As someone in sequence 001, I also want to give up today.

The crisis appears to have temporarily subsided.

Just then, there was a knock on the suite door, and Lin Mo's highly recognizable, smiling voice came from outside:

"Wow, it's quite lively inside! I can feel the karmic threads swirling around even through the door... Can we come in? I heard there's an ice sculpture of a cat's paw?"

Li Yu quickly went to open the door.

Outside the door, not only Lin Mo and Xiao Lu, but also Su Wan, Chen Zhe, Zhao Mingyuan, a young man with white hair and eyebrows and a dashing demeanor (Hyotei) dressed in white casual clothes, and a young man with dark circles under his eyes, messy hair, and a game controller in his hand (Akito) were all present.

The small living room suddenly felt a bit crowded.

Chen Zhe greeted Li Xian and then went to the side to find out what had happened from Li Yu.

"Wow, everyone's here? Is this an early meeting?"

Su Wan walked in with a smile, her gaze immediately falling on Li Xian and Lilith.

Clearly, they guessed something from the energy fluctuations and commotion just now.

"I heard Little Bell angered our little devil?"

She walked over to Lilith and naturally reached out to pinch her cheek.

"Come here, let me see who made Lilith unhappy?"

Lilith, like a cat with its fur standing on end, instantly dodged Su Wan's clutches and floated to the back of the sofa to stand (instantly gaining an advantage in height).

He glared at her: "Su Wan! I told you not to pinch my cheeks! If you dare to do that again, I'll turn your hair green!"

"Ugh, still so unlovable."

Su Wan regretfully withdrew her hand, then turned to look at Li Xian, her eyes sparkling.

"Little Brother Li, you're quite something! You managed to appease Lilith so quickly? What method did you use? Teach me, big sister!"

Li Xian chuckled dryly: "Sister Wan is joking. It was just a child's silly antics. I'm just making amends."

Zhao Mingyuan pushed up his glasses and stared intently at Li Xian.

"The spatial fluctuations and subtle causal interference just now... the data is very unusual! Li Xian, we must test it in detail after the gathering! This might be crucial for me to perfect the 'High-Dimensional Energy Mapping Model'!"

Li Xian: "...Dr. Zhao, the gathering, the gathering is important."

Jiang Yu was quite easygoing; he was holding an unfinished, palm-sized ice penguin sculpture in his hand.

He glanced around the living room and smiled:

"Looks like we've arrived just in time? It's good that the misunderstanding has been cleared up. Little sister, in the future, when you praise someone for being capable, you can say 'unfathomable,' not 'old monster,' understand?"

He spoke the second half of his sentence to the bell, in a gentle tone.

Bell nodded vigorously: "I understand, white-haired brother!"

Mingren paid no attention to the conversation; he crept to the corner of the living room where there was an electrical outlet.

He skillfully took out a portable screen and adapter, connected it to the game controller, and muttered:

"There are still twenty minutes left before leaving the group... enough time to cool off..."

Everyone: "..."

Lin Mo was the one who was laughing the most. He looked at Lilith and then at Li Xian.

Finally, his gaze fell on the bell, and he clicked his tongue in amazement:

"No wonder the thread was twisted like a pretzel! Turns out, it was Little Bell's words that stirred up a hornet's nest! Not bad, not bad, you have guts! Li Xian, your daughter is destined for greatness!"

Li Xian: "..."

He felt so tired. What kind of people are these?!

Lilith seemed to have lost her temper because of the commotion caused by this group.

She floated down from the back of the sofa (landing silently), straightened her skirt, and regained her composed, adult-like demeanor.

"Alright, stop crowding around here."

She glanced at the clock on the wall.

"It's almost time, we should head to the banquet hall. Li Yu, lead the way."

"Yes, senior!" Li Yu replied quickly.

The minor incident finally subsided in a chaotic and somewhat comical atmosphere.

Li Xian, holding the bell, followed the crowd out, secretly making a vow in his heart:

I absolutely have to keep a close eye on this girl's mouth from now on! Especially when dealing with these mysterious old monsters... no, I mean seasoned seniors!

The banquet hall of Yunding Mountain Villa is located on the top floor of the main building and has huge arched floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the entire Western Hills at dusk.

The interior decoration is not ostentatious, but rather has a simple and elegant technological feel, with energy lamps emitting a soft and comfortable glow.

Exquisite cold dishes and appetizers were already set on the long dining table.

The centerpiece is a multi-tiered cake; its design is not fancy, but the ingredients used are clearly of the highest quality.

It exudes a faint, soothing aura—clearly not ordinary food.

Everyone took their seats in turn.

Lilith naturally took the seat of honor, while Li Yu, as the organizer, sat to her left.

The others sat down casually, but Li Xian deliberately chose a seat on the side, intending to place the bell between himself and Li Yu.

However, Lilith suddenly pointed to the empty seat next to her and said to Bell, "You, sit here."

Everyone was taken aback.

Lingdang looked up at Li Ye, and Li Xian was also a little surprised, but still gently nudged her.

"If your senior invites you to sit, then go ahead. Be a good boy/girl."

Lingdang said "Oh" and obediently climbed onto the chair that was a bit too high for her.

Li Yu considerately adjusted the chair and tableware for her.

Lilith stopped looking at the bell and picked up the crystal-clear cup in front of her.

Inside was a bubbly, pale gold drink (likely some kind of high-end energy drink).

