Luo Lin looked at the familiar figures not far away. She felt a wave of emotion.
Ragnar had already donned the [Scarlet Fusion], and seated in the captain's designated command chair. Several holographic screens floated around her, displaying various data and images, dazzling the onlookers.
As for the other esteemed guest, Bianka Durandal Ataegina, her appearance was quite familiar to Luo Lin:
The [Bright Knight - Excelsis] blue and white armored suit emitted a slightly matte fluorescent glow, complemented by her golden, naturally curly hair. She resembled a knight straight out of legend, emanating a heroic aura.
However, it seemed that Bianka had been staring at her intently for a while now, which made Luo Lin feel somewhat uneasy.
What could she be thinking?
The golden-haired knight seemed to realize something was amiss. She nodded slightly, raised her hand, and smoothed her bangs, drawing Luo Lin's attention to the golden circular device on her wrist.
—This is the [Moon Ring]!
Bianka had already begun using it so quickly; Otto's efficiency was truly impressive!
Next was the head of the Far East Branch, the wise and valiant Valkyrie, Judah... uh, Theresa Apocalypse.
Since Theresa was engrossed in reading the data on the holographic screen with her back to the door, the first thing Luo Lin noticed was the very noticeable golden cross, almost overshadowing the school principal.
Theresa sensed something and quickly turned around.
"Luo Lin, you're here!"
She was clad in a Dark and gold-trimmed nun's habit, which looked somewhat out of place compared to the fully armed or uniformed Valkyries on the bridge.
Luo Lin quickly strode to the center of the bridge and nodded to them, "Captain, Lady Durandal, Lady Theresa..."
The school principal gestured, "Alright, Luo Lin, tell us what exactly happened here—preferably from the beginning, as you didn't provide much detail in the additional report you gave me."
Theresa glanced at the screen and spoke, "Currently, [Chiyou]'s status is still relatively stable, so we have a few minutes to spare."
"Yeah, Captain Ragnar gave me some clues about the ancient Shenzhou relic, [Chiyou]. I went to investigate the relics of the Immortal on Mount Taixu..."
When the black-haired girl said this, Fu Hua next to her instinctively touched her nose again.
—Uh, are they already using the term "relics" to describe my old home?
Luo Lin quickly glossed over the process of finding clues (getting distracted) on Mount Taixu and briefly mentioned the existence of the Anti-Honkai Energy Array, laying the groundwork for the discovery of the array in [Chiyou].
Ragnar was taken aback, "There's still an Anti-Honkai Energy Array left by the Immortal Jingwei on Mount Taixu? How did you find it?"
Luo Lin spread out her hands, and the translucent energy gathered in her palm, "I know the Edge of Taixuan passed down by Jingwei. With this technique, I can find many hidden things on Mount Taixu."
Theresa nodded and recorded this information on her personal terminal, "This is an interesting piece of news. We can send someone to investigate further, and if there's a way to replicate it, even better... Continue."
The girl nodded and detailed her actions after arriving near the coast of Shenzhou, finding three poorly conditioned golden swords, judging the unstable seal of [Chiyou], and entering to investigate the situation...
Whitley also occasionally supplemented some details she saw, allowing the people on the Hyperion to understand the situation better.
After that, Dark Jixuanyuan broke out of the seal and fought with the team. Dark Jixuanyuan attempted to destroy the Dark Xuanyuan Sword to break the seal but was kicked by Luo Lin and had the long sword snatched away. She took advantage of this opportunity to quickly escape...
Ragnar was shocked, "Jixuanyuan? Is she the warrior mentioned in the ancient books, who fought against [Chiyou] in ancient times... Is she still alive?"
"I can't say for sure whether her condition counts as alive, but she does seem lively—and her hostility is very obvious. She has a clear intention to lift the seal of [Chiyou]."
As Luo Lin said this, she glanced at Fu Hua deliberately—Jingwei's gaze was complex, and her aura gradually condensed, causing Himeko standing beside her to unconsciously shift her feet.
"But, Jixuanyuan showed some abnormal behavior during our battle."
Recalling her previous experience, the girl propped her chin and said, "I weakened her during the battle, and before she fled, Jixuanyuan briefly lost control, slapped herself, and told me to hurry up and kill her..."
Theresa made a bewildered sound, "Huh? Does that mean she still has a conscience?"
Luo Lin shrugged and said, "Maybe this is the key clue to defeating her... Oh, and this is the Dark Xuanyuan Sword I snatched away."
The Dark-haired Valkyrie took out the broken Divine Key, looking a bit helpless, "After the Anti-Honkai Energy Array was destroyed, it was also damaged."
"This sword... Wait a moment... This is a Divine Key!"
Theresa, the holder of the Divine Key [Oath of Judah], immediately noticed that the material of this sword was unusual.
As she touched it and inputted a bit of Honkai energy, she confirmed that it was Soulium. Moreover, there was a very obvious neural feedback link. However, because the sword was damaged, the linking function was completely broken, leaving only a slight sensation.
