Chapter 348

Kantisi did not publicly announce the news of the Red King's imminent return.

After secretly talking with Luo De.

She then began the work of selecting people.

According to Luo De's request.

Those who had previously received the Red King's favor were definitely to be included.

Afterwards, a few representatives also needed to be selected from the radical faction that was extremely fervent in their faith in the Red King.

As for the moderate faction, it goes without saying.

They are the main force of this celebration.

As for the scholars coming from the Academy,

Strictly speaking.

Kantisi had no authority to compel them to attend the Flower God's Birthday.

However, she also had other methods.

That is to give a holiday! Borrowing the practice of the rainforest area where the Flower God's Birthday gives a holiday, Kantisi directly waved her hand and stipulated that from now on, the Flower God's Birthday would be a statutory holiday, resting seven days, and also providing free vehicles to supply the believers to go to Sumeru Cheng to celebrate the Dendro Archon's birthday; merchants could also join them, and A Ru Cun allowed them to travel free of charge throughout the most favorable time of the year in Sumeru Cheng, thereby saving the round-trip transportation costs.

Once this new rule was announced.

Inside A Ru Cun, naturally there was another uproar.

Some were dissatisfied.

Some had high interest.

Some cheered and jumped for joy.

The dissatisfied were still those old stubborn faction, who felt that the Red King's people voluntarily going to give the Dendro Archon a birthday greeting was an embarrassing thing.

But when Kantisi said that this matter was personally ordered by the Red King's divine envoy Luo De,

Even more dissatisfaction was immediately swallowed back.

For Luo De, this harbinger of doom, the radical Red King believers truly felt both love and hate.

One who held the status of a divine envoy and could put the desert on the right track actually went to rely on the Dendro Archon.

If it weren't for this guy really being able to kill people,

They would have rebelled long ago! As for the moderate faction and the Academy's scholars, their expressions were comparatively richer.

However, compared to the moderate faction willing to go to Sumeru Cheng to participate in the celebration,

the scholars still preferred to stay at home in A Ru Cun.

In their words,

Loving the Dendro Archon requires sincerity; merely going to join the fun while feeling nothing for the Dendro Archon in the heart is still not enough devotion.

Therefore, celebrating the Dendro Archon's birthday in their hearts is sufficient; they need not go to Sumeru Cheng to participate in some false face-saving ceremony, and with that time they might as well teach their children to recognize a few more characters.

As for these pragmatic ones,

Kantisi is useless to them.

It still requires Luo De to personally take action.

He directly sought out the actual leader of the A Ru Cun Academy branch, Seta Lei.

Said to be the actual leader.

Actually, the A Ru Cun Academy branch was merely an office and residential area that Kantisi had specially allocated for these scholars; the scholars who came to voluntarily support teaching mostly did not care at all about the Academy name.

Since most came voluntarily,

thus there were no Academy personnel specially intervening here; the volunteer teaching team essentially was a loose organization of like-minded scholars, with no leader-subordinate relationship.

If one must say,

the one who initially launched this desert teaching support plan, Seta Lei, can barely be considered the person with relatively greater speaking authority among them.

So after thinking it over,

wanting to convince these pragmatic scholars, Luo De could only go to Seta Lei to resolve this matter.

As for how exactly to resolve it,

Luo De, upon arriving at the door, directly unleashed his ultimate move.

"This year's Flower God's Birthday will have the Flower God personally perform a dance; are you sure you don't want to go?"

If these words were spoken by someone else,

then Seta Lei would definitely not believe them.

But these words were spoken by Luo De.

Because the Red King's favor truly exists.

Seta Lei now, regarding Luo De's words as a near-divine person, is no longer in the former half-believing, half-doubting attitude; instead, she said with keen interest: "Flower God? Isn't she dead?"

Seta Lei is a standard atheist.

Let alone speak of the Flower God.

She doesn't even care about the Red King.

Initially she was tempted by Luo De's words to betray Azar, solely because of the Red King's favor, which is as precious as a treasure yet illusory.

As for saying anything about guilt toward the desert,

that is later talk.

So now Luo De uses the Flower God to attract Seta Lei; naturally it won't make her overjoyed, merely appearing quite interested.

"Not dead."

"Like the Red King, both retain consciousness."

"Now they have returned."

Luo De didn't mention the Red King's matter, only spoke of the Flower God's matter.

