Baiheng stowed away the Light Cone, her gaze immediately drifting to the dragon horns atop 'Georios's' head.
"So," she started, "can I ask you something?"
"You want to know about the horns and the tail, don't you? You've been stealing glances this whole time."
"Hehe~ Well, I've heard some rumors. I was just wondering if you'd gone and done something world-shaking again."
"It's really nothing major. I've just been looking into the Path of Permanence. I'm actually on my way to Leyaris right now and figured I'd drop by to see you."
Hearing this, Baiheng blinked, her expression turning a bit complicated.
"…There's a rumor going around that the Great Dragon and the Death Dragon, Typhon, got into a massive brawl because of you. It supposedly tore through several star systems. That's not actually true, is it?"
"Don't believe everything you hear, and definitely don't spread it. While it did involve me, they certainly didn't start fighting because of me."
'Georios' hadn't expected the gossip to travel so fast that even the Galaxy Rangers—those wandering loafers—knew about it.
"I simply asked Typhon to help me collect some materials from the Scions of Long. Who knew she'd lose her mind and charge straight off to pick a fight with the Great Dragon?"
"Is that so?"
Baiheng looked visibly disappointed, as if the reality hadn't lived up to whatever wild drama she'd imagined.
"What else would it be?"
'Georios' gave her a dry look; the woman was a total gossip.
"Anyway, I need to get to Leyaris, so I won't linger. See you next time."
"Sure thing! Next time you're free, dinner's on me."
Baiheng waved with a cheeky grin, watching as 'Georios' vanished into the flames.
Left alone, she looked down at the Light Cone that had been delivered personally to her. A smile of genuine relief spread across her face.
No matter what, the few who had left the Xianzhou had finally found their places and started anew.
It was a good thing.
The only one left to worry about was probably Jing Yuan.
He'd been a General for centuries now, and with the Luofu facing a shortage of new talent, everyone lived in constant fear that he'd wake up one day and succumb to the Mara-Struck.
--+--
On the other side of things.
After leaving, 'Georios' headed straight for Leyaris and appeared before the Great Dragon.
The moment she arrived, she felt the dragon's prickling wariness.
"Who are you? What is your business here?"
Listening to the dragon's undisguised hostility, 'Georios' fell into a brief silence.
"..."
She blamed Typhon. Now the Great Dragon was treating every outsider like a potential threat.
"I am Bai Ming."
Boom—!!
The moment the words left her mouth, all five of the Great Dragon's heads snapped up.
They glared down at the tiny woman before them, the dragon's entire massive frame tensing as if ready to strike at a moment's notice.
"What do you want now?! You were the one who put that lunatic Typhon up to it last time, weren't you? Have you come to finish us off?"
Seeing the dragon react like a startled bird, 'Georios' pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed.
"You've got it all wrong. I only came to seek your guidance on the Way of Permanence and to apologize for Typhon's behavior."
"You, an Aeon of Elation, claim to seek the Way of Permanence? Do you not find that a bit hard to believe?"
The Great Dragon had initially wanted to call it "ridiculous," but considering Bai Ming's identity and the forces backing her, it swallowed the insult and opted for a milder phrasing.
"I'm a person of Elation, as you said. Isn't doing nonsensical things exactly what we do? If you factor in the previous trouble, I'd say having me owe you a favor is a pretty good deal."
"..."
The Great Dragon fell silent.
There was logic in that. Moreover, setting aside the Elation title, Bai Ming's reputation was actually quite decent.
"I will only agree if I see that you are truly studying Permanence."
"Fair enough."
'Georios' nodded. It wasn't an unreasonable request.
Right there in front of the dragon, she shed her current form and reverted to her original state as an Earth Titan.
Her size surged violently, swelling rapidly until she reached the proportions of a planet.
According to the legends of Amphoreus, the Earth Titan was a gargantuan being—their spine was the mountain ranges, and the earth itself was their shroud.
While 'Georios' could control her size, this massive scale was her natural default.
As her true form manifested, the pure, dense aura of Permanence became unmistakable. Even with the interference of Elation, it was impossible to miss.
'She's this strong?!'
The Great Dragon's pupils shook.
It felt that her aura and her grasp of Permanence were perhaps even greater than its own.
Furthermore, her physical form felt... unique.
The Great Dragon didn't know how to describe it; she wasn't so powerful as to be incomprehensible, yet looking at her felt like seeing the shadow of the Long-Venerated ancestor.
It was as if her path was the "orthodox" one. Just looking at her provided a sense of perfect, aesthetic harmony.
It left the Great Dragon feeling very strange indeed.
