I had to extend our stay a little longer to continue our joint research, maybe until all of the countries around here are fully form. We mainly focused on Gravitational, Spatial, and other space related spells. I tested a few spells on some missing roles in my Angel Legion.
My first project was to develop the Collector design into a new transporter robot with a pocket space spell, replacing its old short range teleport device. I also added Stealth, Silent, and basic Hovering spells. Now, it can silently glide above the ground or other surfaces from only a small push by its six legs.
I then took the opportunity to remove the charging dock and integrate the Kinetic Gatling inside the robot. Not only this new robot design can transport the bullets from the Central Centurion, but now it can bring the gun out from exoskeleton wing covers to protect itself and support other Angels.
We simply called it the Cicada because of the Kinetic Gatling's sound. They are also considering using their own version for field exploration on other planets. All of the Kinetic Gatlings had been taken from every Centurion and re-assembled into new Cicadas under Michelle's command.
Then I used the research results to design a new aerial surveillance drone carrier that contains Insect Scouts inside its pocket space, by placing a walnut-sized Golden Core at the center of the equilateral triangular flying disc. I designed it to be launched by throwing like a frisbee, but after a few tests, I cut its corners and made it into a triangular hexagon disc for aerodynamic reasons.
These Hive Carriers can silently glide to cover the whole battlefield, or spinning around and relay information from behind enemy lines. With this new type of scout, Central Intelligence and Central Command will get all of the necessary information, while the Recon Centurion, who won't have to do general reconnaissance routines, will be available where they are really needed the most.
There might be some adjustments for my Angel Legion later, but I think the latest update has already completed its core structure. My research is enough for the Sun Sphere to continue developing safer and more efficient methods for intergalactic travel on their own. However, to achieve goals such as reaching the Cosmological Horizon or investigating the Primordial Point of the universe, our scientists must discover knowledge behind our Personal Space first, before developing it into ultra long distance warp technology.
Seem like my work here is done, at least for now. It's been almost two years now, Nanyue Kingdom is fully established and has stabilized their realm by adopting Yue customs. Xia Xing Men has already added pigeon posts into major bases along the route from Hanzhong to Zhuya Island, primarily to receive my orders and send important news to me. They will apply this to all of our future major bases across the Southern Kingdoms and the Han Empire.
Asena is already six, even though her True Form is fully mature, her body is still a teenager. Aycecek would love to see her daughter swimming, but perhaps not from underwater as I do. We grab Hai Wei's scales and let him lead us, but sometimes Asena wants to swim by herself. Underwater, her True Form looks like an ethereal sky with an ocean of stars in her body.
Right now, we are traveling by sea and try to mark Mount Tai before Liu Bang has his ritual there. While, I ordered the Archangels to change into Human Form, and secretly check on Xia Xing Men's bases in the Nanyue and Dian Kingdoms. Other Emperors marked their own mountains long time ago. At first, I planned to go to Mount Tai after finishing the meeting, but the research took much more time than I thought.
With this mark, it is ensured that I will receive most of energy from their prayers, every ritual, every ceremony, every festival and even from their curses. Every moment Chinese people think about heaven, sky or their highest deity, they will send that energy directly to me. After fully awaken, I can hear them from time to time, especially the loud ones. If I take my time and concentrate, even the quiet ones can be heard. Sometimes I answer these prayers and bless them but they mostly come from the Steppe, with only a few from Central Plains.
Most of the time, we conserve energy and hide our identities. But at a time like this, we will show ourselves. Some of those who witness us will become Believers, spreading the word of our existence. If we are lucky, they might even create a cult or religion from one of these events later. We are basically like an idol who sets up a show once in a while to attract new fans and entertain the old ones.
We started by showing ourselves on the Zhuya Island coast before crossing to the other side of the strait. We planned to slow our traveling speed at important spots like Xuwen, Panyu and other Yue coastal settlements, before finishing at Langya. My daughter and I will stand on top of the submerged head of Hai Wei the Great Serpent, at these important locations. We mixed things up a bit, we dressed in Yue clothing, put on Chinese robes and still kept our Tagh Boru hairstyles.
The Yue tribesmen will think I am the Lord of their Great Serpent, while the Chinese will think I am the Azure Dragon of the East. They might think of Asena as a Sea Goddess or something else while she is in her ethereal form. I saw many reactions at Xuwen, some were frightened or in awe of our existence, while many paid their respect to us.
As we approached the mouth of the Pearl River, the water turned from the deep indigo of the open sea to a silt-rich turquoise. The docks of Panyu were teeming with life, thousands of Yue laborers and former Qin soldiers were hauling timber.
While the sun almost set, I gave the signal. Hai Wei slowed his pace, his massive dark-scaled head rising just high enough above the waterline to form a stable platform. I stood at the very front, my Tagh Boru braids whipping in the wind, layered over a deep azure Chinese robe that flowed over my intricate Yue loincloth. Beside me, Asena let her human facade slip. Her skin shimmered like moonlight on glass, and through her translucent form, her "Stars" swirled with the rhythm of the tides.
A hush fell over the harbor. Hammers stopped mid-strike. The rhythmic chanting of the shipyard workers died into a collective gasp.
"Look!" a voice cried from a watchtower. "The Lord of the Great Serpent has come!"
From the docks, it must have been a terrifying beautiful sight. The Great Serpent carrying a man who looked like a king of the world and a girl made of stars. I raised my hand and at that moment, the Hive Carriers that I had hidden in my personal space launched. They spun and hummed with a sound that harmonized with the wind before releasing a swarm of golden ethereal butterflies out of nowhere.
Their lights multiplied and amplified the radiance of Asena, who stood there for a moment before she dived into the depths. She hit the water not with a splash, but with a pulse of light that sent a glowing ripple through the entire harbor. She swam beneath the hulls of the war galleys, her starry True Form illuminating the barnacles and the dark wood from below. I saw the soldiers on deck frantically pointing, some dropped to their knees in prayer, while others threw offerings of jade and grain into the water.
The energy almost hit me like a physical wave. The prayers weren't just whispers, they were a roar of awe and fear. My "Fans" were watching, and the energy of their Belief and Faith was already beginning to fuel me, the mark I intended to leave on Mount Tai might hit me harder than this.
Then, we vanished. We silently moved onto the shore to meet up with Gabriel, who had been selected to scout the area before we contacted Xia Xing Men agents. To blend in, we dressed in Nanyue fashion, exploring the streets and people of Panyu before continuing to the next settlement.
My plan was to visit my ancestors' hometown in Chaoshan region, I knew there was local Yue tribe settlement and a former Qin garrison around Jieyang. From there, we would continue to the future Minyue Kingdom capital near modern day Fuzhou, then to Ouyue Kingdom around Wenzhou, and finally the Lower Yangtze area near Hangzhou and Suzhou, before finishing our coastal journey at Langya.
There is a story told within my mother's family that our ancestors came from Fujian. Perhaps they were immigrants from the Central Plains who settled there before moving to Chaoshan. As for my father's side, the Wu family might be related to one of the Wu states around this region. With my mixed heritage that combines Huaxia, Yue, and Mon-Khmer together, it's surreal for me to wander through these regions in this era. It's like we are all constantly moving and changing into something else, little by little. I wonder why people still fight over race and nation, even though we're pretty much the same.