Chapter 346

Before the Great Merciful Tree King and Lei Dianying return.

Lei Dianzhen's side first sent over a piece of good news.

The materials extorted from the kidnapping of Pan Ta Luo Nie have arrived.

This also means that her side's speed and quantity of producing False Vision will be much faster than before.

Besides that.

There is also a handwritten letter from the Ice Queen, addressed to Luo De by name.

The content of the letter is also very simple.

Just one sentence.

【Not to be repeated】.

The Ice Queen's reaction was exactly as Luo De had anticipated.

Regarding the matter of her own executive being kidnapped and extorted, her choice still centered on Luo De.

After all, the contract had already been signed.

She and the clown captain will not take part in Luo De's dispute with the Doctor.

According to the contract.

When the time comes, no matter who wins, Snezhnaya will not lose their second executive.

So no matter what.

Snezhnaya is always in an invincible position.

Of course.

The necessary reprimand should still be given.

They casually kidnapped an executive, and for Snezhnaya, the most important moneybag is Pan Ta Luo Nie.

This still left the Ice Queen somewhat annoyed.

After all, this is tantamount to challenging divine authority and posing a huge threat to Snezhnaya's finances; it definitely cannot be allowed for Luo De to continue doing this, otherwise where would the Queen's majesty be?

Moreover, Snezhnaya has already lost two executives.

One of them was the strongest diplomat in the Foolish People, the other a jack-of-all-trades ready to be deployed wherever needed.

The loss of these two is still a significant blow to Snezhnaya's operations.

Otherwise, Pan Ta Luo Nie, the banker who has long held command in Snezhnaya, would not personally go out to act elsewhere.

Meanwhile,

Pan Ta Luo Nie, who had received a slight show of concern from the Ice Queen, was meanwhile busy fulfilling his agreement with Luo De in Sumeru Cheng.

Under his banknote ability,

Rumors about Zan Di Ke spread extremely quickly; in just a short time, the threshold for Zan Di Ke was quickly broken.

He had originally been operating in secret.

In the blink of an eye he appeared out in the open; even if he was furious, there was nothing he could do.

Nadixa tacitly accepted Zan Di Ke causing trouble in the city, and she herself carried out some covert countermeasures; this was the only way.

Because the covert Zan Di Ke is a poisonous snake that hasn't spat out its fang, the threat to Sumeru Cheng is too great; if they clashed directly, it would likely lead to a lose-lose situation.

But once Zan Di Ke shows himself, all his tracks are laid out in the open.

This means he is effectively placed on the official level.

All his actions will be under the joint supervision of Sumeru and Snezhnaya.

In other words,

Originally, the hidden Duo Tuo Lei had no clues pointing to him; no matter what he did, Snezhnaya couldn't touch him, and even if something happened, he could rely on his national strength to suppress it personally, letting Sumeru bear the silent loss.

But his exposure,

This meant not only Sumeru was watching him; under diplomatic pressure, Snezhnaya would also actively monitor Zan Di Ke's actions to prevent him from acting rashly, so that Sumeru could catch him in the act and obtain evidence.

By then, if Snezhnaya does not punish Duo Tuo Lei or compensate Sumeru equivalently, the other five nations will also have something to say.

After all, nobody wants another unrestrained, amoral madman to appear on the Tiwatedalu continent.

Snezhnaya is indeed strong.

But if they were to face a joint condemnation from the other six nations on the continent, even as strong as Snezhnaya is, they could not withstand such pressure.

Moreover, let alone facing a combined pressure from the six nations together.

Just the unconditional cooperation between Sumeru and Mondstadt already gives the other nations a headache.

"This guy's efficiency is really high."

Inside the Pure Benevolence Palace, Luo De leaned on the railing, carefully listening to the noisy rumors below.

In Sumeru,

If one were to ask what could most attract scholars' attention,

there is no doubt it would be knowledge.

And Zan Di Ke, a scholar recognized by the Academy and willing to impart knowledge, once he appeared, caused the scholars within the Academy to become restless and eager.

At first, only the scholars of the Marvelous Theory School were somewhat agitated.

