"So... do I need to do anything?" Lin Yi asked.

Tian Bufan replied, "No need to bother you with the private jobs for now. We're managing on our own. I'll first teach you how to summon the Principal, and then you try to summon him. Maozi and I will support you from the side."

"Once you've summoned the Principal, use the opportunity to transfer the 'Star Dream Crystal' to Kuai Kuai."

"That guy, the Principal, has had a crush on the 'Astrologer' since he was young. Once you summon him back, it will be as difficult as climbing to the sky to get anything left by the 'Astrologer'."

"Hiss..." Lin Yi secretly gasped, as if he had heard a shocking piece of gossip.

Seeing Lin Yi's changing expression, Tian Bufan was somewhat speechless: "Don't overthink it. If you saw the 'Astrologer', you would also... highly appreciate it."

"The Principal was just a little kid back then, naturally drawn to those mature elder-sister-like figures."

Lin Yi shrugged, "I didn't say anything... Aren't you the one trying to patch things up for the Principal?"

Though he said that, subconsciously Lin Yi began to shape an image of the 'Astrologer'.

Mature... sophisticated...

And then the image of Class Teacher-040 appeared in his mind...

Back in those days, there probably weren't things like stockings, right?

As for the 'Astrologer'... wouldn't they wear a magician's long robe?

Or not?

No, no... I can't keep thinking about this!

Lin Yi wiped the corner of his mouth and quickly asked under the increasingly strange gaze of Tian Bufan, "So how do I summon the Principal?"

Tian Bufan held up two fingers.

Lin Yi was puzzled and gestured a "yeah": "Yeah?"

"I meant, two steps."

Lin Yi: "..."

"Uh, please elaborate."

Tian Bufan said, "First step, find the part of the layer in the 'Star Prison' that is related to the Principal. I just found it earlier. Although it's a bit blurred, it's barely visible—a little is better than none."

"Second step, establish an anchor point through that layer, allowing your will to transition to that anchor point, then radiate out to call the Principal."

"Once your summoned 'band' is caught by the Principal, he will have a way back."

"Then, we just need to wait for him to return."

Lin Yi thought deeply, "Sounds pretty straightforward."

Tian Bufan affirmed, "The hard part is the preparation phase. Once that's done, it's just about going all out."

"My will shall be bestowed upon you, accompanying you in the summons. If something's wrong with the Principal, we need to initiate the backup hidden plan."

"What plan?" Lin Yi asked.

"Explode the anchor point so he can't find his way back."

Lin Yi was shocked in his heart and suddenly thought of the 'Primordial Ash Apostle': "Young Master Tian, do you think the 'Concrete Ash Apostle' could be the Principal?"

"There was speculation about it before. What more have you thought of?" Tian Bufan asked.

Lin Yi said, "I was just thinking, could that 'Primordial Ash Apostle' be a time paradox? Like maybe the Principal we are about to summon has already fallen, so we cut off his return path, and then he penetrates through time in the form of the 'Primordial Ash Apostle' to the past campus?"

Tian Bufan squinted his eyes, "Out of personal belief, I trust in the steadfastness of his will, but your speculation deserves consideration as the worst-case scenario."

"Anyway, let's start."

"Hold the 'Ouroboros Ring' in one hand and the 'Star Dream Crystal' in the other, then project your will into that layer."

"The operational principle is quite simple. The gravity of the 'Star Prison' will tether your will like a safety rope, and the anchor point built within the layer is like a sub-mine. Having it allows you to find the Principal."

Hearing this, Lin Yi couldn't help but show a puzzled expression, "I suddenly have a question."

"What question?"

"If it's so simple to permeate will into the black sea, why did the 'Original Apostles' choose to go to sea? Why not just transition their will and explore?"

Tian Bufan, upon hearing this, sneered, "Only smart for a moment, why are you being foolish again, Old Lin."

"A will transition, ultimately, is like a rootless duckweed, unable to withstand the crashing waves. Besides, even the strongest will can't radiate too far in the black sea."

"But if the body enters the black sea, it can serve as the origin point, continuously releasing will outward. Their exploration ability and maneuverability are fundamentally different."

"Oh! I was being an idiot!" Lin Yi honestly critiqued himself, then he began to float, "I'm ready. Which layer should I enter from?"

Tian Bufan pointed to a scene not far away, "There over there."

Lin Yi floated over and examined the scene closely for a long time, then with a head full of question marks, he exclaimed, "Are you serious? Where's any trace left by the Principal in this?"

Tian Bufan said, "Look more closely again."

Lin Yi's face contorted in a constipated expression, akin to finding a strand of hair on a black plush carpet. He searched until almost cross-eyed before finding a thin clue: "Wait... is this what you call 'a bit blurred'?"

"'A billion times,' I wasn't wrong, was I?" Tian Bufan's expression was very serious.

Lin Yi pursed his lips, "Alright, I understand which 'billion' you meant... Should I proceed?"

"Yes." Tian Bufan nodded.

"Isn't there anything extra I should be aware of?" Lin Yi asked proactively.

"No need," Tian Bufan said, "I'll accompany your transition through the dream boundary, and whatever happens, I'll tell you what to do."

"Oh! That makes me feel much more at ease!" With an extra navigator, Lin Yi felt more confident in his operation.

Tian Bufan instructed, "First, enter this layer scene."

"Okay." Lin Yi responded, then followed and plunged headfirst into the scene, as if stepping into a mural.

"Pop..."

His entrance caused the scene to ripple like a pebble cast into a quiet lake.

On May 12, X023, 1:13, Lin Yi's will body disappeared into one of the layer passages within the 'Star Prison'...

"Old Lin is gone, I'll join up. Here, it's up to you." Tian Bufan instructed Mao Feiyang and then faded away like a ghostly figure.

With Tian Bufan's departure, the empty 'Principal's Office' was left with only Mao Feiyang.

Gazing at the figure of the Boss in the scene, Mao Feiyang's brows gradually furrowed, "Law... Boss... what kind of relationship exists between you two?"

He flipped his wrist, and the 'bronze key' fell into his palm.

Caressing the cold, rough 'bronze key,' he murmured in an ancient reminiscence: "Touch my abyssal eyes, shatter my star bones, erode my decayed moon... Burn my bone flame, drown my tidal patterns, break my monument realm..."

...

On May 12, X023, 1:13, in an unknown land.

Lin Yi's consciousness was traversing erratically, with the surrounding chaotic grey mist painting the environment like a sandstorm.

Lin Yi had no idea where he was drifting to, but intuition told him he was moving away from this world at a terrifying speed.

"Young Master Tian, are you there?"

"Here," Tian Bufan's voice replied steadily, even with a hint of indifference.

"Shouldn't we have arrived by now?" Lin Yi asked.

Tian Bufan replied, "I don't know; the longer time we spend transitioning, the further away we are from the layer where the Black Moon Outpost is located."

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