Chapter 481: 474

Xin Tiao Qian pulled Qi Ming’s wrist, tinkered with the random key for a while, and confirmed that the random key had not activated “Full Mute Mode”—there simply was no one speaking inside.

Xin Tiao Qian: “Then there’s only one possibility… those consciousnesses haven’t been activated yet.”

Qi Ming: “How do we activate them?”

Xin Tiao Qian: “I’d really like to know too.”

Qi Ming: “?”

Xin Tiao Qian cleared her throat: “I’m only in charge of the Star Gathering function. The rest, you’ll have to figure out on your own.”

As they spoke, they left the ruin where the Eternal Core resided.

Outside, Xin Tiao Qian recast her spell and sealed the portal shut.

Qi Ming touched the spot where the portal had vanished: “Miss Qian, no one besides you should be able to open the door to the Eternal Core, right?”

Xin Tiao Qian replied with absolute confidence: only the Eternal Core’s true form and those it has recognized can open this door.

Her current role is equivalent to Shizuma Yuki from the original Ultraman Tiga series.

Aside from her, she couldn’t imagine anyone else earning the Eternal Core’s recognition—outsiders don’t even have the qualification to touch it.

Xin Tiao Qian: “But some powerful beings can directly absorb the energy leaking from the Eternal Core into Earth without opening the door—like the Sphaira Mother in Ultraman Decker.”

Qi Ming: “I know that, but indirect absorption is definitely inferior to direct absorption… I’m still more worried about you being targeted.”

In the original Ultraman Tiga series, Calymia successfully captured “Shizuma Yuki” and controlled her body to open the portal to the Eternal Core.

Xin Tiao Qian assured him she had precautions against such a scenario, and he should rest easy.

Xin Tiao Qian lowered her head: “I’m here to help, not to cause trouble… I don’t want to expand the darkness anymore.”

“Darkness? It’s not entirely dark,” Qi Ming pointed to the sky, where Agul and five other Ultras flew overhead.

Qi Ming said that, in his view, though demons ran rampant in this world, an unyielding light of justice still shone brightly.

Seiji, Megumi, Hoshiya Jun, the Land of Light… even amid a dimming environment, they still sought to illuminate this world.

“Since the Eternal Core created this universe by scanning your past inner self, it means that even during your lowest moment, your heart wasn’t entirely dark—you still held restraint and a longing for light.”

Qi Ming pressed his hand on Xin Tiao Qian’s shoulder, urging her to lift her head and face forward bravely.

This startled Xin Tiao Qian, then filled her with joy: “You… forgive me?”

Qi Ming: “Forgive? Honestly, I still haven’t sorted it all out—it’s too complicated, too many things piled up. But without you, I wouldn’t have been born.”

Xin Tiao Qian whispered: “No, you would’ve been born anyway—you’re the Morning Star. No matter what, you’d have lived your own brilliant life…”

Qi Ming froze, about to ask for clarification, when Calymia’s voice rang out: “Qi Ming, what’s going on with this one?”

Calymia, the first to arrive, saw Xin Tiao Qian and Qi Ming standing close, deep in conversation—her gaze instantly sharpened.

At the same time, Seiji, Hikari, and Xiang Tenggong were also led over by Aizen Makoto.

Xin Tiao Qian wrapped Qi Ming’s right arm around her chest: “I’m Qi Ming’s mother, hehe. Thank you all for looking after this child.”

Calymia was stunned: “Mother?”

She’d assumed someone was trying to steal him while she was away—what was this?

Honest Hikari actually believed her and immediately bowed to Xin Tiao Qian: “No, it’s Qi Ming Senior who’s been looking after us!”

Seiji grabbed Hikari and whispered that, based on his observations, this purple-haired girl was likely younger than Qi Ming—humans simply couldn’t have a mother younger than her child.

Aizen Makoto could see it too—he widened his eyes and immediately spiraled: “Qi Ming is truly hiding depths… such an advanced move!”

At that moment, Qi Ming felt the urge to break his legs.

He pulled his arm free and told everyone that Miss Xin Tiao Qian loved joking—she was a psychic, and would be fighting alongside him from now on.

Seiji immediately welcomed her into the cause of justice; Aizen Makoto added that the adventurer team needed a female mage.

Xiang Tenggong asked curiously: “Have you known each other for a long time?”

Xin Tiao Qian beamed with pride: “I watched this child grow up!”

Qi Ming told her to stop, then affirmed that Xin Tiao Qian was someone he could fully trust.

Calymia sensed something was off and watched Xin Tiao Qian closely the entire way back.

Soon, she understood what was wrong.

It was the distance.

From her observations over this time, Qi Ming was always the center of attention wherever he went, constantly approached by women asking for autographs.

But even when he agreed, he remained proper—never making physical contact, which had once filled her with relief.

Yet with Xin Tiao Qian, Qi Ming seemed to accept her far more readily.

Back at base, Qi Ming asked Calymia to come to his room for a word; Calymia glanced at Xin Tiao Qian, who stood beside him, and readily agreed.

Qi Ming pulled out a chair for Calymia to sit: “What did you think of the battle just now?”

Calymia said she wasn’t surprised at all that Qi Ming won—she truly believed in him, believed he would always reach victory, no matter when or where.

The person she had chosen deserved nothing less than triumph.

Qi Ming: “Aren’t you curious where this new power of mine came from?”

He explained directly: the Eternal Shine Tiga he just used was an evolved state after absorbing fragments of the Eternal Core—Calymia’s eyes lit up.

Calymia: “You found a way to open the door?”

After he took the first portion, it was her turn for the second.

Qi Ming: “Yes. And unless something extraordinary happens, it’s better not to open this door again.”

“But the Eternal Core is still too unstable—just minutes after I took one fragment, it began to surge. I had to return it…”

He said that for the stability of the entire universe, no one else must ever touch or seize the Eternal Core’s power.

Calymia, unusually troubled, realized she had come to Earth with the mission of securing the Eternal Core for the Dark Giants and plunging the world into darkness.

On one side was Qi Ming; on the other, the hopes of her entire race—she felt torn.

Qi Ming knew this precisely why he had summoned her alone:

“I won’t make you suffer in the middle.”

“Here’s what we’ll do—if your clan elders object, let them come to me directly. I’ll speak with them.”

Calymia fell silent. Qi Ming assumed she was struggling to choose—but she surprised him: “I understand this behavior… isn’t this called meeting the parents?”

Qi Ming’s face twitched; Xin Tiao Qian burst out laughing.

After thinking it over, Calymia straightened her posture and chose to follow Qi Ming’s advice.