In the end, Sparkle still didn't manage to blow things up with 'Georios'.
However, she truly did put on a spectacle of weeping and wailing.
Heaven only knows where she learned it, but she raised such a vibrant, full-throated fuss that she didn't repeat a single word of her tirade.
It was enough to leave 'Georios's' head throbbing from the sheer noise. She found herself regretting ever being curious about such a thing in the first place.
With a flick of her small hand, she tossed Sparkle right back where she came from.
But sending her back was one thing; 'Georios' still kept a casual eye on Pier Point.
Of course, she wasn't as flamboyant about it this time. That was Preservation territory, after all, and appearing too frequently would ruin the sense of mystery.
Instead, she peeked through Sparkle's mask in secret.
Although it was originally a gift from Aha, as long as Aha didn't intentionally block her, 'Georios' could manage to borrow its perspective after having made contact with it.
Over at the Interastral Peace Corporation, things went exactly as one might expect for Oswaldo.
His promotion was revoked immediately. The IPC might not have cared if his power was a sham—as long as it was usable, they were satisfied.
After all, the IPC never truly believed a man like Oswaldo could actually be recognized by the Amber Lord.
However, since he used a fake and let someone chase him all the way home to expose it—leading to its failure and public disclosure—his basic competence was now in question.
Especially when he couldn't even handle the culprit responsible.
As a result, Oswaldo didn't just lose his bid for the head of the department; the rank he'd gained from his "Emanator" title was stripped away in an instant.
Now, Oswaldo's life at the IPC became a living hell. In his bid to secure the top spot, he hadn't just targeted his peers; he'd even played a dirty hand against the former department head.
The predecessor had intended to step down anyway, so even though they noticed the schemes, they hadn't said much.
But things were different now. Seeing Oswaldo played like a fiddle by a Fool, the former head began to doubt his capabilities, and the colleagues he'd previously suppressed were quick to pile on.
Recently, Oswaldo had truly hit rock bottom.
As for Sparkle? Not only did the IPC not hold her accountable, they practically let her off with a slap on the wrist, sweeping her antics under the rug.
This was enough to make Oswaldo cough up blood in pure rage. Seeing his increasingly gloomy and manic expression, Sparkle was so delighted she practically floated as she walked.
Yes, yes, that was the look! That expression of pure, murderous jealousy!
Observing all this through the mask, 'Georios' wore a subtle, complicated expression.
Sparkle really does have a bit of a pervert in her.
On the other hand, the reason the IPC executives kept Sparkle around was actually related to 'Georios'.
In the eyes of the Corporation, the newly ascended Aeon of Elation had gone out of her way to appear and toss down a clown mask. To them, she was clearly "clearing mines" for the company!
Sure, her style was a bit reckless, but that was the Path of Elation for you.
It was a miracle she hadn't leveled Pier Point while she was at it. While the IPC didn't necessarily care about that kind of power, a man of Oswaldo's "caliber" was a liability.
It was better that she had brought things into the light now. If they had waited until Oswaldo's wings were fully grown, they might not have been able to strip him of his position.
Diamond, in particular, couldn't help but praise the Aeon of Elation in his heart. Every time he thought of Oswaldo's hostility toward the Strategic Investment Department, he felt she had done a marvelous job.
Thus, among the various departments, Diamond was the one who fought hardest to protect Sparkle.
And it wasn't just him; someone on the board of directors actually went as far as to thank 'Georios' for "excising a tumor" for Sparkle's sake.
'Georios', learning this through Sparkle, found it hard to keep a straight face.
In the original story, Oswaldo had sat firmly in that directorial chair.
Now, thanks to her meddling, he had completely fallen from grace, losing any chance at heading the Marketing Development Department. She had effectively robbed the IPC of a major talent.
Not only that, but because of Oswaldo's previous haste and greed, he had conducted a massive purge within the Marketing Development Department.
One could say that after this series of events, the department's overall strength had drastically shriveled.
And yet, the IPC felt the need to thank her. It was hilarious.
'Georios' suddenly wondered: if Oswaldo knew the very first rumors were orchestrated by her and Sparkle, would he pass out from sheer anger?
And if the IPC knew they were the masterminds, would they still be so grateful?
In places where 'Georios' wasn't looking, the events at Pier Point began to spread through the universe.
As for how the news leaked despite the IPC's lockdown, Sparkle claimed she had no idea—she'd simply shared her recent "joy" with some friends at the Tavern.
As the news spread, it became impossible for the IPC to suppress it entirely.
So, they issued a statement claiming it was merely internal workplace friction, and that while Sparkle was a Masked Fool, she was now an IPC executive.
They denied any "Fool tricking the Corporation" narrative and so on.