Among the Aid Teaching Scholars Group, Sai Ta Lei is the troublemaker; others don't need him to mention it—just a few more words about the Flower God's dance and they'll decide.

"Is that so?"

Regarding the Flower God's dance stunt, Sai Ta Lei was indeed moved.

After all, it's a deity's dance; this year's Flower God's Birthday Festival will surely be a grand event worthy of being remembered in history—missing it would indeed be a pity.

"Really, I'm not lying to you."

Luo De said sincerely: "This year's Flower God's Birthday Festival will be the grandest ever; not only you, but representatives from Hope City and the Desert Tribe must attend—if you don't go, it would be a pity."

Having said that.

Luo De then offered a greater temptation: "At this Flower God's Birthday Festival, Nadixa will erect a stele; anyone who contributed to rebuilding the desert will have their name on it, and you early-arriving Aid Teaching Scholars have a good chance of being at the top of the list."

For the scholars.

What is most important?

Without a doubt.

Knowledge definitely comes first!

And beneath knowledge.

comes fame.

Knowledge is like a vast ocean; for 99% of scholars, trying to pan a grain of gold from it remains hopeless.

Thus these scholars, advancing on the path of knowledge with slim hope.

They will therefore place great importance on their reputation.

Especially the stele Luo De spoke of, which will never be erased.

This is truly something that can be left in the history books.

Such a temptation.

Not to mention Sai Ta Lei; even the sages of the Academy couldn't possibly remain unmoved.

"Hah—"

"You're still as good at persuading people."

After taking a few deep breaths, Sai Ta Lei broke into a smile and said: "I'll go persuade those stubborn folks, though I think they won't be so stubborn after all—after all, seeing one's name on a stele that can be passed down for ages just sounds fascinating."

"Then it's up to you."

The persuasion work done, Luo De laughed heartily and bade farewell to Sai Ta Lei.

Notifying A Ru Cun is now also completed.

With Kantisi and Sai Ta Lei, our side's representatives will have no problem.

Next.

Luo De began venturing deep into the desert, seeking those tribes that had not fled to Hope City or A Ru Cun but still held out in the desert.

Different from before.

Now finding tribespeople is much simpler.

Hope City and A Ru Cun, these two desert footholds, are now established.

Even if those desert tribes are unwilling to go, for survival they will maintain a certain level of daily contact with those two major cities.

Adding to the earlier campaign to exterminate the tribes.

Many tribes that lived by plundering and lawlessness were directly wiped out in that campaign; these fewer, traceable tribes reduced Luo De's search work by eliminating much unnecessary trouble.

As for these tribespeople.

Compared to the stubborn Red King believers.

The Flower God's believers are not exactly easy to talk to.

Upon hearing that the Flower God would return.

Each one eagerly promised they would definitely go.

This isn't because they are particularly devout.

But because they all want to vie for the title of Flower God's Proxy.

This is also why the Tanite Tribe, even with their heads split open, once went to seek the Spirit-Pacifying Mother.

The title of Flower God's Proxy.

In the desert, it's incredibly useful.

It not only grants powerful aid from the Flower God's retinue, but also helps one establish prestige in the desert.

Thus when Luo De came knocking, no tribe refused; instead, upon hearing the news that the Flower God was still alive, they all cheered.

The only thing that wasn't smooth about this.

was that the tribes' distribution is really too scattered.

The desert region itself is huge.

And we have to search them one by one.

Although it's not laborious, it's very time-consuming.

Even with Luo De's stamina, it took several days to assign all the desert tribes.

"See?"

"These guys are all excited, huh?"

After settling the desert tribe matters, Luo De stood together with the Great Merciful Tree King who had decided to portray the Flower God, laughing as he spoke to her.

The great cleansing of the desert tribes was very effective.

Not only did it make the remaining desert tribes more united.

Their connection with the rainforest area and the two major cities was no longer ambiguous.

Although the road had not yet been successfully repaired.

But under limited conditions.

The Academy still dispatched engineering teams to these tribes' vicinity, managing to carve out a small path, in order to help them obtain a relatively safe road.

Thanks to these small paths.

The tribespeople, who once faced danger upon entering the city, can now go to the rainforest area with peace of mind.

As for these unfamiliar masked believers,

The Great Merciful Tree King joked, "The name Na Bu—looks like I can't get rid of it."

"It's up to you."

Luo De curled his lip: "Who could be going around advertising themselves as Na Bu, or is it my sister?"

