The sudden voice drew everyone's attention. Turning, they saw the three members of the Astral Express standing before them.
One of them, a pink-haired young girl, was leaning over, her hands pressed against her knees, panting and muttering to herself.
"No way... this Master Diviner, she looks so tiny, with such short legs, how can she run so fast...?"
"What was that old saying from the Xianzhou? Something like... ah, right! Appearances can be deceiving..."
The pink-haired girl's voice wasn't muffled, carrying clearly to Fu Xuan's ears.
"Could you please stop saying that out loud? I can hear you," Fu Xuan snapped, a massive vein throbbing on her forehead as she listened to March 7th's muttering. Her fists clenched so tightly, it seemed only her position as the General of the Luofu prevented her from delivering a couple of sharp punches.
"Ah, did I say that out loud?"
As Fu Xuan's words faded, March 7th slapped her forehead, belatedly realizing her blunder.
Fu Xuan: ?
Several question marks slowly floated above Fu Xuan's head.
Why is it that every action March 7th takes is so unpredictable? Fu Xuan murmured to herself, puzzled.
She shook her head, dismissing the thought, and turned her gaze back to Lumina. "I've already chosen a guide," she said.
"It's Qingque, the Diviner from the Divination Commission who helped you with the divination earlier."
"Ehh, ehh, a guide, a guide? Sister Lumina, have you forgotten someone?" March 7th interjected, her voice tinged with urgency.
"You promised me that after we came out of the Ambrosial Arbor, you'd show me around the Luofu!" March 7th hadn't heard the earlier conversation between Lumina, Fu Xuan, and Jing Yuan.
Now, hearing Lumina mention a guide, she immediately feared Lumina had forgotten their promise.
"I haven't forgotten," Lumina smiled reassuringly, offering a brief explanation. "But I'm not familiar with the Luofu's geography, so I need a guide."
As March 7th's expression gradually shifted from disappointment to dejection, Lumina continued, "But we can still explore together!"
"Now that the Stellaron Event is resolved and the Luofu's crisis is averted, you should be leaving soon for Penacony, right?"
"Since that's the case, we don't have much time left. We'll definitely need a guide."
"Otherwise, we might not even make it out of the Starskiff Jetty during this period."
Lumina smiled and deployed her PUA skills on March 7th.
"Hmm... I guess you're right," March 7th replied with adorable cluelessness after a moment's thought, nodding in agreement.
Whatever Sister Lumina says is always right!
As Sister Lumina's devoted fan, March 7th unconditionally believed every word Lumina spoke.
Even when faced with words she didn't understand or couldn't comprehend, she would still try to grasp their meaning and ponder their significance.
Because every word spoken by Sister Lumina must carry its own inherent meaning!
At that moment, March 7th had completely molded herself in Lumina's image.
"Members of the Astral Express, thank you for your contributions to the Xianzhou Luofu during this crisis."
Seeing that none of the Astral Express crew had suffered any harm, Jing Yuan placed a hand over his chest and offered a sincere bow of gratitude.
"Hmm... Since the Stellaron Hunters brought you to the Xianzhou with the intention of forming an alliance..."
"Then, Jing Yuan will honor their wish. On behalf of the Xianzhou Luofu, I formally establish an alliance with the Astral Express."
Though Jing Yuan still didn't understand the Stellaron Hunters' true motives for wanting the Xianzhou Luofu to ally with the Astral Express, he couldn't deny that the Astral Express had been invaluable in mitigating the Stellaron-induced catastrophe.
If not for Lumina's intervention and the Astral Express's assistance throughout the event, he would have faced Phantylia, who possessed the Ambrosial Arbor's essence, alone.
He likely would have paid with his life at the very least... Or perhaps even that sacrifice wouldn't have been enough to defeat Phantylia...
And if he had failed to defeat Phantylia, Jing Yuan could already imagine the grim fate that would have befallen the Luofu.
Apart from himself, no one on the Luofu could withstand a Lord Ravager... So, when the time came, he would likely have to invoke the Reignbow Arbiter's arrow, paying a heavy price to weather this calamity...
"Sigh..."
Jing Yuan sighed inwardly.
Yanqing and Fu Xuan—if they had another century or two, Jing Yuan could confidently entrust the Luofu to them. But now, it was still too soon.
Yanqing was still too young, and Fu Xuan's temperament lacked maturity. Both needed time and a transformative event to refine them.
Originally, Jing Yuan had feared his days were numbered, that he wouldn't live to witness their growth. A dark thought had briefly crossed his mind.
But now, Jing Yuan had changed his mind. With Lumina's Blessing, and assuming no unforeseen side effects, he should be able to endure for centuries more.
This would give him ample time to hone their skills and temperaments.
Jing Yuan's earlier words were no lie. If Fu Xuan handled the aftermath of this battle well, he would indeed agree to pass the title of General to her.
However...
Jing Yuan glanced at Fu Xuan, who was currently brimming with enthusiasm, and shook his head inwardly.
It's highly unlikely.