Holding Acheron's hand, they stepped into the seawater.
Sylvia formed a single-handed seal.
The churning sea parted effortlessly before them.
Revealing the sandy ground below.
Once the principle of the seal was understood, the rest was simply a matter of exertion and control.
And with Sylvia wielding the Light Cone of the High Elder, manipulation posed no issue whatsoever.
Opening a passage in the seal large enough for two people to enter?
Easily done.
Acheron, led by Sylvia, followed close behind, her gaze fixed on Sylvia's tail.
She could sense the immense power being channeled through that organ.
Similarly, power gathered at the twin horns upon her forehead.
Seeing Sylvia like this, Acheron suddenly felt a strong urge to see her dressed in full High Elder regalia.
In this form, she looked every bit like a Vidyadhara High Elder straight out of Xianzhou legend.
Well, except for that highly technological armor which somewhat clashed with the overall atmosphere.
Maybe I should buy her a set of battle armor like Jing Yuan's later?
Acheron mused, reaching out to catch the tail that had been swishing back and forth before her, while pondering where she could commission Xianzhou-style attire for Sylvia.
"Eek—what are you doing?!"
Suddenly having her tail grabbed and tugged, Sylvia stumbled, her footing thrown off.
Blushing, she turned back with an indignant glare at Acheron.
We're in the middle of serious business here, and you're getting handsy—just where are you touching?
"I'm not doing anything."
Acheron held onto the tip of Sylvia's tail, refusing to let go, her expression all innocence.
"Blame yourself for swaying it right in front of me. I couldn't help but grab it."
"...?"
Sylvia stared wide-eyed at Acheron.
"Talking nonsense with a straight face—that's your specialty, huh? Let go, now."
"Which hand?"
Acheron glanced down pointedly. One of her hands was clasped with Sylvia's, the other holding the tip of Sylvia's tail.
Both hands were occupied.
"What do you think?"
"Oh."
A smile played on Acheron's lips, her eyes gleaming with amusement as she gazed at Sylvia. Then, she released the hand holding Sylvia's.
Keeping Sylvia's tail tip firmly in her other palm.
"..."
Sylvia was speechless.
Of all times to be fooling around...
Just because there's no one else around, right?
"Forget it."
Unable to resist rolling her eyes at Acheron, Sylvia decided not to dwell on the matter further.
She simply continued leading the way downward, using her tail to pull Acheron along.
--+--
With Sylvia unraveling the seal, the two soon returned to the location of the Ambrosial Arbor's roots.
Now, neither the Stellaron nor any fruit was visible upon the roots.
Only a closed golden bud floated below, with no sign of anyone around.
"So this is the Ambrosial Arbor."
Acheron looked up at the dragon-head-shaped root system.
All the sprawling roots extending throughout the Luofu originated as offshoots from this central core.
And above this ancient sea, rising from the root system, was that immensely vast and majestic miracle of Abundance.
Acheron's attention wasn't on Phantylia. In fact, Phantylia hadn't even spoken up, as if sunk in a deep slumber.
Sylvia stepped forward, approaching the root system.
Her expression calm, she stared at the bud. Since this golden bud had appeared...
Dan Shu's fate was likely already sealed.
"..."
Sighing silently in her heart, Sylvia suddenly spoke up:
"Phantylia, not planning to continue?"
"Hah—such bravado from a mere child. Even now, you remain this arrogant. The seal still stands, yet Jing Yuan is not here. Do you think you have me cornered?"
Phantylia's voice emanated from within the bud.
It seemed she wasn't the least bit worried about Sylvia damaging this outer layer.
Although its effectiveness was greatly reduced, the body nurtured by the Ambrosial Arbor's fruit could still connect to the Arbor itself.
The cycle of life and death, though imperfect, had been preliminarily established.
This body was not something ordinary means could destroy.
Especially this mystically manifested Flower of Eternity.
It appeared before Sylvia, yet the true Phantylia wasn't here at all.
She wouldn't be foolish enough to openly nurture her body out in the open like this.
Though currently angered by Dan Shu's disruption of her plans, Phantylia remained confident in her power, backed by the Ambrosial Arbor and wielding the authorities of both Destruction and Abundance.
Only...
From the woman beside Sylvia, Phantylia sensed an aura that felt profoundly unsettling.
That innate revulsion grew increasingly distinct as her body gradually took form.
But the cautious Phantylia naturally wouldn't act at this moment.
Acheron usually said little when facing an enemy. She glanced at Sylvia, her eyes asking:
Should we deal with Phantylia first?
"No need to mind her. I suspect this bud before us is merely a decoy."
Sylvia's eyes gazed into the void, as if seeing through the bud to some concealed place behind the root system.
Such trickery couldn't deceive Sylvia.
But right now, the Ambrosial Arbor held higher priority.
Rather than gathering the full power of a Destruction Emanator, Sylvia was more interested in forging a new path along Abundance.
The power contained within this Ambrosial Arbor was not insignificant.
Abundance and Destruction.
If Phantylia could achieve a cycle of life and death, Sylvia still had Permanence within her to act as a lubricant.
Perhaps she could achieve even better results than Phantylia in the future.
Acheron was here today to be the blade. The decisions could all be left to Sylvia.
Dismissing Phantylia, who was still busy incubating her body, Sylvia curiously tilted her head and leaned close to Acheron's ear:
"Do you think you can cut through it?"
To be honest, Sylvia wasn't entirely sure how sturdy this Ambrosial Arbor was.
Whether Acheron's blade could sever its roots—no one could say for certain without testing it.
"Not sure. But I'm more worried that drawing my blade here... might destroy the life present."
Acheron hesitated, glancing back the way they came.
Walking down from the water's surface, she had seen many Vidyadhara eggs along the way.
These eggs brimmed with vitality; this place should have been a sanctuary forbidden to outsiders.
So Acheron frowned slightly, uncertain if she should unsheathe her blade here.
"Don't worry. I'll lay another seal over this area."
As she spoke, Sylvia formed seals with both hands.
Her white hair lifted as if stirred by an unfelt wind, and droplets of water began to fall from the sky.
An endless curtain of rain, centered on Sylvia and Acheron, enveloped the Ambrosial Arbor root system ahead.
And within this twilight rain, Acheron felt a dense concentration of Permanence.
"I was thinking, if your power can sever the roots, I could then seal the residual energy of your strike upon them."
Sylvia said this as water-lotus blossoms bloomed beneath her feet, lifting her up.
"Using your power to hinder the root system's natural regeneration—perhaps we can suppress the reborn Arbor once more."
Acheron sensed the power within this rain curtain.
It would be more than sufficient to contain the residual force of her drawn blade.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.