This shipment was made up of precious minerals collected from various planets— minerals with both industrial and collector's value.
Although many had been scattered in the clash with the Disaster swarm, leaving only this one ship, the remaining minerals were still worth three billion credits!
But Tingyun didn't care about the minerals. Instead, she sighed with relief.
As long as the ship wasn't completely dismantled, it was fine.
As long as the communication system could still be repaired, everything would be okay!
In an unnoticed corner, as streams of energy were absorbed into Godzilla's body, the entire planet began to visibly recover at a rapid pace.
-------------------------------
Xianzhou Luofu
"Whoosh!" From the starting point of the Sky-Faring Commission, a starship shot through the air like an arrow and arrived above the docking point in the blink of an eye. It executed a perfect drift and docked flawlessly.
Normally, such masterful piloting—artistic in its perfection—would leave countless people wide-eyed and awestruck, eager to bow down and beg to be taught. But now, everyone who saw the starship lowered their heads, focusing on their own tasks. Those without work pretended to be doing mental calculations with their fingers.
A fair, slender leg extended from a slit in a qipao, followed by a beautiful fox-woman who leapt down. As soon as she landed, she impatiently rushed toward the Whistling Flames merchant guild.
Once her figure disappeared behind the gates of the Whistling Flames merchant guild, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Sigh, Lady Yukong arrived with such force—things are going to be lively at the Whistling Flames merchant guild today."
"Shh! Watch your mouth!"
"What's the big deal? Lady Yukong is a reasonable person. We didn't say anything out of line."
"Exactly. Still… sigh, poor Miss Tingyun. How did she run into trouble like that on her trip? That swarm of bugs hasn't shown up in ages—what are the odds that Miss Tingyun would be the one to encounter them?"
"Don't just feel bad for Miss Tingyun—the Cloud Knights escorting her were equally unlucky. That mission was supposed to be as easy as a vacation, but now…"
The commotion outside had no effect on Yukong. At this moment, she was busy arguing with the upper ranks of the Whistling Flames merchant guild. One thing was certain—they had to find Tingyun!
…
At the General's Manor, in the courtyard, Jing Yuan, one of the Seven Heavenly Generals of the Divine Bow, held an Jade Abacus. His brow was slightly furrowed, and he had remained in this position for the past half hour.
…
At the same time, on Jarilo-VI.
Tingyun had managed to stay in Belobog by offering intelligence on Jarilo-VI's loss of interstellar communication as payment.
Oh, and also that shipment of ore.
"How are the ship's engine and communication systems holding up?" Taking advantage of a moment of free time, Tingyun went to the temporarily built workshop to check on the repair progress.
Ji Yi had been helping out since the beginning.
Hearing Tingyun's question, the repair technician sighed helplessly.
"The ship's engine isn't too bad. The technology here might be a bit outdated, but we can make do with some hammering and patchwork. But the communication system is a different story."
Worst case, the ship could still fly with brute force and determination.
But the communication system relied on a level of technology far beyond the capabilities of this backward planet. Worse still, many of the usable components had been damaged while evading the Swarm Disaster and passing through the atmosphere. If you were to ask for an exact repair time… well, by the time Luofu discovered them, it might still not be fixed.
"Take your time with it. We might as well use this time to properly rest up—after all, our cargo's gone." Tingyun's tone was playful.
They'd set out to transport cargo, but since the goods were lost due to unforeseen circumstances, didn't that mean they were basically on vacation now?
Ji Yi slammed his helmet down in frustration and grumbled, "We've taken this route for a hundred years—why would something like this happen now, out of nowhere?"
"That's not a question we need to answer right now," Tingyun said with a slight shake of her head.
She was curious too—why would a trade route that had been safe for centuries suddenly draw the attention of the Swarm? These creatures normally targeted planets—could there really be a planet nearby that suited their tastes?
…Wait! Tingyun's eyes narrowed slightly as she lowered her gaze toward the floor.
A suitable planet… Could it be that the one beneath her feet was exactly that?
Tingyun understood.
