[T/N: 🎊 HAPPY NEW YEAR chaps! 🎊 May this year be Healthy and Productive for you! Enjoy~]
Watching the unconscious young dragon girl, "Tingyun" raised her folding fan and covered her face with a smile.
"Now that she's right in front of you, you could always try it yourself."
Dan Shu shook her head. "Just by capturing her, the entire Cloud Knights of Luofu has already been mobilized to search. If it ends up involving the Vidyadhara Dragon Lord…"
The Vidyadhara Clan of Luofu and the Divine Strategist General, Jing Yuan, wouldn't treat them as carelessly as before.
"At that point, they'll probably join forces and conduct a thorough investigation across all of Luofu. That would be… disadvantageous for the spread of the Master of Immortality's secret teachings here."
She withdrew the finger hovering above Bailu's spine.
Turning around, Dan Shu looked at the busy cultivators behind her.
They were men and women, old and young, and without exception, every single face was filled with excitement.
In the corner, there was a heap of already-emptied Vidyadhara bodies whose spinal marrow had been extracted.
Their faces were pale, their bodies limp, clearly, they didn't have long to live.
The Vidyadhara Clan were descendants of the "Permanence" Aeon Long.
But ever since the death of "Permanence," their entire race had begun to show signs of decline.
They could no longer reproduce, no new Vidyadhara could be born.
By logic, the Vidyadhara Clan, without offspring, should have long gone extinct.
But perhaps because they were descendants of "Permanence," each Vidyadhara possessed the ability of reincarnation.
When their lifespan neared its end, a Vidyadhara would sense it and voluntarily step into the sacred Vidyadhara sanctuary, the Scalegorge Waterscape.
There, they would cleanse themselves of worldly dust and memory with the waters of the Ancient Sea, and upon awakening again, they would emerge on the shore as a child without recollection.
Then, the Dragon Teachers would guide and raise them into adulthood, to live another life.
And this process had no limit on repetitions. As long as the ritual was completed before their natural lifespan ended, they could live again and again.
This was why, despite their inability to reproduce, the Vidyadhara Clan still remained one of the main populations aboard the Xianzhou.
But all of that required completion of the ritual.
If one died accidentally without undergoing the baptism, that death would be a true death, no chance of reincarnation.
Unless they borrowed the power of Abundance.
But after the calamity of the "Imbibitor Lunae Rebellion" a century ago, the Luofu people had become extremely wary of it, so that was impossible.
Thus, the Vidyadhara here, once dead, were truly gone.
"According to the formula, the spinal marrow of each Vidyadhara can be refined into three vials of Coiling Dragon's Leap. In this way, we can greatly strengthen the power of the Master of Immortality's teachings."
Dan Shu silently calculated. "That should make up for the manpower losses."
After speaking, Dan Shu looked toward "Tingyun" before her, lowered her head, and said, "Lord Ravager, everything is now prepared. When will you begin your plan?"
"No rush."
———
Disguised as Tingyun, Phantylia raised her gaze toward the withered Ambrosial Arbor not far away, eyes narrowing slightly.
"For now, those people are watching that tree far too closely. We'll need to wait for the right…"
Before she could finish, a hazy voice echoed beside her ear.
"From me it begins…"
"To me it returns…"
———
"Kneel!"
"L–Lord Dragon Teacher, I… I really don't know when Lady Bailu disappeared! I just turned around for a moment, and she was gone!"
"I said, kneel!!"
Thud!
In the Vidyadhara Clan's stronghold, the white-haired Dragon Teacher of the Vidyadhara Clan glared fiercely at the woman kneeling on the ground.
"Now, you will tell me everything, clearly, from where exactly did Bailu go missing?"
"If you hide anything…"
The Dragon Teacher's staff slammed heavily onto the ground, sending dust into the air.
The woman cowering on the floor trembled violently at his furious voice. Even though he hadn't said what the punishment would be, she was terrified nonetheless.
"Dragon Teacher, please calm yourself. The Cloud Knights has already begun investigating throughout Luofu. I believe it won't be long before we find whoever abducted Bailu."
At that, Jing Yuan stepped forward to mediate, glancing at the kneeling Vidyadhara woman, she was Bailu's personal maid, Yuanli, who often accompanied her everywhere.
Jing Yuan asked, "Tell me, was there anything unusual about Bailu before she disappeared?"
"Reporting to the General, Lady Bailu showed no abnormalities before she vanished. Since it had been a long time since she last went shopping, the young miss wanted to visit that sick patient. On the way, she saw some food she wanted to try, so she sent me to buy a portion."
Yuanli's voice trembled as she spoke.
"But when I turned back after buying it, Lady Bailu was gone. I thought she had gone ahead to visit the patient. But when I reached his residence, the door was locked, and through the window I saw no one inside."
"That's when I realized something was terribly wrong, and I immediately reported Lady Bailu's disappearance to the patrolling Cloud Knights nearby."
She disappeared on the way to visit a patient.
And who was Bailu's patient?
'Levi…'
It was him again. Jing Yuan felt a throb of pain behind his teeth.
Just yesterday, that mysterious powerhouse had told him not to disturb Levi, and now the disappearance of the Vidyadhara Dragon Lord was connected to him.
If only he had been home at the time, they could have explained things clearly. But the problem was, he hadn't been home either.
Now, at the very least, he was a prime suspect.
Feigning deep thought, Jing Yuan gestured toward the door. Yanqing, who had been standing guard outside, entered.
Jing Yuan asked, "Has the Cloud Knights found Levi?"
"Reporting to the General, there's no sign of Levi anywhere in all of Luofu."
"What about the Divination Commission? Any results?"
"The Diviner Lord is mobilizing all augurs for divination, but so far, there's been no result either."
Yanqing quietly reported back.
Not long ago, that Diviner Lord had even snapped at him, "Rush, rush, rush! You think I don't know this is urgent? You think I don't understand how serious this is?"
"What do you take me for, an unfeeling divination machine?"
From Fu Xuan's words, it was clear she too was frustrated by her inability to divine anything.
Glancing at the Dragon Teacher beside him, Jing Yuan pinched the bridge of his nose and said in a low voice, "Temporarily list Levi as a wanted person across Luofu. Anyone who reports his whereabouts to the Cloud Knights will be rewarded."
"But if anyone knows and fails to report…" His tone hardened. "They will be severely punished."
Since both had disappeared around the same time, and this was their only lead, Jing Yuan could only declare Levi wanted, in hopes of either locating him or drawing out that mysterious powerhouse, to ask her help in finding Levi's whereabouts.
Or perhaps, by finding Bailu, they could clear Levi of suspicion.
Either way, for Jing Yuan, issuing the warrant carried no downside.
The only real concern was… the temper of that mysterious powerhouse.
Still, based on last night's encounter, Jing Yuan had the impression she was a reasonable person.
"Also, seal off the street where Bailu disappeared, along with all nearby areas..."
"Bad news, Lord Dragon Teacher!!!"
Before Jing Yuan could finish, an urgent voice came from outside the door.
The Dragon Teacher frowned, his voice cold. "What now?"
"O–Our people who were active in Starskiff Haven… half of them suddenly vanished!"
Crack!
The Dragon Teacher's staff shattered instantly in his grip, his face filled with fury.
"Who... who dares!!!"
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
[email protected]/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining P@treon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through P@treon.