It was like waking from a grand dream.
When everyone awoke, pink mist immediately enveloped their surroundings.
By the time the mist dispersed once more, they found themselves standing beside a stream. Qingniao, Zhang Shou, and Gong Qian had all chosen the Future Mushroom, and the three immediately huddled together to discuss what each of them had seen. To their surprise, their dreamed futures were worlds apart—entirely three different worldlines.
Little Nora, meanwhile, was sprawled on the grass, thumping the ground with bitter regret. "I wasn't even full yet!" she grumbled dejectedly. "Dammit, I woke up way too fast!"
"Big Brother, I had an epiphany about the hundred and eight seasonings for barbecue!" Little Huangquan trotted over, sat down next to Yu Xian, and looked up at him, beaming with delight.
Cold sweat instantly broke out across Yu Xian's forehead. Forcing a smile, he said, "Then I'll really look forward to Little Huangquan's next barbecue!"
He truly hadn't expected her to squander an epiphany on something like this. It seemed there was no way he could teach her cooking himself; he would have to send her to a proper culinary academy. Only at an accredited school could she truly be nurtured into a master chef.
"Xiong Da, what did you pick?" Shui Yuetian asked as she kneaded Xiong Da's chubby, bulging belly.
Xiong Da pulled an apple from his storage ring, gave it a quick wipe, popped it into his mouth, and mumbled around it, "The Epiphany Mushroom, of course."
Lazy and gluttonous though he was, and round enough to pass for a ball, he had actually been training diligently all along. His gains from this epiphany were immense: he had deduced and elevated the Rocket Blazing Bear Art to a whole new level. Now all he needed was to cultivate step by step.
"Guests, we're here!"
"Heave-ho, heave-ho, heave-ho..."
"So heavy! Stinky Mushroom, are you slacking off again?"
"I'm a mushroom, I'm a mushroom, I'm a mushroom! Yay!"
Just then, the mushroom people returned. Some carried fruit on their backs, others shouldered drinks, and several teamed up to haul tableware. Once they had brought everything before Yu Xian and his companions, the little mushroom folk sat down on the grass to rest, as if they had just accomplished some momentous feat.
"Thanks for your hard work," Shui Yuetian said, cradling a little mushroom person in her hands with a warm smile.
Just then, she noticed Nora nearby. Following Nora's gaze, she saw Yu Xian conversing with Little Huangquan, and a secretive smile crept onto her lips.
Sure enough, the movie hadn't lied—there really was something going on between those two.
That pleasant, exotic fragrance wafted in once more. Dressed in a garment resembling a qipao, Niman glided over gracefully. With a faint smile, she asked, "Honored guests, are you satisfied with our shop's service?"
As she uttered the last few words, her gaze deliberately settled upon Yu Xian.
More precisely, upon his mouth.
As a naturally born deity—and a singular Creator God at that—she did not kiss just anyone. Had it not been to plunge Yu Xian into an epiphany as quickly as possible, she could have taken a gentler approach, slowly guiding him into the state using her abilities. The trouble was that taking the scenic route took time—nearly half an hour. With Zhenwo Changjing standing right there, Niman naturally hadn't wanted to wait. So she had kissed Yu Xian, leveraging her unique constitution to induce an epiphany directly.
Come to think of it, this was her first time kissing a human. In the past, she had kissed mushroom folk to bestow blessings upon them. Yet even among the mushroom folk she created, exceedingly few ever received her blessing. What was more... mushroom people had no gender at all, just as she originally had none. Only after arriving at Crescent Bay had she followed her true inclinations to present herself as a woman. She loved creating life and watching her creations slowly grow, which was no different from being a mother.
"Satisfied, of course! It's been ages since I had such a wonderful dream," Shui Yuetian replied with a laugh.
Little Nora dearly wanted to say she wasn't satisfied, but her mouth was already stuffed full of the food brought by the mushroom folk, so she had no choice but to drop it.
The others also voiced their polite satisfaction. Only Nora's eyes shifted back and forth between Yu Xian and Niman. She keenly sensed that the way Niman had looked at Yu Xian just now was anything but normal.
Through her prophetic dream, she knew that Niman would definitely join Yu Xian's team.
Chances were, Niman already had her sights set on Yu Xian right now.
Nora even suspected that the reason Yu Xian never returned to Earth might have been because Niman was at his side.
A rival in love!
The phrase suddenly surfaced in Nora's mind.
Her fists clenched secretly. A wave of confusion washed over her; having never once considered the concept of a rival in love, she had no idea what to do. Besides, this was all just her own speculation. What if she was wrong?
"Little sister, don't let prophetic dreams trouble you," Niman said. While Nora's thoughts were in utter disarray, Niman had quietly glided to her side. Leaning down, she whispered into Nora's ear, "A prophetic dream merely shows one possibility out of countless others. In truth, it's just a deduction, and its accuracy isn't nearly as high as you imagine. After all, we're in the place with the most variables of all—the Abyss!"
Having spoken, she straightened up and walked toward Yu Xian.
As Niman approached, Yu Xian asked curiously, "What did you say to Nora?"
He had noticed Nora's strange mood, but after Niman leaned in and said something, Nora's composure had returned.
"Nothing much. Just some girl talk."
Niman sat down beside Yu Xian, flashing him an enigmatic smile.
Then, erecting an invisible spatial barrier around them, she said, "How about we make a deal?"
"What kind of deal?" Yu Xian glanced at the spatial barrier and asked.
Niman answered, "I want to join your team. However, my status must be second only to yours. If you're the guild leader, then I must be the vice leader. If you're the sect master, I'm the vice master. If you're the CEO, I'm the vice president. And as for what you gain—you get my loyalty!"
"Uh... about that... you might have misunderstood. The truth is, I don't have a team." Yu Xian gaped at Niman, taking a moment before finding his voice to explain.
Niman frowned. "No team? Then what are they...?"
After listening to Zhenwo Changjing's advice, she had specifically looked into Yu Xian's background, even digging up the movie about him on the net. After watching it, she had carefully analyzed his personality.
Knowing that Yu Xian disliked underhanded schemes, she had laid her cards on the table this time, opting for a straightforward, direct approach.
Yet Yu Xian was telling her he had no team and no faction?
"They're my friends," Yu Xian replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, glancing over at Zhang Shou and the others.
Niman was rendered completely speechless. Could Zhenwo Changjing have meant for her to become Yu Xian's friend—or even develop that kind of relationship?
Subconsciously, she glanced in Zhenwo Changjing's direction. But Zhenwo Changjing had no intention of looking at her at all, still smiling as she looked at Yu Xian, as though only Yu Xian was worthy of her gaze.
It really is like that!
Zhenwo Changjing's gaze only strengthened Niman's conviction.
She looked at Nora, silently offering her an apology in her heart. Her opportunity to break through to Cosmos Rank lay with Yu Xian. No matter who her rival was, she was going to fight for it.
Chapter 236