contributed mainly ideas.
The real heavy lifting was done by Ruan Mei and Yu Qingtu.
As for the Simulated Universe, he mostly handled miscellaneous tasks.
Negotiations.
Administrative coordination.
Endless tedious work that normal people couldn't manage.
Before long—
The Xianzhou Luofu came into view.
A voice sounded through the ship's broadcast system.
"I am Miaocheng, an Escort Envoy of the Sky-Faring Commission."
"I have been ordered to guide the two esteemed guests into port."
"Lady Yukong is already waiting at the dock."
The celestial dome of the Luofu opened slightly.
Mechanical structures shifted and rearranged, forming a docking port perfectly sized for the Rainbowlight Ship.
Once the ship entered—
The opening closed immediately.
The moment Lin Yi stepped off the ship, he saw a massive reception formation.
The Luofu was clearly treating their arrival with great importance.
Unfortunately—
It was far too formal.
No genius liked unnecessary ceremony.
It wasted time.
Even someone as polite as Screwllum disliked excessive formalities.
Lin Yi immediately regretted submitting such a formal visitation request.
If he had arrived casually like before, the Xianzhou wouldn't have prepared such a grand reception.
Next time I should warn them not to make such a big fuss.
Yukong stepped forward.
"I am Yukong, Helmswoman of the Sky-Faring Commission."
"By order of General Jing Yuan, I have come to welcome the two geniuses."
"Please follow me out of the Jade Gate."
She continued:
"Would the two of you like to meet General Jing Yuan immediately at the Divination Commission, or rest first?"
"The general has prepared a private pocket realm residence where you may stay without disturbance."
Lin Yi replied calmly.
"The meeting won't take long."
"We'll probably remain on the Xianzhou for some time afterward, so we can rest later."
"However, when that time comes, I'd appreciate it if you could assign a guide familiar with the Luofu."
"Even though I've visited before, the Luofu is far too vast."
Then he suddenly turned to Ruan Mei.
"Oh—Ruan Mei, what about you?"
He realized he had nearly ignored her opinion.
Ruan Mei smiled gently.
"I'm the same."
"But I won't need a guide."
Her expression never changed.
Cloud Knights cleared the path.
Officials from the Realm-Keeping Commission maintained order.
The procession moved quickly through the city.
Lin Yi glanced briefly at one of the accompanying officials.
The Ten-Lords Commission shouldn't normally appear in such situations.
A faint glimmer flashed through his eyes.
Then he ignored it.
Before they even reached the gates of the Divination Commission, they heard a hearty laugh.
"Your arrival brings great honor to the Luofu."
General Jing Yuan stood waiting.
"I have been expecting you both for some time."
"Please."
He stepped aside with a smile.
Behind him stood Yanqing, the young sword prodigy.
At this point in time, Yanqing hadn't yet suffered the series of humiliating defeats that would come later.
He looked energetic and proud.
The interior of the Divination Commission hadn't changed at all.
Stone lions.
A chessboard.
Weapon racks.
Bookshelves.
Armor displays.
The layout quietly displayed the identity of the Divine Foresight General—
A master of both strategy and warfare.
The arrangement subtly built psychological advantage during negotiations.
Although—
The place felt slightly lifeless.
Lin Yi thought to himself:
If that stone lion were a real lion, it would feel much more appropriate.
Lin Yi spoke first.
"You're all very busy."
"So let's skip the formalities and begin."
The meeting proceeded smoothly.
Both sides exchanged opinions extensively.
In the end, the Xianzhou Marshal made the final decisions:
The Chibaku Tensei project would be discussed later.The Panacea Phase II project would receive full support.Any required resources from the Xianzhou would be provided.Xianzhou Zhuming was willing to help with energy supply—but they couldn't travel specifically for it. The space station would need to come to them.
However, Lin Yi noticed something subtle.
The Xianzhou representatives seemed slightly impatient.
Their attention drifted occasionally.
During the conversation, they frequently exchanged glances with Ruan Mei.
So Lin Yi quickly ended the meeting and found an excuse to leave.
What exactly are Ruan Mei and the Xianzhou working on?
He stepped outside the Divination Commission, leaving the space for them.
Whatever secret project they were planning—
It had nothing to do with him.
Everyone had their own secrets.
Who didn't have a few morally questionable experiments?
Since Ruan Mei didn't want to say—
Lin Yi wouldn't ask.
As soon as he exited the building—
He spotted a fox girl in the distance.
A fox girl who was very good at tilting her head charmingly.
The timeline was still early.
Recently, news had spread that the Astral Express had resumed its journey.
There were also rumors that Nous had invited Himeko to join the Genius Society, but she refused.
Lin Yi immediately knew that was fake.
Probably something fabricated by the Fictionologists.
Invitations from Nous were mandatory.
If refusal were possible—
There was no way someone like Stephen, the extreme social recluse, would still be in the Genius Society.
Still, Lin Yi was very interested in the Astral Express.
The moment Welt Yang appeared, he planned to go find him.
After all—
Welt was also someone from another world.
If he arrived early enough, he might even be able to study him.
Especially the Imaginary research data stored in Void Archives.
Lin Yi had already placed several devices aboard the Express.
In exchange for helping the crew, they allowed his equipment to remain onboard and collect data from every planet the train visited.
In the distance, Tingyun noticed him.
Her fox tail swayed slightly.
Her ears twitched.
She walked toward him with graceful steps.
Which raised an important question.
At this point in time—
Was this the real Tingyun?
Or the fake one controlled by Phantylia?
Tingyun smiled brightly.
"Master Lin Yi~"
"I have been waiting for you."
"I am Tingyun, an escort envoy of the Sky-Faring Commission and president of the Whistling Flames Merchant Guild."
"A native of the Luofu."
"You could say I'm one of the local power brokers."
"By Lady Yukong's order, I've come to guide you around the Xianzhou."
Lin Yi pulled out a small box of pastries.
"Ruan Mei made these plum blossom cakes."
"Want to try one?"
He had just stolen them earlier.