But this sensation was very familiar, allowing Theresa to immediately confirm the identity of the Black Xuanyuan Sword.
Bianka, Ragnar, Himeko, and Whitley all had their expressions change instantly.
The Valkyries naturally knew what the famous Divine Keys were, and Bianka even wielded [Creation Key - Dark Abyss White Flower]. Like Theresa, they were well aware of the power of the Divine Keys.
The school principal's face turned unusually pale, holding the broken sword as if she had lost her soul: "The Divine Key... is broken."
In Theresa's impression, whether it was [Dark Abyss White Flower], [Judgement of Shamash], [Oath of Judah], or even [Void Archives] in Otto's hands (Theresa had been taken to see this by her grandfather)...
Divine Keys were very sturdy and durable. They should be fine even after a confrontation with the Herrscher of Thunder or the Herrscher of the Void.
"Increase the danger level of [Chiyou] and this [Dark Jixuanyuan] you mentioned. A Honkai Beast capable of destroying Divine Keys cannot be underestimated!"
Theresa immediately issued the command, then held the broken Dark Xuanyuan Sword with a despondent look, murmuring, "I don't know which Divine Key this is. Sigh, I'll take it back and let Grandpa see if it can be repaired..."
Luo Lin and Fu Hua exchanged a glance, momentarily unsure of what to say.
Both of them were users of the [Dominion Keys] and knew that as "mass-produced" items, their quality was far inferior to the other Divine Keys.
Moreover, they were extremely fragile when not successfully "matched" to the corresponding user. Even a collision with a more powerful Honkai Beast could cause damage.
Fu Hua leaned in and whispered, "Did you get the sword?"
Luo Lin tapped her hand back, and a slightly metallic sound reached Jingwei's ears: "I got it. I can use it, but it turned into a sleeve."
Fu Hua: "?"
Although Fu Hua wasn't sure what Luo Lin meant by "sleeve," she understood that Luo Lin had obtained a [Key of Dominion] and successfully completed the "matching," transforming it into the form she needed.
Finally, Fu Hua stepped forward and explained to the others with a serious expression.
"Oh... " Theresa's eyes flickered, quickly realizing something. "The Anti-Honkai Energy Array is formed by the Divine Keys, so there should also be [Dominion Keys] on Mount Taixu! We need to seize the opportunity to collect them all!"
Fu Hua coughed, "Uh, this matter needs to be discussed with Archbishop Otto. As far as I know, Otto has cooperated with the Jingwei... It's not good to just take away everything left by people."
The school principal looked at Fu Hua with amazed eyes, "You know a lot. No wonder you're a Valkyrie directly under Otto! Luo Lin too... Well, what happened next?"
"Next..." Luo Lin hesitated. Seeing the difficulty on her face, Ragnar pondered.
After a while, she snapped her fingers, instructing Himeko and Whitley, "Himeko, take Whitley to rest first. Luo Lin, stay here. We have more questions."
Himeko was a little surprised. She noticed the old captain wink at her, understanding, and then led Whitley out of the bridge.
Ragnar looked around, fingers tapping, and a layer of glass-like shield quickly rose, enveloping the group, isolating the noisy sounds and gazes on the bridge.
The old captain spoke leisurely, "Alright, Luo Lin, now everyone here has the authority. Can you tell us more?"
"Impressive, Captain." Luo Lin couldn't help but admire Ragnar's keen perception in dealing with people. She turned to Fu Hua and asked, "Do you have any concerns, I'll explain. Is it ok?"
"...?" Everyone's gaze focused on Fu Hua, looking somewhat puzzled.
Fu Hua squinted, "You mean?"
"Identity and the like." Luo Lin gestured, "After all, some things require verification from Book of Fuxi."
Fu Hua pondered for a while about the agreement she had reached with Otto a long time ago— The Archbishop of Schicksal did not restrict her from revealing her true identity.
However, because of the name Jingwei, a little effort in investigation could reveal unclear connections with the previous era... and many of the current technologies of Schicksal, apart from Otto's own efforts, were also "gifts" from the previous era.
If other people found out that Fu Hua was someone who had lived since the previous era, who knows what they might do... Research, spar, inquire, it would be troublesome to think about.
Fu Hua knew that she didn't like being "researched," but she couldn't remember the specific reasons.
Ask Otto? He had openly researched it a long time ago.
Moreover, the Overseer still held the database of pre-era technology, [Void Archivez], containing the Meta-morph surgery technology on Fu Hua, so there was no need to bother the Jingwei.
What he needed more was Fu Hua's combat power and friendship.
Fu Hua blinked, "... No, go ahead."
"Good." Luo Lin nodded and addressed the others, "After Dark Jixuanyuan escaped, I asked the Herrscher of Sentience to track her down..."
Just as Fu Hua had been prepared to reveal her identity, she suddenly stumbled and almost fell in the ground.
Bianka Durandal made a strange sound, turning into a dumbfounded goose, "What?"
Theresa's mouth fell open, "Huh?"
Ragnar covered her head, sucking in a breath of cold air, "You... "