At this moment, in the ancient sea of Scalegorge Waterscape.
"To halt the revival of the Synwood, to quell the plague of longevity, the waters of the ancient sea, by the command of the High Elder, hereby suppress the profound root."
Dan Heng raised the Heavy Abyss Pearl in his hand, mobilizing the immortal power within his body to reseal the Ambrosial Arbor.
Yet there was no follow-up reaction.
Strange… completely different from when the seal was lifted.
"What's wrong? You look troubled. Does sealing require chanting too? Let me try."
Bailu stepped forward and mimicked a proper finger gesture.
Dan Heng recited the previous incantation once more, and Bailu followed along.
This time, the doubt in Dan Heng's eyes vanished, replaced by astonishment.
He discovered that the path to the Ambrosial Arbor had indeed been successfully resealed.
And the power of the seal did not come from him, but from Bailu beside him.
Bailu seemed to sense something; a look of realization flashed across her face.
"This strange feeling…"
"You did it! No need for anyone else's recognition—just this alone is enough to prove you are a genuine High Elder."
"High Elder… me?"
"Yes. When rebuilding the seal, did anything come back to you?"
"Hmm… it felt like a tide surging through my mind."
Bailu thought for a moment, searching for the most fitting description.
"It was as if I became enormous—truly enormous. The entire Scalegorge Waterscape responded to my voice, resonating with me."
Stelle quietly watched the scene from behind, several guesses flashing through her mind.
Dan Heng had said the High Elder succession was incomplete, including the power itself.
Could it be—
The ability to lift the seal resided in Dan Heng.
While the ability to reestablish the seal resided in Bailu?
Lifting could symbolize destruction; reestablishing could symbolize healing.
Both corresponded to the duality of life and death within Permanence, yet cycled endlessly—eternal rebirth.
She'd talk to Dan Heng about it later… huh?
Movement.
"Hehe, fun!"
Bailu's little face lit up with excitement.
"Dan Heng, teach me more techniques. Let's see if I can remember anything else."
Stelle: "Guests have arrived. Teaching can wait."
With a flick of her wrist, she summoned her bat and looked behind her. An explosive force erupted beneath her feet as she charged without a word.
Things were different now.
From Leon's memories, she had observed Raiden Mei honing her swordsmanship for so long.
Her current martial skill was no longer comparable to the instinctive level she had when she first "hatched" at Herta Space Station or during her time on Jarilo-VI.
When she swung the bat now, it carried an imposing momentum—an oppressive pressure utterly mismatched with the weapon type.
In just a few breaths, she dispatched the lurking assassins.
The bat smashed hard into the nape of the last one's neck. Stelle sensed something and frowned.
"…He actually took his own life?"
Considering they might be Vidyadhara, she hadn't delivered killing blows to these non-regenerable resources.
Bailu was utterly confused. "How did they appear near us without a sound?"
Dan Heng manipulated water to wash away the corpses' disguises, glancing at the assassins' faces—no leads.
Strange. Most were Xianzhou natives; only a few were Vidyadhara.
Did killing him really require such stealth?
Hmph.
"Perhaps they used Cloudhymn arts to manipulate water mist and deceive the eyes."
"Same as when we arrived—assassins were probably already lying in wait here. Looks like someone can no longer tolerate my presence."
Stelle: "Are the dragon masters not even pretending anymore? Or do they think that as long as there's no evidence linking the assassins to them, they can attack freely?"
Dan Heng didn't dwell on it, his gaze warily sweeping the surroundings.
"The number of assassins is unknown. For safety, let's leave here first."
On the way out, Bailu spotted shadows she hadn't seen on the way in.
"Those are—?"
Dan Heng: "Mirages of the past. Ignore them. Though we can use them—drive the echoes to spread and locate assassins hiding beneath the water."
Only on the way out did they realize there were far more hidden assassins than imagined.
Even if their strength posed no real threat, they were still annoying.
All of them were the ruthless type who would hang themselves the moment the mission failed.
Interrogation to uncover the mastermind? Impossible.
The trio passed another mirage. Unexpectedly, its words froze them in place.
"You again! I never believed in any High Elder from the start—you're not worthy to judge my crimes!"
"Especially you, Bailu!"
"You don't even have the High Elder power to call wind and rain. Why should I believe you can do better than Lord Dan Feng?"
"The dragon masters, the clan—everyone thinks the High Elder is the Vidyadhara's only salvation."
"That's just empty talk—completely unrealistic!"
"Have you seen what the Merciful Medicus can achieve?"
Stelle's previously nonchalant expression instantly turned serious.
What Medicus?
Hold on—were there really Vidyadhara colluding with the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus?
Did General Jing Yuan know about this?
Stelle tried speaking to the mirage.
"Could it be that the Merciful Medicus claimed they could restore the Vidyadhara's ability to reproduce?"
The distorted voice immediately responded.
"Exactly!"
"The Merciful Medicus can definitely help us flourish and multiply. What the High Elder cannot do, the Medicus can!"
"One day you'll all realize I was right!"
The mirage dissipated.
Hearing this, Bailu's expression became indescribable.
"I never imagined there were people in the Vidyadhara who worshipped the Plaguemaster…"
Stelle: "Should we warn the General? I don't know if he already suspects… sigh, the Luofu's waters run deeper than I thought."
"Different races, different interests—always tangled in countless threads. Dan Heng, it's hard to imagine how exhausted your previous incarnation must have been."
Dan Heng gave a faint shake of his head, showing no particular feeling.
"Let's keep moving."
"Right. By the way, Dan Heng—don't you think these assassins seem to know our exact route?"
"If even you feel that way, it's no coincidence."
"And also…"
Stelle didn't finish her sentence.
Many times, the assassins they encountered had tried to bypass them.
Stelle and Dan Heng exchanged a glance, their peripheral vision tacitly flicking toward Bailu before casually looking away.
They couldn't be sure yet—better not let her know, to avoid misunderstanding.
Even if—
Stelle already felt her guess was most likely the truth.
On the way back to Dragonvista Rain Hall, the trio encountered more than a dozen waves of ambushes.
With Dan Heng present, there was no real danger.
Still, it was clear these people were targeting Bailu—and Bailu could surely see that too.
Stelle didn't understand the dragon masters' thought process.
They knew Dan Heng—who wielded the High Elder's destructive power—was present, yet they still sent people to their deaths?
That wasn't how you delivered heads.
Soon, Huanxi's figure appeared in view, her face filled with concern.
"Lady Bailu, are you alright? I waited so long without seeing you…"
Bailu: "Thanks to Dan Heng and Stelle escorting me the whole way. You should thank them properly."
Stelle's pupils shifted slightly. "We ran into quite a lot of trouble on the way—nearly lost our lives. Luckily we escaped."
At those words, Huanxi's face immediately fell.
"I never imagined those assassins would be so bold as to relentlessly pursue you into Scalegorge Waterscape…"
"Don't worry, Miss. I will definitely report to the elders and have them all rounded up."
"Pfft—"
Stelle couldn't hold it in and laughed out loud.