CHAPTER 61
The Induction: Digging Her Own Grave
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However, before she could scream, she felt a stare piercing the side of her skull. It was cold, heavy, and oppressive.
Subconsciously, she turned to lock gazes with it.
It turned out to be the High Priestess. And behind the golden gauze... she wasn't smiling.
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"Shallow. Bitterly shallow."
The High Priestess's words were not a shout, but they hit Bavna like a bucket of ice water thrown on a naked soul. It rained on her parade, drowning her triumphant objection in an instant.
In shock, Bavna could only stare back, her mouth agape, looking as though her very spirit had been stolen.
However, she wasn't the only one stunned by the comment. The entire hall froze. Even Lu Xie, who had been watching the scene unfold like a spectator at a particularly juicy opera, raised an eyebrow.
"Uhh...?" Bavna muttered, dumbfounded.
The High Priestess moved her gaze away from the girl, scanning through the stunned crowd with ancient eyes.
"It would be very shallow of you—of all of you—to decide that Mythical Attributes cannot be graded equally to Innate Spirits by the Stone-Fate Altar."
Her voice grew colder, cutting through the silence.
"Who made the rules that Mythical Attributes were inferior? Who decided they were merely 'auxiliary' to the Innate Spirit?"
She scoffed. "I might as well shred that misconception today."
She began to pace slowly, her golden robes flowing like liquid metal.
"Innate Spirits and Mythical Attributes are two sides of the same coin. They are equally important. True geniuses—those who are touched the Heavens—sense this truth instinctively and cultivate both to the highest peak."
She paused, letting the lesson sink in.
"But because it is too difficult to cultivate Mythical Attributes and attain Mythical Laws, the mediocre masses began focusing solely on their Innate Spirit. It is easier and faster to attain power that way but grossly limiting ones future achievement. And those lucky enough to have compatible attributes used them merely to boost their Innate Spirits cultivation speed."
"Hence," she concluded, "the myth of the 'Auxiliary Attribute' began. It is a myth born of laziness and incompetence."
The crowd shifted uncomfortably. She was calling out the entire cultivation world.
"Over a thousands years ago, High Priest Vikram could only begin touching upon the daos because he had cultivated his Mythical Attribute to attain the Laws. It is rare for one's Attribute to be graded by the Altar, yes. But that is only because most disciples have neglected them so thoroughly that they are too weak to even register."
She turned back to Lu Xie.
"I might as well add that Mythical Attributes don't always manifest in the forms of creatures. There is also a rare form known as the Law Manifestation."
"The reason why Alia's Mythical Attributes appear so... distinct... is because they are partly Law Manifestations."
The High Priestess's eyes glowed beneath her veil.
The Law of Dual Extremities . And The Law of Absolute Mimicry."
The explanation was flawless. It was a masterclass in history and theory.
However, Bavna remained adamant. Jealousy had made her blind to danger.
"Your Eminence, you have enlightened me," Bavna said, her voice shaking but stubborn. "However... there is no way to prove that the Altar did indeed grade Alia at the Honorary Qualifier level."
She gestured to the pile of dust on the floor.
"The Altar has shattered after working relentlessly for decades. It was clearly old and malfunctioning! To prevent any... foul play... I must request you annul Alia's Mythical Attribute result!"
With a few distortions of words, Bavna had skillfully dissociated the collapse from Lu Xie's power and blamed it on "wear and tear," using the destruction to try and erase Lu Xie's glory.
"You really do not know when to relent, do you?"
Lu Xie interjected, her voice dripping with disdain. She stepped forward.
"You have no place in this conversation!" Bavna snapped harshly, not even looking at her.
The crowd: "....."
Lu Xie: "....."
There was a beat of silence and shock.
Then, Huge erupted into laughter, slapping his non-responsive twin on the shoulder.
"Bavna has finally gone insane! She is talking aboutnAlia, yet says Alia has no place in the conversation about herself! Only she could be that crazy!"
"Shut up, Huge! It is you who is—"
"Bavna, you have no place in this conversation."
Yuge, the quiet twin, cut Bavna off cruelly. His voice was flat, devoid of emotion, which made the burn sting even more.
A cacophony of laughter erupted from the crowd. Even Demoness Anthara joined in, cackling openly and forgetting her dignified position.
"This is not a Clown House!"
Lord Rava stepped forward, his aura flaring as his oversized pendant swayed. His eyes focused on Bavna.
"Dare I see who next shall desecrate the presence of the High Priestess with such foolishness?"
He was subtly warning Bavna to shut up, while also calling her a clown to her face.
"It is fine, Rava. Don't scare the kids."
The High Priestess raised a hand, defusing the growing tension in the room with a few words. She looked back at Bavna. Beneath her golden gauze, her expression was one of absolute disappointment.
"Bavna," she said patiently, like a teacher speaking to a slow student. "Would it be credible to you if I said that Demoness Anthara had secretly passed the results to me via mental transmission before the Altar crumbled?"
Bavna gritted her teeth. She was too deep in the hole to stop digging now.
"I fear that will not suffice, Your Eminence. There would be people who would speak ill of you... accusing you of bias behind your back. For the sake of your reputation... please annul the results."
She fell to her knees in a dramatic display of "loyalty."
"You dare speak to Her Eminence like that?! You are successfully courting disaster!" Lord Rava's aura exploded, the wooden floor creaking beneath his feet.
"By 'those who would speak ill,' are you maybe referring to yourself?" Anthara added happily, pouring fuel on the fire.
"You really won't stop until you dig your own grave and lie in it," another Elder muttered, shaking his head.
The High Priestess sighed.
"Since there are such... bold... people among the younger generation, let us do as you have said."
Bavna smiled secretly, her face hidden by the floor. Triumph!
But her joy was short-lived.
"You need proof, right?" The High Priestess added, her voice echoing strangely. "It is right before you."
Bavna shot up to her feet in abject horror, her eyes scanning the hall frantically for the proof.
"I will entrust the rest of the matter to you, Demoness Anthara," the High Priestess said.
Then, with a Whoosh, space warped, and she vanished, leaving the baffled crowd—and a terrified Bavna—behind.