"It has indeed been... a long time."
Aponia watched the person before her quietly. A subtle ripple appeared in her eyes, but she didn't show it, simply remaining seated.
"Ahem, Lu Ze. Don't you still owe me a chance to be an audience member? I still have many tricks to perform!"
Vylvi stood up, flipped her hat open with her right hand, and gave a slight bow. She even deliberately revealed a patch of snowy white.
"Ah, perhaps it's best to forget it? I said I was interested in magic, but I truly have no time."
How could he dare to watch any more magic? If he watched again, his life might be forfeit. After all, her magic wasn't just any simple trick; it could be deadly.
The last time, he had almost died, being beaten by giant machines. That feeling was far from pleasant.
"That is truly a pity. I had prepared several new magic shows, but alas, without an audience, I feel some regret."
Vylvi looked at Lu Ze with some disappointment. What a wonderful audience he would have been. If only she hadn't played a prank last time, he wouldn't be so scared now.
"It's been a long time. Thank you for what happened last time. If it weren't for you... I might have fallen into a certain kind of madness. After all, my sister is the most crucial thing to me."
Sakura, with her rabbit ears, suddenly appeared behind him, very close. Her face was even a little flushed, like a shy young girl, fidgeting nervously.
"Ah, it's Sakura. It has been a long time. By the way... I have this knife for you. I imagine... you should be quite familiar with it?"
Looking at the ice-blue blade before her, Sakura couldn't be more familiar. Wasn't this her own blade, the Spirit Sword, Bing Tian Han Yu?
"Thank you."
Two simple words, containing a multitude of emotions. Sakura took the knife and examined it carefully. Even though it was so familiar, even though it was her original blade, to her now, it was a knife of extraordinary significance.
"Lu Ze, it's been a long time. I hope we can spar again when we have time. I wonder how much your strength has improved during this period. Next time, I will go all out."
Hua also waved from the sofa, saying hello. Thinking back to their spar, it was a rare and precious memory. After all, Lu Ze was always the one who benefited.
A good training dummy could greatly enhance the attacker's offensive capabilities. Hua was just that for Lu Ze; she was a training dummy, and he always gained immense benefits from their encounters.
"Hello, we meet again, outsider."
Kevin crossed his arms, his pale blue eyes fixed on Lu Ze. After the initial wariness towards this outsider, they had at least become ordinary friends.
"Kevin, if you have time... we can continue discussing those profound techniques."
Hearing about profound techniques, Kevin's interest was piqued. However, considering his own abilities, perhaps it was best not to. If he didn't freeze the pot, that would be good enough.
But he could be responsible for eating. Noodles, after all, were his favorite food.
"...Hmph."
Choujie didn't greet them, only letting out a hum. But given his fiery temper, this was perhaps his greatest concession. After all, their relationship hadn't been the best from the start. It would be a good outcome if they didn't end up fighting.
Elysia stepped forward then, beginning to explain the outside world, sharing all the information she had gathered.
Based on their brief reconnaissance, Elysia had a general understanding of the world's structure. They could currently be considered to be within a World Bubble, the Previous Era's Elysian Realm.
As for other detailed information, Elysia did not yet know.
"Is that so? Then can we go out?"
Sakura looked at the exit not far away, suddenly feeling a desire to leave. After all, staying in the same place for too long would always make one yearn for the outside world.
"I don't know, but we can try."
The group approached the exit and looked at the two-meter-high portal. They exchanged glances. Kevin took a step forward first, slowly placing his right foot through. He felt no resistance.
Immediately, his entire body passed through the portal and successfully entered an empty room. However, in the next second, his body flickered slightly.
It seemed as if he might vanish from this world at any moment, but he quickly stabilized. Then, a string of numbers resembling a timer appeared in his left hand. Looking at the ticking numbers, Kevin seemed to understand something.
Seeing that Boss Kevin was fine, Pardofelis was the second to breach through. If they could go out, could she then go and buy more goods? To be a qualified merchant and sell things everywhere!
However, her condition was no different from that of a normal person; she didn't experience anything like Kevin's time anomaly. All thirteen of them emerged, and Hua's situation was identical to Kevin's.
They both seemed to have grasped something. After all, their current states were merely memory imprints. Their time outside was limited; they had to return to the Previous Era's Elysian Realm within a certain period, or they would vanish.
However, they had enough time. After returning once and resting for a night, they could likely stay outside for half a day, which was 12 hours.
They could still accomplish many things.
The sudden appearance of so many people upstairs immediately drew the attention of those below. They also came up to investigate the situation.
Sirin saw Hua's appearance and immediately recalled that sky-piercing sword. After all, Hua's Tai Xu Sword God had given her quite a bit of psychological trauma.
Who wouldn't be somewhat unnerved by such a massive sword?
"Bad woman! Brother Lu Ze, she's a bad woman. Can you not let her be here?"
Sirin clung to Lu Ze in a spoiled manner and pointed at Hua, complaining. She was just a child, understandable, but Hua looked utterly bewildered. When had she offended a child?
Lu Ze also realized. The battle against the Herrscher of the Void back then. Hua must have also participated, likely causing significant psychological trauma to this young girl!
"This..."
However, it wasn't easy for him to speak. He couldn't possibly tell Hua that she had bullied this little girl in the future. The statement itself felt somewhat off.
"Little girl, did I frighten you? I believe this is our first meeting, so why are you so afraid of me?"
Hua was also somewhat confused. Logically speaking, her appearance wasn't frightening. Why would someone call her a bad woman upon their first meeting?