"They're already endangered. If they go to the front lines again, they'll really go extinct."
Jing Yuan said in a rather helpless tone.
Unless there are special circumstances or they volunteer for service, the Vidyadhara are generally not sent to the battlefield.
"In my opinion, the 'Mara-Struck Scourge' has a certain necessity for its existence. The Vidyadhara, the Foxians, and the Xianzhou natives are all part of the Alliance."
"You could say a delicate balance is maintained between the three."
"When the 'Mara-Struck Scourge' ceases to exist, that balance will be truly broken."
Jing Yuan continued.
"What's more, to seal the Ambrosial Arbor, the Vidyadhara contributed their sacred homeland—the Scalegorge Waterscape, where you are now. The Luofu, on the whole, is indebted to them."
"General Leon, just because one person has treason in their heart doesn't mean they all do."
"The Luofu Vidyadhara almost exclusively undergo their rebirth in the Scalegorge Waterscape. This place is their root. I hope you will seriously consider leaving them some leeway."
"Uh, did they bring this Grotto-Heaven with them?"
"No, all Grotto-Heavens originate from Lan. The Xianzhou merely picked up the scraps of their predecessors and learned to apply their knowledge."
"Then there's nothing more to say."
Leon had already made up his mind; he just needed to ask a few more things.
"That dragon girl, Bai-something... she's the current High Elder, right?"
"Yes."
"Does she have the ability to seal the Ambrosial Arbor?"
"Regrettably, from what we've seen so far, the dragon girl has not displayed any such ability."
"Alright then."
Leon nodded. "Let me ask you this."
"Do you want her to be a figurehead High Elder for the rest of her life and live a normal life, or do you want her to uphold the High Elder's legacy and continue living as she does now?"
"This..."
Jing Yuan hesitated for a moment.
He didn't really understand what Leon meant.
But...
Jing Yuan thought back to Bailu, to how special she was.
He thought back to... his friends from the past.
If it were possible, he would of course hope that Bailu could live this life free of worries. Completely carefree might be unrealistic, but at least she should be free.
After all, her predecessor's wish was to become a Nameless. She shouldn't be constrained in any way.
But now she is restricted at every turn, imprisoned by the Preceptors. She has no personal freedom at all.
This clearly shouldn't be happening, yet Jing Yuan could do nothing about it.
He cannot interfere in the internal affairs of the Vidyadhara, nor can he change them. All he could do was find time to bring her some sweets, using a medical consultation as an excuse to let her relax for a while.
If he were to answer merely as Jing Yuan, the individual...
He would undoubtedly choose the former.
Let Bailu live the life she was meant to have in this incarnation, rather than being some High Elder.
This wasn't just his wish. It was also the wish of Dan Feng, Jingliu, Blade—the shared wish of the High-Cloud Quintet.
But as the General of the Luofu, he couldn't be so willful. Only by choosing the latter could he ensure the people's peace of mind, and the Vidyadhara's way of life would not be affected.
Of course, this was all predicated on him actually having the right to influence Leon's decision.
"You're speaking as a friend."
Leon spoke up, interrupting his thoughts as if he knew exactly what he was thinking.
"That's why I'm asking Jing Yuan, not the General of the Divine Foresight."
Leon's calm tone gave off the feeling that he could hold up the sky if it were to fall.
"I'll give you the leeway you asked for."
As long as the Vidyadharas' special status is destroyed, it doesn't matter if it's by sealing or killing. It's all the same to him.
"Since this generation's High Elder hasn't shown any ability related to sealing or unsealing, why don't we just brute-force a solution into existence for her?"
Leon said.
"May I ask what plan General Leon has? Jing Yuan is all ears."
"Plan? I don't have a damn plan."
Why is Jing Yuan even asking? With his brute-force approach, does he look like someone who needs a plan?
"I never mess with that kind of stuff."
Don't tarnish his stats, okay!
"Then what is it that General Leon intends to put into motion?"
Jing Yuan was a smart man and promptly rephrased his question.
"Simple. I'll just become the master of it, problem solved."
As he spoke, Leon no longer concealed his aura.
Upon a closer look, it was none other than the enslaved Phantylia!
Phantylia: "Armin! You are so selfish!"
"I will give you a controllable, living seal."
"General Leon, your meaning is?"
Jing Yuan was lost in thought.
"I will entrust the task of reinforcing the seal to another trustworthy entity. From this day forward, the High Elder can become a thing of the past, existing in name only."
"Is General Leon referring to Phantylia?"
Jing Yuan knew this Lord Ravager hadn't died and had been following Leon around.
"Correct. The Luofu Vidyadharas' task will no longer be to suppress the Ambrosial Arbor, but to guard it. And, when necessary, command the 'Incarnation of the Arbor' to clear away any obstacles to their rebirth."
Leon nodded.
"General Leon intends for Phantylia to merge with the Ambrosial Arbor, replacing it in a sense, and imbuing the once-dead thing with a controllable consciousness."
"In this way, the Ambrosial Arbor would become a self-regulating entity, able to inhibit its own growth at will, removing the need for someone to reinforce the seal every year."
"The Luofu Vidyadharas' task would no longer be the suppression of the 'Mara-Struck Scourge' of the past. Instead, they would be transformed into the guardians of an 'Emanator'-level trump card."
"It would also serve as security for the Scalegorge Waterscape. If anyone were to disrupt the Vidyadhara rebirth or if the Luofu faced a catastrophe, at that very moment, Phantylia could be commanded to intervene."
"Everything would be perfectly resolved."
"Following this line of reasoning, the role of the High Elder does indeed become redundant in the process."
Jing Yuan understood his meaning. He knew the so-called Incarnation of the Arbor referred to Phantylia possessing it.
Although on the surface it sounded only slightly different from before, in reality, it was a world of difference. Once Phantylia takes over the Ambrosial Arbor, she will control everything. Whether it's the High Elder or anything else, none of it should be needed anymore.
The benefits of this were:
Bailu could go on to live her own normal life, no longer needing to bother with the messy affairs of the Vidyadhara.
Because Phantylia would bear all the burdens for her.
And the tripartite balance of the Alliance would not be broken.
The 'Mara-Struck Scourge' would merely be taking on a new form.
It would still exist, not having been dissipated.
This also meant that the foundation upon which the Vidyadharas' existence relied was still there.
Honestly, the leeway Leon was giving was more than generous.
Jing Yuan mused to himself that he really was a good person after all.
"More or less."
Leon nodded, feeling that his assessment wasn't far off.
"Come on. It's time for you to make your choice."
The former, or the latter?
Jing Yuan was silent for a long time before finally giving a formal reply.
"Then I shall have to trouble General Leon."
The choice he ultimately made was self-evident.
If one had to point out a flaw, the only thing to worry about in this plan was whether Phantylia would eventually betray them. This was the biggest loophole at present.
The one Jing Yuan trusted was definitely not her, but Leon.
However, judging by the fact that Phantylia had been following him for so long without showing the slightest sign of resistance...
...there probably wasn't any need to worry about the possibility of betrayal.
—
2/∞
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