A timed email, set for ten years from now.
If it were anyone else, Su Tianqing might have considered it a dying message of sorts.
After all, she had seen such situations before:
A terminally ill mother, knowing her time was short, would write a letter for each of her daughter's future birthdays as a keepsake.
But for Inari, it was highly debatable.
—Firstly, Inari possessed the magic of foresight.
She could clearly know what kind of reply this email would receive after being sent, which was like shooting an arrow first and then drawing the target; it would absolutely not be suspected by Zi Xuan as a timed email.
From her conversation with Zi Xuan, it was clear that Zi Xuan still believed Miss Inari was working abroad, without the slightest doubt.
"...Don't tell her about this for now," Su Tianqing said to Zhu Yuan beside her.
"Hmm... wouldn't it be bad to keep it from her like this...?" Xiao Hong tentatively asked.
After all, she had been managing the timed email account left by Sister Zi Xuan all these years, and after today, there would be no more timed emails to send. Would she have to send emails to Zi Xuan herself from now on?
Even such a benevolent lie still made one feel uneasy.
"Leave this matter to me," Su Tianqing sighed softly and said.
"Can I see that email account? I'll think about what to do next."
"Really?" Xiao Hong was a little surprised, and also unexpectedly pleased.
Anyone would be relieved to shake off this burden, but thinking about what Su Tianqing would face later... Xiao Hong couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed.
"Leave it to me, rest assured," Su Tianqing grinned, full of confidence.
This was a win-win!
She got Inari's ten years of email archives, Xiao Hong got rid of a burden on her shoulders, and perhaps they could even find a way to bring the missing Inari back to the present world.
Soon, Su Tianqing got the email account from Zhu Yuan. Opening it, she found it full of timed emails.
Randomly opening one, the words were filled with Inari's care and greetings for Zi Xuan, showing the deep affection between the two sisters.
But didn't Inari say she left a message? Where was the specific message?
"Hmm... I'll look at it carefully when I have time. Let's talk about business first."
Switching her familiar to auto-mode, Su Tianqing focused on browsing the emails in the inbox.
At first glance, the information was deeply hidden, but when she retrieved the attached documents that were not sent with the timed emails, Su Tianqing suddenly understood something.
Inari had even foreseen that she would directly obtain the email account from Xiao Hong, and deliberately left these documents in batches in the attachments.
This way, she could avoid directly transmitting information in the email to arouse Zi Xuan's suspicion, and also completely preserve the information. It was simply perfect!
—Based on the currently known intelligence, Su Tianqing could make this judgment:
Inari had activated an unprecedented magic, and through the information transmitted by Zi Xuan and Zhu Yuan, she would be able to cooperate with Inari in the future to unleash that magic.
Through a barrier variation of Harvest Magic, Inari was able to bridge the ten-year time span, coming from ten years in the past to ten years in the present!
This way, Inari could fight Jörmungandr with her at full strength, thereby bypassing the wear and tear of these ten years on herself!
"To prepare for this battle, does it really require such an extent...?" Su Tianqing muttered to herself.
In any case, first, she would go as Dandelion and follow the steps in the email to deal with the barrier.
She currently had control over that barrier, so she could use the excuse of adjusting the barrier to observe Hyacinth's whereabouts to make the adjustments, subtly changing the barrier to the variation Inari mentioned.
But just as Su Tianqing was about to move, Zi Xuan, who was maintaining the magic communication, suddenly called out:
"Oh dear, Hyacinth and them are calling. Should I connect now?"
"Connect! And connect Hai Lan Shi's communication as well!" Su Tianqing quickly directed, swiftly taking over the divine code stone communication base.
This thing was available in the latest secret codex store, and she had even once thought about buying one to play with.
Because it was super cheap!
【Magic Communication Base】, priced at only 100 divine code stone.
It was hard to imagine that this thing was a rare item brought from the Star Realm by the Observer, the turtle spirit of Hong Kong City.
【Hyacinth calling, Hyacinth calling】
"Headquarters received. Has anything happened on your end?" Su Tianqing immediately replied.
【How should I put it... We just successfully passed through the barrier entrance at the end of the mine tunnel, but...】
The communication sound was a bit hoarse, as if it had been subjected to magic interference.
Considering the communication distance, the contact effect of this base was truly excellent. It could communicate with Hyacinth in real-time across Inari's entire magic barrier, cheap and effective.
Su Tianqing silently had her familiar order the same model of base in the secret codex, storing it in her magic space.
"But?" The one who asked was Hai Lan Shi.
They were currently guarding the park at the entrance of the mine tunnel, assisting the Hero Association in evacuating the surrounding crowds, fearing something might happen below.
【...We found something incredible underground.】
The one who took over the communication was Bai Lili. Her voice sounded very shocked and astonished.
It was hard to imagine what could make this veteran senior so surprised.
And when Bai Lili said the next sentence, even Su Tianqing was stunned:
【How should I describe the scene we saw... I'll try to send you pictures via magic projection. That might be more intuitive.】
Immediately after, pictures transmitted by Bai Lili popped up on everyone's communication divine code stone, clearly visible on the light screen.
"?!"
"This is..."
Zi Xuan and Zhu Yuan simultaneously gasped, the former covering her mouth in surprise, as if greatly shocked.
Only Su Tianqing calmly looked at the light screen, her expression solemn.
In the deep underground, deep beneath where a massive amount of magic power gathered, the elite squad of four stood on the edge of a cliff, and before them was a spatial barrier formed by magic!
Its size was enough to contain the entire Hong Kong City, a magnificent wonder beyond human creation.
Inside the barrier were surging currents, and countless chains shimmering with starlight intertwined within, constantly enduring immense water impact.
But at the end of where those starlight chains were bound, there were countless snake-shedding-like skin scales, as if declaring a terrifying fact:
Something terrifying was once bound here, but now, that which should have been bound by these chains... had vanished before their eyes.
【Legendary Spell, Star River Chains】
From Inari's memory, Su Tianqing recognized these giant chains.
These were binding chains that only the Star God Council could use. This spatial barrier was clearly a cage used to bind a Star Realm Giant Beast!
But where was Jörmungandr?
The legendary giant serpent that could devour the world, where was it now?
The barrier was still intact, but it had broken free from the chains, which meant...
【Careful! In the water, it seems... rustle rustle... something... there's something!】
A strong hoarse sound suddenly came from the communication, as if it had been subjected to strong magic interference, and quickly cut off.
"Hyacinth! Hyacinth! Bai Lili!... Damn it! Communication cut off!" Hai Lan Shi's curse echoed in the communication, followed by the dense sirens of the Hero Association.
The elite squad's communication was cut off; they had to prepare for the worst.
Su Tianqing was silent for a moment, then activated her own backup plan.
This was a backup plan she had left with Nightingale before setting off!
When the camera familiar couldn't pass through Inari's barrier entrance to Jörmungandr's location, this thing could provide her with the most valuable on-site information!
【Spirit Slime】! Her most precious familiar, her trump card!
It could possess a person, giving her the perspective of the possessed person, a straightforward super-magic effect that would not be affected by any interference!
But when Nightingale's perspective appeared, Su Tianqing trembled all over, and shivered intensely.
—In the ocean deep underground, a terrifying giant serpent suddenly raised its head from the water!
Those eyes, like molten gold, were perfectly identical to the eyes Inari had foreseen!
【Star Realm Giant Beast · Jörmungandr】 has appeared!