Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan's group were completely suppressed by the power of Dan Shu's words.
This woman knew the history of the Xianzhou far too well. Every stroke and every detail she mentioned seemed to be deeply etched in its annals.
She delivered a flurry of verbal blows straight to Jing Yuan's face, leaving the centuries-old General without a leg to stand on.
As long as Dan Shu held fast to the position that her research into the Mara-Struck was to alleviate the personal suffering of all Xianzhou people, he, as the General, could hardly win a verbal battle with her on the matter of right and wrong.
And as long as Dan Shu's theory stood, the people of the Xianzhou would forever be lost in the haze of their past faith in the Abundance.
Relying on The Hunt alone would never be enough to kill the faith in the Abundance. Deep in the heart of every Xianzhou native lay a hidden Yaoshi, just waiting for the next moment to awaken.
On the contrary, the more intense the methods of the Hunt's followers, the deeper the faith in Yaoshi would hide.
Fu Xuan knew that at this very moment, every common person on the Luofu was waiting for the final word on the elixir recipes. In their hearts, they held the hope that the Alchemy Commission could solve the problem of the Mara-Struck.
If that hope were to be shattered by the Divine Foresight...
'What... what should I do?'
Fu Xuan's heart pounded in her chest. It felt as if her entire life had been confined to a cage drawn by her master. From being chosen by fate to be the future Master Diviner, to her master's death prompting her to charge against that very fate.
Even now, she was still acting through this borrowed Dharma Eye.
Fu Xuan stepped forward. "Dan Shu, I admit that the Alchemy Commission and the followers of Yaoshi have made many contributions to the Xianzhou in the past."
"Shut your mouth, Fu Xuan. You don't admit anything. You followers of the Hunt only know that followers of Yaoshi can achieve what I have. This isn't an admission; it's just a pathetic compromise."
With a single sentence, Dan Shu shut down any opening Fu Xuan had hoped to create.
A torrent of words caught in Fu Xuan's throat, leaving her feeling as uncomfortable as if she had just swallowed a bellyful of water in a public swimming pool.
'Such a powerful verbal attack!'
Elysia marveled at the power of Dan Shu's words. She couldn't imagine how Noldrei had "enlightened" Dan Shu, turning an honest woman into such a frenzied state.
Dan Shu sneered. "You don't even have the ability to debate with me, yet you're trying to communicate with him. Isn't that a bit ridiculous? What gives you the confidence to stand before him and hold fast to your own position?"
"Is it the bow and arrow in the sky pointed at me, ready to sink half the Luofu at any moment?"
"Or is it your status and power as an Emanator of The Hunt, General of the Divine Foresight?"
"Right now, three Aeons—Abundance, Destruction, and The Hunt—are all watching this place. With the slightest deviation, Destruction and The Hunt could strike the Luofu at the same time."
"The Luofu is hanging by a thread. Trying to persuade me by relying solely on the history and rules of the Xianzhou is absolutely impossible."
"You can't even win a debate against me, yet you foolishly hope an outsider can stand against me..."
"Dream on!"
Mr. Yang was horrified. He felt the urge to grab the three kids and flee immediately, wishing he had never come to the Xianzhou.
No wonder Elysia's timeline had developed this way. This man who looked so much like Kevin had pushed the Xianzhou to the brink of a life-or-death choice with just a slight push.
If this was how things were done, he couldn't imagine what kind of final battle the Finality of that era would bring.
Jing Yuan had never been so tense. His hands, gripping his glaive, were slick with sweat.
To be forced into such a corner as a master strategist... this was a first for him.
Fu Xuan took a deep breath, forced to argue, "Dan Shu, I want to save you! Since you also agree with that person's Pure Land theory, it means you still recognize us as people of the same Xianzhou. It's not too late. We can even accept the faith of Yaoshi returning to the forefront."
The Pure Land theory Noldrei had given them was still at play. It was precisely the existence of this theory that gave the followers of Yaoshi a reason to compromise and coexist with the Xianzhou's followers of the Hunt.
But to Dan Shu, all of this was meaningless now.
Dan Shu was silent for a long time before sighing. "Fu Xuan, ah, Fu Xuan. As the Master Diviner, you secretly infiltrated the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus. I don't even have to think to know what you were up to. Like you, I have lost someone very important. I know exactly what you're thinking."
"Just like my arrogance in trying to grasp the power of Yaoshi, to change the painful destiny of the Xianzhou people."
"You don't want to save me. Saving someone, and saving a life, are not always the same thing."
"You should know your own true thoughts better than I do. You have never considered my suffering from my perspective, so you will naturally not understand the true way to save me."
"You want to save my life, not because you want to save me, but because you want to prove your own control over fate. To prove that you have the power to change destiny!"
The words were incredibly piercing, causing a sharp pain to throb in Fu Xuan's forehead.
In that moment, Fu Xuan even felt the urge to kill.
Cold sweat trickled down her brow. For a moment, she couldn't tell if the person opposite her was Dan Shu or her former master.
"Fu Xuan! Fu Xuan! Calm down! If you keep struggling and consuming yourself like this, you'll become Mara-Struck very soon!"
Jing Yuan nervously called out Fu Xuan's name, terrified that his comrade would suddenly turn.
Fu Xuan shook her head, biting her lip. "I'm fine. I was just affected by the Dharma Eye. I... I can't win against her..."
"Dan Shu knows us too well. In her eyes, we're practically transparent. We have to find another way to deal with her."
Dan Shu's tone remained unchanged, just like the gentle, matronly Preceptor from before.
"Go ahead and think. After all, time is very 'plentiful'... isn't it?"
The surging power of Destruction coursed through Dan Shu's current body. She remembered the "Emptiness" universe Noldrei had described.
She fell silent once more, no longer paying any attention to the people facing her.
Whether it was the sharp arrow of The Hunt or the blessing of Destruction.
Not even the Aeons could shake Dan Shu's will.
How could the Xianzhou's followers of The Hunt possibly shake Dan Shu's will?
"Don't be in such a hurry to rest, Dan Shu... Don't we still have a lot to talk about?"
"For example, the leap in the dialectic of life. I still haven't told you how to do it, have I?"
"I know they can't connect with you, so don't worry about them."
"Some things can be achieved simply by inverting one's thinking and taking the deduction one step further."
"You've already come this far. Why not go all the way?"
Hearing this voice again, Fu Xuan felt as if she had been struck by lightning.
And Noldrei, as if out for a leisurely stroll, slowly walked out from the depths of the Fyxestroll Garden.