The power of Abundance was even stranger than Sylvia had imagined.
Or perhaps it was simply the Ambrosial Arbor's power that was peculiar.
The immense vitality made Sylvia feel as if she were soaking in a hot spring.
Any injury could be easily healed.
Yet this vitality leaned more toward chaos and loss of control.
After repairing your body, it would randomly perform unnecessary 'perfect' evolutions on it.
To put it simply, it constantly promoted physical mutations.
Sylvia even vaguely sensed interference reaching into her thoughts.
Though this impulse wasn't strong—it merely gave her the sensation of it—there were no real signs of actual loss of control.
And this was already the result after dual filtration by the Herrscher Core and the card.
Sylvia dared not imagine what state those who tried to accept the Arbor's power with their bare flesh would end up in.
What a miserable sight that must be.
Thinking about it this way, Phantylia really had some tricks up her sleeve.
Directly accepting the power of Abundance, yet still managing to keep herself looking human.
Moreover, achieving a stable self-sustaining cycle by combining it with the power of Destruction.
If Sylvia were to swallow an Ambrosial Arbor fruit raw right now...
She definitely wouldn't withstand that rampant power and would likely mutate into a monster.
As for now...
The powers of Destruction and Abundance converged within the Herrscher Core, flowing into Sylvia's limbs and bones in a subtle, yet clearly distinct state of balance.
The infusion of Abundance power once caused Sylvia's flames—originally the bluish-green of a Heliobus—to revert to their original orange-red hue.
Fortunately, the two forces didn't clash, and their abrupt combination didn't cause any chaos.
The Herrscher Core automatically regulated the powers of Abundance and Destruction.
Yet it couldn't directly achieve the cycle of creation and destruction similar to Phantylia's.
Perhaps this part would be left for Sylvia to figure out through her own efforts.
Overall, though, Sylvia's strength had been enhanced.
While in operation, the power of Abundance smoothly neutralized the harm inflicted on her body by the excessive power of Destruction.
Indirectly increasing Sylvia's own endurance.
The direct manifestation was that the level of power Sylvia could now bear had increased once more.
The power of Permanence temporarily couldn't match that of Abundance and Destruction, but as an intermediary and buffer, it proved surprisingly suitable.
Perhaps it was due to Sylvia's understanding of 'the Permanence of Death and Rebirth.'
In any case, although the three forces within Sylvia's body hadn't achieved any exquisite integration, they were unexpectedly harmonious and didn't conflict with each other.
Directly boosting Sylvia's theoretical power.
In Acheron's eyes...
Sylvia's aura grew increasingly powerful, yet quite steady, with no signs of bursting out of control.
The power of Abundance within Sylvia not only didn't run rampant but even flowed through her with extreme harmony.
Abundance, Permanence, Destruction.
Three unrelated forces achieved a certain balance within Sylvia's body.
Her progress is so fast.
Even the well-traveled Acheron couldn't help but feel a bit envious of Sylvia's capabilities.
The power of the Ambrosial Arbor wasn't without cost; most who attempted to meddle with the divine power of Abundance met unfortunate ends.
But clearly, Sylvia broke that stereotype.
Hmm... Of course, further observation is needed.
But Acheron had long been acquainted with Sylvia's peculiar abilities.
So Acheron actually trusted Sylvia quite a bit, not thinking she would run into any problems.
Having initially experienced the power of Abundance...
Sylvia looked again at the enormous gash Acheron had cleaved.
Upon the pitch black blade scar was the Nihility endlessly entangling with the Arbor's roots.
Outside these roots was the small seal Sylvia had cast to suppress the power of Nihility.
She had even nested it within the larger external seal, using the power of the Ancient Sea for suppression.
If Acheron had struck with her blade, it certainly couldn't have been stopped.
But merely the residual power left upon the blade scar was firmly sealed.
"Wonder if Jing Yuan will be startled when he comes down."
Sylvia rubbed her chin; the blade scar left upon the Arbor's roots was indeed quite frightening.
Hopefully, Jing Yuan wouldn't worry too much.
--+--
Not long after—
Scalegorge Waterscape.
Welt and the others finally arrived at the Scalegorge Waterscape aboard the Master Diviner's starskiff.
The striking sculpture of the High Elder—no one needed to point it out; those familiar with Dan Heng sensed the resemblance.
"This... don't you think this statue looks like Dan Heng..."
March 7th cautiously leaned close to Stelle's ear, voicing her thoughts.
Though Old Yang didn't say it, he clearly shared a similar view.
The Master Diviner, Fu Xuan, looked around but didn't see Jing Yuan, who should have been there.
Just as she was about to take out her Jade Abacus...
Jing Yuan emerged from the other side of the statue.
"Fu Xuan, you've finally arrived."
"Jing Yuan! You know the Ambrosial Arbor has already..."
Fu Xuan was well aware of the intricate situation of the Arbor's roots within the Luofu.
In fact, many older Xianzhou natives serving in the Six Commissions knew.
Now that the Arbor had suddenly vanished, many who knew of this had already panicked.
Along the way, not just Jing Yuan's Jade Abacus—Fu Xuan's was also nearly blown up with calls.
"Relax, Fu Xuan. What you're worried about won't happen. Hmm... probably?"
Jing Yuan was even in the mood to joke.
Then Fu Xuan got angry.
"So, it really is related to Sylvia?"
Jing Yuan nodded gently, confirming Fu Xuan's guess.
"Regardless, the Arbor has fallen. At least we don't have to worry about the Luofu turning into a hellscape overrun by abominations, right?"
"That may be so, but the other Xianzhou ships might not be so understanding. I need to know the details."
Fu Xuan frowned with extreme seriousness. If this truly was related to Sylvia, she would have to weigh her words carefully when reporting upward.
"Let's not rush that for now."
As Jing Yuan spoke, he waved to Welt and the others:
"Everyone from the Astral Express, your friend has also been waiting for quite some time—"
As Dan Heng stepped forward...
March 7th and Stelle's eyes widened.
"Dan Heng? Is that you, Dan Heng? Why do you have horns like Sylvia now?"
"...It's a long story."
Dan Heng momentarily didn't know where to begin.
Seeing this, Jing Yuan decided not to waste time and said:
"Alright, let's not delay..."
--+--
Beneath the seal.
Sylvia was testing her new powers, not caring whether Phantylia was nearby or not.
Phantylia herself didn't seem the least bit anxious.
Just then...
Rumble—
The seawater above began to churn and tremble.
Acheron looked at Sylvia, who smiled and nodded:
"Someone's opening the seal. It should be Jing Yuan and the others coming down—"
Mid-sentence...
Suddenly, the long-quiet flower bud bloomed, and a beautiful hand reached out from the void!
The powers of Abundance and Destruction erupted.
A Destruction Lotus bloomed beneath Acheron's feet, while an Abundance Lotus descended from above, attempting to swallow Acheron whole.
Then, Phantylia's physical form emerged from within the lotus.
With mighty power, she sneered and grabbed toward the longsword in Sylvia's hand!
"Hmph! Hand it over!"
--+--
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.