With both Bailu and Banxia having made their intentions clear, the three from the Astral Express didn't say anything more.
After that, the five of them went to the Alchemy Commission, and by coincidence ran into a pointy-eared old man doing a routine inspection.
Under Nero's threat of a slap, the dragon master had no choice but to agree to Banxia following Bailu.
And after that…
Siberian Duck ran into the annoying cliffhanger and could only diligently go grind some unfinished tasks.
After another period of waiting, today was the day to watch the preview together.
Opening that livestream room and waiting for the program to begin, after the logo and the "This program is sponsored by the Interastral Peace Corporation" notice appeared, the show finally started.
The scene appeared inside a room. A chibi Fu Xuan sat in front of a desk piled with documents and let out a sigh.
"Sigh… the last time I accepted the invitation from the Interastral Peace Corporation, I accidentally developed an eye ailment. This time, I'm again tied up with official duties and can't spare the time…
"I've already calculated that that big-headed soldier girl will make a fool of herself. I wonder if Nero can handle it smoothly… hm?"
Just after finishing her worried muttering, Fu Xuan received a call. Seeing that the caller was Nero, she immediately picked it up.
At that moment, the screen split into two, one side showing a chibi Nero, the other a chibi Fu Xuan.
After the call connected, Fu Xuan spoke first, "The program is about to begin. You're calling me now, did something happen?"
"Uh… the lines you told Sister Sushang to memorize, she forgot all of them. Can you teach her again?"
Nero's voice sounded, and at the same time, the scene on his side zoomed out a bit, revealing another chibi Sushang beside him. Of course, Sushang's current state didn't look very good…
Fu Xuan sighed. "As expected. Let her listen to the phone."
Nero nodded and handed his phone to Sushang.
"I'll say those lines again. You must remember them well and not disgrace our Xianzhou. Can you do it?" Fu Xuan said.
"Uh… yes!" Sushang responded reflexively.
Fu Xuan nodded. "Repeat after me: Apple, Bee, Circle, Dog"
"Apple, Bee, Circle, Dog."
"North, South, East, West."
"North, South, East, West."
"Aurum Alley, market bustling."
"Aurum Alley, market bustling."
"Cosmic locust disaster, audience granted."
"…audience granted."
Listening as Sushang repeated everything word by word, Fu Xuan nodded. "Mm, that's about right. Recite it a few more times on your own."
The opening skit ended here. With a transition of maple leaves sweeping across the screen, the preview livestream officially began.
Siberian Duck couldn't help but laugh. "Hahaha, it's about to start and Sushang is still cramming at the last second, huh?"
[Dan-heart Eternal: Truly worthy of the name Li Big Pillow.]
[Wind-Boy Solo-Stan: I can only say, she's exactly like me before a teacher suddenly checks homework.]
[Ayaka, call me Trailblazer: Nero is so cute, still helping Sushang ask Fu Xuan for help right before going on.]
As the preview livestream started, some new in-game maps appeared, along with the figures of new playable characters.
The first to appear was Fu Xuan. During the showcase close-ups, her voice lines played, "Before setting off, please rest and recuperate properly.
"I must temporarily take over the Cloud Knights' affairs and cannot accompany you."
"All things in the world have their own order."
The next character to appear was Dan Heng · Imbibitor Lunae.
The showcased scene was in Scalegorge Waterscape, often accompanied by a blue dragon in the close-ups.
"You know I am a descendant of the Vidyadhara of the Luofu.
"You've also seen me in the Scalegorge Waterscape… my hidden power."
Next came the third scene, still on the Xianzhou. In a bustling marketplace, a young man in loose white robes sat on a pitch-black greatsword, lightly swinging his feet. As his white hair fluttered, the speed of his sword flight suddenly increased.
"Walking in this world, I only seek that everything goes smoothly. What I see and encounter may have hardships, yet my heart remains unmoved."
"My heart is not stone, my heart is not a mat. I follow my heart in all things, and act as I please."
"Opponent? Hahaha… how could I have any opponents?"
"My factory just needs talents like you! If I don't beat you up, I won't feel right!"
At this point, the entire screen suddenly shook. A strangely shaped, massive black-and-red winged insect crashed through the screen.
Immediately after, Nero's voice could be heard shouting, "Whoa! Look! Such a big bug!"
Then the insect flew across the screen, and a bunch of cursors floated and rotated in midair. Herta's puppet and Screwllum stood under a spotlight, surrounded by those cursors.
Then Herta said, "As you can see, we've added something new to the Simulated Universe again.
"Stephen Lloyd thinks this one is quite a big project."
After saying that, Herta's puppet smiled confidently and slowly raised a hand, several strangely shaped dice floating out.
"Its name is..." Herta continued, "Simulated Universe: Swarm Disaster."
Watching these preview contents, Siberian Duck let out an excited scream. "Wow wow wow! Guys, I'm doomed, my wallet is going to suffer!"
"Imbibitor Lunae, and Nero too, why are there suddenly many characters at once this time!"
[Dan-heart Eternal: Doesn't matter, I'm an oil tycoon.]
[Aha's Emanator: Doesn't matter, I haven't pulled once since launch. Nero is a must-get for me.]
[Why This Name: Doesn't matter, I have money, because I didn't donate to the streamer.]
[I Use Pantene: And it's not just characters, there's also a new Simulated Universe this time.]
[Your Redemption Code Expired: Why does this game always have new stuff, oh my god!]
[Nero's Little Feet in My Mouth: This time I'm going all in! Guys, as agreed before, the moment Nero's banner drops, I'm starting a livestream to pull!]
[Nero Is My Dad: That's right, that bro and I said we'd do it. The moment Nero's banner opens, we go live and pull!]
[Glue Man: I have to watch that! Waiting for Huang Bro to max Eidolon Yanqing.]
[So Handsome I Get Beaten on the Street: That's way too tempting.]
Amid Siberian Duck and the audience's amazement and discussion, the preview livestream officially began.
The screen faded to black and then lit up again, switching to the familiar studio. There was a large screen in the back, a sofa with guests on the left, and the host on the right.
On the left sofa, from left to right, were chibi Dan Heng: Imbibitor Lunae, Nero, and Sushang. Of course, behind Nero stood Black Cutter, nodding arrogantly without stopping.
On the right, in the host position, was the familiar Jimi.
As the scene opened, Dan Heng and Sushang both sat in relaxed postures, while Nero took out an entire cake and glanced up at Black Cutter.
Black Cutter, being very sensible, floated up and quickly divided the cake into four equal portions. Nero didn't care whether the others wanted any or not.
He placed the slices on small plates and handed them out, then immediately took a big bite himself, his face instantly showing a blissful expression.