"No affix bubbles, and no collection items either..."
Arms crossed, Yaxiu surveyed the spoils of their hard-fought battle as he circled endlessly in midair. "How's everyone's soul energy looking?"
"A quarter." "A quarter." "Two-fifths."
Except for Weise, everyone's soul energy had been heavily drained.
Soul energy consumption depended on activity frequency, and aerial combat demanded far more activity than fighting on the ground. Clearing the previous five dream bubbles had only depleted fifty percent of their energy, yet this single dogfight had swallowed twenty-five percent.
Logically, they could still explore two more dream bubbles, but in practice, that wasn't how things worked. In the Sea of Knowledge and on the Time Continent, one could accurately estimate the energy required for combat and exploration; rarely did anyone abruptly run out of steam mid-battle.
Yet the Distant Sky Realm was different. If you encountered a dream bubble with an utterly absurd affix—like 'Invulnerable upon fulfilling a certain condition'—you would remain stuck forever if you couldn't crack it.
Combat in the Distant Sky Realm was like solving an exam paper while playing a round of high-stakes ping-pong in the pitch black. Fortunately, Yaxiu had drawn an operator whose expertise lay in intellectual problem-solving, sparing them from the fate of defeating every Void Realm creature only to remain stumped by the affixes. According to the Sword Princess, it was not uncommon for sorcerers to receive every hint and still fail to decipher them.
Even a Sword Saint like her professor Trozan, who could clear an average of six or seven bubbles alone in a single night, couldn't identify the affixes of every bubble. Whenever Trozan hit a wall, she simply moved on to the next—grabbing what points she could and skipping the questions she didn't know.
In the Distant Sky Realm, twenty percent soul energy was the lifeline; drop below that threshold, and it was time to consider calling it a night and going home to sleep.
Yaxiu opened the Void Realm map and considered their next move.
After reaching the Distant Sky Realm, the Void Realm map had revamped into a "route map." Upon clearing a dream bubble, Yaxiu could see general overviews of the bubbles connected to it, categorized into "Solo Journey," "Two to Go," "Three Together," and "Dream Come True."
Indeed, the Void Realm map classified bubbles not by difficulty, but by the number of affixes. "Solo Journey" meant a single affix, "Two to Go" meant two affixes, "Three Together" meant three affixes, and "Dream Come True" was unpredictable.
Although three-affix bubbles were generally harder than single-affix ones, single-affix bubbles could occasionally spawn utterly disgusting combinations, so one couldn't place blind faith in the map's classifications.
"Dream Come True" was the strangest of all: everything from one to three affixes had appeared under it, making it seem no different from the first three options. However, the Void Realm map never threw things out aimlessly, and given the team's current condition, intense exploration was ill-advised. Yaxiu thus picked a "Dream Come True" portal and stepped through.
The moment they entered, Yaxiu noticed this bubble's distinction—vibrant pillars of colored light soared into the sky across the town.
"What's going on?" Yaxiu asked. "Is this caused by an affix?"
"No!" Sonia said excitedly. "This is an illusory-real bubble specifically meant for yielding materials!"
Through the Sword Princess's explanation, Yaxiu learned that this was essentially the Distant Sky Realm's bonus stage.
There were no enemies in illusory-real bubbles. The points emitting pillars of light were all illusory-real materials—upgraded versions of the essence materials found on the Time Continent, but with an extra property: they could be brought back to reality.
All illusory-real materials could turn from illusion into reality!
Illusory-real materials didn't appear out of thin air. Instead, an object within the bubble had been infused with Void energy until it underwent a qualitative change—it could be a tree, a door, a cat, or even a gun. The earliest fantasy creations had been retrieved directly from dream bubbles.
Sorcerers could choose to use them personally or feed them to sorcery spirits to induce evolution. On the Sword Princess's side, however, they were almost always kept for personal use; Bright Star had already developed a comprehensive manufacturing industry where every material could be put to optimal use, making feeding them to sorcery spirits an outright waste.
