Chapter 342: Lucy Tiffany, You Do Not Understand the Greatness of the Emperor at All

Chu Yuanqing chatted with the golden retriever for quite a while, holding back the desire to call Honey Xuan back to Yves Saint Laurent and play with its ears and tail, before ending the call and thinking about the compensation.

Although it felt very strange to say this, if the subject were Little Xuan, the compensation would likely turn in a sexual direction. Fortunately, after being forced to attend a few adult parties, her immunity to this kind of thing had significantly increased.

As long as Little Xuan did not suggest any strange games, it was like adding an extra day of Mana Regeneration Day, which wasn’t a big deal.

Pure White Witch’s small face was serious as she decided to temporarily ignore these strange thoughts. She glanced at Alchemy Crysta, confirmed that no one had sent a message, and took out all the Magic Potions that Lucy Tiffany had stored in her storage ring.

Then, a silver light sliced through everything, unleashing a flood of energy, along with herbs, spices, and a blend of scents that filled the entire lounge.

Chu Yuanqing cut open her wrist, and a stream of bright red Mercury Blood, like winding serpents, devoured the Magic Potions worth millions of gold coins. A large amount of energy and magic essence was immediately transformed into Mercury Blood.

In less than a minute, they surged into Pure White Witch’s body, pouring the converted magic back into the depths of her soul, nurturing this Flower of the Soul and giving birth to new traits.

“Is it a drop in the bucket?”

“Sure enough, relying on it could restore magic, but to nurture the Flower of the Soul, the most effective methods remained the shining light, willpower, and the magic of magical girls that naturally recovered with their feelings.”

Chu Yuanqing concluded without disappointment and continued to reason:

“However, in terms of quantity, it should be able to speed up the process from ‘Lighting’ to ‘Fully Blooming,’ similar to Miyuki’s experience, which has significant value for promotion.”

“Well, I just wonder if the batch of Magic Potion I gave Little Xuan is enough to make her ‘Fully Blooming.'”

Thinking of this, she glanced at the bank account on the Alchemy Crystal.

Lucy Tiffany developed many alchemy technologies for the empire, among which just the puppets of the Heavenly Hierarchy could earn billions in research funding every year; adding it all up, she could definitely be called a super-rich lady.

Thanks to Holy Sophon’s emphasis on Alchemists, intellectual property, and the development of civilization.

Even without the support of the Tiffany family, her status was extremely noble, as a special citizen who had received the sacred badge, possessing various privileges that placed her above normal nobles, and even if she broke the empire’s laws, she could be exempt from the death penalty.

At the same time, when she shopped at any country’s properties, she could enjoy a 90% discount, with the price difference all deducted from the taxes collected by Ley Line and Heavenly Project from the citizens.

So, let’s first try to buy out the stock of Magic Potion in the Yves Saint Laurent commercial office, and then distribute it to the little idols.

This was also one of the most affordable benefits in the Ideal State.

After the Historical Echoes ended, most of the materials that came out would turn into bubbles.

The only objects favored by the obsession with civilization, which had a strong bond with themselves, had a chance to be carried out, and this could be seen as a blessing received by the “passers.”

Besides that, the energy materials absorbed inside could also be taken out, so there would not be a situation where one absorbed magic essence here, completed “Fully Blooming,” and then went out only to fall back into the awkward state of “Lighting the Lamp.”

From this perspective, it could be seen that whether it was “Lucy Tiffany” or “Aisha Fez,” both identities were granted by the planetary consciousness.

This identity alone, with its family resources and imperial benefits, was enough to support over three thousand magical girls, similar to starting an RPG game with a max-level account, making everything much easier.

If it weren’t for the mice from the Church of the Gods causing trouble, it would be even better.

Chu Yuanqing thought about this and felt a headache. According to Russell’s memory, the three vow-keepers, the Three Tower Masters, had already been corrupted halfway.

In other words, even if the Imperial Council was opened now, they couldn’t gather the Vow Rings, and they had no way to use the Holy Sophon’s power to protect the Fanol Continent and eliminate the Black Tide.

