Chapter Eighty-Two

Chapter Eighty-Two

Cen Haiyun commenced her experiment.

She placed a small piece of an energy core and an unrefined Star-Eater crystal in front of Xiao Baijiu.

Xiao Baijiu flapped its wings, perched on the table, and decisively snatched the energy core, swallowing it with a 'gulp'.

...Although Cen Haiyun already knew Xiao Baijiu could devour energy cores, the sight still impacted her.

She steadied herself and tentatively opened the box containing the Star-Eater crystal—a raw crystal, ash-grey in color, shimmering with a murky glow, and not to be touched directly.

Xiao Baijiu merely glanced at the crystal indifferently before flying back to perch on Baisha's shoulder, without a backward look.

Cen Haiyun tried pushing the crystal closer to Xiao Baijiu, but it still showed no interest.

"It seems Her Highness's psychic entity can only devour purified psychic energy," Cen Haiyun sighed, concluding.

Pure psychic energy, apart from being obtained from refined crystals, is inherently possessed by the citizens of the Empire, yet the two are not exactly the same. At least the Empire's people cannot directly enhance their psychic power by absorbing energy from cores—except for Baisha.

What remained was to test whether Xiao Baijiu could absorb the psychic energy of others.

...But there had been no prior instances of this. Finding someone to test this on Xiao Baijiu seemed inhumane. Who could guarantee that having one's psychic energy absorbed wouldn't affect their health? If Xiao Baijiu's devouring ability was too strong and the drained psychic energy couldn't be restored, it would effectively cripple the person. Who would bear such responsibility?

Even though Cen Haiyun had considered risking herself, she ultimately lacked the courage to do so.

Cen Haiyun shared these concerns with the Emperor, who, after a moment of silence, said, "Then let me do it."

Baisha was somewhat surprised, her voice tinged with obvious reluctance and hesitation: "Uncle, I don't think it's necessary to go to such lengths. Besides, I don't want to devour anyone's psychic energy."

"If you possess a special ability, it should be thoroughly investigated," Cecil Ronin insisted, "Whether you use this ability or not is another matter, but you should at least fully understand it."

As he spoke, a gentle ripple of space fluttered around Cecil Ronin's shoulder. A majestic Xuan Bird adorned in blue splendor slowly emerged, its enormous tail feathers almost touching the ground. It appeared mythical, radiating an otherworldly beauty. Its eyes calmly watched Baisha, emitting a long, elegant chirp.

Xiao Baijiu tilted its head and flew over, burrowing into the Xuan Bird's splendid feathers, wriggling through the softly glowing plumage.

The Xuan Bird, originally tolerant, let it frolic, its wings lazily draped, until it got annoyed and nipped Xiao Baijiu's short tail feather, pulling it out.

Xiao Baijiu: "Chirp cheep."

Nestling on the Xuan Bird, Xiao Baijiu immediately calmed down.

Baisha: "..."

"I don't think this will work," Baisha said worriedly, shaking her head, "I think it might get plucked bald by your psychic entity."

Xiao Baijiu had never been this calm in her hands!

It was obviously suppressed by the Xuan Bird’s lineage.

"I'll control it," Cecil Ronin assured, "I won’t let your psychic entity get pecked to that state."

"…But what about you? Is your 'devouring' merely reliant on the autonomous actions of your psychic entity? You should have a higher degree of control."

Baisha hesitated slightly.

Sensing something, Xiao Baijiu’s black beady eyes turned towards Baisha, as if waiting for her to make a decision.

Let's give it a try then—

Suddenly, Xiao Baijiu soared into the air, chirping twice at the Xuan Bird.

A silver vortex appeared instantly in the air, psychic energy flowing like water within, swirling continuously, occasionally casting a few sparkling glints.

The Xuan Bird remained calm, letting the suction of the vortex gently lift its long tail feathers…

Nothing happened.

Undeterred, Xiao Baijiu flapped its wings, puffed up its chest, and let out another loud, clear chirp—

The sound seemed to penetrate the thoughts of everyone present.

Cen Haiyun’s eyes filled with anticipation as she watched Xiao Baijiu: Its call was now very close to that of the Xuan Bird!

Baisha started trying to control the vortex. The silver vortex in the air began to expand, its rotation speed increasing, resembling a rapidly spinning nebula, slowly brewing an awe-inspiring storm…

A fierce wind inexplicably rose in the treatment room.

Cen Haiyun shielded her eyes with her hand, but suddenly felt a numb, dull pain at the back of her head; her psychic entity slowly materialized behind her.

The black falcon had just formed when it instantly became a transparent shadow, its outline turning to smoke-grey, seemingly about to be sucked into the silver vortex—

"Stop."

Cecil Ronin called out in a low voice, startling Baisha back to reality.

