Although Faen placed the responsibility on Shen and Usan, he didn't actually have any other demands; he just found an excuse to send them off. After all, the primary mission in Ionia—releasing Syndra, who represented Ionia's darkness—had already been successfully completed. What remained was simply returning to the Temple of the Long-Standing to report to Karma, and dealing with Swain, who had now lost his rear base of Fae'lor.
"I have already transmitted the information to the Enlightened One through the Mark of the Twin Dragons. Once the situation on Fae'lor Island stabilizes, we will prepare to leave."
Looking at Shen and Usan before him, Faen said, "Having experienced these events, I believe you all now have a new understanding of the coming era of strife, as well as a more comprehensive, entirely new perspective on war. It is foreseeable that many sects will inevitably produce many opponents. When they attempt to pressure the Temple of the Long-Standing, I hope you will be able to explain the cruelty of war to them."
Hearing Faen's words, Shen nodded, but then fell into silence.
This caught Faen's attention. He looked at Shen and asked, "Judging by your expression, is there something you wish to say? If so, feel free to speak your mind."
"...Yes." Hearing Faen's prompt, Shen nodded. He then turned his gaze toward Akali, who was carelessly spinning a kunai with a nonchalant look on her face. "Although it is somewhat abrupt, I still wish to ask... Mr. Faen, what do you think of Akali?"
"Huh?" Hearing this, Akali, who was twirling her shuriken by the ring on its end—thinking she had nothing to do with this conversation—suddenly heard her name. She blinked in confusion, her small face full of bewilderment. She even pointed a finger at herself and said, "Me?"
Shen didn't answer her, simply gesturing for her to stay quiet.
If Shen had previously been unsure whether Faen's actions were truly correct, after witnessing the atrocities the Noxians inflicted upon Ionia, and seeing the land spirits brutally murdered by them, Shen realized there was absolutely no reason for Ionia to forgive the Noxians.
True, there was a significant number of stubborn elders within the Temple of the Long-Standing, as well as in many ancient monasteries and sanctuaries. But Shen was certain that Ionia would welcome a complete transformation in the coming era of strife. And the source of this transformation was the Faen standing before him, and behind Faen, the Syndra who had once represented out-of-control doom.
If becoming a Master was a certainty for Faen before, just a matter of time, then now, Faen absolutely had the qualifications to become a Grandmaster. In Ionia, a Grandmaster was different from a Master. Although both essentially referred to someone who had reached the pinnacle of a certain path, a Grandmaster usually signified someone who had carved out an entirely new school within the original path, injecting fresh vitality into the original philosophy and initiating a new era.
And for Faen, becoming a Grandmaster was only a matter of time. Taking him as a master in advance under these circumstances was far better than waiting to add flowers to the brocade after he became a Master or Grandmaster.
Beyond that, Shen also hoped this would allow the Kinkou Order to connect to Ionia's new era better and faster.
"Why bring this up all of a sudden?" Faen looked at Shen with interest. Shen didn't hide his thoughts: "Akali possesses outstanding talent, and her personality is unique... perhaps even somewhat rebellious. It is absolutely not mainstream within the Kinkou Order. If it weren't for her formidable talent and the protection of the current Fist of Shadow, she might not have been expelled from the Order, but she would definitely have been isolated due to her thoughts and philosophies."
Hearing this, Akali, who was initially confused, let out a cold snort. While expressing her dissatisfaction, it was also a tacit admission that Shen was right.
Shen remained unaffected and continued, "Before this, I felt a headache over it as well, because in my view at the time, this incompatibility with tradition would sooner or later harm Akali. But now..."
Looking back at Fae'lor under the night sky, Shen said in a deep voice, "After witnessing the scars war has left on Ionia in the Spirit Realm—scars that may never fully heal—I profoundly realized that tradition is no longer correct. And if the path I insisted upon in the past is no longer right, then I have no right to continue teaching others to follow it. Therefore, I want Akali to take you as her master."
Hearing Shen's words, Akali's eyes widened slightly, and she instinctively looked at Faen.
Regarding Faen, right now, to be honest, while Akali was somewhat interested, she didn't have too many thoughts about it. Akali had always been someone whose personality was both independent and highly distinctive. But if forced to choose, Akali would rather follow Faen. After all, Akali didn't dislike Faen—in fact, she somewhat liked some of his insights regarding war and the Noxians—while she genuinely loathed many of the traditional dogmas rigidly adhered to within Ionia and the Kinkou Order.
Akali had never been someone who liked following the rules.
Feeling their gazes, Faen shrugged and said, "I have no problem with it, of course. But Akali's identity is special. It's better to wait until you return to Shon-Xan and confirm the Kinkou Order's opinion before making a final decision. As for me, I am ready whenever."
"Thank you for your understanding." Hearing this, Shen breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Faen had no objections, this matter would be easy to handle. Because on the Kinkou Order's side... to be honest, Shen didn't believe that after experiencing such a war, the Order could still rigidly adhere to the traditional Kinkou Way like in the past. And even if the Order wanted to adhere to it, there was absolutely no way Akali would obey.
Confirming there was nothing else, Shen stepped aside and fell silent. Faen then arranged the next steps for the Unspoken of Fae'lor—continue guarding Fae'lor, and contact Faen directly if they encountered a situation they couldn't handle.
Although the Unspoken were currently weak in numbers, Fae'lor was now shrouded in Faen's water mist and the dark energy that had become active along with Syndra's awakening. They only needed to master a few manipulation techniques, and stopping the Noxians from landing would be a breeze. Of course, if mages were involved, it might be tricky, so Faen simply left a teleportation mark just in case.
Seeing that everyone had said their piece, Kalan stepped forward.
"Sir, about my matter..."
"We'll talk about it later." Faen waved his hand. "I will personally go pay Prophet Soraka a visit."