Soon,

As the rumors about Zan Di Ke's degree and fields of study were exaggerated once again,

the scholars of other schools could no longer contain their thirst for knowledge, following behind the Marvelous Theory School's scholars, hoping to gain even a bit of guidance from Zan Di Ke.

As for what Zan Di Ke was thinking at this time,

Luo De couldn't be bothered to listen.

But he was quite sure that guy must have been jumping with rage.

Just imagine.

A good plan.

They've been carried out for so long.

As a result, it was ruined by such a simple, broken method.

Anyone would go crazy if this happened to them.

Moreover, Pantaluonie's actions also let Luo De see how ruthless he is when dealing with his peers.

What nonsense about camaraderie among colleagues.

He couldn't see any of it.

If he makes a move, it's the most ruthless.

Who knows how many online mercenaries this guy hired to spread rumors.

In short.

Zandik, such an utterly wicked guy, in the rumors even once surpassed the Great Sage Nafis in fame, as if he were already the most talented scholar in all of Sumeru Cheng.

"Huh?"

"That guy."

"How is he still enjoying it?"

As he listened, Luo De's expression slightly changed, and he tilted his neck and said.

Since the Vision of wind elemental energy was crushed by him.

Luo De's mastery over wind elemental energy grew ever more refined; borrowing the wind, as long as he wished, he alone could hear half of Sumeru Cheng.

And now what he hears is.

After initially being furious, Zandik actually began patiently teaching those students who came to him, and he held nothing back.

Even some students were recommended by him to his own cultivated insider's school, becoming that insider's student.

He himself wore a gentle smile, showing no sign of being a science madman whose mental state had become utterly perverted.

"There's something fishy; I should go check it out."

Just as Luo De hesitated about whether to check the situation and confirm Zandik's current mental state,

"Nadixa's figure appeared beside him, her voice inexplicably saying: 'That guy actively brought the Void Terminal.' 'Huh?'"

"Why would he actively bring that thing?"

Luo De turned his head doubtfully and asked.

"Because there was recognition."

Nadixa's answer became increasingly mysterious.

"Luo De, utterly confused, asked again: 'What recognition? Who recognizes whom? Zandik? Did someone recognize him? Or did he recognize someone else?'"

"The students recognized his scholarship, treating his explanations as the correct answer and as they should be."

"Nadixa said somewhat conflictedly: 'We need to strengthen the ideological and moral education of the Academy's students.'"

"What does this have to do with that?"

"I'm telling you, don't beat around the bush with me—just tell me what's going on, and explain it to me in detail."

Luo De, still not understanding, couldn't help but continue to ask.

"Have you looked at Zandik's previous lecture notes?"

Nadixa first asked that, then she sent Luo De the lecture notes and partial experimental records of Zandik that had been sealed by the Academy.

These things are very dangerous.

When Zandik was expelled at that time, all of his experimental research results and statements were locked up by the Academy then, so that other students wouldn't be brainwashed by those statements.

Luo De quickly skimmed through them all.

Although he didn't examine them in detail.

But Luo De still keenly noticed a problem: in Zandik's lecture notes and experimental records, basically everything was a repetitive reiteration of his idea of treating humans as machines, replacing the human body with other parts, until finally turning a person into a war machine with only a soul left.

This theory clearly touches upon one of the Academy's six great taboos: human evolution.

Thus, just as Zandik's idea had barely begun to enter the experimental stage, the Academy expelled him for the second time.

This is infuriating.

It also naturally became that slice of Zandik, hidden beneath his calm and madness, the yearning for recognition.

Thus, when Zandik lectured these disciples again on this and received positive feedback from being recognized, this slice instantly immersed itself in it; his previous anger toward Luo De vanished completely, and after his earlier plan failed, he directly threw himself wholeheartedly into explaining knowledge.

Listening to Nadixa's explanation,

Luo De also understood.

At the same time, he again sighed that every slice of Dotore is talented; often, he doesn't even need to lift a finger to make the opponent surrender.

"Isn't it about time?"

"Let's go pick someone up."

Good news came one after another; Luo De's face no longer showed the previous gloom, and he smiled as he spoke to Nadixa.

"What he meant by picking someone up."

