The afternoon sun blazed fiercely, stinging the eyes.

On the rooftop, two figures stared at each other in silence for over ten seconds.

If a third person had wandered between them, they’d likely have been shaved bald by the sharp gazes in an instant.

The sweltering air seemed to cool under the weight of this heavy atmosphere.

Finally, the younger-looking man could no longer bear it and broke the standoff.

“It’s been a while, Xiao Xin.”

The young man stepped forward, clapping both hands on Lu Xin’s shoulders.

He tried to pull Lu Xin into a hug, but Lu Xin deftly dodged, his face showing a hint of disgust.

“Enough, don’t get all sappy. People might think we’re from Huacheng or something,” Lu Xin said, mildly annoyed, to his father.

“I just missed you so much,” his father said, spreading his hands innocently.

“It hasn’t been that long. Didn’t we meet last month when I went to the capital for a meeting?” Lu Xin countered.

“That was work. You were just there for the meeting, me up on the stage, you down in the audience…”

“So, what’s your purpose here today? Are you the Vice Chairman of the Supreme Magical Committee, Lu An, or do you have some shady identity with ulterior motives?” Lu Xin turned away, questioning Lu An.

“Work is work, life is life,” Lu Xin continued.

“If it’s work, please address me by my title. If it’s personal, then call me whatever you want, old man.”

Lu An was momentarily speechless, caught off guard.

Lu Xin glanced back, seeing his father’s hesitant expression, and shook his head before turning around fully.

“You’re always so unreliable,” Lu Xin said.

“So, tell me, Chairman Lu, what are your orders?”

Hearing this, the young man fumbled in his pocket and pulled out an object wrapped in a handkerchief.

He unfolded the embroidered cloth, revealing a pure gold ring, and handed it to Lu Xin.

“This is a little hometown specialty your mother and I brought for you. Take a look?” Lu An’s eyes held a spark of anticipation.

Lu Xin took the ring impassively, probing it with his mental energy.

Tier 7 and 8 magical beast cores, a pile of Tier 5 and 6 cores, and even a rare Tier 9 core.

Countless recovery potions and various other elixirs.

Lu Xin took a deep breath, so forceful it seemed to stir the clouds in the sky.

“Chairman Lu, do you know what the contents of this ring mean?” Lu Xin asked.

“The love your mother and I have for you and Xiaoyue?” Lu An said, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

“These potions and beast cores are enough to train an elite mage corps.”

“That corps could sweep through any nation on Blue Star.”

“This is the seventh storage ring I’ve received, and it’s the one with the most stuff.”

“What are your orders, Chairman Lu?” Lu Xin asked, glancing at him sideways.

“It’s just a hometown specialty for you and Xiaoyue.”

“You know Xiaoyue’s just started high school, growing fast, so we brought some supplements.”

“What’s the big deal?”

“Fine,” Lu Xin said, casually pocketing the ring.

There’s too much for one person. I’ll have to distribute some of it, Lu Xin thought, noticing Lu An’s hesitant look.

“What else is there?”

“Well, your mother also asked me to bring you something else.”

Lu An’s fingertips glowed faintly as he sliced through the air, opening a spatial rift.

Just before the city’s defense alarms could sound, he pulled out two exquisite gift boxes and swiftly closed the rift.

Two gift boxes: one with a purple ribbon, clearly for Xiaoyue, and the other with a blue ribbon…

Lu Xin opened the blue-ribboned box.

It had three layers: the top held jewelry, the middle a silver dress, and the bottom a pair of crystal high heels.

“What’s this supposed to mean?” Lu Xin asked, eyeing Lu An, who was stifling a laugh.

“Pfft—haha!” Lu An burst out laughing.

After calming down, he said, “It’s your mother’s heartfelt gesture. Why don’t you let my ‘daughter-in-law’ try it on?”

“Absolutely not today,” Lu Xin refused flatly.

“What if I said it’s a mandatory task from your mother?” Lu An said, tossing a camera he’d pulled from somewhere.

Lu Xin shuddered.

Compared to his long-absent mother showing up in person, cooperating with the photoshoot was the better deal.

What a shame for today’s plan to maintain my manly aura. Guess I’ll wait for my “wife’s” next day off.

“Give me a moment.”

With that, Lu Xin channeled his magic, casting a Tier 7 Spatial Leap spell.

