In the end, Noldrei still didn't receive an Aeon's gaze.
He knew his ideas wouldn't gain the approval of any Aeon, because his so-called "Pure Land Sect of the Yaoshi" was just a patchwork construct he had cobbled together on the fly.
It was merely a tool to win over lifeforms from other Paths.
After dismissing the believers from the Alchemy Commission, Noldrei secretly opened a back door for Dan Shu.
Of course, this wasn't because he had any ill intentions toward her.
"Alright, Dan Shu... now let's talk about some 'esoteric' teachings."
Dan Shu flinched. She was indeed a blind woman, but that didn't mean her heart was completely blind as well.
The moment Noldrei uttered the word "esoteric," it implied that everything he had just preached outside was not the true faith.
Dan Shu hesitated for a moment before asking, "You couldn't possibly be a believer in Aha of Elation, could you?"
Noldrei shook his head. "Why would I follow a clown? In my eyes, Elation is the weakest. It can achieve nothing on its own and can only latch onto the actions of others. There's no point in even observing it. Without the actions of others, Elation has no way to manifest. Its existence is as useful as chicken ribs. It's nothing more than the flip side of the universe's suffering."
Dan Shu's thoughts froze for a moment. She never expected Noldrei to so bluntly declare his disdain for Elation, dismissing it as a mere parasite dependent on the actions of others.
Noldrei spoke with a cool indifference. "Compared to Elation, Harmony is far closer to a form of happiness that life can comprehend. Elation shouldn't even be called Elation. It's just an Aeon of suffering expressing its own pain in the form of joy."
"Let's not talk about Elation anymore. What I want to tell you now is a different philosophy."
"It is the fundamental ideology I used to construct this so-called 'Pure Land Sect of the Yaoshi.'"
Dan Shu immediately sat up straight, indicating she was ready to receive his holy teachings.
She could never have analyzed the matter of the Yaoshi's boons to the extent Noldrei had, much less have been able to use the schism between 'self-salvation' and 'salvation of others' to split the Yaoshi's followers into two major factions.
In one fell swoop, he had created a clear separation from the Xianzhou's previous generations of Yaoshi believers.
Such a maneuver was something Dan Shu would have never been able to pull off.
"The ideology I use is singular, but once you know it, you will never again be able to become an Emanator. You will never again be able to walk upon any of the existing Paths."
"You will lose the blessing of every Aeon."
"This is the most fundamental principle upon which my civilization was built."
"But do not be afraid. Once you possess it, you will possess the entire universe!"
"It is called..."
"The Dialectic of Life!"
Fu Xuan jolted awake, her gaze falling upon the familiar, bustling streetscape of the Xianzhou.
For some reason, she had just felt a sudden, surging power that caused the Dharma-Eye on her forehead to throb with a piercing pain.
Amidst the pain, the Dharma-Eye opened on its own, attempting to seek out the source of that power.
Unfortunately, Fu Xuan couldn't locate its ultimate origin, nor could she figure out why her Dharma-Eye was disobeying her commands.
But for now, Fu Xuan had more important matters to attend to. She needed to delve deeper into the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus to uncover more secrets about the Alchemy Commission.
"It's all that bastard's fault. He's vanished, and now all the work has been dumped on me."
"And his friend had the nerve to tell me to try not to use divination to find him..."
"I might as well just go to the Ground-Breaker Commission and pull the surveillance footage."
"I have no idea where that guy has run off to. I just hope he doesn't cause some huge mess and make trouble for me."
To this day, the "calamity" Fu Xuan had divined had still not appeared.
This left a vague sense of unease in her heart, making her constantly worry about what kind of mischief Noldrei might be stirring up behind the scenes.
So far, her divinations had only revealed that Noldrei had infiltrated the Alchemy Commission, was in no immediate danger, and that his fortune seemed to be on a steady rise.
As for where to find him specifically, Fu Xuan couldn't act rashly.
Among the low-level grunts here in Central Starskiff Haven, almost no one would recognize her. But it would be a different story in the Alchemy Commission.
The Master Diviner divining the Alchemy Commission and then personally infiltrating it as an undercover agent... anyone who didn't know better would think a power struggle had erupted among the Six Charioteers of the Xianzhou.
Shoving these complicated thoughts aside for the moment, Fu Xuan looked down at the items she had already collected. Only one last thing remained.
"One tael of Vidyadhara marrow... must be harvested from a living subject..."
Of course, Fu Xuan couldn't participate in the act of harvesting marrow from a living Vidyadhara, but she needed it to concoct the medicine.
"After taking the medicine, one experiences severe pain throughout the body, creaking of the bones, and diminished sight and hearing. These are the exact early symptoms of becoming Mara-Struck. What follows will be agitation, mania, and loss of reason."
"'Those who can peacefully overcome this calamity...' Sigh, I wonder how many people failed to survive the trial."
Fu Xuan could practically smell the stench of blood behind that single line of text. Her only thought was to lure out this group of Sanctus Medicus Disciples and deal with them as soon as possible.
But the belief in the Yaoshi had long since taken root in the hearts of the Xianzhou people.
Military force could eliminate the Abominations of Abundance on the surface, but it couldn't uproot the Abominations of Abundance from people's hearts.
After some thought, Fu Xuan decided it was better to try and contact Noldrei herself first.
Since she already knew he was doing well, she could at least try to get in touch.
[Ruthless Divination Machine: Where are you?]
[Friendly Ambassador: image.jpg]
[Friendly Ambassador: Enjoying the care of the Yaoshi's disciples.]
The picture showed a man's legs, covered by a white blanket.
Two women in Alchemy Commission uniforms were diligently massaging Noldrei's legs and feet.
Fu Xuan's small mouth fell open, completely taken aback by this development.
[Ruthless Divination Machine: WHERE ARE YOU!!!!!]
Five exclamation points were enough to show just how violently the Master Diviner's emotions were fluctuating.
She never dreamed that while she was working her fingers to the bone, this guy would be enjoying a spa day.
[Friendly Ambassador: I'm right here, aren't I? I even saved some fine wine for you. If you want a drink, just let me know, and I'll send a couple of bottles over.]
[Friendly Ambassador: It's been a few days since we talked. My old phone got poked full of holes by you, so I had these people get me a new one.]
[Friendly Ambassador: How's your work progressing? I've already infiltrated the Alchemy Commission. The young ladies here are so pleasant to talk to, and they're especially good at taking care of people.]
[Friendly Ambassador: It's probably because their work requires them to be mindful of patients' emotions, so they're incredibly gentle. I never expected their method of recruiting believers would be so novel. The pleasure here is so great, I've forgotten all about home!]
CRACK!
The phone, made from one of the most durable materials in the universe, was crushed in the Master Diviner's hand.
"THAT BASTARD!!!!! I'M GOING TO POKE A FEW MORE HOLES IN HIM! AAAAAAHH!!!!!"