Chapter 108: The Heaven’s Cauldron’s Absorption and a Surprise Invitation

What was that?

Bai Yu gazed at the smooth back of her hand, as if nothing at all had transpired.

Even the pattern that had just glowed on her skin had vanished without a trace.

“No way, it couldn’t have just disappeared, could it?”

Bai Yu felt a surge of anxiety. While the Heaven’s Cauldron seemed to have been absorbed by her, she had no idea how to summon it forth.

After all, that was two billion Dragon Summer coins she was talking about!

[Don’t panic just yet. I can sense a unique spiritual aura within you, though it’s quite faint. It definitely hasn’t vanished.]

Moweila’s reassuring voice allowed Bai Yu to relax slightly. If it had truly disappeared, Bai Yu doubted she would get any sleep tonight.

[It appears to be a blood-binding mechanism of some sort, but I never imagined you would absorb it so easily.]

Moweila found it rather astonishing. Logically, items from Heaven should strongly reject someone like Bai Yu, who had no connection to Heaven whatsoever.

Yet, the Heaven’s Cauldron lay dormant, as if nothing had occurred, a fact that Moweila struggled to comprehend.

“Never mind,” Bai Yu sighed, deciding to postpone dealing with it for now.

****

Just then, the Branch Director finally pushed open the storage room door and rushed in, looking frantic.

“Esteemed Bai Yu, what happened? Are you alright?”

The Branch Director was drenched in cold sweat, genuinely fearing that something terrible had befallen Bai Yu.

Only when he saw her standing there, perfectly unharmed, did he finally let out a breath of relief.

“Thank goodness,” the Branch Director inquired, his tone no longer quite so urgent. “What just happened? Why was there such a violent tremor?”

“I’ve resolved it.”

“It was likely an issue with the anomaly in the safe, but it’s been taken care of.”

“Everything should be fine now.”

Bai Yu waved a dismissive hand, reassuring the Branch Director.

“That’s excellent, truly excellent,” the Branch Director said, visibly relaxing. “Does Esteemed Bai Yu have any other matters?”

His tone clearly conveyed a desire for Bai Yu to depart swiftly.

“Uh… nothing much,” Bai Yu scratched her head. “It’s just that I’ll probably be leaving the Dragon Summer Nation soon, and I was wondering if there would be any issues with that.”

She mused on whether Arcanists required any special approvals to travel abroad.

“Leaving the Dragon Summer Nation?”

The Branch Director instantly became alert. Such a situation indeed required numerous approvals, especially for a person of Bai Yu’s importance.

“Is Esteemed Bai Yu going on a trip, or is there some special circumstance? Why leave at this particular time?”

The Branch Director asked tactfully. After all, Bai Yu’s actions were largely unrelated to him, but in this instance, he might be able to assist her, thereby earning a favor.

“Nothing special,” Bai Yu replied without pretense. “I’m just heading to an academy early – an Arcanist academy located on a small island.”

There was no reason for her to conceal such a matter.

She was no fugitive; her actions were open and above board.

“I see, that’s perfectly fine then. Will you be traveling by boat or plane? I can contact the destination to ensure you face fewer complications.”

The Branch Director suddenly understood. He hadn’t realized Bai Yu had reached the Fourth-tier so quickly. Although he was unaware of her exact strength, it was perfectly normal for someone of her age, with a track record of repelling deities, to possess such power.

His offer to help was also a way to curry favor with Bai Yu, as world-class academies of this nature typically didn’t belong to any single nation, operating instead as completely independent entities.

When traveling abroad, the Branch Bureau could indeed provide significant assistance, especially since the modes of transport for such individuals were rarely public.

“A boat, probably in the next few days.”

Bai Yu considered it. She had no pressing matters, and she was eager to see what the academy was truly like.

“Very well, I’ll contact the port then.”

The Branch Director nodded. As for the vessel, since Bai Yu had mentioned it, it was certainly already arranged.

Moreover, he had no desire to inquire about the specific itinerary, understanding the boundaries of such private matters.

“Thank you for your trouble, Director. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be taking my leave.”

Bai Yu bid farewell to the Branch Director, pleasantly surprised that she had managed to sort out her sea travel arrangements incidentally.

‘I wonder how Mother has prepared the boat.’

Bai Yu lowered her head in thought, beginning her walk home. Before her departure, she still needed to organize all her belongings.

This didn’t concern Bai Yu much; possessing so many storage anomalies, she could empty her entire house without issue, let alone the few items she planned to take.

Having gathered her thoughts, Bai Yu pulled out her phone and sent Cecilia a green bubble message, attaching the newly acquired admission letter.

She hadn’t expected to obtain the admission so swiftly; it was truly a case of finding a pillow just as one felt sleepy.

Cecilia responded with a single question mark. On the other side of the screen, Cecilia stared incredulously at the photo on her phone. While she was delighted that Bai Yu could also enter Nemos Academy, wasn’t this happening a little too fast?

‘She was only Second-tier, wasn’t she?’ Cecilia thought. ‘And she only just became an Arcanist not long ago.’

If Nemos Academy wasn’t entirely impervious to backdoors, she would seriously suspect Bai Yu had used connections to get in.

[So, aren’t you surprised?]

Bai Yu sat on a park bench, having even bought herself a cup of coffee. Her mood today was exceptionally good.

[Xiao Yu, how did you manage this? Is this real? You’re Fourth-tier?]

Cecilia typed rapidly, her mind brimming with questions.

[Of course it’s real. It’s a bit hard to explain, just think of me as a special admission student. That’s pretty much it.]

Bai Yu’s ahoge swayed back and forth, and she even felt as though the coffee she was drinking had turned sweeter.

[Is that so… Good thing you told me now, Xiao Yu. I almost rejected my admission.]

Cecilia was somewhat speechless. Had Bai Yu told her any later, she might have already declined Nemos Academy’s admission offer.

[? Why? What do you mean, ‘rejected’?]

Bai Yu was utterly bewildered, her ahoge twisting into the shape of a question mark. She couldn’t fathom why Cecilia would give up such an opportunity for admission.

[Well, it’s to be with you, Xiao Yu! Being with you is much better than any academy.]

Upon reading this, Bai Yu couldn’t help but blush, feeling a touch of emotion. She hadn’t expected Cecilia to forgo her chance at admission for her sake.

[So, Xiao Yu, will you come over to my place and keep me company today?]

Cecilia pressed her advantage, instantly revealing her true intentions.

Bai Yu’s fleeting sense of being touched instantly morphed into a mix of shame and indignant anger. ‘Oh, so this is what she was waiting for, huh?’

‘She just wanted to trick her, as expected!’

[Hmph, I knew it!]

However, Bai Yu found herself without recourse. After all, her last experience had been, admittedly, a little *too* comfortable, and for the past few nights, she had dreamt of what they had done in Cecilia’s car…

‘It seems I have no choice but to go now,’ Bai Yu reluctantly thought to herself.