"Alright."
With that, Leon ended the communication and tucked the jade abacus back into his pocket.
"Found you a job. Room is included, but not board. Plus, you'll be admired by thousands. Happy?"
He asked, turning his gaze to Phantylia.
Phantylia was fuming and had no desire to answer that question.
Did he really think she could just giggle and refuse? As if he were some kind person!
Heliobus curse
At least by his side, there was a faint glimmer of hope. If she stayed on the Luofu, all she could do was wait for death.
After all, judging from their previous trip to the Garden of Recollection, it was clear Leon would meddle in the affairs of Amphoreus.
And Amphoreus was the very place where the Iron Tomb would ascend.
The Iron Tomb, an Annihilation Ganglord targeting Erudition.
The trump card of Destruction.
In its current, unrefined, and incomplete form, it already displayed power equivalent to an Emanator.
And when it fully hatched, the calculations of Erudition would reach their end.
The Iron Tomb would kill Nous.
And at the same time, guide the future of the universe toward Destruction.
Such was its crucial nature.
Without a doubt, when the Iron Tomb was about to be crowned.
After receiving the signal, the other five Annihilation Ganglords would all be present.
They would serve as an insurance policy.
If she could stay with Leon, it would mean every last Annihilation Ganglord would be accounted for.
If things unfolded as originally planned, this would be Phantylia's one and only, greatest chance to break free from him.
Not only would Celenova be there, but she'd also have the overpowered Iron Tomb as a back-up.
Phantylia couldn't imagine how she could possibly lose.
She wouldn't even be afraid if Lan intervened at Leon's call.
In a clash of that magnitude, Nanook would never sit idly by.
Although, judging by the current situation, it was more likely to unfold like this:
Before the Iron Tomb could be crowned, Leon would find Amphoreus first, cut through the nonsense, kill it directly, and the grand design of Destruction would fall short at the last moment.
But no matter what, even the faintest hope was still hope.
If one has no dreams, what's the difference between them and salted fish?
Phantylia had always been fantasizing.
Fantasizing that in the near future, she could use the forging of the Iron Tomb to escape his clutches.
But due to the change in circumstances, she had to switch to a new fantasy.
From fantasizing about regaining her freedom, to fantasizing that the Iron Tomb could outplay Leon.
Please don't let it fail before it even begins.
If she followed Leon to Amphoreus.
Whether the Iron Tomb emerged or not, she could betray him instantly.
After all, Celenova would be there no matter what.
But if she stayed on the Luofu, she couldn't do anything at all!
She wouldn't even have a chance to contact Celenova, and the brand of loyalty in her heart made it impossible to escape.
In other words, if the Iron Tomb couldn't outplay Leon.
Then she would have to be his slave for the rest of her life, until she died. The mere thought of it was enough to drive one to despair (sad).
"Even without my supervision, you'll be a good little pet Heliobus, right?"
When you grow up,
do you want to be a good little kitty?
Not particularly.
Leon didn't care. Her opinion wasn't worth a damn.
She had no say in the matter. Make it clear, who's the superior here!
Phantylia: Give me back my freedom, then come over here and I'll tell you whether I want to or not.
Thud, thud, thud.
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed from all around.
Many Vidyadhara, drawn by the commotion, had rushed to the location.
"Elder Taoran!"
Several Dragon Masters saw the body on the ground, their pupils contracting as they cried out instinctively.
To murder a Vidyadhara in their sacred land, who could be so audacious?!
Are they not afraid of being held accountable by the Xianzhou Alliance!
The Dragon Master Xuepu burned with fury.
Clinging to the thought of making this person pay, he looked up at the culprit.
And then he froze on the spot.
"Arbiter... General?"
Another Vidyadhara was the first to call out the culprit's title for him.
"Elder Taoran... You killed him?"
Fenghuan, one of the Dragon Masters, asked in disbelief.
"You have a problem with that?" Leon nodded.
What do you take the covenant for, daring to kill a Vidyadhara in the Scalegorge Waterscape!
Before the words could leave his mouth, Fenghuan forced himself to swallow them.
Leon's composure was a little too unnerving.
He didn't believe Taoran hadn't mentioned the covenant before he died.
When a person is about to die, they'll grasp at any straw to save themselves.
It's a survival instinct.
Leon likely knew it was forbidden, yet did it anyway.
Fenghuan was quite familiar with the calm he was now displaying.
It was the arrogance they themselves often inadvertently showed, protected as they were by the covenant.
The two were one and the same.