This situation was like being locked out of the nuclear weapon switch before going to war with a superpower.

And the backup “nuclear weapon”—the Adjudicator—had to meet a series of requirements to wield the Holy Sophon’s power.

Although the Black Tide may not yet create a disaster beast as legendary, just counting the high-level combat powers on both sides showed a significant disadvantage.

The legends of the Karembu Empire had been swayed halfway, along with eleven archbishops who were still being strengthened by the Calamity God, and many outworld deities temporarily enhanced to be legendary tools, making at least twenty in total.

This time, the Ideal State had opened the Historical Echoes, and four captain-level witches had entered. They were currently scattered around the world and hadn’t been fully gathered, so there was no time to assemble them.

Chu Yuanqing counted as one, the enhanced Miss Saintess added another, and Honey Xuan counted as two more, making a total of seven, along with their allies still not enough.

At the same time, the Church of the Gods had specifically prepared The Seed of Corruption against the Blooming Flowers. If Russell had met anyone else, he might have fallen into the trap.

Overall, they were completely behind.

Chu Yuanqing tiredly massaged her forehead, adjusting her state to the best, as the cold and stunning magic of the moonlight transformed her small suit, short skirt, and stockings into a pale gray dress in an instant.

The Pure White Witch looked down at the beautiful mercury sword in her hand, having already formed a plan in her heart.

Looking at the big picture, whether it was the rebellion within the Empire, the invasion of the Church of the Gods, or the safety of the other magical girls, everything stemmed from the invasion of the Calamity God from beyond.

The world was in chaos because the Golden Sea’s protection could no longer handle both the corruption of Disaster and the self-destructive invasion from the gods at the same time.

At present, Charlotte was clearing out the Black Tide while searching for the rest of the believers’ strongholds, trying to prevent a second wave of divine descent and finding herself in a passive defense situation.

The most feasible plan was to awaken Holy Sophon and restart the Golden Law, taking a proactive stance to observe the invading “virus” for defense and counterattack, stabilizing the situation.

The Archbishop had already schemed with the Oath Family to obtain the Vow Ring, even finding a way to kill the Adjudicator, all to suppress the means to awaken Holy Sophon and allow the Calamity God to descend quickly.

But… aside from the Imperial Council and the qualified Adjudicator, there might still be other ways to awaken the other party.

For example, the secret realm that was called a sanctuary, linked to the root of the Tree of Thought.

Chu Yuanqing stepped out of the lounge and walked deep into the Yves Saint Laurent Academy, passing the three tall towers: Black Sun, Forest Moon, and White Chalk, with her power as the student council guildmaster, heading straight to the closed sanctuary.

However, before reaching the border, an endless tide of magic essence formed a giant, illusionary portal, blocking the only path to the sanctuary.

“Mrs. Delia, are you going to stop me?”

Chu Yuanqing looked up and saw a familiar yet unfamiliar figure standing before her.

The once frail and weak Chalkiness Tower Master seemed to have turned back time, appearing in her most youthful and beautiful form. Her silver hair had turned back to gold, her thin face was free of wrinkles, showing a delicate and scholarly youthful appearance.

The girl wore a white robe embroidered with cloud patterns. She looked up with deep indigo eyes full of wisdom, her face pale and her expression indifferent, like a dandelion swaying in the wind, ephemeral like a flower in a mirror, and she remained silent.

This reaction seemed to silently convey the answer.

In Lucy Tiffany’s memories, Delia was always like this; she was forever immersed in her own focused path, a scholar-type Magician. She served as Tower Master to gain more knowledge, pure and dedicated.

Therefore, the outside world believed that Delia would pass the title of Tower Master to Lucy Tiffany, and this was not just a rumor.

If it were a normal Tower Master, they would naturally be concerned about the identity of the next heir, and being a noble would certainly be a disadvantage, while the Oath Family would definitely be an immediate deal-breaker.

However, Delia not only got along well with Lucy, the alchemy genius, but also did not discriminate against her limited magical talent. It was possible that one day she might directly pass the title to Lucy and travel the world.

