The left Herta shot a glare at Asta and Herta #3156. "Asta! Herta #3156 said that on purpose. Are you also unable to tell truth from falsehood? Have you forgotten? You're the station master of my space station. You don't even recognize me? Don't expect me to help you fulfill that wish of yours in the future."
Asta immediately fell silent and quietly retreated behind Ruan Mei.
The right Herta spoke sharply. "Asta! Don't let Sparkle intimidate you. I am the real Herta."
"I am Herta! You impostor!"
The two Hertas resumed their endless squabbling. Asta, at a loss, sighed and looked at Ruan Mei. "Madam Ruan Mei, no one at the space station seems able to tell which is the real Madam Herta. Should we go back to the Luofu?"
Ruan Mei remained silent. If no one here could tell, going to the Luofu would likely be just as hopeless. Perhaps seeking an audience with Nous would provide the answer.
"Herta, seek an audience with Nous."
Both Hertas froze, staring wide-eyed at Ruan Mei. "What? Because of this fake Masked Fool Sparkle, we have to go see Machine Head?!"
The other Herta echoed. "No, absolutely not! I, Madam Herta, have my dignity! How could I go to Machine Head over a mere fool like Sparkle?"
Ruan Mei looked at them coldly. "Then, Madam Herta, do you have a way to make Sparkle, blessed so exceptionally by Aha, voluntarily reveal herself?"
The two Hertas exchanged glances. She was right. Aha's blessing this time was absurdly powerful, and with Sparkle possessing all of Yu Qingtu's memories, finding a flaw in her was nearly impossible.
"Ruan Mei, what if the Aeon of Elation shows up when we go to see Machine Head? What do we do then?"
"Yes, Ruan Mei. You know better than anyone that I dislike unpredictable, uncontrollable events. If Aha appears, all kinds of complications will follow."
Ruan Mei shot them a cold glance. She now half-suspected that both Hertas were Sparkle, both too proud to face Nous.
"Then, Herta, what are your chances of completely defeating Sparkle, who has been fully blessed by Aha?"
Both Hertas answered in unison. "Nine out of ten!"
Ruan Mei held her head. She didn't know what to say. They had already fought at full strength for nearly a month without any result, while several surrounding star systems had been affected. Without her intervention to mitigate the impact, the destruction could have exceeded that of a Lord Ravager.
The left Herta sneered arrogantly. "Ruan Mei, trust me this once. I will crush this Sparkle!"
The right Herta snorted coldly. "Heh. Sparkle, your Path power is almost exhausted, and you still boast?"
"Still pretending? Sparkle, let's see how much longer you can keep up this act."
Ruan Mei held her head and coughed lightly. "Fine. I'll give you three days to settle this. If not, we seek an audience with Nous."
Both Hertas nodded in unison. They summoned their magic keys and once again unleashed their terrifying Emanator Path powers.
---
Day One.
Representatives from the Xianzhou Luofu, Yaoqing, and Zhuming all came to observe. The clash of the two Hertas severely affected the three ships' campaigns against Abundance remnants, normal trade, and many other matters.
Fu Xuan and Qingque, Yukong, Huaiyan, Jing Yuan, and Feixiao all arrived in person.
Yunli, who had come with Huaiyan, watched the two Emanators destroying heaven and earth—effortlessly smashing planets and affecting entire star systems.
She glanced at Ruan Mei. "Two Madam Hertas... I wonder if Madam Ruan Mei will—"
"Ow!" Before she could finish, Fu Xuan rapped Qingque on the head and cut her off. "Don't talk nonsense!"
Yunli couldn't help but remark, "Sigh. Before, Madam Herta asked me to challenge her. Thank goodness I went to fight Yanqing instead. Otherwise, it would have been suicide. And back then, I told Madam Ruan Mei, 'Thirty years east, thirty years west.' Now I realize how foolish, how naive I was. Seeing Madam Herta and Madam Ruan Mei is like a mayfly seeing the sky—a mayfly trying to shake a giant tree."
Yanqing, standing beside Jing Yuan, looked down in silence. Normally, he might have said something to comfort Yunli, but now, witnessing the battle of the two Hertas, he understood: even that woman's sword that illuminated ten thousand rivers might be supreme on the Xianzhou, but in the vast universe, it was but a drop in the ocean. There were always stronger beings—Emanators beyond Emanators, and Aeons beyond imagination.
"General Jing Yuan, will the other three Generals come as well?"
Jing Yuan, without his usual lazy smile, looked up at the battling Hertas with a grave expression. "Yes. They will. And others will come too."
Yanqing was surprised. "Others?"
Jing Yuan nodded but said nothing more.
---
Day Two.
Topaz and Jade from the Interastral Peace Corporation, two Memokeepers from the Garden of Recollection, and the remaining Xianzhou Generals arrived one after another.
Topaz looked around. Many Emanator-level beings were present, all intently observing the battle.
"Sigh. Last time I went to collect a debt from Madam Herta, I never imagined she was this ridiculously powerful."
Jade smiled faintly. "Topaz, you didn't think Madam Herta was only on par with Diamond, did you?"
Topaz nodded sheepishly. Even at her level, she was like a frog at the bottom of a well compared to Herta.
"Is that cold, elegant, ancient-looking figure in the green robe the legendary Madam Ruan Mei?"
Jade looked at Ruan Mei in the distance and nodded. "Yes. Why? You want to meet her? Her personality is supposed to be just as terrible as Herta's."
Topaz put down her ledger and shook her head with a smile. "Not really. Just curious. They say Herta and Ruan Mei have an unusual relationship."
Jade raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? Go on."
"Just imagine—if they were to get together, with Ruan Mei being an absolute genius in the life sciences, what kind of terrifying existence would their child be?"