Meanwhile, on the other side, Tingyun—who hadn't expected the ship to arrive at this time—was still with Godzilla.
As she vigorously wiped Godzilla's tail, she pondered whether she could convince it to move.
Godzilla, however, had no such inner drama and was simply enjoying the service.
"The power is great. It hurts when it hits, but it heals quickly. No real threat."
After some quick calculations, Godzilla roughly gauged the impact of those attacks on itself. With a conclusion, it confidently closed its eyes again and, as a small gesture, lightly tapped Tingyun's head with the tip of its tail.
-----------------------------------
Looking around Yukong couldn't help but express her feelings.
"Jarilo is truly a beautiful planet."
Unlike the technologically saturated life of the Xianzhou, life on Jarilo was peaceful. Although external pressures remained, the people of Belobog, having emerged from the cold wave, no longer feared any danger.
And this time, they were no longer fighting alone.
"If you had come a few years earlier, you would have seen a planet covered in ice and snow. Uh, perhaps at that time, you wouldn't have passed by here either." Bronya recalled that just a few years ago, Jarilo was still an ice ball.
Yanqing placed both hands on his knees, his gaze curiously shifting around. In an occasion like this, it was best for a martial artist like him to remain silent—being noticed would be troublesome.
"Then let's get straight to the point. The Xianzhou Luofu understands the hardships of Jarilo and is grateful for your protection of Tingyun and the others. We plan to dispatch professionals to safeguard your scientific research efforts."
"Really?!" Bronya had intended to maintain a composed demeanor, appearing more like a leader, but Yukong's offer was simply too surprising.
Jarilo had been disconnected from the universe for centuries. While the outside world had progressed for hundreds of years, Jarilo remained at its past technological level—or had even regressed.
She knew that the technological assistance Yukong spoke of wouldn't elevate Jarilo to Xianzhou's level, but even an advancement of two units would be an invaluable gift!
"In addition to that," Yukong continued, "we've brought two cargo ships filled with rare minerals as a token of gratitude for the Beast Lord of Jarilo who assisted us."
This was a message Tingyun had managed to transmit back to the Xianzhou during their brief communication.
Though confused, she had still brought them along.
Minerals. Cocolia's eyes flickered.
Belobog was not lacking in geomarrow mineral veins, but it did lack the minerals necessary to bring Godzilla back.
Wherever Godzilla existed, the environment would change accordingly, becoming more suitable for life.
If these minerals could be used… Forget it.
She shook her head.
Godzilla had already helped them enough. It was they who needed Godzilla, not the other way around.
Besides, as long as Godzilla remained on Jarilo-VI, the effects it brought would continue to benefit the planet's life.
"Since this is a gift for the god, it should naturally be presented in person. Miss Yukong, please come with us."
…
"Hmm? Something's coming?" Godzilla opened his eyes, raising his head slightly to gaze upward.
The Xianzhou was not a tyrannical force. After eliminating the swarm, Yukong ordered the fleet to remain in space while she personally took the flagship down to Jarilo.
This was also to ease the wariness of the planet's native inhabitants.
"Whoa, that big guy is terrifying." The pilot gasped as he looked at the moving 'mountain' below.
"How did this thing even grow? Even creations of abundance rarely get this big."
"That's not even the craziest part. My detector actually shows that this giant has no imaginary energy, meaning its size has nothing to do with destiny. Now I understand why we're bringing these two shiploads of goods."
"Why?"
"Protection fee!"
Godzilla was unaware of the conversation between the cargo ship pilots, and even if he knew, he wouldn't care.
His eyes were fixed solely on the energy they carried.
The only reason he hadn't taken it himself was that Tingyun had whispered in his ear that they were not enemies.
So, Godzilla decided to give his caretaker some face.
...
"Really, it's so big." Yukong gazed in shock at the behemoth in front of her.
Although Tingyun had previously told her about Godzilla's enormous size, she had no real concept of it until she saw it with her own eyes.
For example, the flagship she was on was only a few thousand meters long. It wasn't that the Xianzhou Luofu lacked the technology to build larger ships, but excessively large ships held more symbolic significance in battle than practical utility.
Unless it was a ship as large as the Xianzhou Luofu itself, which was the size of a planet—but rather than building another ship of that scale, they might as well focus on figuring out how to construct a second Xianzhou ship.
She hurriedly commanded the cargo ship to unload the ores.
The colorful ores emitted a tantalizing fragrance—though only to Godzilla's senses.
The pilots, who had originally thought they had the easiest job, now wished they could personally dump the ores themselves, fearing that the massive creature below might strike them otherwise.
"These are the finest ores from the Xianzhou—looks like General Jing Yuan is well aware of that." Tingyun could determine at a glance that these ores were of the highest quality from the Xianzhou.
Any one of them would be a treasure worth fighting over for ordinary people.
Yet now, they were being dumped like roadside gravel, forming a small mountain.
Godzilla nodded in satisfaction.
Understanding. He liked that.
Getting up, he immediately abandoned his recent favorite and made his way toward the ore mountain. Sensing the energy contained within the ores, he raised his tail and casually swept it across them. Instantly, a perfectly fitted gemstone bed appeared, as if newly crafted.
He was already quite skilled at this.
A moment later, Bronya and her group arrived in front of Godzilla.
Bronya bowed slightly, offering her highest respect to the deity who had saved and protected Jarilo.
Godzilla, however, did not open his eyes. He simply raised his meticulously groomed tail and gave it a slight wave.
Meanwhile, Yukong finally saw the one she had been longing to meet—Tingyun.
"What are you wearing?" Yukong asked in confusion.
The once elegant and noble outfit that highlighted the young girl's status had been replaced by an attire that inexplicably made one want to take a second glance—
A maid outfit.
Tingyun was momentarily speechless. Even the ever-capable fox lady, who thrived in the business world, was at a loss for words. Her lips parted, but the words caught in her throat. After a long pause, she finally squeezed out, "Work requirements."
Had Yukong arrived half an hour earlier, she would have witnessed the entire process of Tingyun diligently grooming a tail.
Not her own tail, of course.
Yukong shook her head slightly. She couldn't understand the whims of the younger generation.
She lifted her head slightly, gazing at the colossal being before her. Even while lying down, the sheer aura exuding from its body was enough to inspire awe.
But that wasn't what caught Yukong's attention.
"So relaxing." The closer she got to Godzilla, the more relaxed her body felt.
The chronic ailments left behind from her years of piloting astral vessels in battle seemed to vanish in an instant.
For the foxian, their tails and ears were not just for show.
Although they enjoyed the highly technological environment of the Xianzhou, they also held a deep affection for lush, green planets.
This was evident in the way most foxian favored places with an ancient, classical charm.
Yukong narrowed her eyes. As a skilled aviator, her keen perception immediately allowed her to pinpoint the reason.
Bronya had been closely observing Yukong. Seeing that she wasn't angered by Tingyun's situation, she let out a breath of relief.
Although Yukong had come to express her gratitude, the Xianzhou and Jarilo ultimately did not stand on the same side.
Moreover, with Tingyun being forced to serve Godzilla, Bronya couldn't be sure she wouldn't take offense.
However, when it came to Godzilla, she had no choice in the matter.
Fortunately, Yukong didn't seem to mind.
In truth, Yukong did mind—she minded that she hadn't taken a photo of Tingyun in this outfit in time. Now, getting that shot would be much more difficult.
Suddenly, Godzilla opened his eyes, and his soul-piercing vertical pupils made everyone's breath hitch.