Chapter 27: The portal to Earth has been opened! (At Sang Zhi Tao...)
In Sang Zhitao's guess, as the commander of the Star Alliance, he should be a wise and steady old man. He would use his shrewd eyes to see the crisis of the Star Alliance and his intelligent brain to plan the future of the Star Alliance. Growing up in a future where genetic evolution is almost at its peak, he must also be a refined and handsome old man in his old age.
But when she actually stood in front of the commander, she realized that all her previous guesses only proved her poor imagination.
What kind of face did it have?
In an era teeming with beauties, her face could be described as utterly ordinary.
But those captivating eyes, like dazzling pearls, stole all gazes from her. Beneath her youthful face, those eyes, which had seen through the vicissitudes of life, were like a deity looking down upon the world, filled with boundless love…
"Hello, Hope." She wasn't very tall, about 1.56 meters, and looked even smaller standing next to the tall intelligent beings. But no one could see her without being drawn to her eyes, thus ignoring her petite figure.
"Hello, Commander." Sang Zhitao was held in Yi Lei's arms, looking at the commander who was almost in her line of sight, her voice filled with an inexplicable hesitation.
The commander seemed to understand her hesitation, smiled, reached out and hugged her, gently placed his hand on her back, and whispered, "It's me."
"Thank you for your presence, which helped the Covenant overcome another crisis," the commander said softly.
Sang Zhitao didn't speak, but looked at her with a puzzled expression.
The commander offered no explanation and led her deeper into the main hall.
After Yi Lei waved everyone away, she silently followed behind the two.
The commander seemed completely unconcerned about her following him, speaking only in a low voice to Sang Zhitao.
It was from her words that Sang Zhitao learned that the reason the commander thanked her was because if she hadn't appeared, the Book of Prophecy wouldn't have been able to learn about her birth from the Elf Mother Tree, the Boundary Stone wouldn't have reacted, and the Book of Prophecy wouldn't have been able to predict the new crisis with the help of the Boundary Stone.
"Would the boundary stones have also served as warnings during previous crises?" Sang Zhitao asked curiously.
The commander smiled and shook his head: "Every calamity is different; we cannot predict the future."
Seemingly knowing what Sang Zhitao wanted to ask, she continued, "That's why I said we owe you a lot this time. If you hadn't activated the Boundary Stone, we wouldn't have been able to get through it so easily, and we finally know that the Boundary Stone can provide energy for the Prophecy Book."
"We've arrived." She stopped before finishing her sentence, standing in front of a book about her size. Looking at the open pages, she pointed to one and said to Sang Zhitao, "This time, the Book of Prophecy also wants to see you."
Without waiting for Sang Zhitao's reaction, she placed her on the page of the book.
Sang Zhitao sat on the cold pages of the book, watching as the prophecy book flickered and then became covered with dense Star Alliance script.
Sang Zhitao was momentarily at a loss. In the Star Alliance, she was still a baby less than a year old. Even if she went to kindergarten, she would be in the very youngest class. She couldn't understand a single word on these pages.
The prophecy book seemed to understand that it was difficult for her to read the words, and after a few flashes, a green leaf floated out from the pages. The leaf slowly rose and drifted toward Sang Zhitao.
Sang Zhitao felt an irresistible attraction to the leaf, and she unconsciously reached out to catch it.
The leaf landed in her hand, shimmering with a green light. She stared intently at the leaf, and suddenly it transformed into a beam of light and flew toward her brow.
In an instant, a green light enveloped her and she flew into the air.
When Irene saw this, she took two steps forward and exclaimed, "Sylph!"
The commander pulled her back and whispered, "This is her opportunity. Don't disturb her, Irene."
Upon hearing the commander's words, Irene glanced at him suspiciously before pursing her lips, taking a few steps back, and standing guard to the side.
Sang Zhitao was completely unaware of what was happening outside; all she felt she heard was, "You've come, here you go."
Then she felt her eyelids getting heavy and fell into a deep sleep.
The surroundings were filled with shades of pink and orange, with a hazy, indistinct light. She opened her eyes, seemingly seeing something yet also seemingly seeing nothing at all.
A warm, water-like substance enveloped her and gently rocked her, causing her to fall asleep again without realizing it.
She heard a series of voices around her, but she couldn't make out anything.
Outside, Irene watched as the green light slowly tightened, forming a sizable cocoon in mid-air, its surface flashing with strange patterns that seemed to be writing, yet Irene dared not look directly at it.
She looked at the green cocoon with only worry, hoping for Sang Zhitao's safe return.
On an ordinary morning at the Earth base, a green light suddenly appeared in the base's canteen, a green light that flickered like human breath.
This sudden and unexplained anomaly put everyone at the base on high alert.