"Some illusory-real materials can never be replicated by creation sorcerers, no matter what; they can only be found in the Distant Sky Realm," Sonia said, clenching her fist. "For instance, Unremembered Wood can be crafted into wooden boxes that travel between the Void Realm and reality. With that, we'll be able to trade sorcery spirits in the Void Realm!"
Hearing this, Diya blinked.
Ever since the day she ascended to the throne as Empress, she had been trying to figure out how to bankrupt her empire and drain the national treasury to subsidize Yaxiu. Yet when she looked into it carefully, she discovered that even being a spendthrift tyrant was difficult.
She knew about Unremembered Wood, too. However, not a single speck of that illusory-real material existed in all of Gospel.
Or rather, illusory-real materials simply didn't exist anywhere in Gospel.
Because the Gospel Book purchased illusory-real materials at exorbitant prices, accompanied by the chance to 'weave the future'—a temptation virtually no sorcerer could resist.
Furthermore, illusory-real materials were merely icing on the cake. Gospel had enjoyed peace for so long that high-intensity battles practically never occurred in reality, leaving sorcerers with no need for equipment that enhanced real-world combat power. Thus, for over a thousand years, Gospel had never stockpiled any illusory-real materials.
Only after uncovering this information did Diya realize where the physical rewards distributed by the Gospel lists came from: the Omniscient Weaver wasn't conjuring things from nothing at all, but selecting suitable illusory-real materials and reprocessing them!
Consequently, even though the Yisu imperial family possessed numerous sorcery spirits, Diya could only use them on herself.
But if she could get her hands on Unremembered Wood, she would finally be able to give gifts to Yaxiu!
"Claiming ownership of an illusory-real material requires a significant amount of soul energy, roughly ten percent," Sonia noted. "Don't rush to take one; feel free to look around and see if there are better choices. However, dream bubbles run the risk of collapsing, so it's best to wrap up our selection within half an hour."
Weise: "Split up, then?"
Everyone nodded in agreement and scattered. This bubble's town appeared to be built atop the clouds. Although not as urbanized as Gospel, its streets were immaculate and its citizens in fine spirits. Vehicles were sparse; street performers played gentle tunes on bagpipes, children chased each other through the alleys, and the afternoon sunlight slanted across inverted triangular rooftops, suffusing the place with serene tranquility.
Diya followed the pillars of colored light in search of materials: 'A pocket watch that can halt all clocks in an area,' 'A sword guaranteed to snap, yet repairs itself after snapping,' 'A stone that automatically returns'... Most illusory-real materials were items imbued with idiosyncratic miracles. Finding something practical was rare, though reprocessing could bring out entirely new brilliance.
The Witch naturally prioritized trees, but she only managed to find 'A tree whose bark, when stuck to your face, makes others love kissing you.' Just as she was seriously contemplating whether to claim this material, Yaxiu's voice suddenly spoke behind her: "Are you thinking of picking this one?"
"Ah! Ah! Ah!" The Witch spun around in fright, shaking her head vigorously as she dragged Yaxiu forward. "No, I haven't decided yet! Spectator, why did you come over here?"
"Because everyone split up, and I saw a rare opportunity," Yaxiu said with a smile. "I finally have time to be alone with you."
"Huh? Ah!" Diya blinked. Gazing at Yaxiu's earnest expression, the sisters in her mind erupted into a clamor of shrieks. In her daze, only one thought surfaced: *Thank goodness I didn't bring Lisi in tonight.*
"Did you need me... for something?"
"Can't I come see you without a reason?"
"Of course you can—hey, you're teasing me!" Seeing the amusement on Yaxiu's face, Diya gave him a light punch.
"Sorry, sorry. I guess hanging around a guy who loves picking on people every day rubbed off on me." Yaxiu cleared his throat with a couple of coughs, then suddenly produced a bag. "For you."
The Witch gingerly took the bag and drew out an exquisite black-and-white dress set, complete with shoes, shorts, and stockings.
