Fu Xuan was heading to the Exalting Sanctum with Elysia in tow.
Along the way, Fu Xuan couldn't shake a bad feeling—a premonition that was growing stronger by the minute.
It felt as though some incredible change was taking place within the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.
She was tempted several times to perform a divination to quiet her unease, but the woman walking beside her was Elysia, someone Noldrei himself had lauded for "shattering destiny."
Yet, as Fu Xuan looked Elysia up and down, she couldn't see how this girl, with her almost childlike innocence, could possibly possess the power to shatter destiny.
In fact, Elysia felt the same way.
She believed her ability to overcome Aponia's "destiny" wasn't a credit to how much she loved people or the sheer quantity of her love.
In reality, Elysia herself wielded the power of the Herrscher of Origin, which could naturally counteract any destiny prediction based on Honkai Energy.
This meant that to alter the fate Fu Xuan faced, one would need power on the level of an Aeon—and a highly specialized one at that.
If anyone was going to be shattering destiny, it really shouldn't be a delicate, flower-like maiden like her doing such dangerous work.
Elysia had only ever intended this trip to be a pleasant tour of the Xianzhou.
The poor Herrscher of Sentience had been a perfectly fine Herrscher, but because she had replicated Mobius's memories, His Majesty the Emperor had worked her to the bone.
Elysia had no desire to follow in Senti's footsteps.
She even took the initiative to caution Fu Xuan, saying, "Me? Oh, Ely is just a humble worker. I don't really have any power to shatter destiny. If I did... my comrades from the old days wouldn't have all sacrificed themselves one by one."
Elysia's plea sounded genuine enough.
Fu Xuan found herself wavering under the weight of her words, which nearly drove her to use divination to solve the problem once and for all.
Ever since learning that the results from her Omniscia had been partially obscured, Fu Xuan had resolved to temporarily set aside divination and rely on her own wits and strategies.
But reality always seemed to defy her expectations.
She had assumed her vast knowledge and various skills would be enough to handle most situations. Yet, when it came time to make a decision, she felt like a tiny boat, tossed about on a vast sea of choices.
It wasn't that Fu Xuan had lost her convictions. Rather, whenever she subconsciously reached for her divination, she would then start thinking about whether she should use divination to decide on using divination.
The simple choice of whether to divine or not—a decision that should be as easy as deciding whether to drink when thirsty—was now causing her immense withdrawal-like anxiety.
Fu Xuan voiced her dissatisfaction. "But he was the one who told me you've faced a problem related to destiny before and successfully resolved it. You can't be telling me he lied to me, can you?"
A look of shock crossed Elysia's face, and she hurriedly explained, "That's an accusation Ely can't accept! If he found out you interpreted it that way, I'd never be able to clear my name! And Ely does not want to go back and face his tentacle whip."
Elysia wasn't afraid of much, but she was terrified of Noldrei's tentacle whip.
She knew she stood no chance of resisting it back when she was a Herrscher. Now that she wasn't one, the whip's threat hadn't diminished—it had only grown stronger.
"Tentacle whip?" Fu Xuan's face was a mask of confusion. "What's that?"
Elysia hadn't expected Fu Xuan to be completely in the dark.
A normal tentacle wouldn't be an issue, something only niche enthusiasts would enjoy. But Noldrei's tentacle was something else entirely.
It was a tool specifically designed to target life forms capable of going into heat.
First, it should be noted that Elysia was, in fact, a chaste and proper Herrscher. If she weren't, her uniquely overflowing maternal nature would have led her into all sorts of lewd escapades by now.
As a result, her tens of thousands of years of sexual repression far exceeded that of any normal person.
A single lash from the whip on a normal person would, at most, send a wave of pleasure through them, leaving them feeling thoroughly relaxed.
But Elysia couldn't be sure what would happen if she took a hit like that.
"The tentacle whip, it's... um... you know... that... uh..."
Suddenly, a spark of inspiration hit Elysia. "You could ask him to let you try it. Just say you want to experience it and see what effect it has on you. It won't cause you any physical harm. I've observed you Xianzhou people, and you're not that different from those on our side."
Fu Xuan got the distinct feeling that this woman was a bad influence.
"Tentacle whip" certainly didn't sound like a good thing.
Elysia elaborated, "I have a good friend, her name is Rita. One of her favorite pastimes used to be going to Noldrei for one of those relaxation sessions. According to her, it's even more comfortable than getting a massage."
Fu Xuan was genuinely surprised that Noldrei possessed such a skill.
Still, she thought for a moment and decided she couldn't fall into this trickster's trap.
After all, she'd already been fooled once.
"No, thank you. The term itself sounds unpleasant. This Seat has already fallen for your trick once. I will certainly not fall for it a second time."
Fu Xuan's expression was proud, certain that she would never have the occasion to come into contact with that so-called tentacle whip.
"As expected of the Xianzhou's Master Diviner. I heard you went back to the Divination Commission, didn't you? How are the repairs coming along over there?"
The more tsundere Fu Xuan acted, the more Elysia wanted to tease her.
Her words hit a nerve.
Fu Xuan had expected her Divination Commission to be in utter chaos without her. As it turned out, not only was it not in chaos, but it was running even better than before.
That slacker Qingque had even openly changed her work system, and efficiency hadn't just not dropped—it had skyrocketed.
"The progress? The progress... um, is excellent, of course!"
Fu Xuan nodded earnestly. "If all goes according to plan, This Seat will soon be able to recalculate the course for your return journey."
Elysia, who had been feeling a bit hopeful, was now filled with apprehension at the Master Diviner's words.
She had learned from Noldrei about the Master Diviner's personality and habits.
Noldrei had specifically warned her that whenever Fu Xuan used the term "This Seat," she should only believe half of what was said.
The repairs were probably progressing, but recalculating their route home was likely a long shot.
Oh no, Ely really has become a bad influence, Elysia thought, suddenly distressed. I've gone and dragged such an important person around the cosmos with me. If something were to actually happen, wouldn't the other girls beat me to death?
She wasn't too concerned about the Herrscher of Sentience's situation.
After all, Mobius was on the Cosmic Juggernaut to handle maintenance and logistics.