"So? What can we detect?" Li Mingguo looked around and asked the crowd with a frown.
Everyone shook their heads; regardless of which discipline the academicians were, they all seemed somewhat at a loss.
"What do we do now?" Li Mingguo asked.
“I always feel that this light is very similar to the light Tao Tao saw when she traveled through time.” The scene fell silent for a moment, and it was Sang Lezhi, who was hesitant, who broke the silence.
"You mean it's possible that Tao Tao did it?" Li Mingguo asked.
Sang Lezhi nodded: "I think it's very likely. Tao Tao's interval this time is longer. I think there must be some changes over there."
Li Mingguo frowned slightly and thought for a moment before looking at everyone: "What do you all say?"
Qian Fang took the report from Lin Jing, compared it, and said, "The similarity is very high; it's highly likely to be Tao Tao."
Li Mingguo thought for a moment and said, "Then let's cordon off this area first, and everyone can eat at the second canteen for now."
"Yes, sir!" Upon hearing his order, Major General Zhang, who was in charge of the base's security, saluted and then relayed the order.
This change lasted for about two days, after which the green light slowly began to move.
"Observer 1 has made unusual movements," the soldier watching the monitor reported loudly.
Everyone turned their attention to the monitoring screen, where the green light split into several branches, intertwined, and spread in all directions.
“It seems to be trying to form something,” He Lei said.
"Like a door?" Lin Jing continued.
"The door?" Li Mingguo frowned as he looked at the large screen. After thinking for a moment, he picked up the walkie-talkie and instructed, "Have someone move back another twenty meters."
After he finished speaking, he watched as the green light formed a portal and slowly faded away, leaving behind a green portal made of vines about half a person's height suspended in mid-air in the cafeteria.
He thought for a moment before asking Qian Fang and Lan Hu, "Did you detect anything?"
Qian Fang and Lan Hu exchanged a glance, sighed deeply, and shook their heads.
Li Mingguo rubbed his fingertips, remained silent for a long time, and then instructed into the walkie-talkie: "Put on your protective suits and get ready."
After saying that, he looked at everyone and said, "Give me a report as soon as possible and see if we can open this door."
"Yes!" everyone responded in unison.
The anxiety felt by people on Earth did not reach Sang Zhitao.
She felt like she had slept for a very, very long time, and her whole body felt weak.
Meanwhile, Irene and the Commander outside watched the green cocoon, its color shifting from deep to light.
With a crisp cracking sound, the green cocoon turned into specks of light and disappeared.
"Sylph!" Irene rushed forward, trying to catch the figure falling from mid-air, but found nothing unusual.
"Ah!" she exclaimed after catching Sang Zhitao.
The person she could once easily support with one hand had grown to be almost as tall as her, and she almost couldn't catch him for a moment.
She carefully set Sang Zhitao down and gently called in her ear, "Sylph? Sylph?"
Sang Zhitao opened her eyes, looked at Yi Lei, and blurted out, "How come Yi Lei is the same age as me?"
Overjoyed, Yi Lei helped her up, saying, "You've come of age."
Sang Zhitao looked at her hands and feet in disbelief, then gestured to show their heights before hugging Yi Lei with undisguised joy and exclaiming, "I've finally grown up!"
Yi Lei nodded repeatedly, pulling her along as if to say something.
Sang Zhitao raised her hand and subconsciously flicked it towards the side of the prophecy book.
Suddenly, a half-sized green door appeared in that place, and this door was almost exactly the same as the green door on Earth.
"Huh?" She looked at the door, then quickly looked down at her hands, her face full of surprise.
Irene was also surprised. She was happy that Sang Zhitao had magic power, but she was also surprised that the result of her magic was a strange door.
The commander was the calmest. She quietly stepped forward, carefully examined the door, and then looked at Sang Zhitao: "Perhaps you could try opening it?"
Sang Zhitao thought for a moment, then stepped forward to open the door.
Yi Lei quickly stopped her, saying, "No, what if there's danger?"
The commander calmly replied, "It's alright. It was born because of her and won't harm her."
Sang Zhitao nodded to Yi Lei: "Yes, I also think it's okay, don't worry, Yi Lei."
Seeing this, Yi Lei could only nod in agreement with concern.
Sang Zhitao stepped forward, studied the doorknob for a moment, and then placed her hand on the doorknob and twisted it hard.
"Oh!" She was startled by the sight before her.
Yi Lei hurriedly stepped forward, but saw that Sang Zhitao's face immediately lit up with surprise, so she breathed a sigh of relief and curiously walked behind her.
Only then did he realize that there was a person dressed in strange clothes on the other side of the door. He was also stunned when he saw Sang Zhitao, and then quickly called out to her.
Soon a group of people gathered behind the door.