She looked up at Yaxiu with a bewildered expression. Yaxiu coughed again. "This is a reward from a fortuitous encounter, a custom outfit made specifically for you. So I don't really know how it looks when worn. All I know is that if you wear it in the Void Realm, the effects of your water sorcery miracles are amplified by fifty percent in rainfall..."
Before he could finish, Diya had already spun around and changed into the outfit. Pirouetting before him, she asked, "Does it look nice?"
"It looks great!" Yaxiu clapped his hands. "The outfit is called 'Queen in the Rain'. It suits you perfectly."
"Thank you!" Diya pounced forward, hugging Yaxiu and spinning around twice, giggling merrily. "I'm so happy!"
"I'm glad you like it." Yaxiu ruffled her hair. "Well, I'm heading back to search for illusory-real materials. See you in a bit."
"See you in a bit!"
Once Yaxiu left, Diya found a clothing boutique and twirled in front of the mirror, preening admiringly. The more she looked, the more she loved it; it captured her usual fashion sense to perfection, leaving her feeling utterly giddy inside. He was giving her clothes today—she could hardly dare imagine what he would give her next!
Yet soon enough, a question raised by Black Butler instantly brought the witch sisters' blissful reverie to a halt:
*Didn't he say earlier that he had two gifts?*
......
...
Sonia pushed open an oak door. A crisp, pleasant chime rang out. The interior was spotless and tidy, filled with the melodious strains of exotic classical music. Behind the counter, a middle-aged shopkeeper was wiping glasses, while a scattering of patrons sipped their coffee and tended to their own affairs.
It was a café. She walked up to a table from which a pillar of colored light rose and checked the illusory-real material's details: 'A coffee table that keeps people from getting distracted while drinking coffee.'
Though it wasn't Unremembered Wood, it was an illusory-real material tied to the mind faction. With a bit of processing, it would fetch a tidy sum. If she truly had no other options, she could settle for this... Just as the country girl was mulling over the item's worth, the café chime sounded once more.
She looked up to see Yaxiu walk straight over and take a seat across from her.
"What a coincidence, you found this place too."
"Can it really be called a coincidence when you marched straight toward me?" Even as she said it, Sonia couldn't conceal the smile dancing in her eyes. "Decided on a material yet?"
"Not yet." Yaxiu glanced down at the coffee table. "This one looks pretty good."
"It is good, but do you have anywhere to process this table right now? You can't very well lug it around while chasing Silver Lantern, can you?"
"Then I could leave it with you for safekeeping, or sell it," Yaxiu replied offhandedly. "Or give it to Weise. She's never complained, but resources have always prioritized you and the Witch. Her contributions deserve greater rewards... We can't just take advantage of the honest and quiet ones."
Sonia nodded in agreement; she felt the same way. For a Sanctuary sorcerer, Weise was almost too docile and compliant. Moreover, she played a vital role in the Distant Sky Realm. Squeezing her for petty gains would be putting the cart before the horse; right now, slanting resources toward winning her over was the wiser course.
Even so, Sonia teased, "Then you can give her my share of the resources. After all, she's more useful than I am right now."
"No way. You're just as important."
"Important how?"
"Your burst damage is high, and you're still the vanguard our team can't do without."
"But Weise has mastered all the mainstream factions. If you give her the resources, she could become an assault vanguard too."
"Plus, you get along well with both the Witch and Weise. Whenever it's awkward for me to step in, I count on you to keep the team stable."
*My good relationship with the Witch is probably going to be a thing of the past...* Resting her chin on her right hand, Sonia pressed, "But Weise can do that too. Look around our team—who doesn't get along with her? She's smart, humble, and listens to you obediently. Wouldn't she be a better fit than me? Is there anything where it *has* to be me?"
"Well," Yaxiu pondered aloud, "for example, you're gentle and cute—"
*Pfft!*
The Paw-Stretching Club president couldn't hold back a burst of laughter. She tried covering her mouth to stifle it, but failed miserably, shaking with mirth. Snapping to his senses, Yaxiu grimaced. "You set a trap to make me say that?"
