Cloud Retainer frowned slightly. "Planetary coordinates? What are those?"
March 7th stared at Cloud Retainer in disbelief. "No way—don't tell you don't even know what planetary coordinates are! Then how did you get to this planet?"
Cloud Retainer answered earnestly. "Naturally, we teleported here."
March 7th was stunned. "Teleportation?"
Cloud Retainer nodded. "Precisely."
Cloud Retainer then explained to them the teleportation function of the Statues of The Seven.
Upon hearing this, March 7th, Hiko, Dan Heng, and the others were all deeply shocked. They never imagined the other side's civilization had already developed tools capable of interstellar teleportation—traveling instantly from one planet to another without any spacecraft. If the Interastral Peace Corporation learned of such technology, they would stop at nothing to try and acquire it.
Yet clearly, behind Sam Li, Cloud Retainer, and the others stood an extraordinarily powerful force—Liyue, the land they spoke of. What puzzled everyone was how such a powerful force had remained completely unheard of until now.
While they were still discussing this, they had already arrived in the New Eridu urban district.
Shortly after, Sam Li and the Proxy headed together to the center of Hollow Zero to search for Belle and Wise's teacher.
Standing once more before Hollow Zero, Sam Li and Proxy imdiately noticed it had entered its decline phase—its size had visibly shrunk.
Upon entering the hollow, Sam Li felt the change even more clearly. The Ether concentration, activity, corruption, and pressure were all drastically lower than before. Even an ordinary person entering now would no longer risk corruption.
But ordinary people likely wouldn't enter Hollow Zero again. Before long, it would collapse entirely and vanish from this planet together with the giant.
Soon, Sam Li, Belle, and Wise reached the very center of Hollow Zero.
Under Sam Li's guidance, they located a strange underground chamber… It resembled a laboratory, filled with tools, experintal remnants, and even fragnts of destruction-class, world-ending Ethereals.
Even more shocking was that the researchers here—if they could still be called that—had either fully transford into Ethereals or were on the verge of doing so. Their bodies had beco twisted, neither human nor specter. They seed hostile toward Sam Li and the others.
The mont Sam Li and Proxy appeared, the corrupted researchers launched their attacks. Sam Li didn't hold back—he dispatched two Ethereals with a single effortless strike.
The group continued forward.
Belle and Wise finally caught sight of a familiar figure.
"Master… you really are alive. We knew you had to be alive…"
At that mont, Belle and Wise burst into tears of relief.
Hearing their voices, the figure ahead paused, then turned slowly. The face revealed was already corrupted, beginning its transformation into Ethereal—it was the teacher they had been searching for, Carole Arna.
"It's you…"
Carole seed to recall past mories, her emotions stirring.
But in the next instant, when Belle and Wise approached, she pushed them away without hesitation.
"No—don't co closer. I can't hold it back… Go, quickly! You shouldn't have co here…"
Carole Arna had already been corrupted by Ether. She was not yet fully transford, but her actions and consciousness were shifting rapidly toward that state. Seeing Sam Li and Belle, she felt the impulse to attack.
Seeing this, Belle looked anxiously at Sam Li.
"Please—help her."
Sam Li remained silent for a mont, then said slowly, "Her corruption is severe. I will try—"
He summoned Geo energy to restrain Carole, then used it to force the Ether out of her body. It sounded simple, but in truth, it was extrely difficult—one wrong move could destroy her completely.
Fortunately, he was able to temporarily stabilize the corruption.
Seeing this, Belle was overjoyed. "Thank you, Mr. Sam Li."
Sam Li replied calmly, "I can only prevent the corruption from worsening. I cannot completely remove it."
Belle worried again. "Then… Mr. Sam Li, please teach how to save her."
Sam Li answered unhurriedly, "That person may have a way."
He was referring, of course, to the Anemo Archon—Barbatos, or Venti. His mastery of Anemo made him far more skilled in healing than Geo.
Imdiately after, Sam Li led Belle, Wise, and Carole out of Hollow Zero.
anwhile, on the opposite side of New Eridu City, at the Janus District subway station—the stop where the Astral Express was parked—
After touring the city, the crew had returned here. Following Hiko's suggestion, they were in no rush to leave. Instead, they planned to stay for several days to rest and learn more about this world, as well as Sam Li and the Adepti.
At that mont, March 7th suddenly said, "Since the Ether Disaster is already resolved, we should tell Herta so she won't worry…"
Trailblazer replied calmly, "I've already reported everything to her."
Suddenly, their phone rang again. It was a new ssage from Herta.
Trailblazer read it. "Herta sends her thanks… and she also sent a docunt about Origin Star."
With no hesitation, they opened the file—and imdiately showed a stunned expression.
March 7th quickly leaned in.
"What? Don't tell we can't go to Origin Star anymore?"
Trailblazer shook their head. "According to Herta's information, the real na of Origin Star isn't Origin Star at all. It's… Wish Star. Because the pronunciations are similar, the na changed during transmission."
March 7th frowned.
"Wish Star? What a strange na!"
Trailblazer nodded. "It is… And there's another important detail. According to Herta's latest observations, Wish Star doesn't appear once every thousand years—it appears every five hundred."
Hearing this, March 7th threw up her hands.
"What difference does that make? Whether it's a thousand years or five hundred, if we miss this chance, we'll never get to see Wish Star!"
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