"Sister! Professor Qian! Professor Zeng! Dean Li! Professor Ling..." Sang Zhitao called out to each of the people in front of her one by one.
"Hey, hey, is Tao Tao alright over there? What's going on with this door? Are you in danger?" Li Mingguo asked repeatedly.
Immediately, everyone started to speak, and for a moment it became somewhat chaotic.
Sang Zhitao didn't find it noisy at all and nodded repeatedly.
Seeing that she opened her mouth several times but couldn't get a word in edgewise, Li Mingguo frowned and coughed lightly a few times. Only then did everyone fall silent and look at Sang Zhitao with great joy.
Sang Zhitao glanced gratefully at Li Mingguo before speaking, "I'm fine. I'm currently on the Star Alliance's main planet. This is the Wind Elf Queen, Irene, and this is the Star Alliance Commander... Ah... I haven't asked your name yet!"
The commander smiled kindly, nodded to Li Mingguo and the others, and said, "I have no name. From the moment I chose to become a commander, I abandoned my past and dedicated my life to the Covenant."
Li Mingguo and the others all showed a hint of respect, and then introduced themselves to her.
The introductions took up a lot of time, and only after they were finished did Li Mingguo, as the representative, ask, "Did you make this door, Tao Tao?"
Sang Zhitao nodded in agreement.
Li Mingguo nodded and continued, "Can Tao Tao come back through this door?"
Sang Zhitao thought for a moment before saying, "I don't think it will work. I'm too big for that."
When they heard "no," Li Mingguo and the others were a little worried that something might be wrong. But when they heard "grown up," they were stunned and asked curiously, "Hasn't grown up come back?"
Sang Zhitao realized they had misunderstood and quickly explained, "No, I suddenly grew up and then opened this door."
"Growing up suddenly? Will it affect your health?" Sang Lezhi quickly interjected.
Sang Zhitao shook her head repeatedly: "No, it didn't affect me at all."
Sang Lezhi breathed a sigh of relief and then gave up her seat to Li Mingguo.
Seeing this, Li Mingguo held her down: "It's alright, you two sisters should talk things out."
Sang Lezhi gave him a grateful look before turning to Sang Zhitao and asking, "When are you coming back?"
Sang Zhitao thought for a moment before saying, "I don't know, but I think it will be soon."
The green door flickered, and their mutual influences seemed to shimmer.
Sang Lezhi frowned and asked, "What happened?"
Sang Zhitao didn't understand either, so she turned to look at Yi Lei, who was looking at the commander, so she looked over as well.
The commander smiled and explained, "There's not enough energy. Your soul has just absorbed energy and hasn't stabilized yet."
Sang Zhitao breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at Sang Lezhi, who was now at ease: "Sister, let's talk again once things have stabilized."
Sang Lezhi nodded repeatedly and looked at Li Mingguo.
Li Mingguo thought for a moment and said, "Is this door only for you to open?"
Sang Zhitao turned to look at the commander, who smiled and replied, "No need, as long as she drives it the first time."
After thinking for a moment, the commander replied, "As long as Sylph inputs energy for seven consecutive days, she will be completely stable. At that time, we can also exchange some permitted items."
This was exactly what Li Mingguo and the others wanted, and their faces were filled with barely suppressed joy.
Seeing that the flashing was becoming more and more frequent, the commander said, "We'll contact you again in seven days."
As soon as she finished speaking, the influence between the two parties completely disappeared, and the color of the green door also dimmed considerably.
Sang Zhitao slapped her forehead before exclaiming, "Oh dear, I forgot to tell them that their flow rates are different!"
The commander smiled and explained, "They're the same now."
"Huh?" Sang Zhitao was somewhat surprised.
The commander didn't explain, but only said to her, "The matter is resolved. You'll need to stay here for the next seven days. Is that alright?"
Sang Zhitao nodded: "Of course it's okay."
Seeing this, Yi Lei said, "Then I'll go prepare some things and bring them in for you."
The commander thought for a moment and said, "We can have the personal guards who are serving her come over to take care of her."
A look of joy appeared on Yi Lei's face, and she quickly turned around and went out to prepare to take care of her.
Kro and the others had been waiting anxiously. When she came out, they kept asking her questions. Irene gave a brief explanation and led Kro and the others back to pack their things. Soon after, she brought Kro and Peg in.
They were all surprised and delighted to see Sang Zhitao grow up, especially Keluo, who ran to the makeshift kitchen to prepare all kinds of snacks for Sang Zhitao.
"Your Highness has finally grown up! Now we can enjoy delicious food!" Kro's creative urge was about to burst forth.
A note from the author:
----------------------
I'll post another chapter tomorrow, marking the end of Volume 1! Welcome to the second world! Guess what Sang Zhi Tao will look like this time!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com