Chapter ( 42 )
Zhen Chen and Xin Lan were floating in a void of space. Xin Lan looked at the weapons Zhen Chen had stolen from around the world, feeling both shocked and nervous. She pressed her hand to her chest, her heart racing. Zhen Chen smiled at her and said,
"Don't worry about these. No one will know I took them."
Xin Lan shook her head and replied, "But what if these missiles explode?"
Zhen Chen laughed and said, "I can see through them just by looking. My brainpower is incredibly advanced now. Plus, I've disabled the critical parts. Even if you hit them with a hammer, they won't explode."
Xin Lan looked at him in awe and said, "You're really amazing."
Zhen Chen smiled and replied, "I didn't bring you here just to show you these. I have a gift for you. Here, take this. It's the first universe-level weapon I've ever made."
He handed her a small ring. Xin Lan held it gently, admiring it.
"It's so cute..."
"Consider it a token of my love for you," Zhen Chen said, pulling her hand closer and gently biting it.
"Ah!" Xin Lan winced, her face scrunching up in mock pain.
Zhen Chen let a drop of her blood touch the ring, activating its ownership protocol with his mind. The ring glowed faintly, connecting with Xin Lan's body. She immediately noticed something strange and stared at the ring in amazement.
Zhen Chen hugged her gently and handed the ring back, saying, "Focus your mind and try using it. The ring is now connected to you, and you can control it. It's not just pretty—it has other abilities too..."
Xin Lan nodded and began to experiment. The ring floated out of her hand, growing larger until it was the size of a house. She stretched out her hand, and the ring spun rapidly, flying far away before stopping and returning to her. It shrank back to its original size and landed in her palm.
Xin Lan looked at the ring happily and said, "There's even space inside it..."
"It's huge! Can I store things in it?" she asked.
Zhen Chen nodded and explained, "This ring has a spatial storage function, an attack function, size control, a defense function, energy storage, a flight function, a healing function, and a cloaking function. You can use all of them. The only downside is that you can't ride it to fly."
Xin Lan laughed. "Haha... I don't want to ride it anyway. I'll just wear it on my hand. Being able to store things is enough for me. I don't need to fight anyone."
Zhen Chen nodded and said, "As long as you like it, that's all that matters. By the way, have your ancestral memories awakened yet?"
Xin Lan smiled and hugged him, saying, "Don't worry about me. I'll stay with you for a while and then try to recover those memories."
Zhen Chen asked, "What about the company?"
"I've handed it over. My aunt and I transferred everything under my name. I'll manage it to make sure it doesn't fall apart. I've already hired some experts to help. I'll stay behind the scenes and focus on cultivating."
"Alright. Where do you want to go before you start cultivating? I'll take you," Zhen Chen offered.
Xin Lan smiled brightly. "Really? Then let's spend the whole day together today... Come on, let's go shopping first..."
---
Zhen Chen and Xin Lan stepped outside, and as Zhen Chen prepared to fly, Xin Lan grabbed his arm and said, "Let's go like normal people... We'll take the car."
Zhen Chen ended up accompanying Xin Lan to various places she wanted to visit. Xin Lan, meanwhile, was busy recording everything on her phone, acting like a giddy teenager.
---
The Divine Sea Region
Outside the Central System
In a grand dome-shaped building on a large peninsula, the Grand Elder Shi and a beautiful woman were talking. The Grand Elder stood in front of a large energy mirror, while the woman stood behind him.
The Grand Elder looked at her and said, "Time flies. You've grown up so much."
The elegant woman smiled beautifully and replied,
"Uncle, I still love the Nine-Petal Pastries you used to bring me..."
Grand Elder Shi laughed heartily.
"Alright. Seeing you sneak up on me like this makes me think something is going on. I'm already panicking, wondering what kind of trouble you're bringing me..."
The woman nodded as she spoke. "It's not about causing trouble. There's a crisis in my clan."
Grand elder Shi asked in surprise,
"Hmm... I heard about it. Is this about the successor princess?"
The woman explained, "The princess refuses to sever ties with the Celestial Elves Clan. She's just as stubborn as her father. The only ones left with pure bloodline are her and me. She refused to undergo the bloodline stabilization process required for succession. The blood sample sent to my uncle for verification—it was my blood."
The Grand Elder was shocked. "How did you manage this? The System requires a high-level match for the ruler's bloodline. How could you find someone compatible? This is impossible. The higher the bloodline, the harder it is to find a match. How could you find someone among humans or star souls? Ah... This is serious. The Central System has been upgraded for over fifty years now. If no suitable candidate is found, the System will search among the higher clans and announce a match. Both sides will be notified. This is practically an arranged marriage. Why didn't you think this through?"
The woman frowned. "I just wanted to fulfill my father's wish to preserve our pure bloodline. I didn't expect it to come to this. I only found out later that if no candidate is found, the System would search among the higher clans. What kind of meaningless rule is this? I don't understand."
The Grand Elder explained, "The System wants compatible bloodlines to merge. Naturally compatible bloodlines are drawn to each other. The System is facilitating this for the advancement of all clans. There's another rule you don't know. If no candidate is found and a compatible bloodline is discovered among the higher clans, both parties will be notified and required to meet at the Central System. This meeting is mandatory. After that, they can decide what to do. The System is essentially acting as a matchmaker."
The woman's beautiful face twisted in frustration. "What kind of ridiculous System is this?"
The Grand Elder almost laughed. He knew this woman well. She had been a troublemaker since childhood, but her charm and wit made it hard for anyone to stay mad at her. Even her father couldn't bring himself to punish her. Seeing her pout, the Grand Elder shook his head.
"Your father wouldn't curse me. He'd curse you. You acted without consulting anyone."
The woman grumbled. "What should I do now? The more I think about it, the more annoyed I get with that girl Chu Chu. I'm considering removing her from her position. If it weren't for her mother's pleas..."
The Grand Elder sighed. "I sent the bloodline for testing a week ago. The search process should be complete by now. The results should be out soon. I just don't know when the System will announce it."
The woman asked, "Will the System notify the clans directly?"
The Grand Elder shook his head. "No, it will come to me first. I'll relay the message through the System's channels."
The woman groaned. "This is so embarrassing..."
At that moment, the energy mirror in front of the Grand Elder lit up, and a grid of characters appeared. The Grand Elder said, "The System's selection has been confirmed. Let's see which clan's bloodline matches our little troublemaker."