Chapter 1134

Fullmetal Alchemist.

"He, he... could he be intending to perform... human transmutation?"

Edward shuddered all over, a drop of cold sweat sliding down his forehead.

Alphonse

What does attempting to resurrect a deceased loved one through alchemy mean? No one understands it better than his two brothers.

That was the beginning of the nightmare where his limbs disappeared and Alphonse was deprived of his whole body.

Although he was not in Wēngfǎluósī, since Nàkèxià often had the phrase 'equivalent exchange' on his lips, it stands to reason that Wēngfǎluósī's Alchemy also follows this basic principle of equivalent exchange—to obtain something, one must provide something of equal value.

To transmute a completely new human, one must provide equivalent flesh, soul, and spirit. Although he doesn't know Nàkèxià well, as one of the Seven Sages of Shùtíng, he would never be the type to casually sacrifice others to complete his own Alchemy.

"Brother, Nàkèxià probably…… failed, right?"

After a moment of silence, a familiar echo came from Ā'ěrfēngsī's armor.

"Hmm, unless Wēngfǎluósī's Alchemy doesn't have to follow equivalent exchange, then reviving her sister would certainly require sacrificing a life of equal value. Moreover, death is a trend of the world; to transmute someone who is already dead is to go against that trend…… Even if Alchemy can achieve it on a technical level, the Titan who governs death probably wouldn't agree, right?"

"But not necessarily, brother, after all, Wandi is an exception." Ā'ěrfēngsī reminded, "Wēngfǎluósī is a miraculous world; the rules that our world cannot defy, Wēngfǎluósī may not need to obey."

This actually enlightened Àidéhuá; he nodded in agreement: 'That's right, Wēngfǎluósī may possess some as-yet-undiscovered 'truth' concerning death; if it could be deciphered, letting 'family resurrection' happen might actually be possible.'

——

'"Nàkèxià, you……"'

'"I succeeded, Teacher."'

Ēnbèiduōkèlīsī raised his hand and pointed at the night sky: 'This, this is blasphemy…… Even if freedom is like Shùtíng, this act is enough to send you to the funeral pyre……!'

Speaking, he hastily grabbed Nàkèxià's shoulder, looking at the youth's face wrapped in bandages: 'Your closest kin…… where is she now? Quickly send her away from Shùtíng, to a place no one can find, otherwise we will both face the judgment of the Seven Sages……!'

'"Don't worry, Teacher. My sister, she……" Nàkèxià lowered his eyes, speaking softly, "Now…… she is still not among the living."'

'"What does this mean……?"'

'"With just one eye as the price, trying to retrieve the deceased from Senatos's hands is still too naïve…… equivalent exchange…… all I could obtain was merely seeing her one last face, nothing more."'

Ēnbèiduōkèlīsī let out a deep sigh: 'Ah…… give it up, Nàkèxià. You are my best student; I cannot stand by and watch you go astray.'

'"Never touch the taboo again: do not disappoint the departed, do not harm yourself. In this way, this classroom can still belong to you, and you still have a chance to live your own life."'

Nàkèxià's gaze was firm: 'Since I have seen her last face, I have nothing left to seek…… you are right, Teacher. I too should begin a new life.'

'"I sincerely feel relieved for you, child. What would you like to study next?"'

'"I want to continue Sāilèsūsī's research."'

Ēnbèiduōkèlīsī was taken aback: 'Continue researching the "soul"? But you know, Shùtíng has long seen through his thoughts as clearly as the palm of one's hand; even if we dig deeper, it would probably be in vain……'

'"No, Teacher. After a hurried glance in the death mist, I finally understood a truth: from ancient times to now, our understanding of the "soul" is merely the tip of the iceberg. I lost an eye, but my vision is clearer than ever……'

Nàkèxià lowered his head, slowly clasping his hands together: 'The truth is fully in my hands…… watch how I will turn this world that defies common sense upside down.'

——

Jujutsu Kaisen

'"So that's why Nàkèxià has been wearing a half-eye patch all along."'

Rìchē Kuān was quite surprised; he originally thought Nàkèxià also had a special ability like Xiádié and Wandi, after all, the Golden Descendants all have 'flaws', and perhaps some kind of curse is hidden beneath that black eye patch.

But looking at it now, Nàkèxià is quite normal. His 'curse' should be the knowledge he has mastered and his unruly personality; if it weren't for the fact that his knowledge is truly extraordinary, he would probably have long been burned as a heretic.

'From the current outcome, Nàkèxià has indeed thrown Wēngfǎluósī into chaos; he might even now be the key figure determining the Fire Pursuit Journey.' Míngmíng smiled and raised his head, 'Someone like Nàkèxià, a scholar, should be considered a traveler on the path of wisdom, right?'

Rìxiàbù Dùyě said without hesitation: 'Of course, if Wēngfǎluósī can open a passage to the universe. With his talent, he could very well become a university professor like Laatio——even establishing a separate department on Soul Alchemy at Truth University.'

Míngmíng shrugged regretfully: 'Indeed, Shùtíng is just a miniature version of the Society of Broad Knowledge. But apart from Nàkèxià, the scholars here have all set up a knowledge barrier in their hearts by the 'rational Titan', making them far more conservative in thought than those in the Society of Broad Knowledge.'

'"No." Xiāozi slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, lightly denying: "If we follow your reasoning, the people of the Society of Broad Knowledge also lack crossing the knowledge barrier set up by the 'wisdom star god'; their behavior is equally conservative in the eyes of the star gods——no, we should say, only the extremely few geniuses in the universe who attempt to break the boundaries of knowledge can be called 'not conservative'.'

Míngmíng raised his eyebrows: 'You couldn't be suggesting that Nàkèxià could one day achieve the accomplishments of the Black Tower Lady, could you?'

'"I didn't say that, but at least in my view, Nàkèxià possesses a rare quality of that lady——the courage to dare to challenge the boundaries of knowledge in the world one inhabits." Xiāozi's lips involuntarily curled up slightly: 'The former, even at the risk of being killed by Polka, would still break through the circle of knowledge; the latter would rather defy all conventions, even if it means overturning the common sense of Wēngfǎluósī, and continue researching…… only such scholars are more likely to bring a new dawn to the academic world.'