Whenever this matter is mentioned,

Luo De's speech becomes somewhat unnatural.

Speaking of age,

The Great Merciful Tree King could easily be his great‑great‑grandmother.

As a result, whenever the two of them appear together in public, someone is bound to call them brother and sister.

This inevitably makes Luo De feel uneasy all over.

"Hehehe—"

At Luo De's unnaturalness, the Great Merciful Tree King burst out laughing, unable to straighten her waist.

I don't know why.

She discovered that she now especially enjoys teasing Luo De; whenever she sees him embarrassed, she feels particularly happy.

She barely managed to stop her own laughter.

Looking at Luo De's blackened face, the Great Merciful Tree King finally grew serious and asked, "Do you think those Guardian Spirits and Flower Spirits will really acknowledge me?"

After Luo De had finished spreading the news to all parts of the desert about participating in the Flower God's birthday celebration,

he and the Great Merciful Tree King then decided together to go into the desert to seek the Flower God's retinue, hoping to see if they could gather those remnants of the Flower God back.

That is, the Guardian Spirits and the Flower Spirits.

Among them, the Guardian Spirits are in the Great Red Sand Sea.

After the Flower God died back then, the Guardian Spirits were gathered by the Red King, becoming his servants, tasked with guarding the Flower God's burial place, the Eternal Oasis.

Later, after the Red King also died,

the Guardian Spirits once again fell into fragmentation.

Among them, the Great Guardian Spirit Feili Jisi remains forever stationed at the entrance of the Eternal Oasis, awaiting her mistress's return to the world.

Another Great Guardian Spirit, Li Lu Pa Er, was torn apart by the Red King because of the turmoil in Ju Er Cheng back then; his soul and spirit split into several parts, which were sealed in various places of the desert.

The remaining Guardian Spirits either disappeared or were enslaved by humans.

What can still be found today

are only these two.

Compared to the withered, broken Guardian Spirit clan,

the Flower Spirit clan's situation is slightly better.

This point,

means that more of their people have survived.

The flower spirit clan, like Luo De and the Great Merciful Tree King, are formed from the spiritual light left by the Flower God; relatively speaking, their true forms are the two great spiritual lights of Luo De and the Great Merciful Tree King among them, so they should be easier to talk to.

The situation differs from Fili Gis guarding the Flower God's remains.

What the flower spirit clan guards are the restless abyssal pollution in the desert, and the myriad mother trees nourished by the remains of the previous Hydro Archon.

Their duties are also heavier.

Wanting them to leave their location and go to Sumeru Cheng to aid the Flower God.

That myriad mother tree, which is about to reach its limit of endurance, will definitely be helped to resolve their issue.

"The spirit wardens may have some doubts about you."

"The flower spirit clan should have no problem."

Luo De pondered briefly and gave his answer.

And the goal of their journey.

It is to first find the Great Spirit Warden Lilu Paar, then through her find another Great Spirit Warden Fili Gis, and then go to the Flower God's tomb to have a look.

Aside from these overt objectives.

Their search for the Flower God's kin this time also has two more important reasons.

"Spirit wardens can help build oases, and flower spirits can help clean up the residual pollution of the abyss."

This is Luo De's reason for coming to seek the Flower God's kin.

First, not speaking of the flower spirits.

The effect of spirit wardens in the desert is simply enormous.

The reason the desert nation of Gur City could establish such a vast kingdom and possess great national strength back then...

Not only because they had a technological level far surpassing other desert regions, but also because they relied on the power of spirit wardens to bring about a vast oasis.

Exactly.

It is the oasis.

Gur City back then was not a nation built upon the yellow sands, but a nation built upon an oasis.

Thus Luo De was unusually interested in that spirit capable of creating a boundless oasis.

Just like that.

After searching for about two days.

With the power of two Archons.

Plus Luo De still had a not-so-precise location.

He and the Great Merciful Tree King finally found a relic sealing part of the divine soul of Lilu Paar.

After a thousand years.

Chi Wang's seal remained extremely solid.

But this did not deter Luo De and the Great Merciful Tree King; without expending too much effort, they successfully liberated this Lilu Paar.

And the first thing this bottled great spirit did after breaking free was:

Namely, bowing down before the Great Merciful Tree King and Luo De, speaking with uncontainable excitement: "Great mistress, you have finally returned."

(End of chapter)