"...I just need to find Bailu to open the passage to the Scalegorge Waterscape."
Seeing that Herta clearly wasn't taking her own words seriously and was just teasing him, Ron sighed and simply explained his plan:
"Bailu is the current High Elder of the Xianzhou [Luofu]. Although the molting rebirth of the previous High Elder, Imbibitor Lunae, was incomplete, causing her to not fully inherit the High Elder's power, she undoubtedly possesses the unique status of a High Elder."
"From the Palace of Glacial Purity to the ancient Vidyadhara palace, both are cut off by the ancient waters summoned by the High Elder… A certain High Elder once summoned the ancient waters to flood the Abyssal Roots there. The Ambrosial Arbor's remains grew into the form of a verdant dragon, its roots intertwining within the palace, completely severing the Arbor's remains from the Vidyadhara of the Luofu."
"The Vidyadhara of the Xianzhou [Luofu] have guarded the Ambrosial Arbor for generations, and the High Elder is tasked with suppressing its remains. Only with her personal consent can anyone open the path through the ancient sea of the Luofu's Scalegorge Waterscape to the Ambrosial Arbor's remains."
As Ron spoke, he pointed to the Lantern of [Salvation] on the table.
The flame within the lantern was dim, only flaring up brightly when Ron touched it. The flame of hope within flickered, looking as though it was about to run out of oil and die.
"This lantern is too dilapidated… I hope to reforge it into a weapon capable of burning the veil of fate, but in its current state, that's absolutely impossible."
"So… before we begin the research and reforging, we have to do everything we can to make it stronger."
Ron said this, then glanced at the light screen before him. A smile touched his lips.
"And that remnant of the Ambrosial Arbor is precisely what we need most."
Hearing this, Herta pondered for a moment. She didn't immediately refute Ron, but she didn't fully agree either.
She just asked with some doubt:
"That remnant of the Ambrosial Arbor is entwined with at least half of the Xianzhou [Luofu]… Although I'm not familiar with the [Luofu], I know that the ship and the Arbor are practically one and the same."
Herta thoughtfully tapped the table with her fingertip. "Let's not even talk about whether you can actually get your hands on that broken branch. Even if you could take the Arbor's remains, what use would it be for the Lantern of [Salvation]?"
"If you want to use the Lantern of [Salvation] to burn the Arbor's remains, using the rest of the Arbor as fuel to restore the lantern to its blazing peak, that's not going to work…"
"The Ambrosial Arbor is intertwined with the entire Xianzhou [Luofu]. Igniting the Arbor is tantamount to igniting the Luofu itself. Even if the flame of hope in the Lantern of [Salvation] is gentle enough, that doesn't mean it won't burn physical matter. You and I are both very clear on this."
As she spoke, her tone became rather stern and cautionary.
"Last time, we burned half a sea of stars with these flames. We absolutely cannot repeat that mistake."
Hearing the seriousness and faint worry in Herta's voice, Ron just chuckled and shook his head.
Herta's concern was not unfounded. After all, from her perspective, the Lantern of [Salvation] was just that, and nothing more.
The lantern was the embodiment of the Path of [Salvation]. No matter how one tried to conceal its destructive power, it could not change the fact that it was the source of power for the Aeon of [Salvation].
She was afraid Ron would get greedy and, for the sake of a more complete Lantern of [Salvation], ignite the Tree of Existence. This was understandable. But with the lantern back in Ron's hands, how could it only have that one function?
Herta had never truly become an Aeon. She didn't understand the differences between the various branches of a Path, nor did she know what the actual manifestation of a Path-concept was on the branches of the Tree of Existence.
"Relax, Herta… Of course there won't be any danger."
Ron said this, then turned his attention back to the screen and began to operate it. As he controlled his simulated self to persuade the Bailu he had just met, he explained simply to Herta:
"A Path is a branch of the Tree of Existence, and the different concepts within a Path become the branches of those branches."
"Although the Ambrosial Arbor has been completely severed, leaving only its remains, it is still a blessing from [The Abundance] Yaoshi. In terms of its trace on the Path of [The Abundance], it's probably not much different from the other Emanators of [The Abundance]. It is a true representative of a branch of the Path of [The Abundance]."
"I do indeed want to use the power of the Lantern of [Salvation] to ignite the Ambrosial Arbor… but the Arbor I'll be igniting isn't the one in reality, but the Ambrosial Arbor on the Path of [The Abundance]—"
As Ron spoke, a confident smile played on his lips.
"I'm going to burn away the 'concept' of the Ambrosial Arbor on the Path of [The Abundance] and obtain the Path-concept it represents…"
"A Path of [Salvation] as broken as this is incomplete. If it can obtain a similar Path-concept from another Path, it will surely experience immense growth in power, breaking free from its current state of being almost completely destroyed, where even the flame in the lantern is about to burn out…"
Hearing Ron's concise explanation, although Herta had never been an Aeon and had never climbed from the end of a Path, tracing it back to its source on the Tree of Existence, it clearly didn't hinder her understanding of Ron's plan.
She pondered thoughtfully for a moment, then stopped discussing the matter with Ron. She truly relaxed her guard, focused her attention on the simulation screen, and prepared to act according to Ron's instructions.
Until she was sure Ron's plan was feasible, even though she was unfamiliar with the Xianzhou [Luofu], she had no intention of following Ron around like a headless fly, completely at his mercy.
Only now, after Ron had given her a reasonable and acceptable explanation, would she choose to fully follow his lead, temporarily act as his assistant, and carry out his plan step by step.
And right now, Ron's plan was proceeding steadily.
[Relying on the writ from the Master Diviner of the Luofu, Fu Xuan, you tried to persuade the Vidyadhara Dragon Lady, Bailu, but for various reasons, she was clearly hesitant.]
The text on the screen faded, and a new scene appeared.
"Open the passage in the Scalegorge Waterscape to the Ambrosial Arbor… I can understand all those words, but I don't get what they mean when you put them all together."
The petite Dragon Lady scratched her head, her puffy-cheeked face full of confusion.
"Although Master Diviner Fu asked me to help if I can, I haven't heard of any of the things you're talking about…"
"In fact, ever since I hatched, I've only learned a bit of medicine in the Alchemy Commission. I don't know how to do any of that stuff you mentioned, like opening the Ambrosial Arbor's seal or parting the sea."
"Besides… can you guys really take me out of here?"
As she spoke, she suddenly puffed up her cheeks, becoming a little huffy.
"This is so annoying… The medical officers in the Alchemy Commission watch me so closely. Even with Master Diviner Fu's writ, they might not let me leave the Alchemy Commission."
As she spoke, she ground her teeth, her voice filled with resentment. The large tail behind her, bound by a "Chi-Wood Shackle," thrashed back and forth, angrily swatting at the air.
"When are they going to let me out! I'm not some big villain, so why are they guarding me so tightly! It's making me so mad, so mad, so mad, so mad, so mad, so mad, so mad, so mad, so mad…"
Seeing the fuming Dragon Lady before him, Ron's tone became stern and majestic.
"The writ from Master Diviner Fu is here, and it is also in accordance with the decree from General Jing Yuan of the Seat of Divine Foresight. Recently, the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus have been causing trouble on the Luofu. If we cannot part the waves of the ancient sea and traverse the path to the Abyssal Roots of the Arbor, we will be unable to discover if any fiends of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus have infiltrated and intend to use the Arbor's foul power to bring chaos to the Luofu."
"If anyone dares to stand in our way, they will all be branded as Abominations of Abundance, and the Ten-Lords Commission will explain it to them."
As he spoke, his tone softened, and a gentle smile graced his lips as he comforted Bailu.
"And as for parting the ancient sea and opening the path to the Arbor, you need not worry, Your Ladyship…"
"You are the only High Elder of the Luofu's Vidyadhara clan, and you are the only one who will become the new 'Imbibitor Lunae.' No matter what others say, the status and power of the High Elder are ultimately latent within your heart."
Although Ron's comforting words sounded nice and were well-suited for placating a child, Bailu, despite her young age, was clearly not going to be easily convinced by such vague reassurances.
"Really? But the Vidyadhara Elders all say I failed to inherit the previous High Elder's power, and they guard me like I'm some kind of demon, keeping me locked up day and night…"
As she spoke, her head drooped in dejection.
"Besides… am I even a dragon? My range of activity is limited to this residence, and my every word and deed must conform to the clan's regulations. This kind of life… isn't it just like being a fish raised in a tank?"
Her tone carried a hint of self-deprecation. "If you ask me, whoever wants to be the High Elder can have it. I didn't choose this title. I'd rather trade it for a life of freedom…"
"...At least then I could go to Aurum Alley every day to buy a cup of hot floating goat's milk!"
"That will come later, Your Ladyship. Once we have dealt with the fiendish things causing trouble on the Xianzhou [Luofu] and solved this major problem, when you come of age and inherit the 'Imbibitor Lunae' title, no one will stop you anymore."
Ron offered his gentle reassurance, casually making a promise that was bound to come true.
The Xianzhou [Luofu] could not be without a High Elder forever. Once Dan Heng returned with the last of the power, Bailu would inevitably become the true High Elder, inheriting the title of [Imbibitor Lunae].
The biggest obstacle during this period would be the Vidyadhara Elders, but their obstruction would clearly not be a match for the Seat of Divine Foresight. Not to mention, in the future, other Xianzhou High Elders would surely support Bailu's succession.
Even if none of this happened, even if this was just a simulation, it wasn't like Ron couldn't find the time in reality to "rescue" Bailu.
It was all a trivial matter.
Hearing Ron's promise, the expression on Bailu's chubby little face was conflicted. She was clearly very hesitant.
But after a long moment, she finally grit her teeth and stomped her foot.
"Fine, I'll go with you! I don't want to just sit in this medical office all day. Now that I have a chance to be a sword-wielding hero ridding the world of evil, not even the Vidyadhara Elders can stop me!"
She picked up a small medicine box from the side, and her plump tail swayed as she hopped down from the medical seat. With a skip in her step, she ran to Ron's side.
Seeing the scene on the light screen, a triumphant smile appeared on Ron's face. He glanced at Herta beside him.
Herta saw Ron's look and immediately understood his meaning from his eyes. She lightly tapped the light screen in front of her, controlling her simulated self to lead the way.
Thanks to the blessing of this Emanator of [Erudition], with just a snap of her fingers, no one in the entire Alchemy Commission grotto-heaven could detect their presence.
Although Bailu was usually kept under strict watch by the physicians and Vidyadhara Elders, no matter how strict they were, they couldn't see through an Emanator's concealment and protection.
With the help of this Emanator, the three of them easily passed through the Taiming Censer Chamber, boarded a starskiff, and arrived at the Scalegorge Waterscape—a place that was usually heavily guarded and absolutely impossible to enter so easily.