Just as the Vidyadhara relied on the covenant to act unscrupulously, Leon must have had his own source of confidence.
"You know full well what you've done."
Leon's gaze swept over the Dragon Masters.
Thanks to the hyper-intuition of The Hunt, he could easily distinguish among the crowd of Vidyadhara.
Who was innocent, who was knowledgeable, and who was a participant.
The former were as common as stray dogs, while the latter two categories were almost entirely comprised of these Dragon Masters.
Fenghuan remained silent, while Xuepu broke out in a cold sweat.
In that moment, both felt a distinct, crushing pressure.
"They will die. They will die in the next second."
This thought hammered relentlessly inside their heads, breeding an instinctive fear.
"I advise you not to look for trouble."
If any of these Dragon Masters dared to question him, Leon would send them to join Taoran in the respawn queue.
"This time, I only killed the mastermind. The fact that I didn't slaughter all of you who tacitly approved doesn't mean you're innocent, just that your crime wasn't punishable by death. You'd best not push your luck."
So spoke Leon.
Not a single Dragon Master present dared to respond.
Most of the Vidyadhara, however, were baffled. They had no idea what was going on.
Nor did they know what Leon's words referred to.
"Arbiter-General, what crime did Elder Taoran commit?"
One Vidyadhara hesitated for a long time before finally speaking up.
"Do I look like someone who kills indiscriminately?"
Leon retorted, simultaneously providing the answer.
"But..." the Vidyadhara started, then trailed off.
The moment he opened his mouth, Leon knew what he was going to say.
The same old thing about the covenant, nothing new at all.
But he couldn't be blamed for it.
Their iron-clad immunity was suddenly revoked, and their ingrained sense of security was shattered. No one would have found that easy to accept.
"Don't bring up the covenant to me."
Of course, Leon had no reason to indulge them.
There's no ladder to the heavens in society, only the reality that for every power, there is a greater one to keep it in check.
"Enjoying privileges while plotting rebellion, you tell me, did Taoran deserve to die or not?"
Leon asked bluntly.
"Or perhaps I should ask it the other way around."
"On what grounds do you think your elder dared to rebel? It was precisely because of the privilege you speak of."
Leon's words completely tore away the Vidyadharas' facade.
"Sorry, but as for this privilege, I think you've worn out its welcome."
"If you want to pretend nothing happened and continue enjoying your privileges, I suggest you go to bed and dream on. You think you can have all the good things in the world, is that it?"
All the Vidyadhara present were rendered speechless.
Leon's words weren't aggressive, but they were extremely humiliating.
Lies don't hurt people; the truth is the sharpest blade.
They had nothing with which to refute Leon.
The Vidyadhara were useless now, only able to coast on their privilege due to their unique racial traits.
"Where is the Blight of Immortality that you're supposed to be guarding?"
Leon intended to rip away their facade completely, leaving no room for wishful thinking.
"Point it out to me."
Silence reigned. Not a single person answered.
"...Arbiter-General, the path to the Blight of Immortality can only be opened by the High Elder."
After a long moment, one Vidyadhara stepped forward to answer him.
"The Luofu's Blight of Immortality is hidden within the waters of this ancient sea."
"But even if we know its location, it's useless."
"To get there, someone must part the ancient sea, allowing the ancient city to resurface. And the only one who can do such a thing..."
"...has always been the High Elder alone."
So said the Vidyadhara.
"We possess the Cloud-Hymn arts, and while we can summon clouds and rain, even if our entire race worked together on the ancient sea, I fear we could hardly achieve what the High Elder can."
"The Lady Dragon's inheritance is incomplete."
Xuepu saw an opportunity to restore the Vidyadharas' prestige and quickly spoke up.
"If the Arbiter-General wishes to go to the place of the Ambrosial Arbor, I'm afraid you can only request it of General Jing Yuan, who can then report to the Ten-Lords or the Marshal to have Dan Feng released!"
Leon dared to kill a Vidyadhara on his own authority.
He didn't even need to ask for permission, which showed how high his status was.
Xuepu believed that if Leon made the request, the Xianzhou Alliance would surely grant him this favor.
Dan Feng might really be released from his prison!
By then, the complete High Elder inheritance and the Art of Dragon Transformation would be secured!
Leon saw through his little scheme.
After a single glance, he said nothing.
He just silently took Vanquisher from his shoulder, as if preparing for something.
"Point it out to me."
Leon nocked an arrow and drew his bow, repeating the same four words.
Xuepu was stunned once again.
Nevertheless, he obediently complied, raising a finger to point the way.
"Never think that some things can only be done by you."
