After listening to Herman's words, Jade came to an understanding. "So the energy called psionics can only be cultivated within the Warp, and cannot be practiced in the real world."
Herman gave a slight nod.
Jade showed a hint of regret. "I thought, Miss Herta, that you had opened up a new path that all beings across the cosmos could walk."
"The current me cannot, but the future me can." A faint smile curved at Herman's lips. "Psionics and the Warp are merely an experiment of mine for now."
"Understood. I look forward to you developing more technologies in the future to cooperate with the IPC. In that case, I will take my leave for now and report back to my superior."
"Wait. Since you're going to make a report, you might as well include some more useful intelligence."
Jade paused for a moment, then seemed to realize something. "Miss Herta... this time, you didn't only research the Warp and psionics, did you?"
"I am Herta, after all. Don't underestimate me." Herman smiled faintly and raised a finger, pointing toward a massive tree beyond the Warp gateway.
"A tree?" Jade asked, puzzled. "Could it be something like the tree you planted in the Yongmei Star System—something with effects similar to the Abundance trees?"
"No. The effects of the two trees are vastly different..." Herman did not keep her guessing and explained how the Devil Tree grew by absorbing emotional energy, along with the specific abilities of Devil Fruits.
Jade's pupils trembled violently. "Miss Herta... you mean that by eating a fruit, one can obtain extraordinary power—and that power is condensed from the fantasies of all living beings? Based on your description, eating the Logia-type Flame-Flame Fruit would allow one to transform into fire and even generate and manipulate heat for attacks?"
"Correct."
"Incredible." After the shock, Jade sighed. "In this universe, acquiring power originally requires walking a Path... Even the psionic energy you've just developed requires cultivation, memorizing formulas, and possessing special aptitude within the soul."
"But Devil Fruits are different. Simply by eating one, you gain power." At this point, Jade spoke seriously to Herta. "If information about Devil Fruits were exposed, the outside world would rush to purchase them. After all, this is something that allows one to step into the extraordinary."
Herman nodded slightly in agreement. "There's one more thing I didn't mention—Devil Fruits possess uniqueness."
"Uniqueness? In that case, their price should be set even higher." Jade asked earnestly, "Herta, do you intend to sell Devil Fruits? If you do, I can guarantee they will fetch extremely high prices."
"Not for now. I still need time to study their fundamental nature." Herta paused briefly before continuing, "Once I'm done researching, they can be sold."
"Moreover, there are several fruits quite suitable for employees of the Interastral Peace Corporation—for example, the Diamond Fruit."
"Diamond?"
Herman smiled and nodded. "Yes. As the name suggests, the one who eats it can transform into a diamond human."
Hearing this, Jade felt the fruit would be highly suitable for her superior, Diamond.
At that moment, Herman continued as if listing dishes, mentioning defensive Devil Fruits such as the Barrier Fruit and the Fortress Fruit.
The more Jade listened, the more tempted she became. "Miss Herta, if you ever decide to sell these special Devil Fruits, please be sure to contact the IPC."
Herman nodded slightly in agreement. Then he sensed a star skiff approaching from afar.
Focusing his gaze, he saw that piloting it was a Vidyadhara woman—Lingsha.
Why had she come here?
As Herman pondered this, the star skiff halted at the edge of The Blue star system. The cockpit glass opened, and Lingsha removed her pilot helmet before bowing respectfully to Herman.
"Miss Herta, I am Lingsha, envoy of the Xianzhou Alliance, here on behalf of the Xianzhou Luofu to pay a visit."
Herman asked curiously, "What does the Xianzhou Alliance want with me?"
"I am the stationed envoy on The Blue. I witnessed the abnormal phenomenon earlier in its entirety, which is why I have come to inquire."
"I see."
A look of understanding flashed in Herman's eyes, but he had no intention of explaining everything again. He raised the Herta Magic Wand in his hand and lightly tapped it toward Lingsha, casting a special Honkai-side spell.
The origin of this spell came from a Honkai Beast, somewhat similar to the Herrscher of Sentience, capable of sharing portions of information with others.
Thus, everything Herman had explained to Jade was fully conveyed to Lingsha. She learned about the Warp, psionics, and even Devil Fruits.
After receiving the information, Lingsha was profoundly shaken.