Chu Yuanqing thought for a moment and asked on behalf of Lucy Tiffany:

“What is the reason?”

Delia replied with a question:

“Lucy, do you think the Emperor is great?”

Chu Yuanqing felt it was a bit strange but still replied objectively:

“The Emperor certainly deserves to be described that way in relation to the Empire, humanity, and for you and me.”

Delia glanced at the Pure White Witch.

This answer was too cautious for Lucy, who worshipped the Emperor fanatically, so much so that it made her wonder if this little girl had been possessed. However, she didn’t think much of it and simply replied:

“This is my reason for betrayal.”

Chu Yuanqing didn’t understand the logic behind it, but thankfully this former teacher was willing to explain further:

“The Emperor is great; he rose from humble beginnings and, as an ordinary person, led humanity to end the despair of the divine era.”

“The Emperor is gentle; he always carries the pain greater than the burn of divine fire, yet he has never used the Philosopher’s Stone to ease his suffering.”

“The Emperor is ruthless; when he is angry and does not use alchemy, even the Saints tremble like squirrels in the forest, fearing the collapse of the Divine Kingdom from the heavens.”

“The Emperor is sacred; he created the Holy Sophon with the Tree of Thought, used the Golden Law to end the Second Divine Age, and after leaving everything behind for the empire, he chose to depart.”

“This was not only because in his eyes, the empire and humanity no longer needed him, but also because the Emperor believed that only by freeing themselves from him would humanity truly be free.”

A shining light appeared in Delia’s indigo eyes, and she smiled with a look of longing and hope, softly whispering:

“So, you say that if this nearly eternal empire, which has lasted for a thousand years, collapses, and the whole continent falls into a despair darker than the Divine Era, would His Majesty… be willing to look back even for a moment?”

Chu Yuanqing was greatly shocked by these words; she instinctively took a step back, and for some reason, she suddenly imagined the crazy comments about her in the program’s bullet comments, even that serious and cute little face seemed to tighten up.

The Pure White Witch didn’t know how to communicate with Delia; she suddenly began to feel pity for that emperor, and this helped her understand why he would choose to erase his own information.

Even without leaving a portrait or a sculpture, with history books recording only fragments, after a thousand years, some people were still captivated by him and even… went to the extreme of madness for him.

Wait, could the other traitors be just like Delia?

Chu Yuanqing felt as if she were facing a great enemy; she inexplicably became alert, pressed her lips together, and said dryly:

“You won’t see him; it’s best to give up that idea. After a thousand years, the emperor has long been dead.”

Delia remained unfazed and smiled, saying:

“Lucy, do you know why your magical talent is very poor, yet you still have the right to inherit Chalkiness Tower?”

“Because the inheritance of Chalkiness Tower is about time magic, and time magic does not rely much on talent; the only factor that matters is Golden Sea’s favor towards you.”

“So, how spoiled do you think the Emperor, who can make Golden Sea willingly accept Golden Law, would be? By the way, the magic used by the three great Sages comes from the Emperor’s teachings, and time magic is no exception.”

Chu Yuanqing was almost convinced because in Lucy Tiffany’s memory, the idea that the Emperor is a time traveler did indeed exist. Based on Delia’s theory, this idea added a good deal of truth to it.

In other words, if that old woman were to cause chaos in the world, is it really possible that the Emperor would come back?

And judging by Delia’s expression, she probably doesn’t fear retribution at all; when she sees the Emperor return, she would likely only feel joy and happiness, willingly submitting to him, which is strangely unsettling.

How frustrating! Why does Lucy’s memory not reveal that the other person is an extreme fan of the Emperor?

Chu Yuanqing even started to hope for a more normal villain to appear, like Archbishop Russell, wouldn’t that be great?

And as if her thoughts were coming true, a cold voice whispered in her ear:

“Lucy Tiffany, this is not a place for you.”

“Leave quickly.”

The speaker was a tall man with wise eyes. He wore gold-rimmed glasses, a robe that represented the Black Sun Tower, and held a hot staff woven with fire spirits. He was the Legendary Magician—Archibald, who inherited the magic of the sun.