In an instant, the middle-aged man’s shoes landed on the polished tiles of his home.

The man stretched, placed the gift box on the sofa, and drew the curtains.

He slowly approached the full-length mirror in the living room.

“Transform,” Lu Xin whispered in his mind.

Golden patterns instantly crawled up the middle-aged man’s neck.

A flash of light, and the man’s figure vanished.

In his place stood a silver-haired, blue-eyed girl.

The girl stripped off her clothes, standing bare before the mirror, gazing at her delicate form.

“Hello, Alicefiel, my ‘wife.’”

“And also, myself.”

Alicefiel spoke to her reflection.

Ten minutes later, on the rooftop of the Tongzhou City Bureau of Magical Affairs, a flash of white light appeared.

A silver-haired beauty materialized, holding the hem of her dress, floating midair.

Lu An smiled warmly and approached unhurriedly.

“A dress from the Mercury Workshop, tailored for you beautiful girls,” Lu An said with a grin.

“This outfit is way too embarrassing,” the girl said, her cheeks slightly flushed.

“No helping it—your mother’s taste. Let’s get the photos done quickly.”

“Alright,” Alicefiel replied.

The girl stood, moving to a shaded spot, striking poses with practiced ease.

“Hurry up and finish,” she said.

Lu An raised the camera.

“Alright, lift your leg.”

“Hands too high, lower them a bit.”

“Turn your face to the right.”

“Yes, that’s the pose.”

After ten minutes, amidst Alicefiel’s complaints, the tedious photoshoot finally wrapped up.

“Now, let’s get to business,” Lu An said, putting away the camera, his expression turning serious.

“What’s with the serious act, old man? Why don’t you just ascend to the heavens?” Alicefiel teased, smirking.

It was rare to see the old man so solemn, given his usual carefree demeanor.

Taking advantage of the moment, Miss Alicefiel couldn’t resist a playful jab.

Lu An froze, then burst into laughter without retorting.

“Fair enough. It’s rare for me to be serious, so humor me a little.”

“Got it,” Alicefiel said, her delicate face composed, exuding a hint of maturity in her elegant dress.

“What brings the Chairman to Tongzhou City, Inner Plains Province?”

“I am the Holy Domain Mage tasked with maintaining the ley lines this century. I’m here to inspect the ley line nodes of Inner Plains Province, Central Republic.”

“Please verify my identity and confirm the Magical Committee’s confidential notice.”

“Here’s my mission document and identity token,” Lu An said, handing over a scroll and a badge to the girl.

“Identity verified. I now temporarily transfer ley line management authority,” the girl replied.

After confirmation, an ancient brass key floated out from her body, landing in Lu An’s hand.

Lu An grasped the key and inserted it into the empty air before him, giving it a slight twist.

Countless white patterns spread from the key, transporting the two to a pitch-black underground.

In a massive cavern large enough to encompass the entire city, an enormous machine sprawled across the ground.

Pistons and gears churned, and massive pipes glowed with the constant flow of magical energy.

“Every time I come underground, I’m struck by the grandeur of this machinery—and my own insignificance,” Alicefiel said, touching a tiny part of the colossal structure.

“The wisdom of our ancestors. Sadly, we can no longer replicate this miracle, only maintain it,” Lu An said with a click of his tongue.

“No matter how long we mages live, we can’t withstand the might of time.”

“Those who built this are probably not even a handful of dust now,” Lu An added.

“We’ve lost so much to get here. All we can do is cling to our ancestors’ legacy.”

“Our ancestors’ legacy—we can’t even understand its structure anymore,” Alicefiel said.

“Enough talk. Let’s get to the core,” Lu An said, pressing his palm against an iron wall.

The wall unfolded like a lotus, revealing a wide passage lit by dim lights.

The two didn’t enter immediately, standing aside as if waiting for something.

Boom! A shockwave laced with magical energy burst forth.

“Let’s go in.”

“You should learn something too,” Lu An said to the girl.

“This is my last shift. Who knows, they might appoint you as my successor,” Lu An said loudly, leading the way.

On the surface, an alchemical puppet resembling Lu Xin walked out of the Bureau’s main entrance.

It met another puppet resembling Lu An.

A gentle breeze passed, and the two puppets clasped hands, exchanging eerie smiles.