Chapter 65: Handover Complete, Time to Cook Dinner

Lu Xin and Xiao Xuan reached a massive iron wall deep within the Earth Vein.
Lu Xin stood before it, recalling the last time he was here.

After a moment of reflection, he glanced at Xiao Xuan’s calm face beneath his mask, then placed a hand on the wall, channeling mana to activate the array beneath.

As before, when Lu An had opened it, the iron wall unfolded like a blooming lotus, revealing a wide but dimly lit passage.

“Stay back from the entrance,” Lu Xin warned Xiao Xuan, stepping ten meters to the side.

Xiao Xuan nodded, joining him.

Boom! A shockwave laced with mana essence burst from the passage.

“Hiss!” Xiao Xuan flinched, realizing that without Lu Xin’s guidance, he’d have been standing at the entrance and sent flying like a ragdoll.

“Brother Lu… what’s that about?” he asked, confused.

“Just a pressure difference between the mana synthesis workshop and the outside,” Lu Xin explained.

“The shockwave won’t damage the cavern’s structure.”

“The synthesized mana essence and shockwaves are dispersed into the atmosphere via teleportation arrays.”
He paused, pointing upward.
“Look up.”

Xiao Xuan tilted his head, seeing countless faintly glowing arrays, etched as if in gold, shimmering above.
He couldn’t fathom how many years they’d been running smoothly.

“Of course, the mana essence dispersal is limited to the Central Republic,” Lu Xin added.
“Some spills to neighboring countries, spawning their superhumans, but it’s a drop in the bucket compared to ours.”

“The Magic Committee wants to spread mana essence to neighboring regions to create more superhumans, easing our burden in dimensional spaces and defending Earth from beasts.”

“But we can’t control targeted mana dispersal on Earth,” he said, waving a hand.

“Because other countries lack Earth Veins?” Xiao Xuan asked.

“Exactly,” Lu Xin nodded, gesturing toward the open passage.

“Let’s move.”

Xiao Xuan quickened his pace to keep up.

…

Inside the mana synthesis workshop, a wave of heat hit Xiao Xuan, drenching him in sweat.

He saw countless red-hot pipelines connecting to the planet’s core, extracting scorching material and feeding it into a massive golden three-dimensional array.

After some transformation, the material was reinjected into the core through an identical set of pipelines.

The extracted mana essence was siphoned off through a smaller pipeline, sent to the surface world.

Thousands of such golden arrays filled the vast underground space.

“I think this is enough, Brother Lu,” Xiao Xuan said, barely enduring the heat at the entrance.
If he ventured further, he’d be cooked alive.

“Extracting core material and reinjecting it converts mana essence without material loss,” Lu Xin explained.

“Alright, let’s stop here,” he said, observing the process.

“Heh, makes you wonder if there’s a bigger beast down in the core,” Xiao Xuan said, forcing a smile through the heat.

“Maybe,” Lu Xin replied.

…

Back on the Magic Affairs Bureau rooftop, Lu Xin handed the brass key to Xiao Xuan.

“The Earth Vein is now officially in your hands,” he said solemnly.

“Thankfully, using and storing the key doesn’t require mana.”

“What do I do with it, Brother Lu?” Xiao Xuan asked, removing his mask to reveal a sweat-soaked face.

“Just visualize it merging into your body,” Lu Xin instructed.

“Alright, I’ll try,” Xiao Xuan said.

Sure enough, the key glowed softly and melded into his head.

“Uh, why’d it go into my head?” he asked, puzzled.

“Probably sensed stronger mental fluctuations there,” Lu Xin replied.

“It’s getting late,” he added, checking his phone.
It was nearly 5:30 p.m.—half an hour until Lu Yue would head home per his text.

“See you. Do a good job. I’ve got to get home,” Lu Xin said, nodding to Xiao Xuan before teleporting away.

Xiao Xuan watched him vanish, nodding slowly, then shaking his head.
He left the rooftop, heading home.

I hope Yan Yan gets home soon, he thought.

…

At home, Alice Phil had prepared five dishes and a soup, waiting on the sofa for Lu Yue’s return.

Her husband was still “gathering inspiration” in Linhai City.

Tonight’s dinner, like yesterday’s, would be just mother and daughter.

Preparing five dishes and a soup in half an hour was unrealistic, but Alice Phil had cooked them at noon, storing them in her ring for warmth.

The door lock turned, and her darling Lu Yue, fresh from studying with classmates, walked in.

Lu Yue spotted the silver-haired, blue-eyed beauty—her mother—on the sofa.
But the absence of her father sparked irritation.
He always disappeared for days or nights when “inspired,” and her mother, too kind, never spoke ill of him.

Lu Yue recalled online posts about middle-aged men picking up hobbies like fishing or motorcycles.
Imagining her father’s bearded, sun-tanned face, she figured he was probably sea fishing in Linhai.

Hmph! she huffed angrily.

Seeing Lu Yue’s return, Alice Phil quickly served rice for both, charmed by her daughter’s fierce, adorable eating.

My Little Yue is too cute!

But Lu Yue seemed upset.
Alice Phil, noting her expression, guessed Lu Ming’s afternoon training was too harsh.

After Lu Yue finished eating, Alice Phil began clearing the dishes.

“Mom’s stepping out for a bit, but I’ll be back soon,” she said to Lu Yue, who was sprawled on the sofa with her phone.

Tonight, as another identity, Alice Phil had to meet someone important—Corona—on the bureau rooftop.

“Bye, Mom!” Lu Yue called, raising a hand.

Alice Phil nodded, stepping out.
As the door closed, golden patterns flared, transforming her into Lu Xin.
With a spatial leap, she arrived at the rooftop, waiting quietly.

Half an hour remained until the meeting.
The concealment cloaking her was nearly gone, leaving only the authority sustaining this form.

For the first time in over twenty years, Lu Xin could breathe freely in this body.

Soon, I can settle things with the past.

…

At home, Lu Yue finished a Magic Kill match, only to find her phone dead.
She went to her room to grab her charger, then remembered it was in her white bag, left in the bureau’s rest area.

Slapping her forehead, she groaned.
When did I get dumber than Xiao Yan?

As a modern girl, Lu Yue couldn’t live without her phone.
Reluctantly, she decided to trek to the bureau to retrieve her bag.

Thankfully, the bureau was open 24/7 for magical girls.

Grabbing her keys, locking the door, Lu Yue headed to the Magic Affairs Bureau.