"Hm? That book you're holding…?" Whether or not her guess was right didn't matter for now—thinking about it wouldn't change anything. Tingyun's attention was drawn to the book in Ji Yi's hand.
That cover—it looked like the massive creature that had saved them earlier, didn't it?
"It's a record of some of Jarilo-VI's deities. Most of it's just embellishment by people, but there's some useful information in there."
Looking at the contents, Ji Yi fell into deep thought, disregarding most of the irrelevant details.
There was even a mention of a Stellaron.
According to the story, the Builders discovered that the crisis was caused by a Stellaron. The Great Guardians led the people in a counterattack, but to no avail. In the end, a god descended from the heavens, unable to bear the suffering of the world, and eradicated the disaster.
How should I put it…
"It's starting to feel like one of those cliché hero stories." That said, Tingyun's focus never wavered.
"Jarilo-VI has been under the influence of the Stellaron for hundreds of years, which means that Beast Lord isn't a native creature of Jarilo-VI — not even close." Tingyun paused for a moment and said gravely, "It's not an existence walking the Path of Fate."
She was referring to beings like doomsday beasts and creations of Abundance. Although these monsters were born and transformed under the influence of the Paths of Fate, they still inherited the power of their respective Paths.
But that attack back then…
"Pure heat and energy impact."
Recalling the scene from that day, Tingyun couldn't help but sink into contemplation.
"Yo, busy?" A cheerful voice rang out as Serval walked in, carrying a toolbox.
"You're clearly greeting me, but your attention is all on the machine. Could it be that this little girl can't even compare to this emotionless machine?" Tingyun smoothly switched gears, her gaze filled with grievance falling upon Serval, making her scalp tingle.
Those fox ears aren't just for show.
Serval chuckled inwardly and said, "I just want to get you guys home sooner. With a sudden situation like this, your families are probably worried sick."
After saying that, Serval set down the toolbox and started helping with the repairs.
Her eyes sparkled. This is high-grade tech that surpasses Jarilo-VI's level by hundreds of years — gotta figure this out.
Tingyun subtly leaned closer to Serval and started chatting in a casual tone.
"I heard that Miss Serval is one of the few people in Belobog who can approach the Beast Lord?"
"Ah, just luck, nothing worth mentioning." Serval waved her hand. No one knew better than her what had happened back then. Honestly, she had just been scared out of her mind and blurted something out — but somehow, it actually worked.
"Miss Serval is too humble. I wonder if we outsiders would have the chance to meet the Beast Lord up close? We from the Xianzhou believe in repaying kindness. The Beast Lord saved us — if I don't do something to return the favor, I won't be able to sleep easy."
…
While Tingyun and Serval were chatting away—
"Swarm Disaster of the Cosmos? There's more?!" In Bronya's office, everyone suddenly felt their scalps tingle.
The swarm that had been chasing Tingyun and the others was only a small part of it. Most of the swarm had been intercepted by the fleet, but a few had slipped through — and in Jarilo-VI's star system, theirs's was the only habitable planet in the area.
If those countless compound eyes weren't just for decoration, they'd definitely notice.
"A catastrophe that once swept across the cosmos — although it was scattered, it's still the nightmare of countless planets. This is just…" Seele's expression darkened. Jarilo-VI had only enjoyed peace for a few days.
"Those outsiders…" Seele snorted coldly. If Cocolia hadn't agreed to let them stay in Belobog, she'd have already taken her scythe to them.
"But, Lady Cocolia, Jarilo-VI still has the problem of the Antimatter Legion. If we add an unfamiliar cosmic swarm on top of that…" Pela's expression was filled with worry.
The Antimatter Legion had been frozen by the cold wave caused by the Stellaron. Now that Jarilo-VI was warming up, their return was pretty much inevitable.
"That's why we need to help them contact the Xianzhou Luofu." Cocolia interrupted the discussion, drawing everyone's attention toward herself.
"The Beast Lord has helped us too much already. Even the first wave of the swarm was destroyed by Their hand. Jarilo-VI cannot be a child that only hides behind the Beast Lord, crying for help!"