With that, a bright violet arrow was nocked on the string, held between Leon's two fingers.
"Because after you've witnessed my power."
With a "swoosh," the arrow was shot out, seemingly unremarkable!
"You will lament how someone in this world could have tempered their own stats to such a high degree, while all others are merely mortals born in an era without me!"
As Leon spoke, the arrow skimmed across the water's surface!
The arrow shot forward right down the middle, and wherever it passed, the waters of the vast, boundless ancient sea could not help but part to the left and right.
Revealing a wide path.
And allowing the ancient city hidden beneath the sea to see the light of day for the first time in centuries.
Bang!
After parting the sea, the arrow immediately shot skyward.
Finally, it concluded its journey with a spectacular explosion in the heavens.
At the same time, the old Vidyadhara domain beneath the ancient sea was completely revealed.
The Vidyadhara swallowed in unison, so shocked by the scene that they were at a loss for words.
Only the High Elder could open the path to the Ambrosial Arbor.
This was common knowledge for them, and arguably for all residents of the Luofu.
And now, that common knowledge had been brutally shattered by one man.
Combined with his earlier words, this was undoubtedly Leon's warning to them.
Any intelligent person could see it.
"The merely talented one happens upon a decent gift, and their admirers all think it's just a matter of time before they ascend to godhood. But in reality, they can't even touch the coattails of a true master."
The High Elder was the merely talented one, and these Vidyadhara, who thought the High Elder's power was irreplaceable, were the admirers.
"If you want privilege, fine. Show that you're qualified for it."
Leon said, casting one last glance at the group of Vidyadhara.
"We will remember the Arbiter-General's teachings."
No one dared to oppose Leon; they weren't fools.
He even dared to kill a Vidyadhara. His status was clearly at a level they could barely comprehend.
Opposing him was just asking for death, wasn't it?
"Form without substance, intent without meaning."
"If you lack the corresponding ability, go back and practice some more."
With that, Leon shouldered Vanquisher once more and, with Phantylia in tow, walked slowly toward the Ambrosial Arbor.
The Dragon Masters watched him depart, their faces etched with worry.
What was he going to do? Destroy the Ambrosial Arbor?
Considering his previous words, that was the most likely possibility.
Xuepu and Fenghuan shared the same thought. They turned and exchanged a glance.
Then, they sighed in unison.
If the Ambrosial Arbor was destroyed, what would become of them, the Vidyadhara?
Their status was already low enough, and now it looked like their very job was about to disappear.
What would they rely on in the future? Didn't he know how hard the job market was these days!
Especially for the Vidyadhara, the difficulty was easily doubled.
Go to the battlefield? What if they were all wiped out?
They could either find a post among the Six Charioteers or retreat to the Alchemy Commission to concoct their elixirs.
Beyond that, there was no third option.
...
...
Scalegorge Waterscape.
Leon and Phantylia walked to the very end.
They reached the dragon-head landmark that had defined the existence of this reclusive race.
The Root of the Ambrosial Arbor, the site of the Abundance's miracle.
To be honest, the moment he felt the aura of Abundance.
Leon almost couldn't resist pulling out his bow and shooting this damned thing to death. It was a good thing his self-control was strong enough.
"What kind of dragon are you?"
Energy surged from Leon's body, completely shattering the final seal on the Ambrosial Arbor before him.
Roar!
A brilliant light erupted from the dragon's head, swallowing them both.
When their vision returned, the two found themselves in another world.
A separate world within the body of the Ambrosial Arbor.
To put it in terms familiar to the people of the Xianzhou, it was an independent grotto-heaven.
"Come on, refine the Nine-Cycle Ambrosial Arbor."
Leon commanded Phantylia, his tone suggesting, "If you don't refine this, I'll beat you to death."
Phantylia had already given up all resistance.
She allowed the brand of loyalty to control her body, forcing her to do as he commanded.
Rumble!
A violent, earth-shattering tremor rose from the ground!
Phantylia opened her body and mind, absorbing the energy present in this place without restraint.
One minute, two minutes, three minutes.
Time passed bit by bit, and the tremors in the space gradually subsided.
Until finally, they disappeared completely.
Perhaps because she had absorbed too much energy.
A faint mist inexplicably shrouded Phantylia, obscuring her current condition.
Bam!
When the mist dissipated.
A massive, powerful palm came crashing down from high above.
The resulting gust of wind whipped the hem of Leon's clothes, making them flutter loudly.
After successfully refining the Ambrosial Arbor, Phantylia had taken on a completely different form.
____
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