The afterlife world—the Warp—allowed deceased beings to live again in the form of souls.
If ordinary people could do so, what about the long-life species of the Xianzhou—or even a Vidyadhara like herself?
Without hesitation, Lingsha asked Herta this question directly.
"The long-life species of the Xianzhou can enter the Warp, but there is little necessity for them to do so," Herman replied calmly. "After all, their lifespan ranges from eight hundred to a thousand years, and they do not die afterward, but instead fall into mara."
"And once mara sets in, it affects not only the physical body but also the soul, making it impossible to regain clarity."
"More importantly, even if clarity were somehow restored, they would only live for a few more decades. For the long-life species, a few decades is merely the blink of an eye—some students wouldn't even manage to graduate within that time."
Hearing this, Lingsha felt that Herta's reasoning made sense. For the long-life species, whether they entered the Warp for a second life or not was largely irrelevant—they already lived long enough.
Thus, Lingsha asked a second key question: could Vidyadhara souls enter the Warp?
Herman followed her line of thought. "That is indeed an interesting question. Vidyadharas undergo rebirth through molting, shedding their former selves and giving rise to new selves and new personalities. For the newly born Vidyadhara, past memories are like watching a film—they cannot truly relate to them."
"If, at the moment of a Vidyadhara's rebirth, the old self—the soul—were transferred into the Warp in advance, while the physical body undergoes the rebirth process..."
Lingsha asked anxiously, "What would happen?"
"I don't know. But it is a research project worth exploring. It would require the cooperation of the Vidyadhara."
Herman said seriously, "There are two possible outcomes. One is that after the old self enters the Warp, the reborn body gives rise to a new soul. That would mean the old self and the new self are fundamentally two different personalities—two different souls."
"If, however, after rebirth the body does not produce a new soul, then it would mean that the old and new selves are, in essence, the same being—the same soul, merely without inherited memories... and that would represent a form of true soul-level immortality."
Herman looked toward Lingsha. "This is indeed a project worth researching—but it requires the support of the Vidyadhara."
After hearing Herman's words, Lingsha's heart trembled.
At the moment of molting, sending the soul into the Warp!
Using this method to determine whether the old and new selves of a Vidyadhara are truly the same person—whether they have achieved immortality of the soul, of the true spirit!
What a bold idea!!
Lingsha took a deep breath and spoke seriously to Herta. "Whether this experiment should proceed, I will need to contact the Vidyadhara elders—and even the Marshal of the Alliance—so they can deliberate and decide."
Herman nodded. "This experiment concerns the secrets of the Vidyadhara cycle of rebirth. It may even touch upon how the Path of Permanence acts upon the Vidyadhara race—whether it grants immortality of the body or immortality of the soul. It does require caution."
Lingsha nodded solemnly in agreement. Then she seemed to think of something else and asked, "Miss Herta, I still have a question. Among the Devil Fruits, are there any types suitable for our Vidyadhara race?"
"Of course. For example, the Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Azure Dragon form." Herman spoke calmly. "As the name suggests, by eating this fruit, one can transform into a dragon. Of course, the dragon here refers only to the kind recognized in common understanding—not the Permanence dragon lineage."
"Transform into a dragon just by eating a fruit—how marvelous!" Lingsha's eyes lit up. She spoke words similar to Jade's. "Miss Herta, if you plan to sell Devil Fruits in the future, please consider reserving the Fish-Fish Fruit—and related fruits—for the Xianzhou Alliance."
"Of course. After all, we are partners." Herman agreed without hesitation.
"Thank you." Lingsha smiled in gratitude. Then she stepped aside and quickly reported all information regarding the Warp, psionics, Devil Fruits, and the Vidyadhara soul-transfer experiment to the Xianzhou Luofu's Divine Foresight General, Jing Yuan.
Upon receiving the message, Jing Yuan—who had seemed like a drowsy cat—instantly lost his lazy demeanor. His eyes snapped wide open.
It had only been a few days, yet Herta had already developed something as incredible as the Warp.
And the energy called psionics was equally extraordinary.
Although it could not be cultivated in the real world, Herta had never said it could not be used there. The psionic lightning she unleashed in The Blue star system, as well as the massive psionic hand manipulating the sun, moon, and stars, all proved this point.