Why did it feel this way?
Through the dragon's oversized pupils, 'Georios' sensed its shift in mood.
She projected her voice loudly: "Do you believe me now?"
"...I believe you."
The Great Dragon nodded, keeping its word.
"How do you wish to discuss this?"
'Georios' thought for a moment, her eyes landing on the broken horn on the dragon's head that hadn't quite finished regrowing.
"Could I observe the process of you healing your broken horn? In return, I'll show you some of my own abilities."
As a being that pursued Individual Permanence, the Great Dragon's healing process naturally contained its deepest insights and realizations of the Path.
"Very well. Come closer."
The Great Dragon slowly lowered its head, signaling for 'Georios' to approach.
Once 'Georios' landed upon its brow, the dragon dropped its guard and began channeling its power to mend the severed horn.
For a Great Dragon, simply growing back an identical horn was easy, but for a dragon pursuing the "Permanence of the Self," mere growth wasn't enough.
Eternal existence for an individual risked veering into the uncontrolled expansion characteristic of Abundance.
The Great Dragon's current size was already quite staggering; while its flesh hadn't spiraled out of control yet, the risk was always there.
It had no desire to become one of those Abominations.
Consequently, its physical expansion and the growth of its horns were handled with extreme caution and stability. It didn't dare rush, not even by a fraction.
It was this very caution that allowed 'Georios' to see the dragon's understanding of Permanence with such clarity.
"Well?"
Seeing her remain quiet, the Great Dragon checked in, almost worried she couldn't follow, but 'Georios' smiled happily.
"Thank you for your help. This feels right. I won't forget this favor."
"Hmph. I hope not."
After that, the Great Dragon said no more, focusing entirely on the repair.
In return, 'Georios' began to quietly demonstrate the abilities of an Earth Titan.
Truth be told, as a Titan designed by Zandar to correspond with the Path of Permanence, her abilities were remarkably complete.
They encompassed healing, the sacrifice of self to nurture a race, and the weight of responsibility...
Combined with her previous research on the Vidyadhara and Typhon, 'Georios' actually possessed a broader understanding of Permanence than either of these two dragons.
So much so that the Great Dragon, who thought it was the one doing the teaching, suddenly realized it was gaining insights from her as well.
It was only then that the Great Dragon's doubts were fully erased.
It had secretly suspected she was just using the power of Elation to mimic Permanence, but now, it was clear that wasn't the case. Or, if it was, anyone who could use Elation to understand Permanence to this degree deserved its respect regardless.
The harmonious exchange continued between the woman and the dragon.
Eventually, 'Georios' decided to stay with the Great Dragon for a while.
When the news reached Typhon, she felt like her world had ended.
"She's not coming back yet—?!"
Typhon's voice jumped several octaves.
She had assumed 'Georios' would be back in no time.
That way, she could go back to her routine: hugging the tail of the clone while admiring the original.
Even though the environment wasn't volcanic, she had been perfectly content with those idle days.
And yet, after only two days of bliss, 'Georios' had announced she was going to Leyaris.
Typhon knew she wasn't on good terms with the Great Dragon; if she went, she'd likely get a cold shoulder, and she couldn't bring herself to stare blankly at someone's tail in front of an outsider anyway.
She had told herself it would only be a couple of days, but the days passed, and the only thing that returned was a notification from 'Georios' delivered through the clone.
Seeing Typhon's reaction through the clone's eyes, 'Georios' found it hilarious.
"What are you getting so worked up for?"
"Because—because you aren't here!"
"I am exchanging insights on Permanence with the Great Dragon... meanwhile, all you care about is my body."
"Ahem, you can't put it like that. Strictly speaking, I am instinctively pursuing the pinnacle of Permanence."
Underneath her mask, the clone rolled her eyes at Typhon.
"Is the clone's tail not enough for you to touch?"
"It's not the same! Besides, you still won't let me see your dragon form."
Hearing this, 'Georios' felt a twitch in her expression.
She didn't mind Typhon staring at her in her human form because their aesthetics were different; Typhon wouldn't have any weird fantasies about a human, but if she revealed her dragon form, all bets were off.
Typhon acted like this just looking at a tail. 'Georios' honestly wondered what kind of wild fantasies the dragon had already cooked up about it.
If she let her see her full draconic body now, things would get out of hand.
She was genuinely worried Typhon wouldn't be able to control herself.
And if that happened, 'Georios' would likely end up beating Typhon half to death, only to have to find a way to save her life afterward.
All things considered, for the sake of Typhon's survival, 'Georios' decided she couldn't let this particular wish come true anytime soon.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL