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At the same time, in Emereach City of Cathay.

Lucen and Axiom had just rushed into the city from the Kun Ruins. Before they could even find a place to sit and catch their breath, they were utterly stunned by the phantom projection of the Nine Cauldrons looming across the sky.

Of course, they were not the only ones frozen in shock. Countless residents stood rooted to the spot as well. They had never witnessed such a phenomenon in their lives, and the sheer impact it left on them was beyond words.

“Senior Brother, that is…” Axiom said, his face drained of all color. What he saw was not only the nine ancient bronze cauldrons, but he could also feel that terrifying, overwhelming might of heaven and earth pressing down upon everything!

“The Nine… the Nine Cauldrons!” Lucen, usually composed and steady, now wore a twisted expression as he cried out in alarm.

“The Nine Cauldrons?” Axiom’s heart trembled at the words. Could those nine massive cauldrons hanging in the sky truly be the legendary Nine Cauldrons!?

“This kind of phenomenon… not good, not good at all,” Lucen said, forcibly suppressing the panic rising within him.

“But isn’t the appearance of the Nine Cauldrons supposed to be a good omen?” Axiom asked, confusion filling his voice. Those were lost divine artifacts meant to stabilize a nation!

“It could be a good omen… or it could just as easily be a bad one…” Lucen replied, uncertainty evident in his tone. He had only heard from his master that before great changes befell heaven and earth, strange and wondrous phenomena would often appear.

Now, the phantom of the Nine Cauldrons stretching across the sky was undoubtedly a sign. However, lacking a deeper understanding of such world-altering events, he had no way of judging whether it spelled fortune or disaster.

“Senior Brother, should we head back to the Kun Ruins and report this to Master?” Axiom suggested.

Lucen shook his head. “There’s no need. If we can see this phenomenon here, then it will be visible in the Kun Ruins as well. Besides, entry and exit there are strictly restricted. Within this month, we won’t be able to return.”

“I see…” Axiom was hearing about this rule for the first time.

As they spoke, the phantom of the Nine Cauldrons suddenly faded away without a trace. The night sky returned to its usual stillness, as if nothing had ever appeared. Yet the footage captured by countless cameras told the world clearly that what had just occurred was no illusion.

“We need to hurry to Yanjing,” Lucen said at that moment.

“Huh? Weren’t we here to rest?” Axiom stared at him, completely dumbfounded. Before he could say anything more, Lucen had already shot forward in a swift dash.

‘Damn it!’ he cursed inwardly, then reluctantly chased after him.

At that very moment, the online world exploded into chaos.

Many countries attempted to impose a certain level of control, but it was clearly ineffective. After all, with so many world-altering phenomena erupting simultaneously, it was impossible to silence the countless voices and hands spreading the news.

At this moment, high-level officials across various nations were holding urgent meetings, discussions blazing as intensely as wildfire.

Within the online world, netizens were in complete disarray. Some were genuinely shocked, others fanned the flames, and the chaos spiraled into something almost uncontrollable.

In contrast, the real world appeared relatively calm. Although many people were discussing the phenomena, most remained rational. That was the difference between reality and the internet.

Online, all it took was a keyboard. In reality, one had to worry about how others perceived them. If careless, foolish remarks could end up ruining relationships, it would be anything but amusing.

Yet on the internet, one could act bitter, create alternate accounts to attack others, freely vent their darker impulses, hurl insults, abandon all sense of dignity, and tear into people without restraint…

And so, the online world was always filled with chaos and toxicity.

Mylene watched the trending comments scrolling across the internet and could not help but shake her head. If she could, she would rather not see any of it. Excessive freedom only turned order into utter disorder. She disliked this kind of near lawless world.

Closing the webpage, Mylene leaned back in her chair and let out a soft sigh. “Ha… this world is starting to feel a little unfamiliar.” After a brief hesitation, she still picked up her phone and called Lisa. At this point, only her master likely knew what was truly happening to the world.

While waiting for the call to connect, she glanced at the silver USB drive on her desk, her thoughts drifting. It contained the data that Xina had gathered on Cathay’s closed beta players.

“No time to look through it now,” Mylene murmured. Her slender legs touched the floor as she rose to her feet. At the same moment, the call finally connected.

Inside the game. Lili and Zerene stared at the tiny figure sitting on Yae-hime’s shoulder, their expressions filled with curiosity. More than that, a faint sense of unease stirred within them.

The two exchanged a glance, and in that instant, they both realized where that feeling came from. That’s right, it was their character archetype. All three of them were the small and adorable type! And it was obvious to them that this little one shared an extraordinary relationship with Little Hime. Otherwise, how could she dare sit perched on her shoulder so casually?

“Little Hime, who is she?” Zerene asked, pointing at Little Blue.

Meanwhile, Lili recalled her earlier conversation with Alicia and finally remembered who Little Blue was.

“My Little Blue, the artifact spirit of the City of Chaos,” Yae-hime replied truthfully.

Zerene still looked half-confused after hearing that. Only after Lili gave her a brief explanation did she finally understand.

“Don’t just stand outside, come in and sit for a while.” Thinking about it carefully, this was actually Yae-hime’s first time hosting guests in her own home. A strange sense of satisfaction welled up within her.

Lili and Zerene had countless questions they wanted to ask, but since Little Hime had invited them inside, they decided to wait.

The group entered the living room. It was completely empty, with not even a place to sit. But that posed no problem for Yae-hime. With a thought, she had Little Blue use materials from the City of Chaos to swiftly craft a tea table and long benches.

The two watched Little Blue working at incredible speed, yet their expressions remained unchanged. After all, such things could easily be accomplished by a capable mage, nothing worth being surprised about.

In less than twenty seconds, Little Blue had finished making the tea table and benches. Yae-hime then took out some snacks and tea-brewing tools from her spatial ring, placing them on the table before inviting Lili and Zerene to sit.

After a cup of tea. “If you have questions, just ask.” Yae-hime looked at the two and smiled calmly.

“Little Hime, where did you hide the City of Chaos before?” Lili asked first.

“In a place very, very far away, so far that you couldn’t even begin to imagine it.” It wasn’t that Yae-hime didn’t want to tell Lili about Aqua Blue Star. It was just that the system would automatically erase any related information. So even if she said it, it would be meaningless.

Much of the information concerning players was simply inaccessible to NPCs.

Lili showed no reaction to the vague answer, as if she had already expected not to receive a clear explanation.

“Little Hime, Little Hime, can your floating city be used in war?” Zerene asked.
“Of course. This time, I brought it back precisely for battle,” Yae-hime said.
“But isn’t this city heavily damaged?” Lili took a sip of fragrant tea as she spoke.
“Good question. Actually, here’s what happened…” Yae-hime briefly explained how she had gathered materials and repaired the City of Chaos.
“So that means, on that day, the City of Chaos can be deployed?” After hearing this, Lili’s eyes flashed with excitement.
“That’s right. It’s one of our trump cards.” Yae-hime brushed back her silky black hair and smiled. That subtle yet captivating gesture made the three little ones’ hearts skip a beat.