Her slightly unfocused eyes widened in realization, and she quickly halted the devouring action. The massive silver vortex dissipated instantaneously as if it had never existed.

"Ah—" Cen Haiyun immediately came back to her senses, taking a deep breath. Her previously blurring vision cleared, "Ugh…" She held her head and staggered towards a chair, sitting down slowly.

Baisha decisively retracted Xiao Baijiu back into her psychic space, looking towards Cen Haiyun in surprise: "Sorry! Are you alright?"

A thin layer of cold sweat formed on Cen Haiyun's forehead.

"I'm okay, just a bit dizzy," she said, biting her tongue tip and smiling wryly, "For a moment, it felt like my soul was being sucked away…"

Speaking, the pain in her head had completely vanished, but the shock still lingered.

Seeing Cen Haiyun was fine, Baisha breathed a sigh of relief and frowned at Cecil Ronin.

Cecil Ronin: "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Baisha: "My attack was aimed at you, Uncle."

Cecil Ronin wasn't surprised by this outcome: "Perhaps because my psychic entity is of the same lineage as yours. Or maybe, your psychic entity can only devour those weaker than you."

Baisha indeed proved she could devour others' psychic energy, but controlling this ability herself turned out to be unpredictable—Cen Haiyun was an innocent bystander.

Baisha wanted to say something but couldn’t, merely approaching Cen Haiyun to continue apologizing: "I'm really sorry about earlier. Are you sure you're alright?"

Cen Haiyun stood up, took a few steps with coordinated movements, showing no signs of pain, just a pale complexion. She managed a faint smile, saying, "I'm fine."

Fortunately, Cecil Ronin called a halt in time, so her psychic energy wasn't devoured too much, and there was no evident weakness or abnormalities. Only her limbs felt weak from the fright.

The sensation of her psychic entity being devoured was terrifying. It felt like hovering on the brink of death.

Baisha possessed such a horrifying ability…

"You were accidentally harmed this time. Take good care of yourself, and if you have any problems, come to me," the Emperor said, "The royal family will provide you with satisfactory compensation."

"No need," Cen Haiyun said, massaging her brow, "I can feel that there's really no serious harm. The psychic energy I lost should recover with some rest."

In fact, she was already recovering—though Cen Haiyun was a research talent, her psychic power was at a 3S level, placing her among the top ranks in the Empire, with extraordinary recovery abilities.

"This matter must be kept confidential for now," the Emperor ordered, "And today’s records should not be kept in the Royal Medical Institute's archives."

Cen Haiyun promptly agreed: "Yes."

Cen Haiyun lowered her head, suppressing the turmoil in her eyes.

In truth, psychic entity battles among the citizens of the Empire were common, and in severe cases, one could completely obliterate the other. Even in the gravest injuries during war, an Imperial never loses their psychic entity, nor does its appearance undergo significant changes—for instance, if a lion-shaped entity bites off a deer-shaped entity's leg, when the deer reappears, its leg won't show any wound, but it would be exceptionally weak, losing its ability to attack or even move freely. With good luck, it could gradually recover, but with bad luck, it would only linger on in a weakened state.

But Baisha's 'devouring'... gave Cen Haiyun a moment of sheer terror, as if she was about to completely sever ties with her psychic entity.

The spread of such news would harm Baisha more than help her. Even the most open-minded citizens of the Empire would struggle to accept a royal with a devouring ability without reservations.

Cen Haiyun sighed in slight distress. She thought Cen Yuehuai's problem was challenging enough, only to encounter an even more dangerous princess.

"Your Highness, it's best not to use this talent for a while," Cen Haiyun advised, "If you need psychic energy, stick to feeding energy cores."

Baisha nodded, her expression somber.

Seeing her tired look, the Emperor knew she didn’t want to stay there any longer, so he started the journey back to Youdou Star.

On the way back, Baisha’s face was devoid of any smile.

Cecil Ronin, noticing her sullenness, slightly lowered his deep blue eyes and then said, "The laboratory you requested has been completed."

Baisha: "..."

Cecil Ronin: "It's connected to your personal manufacturing area—equipped with the Empire's most advanced instruments."

Baisha blinked.

"The researchers for the lab have also been selected. They are all leading figures in the field of mecha material research. Although it’s not easy to recruit true masters in the industry... they should meet your needs," the Emperor explained, "And if there's anything more, people from the Imperial Mecha Design Institute can assist."

Baisha knew Cecil Ronin was trying to lift her spirits—and indeed, her mood had improved significantly.

Baisha didn't like to dwell on things too much. Instead of succumbing to internal strife, she preferred to dive into work and shift her focus.

The moment she landed on Youdou Star, without even stopping for a meal and under the watchful gaze of the Emperor’s stern face, she plunged into the laboratory.

