Chapter 109: Preparations, Revelations, and a New Journey

The following day, Cecilia once again escorted Bai Yu home.

Bai Yu, however, remained sullen, her lips pursed, uttering not a single word.

Her melancholy stemmed from the fact that just the previous evening, Bai Yu and Cecilia had been enjoying themselves immensely.

That was until Bai Yu invited Cecilia to accompany her to Nemos Academy ahead of schedule, considering Cecilia had also received an early invitation.

Yet, Bai Yu’s invitation was met with Cecilia’s explanation that she needed to return to her family.

There were matters concerning her mother that required her attention, along with certain items to be entrusted to her.

Although Cecilia had completely severed ties with her family, this particular issue, involving her mother, was something she found utterly impossible to refuse.

Given that Cecilia’s mother had already passed away, Bai Yu could hardly ask her to postpone such a crucial matter merely to keep her company.

Consequently, only she and Stella would embark on the journey this time.

Tianyu emerged just then, observing Bai Yu settling directly onto the sofa, and catching sight of the golden-haired girl from before.

Tianyu gazed at Cecilia; this beautiful maiden had now brought Bai Yu home for the second time.

Although Bai Yu had called her yesterday to say she was going to a friend’s house, Tianyu couldn’t shake the feeling that something about this particular friend seemed a little off.

Bai Yu, for her part, scratched her head and let out a dry chuckle, having been utterly exhausted by her time at Cecilia’s house last night.

Upon returning to her room, her first task was to organize everything she would need for the journey.

Specifically, the instruments for refining Reverse Metal included not only those Bai Yu had acquired from school but also some she had purchased from the Dragon’s Sky platform.

It had taken her considerable effort to clean this array of instruments, as there was no telling how old some of these contraptions were.

After a thorough session of organizing, Bai Yu finally had all her travel equipment ready.

Many items listed on the Sky and Shadow’s Edge platforms had been purchased.

At last, she had a way to repay Mo Lan, though even with these sales, she was still significantly short.

Moreover, the Heaven’s Cauldron had already been absorbed by her, making it impossible for Bai Yu to sell it even if she wished to.

Not that Bai Yu would ever sell it, for she had yet to absorb the sacred flame contained within the Heaven’s Cauldron.

She also surmised that after she absorbed it, the Heaven’s Cauldron’s value would plummet, rendering it useless for sale.

It was better to keep it, as it might yet prove useful again.

Furthermore, while at Cecilia’s house yesterday, discussing water elemental magic, Bai Yu hadn’t been idle; she had continuously tried to understand the true nature of the Heaven’s Cauldron, which she had absorbed.

Ultimately, as Bai Yu concentrated her spiritual energy on the back of her hand, the pattern of three concentric circles abruptly materialized, and then the Heaven’s Cauldron descended directly from the sky, shattering Cecilia’s floorboards.

This left Bai Yu utterly mortified, but Cecilia didn’t mind; her soft, fragrant Bai Yu was what truly mattered to her.

Only now did Bai Yu finally understand that summoning the Heaven’s Cauldron required her spiritual control, much like summoning Xiao An, though the similarity ended there.

What Bai Yu cared about most was the ruby on the Heaven’s Cauldron, for it was there that the true power of heaven resided, and therein lay the Cauldron’s immense value.

Currently, Bai Yu could, at best, merely store the Heaven’s Cauldron; she had yet to experience even a fraction of its true power.

‘Alas, I’ll have to wait until I absorb the Reverse Metal,’ she thought.

Bai Yu shook her head in resignation, resuming her packing.

She had already inquired with Mother, and the prepared cruise ship was en route.

This was, after all, an ocean voyage, and the cruise ship Tianyu had arranged was exceptionally large.

Moreover, because Bai Yu had suddenly decided to change her destination, Tianyu had no choice but to consider Bai Yu’s safety, raising concerns about the security of her journey.

After all, the route to Lugos Academy passed through a vast expanse of international waters, and no one could predict what dangers might lurk there.

Instances of rogue Arcanists turning to piracy on the high seas were, unfortunately, not uncommon.

Even though Tianyu had arranged for Stella to accompany Bai Yu, she still felt a significant unease.

She had wanted to go with Bai Yu herself, but at this moment, she had more critical matters to attend to.

A sharp glint appeared in Tianyu’s eyes, her killing intent almost palpable.

This surge of emotion stemmed from Bai Yu having revealed the true culprit behind her current state.

Namely, the enigmatic Woman who had impersonated her.

In truth, it was exactly as she had suspected.

‘Kareila…’

Tianyu murmured the name, her voice laced with profound hatred for this Woman.

Although she didn’t know how Bai Yu had acquired this information, Tianyu was certain it was the undeniable truth.

She had harbored suspicions about this Woman before, knowing that only she possessed the motive for such an act.

She should never have let her go back then.

Tianyu’s heart was now consumed by an incandescent rage.

Had it not been for an unforeseen turn of events, Bai Yu might well have been nothing more than a corpse by now.

Her target now was this accursed Woman; she should never have taken pity on her and spared her life.

At that time, Tianyu had only just joined the Hunter Guild, and her worldly compassion had not yet faded, leading to the creation of such a menace.

Tianyu clenched her fists, convinced it was time to put an end to everything.

Stella, too, was currently preparing her luggage.

Having never ventured into international waters, she needed to pack extra provisions, for any unforeseen incident would be disastrous if she were unprepared.

Though she felt her luck wasn’t so terrible, it was always better to be safe than sorry; extra preparations could do no harm.

****

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ocean.

At a bustling port in the United States, a cacophony of sounds echoed.

“Why is this taking so long? Are we even going to depart today?”

Aboard a luxurious cruise ship, a grey-haired maiden watched the crew diligently preparing supplies and handling various pre-departure tasks.

“Miss Charlotte,” the butler respectfully addressed the maiden, “the preparations for this voyage are more extensive than usual.

Please try not to fret.”

The female butler, wearing golden spectacles and a dignified uniform that bespoke her professionalism, spoke deferentially to the young woman.

“Such a nuisance,” the grey-haired maiden scoffed, settling onto a nearby lounge chair, “what a wretched academy, with so many demands.”

The grey-haired maiden spoke with disdain, reclining onto a nearby lounge chair.

The butler remained silent, understanding that the reputation of Lugos Academy was beyond reproach for someone of her station.

The maiden before her could speak with such arrogance precisely because she possessed the credentials to back it up.

An absolute prodigy, she had achieved a Tier 5 cultivation at the tender age of eighteen, making her a genius among geniuses.

Ellie Roth Charlotte, the most brilliant new star of the Charlotte Family, whose achievements, both familial and personal, were more than enough to allow her to stand tall above all others.

‘Ugh, how utterly boring,’ Ellie Roth muttered to herself.

‘I wonder if we’ll encounter any pirates during this voyage; my hands have been itching for a fight for far too long.’

Ellie Roth mused aloud, for now, facing her peers meant nothing but overwhelming victories, offering no real challenge whatsoever.

Learning that the journey to the academy would involve traversing international waters filled her with an undeniable thrill.