"Yep!" Sonia nodded brazenly. "I just didn't expect to catch you in a lie. Seriously, ever since the Meteor Tribulation, plenty of people have praised me, but you're the first to take it so far as to call me 'gentle'."
"Call it a lie if you want," Yaxiu muttered, grinding his teeth as he gazed at the sunset outside the window.
"Hehe." Sonia reached across the coffee table and playfully flicked Yaxiu's nose with a fingernail. "It's fine. I really like that lie of yours. And if you work hard enough at it, it isn't impossible for it to become the truth."
"Why does it have to be me working hard..." Yaxiu mumbled, standing up. "Alright, I'd better get back to looking for illusory-real materials."
"Wait."
Sonia grabbed his wrist, looking puzzled. "Didn't you come looking for me for something?"
"No, I really was just passing by."
Yaxiu's dark eyes locked onto Sonia's crimson ones. After a moment, the country girl let go and said, "Fine. But if you're hiding something from me or lying to me, I'll be angry."
"By the way, when I held your wrist just now, I activated the Sincerity sorcery spirit." Tilting her head, she added sweetly, "It's not too late for you to sit back down."
Helpless, Yaxiu slumped back into his seat without a word, sinking into profound distress.
Sonia didn't rush him either. She signaled the proprietor to bring two cups of classic coffee, then rested her hands on the table, pursing her lips and staring at him wide-eyed.
Only after the shopkeeper served the two cups of coffee did Yaxiu hesitantly pull out a bag.
When Sonia reached for it, he didn't let go. "You can only open it after I leave."
"Then take it back," Sonia replied. "If you don't sit right here and watch me open it, I don't want it."
"Why?" Yaxiu sounded like a terminally ill patient questioning the heavens.
"Because I'm the ungentle Sword Princess." The corners of Sonia's mouth curled up. "Are you giving it to me or not?"
After a moment of silence, the cult leader abandoned all resistance and despondently let go. Sonia opened the bag and pulled out a fully transparent outer garment, a two-piece alluring pure white swimsuit, and even a straw hat.
She stared quietly at Yaxiu. Yaxiu began stammering incoherently: "That... it was an encounter reward, tailor-made for you... but I didn't expect it to be a swimsuit! I didn't mean anything by it... If you wear it in the Void Realm, you get a buff that reduces the sorcery power cost of composite miracles by ten percent... Not that I'm telling you to wear it in the Void Realm! It's just... I really didn't plan on giving it to you, but leaving it sitting around seemed like a waste... Argh, just pretend you never received this gift! I'm leaving—"
Just as Yaxiu moved to flee, his wrist was seized once more by the Sword Princess. Motioning for him to sit back down, she pinned him with a piercing gaze that made him fidget uncomfortably. Then, she asked calmly:
"Do you want to see?"
Yaxiu reflexively glanced around, as if the Sword Princess were asking another Fishcleaver Dragon that had sneaked into the shop.
"Do you want to see me wear it?" she asked again.
Confronted with such an agonizing conundrum for the very first time, Yaxiu felt completely bewildered. If he answered "yes," wouldn't that be far too brazen, and make it seem like he had deliberately procured a swimsuit just to see her in it? If he answered "no," he felt the Sword Princess would despise him for his dishonesty.
He deliberated back and forth, eventually settling on a compromise—
He nodded.
Then he saw the Sword Princess raise her eyebrows. She leaned back slightly, the corners of her lips curving into a smile.
"Hmph."
She let out a soft, sweet nasal hum, part contempt, part triumph. The amusement in her eyes rippled across her cheeks with the warm glow of the setting sun, blooming into delicate flushes of rose.
Cradling her head in her left hand, she turned to look at the leisurely street outside. Her right hand rested against her chest, her thumb slipping under her collar—as if tugging it open to let in air, or easing it off in preparation to change.
"Tell me," Sonia asked softly, "do you think there's a pool around here?"
Chapter 561