The head of the lab was always wearing a visual cyber-brain. This meant a cyber-brain's holographic screen constantly floated in front of his eyes, occupying part of his field of vision.

Watching data stream across the man's eyes, Baisha thought he looked quite young.

However, since arriving in the Empire, she had learned not to judge their age by appearance, focusing instead on their resumes—this individual was also a graduate of Tianquan Military Academy, a protégé of a renowned expert, proficient in everything from research to experimentation to manufacturing, efficient and sharp-witted. His most notable trait was not taking on projects with low budgets.

Clearly, the royal salary was the biggest attraction for him.

Jokingly, although working for the royal family on Youdou Star sounded restrictive, in reality, he had freedom of movement when not on a task, enjoyed good food and drink, and his annual salary was higher than the research funds of many projects he had previously participated in—aside from not being able to contribute his value in the scientific field and having all his future work likely branded with the royal family’s influence, it was practically his dream job.

His attitude towards Baisha wasn't so much that of an employee to a boss, but rather like one towards a god of wealth.

"Good afternoon, Your Highness. You can call me Xiuwen," he greeted Baisha with a smile, leading her into the lounge. Summoning a robot to serve tea, water, and snacks, he asked, "May I know your instructions?"

He thought his task would at most involve helping this royal member improve mechs or research some gadgets.

To his surprise, Baisha directly transferred to him a document of several thousand pages.

"…Mycelium materials?" Xiuwen, seeing the "Top Secret" label on the file, was so startled he dared not drink his water, and after speed-reading for five minutes, exclaimed in astonishment, "Isn't this Master Jiang Gui's research project?!"

Xiuwen was well-informed and knew many industry secrets. But the detail in the document he held far surpassed any research details previously disclosed by Jiang Gui.

Baisha calmly stated, "Of course, because this project has now been entrusted to me. Take a closer look. We'll discuss it after you're done."

Why would Master Jiang Gui entrust his project to the royal family?

In that moment, Xiuwen’s mind was flooded with countless speculations, but after his initial shock, he chose to bow his head and diligently read the document.

Whether the royal family wanted to get involved because they saw potential in the project, or if the princess in front of him wanted to 'graft flowers onto a different tree' and use Master Jiang Gui’s research for her own fame... But Jiang Gui was not an easy target, and being proud and aloof, if even he had to yield to the royal family, what right did a mere researcher like him have to question?

Xiuwen chose to stay wise and protect himself.

Initially, he was somewhat distracted while reading the document. But as he progressed, he found it increasingly intriguing.

A few minutes later, Baisha asked, "Finished?"

Xiuwen, having skimmed through hastily, nodded slightly.

Baisha nodded: "The technical concept and application direction of mycelium materials are already outlined. Master Jiang Gui even preemptively verified some key functions... But due to the specialty and complexity of mycelium materials, we still need to create a database and perform some targeted micro-structure performance calculations..."

Watching the princess unflinchingly detail a long list of requirements, Xiuwen flipped through the materials while recording on his cyber-brain, struggling to keep up with Baisha's pace.

The more he listened, the more he realized that the princess was genuinely well-versed in the subject. The way she handled the data suggested she might have personally conducted these tests.

"This time our task is only a commissioned project, but subsequently, there's a five percent profit transfer," Baisha raised an eyebrow, "As you know, the prospects for mycelium materials are limitless. I hope our lab can not only complete the current task but also produce prototypes and eventually commercialize and engineer the product."

Xiuwen immediately understood that Baisha's ultimate goal was to transform the project into a tangible product.

"Mycelium materials are just one step away from finalization," Xiuwen hesitated, still somewhat incredulous, "Why would Master Jiang Gui entrust us with development under such generous conditions?"

"Don't misunderstand, the five percent profit is for me. But I can allocate one percent of that to you all," Baisha picked up her tea cup, taking a slow sip, "Jiang Gui is my mentor. I also participated in some of the development of mycelium materials. Although five percent profit might seem high, you can see it as a gift from a teacher to a student."

Xiuwen: "…!"

Envy distorted his expression.

He had only heard of students giving gifts to their teachers, never of teachers giving such generous gifts to their students...

But that wasn't the main point.

The main point was, he had never heard of Jiang Gui taking any disciples.

So, was the princess in front of him actually a new disciple of Master Jiang Gui?

Xiuwen wiped his face, erasing any last trace of insincerity from his heart.

If she was knowledgeable, then the results he would present from now on had to be impeccable.

Moreover, Baisha had promised them a one percent profit share...

If things went as expected, even one percent would amount to a staggering sum.

And Baisha was sparing no effort in funding the lab, determined to achieve outstanding results.

