Aventurine walked out of Xing's room and back to his own room.
As soon as he returned, he saw Dr. Ratio, a truth-seeking physician, waiting in his room.
Ratio was about to speak, but Aventurine suddenly raised his hand to stop him.
"Wait a moment, Professor."
Ratio, hearing this, held back the words he was about to say.
Aventurine walked directly to the room, found a regular treasure chest in the corner, and opened it.
Ratio frowned slightly, feeling displeased.
"You interrupted me just to open this useless treasure chest?"
Aventurine took out the Stellar Jade from the chest and held it in his hand.
"The chest may not be useful, but this little Stellar Jade is incredibly valuable."
Ratio, upon hearing this, remembered something he had accidentally discovered earlier.
He found that the Strategic Investment Department had been secretly gathering star fragments without the knowledge of the company.
"Tell me, why is your department secretly collecting star fragments?"
Aventurine put the Stellar Jade in his pocket and smiled, pretending to be clueless.
"Is there? I don't think so."
Ratio was quite dissatisfied with Aventurine's attitude.
"Didn't anyone teach you? Cooperation is based on trust."
Aventurine continued to play dumb, though he trusted Ratio.
However, they were in Penacony, and Aventurine couldn't be certain that this place wasn't under surveillance by the family.
"Professor, I've been honest with you."
As he spoke, Aventurine's eyes shifted to the fruit plate on the side.
Ratio, catching this with the corner of his eye, noticed a hidden camera in the fruit plate.
Aventurine, seeing that Ratio had noticed, continued.
"Professor, if you don't believe me, you can ask Jade. You should trust her words, right?"
Ratio, hearing this, understood the implied meaning.
It was clear that Aventurine was suggesting he go ask Jade about the matter.
Ratio closed his eyes and then opened them again.
"I'll go, you continue what you're doing. I'll be busy with mine. Goodbye—no, never again."
With that, Ratio left Aventurine's room.
Aventurine watched him leave and then walked over to the fruit plate, picked an apple, and began eating.
Once he finished, he planned to go out and search for more Stellar Jade.
The value of Stellar Jade far surpassed that of Penacony.
Among the Ten Stone Hearts, there was a silent agreement that Stellar Jade were above everything else.
Meanwhile, Stelle and Kiana were about to enter the Dream Pool when someone suddenly appeared at the door.
Stelle immediately recognized the person.
"It's you! You're the one who slashed me in the dream!"
Kiana was also surprised.
"Mei? What are you doing here?"
The newcomer was Acheron, who had gotten lost and, upon seeing Stelle's door open, decided to ask for directions.
Acheron was surprised.
"You know me? Mei? Yes, I'm called Mei, but I don't know you."
Kiana examined Acheron closely.
"I see… Hmm, you're not my Mei. You just look a bit like her."
Stelle thought for a moment and said.
"Maybe it's similar to Himeko's case. Didn't Uncle Yang mention something about a counterpart?"
Kiana nodded.
"Professor Welt did say something like that."
Stelle crossed her arms and looked at Acheron.
"You really don't remember me? You slashed me in the dream and forgot? You even mentioned going back to the waking world."
Acheron, hearing this, lowered her head and thought for a moment.
"Sorry... I don't remember what happened before."
Stelle raised an eyebrow.
"Hah? You don't remember?"
Acheron nodded.
"I often forget things."
Stelle, hearing this, sized up Acheron and nodded.
"I see... By the way, what are you doing in my room?"
Acheron replied.
"I wanted to ask how to get to the lobby."
Stelle then gave Acheron directions, and Acheron thanked her repeatedly before leaving the room.
Once the door was closed, Stelle turned to Kiana.
"Finally, we can enter the Dream World. Let's go, Kiana! Let's open some treasure chests!"
Kiana's eyes lit up at the mention of treasure chests.
"Alright! Kiana, let's go!"
At the train station.
Zhongli led the people from Liyue off the train, and the station was bustling with activity.
Hu Tao stood on tiptoe, using her hands to shield her eyes as she looked around.
"Wow, this place is huge! So many rooms!"
Ningguang glanced around the large hotel, and even as Liyue's wealthiest person, she was astonished.
"To build such a large hotel, the amount of resources required is unimaginable."
Huohuo, though born on the Immortal Boat, had never been to a place outside of it. The architectural style of Penacony was vastly different, and she found it quite fascinating.
Zhongli looked at his group. Most of Liyue's elites were already here.
"Remember, we must not miss any treasure chest in sight."
Xiao nodded.