More importantly, according to Lingsha's report, Herta had said that emotional energy could not yet be gathered on a large scale in the real world... largely because the Warp was still in its infancy and had not fully matured.
If this dimension were to grow and eventually cover the cosmos, then emotional energy could be collected by the Warp. At that point, individuals with aptitude would also be able to cultivate psionics in the real world.
At that time... as the ruler of the Warp, Herta might possess power approaching that of the Aeons themselves—drawing close to entities such as the Reignbow Arbiter, the Firmamend Arbiter, or the Ruin Author.
However, reaching that stage would require an unimaginably long time.
After all, the number of galaxies in the cosmos was simply too vast—countless beyond measure.
For the Warp to cover so many worlds, would it take one Amber Era millennium—or four?
Jing Yuan pondered deeply. In the end, he stepped forward and headed toward Scalegorge Waterscape. He needed to meet the current High Elder and discuss the Warp soul experiment.
...
Meanwhile, in The Blue star system, Herman heard Herta's voice within his mind.
"I've completed research on the Paramecia-type Devil Fruit—the Brain-Brain Fruit!"
Herman was momentarily stunned. He closed his eyes and replied inwardly in surprise, "You've already developed the Brain-Brain Fruit to its awakened state?"
Herta's response carried an air of complete confidence. "Of course."
Herman grew even more astonished. "But it's only been such a short time."
Herta let out a soft snort. "Don't underestimate me. I am Herta. And don't forget—after consuming the Brain-Brain Fruit, my research points increased by an entire stage. Combined with the Universal Genius buff and the Simulated Laboratory environment, my fruit development speed is naturally extremely fast."
Hearing this, Herman could not help but feel curious. "So what abilities does the awakened Brain-Brain Fruit have?"
Herta replied, "If you want to know, just use it. After all, my body is currently under your control. Since I've completed the awakening, you naturally understand it instinctively."
Herman said nothing further. Instead, he focused and activated: Brain-Brain Fruit Awakening!
In an instant, an invisible radiance emerged from the tip of Herman's pointed hat. At that moment, he felt his mind become incomparably clear.
More importantly, that glow of wisdom began to spread outward in all directions as the fruit awakened.
For example, Jade—who had not yet left—suddenly felt her thinking speed increase dramatically. Even the operations of the pawnshops she remotely managed accelerated, with customer reception and transaction efficiency improving significantly.
As for Lingsha, when illuminated by the radiance of wisdom, she felt her mind become clear. Problems in alchemy that had long puzzled her suddenly became simple and comprehensible.
Although neither Jade nor Lingsha knew the cause of these changes, they seized the opportunity and quickly turned their thoughts toward solving their respective problems...
Meanwhile, Herman performed an appraisal on himself.
Herman, master of the Research System.
Research Points: 101.
Herman paused in slight surprise. He had never used points to enhance his research capacity—his total should have remained at 1.
Yet now it had become 101. The additional hundred points, unsurprisingly, came from the awakened Brain-Brain Fruit—the group buff known as the Wisdom Halo.
It could share one's intelligence with others.
What an overpowered ability.
If this enhancement were applied to someone like Dr. Ratio, or a researcher within the Intelligentsia Guild whose intellect was already close to genius level, it could produce a qualitative transformation—granting them genius-level intelligence for the duration of the Wisdom Halo.
An artificially created cosmic-level genius, one qualified to join the Genius Society.
Moreover, according to Herman's knowledge as a transmigrator, this universe possessed items that could increase luck—such as the Fortune Glue developed by Herta—and even indestructible items like the galactic baseball bat.
Yet there had never been a single item capable of increasing intelligence.
And now, with Herta having completed the awakening of the Brain-Brain Fruit, she could generate a wisdom-enhancing aura. She had effectively become a humanoid Curio.
If this information were revealed, it would shake the cosmos. Countless individuals would rush to The Blue star system to visit her—so many that they would wear down Herta's doorstep.
Without a doubt, Herta had once again achieved something unprecedented in this universe.
A legendary achievement so extraordinary that even Aeons would cast their gaze upon her.
And in truth... Herman's speculation was entirely correct. At this very moment, several Aeons were already observing Herta from higher dimensions.