Eldritch Horror Theatre

"Actually, the same goes for you, Excellency. I was just considering how to express my gratitude."

Aike had no intention of saying more, but Luyi was quite proactive, chiming in with a smile the moment Fu Qian finished his greeting.

"If you are willing, Excellency, I can help clear away the Order of Blood accumulated on your body right now."

The Order of Blood? Is that the true name for the erosion?

Fu Qian looked down at his own body.

Given the massive swarm of attackers on the way here and their absurd tenacity, it would be a hard sell to claim the marks left on him meant nothing.

It was easy enough to guess that Luyi's words were primarily meant to prove his own story true.

Still, the specialized term he used sharply contrasted with the aesthetic of everything they had encountered so far.

No matter how you looked at it, these blue-black, mold-like marks didn't seem to have anything to do with order.

But Fu Qian didn't think Luyi had just thrown out a random name.

It was just like earlier, when his own suspicions had been roused because the exploration was progressing much too smoothly.

For an experienced wanderer of the jianghu, overly logical situations often sparked the fear of a deliberate trap.

Conversely, a counterintuitive term left a deeper impression, prompting the listener to actively search for its underlying logic.

And the person providing that information naturally radiated an aura of expertise.

"So, I have to say, the world is full of wonders. When you announced your identity as a member of the Blood Clan, Excellency, even I felt a little dazed," Luyi said.

"It's just a pity that the Order of Blood and the Blood Clan are, at their core, entirely different concepts."

Fu Qian remained silent, and Luyi's smile widened.

"If you truly intend to use this to awaken the Progenitor, Excellency, you might commit an unforgivable sin of blasphemy."

Despite his grand posturing, even now Luyi found himself unable to look directly at the face on the other man's body. He managed only a single glance before being forced to look away.

"Because whatever is birthed by this power will only be you."

...

"Oh? Why do you say that?"

Facing Luyi's surging momentum, Fu Qian finally responded, a look of calm curiosity on his face.

"Because the essence of the Order of Blood is self-metamorphosis."

"I like a phrase you mentioned earlier: 'the fallen leaves belong to you, but the fruit belongs to me.'"

Since his opponent didn't retaliate, Luyi's momentum stopped climbing, settling instead into a similar state of calm.

He wouldn't allow exaggerated posturing to diminish the credibility of his words.

The mysterious disruptor standing before him clearly deserved his utmost attention.

"Imagine you are a solitary, entirely unique tree. Once your seeds mature and fall to the earth, is the new sprout your offspring, or is it a reborn you?"

"That is an interesting question."

Nodding thoughtfully, unfazed by the shifting balance of their auras, Fu Qian indicated he was starting to grasp Luyi's point.

"However, in the scenario you described, if the sprout counts as a reborn me, wouldn't there be more and more of me? Unless the original tree dies at the same time. Does such a tree really exist?"

"It does."

This time, it wasn't even Luyi who answered.

It felt a bit like those who lose the way find little help.

Instantly recognizing who was speaking, Fu Qian sighed inwardly and looked toward Excellency Ji Ning, who had suddenly interjected.

She was just as expressionless as Aike, and like Luyi, she didn't dare look directly at the Witch's face; the moment her gaze met it, she involuntarily looked away.

"The Fool Tree is exactly like that."

Of course, even so, she resolutely provided the answer.

...

The Fool Tree?

This familiar name naturally made Fu Qian think of Classmate Su Gao and the home she had to buy a ticket to return to.

On that sealed-off Small Island, the tree with its crystal-white bark so closely resembling human skin had undeniably left a deep impression.

To think it possessed such a miraculous trait. It truly proved that learning has no bounds.

"Thank you for the guidance."

Faced with Excellency Ji Ning boosting his opponent's morale, Fu Qian simply marveled without a hint of anger, even politely thanking her.

"...You're welcome."

Disarmed by his excessive elegance, Ji Ning briefly looked uncomfortable. After a slight hesitation, she returned the courtesy.

"Excellency Ji Ning is profoundly knowledgeable, as expected. Yes, the Fool Tree is indeed such an example."

Standing nearby, Luyi echoed the praise, seamlessly maintaining control of the conversation's rhythm.

"And the Order of Blood is simply the manifestation of that same concept upon flesh and blood."

"I understand. So, what ultimately crawls out of the stomach is actually the person themselves?"

Fu Qian paid no mind to this, remaining focused on the academic side of the issue instead.

"A Sublimation of the self. More perfect, purer, and superior."

Beaming with a friendly smile, Luyi seemed entirely willing to share his knowledge. He elaborated on Fu Qian's point, even breaking into a parallel sentence structure.

"Then what about the previous self?"

Fu Qian blinked.

"It is naturally still the previous self. What else did you think?"

A hint of surprise flashed across Luyi's face, as if he felt Fu Qian was taking things a bit to the extreme.

"Did you think they would actually die off like the tree?"

...

"It doesn't die, but is it still a tree?"

Luyi was undoubtedly well-versed in the art of the twist. With that counter-question, he perfectly highlighted the vast gap in their respective expertise.

Judging by the expressions of the three spectators, the scales in their hearts were already rapidly tipping.

Fu Qian, however, remained as placid as ever, his mind flashing back to the dozen or so "cradles" in the Nursery.

According to Luyi, those cradles should have been the previous selves of the Tree Infants, yet they could no longer even maintain a human form.

Theoretically, they were indeed not dead, but their essence as humans seemed to have long since vanished.

"Well said... but does that matter?"

Faced with Fu Qian's rhetorical question, Luyi magnanimously displayed a touch of surprise.

"When that moment comes, you will realize your own Sublimation with absolute clarity. The insignificant marks lingering on your former shell will hold no value whatsoever."

"Thank you for the answer. It sounds as though this is the true Bloodline Power."

Casually thanking his rival, Fu Qian's tone overflowed with genuine admiration.

"I am growing even more curious about your true identity, Excellency."

This time Luyi actually froze for a moment before looking Fu Qian up and down with keen interest.

"When I explained the nature of the erosion to my three teammates on the way here, none of them managed to reach such a profound understanding."

"Is it possible we simply had no interest in exchanging such nonsense with you?"

His words, however, seemed to provoke a hint of disgust. Excellency Aike, who stood closest to Fu Qian, interjected coldly.

"That is true."

Just as unbothered, Luyi agreed. But when he looked back at Fu Qian, his smile instantly vanished.

"Which is why I mostly chatted with them about topics they found more interesting... like what you were doing, and whether they wanted to come along and take a look."

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