"Understood, Excellency."
Zhongli looked at the group, including the curious Xianyun who was observing the vehicles on the main road.
After a moment's thought, Zhongli called over Ganyu and Shenhe.
"Ganyu, Shenhe, you two stay with your Master and make sure she doesn't start dismantling anything."
Ganyu understood and nodded, and Shenhe followed suit.
Zhongli gave the order.
"Search this area first and find all the treasure chests."
Hu Tao, hearing this, took Huohuo and ran out.
Hu Tao and Huohuo ran quickly and soon spotted a regular treasure chest in an open area.
Hu Tao first observed it carefully. When she saw the red glow around the chest, she immediately drew her weapon.
Treasure chests with red light were likely guarded by monsters.
Hu Tao drew out her Staff of Homa.
"Huohuo, get ready for battle!"
Huohuo pulled out a small flag, cheering herself on.
"Okay, Hu Tao! I'll do my best!"
Nearby, the tail of the floating elder, observing Huohuo joining the fight, smiled in satisfaction.
"This little girl has finally grown up. I no longer need to worry about her."
Hu Tao charged toward the chest. Just as she was about to reach it, two TV-like monsters appeared.
Hu Tao made a hand gesture, and her Staff of Homa swung out, engulfing the two TV monsters in flames.
By the time Huohuo arrived, the battle was already over.
This scene repeated throughout the platform.
Zhongli, with the people of Liyue, and Venti with the people of Mondstadt, along with Silver Wolf, Kafka, and Blade, were all searching for treasure chests after getting off the train.
Ye Yun, having finished his training, also brought his six companions off the train to explore.
Now, after some time training, Ye Yun had reached the level of a mid-tier Emanator, and he could easily protect himself.
The search for treasure chests was soon reported back to Sunday.
Sunday sat in a dimly lit office, resting his chin in his hand, thoughtfully looking at the tote bag in front of him.
This bag had been confiscated from Aventurine, and inside, Sunday found some very interesting items.
Topaz and Aventurine stones!
Sunday looked at the servant.
"This matter doesn't need attention. Let them search for treasure chests, as long as it doesn't interfere with the plan."
The servant bowed and withdrew.
A short while later, the servant returned.
"My lord, we've detected the signal of the Luofu Immortal Boat in a nearby star domain. They seem to be here for the Harmony Festival."
Sunday frowned upon hearing this. He hadn't expected the Luofu Immortal Boat, which had just been involved in a major battle, to come for the Harmony Festival.
***
On the Luofu Immortal Ship.
Generals Jing Yuan, Feixiao, and Huaiyan were organizing a meeting with Fu Xuan, Jiaoqiu, and others.
Jing Yuan said:
"This time, our goal is the treasure chests. Everyone, please work hard for a while.
Our immortal ship has fallen behind the train group, the company, Liyue, and Mondstadt. They have already started collecting Stellar Jades on Penacony.
In the coming period, we need to race against time to find treasure chests and bring vast amounts of Star Coins to our immortal ship!
Everyone! Let's land on Penacony! For the immortal ship! Let's set off!"
Hearing the words "For the Immortal Ship," everyone got energized, as if they had been injected with adrenaline.
Only Qingque looked depressed, feeling completely out of sorts.
She had been enjoying life on the train just yesterday, but after dinner last night, she was caught by Master Diviner and brought back.
The thought of not being able to play Celestial Jade every day for the foreseeable future made her want to cry.
"General! You big liar! You promised me I would only be responsible for transcribing product information! Liar! It was all a lie!"
Jing Yuan noticed Qingque's gloomy mood and walked over to her.
"Qingque, I said before that you only needed to transcribe product information, but now I'm calling you back. It's actually my fault."
"How about this? If you bring back 500 Stellar Jades this time, I'll give you a one-week vacation as a reward. How about it?"
Qing Que hesitated upon hearing this. 500 Stellar Jades meant 100 ordinary treasure chests! That was really difficult.
Jing Yuan continued with a smile.
"A paid vacation!"
Hearing the words "paid vacation," Qingque's eyes lit up instantly.
"Deal!"
Qingque happily followed the group, preparing to land on Penacony.
Huaiyan, who saw this, walked up to Jing Yuan.
"Jing Yuan, you really know how to motivate your subordinates."
Jing Yuan smiled faintly.
"Where, where, Elder Yan, your praise is too much. I'm nowhere near as skilled as you."
Huaiyan stroked his beard and smiled.
"Alright, we two shouldn't idle around here. Let's head out too."
