Caelus and Grandpa Hui didn't have much luggage; just a few changes of clothes and some daily necessities, which were easily stored in an old-fashioned but fully functional storage spirit tool bracelet.
This was one of the relics left by Caelus's parents. Its internal space was about one cubic meter, which was sufficient for their current needs.
This residence held too many of Caelus's memories. Although he knew in his heart that by going to Star Luo City, the date of his return would be uncertain and the chances of coming back in the future would be slim, this was, after all, the only memento left by his parents in this life.
Grandpa Hui had already made proper arrangements, hiring a trustworthy honest man from nearby to come regularly for cleaning and maintenance, with the fees prepaid for several years.
This small expense was not a burden for them now, as they still had the pension and some savings.
Preserving this root was perhaps more of an emotional solace and a sense of ritual.
Everything was ready. Outside the courtyard gate, a magnificent and elegant carriage had been waiting for a long time.
The carriage was a deep dark purple throughout, with smooth lines. It was not pulled by ordinary fine horses but was driven by a special spirit tool mechanical structure that emitted soft Soul Power fluctuations.
Fine and complex silver runes were engraved on the shafts and hubs. As the energy flowed slightly, an imperceptible halo flashed from time to time, highlighting its extraordinary spirit tool technological content.
The carriage material seemed to be made of some hard Soul Beast bone mixed with special metal, making it light and sturdy. The windows were made of a single piece of highly transparent crystal glass, with the edges wrapped in exquisite Mithril patterns.
Opening the door, the luxury and comfort of the interior formed a stark contrast with the low-key elegance of the exterior.
The space inside the carriage was far more spacious than it appeared from the outside, clearly utilizing some kind of space expansion technology.
The seats were wide and soft, upholstered in velvet with an excellent feel. The base color was a deep blue, embroidered with silver thread showing the royal emblem of the Star Luo Empire—the Star Crown.
The interior was covered with a thick and soft snow-white carpet, making footsteps silent.
On a small fixed tea table, there were exquisite snacks and a set of lustrous white jade tea set. A faint incense with a calming and soothing effect lingered almost imperceptibly in the air.
Although Caelus knew that spirit tool technology was already very developed in this period, it still exceeded his expectations. If even the Star Luo Empire was like this, then the spirit tool technology of the Sun Moon Empire could only be imagined.
However, thinking of the humanoid spirit tools the Sun Moon Empire was currently researching, Caelus wasn't surprised. They were already preparing to build Gundams; this level of technology wasn't inferior to his previous life. In fact, due to extraordinary factors, it was even more advanced. It was just that because of the World situation, its popularity wasn't that high.
At least the living standards of commoners were still very primitive. Commoners couldn't afford such spirit tools, and they didn't even have Soul Power to drive them.
But once Xuan Ziwen from the Illustrious Virtue Hall develops the sealed milk bottle and there is an energy source, commoners will also be able to start using spirit tools. This will undoubtedly be a progress for civilization.
What made Grandpa Hui feel most flattered was that Princess Xu Jiujiu did not ask him to ride in the ordinary following carriage prepared for servants, but instead gestured with a smile for him and Caelus to enter this main carriage together.
"Grandpa Hui, please join us. The journey to Star Luo City is not short, and the carriage is spacious. There is no need for formality."
Xu Jiujiu's voice was gentle, without any hint of being condescending.
Grandpa Hui waved his hands repeatedly, saying in trepidation, "Your Highness, this... how can this be? This old servant's status is lowly; how can I ride with Your Highness..."
"Grandpa Hui has cared for Caelus for many years and has rendered great service. There is no need to belittle yourself."
Xu Jiujiu interrupted him, her tone sincere.
"Besides, Caelus surely also hopes you can be by his side."
As she spoke, she glanced at Caelus with a smile.
Caelus understood in his heart that this was undoubtedly a method used by this Princess Highness to win people's hearts—meticulous and hitting the mark.
But he had to admit, this move was indeed effective.
He looked at Grandpa Hui beside him, who was so excited he didn't know what to do with his hands and whose eyes were slightly red, and felt a slight warmth in his heart.
Before his Remembrance Awakening, it was this old man who gave him unreserved love and protection. This friendship had long since transcended that of master and servant.
"Grandpa Hui, since Her Highness is so kind, it would be rude to refuse,"
Caelus said softly, pulling Grandpa Hui's rough palm.
"Ah, alright, alright... Thank you for your grace, Your Highness. Thank you for your grace."
Only then did Grandpa Hui, with great fear and trepidation, almost on tiptoe, carefully sit down in the outermost position of the carriage. His body remained ramrod straight, not daring to fully relax.
Caelus sat in the position opposite Xu Jiujiu.
The interior of the carriage was equipped with an efficient shock-absorbing spirit tool formation. When it started, almost no jolting could be felt; only the scenery outside the window, which gradually accelerated and receded, reminded them that they were moving.
The interior was very quiet, with only the extremely low hum of the Martial Soul core running and the faint crackling of the spices burning in the incense burner on the tea table.
Xu Jiujiu elegantly picked up a cup of flower tea poured in advance by a maidservant and took a small sip. Her gaze occasionally fell on the quiet white-haired boy opposite her, filled with inquiry and thought.
Caelus tilted his head and looked at the street scenes flashing past the window. The familiar outline of Yuming City gradually shrank and receded in his field of vision.
He felt the soft seat beneath him and the elegant fragrance lingering around his nose, his heart calm and without ripples.
He knew that this comfortable journey was the beginning of a path to a broader and more complex World.
And the beautiful princess beside him was his first key node in this new World.
He needed to borrow her power, and he also had to find his own way of survival and development within the web she wove.
The wheels rolled, carrying several people with different thoughts, leaving this small border city and speeding toward the heart of the Empire and the center where storms gathered—Star Luo City.
On the road, the atmosphere inside the carriage was originally filled with a somewhat polite calm.
But Xu Jiujiu ultimately couldn't contain her curiosity. Her amethyst-like eyes looked toward Caelus, asking with a perfectly measured look of expectation:
"Caelus, I heard your Martial Soul is extremely special, with a time attribute? I wonder... if I might have the honor of seeing it?"
Caelus glanced at her and did not refuse.
He knew that demonstrating value was the first step to obtaining investment.
He nodded slightly and said softly, "Alright."
With a slight thought from Caelus, Soul Power awakened and circulated within his body like a trickling stream.
The aura around him suddenly became ethereal and ancient.
It was not the common growth of fur or change in physique during a Beast Spirit possession, nor was it the manifestation of a Tool Spirit solidifying in the hand.
The first thing to change were his eyes, which were already like shattered gold.
In the depths of those golden pupils, it was as if invisible hands were being moved. Circles of precise and complex silver etchings, composed of tiny specks of light, appeared out of thin air, rotated, and then froze in place.
The originally round pupils had now turned into two slowly rotating miniature clocks containing the endless mysteries of time. Every slight tremor of the hands seemed to pull at the flow of the surrounding light.