Even though Xiuwen foresaw endless overtime work ahead... wasn't this a rare and excellent opportunity?

There was no better boss than Her Highness!

Xiuwen took a deep breath, thought seriously for a few minutes, then said to Bai Sha, “Creating a prototype won’t be an issue, we can have it ready soon. But to achieve a mature process and successfully apply it to mechas, we still have a lot of refinement experiments to conduct…”

Bai Sha asked, “How long will it take, approximately?”

Xiuwen paused for a moment before giving a time frame: “About seventeen months. We can guarantee the integration of the mycomaterial into the mechas.”

How to best utilize it and whether new technologies compatible with the mycomaterial can be developed... that remained an unknown.

Bai Sha pondered briefly, “If we’re short-staffed, I can recruit more. I can also facilitate connections with the Imperial Mecha Design Research Institute, so you can consult them for any technical difficulties.”

Xiuwen gasped audibly again.

“...Seven months.” Xiuwen felt his hair bidding him farewell, “That's the absolute limit. Every step will be right on the deadline.”

Bai Sha showed a satisfied smile, “Good, then I leave it to you. I want to see the finished product in seven months.”

After the conversation, Bai Sha was glowing while Xiuwen looked pale.

After Bai Sha finished touring the entire laboratory, Xiuwen immediately called all the researchers for a meeting.

Three days later, Xiuwen, straightforward as ever, handed Bai Sha a new procurement list, and behind it, a list for headhunting.

Bai Sha: “...?”

Xiuwen earnestly assured, “Rest assured, I have vetted the list. They all have genuine skills and aren't just our connections.”

“Okay then,” Bai Sha stamped her approval on the procurement list and kept the headhunting list, “I will have someone pay attention to it.”

Xiuwen visibly relaxed.

He had feared that Her Highness's previous actions were just for show. It wasn't until he received the project contract from Master Jiang Gui that he began to feel it was real.

Xiuwen glanced curiously at Bai Sha's design console, which was lit up, and then found himself captivated by the exquisite and creative design on the screen: “Is this your design?”

“Yes. I’ve been drawing it for several days. I've been thinking about it for a while and recently found the time to design it.”

The drawing depicted a sword radiating cold light, entirely white with a hint of deep red on the handle, reminiscent of plum blossoms in the snow.

Beneath the drawing, a line of small text named the weapon “Zhu Yan”.

“It’s a beautiful sword,” praised Xiuwen, “I bet many would love to buy such a poetically inspired design.”

Bai Sha gave him a peculiar look: “This sword has extremely high armor-piercing capabilities, and it's highly toxic.”

Xiuwen leaned closer to the data panel and became speechless. He then glanced at the adjacent rating, “Exceptional”.

...Pardon the intrusion.

Creating an exceptional-grade mecha weapon so casually, Bai Sha must be at least a high-level to top-tier mecha engineer.

The sword "Zhu Yan," as Xiuwen noted, was exceptionally aesthetic, possibly scoring high in visual design, but what ultimately defined it were the mature and near-perfect design details, along with its special toxin.

This kind of toxin had never been used in mechas before because such toxic compounds are notoriously unstable on metal surfaces. Bai Sha even developed a new hybrid coating containing a catalyst for the toxin, using a highly corrosion-resistant alloy to achieve a certain balance on the weapon.

Of course, this toxicity is in relation to star worms.

...Wasn’t the original purpose of designing mechas to kill star worms?

Blessed with special significance, and with the design itself having no flaws, Bai Sha smoothly secured a second 'Exceptional' weapon grade evaluation.

After pondering for a moment, Bai Sha added this achievement under the virtual ID 'Luck Emperor.'

—With two 'Exceptional' records in hand, 'Luck Emperor' officially advanced to a senior mecha designer.

At least in the realm of mecha weapon design, such a senior title was well-deserved.

This contrasted with her own design record, which wasn’t as impressive... with only one legendary mecha 'Liuting' suspected of being credited by association.

It seems indulging in weapon design isn’t enough; she needs to keep up with major design aspects too.

Having bid farewell to Xiuwen, Bai Sha planned to list the 'Zhuyan' design on the mecha association’s website for auction.

After completing all this, just as Bai Sha was about to rest, her optical computer suddenly lit up:

It was a message from Han Chang.

[The task you assigned has been completed, Your Highness. Those two students from Dongluo Military Academy will act as if they saw nothing.]

Han Chang successfully completed the task of silencing witnesses. The fact that he was reporting now probably meant he had also taken care of the aftermath.

Not wanting to reveal her Devouring Talent, Bai Sha simply replied: [Thanks.]

After a silence of several seconds, Han Chang sent another message: [This might seem abrupt, but Your Highness, are you aware that the disappearance of the eldest imperial princess years ago is related to the Han family?]