She looked around at everyone, and in her clear, childlike voice, spoke in a way that sounded like she'd known an old man before her:

"Thank you all for taking the time to come today. Breaking through to SS rank is just a small milestone on a long road, and it's not something to celebrate excessively. But I appreciate your kind gesture and the fact that you've all come from afar. I will remember this kindness."

She raised her glass: "Enough with the small talk, eat and drink well. Anyone who dares to be reserved in front of me or offer those insincere, official toasts..."

Her purple eyes narrowed slightly.

"I then reassembled the plate in front of him into an indescribable mass."

Everyone: "..."

Although I knew it was a joke, considering this person's abilities, the threat carried considerable weight.

"Haha, Lilith, you're still so 'direct'."

Lin Mo was the first to raise his glass with a smile.

"Congratulations! The number one SS-ranked person, this toast must go to you! In the future, when we're fighting... no, when we're on missions, you'd better look after us!"

Congratulations, Lilith-senpai/older sister!

Everyone raised their glasses, and the atmosphere finally became lively.

Following suit, Lingdang raised her juice cup and said in a clear voice, "Congratulations, Fairy Sister!"

Lilith glanced at her, said nothing, but the corners of her mouth seemed to curve slightly again.

The banquet officially began.

As the dishes were served one by one, each one was a delicacy containing pure energy, which would greatly benefit those with supernatural abilities.

The taste was absolutely superb; even Lingdang, who was used to Li Xian's cooking, was delighted with the food.

The topics discussed at the gathering were varied, ranging from interesting anecdotes about supernatural events in various places to the ecology of certain rare and exotic beasts, and discussions about some phenomena in the new sequence era.

Li Xian mostly just listened, only occasionally saying a few words when asked, perfectly playing the role of a "B-level invisible parent".

Su Wan still teased Lilith from time to time, or made fun of the bell.

Zhao Mingyuan kept trying to steer the conversation toward academic discussion, only to be diverted by Lin Mo or Jiang Yu.

Mingren spent most of his time engrossed in eating, occasionally pulling out his phone to tap a few times, seemingly collecting game resources.

Jiang Yu was very talkative and shared a lot of his experiences in the polar regions.

Lin Mo is the mood-maker, cracking jokes and spouting witty remarks.

Li Yu and Chen Zhe were also trying to maintain the atmosphere, occasionally chiming in with a comment.

While dealing with the situation, Li Xian also "observed" the energy of these S-level powerhouses.

As he expected, the essential structure of these abilities was clearly visible in the face of the power of all things, and they were not difficult to analyze.

He had even begun preliminary simulations and optimizations in his mind.

【Winter Authority】...It would be nice to have a portable air-conditioned room in the summer, and you can also make ice anytime.

[Energy Domination]... Will home appliances have unlimited power in the future? Perhaps they can even directly convert solar energy?

[Absolute Defense]... How about we optimize it to make a cookware that will never wear out or a phone case that is absolutely drop-proof?

【Reconstruction of Everything】...This is interesting. Its essence is to understand the composition of matter and rearrange it.

Optimization directions could include increasing the speed of restructuring, expanding the scope, reducing consumption, or even... conceptual "definition reorganization"? For example, refactoring "fatigue" into "energy"? Although it sounds exaggerated, theoretically...

He was lost in thought when he suddenly felt a light touch on his calf under the table.

It's a bell.

The little guy secretly slid off the chair.

She leaned close to Li Xian's ear, cupped her small hands into a megaphone, and whispered in what she thought was a very soft voice (but in reality, everyone present could hear her):

"Old Deng, that white-haired brother (Jiang Yu) just sculpted a glowing little rabbit for me out of ice! It's so beautiful! And the fairy sister (Lilith) is amazing too; she made the sauce I spilled on my skirt disappear instantly! She's even more amazing than a washing machine!"

Li Xian quickly covered her mouth and smiled awkwardly at Jiang Yu and Lilith, who were looking in their direction.

Jiang Yu smiled and said, "I'm glad you like it. I'll carve an even bigger one for you next time."

Lilith snorted softly, ignoring it, but she wasn't angry either.

Lin Mo, fearing nothing more than a peaceful world, stirred up trouble:

"Little Bell, look how amazing all the older brothers and sisters here are! Don't you want to become amazing too?"

Bell immediately puffed out her little chest and said proudly:

"Of course I'm amazing! I'm going to rule the world!"

The child's innocent words made everyone laugh, even Lilith shook her head, seemingly finding it amusing.

Taking the opportunity, Li Yu said, "Lingdang, don't talk nonsense. We should learn from our seniors and be down-to-earth."

"Oh..." Bell obediently sat back down in her seat, but her big eyes were still looking around curiously.

As the banquet drew to a close, the cake was brought out.

Lilith casually made a cut, thus completing the ritual.

Everyone shared the cake, and it tasted equally delicious.

After the meal, everyone moved to the nearby rest area, where there were comfortable sofas and a balcony with a view.

The waiter served dessert drinks and fruit.

Lingdang was a little sleepy after eating her fill, so she leaned against Li Yu and yawned.

Li Xian felt it was about time and was about to make an excuse to take the children to rest and leave when Lin Mo suddenly spoke:

"Speaking of which, besides celebrating Lilith's breakthrough, this gathering is also a rare small get-together. We're all scattered across the country, so it's not easy for us to get together. How about... we play a little game?"