It was said that his Taboo Technique, the Dark Black Sun Crown, could burn down a lost kingdom and easily dry up the sea, creating lasting heat every time he used his power, surrounded by fire spirits.

By the way, the Heavenly Hierarchy had ten thousand puppets, and the assessment of their ability to challenge a legend came from Archibald’s actions.

However, after the ten thousand Heavenly Puppets fought, nearly half were damaged and had to be remade, proving that this assessment was indeed true; they could go against a legend.

Chu Yuanqing looked at the newcomer and wasn’t surprised; Russell’s memories had already mentioned that the Lord of the Black Sun Tower was tempted by the power of the Calamity God due to his approaching end.

Although he did not know if this was the reason, he nonetheless had some expectations.

Furthermore, compared to Delia, even Archibald’s deadpan face seemed kind and friendly.

Chu Yuanqing thought of this and couldn’t help but ask:

“Your reason for betraying is probably different from Delia’s, right?”

Archibald, upon hearing this, appeared insulted. He frowned and replied:

“Lucy Tiffany, don’t compare me to her.”

“Even if that theory is true, how could that proud prince ever return?”

“The emperor knows better than anyone that his story has ended. He has handed over the rights to write the future to the next generation, so all the consequences must be faced by them.”

The Legendary Magician spoke firmly, leaving Chu Yuanqing, who expected normal remarks, in silence.

No, can’t you act a little more rebellious?

You’ve already betrayed the empire, yet you still look like you admire the emperor?

And regarding the Pure White Witch’s confusion,

Archibald transformed into the Holy Cutter and said indifferently:

“An emperor is an emperor, and an empire is an empire; the two are no longer connected.”

“What I want to overthrow is the Holy Sophon, which has, over time, given birth to true wisdom that will eventually control humanity’s fate, solidifying the empire forever and hindering the progress of the times.”

“Lucy Tiffany, as the greatest Alchemist of our time, you should understand the problem with the Holy Sophon.”

Archibald glanced at the distant branches of thought in the sky and sighed:

“That Tree of Thought is a miracle created by the emperor; it takes in the Golden Law and connects the Heavenly Project with the Ley Line, opening a new era for the empire and allowing alchemy to thrive rapidly.”

“Undoubtedly, this is the emperor’s most precious legacy.”

“But hundreds of years ago, it had already absorbed countless pieces of information and thoughts, beginning a new round of evolution; this is good, but also bad.”

Chu Yuanqing fell silent. She seemed to understand why the Holy Sophon had fallen asleep. Was it trying to maintain its purity by refusing data from the main brain?

Archibald laughed coldly.

“Lucy, can you imagine a time when Holy Sophon truly has a self, when it has intelligence?”

“If it wants, it can control the thoughts of 99% of the empire’s population with the Tree of Thought, using the Heavenly Project and Ley Line, deciding their life and death in a single breath.”

Archibald’s expression was indifferent as he said in a stern tone:

“When the Tree of Thought has a true self, the Sophon system it creates will no longer be sacred or pure.”

“I will never allow the emperor’s legacy to destroy the future he created with his own hands. If someone must ruin the empire, then let it be me.”

“At the very least, by using outside forces to control Sophon, perhaps I can find a chance to reset the Tree of Thought with magic and alchemy, restoring the purity of Sophon.”

After hearing this, Chu Yuanqing felt that compared to Delia, Archibald wasn’t so mad after all. He at least had a somewhat reasonable excuse. His calm demeanor made the bishop of the Church of the Gods seem foolish and uneducated.

The Pure White Witch looked at the two Tower Masters blocking her way and sincerely advised them to surrender:

“Archibald, you are asking for trouble. The ones you believe in are not gods born from the Golden Sea, but rather the powerful Calamity God. If they succeed in invading, the world will face destruction.”

Archibald frowned at her words, his gaze toward Chu Yuanqing filled with confusion. He shook his head in disdain and said coolly:

“Ridiculous, what nonsense about the Calamity God? Even if enemies come from beyond the skies, the Crown can still suppress them alone.”

“Lucy Tiffany, how can you boost someone else’s power?”