"It was to go pick up the Great Merciful Tree King returning from the desert."

After Nadixa said she had returned, Luo De had asked once before.

The conclusion was that the injury was not light, but not life-threatening; only needing a few days' adjustment at the World Tree would suffice.

"She said it lightly."

But Luo De still felt some worry.

Thus, the equally anxious Nadixa set out with him, passing through the streets and alleys of Sumeru Cheng, heading to the roots of the great tree that supports Sumeru Cheng.

With their two strengths.

Along this road, not a single person could see their figures; at least they didn't cause traffic congestion in Sumeru Cheng.

After arriving under the tree roots.

They waited for about half a day.

Finally, they saw the Great Merciful Tree King returning on foot, waving at them.

At this moment, the Great Merciful Tree King.

Although from afar it looked no different from before.

But upon getting a little closer.

Luo De then discovered that her hair was no longer pure green, but mixed with much purple luster.

Her clothes were still intact, her exposed skin showed no wounds; her face was as pale as wax, with no trace of blood, and even her control over grass elemental energy had dropped to a low point—any step she took would cause flowers to bloom profusely, vying for beauty, as if a deity had descended and displayed divine signs.

However, the fact is.

The more she displayed this, the more it showed how weak the Great Merciful Tree King's body was at this time.

One should know that, although the Great Merciful Tree King after rebirth still controlled part of the grass authority, her divine power was not very strong, and coupled with her millennia of experience controlling divine power.

Therefore, in the past, she could never have appeared in such a state of being unable to control her divine power.

"This time, thank you for your hard work."

Bringing her close, Luo De let out a faint sigh, speaking while using his own elemental energy to chat about her wound as much as possible.

This is not because his healing technique training has already reached the standard of being able to heal gods.

But because the elemental energy he controls shares the same origin as the Great Merciful Tree King, he only needs to inject his elemental energy into her body to help her suppress the divine power that has gone out of control due to injury.

Nadixa couldn't help, so she could only watch from the side.

There was nothing that could be done.

Originally, she and the Great Merciful Tree King shared the same origin, but now only their consciousness shares the same origin; physically, they can no longer be described as sharing the same origin.

This treatment.

It continued until midnight, Luo De even became tired and started panting; the purple in the Great Merciful Tree King's hair finally faded, and she no longer uncontrollably emitted divine power, making everything for miles around seem as if a deity had descended.

"Oh dear—"

"Finally feeling a bit better."

With Luo De's abilities, wanting to heal the Great Merciful Tree King is impossible.

This is not only because the injury inflicted by Duotuolei was severe, but also because Raiden Ei's authority still wreaks havoc in the Great Merciful Tree King's body.

Compared to this injury.

Her consciousness also suffered a heavy blow.

This could only be treated with the World Tree; Luo De also couldn't, like with Leidianzhen, directly seal her into the consciousness space and then slowly adjust her.

However, this treatment also allowed the Great Merciful Tree King to feel somewhat better at this time.

After all, the Electro Archon's authority still rages in her body; this part of the out-of-control authority, even Raiden Ei cannot control, and can only be forcibly expelled by external force.

"This authority."

Watching that extremely domineering thunder authority gradually dissipate in the air, Luo De secretly swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

Leidianzhen and Raiden Ei, the two sisters, have elemental abilities that are both extremely powerful of that kind.

Among them, Leidianzhen can cut anything; as long as she wishes, even a dull blade can have the effect of a divine weapon; Raiden Ei's authority is a kind of overwhelming suppression, as if under this thunder authority, all living things would need to submit to her.

"My authority is conquest."

This is the first sentence Raiden Ei has spoken since we met.

"Conquest?"

Luo De had never heard of this thing.

Then Raiden Ei continued explaining: "Conquest is an authority that towers over all things; as long as one faces the authority of conquest, none fail to submit."

"No wonder."

Luo De muttered a sentence, and his eyes immediately blazed with fervor.

With such powerful and terrifying authority, if I could get a share of it.

Just then.

Raiden Ei voluntarily said: "When this matter is settled, I will return to Inazuma and gift you the sword-light of cutting grass; upon it I have imprinted my authority, making it convenient for you to use."

(End of chapter)