The group from the Luofu Immortal Ship boarded the Starskiff and headed for Pinocconi.
Not long after, the Starskiff slowly descended, and Sunday, along with a large group from the family, had been waiting for a while.
Fu Xuan looked out the window and saw Sunday below.
"General, this person is one of the key figures in the family, Sunday. He is in charge of organizing this Harmony Festival."
Jing Yuan responded after hearing this.
"Let's go meet Mr. Sunday."
Jing Yuan led the group down from the Starskiff. As soon as they stepped down, he cupped his hands and said to Sunday, who was standing not far away.
"Mr. Sunday, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Jing Yuan, currently serving as a general on the Luofu Immortal Ship."
Sunday smiled and replied.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, General Jing Yuan. The Luofu is going through difficult times, and yet you've still found the time to attend our family's Harmony Festival. We're honored to have you here in Penacony."
Jing Yuan smiled and said.
"The relationship between the family and the Immortal Ship has always been friendly. The family has extended such a warm invitation, so naturally, we couldn't refuse."
Feixiao, who was standing by, was taken aback by the exchange. Friendly relationship? That wasn't really the case. It was more of a normal business cooperation between them.
Feixiao was completely unable to get used to this kind of atmosphere. If it weren't for the Stellar Jades in Penacony, Feixiao would probably still be drinking with Venti.
Sunday noticed Feixiao's odd behavior and asked.
"By the way, who are these two?" He looked at Huaiyan and Feixiao, both of whom were standing at Jing Yuan's side, suggesting they were not simple figures.
Jing Yuan saw this and introduced them.
"This is General Feixiao of the Xianzhou Yaoqing, and this is General Huaiyan of the Xianzhou Zhuming."
Upon hearing their titles, Sunday was slightly taken aback but quickly regained his composure.
"Welcome, Generals. I didn't expect the Immortal Ship to take our relationship so seriously, sending three generals all at once."
"I've arranged rooms for you all. If you need anything, feel free to ask the family. We'll do our best to assist you. I hope you all enjoy your time in Penacony."
With that, Sunday bid the Immortal Ship group farewell and left.
Huaiyan watched Sunday's retreating figure and said.
"This man is quite scheming. He's been probing our strengths this whole time."
Jing Yuan thought for a moment before replying.
"Although the family invited other factions to attend the Harmony Festival, as the organizer, he seems very resistant toward us."
Feixiao, hearing this, spoke in confusion.
"Isn't it normal for him to be resistant? We're not on the same side."
Huaiyan smiled and explained.
"Resistance is normal, but this man's reaction is a bit excessive. When things are out of the ordinary, something's off. Penacony is a deep pool."
Feixiao, hearing this, placed her hands on her hips.
"Who cares how deep the pool is? If it comes to a fight, we'll fight! Let's go, let's go, we'll go find the Stellar Jades first."
Jing Yuan, watching this, said.
"Let's go, Elder Yan. We're here for the Steller Jades. As long as we accomplish our goal, it's fine."
Jing Yuan nodded.
"Yes, if it really becomes dangerous, we'll just fight. The Immortal Ship fears no enemies."
Jing Yuan and Huaiyan, along with Fu Xuan, Yun Li, and others, followed Feixiao's steps.
In the dream.
Stelle and Kiana met the doorman, Misha.
"Welcome, honored guests, this way, this way."
Stelle and Kiana looked around and noticed the voice came from a painting.
They walked up to the painting, and Stelle reached out to touch the gap in the painting.
In an instant, a suction force pulled them in, and the two found themselves in a magical space.
The entire space was purple, and in front of them was only a small floating path in the air.
They also saw Misha, the doorman they had met earlier in the lobby.
Misha was very happy to see them.
"You've finally arrived. My name is Misha. It's a pleasure to serve you."
Stelle greeted her.
"Hello, Misha. Do you know how we can get to the Golden Hour?"
Misha gestured with her hand.
"Just go through the door over there, and you'll reach the Golden Hour. Enjoy your time, and if you need any help, feel free to ask me."
Stelle and Kiana said their farewells and walked toward the end of the small path, opening the door and stepping through.
As soon as they entered, they realized something was wrong.
Kiana looked down.
"Wow! Why are we in the sky!"
Stelle and Kiana began to fall rapidly, initially panicking and flailing their arms.
Until they saw a vibrant city and a dreamlike purple sky, they became entranced.
Kiana even spread her arms wide, mimicking a bird.
"Flying~ flying~"
Stelle also looked around curiously.