Combined with the IPC's information control, these statements did manage to steady public opinion.
However, these vague, hushed rumors only served to boost 'Georios's' prestige, adding another chapter to the legend of the new Aeon of Elation.
The first time, she had two descendants of Permanence at each other's throats.
The second, she scattered the chance for Aeonhood across the cosmos. And this time, she had directly incited infighting between two major IPC departments, allegedly wiping out a director and a slew of core backbone members in the process.
Since its founding, when had the Interastral Peace Corporation ever suffered such a blow?
The kicker was that she hadn't even personally intervened; she just watched for a bit and handed over a clown mask. Such conduct was truly worthy of the name Elation.
Furthermore, because this new Aeon was easy on the eyes—certainly much better looking than Aha—the rumors grew more wild by the day.
Some even predicted the IPC would dissolve entirely the next time she showed up, forcing the Corporation to issue even more public debunkings.
--+--
Kafka laughed out loud upon hearing these rumors. From what she knew via Elio and Jingliu, while these rumors were absurd, they somehow managed to hit the mark.
The fact that the clueless IPC had to go out of their way to "clear the air" was simply comical.
"By the way, Jingliu, given your relationship with her, why not ask for an Emanator title just for fun?"
Kafka looked toward Jingliu, who was always immersed in her cultivation. She was curious why someone so hungry for power wouldn't just ask an old friend.
"The power of Elation does not suit me." Jingliu found it hard to imagine herself wielding such strength.
"Mm, I suppose. I never thought Bai Ming felt particularly 'elated' either."
Kafka's impression of Bai Ming was that she was a serious person—someone who might act on a whim if things got interesting, but whose core was quite grounded.
"She is special, after all. Aside from her, I've never seen anyone capable of using the powers of so many different Paths." Jingliu looked at Kafka and smiled.
"If you and I obtain power by following a Path, then Bai Ming is the only one in this world who truly commands the Paths."
As for the Aeons, they were the founders and practitioners; the Paths opened because of them.
The idea that Aeons were bound by their Paths was a case of putting the cart before the horse. Yet, even then, it was hard to say an Aeon stood "above" the Path itself.
Only Bai Ming was different.
She didn't follow, and she didn't believe; she simply chose to master.
She was truly one of a kind.
Jingliu knew she couldn't do what Bai Ming did. If she were graced by the power of Elation, she feared she would be consumed by it.
--+--
While the Stellaron Hunters discussed this, Jing Yuan could only offer a bitter smile upon hearing the news.
"Madam Bai Ming... you're going to make those old fossils tremble again."
The reputation of the Elation Path was mixed at best—largely uncontrollable and unpredictable.
Even putting aside the status of an Aeon, cooperating or forming deep ties with such an entity was a stressful endeavor. Adding the "Aeon" label only made it more daunting.
"The IPC has its internal struggles, but it's not like the Xianzhou Alliance is free of vermin either..." Jing Yuan didn't doubt Bai Ming's goodwill toward him.
He just worried her methods would be too erratic. The upside was a swift resolution; the downside was a massive headache during the aftermath.
The thought of being nearly a thousand years old and still having to worry about this made Jing Yuan want to put on a "mask of pain" of his own.
"This won't do. I really need to speed up the search for a successor."
Jing Yuan had a premonition that a lot of overtime was waiting for him. If he didn't want to work himself into an early grave, he needed an heir, fast.
"Sigh, maybe I should find a chance to ask Madam Bai Ming for advice? With her insight, she might help me pick out a promising seed."
He then remembered that General Xuanquan was planning a visit soon. Perhaps he could hitch a ride?
"Hmm... but the payment is a tricky issue. I wonder if Madam Bai Ming would be interested in the Lightning Lord?"
In his distress, Jing Yuan actually started considering bartering away his Spiritus.
The Lightning-Lord dwelling within him: "???"
--+--
Elsewhere, Celenova had been feeling a bit despondent lately.
She had even left the expansion of the Legion to that big oaf while she spent her days staring blankly into space.
Her colleagues knew why. Bai Ming had become an existence that Celenova might never reach in her lifetime.
At the end of the day, Celenova's focus was on Harmony, while Bai Ming had ascended to Elation—the kind of work that belonged to Finality.
For someone determined to defeat Bai Ming, this was a bitter pill to swallow.
Initially, Celenova thought it was just one of Aha's jokes.
After all, the "Phantasmoon Games" had been played many times. But as Bai Ming manifested her power time and time again—with the intervals lasting far longer than a mere minute—Celenova realized the truth.
Aha had played it for real this time!
Especially seeing how even the IPC had been toyed with recently, Celenova understood clearly that the other woman now wielded a power beyond her comprehension.
Miss Celenova was truly feeling "blocked up" now.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL