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Boling, the Ancient Sea; a wondrous, triumphant realm.
After stepping into a corner of the Scalegorge Waterscape grotto-heaven, Ron saw the entire world enveloped in a boundless ocean. Only a shallow beach stretched forward, just wide enough for a person to walk.
Crossing the Dracoplace Altar and proceeding along the beach, one would soon see the Xianlong Great Hall, which, though clearly tended to regularly, was still in a state of ruin, worn down by the scouring of time.
Standing here and gazing forward, one was met with the endless, surging waves of the sea. The ancient tides swallowed everything; not a single other object could be seen at a glance.
No matter what splendor the Vidyadhara's domain once held, no matter what had transpired within it, the moment the seal on the Ambrosial Arbor was closed, all past memories were buried here. Only by reopening the seal could one glimpse what had occurred here before.
Within the Xianlong Great Hall stood a statue of a High Elder, a testament to an unknown "Imbibitor Lunae" from generations past who had guided the ancient waters here to submerge the Vidyadhara palace. He had used it as a sacrifice to bind the Abyssal Roots of the Arbor, forever suppressing it within Boling, the Ancient Sea, beneath the shimmering dragon-shadows.
Although this statue had been weathered by time for perhaps thousands of years, the traces of age could not hide the immense effort the artisans had poured into its carving.
It was said that this particular High Elder, Yubie, had commanded the ancient waters to swallow the Vidyadhara palace without the full consent of the clan. However, the Dragon-Heir Elders in power, along with the High Elder, needed to lead the Vidyadhara in joining the Luofu. Thus, they surrendered the Vidyadhara's most precious "Cloud-Parting Art" and their vast palace. The entire Boling, the Ancient Sea was transferred here via the secret Cloud-Parting Art, swallowing the whole of the Scalegorge Waterscape.
Regardless, the Vidyadhara of that time all tacitly accepted this act. For only by paying a sufficient price could they secure a place to settle on the Xianzhou [Luofu] and find a corner of eternal peace.
Thus, the Vidyadhara of the Luofu widely publicized this event. They spent over a million Strale on the Xianlong Great Hall and the High Elder statue alone. The Dragon-Heir Elder Sutan contributed a full seven hundred thousand Strale, while the other Elders each contributed thirty thousand, hiring truly renowned master artisans to sculpt the hall and statue into their current forms.
Ron's gaze followed the sunlight, falling upon the High Elder statue. Though eroded by thousands of years of time, it still retained a kind of "vital spirit." He then saw the line of text deeply engraved at its base:
"To forestall the revival of the Arbor, and the invasion of evil, we prayed and summoned the ancient waters to flood this grotto-heaven and suppress the Abyssal Roots. Let this be carved in stone, a warning to future generations. It must never be moved."
Herta, standing beside him, read the text aloud. This was her first time seeing this deepest part of the Xianzhou [Luofu]. She had never been particularly interested in [The Abundance] or [The Hunt]; as research subjects, they were ranked far down her list.
So she had never paid much attention to the affairs of the Xianzhou Alliance. It was only now that she understood why the Scalegorge Waterscape grotto-heaven was inundated by the ancient sea, everything buried beneath the waves.
"So this is where the seal that 'locks' the Ambrosial Arbor is located… Your Ladyship, it's up to you now."
Ron smiled and made a "please" gesture toward the statue. Bailu, who had been following behind him and Herta, had been full of excitement when they first "escaped" the Alchemy Commission, as if there was nothing in the world she couldn't do, nothing that could ever bind her again.
But now that they were truly in the Scalegorge Waterscape, walking on the ancient, weathered tiles of the Xianlong Great Hall and approaching the High Elder statue, Bailu grew timid. She began to hesitate, her small steps slowing to a shuffle, as if she didn't dare to truly face the statue before her.
Seeing Bailu's behavior, Ron asked gently, "Your steps are so slow. Is something wrong, Your Ladyship?"
Hearing Ron's words, Bailu's little face stiffened. She then blurted out, as if giving up on herself, "Of course nothing's wrong! It's just, it's just…"
As she spoke, her tone grew more dejected.
"...I have no idea how to open this seal."
Before they arrived at the Scalegorge Waterscape, the appearance of Ron and Herta was a key that opened the door to a life of adventure for Bailu. But after truly using that key to escape the Alchemy Commission, Bailu began to worry about the responsibility weighing on her shoulders.
She had come along to help Ron and Herta open the Arbor's seal, but her impulsive agreement didn't mean she could actually do it.
Although she had been bequeathed the [Pearl of Abyssal Depths] and the [Transmutation Arcanum], she had never experienced a High Elder's legacy dream, had never received the true inheritance of a High Elder, and had been shackled with the [Chi-Wood Shackle] by the Dragon-Heir Elders, truly suppressing all the power that belonged to her station as "High Elder."
Just a moment ago on the path, she could still console herself with the thought that where there's a will, there's a way. But now that she was truly standing before the High Elder statue, she realized she had absolutely no way to open the seal.
Seeing Bailu's reaction, Ron was momentarily speechless.
It seemed that although Bailu had endured the coldness of the world and served as the Dragon Lady in the Alchemy Commission for a long time, she still had the heart of a child.
Sometimes she would act tough, but when faced with a difficult problem, she would subconsciously flee. She lacked clear goals and ideas; she was flighty.
But he couldn't blame Bailu for this. The Vidyadhara Elders had suppressed her for too long, and coupled with the fact that she couldn't obtain the complete power of the High Elder because of Dan Heng's existence, it was perfectly normal for her to lack confidence.
But… with Ron and Herta here, they naturally wouldn't let Bailu stand here and retreat, nor would they let her be blocked by this decaying statue.
"There is no need to worry, Your Ladyship."
The smile on Ron's face didn't fade; he still used that gentle tone for coaxing a child.
"As long as one is the High Elder, they have the power to part the waves and open the Arbor's seal in this ancient sea…"
As Ron spoke, his voice became firm and solemn.
"...And you are the true, and only, High Elder of the Xianzhou [Luofu]."
His voice then became gentle and light once more.
"Go on and do it, Your Ladyship."
"The two of us will be right here behind you."
Hearing Ron's comfort and encouragement, Bailu was somewhat moved.
She looked at the tall statue before her. Though she had no idea how to use the power exclusive to a High Elder on this statue to open the ancient sea seal woven by countless generations of Luofu High Elders, she still held onto a sliver of hope and placed her hand on the statue.
Maybe this thing was some kind of touch-activated mechanism? Would it open automatically as long as a High Elder touched it?
Harboring this small, hopeful thought, Bailu touched the cold statue. But the statue, which had cost a full seven hundred thousand Strale, couldn't even make Bailu as happy as a thirty-Strale cup of floating goat's milk. She placed her hand on it and felt only a damp, rough, and icy surface.
There was no reaction at all.
This High Elder statue gave no response to her actions. Her heart suddenly felt lighter, as if she were talking herself down.
See? I told you so. Whoever wants to be the High Elder can have the title. I'm not the real High Elder anyway…
No wonder those annoying Dragon-Heir Elders keep me locked up… so I was just an impostor who took the High Elder's identity?
No wonder they all look at me like I'm a monster…
As this thought surfaced, Bailu suddenly felt wronged. Tears began to well up in her large, jade-green eyes, threatening to fall at any moment.
But everything stopped at that moment.
Ron's gentle voice sounded by her ear. Bailu suddenly noticed a dilapidated lantern appear beside her face. Ron was holding the lantern, and he placed his other hand lightly on her shoulder.
"...Sigh, this broken lantern is a bit too dim, but it should be able to help you see a little better. How about it, Your Ladyship? Can you see clearly what's on this broken stone statue now?"
Ron said this with a smile, and the faint, dim flame within the broken lantern flickered as if struggling along with his words, trying its best to squeeze out a bit of light.
And Bailu inexplicably felt a warm current flowing from her shoulder. This slender warmth washed through her limbs and bones, and like a flame, it "seared" dry the tears welling in her eyes.
She felt her mood inexplicably lift. The gloom and sadness from before seemed to be swept away in an instant, like a dry leaf touched by a spark, instantly ignited and burned to ash in a raging fire.
She raised her head and looked at the High Elder statue. A clear light descended from the heavens, enveloping the statue before her.
Through this clear light, she dazedly realized her vision could now see through reality.
She saw, beneath the vast waves, the ancient Abyssal Roots of the Arbor stirring and growing, like a beast that had slumbered for a thousand years, just waking from a great dream.
And upon the Abyssal Roots were countless webs that glowed with an azure light.
These were the seals woven by successive Vidyadhara High Elders, shackles to tame and disperse the great beast's power, forming a decaying, near-breaking net that was about to fall away.
And the final focal point of these shackles, the confluence of that azure light, converged at a single point, landing on the High Elder statue before her, intertwining into a complex sigil.
Looking at this sigil, Bailu was momentarily entranced.
She hesitated to reach out, wanting to touch the sigil on the statue, but she retracted her hand before she could, her face full of indecision.
But Ron gave her a gentle push.
"I told you, just go ahead and do it."
As he spoke, his voice took on a strange… authority.
Before him, Bailu was now looking at the statue, and within her beautiful, jade-green eyes, sparks of brilliant gold were burning.
The flame of hope was kindled in her heart, and it bestowed upon her the authority of [Salvation].
Everything Ron had said before was not empty talk. Bailu really could part the ancient sea.
She just needed to go ahead and do it.
Hearing Ron's strangely authoritative words, Bailu subconsciously followed the warm current flowing through her body. She gently reached out and touched the complex sigil on the High Elder statue.
Her finger touched a node on the sigil formed by the azure light. A small spark of light bloomed upon it, and Bailu felt her connection to the entire Scalegorge Waterscape.
Countless wondrous memories, not her own but belonging to the "High Elder," echoed in Bailu's mind. Through these memories, she saw many things she was originally powerless to see. She saw the past High Elder "Yubie" submerge the palace, and she saw the High Elder "Dan Feng" give birth to an abomination…
What abomination?
Before she could see clearly, these chaotic, unwelcome memories were burned clean by a brilliant golden flame.
She could no longer see the memories of the High Elders. She was just subconsciously using the power in her body, inputting it into the sigil and beginning to communicate with the entire Scalegorge Waterscape.
The flame in the lantern beside her grew brighter. The flame in Bailu's eyes burned ever more fiercely. The warm power of [Salvation] flowed through Bailu's guidance into the light-entwined sigil. The brilliant golden sparks began to ignite the web of light that shackled the entire Scalegorge Waterscape, igniting the Arbor's seal that had been reinforced by countless High Elders.
Ron glanced at Herta. She immediately understood and placed her hand on the now-dim, almost-extinguished lantern. An endless stream of Imaginary energy from the Path of [Erudition] surged forth, serving as a low-quality but abundant temporary fuel, adding kindling for [Salvation].
As an Emanator of [Erudition], Herta had the right to utilize the endless Imaginary energy of her Path. Naturally, she could serve as an excellent oil supply at this moment, adding fuel to the Lantern of [Salvation].
With Herta's swift replenishment, the nearly extinguished flame in the old Lantern of [Salvation] suddenly brightened severalfold. The flame leaped higher, a more intense fire burning in Bailu's pupils as it flowed through her hand and into the seal on the Abyssal Roots of the Arbor.
An endless golden flame climbed up the azure light, its speed increasing, until it completely dyed the decaying, near-breaking net a brilliant gold.
And in the next moment, a golden flame blazed upon the Arbor's seal. The flame of [Salvation] ignited the lingering concept of [Undying].
In that instant, Boling, the Ancient Sea was illuminated by golden light, and in a flash, it came to a roaring boil.
To burn the mountains and boil the seas, this was just that.