"Please stop smelling me, Crusty," the Innkeeper said with a warm chuckle. "You can feel free to ask me if you're curious about something. By friends if you mean Sovereigns, then yes I do have a couple of them in my employ."

Someone somewhere dropped a mug of lemonade, but after so many back-to-back shocks Lex could no longer keep track of what was surprising who. He was more concerned about something much more serious!

After mentally sending out the orders, the waiters who had so far only been serving lemonade brought out the fingerfood!

Ranging from small hot dogs on a toothpick to dynamite shrimp and orange slices, the menu was really... something. There were no other adjectives that could describe what the menu was. It was something.

Somewhere out in the universe, a race of sentient lemons were laughing in madness at their sudden rise upon the Cosmic Ascendance Spectrum. The reign of the lemons would soon overshadow all citrus! Of course, Lex knew nothing about that.

"What wonderful news. It is not often I encounter friends so easily. I would like to go pay them a visit," said Crusty eagerly.

"Yes, yes, after the party!" said Eclipse. "Now it's time for me to bring out my second friend - unless, Ventura, you want to call out whoever you invited first."

Ventura raised his hands, as if he did not mind at all being left out of the conversation for so long.

"No, no, please, you first," Ventura said like a perfect gentleman. "I would not want to take this moment from you."

Eclipse narrowed her eyes as she looked at Ventura suspiciously, but then shrugged. It was not everyday that she could freak out random Dao Lords like this. Crusty was actually not specifically well known in the universe. These turtles, all they cared about was gardening, which is why she became friends with him in the first place. Even so, his presence had really added some flavor to this party.

Her second guest, though...

She glanced at Harriot, who opened yet another portal. This time, all the Dao Lords took a step back and mentally prepared themselves for who or what might emerge, yet their precautions immediately felt inadequate when they saw who emerged.

The Primordial Garden was pretty good at maintaining an abnormal sense of normalcy even in the presence of Dao Lords, but when Eclipse's friend stepped out of the portal, the temperature seemed to drop drastically, so much so that a gentle frost covered the the Primordial Grass.

The light of the shining stars above dimmed, and everyone held their breath. What emerged was not some grotesque monstrosity. In fact, as Lex looked at the latest guest, he could not help but feel... attracted to her!

Her appearance was entirely humanoid, though her long, elegant legs seemed to be made of a deep blue crystal. A long, flowing dress of a lighter shade of blue seemed to shimmer with every step she took, complimenting her curvaceous body. She walked with a certain attitude that revealed that she was well aware of her beauty, and there was a mystery in her eyes that one could get lost in.

While her dress was elegant, it was also modest, covering up much of her skin, leaving much to the imagination. Her hair seemed to be made of fire, which seemed oddly apt considering the emotions the sight of her seemed to evoke.

A second later, Lex realized that he was the only one feeling like that. This time, besides Eclipse and Ventura, everyone seemed incredibly intimidated by her presence.

"Nulli, so good you could make it," Eclipse said with a wink as she ran out and hugged the newest guest.

Ventura, on the other hand, only shook his head.

"The Primordial Nullith... she really overdid herself this time. Innkeeper, I fear your tea party may come to a premature end," Ventura said, sounding both amused and reluctant.

Lex wished he knew what those words meant... but he had no idea! What, or rather who, was the Primordial Nullith? If only there was someone around to conveniently ask the question he could not.

As expected, Balloons explanation followed soon after, filled with incredible fear and reverence.

"The Nullith are the first Sage race," Ballom told Bridget, though his voice could be heard by everyone just in case there was someone who was unaware, and might accidentally do something stupid. "Despite their high position, they are hardly ever seen in the universe. That's because they have the highest affinity for time known in existence. It is said that rather than experiencing time like everyone else, they directly step into the future whenever they wish.

"Of course, it is only the future they step into - but that alone is enough to make them invincible. It is said that in every battle they've ever fought, they simply step into the future when their opponent is weakened for whatever reason and kill them directly. The Primordial Nullith... is the first Nullith ever born in the universe! She is still alive today, all the way from the dawn of this universe itself!"

Balloons explanation was naturally sufficient for anyone who could read between the lines. A race naturally adept at controlling time, the undisputed first race in the universe, a mysterious race that no one knew many details about... that was the Nullith race! Both revered and feared by all!

"Of course I made it!" Nulli responded with a laugh as she hugged Eclipse back. "How could I say no to your invitation? How long has it been since we last met? I don't even know. More importantly, who is that hunk who smells so good? He smells like a trillion years!"

Once again, the Innkeeper was left standing there, unsure of how to respond as Nulli stared directly into his eyes and winked at him. She assumed that, like everyone else, he would become flustered. The excitement in her voice was more than enough to drive anyone crazy.

Instead, the Innkeeper looked from her to Eclipse.

"Are all your friends going to sniff me? Is that a mutual hobby? That's a bit of gossip I would have never expected to hear," the Innkeeper said, jokingly.

Nulli was shocked!

She wasn't taken aback by the fact that she was directly ignored, or that her target wasn't flustered at all! Instead, she was shocked that someone dared to tease Eclipse? Had she somehow stepped into an alternate timeline where Eclipse hadn't forcefully married seven times?

No, wait, alternate timelines didn't exist. So what was going on?

That was the same question everyone else was thinking too. Was the

Innkeeper... openly flirting with the Primordial Queen?

Of course, Lex himself wasn't thinking that. Instead, he was freaking out! He was supposed to be under Nuwa's protection, so how could this lady smell the time that had been hidden in his forehead seal?

No, wait, was she smelling the time that had already escaped, or did he have more in there? Even he himself did not know, so how could she tell?