Compared to Luocha, Jingliu admitted that Su Ran was far more capable.
But an Emanator was still an Emanator.
A Aeon was still an Aeon.
The two could never be equated.
Even the strongest Emanator could not defeat the weakest Aeon.
No matter how far one walked down a Path, they were still traversing a road opened by another.
If those who came after could not surpass the pioneer, then they would forever remain beneath them.
Su Ran was a genius who possessed terrifying abilities.
Jingliu understood that very well.
The mara-struck condition that had plagued the Xianzhou for thousands of years was, to him, a problem solved with casual ease.
Based on that feat alone, he had already surpassed nearly everyone in the universe.
But even so, what he could accomplish was merely the limit of mortals.
To touch the realm of gods would inevitably require a price.
And Jingliu had already prepared herself to pay that price.
But she did not want Su Ran to casually step onto this road of no return as well.
"Jingliuliu, you're not cute anymore. Not only do you refuse to call me 'darling,' now you're threatening me too."
Su Ran expressed deep disappointment.
He genuinely wanted to help her.
So why refuse?
Although helping her was only incidental, and the remains of the Propagation were what truly interested him...
Helping was still helping.
"D-Darling... can you return it? Please?"
If their relationship weren't relatively amicable right now, Jingliu would probably have her sword pressed against Su Ran's throat already.
"Darling, no~"
Su Ran rejected Jingliu's request.
"You have your plans, and I have my goals. Our plans don't conflict. I can fulfill your wishes while achieving my own objectives. Isn't that a win-win situation?"
Jingliu: "..."
She felt anger, frustration, and helplessness all at once.
What did he think his life was?
These were struggles between gods.
How could he treat them so casually?
"Don't force me to knock some sense into you!"
Jingliu desperately wanted to simply knock Su Ran unconscious.
But the item was in his possession.
She couldn't find it.
"Oh? It seems there's quite a show to watch. How about this? Release me, and I'll help you restrain this man."
Seeing an opportunity, Phantylia immediately jumped in.
This was internal conflict.
She couldn't beat Su Ran.
She couldn't outwit him either.
But Jingliu?
That was another matter.
The former Sword Champion of the Xianzhou had never received the blessing of an Aeon. Even if her swordsmanship had reached extraordinary heights, she still hadn't attained the level of an Emanator.
If Phantylia and Jingliu joined forces, perhaps they could find an opportunity to escape.
That's right...
Phantylia had already abandoned thoughts of counterattacking.
Now, all she wanted was to leave the Xianzhou.
Then, after Su Ran had departed, she could return another day.
She had reached a very clear understanding.
The people of the Xianzhou were not to be feared.
This outsider, this Emanator of Erudition, was the truly troublesome one.
Unfortunately, Jingliu paid her no attention whatsoever.
Everything she was doing was for Su Ran's sake.
Releasing Phantylia?
What kind of ridiculous idea was that?
Jingliu had suffered from mara for many years.
That didn't mean she'd gone insane to the point of stupidity.
She knew exactly what she was trying to accomplish.
Now that the mara had been cured, she was no longer frenzied or excessively aggressive.
Yet with the return of her rationality, her sword had only grown sharper.
"Jingliu, do you want Baiheng to be disappointed in you?"
Su Ran wasn't moving.
But he had other ways to make Jingliu abandon her stubborn resistance.
He directly used her dearest friend as leverage.
"When you watched Baiheng perish together with Shuhu, wouldn't it be similar to Baiheng one day watching you die alongside the Abundance? Would she be heartbroken?"
Those casual words shattered Jingliu's composure.
If she still suffered from mara, she would probably be having an episode right now.
Instead, she rationally broke down.
"The Plagues Author... must die!"
Those dry words were all she could manage.
"Yes, yes. The universe is destined for destruction eventually. The Abundance won't be an exception."
Su Ran waved dismissively.
After all, everything would ultimately return to Nihility.
Which Aeon could escape that fate?
Phantylia: "..."
Those were my lines!
"Since Mr. Su Ran understands this so well, why not embrace Destruction? Lord Nanook would gladly welcome someone as talented as you."
She attempted to tempt him once more.
"I look down on Destruction, alright? Nanook got beaten up by a Masked Fool and ended up covered in wounds. He seems pretty weak to me."
Su Ran waved his hand.
Among the powers of all the Aeons, Destruction was the one he cared least about.
Because as long as one possessed sufficient power, destruction and ruin could be achieved.
There was no need to walk the Path of Destruction to accomplish that.
"So what exactly is your objective? What are you planning to do with that thing?"
The remains of an Aeon had never been simple objects.
Everyone knew that Tayzzyronth, the Propagation, had died.
But many also believed that They could return one day.
Considering that Su Ran possessed a Propagation Emanator and intended to revive Baiheng...
Jingliu couldn't help suspecting that Su Ran intended to resurrect the Swarm Disaster's progenitor.
"I'm just doing some research."
Su Ran had no intention of recklessly conducting resurrection experiments.
Wouldn't that just be courting death?
If the Propagation were revived now, the first person to suffer would be him—the one who had manipulated the Starcrusher Swarm King.
The backlash from the Swarm would be unbearable.
Even if he survived, the losses would undoubtedly be devastating.
"Research into what?"
Jingliu pressed further.
Until she obtained a clear answer, she would never let this matter go.
"The birth of an Aeon. Does that count?"
"You intend to bring the Propagation back into existence?"
Phantylia: "What?"
The rebirth of the Propagation?
As expected, she hadn't misjudged him.
Su Ran truly possessed extraordinary compatibility with the Path of Destruction.
What a pity that he wasn't a Lord Ravager.
The Antimatter Legion had never delivered a truly catastrophic blow to the universal order.
But the Swarm had accomplished exactly that once before.
If Su Ran actually succeeded...
Then Phantylia genuinely felt that he was more suited to becoming the Aeon of Destruction.
Even Lord Nanook hadn't gone that far.
Though Nanook's legends spread throughout the cosmos, they still failed to inspire the same level of terror as the Swarm Disaster of old.
Combined with the existence of that Propagation Emanator...
Phantylia found herself genuinely believing this was entirely possible.
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