Chapter 979: Cloud Qi Change Trends, Leaving the Semi-plane

After the rehearsal ended.

Xia Duo turned down the exchange invitations from several High Mage Pioneers, quickly returned to his temporary residence, set up Protection and Warning Magic, and began to trace the memory of observing the Cloud Qi during the rehearsal just now.

In his consciousness, Xia Duo first used space as a clue to construct a diagram of the Cloud Qi state of the Arcane Plaza, excluding the area where the Princess was located in the center.

Afterward, he added the Cloud Qi states at the same location at different times to the previous diagram according to the chronological order.

Such a state diagram was undoubtedly incomplete, but the incompleteness also reflected a certain trend; this was the most basic statistical common sense.

Knowing the changes in months 1, 3, and 5, one could naturally infer the general changes in months 2, 4, and 6.

Of course, there might be exceptions, but what Xia Duo wanted was merely to perform a rough qualitative analysis; knowing what the situation was would suffice.

He did not seek to find all the details of the special Magic cast by the Princess.

This was unrealistic and unnecessary. Although Xia Duo had curiosity, and quite a lot of it, curiosity also had its limits; sometimes knowing too much was not necessarily a good thing.

……

Soon, Xia Duo completed the incomplete Cloud Qi state diagram according to the trend of Cloud Qi changes during the rehearsal, and he even mentally filled in a rough approximation of the Princess's Cloud Qi in the center of the plaza.

Carefully experiencing the dynamically changing Cloud Qi diagram in his consciousness, the essence of the Commendation Ceremony regarding Cloud Qi gradually became clear to him.

This ceremony did not absorb a kind of Pioneer's Cloud Qi, but rather adjusted the distribution of Cloud Qi according to certain rules; the former could be known from his own Cloud Qi changes afterward, even if Xia Duo did not know the Cloud Qi changes during the rehearsal.

Yes, after today's rehearsal, his Cloud Qi had increased abruptly, not only filling the decrease from yesterday but even increasing further.

Of course, the "abruptly" here is in direct comparison with yesterday; if placed in the entire change process, that is, during the rehearsal, the increase in Cloud Qi today was actually very smooth.

Although Xia Duo did not clearly see his Cloud Qi increasing bit by bit during the rehearsal, it was reflected in the Cloud Qi change diagram integrated afterward.

As for the adjustment rules of the Commendation Ceremony on the Pioneers' Cloud Qi, Xia Duo could not quite see them for the time being; after all, things like Cloud Qi could not be quantified at all and could only be estimated by feeling.

He only knew that he and the other nine Pioneers who had already been regularized in advance were the core of this ceremony, and all Cloud Qi changes flowed through these ten cores.

Of course, by observing the Cloud Qi change diagram, Xia Duo also knew that he was actually not the absolute protagonist of the ceremony; at least as far as this ceremony itself was concerned, there was not much difference between him and the other nine Pioneer Lords.

As for the Princess—

Xia Duo was very puzzled; he could not see the Princess's Cloud Qi changes at all on the Cloud Qi change diagram. This might be because he did not collect the Princess's Cloud Qi data, or it might be because the Princess's Cloud Qi was too vast.

However—

There was no obvious migration or flow phenomenon between the overall Cloud Qi of these Pioneers and the Princess. Xia Duo suspected that there was another Ritual Core.

And it was a core comparable to the sum of their ten Pioneer Lords.

This could be seen from the overall Cloud Qi changes of these Pioneers; the total amount was increasing. If the source was not the Princess, then what was it?

If one says that Cloud Qi is Faith or Luck, then the Cloud Qi might come from the Pioneers' subjects, subordinates, and the like, but there was no change before, and now it increased out of thin air, which was somewhat unreasonable.

This even made Xia Duo waver in his previous views on Cloud Qi.

In short, there were many doubts, but one thing he was very certain of was that the New Year Festival had truly begun, and it was a special ceremony involving many people and events.

……

Soon, time came to the last day the Pioneers were left alone in the Semi-plane, and the last rehearsal before the official festival began.

This rehearsal was the same as yesterday; one person was missing at the start. However, today, Xia Duo did not feel puzzled about why one person was missing again like he did yesterday.

Regarding the disappearance of this Pioneer today, he had a premonition when he finished analyzing the rehearsal Cloud Qi change diagram yesterday!

According to his speculation, the Cloud Qi changes proceeded according to a certain specific rule to meet certain requirements of the true ceremony behind the Commendation Ceremony.

Then, for the smooth progress of the ceremony, it would certainly not retain the interference items within it.

The Pioneer who disappeared today was named "Aierpafu". He performed very normally in yesterday's rehearsal. Xia Duo still remembered that he had nodded at his behavior and expressed approval.

However, Aierpafu's performance in the Cloud Qi change diagram was abnormal. Everyone else's Cloud Qi would increase, and increase by quite a bit; only his increased little, and it might not even be enough to fill the lack from the day before yesterday.

Of course, Xia Duo did not observe the Cloud Qi changes during the rehearsal the day before yesterday, so he did not know if Aierpafu had any abnormalities.

But obviously, these three rehearsals in which the Princess personally participated were not without cause; they must have to achieve a certain goal. In this process, if an abnormality occurred, taking them out was the simplest approach.

After all, there were only a few days left until the official festival.

In fact, the special ceremony involving many people and events behind the Commendation Ceremony could already be considered to have started, but it might not have reached the critical moment yet, and adjustments could still be made.

Diwoge, who disappeared yesterday, might also have been adjusted out for such a reason.

As for the reason why Diwoge and Aierpafu were not compatible with the ceremony, Xia Duo had no way of knowing for the time being. At least from what he currently understood, he could not see any abnormality in those two people.

Perhaps this was also the reason why Greta did not explain the reason for the missing people yesterday and today.

Either it involved the secrets of the ceremony and Greta could not say, or those two really had no problems at all and were just not compatible with the ceremony, and Greta did not know how to explain it, so she did not say.

As for which one it was, Xia Duo was more inclined toward the former.

……

For the last rehearsal, Xia Duo was still the same as yesterday, cautiously observing the changes in the plaza's Cloud Qi under the cover of a slightly exaggerated expression.

Of course, he also observed and recorded the changes in the Magic Web Background Fluctuation, which could be handed over to Niya for analysis later. After all, there is a specialty in every trade, and it is good to have an extra professional analysis.

The rehearsal went smoothly, and no accidents occurred, but this time Greta did not leave with the Princess; instead, she stayed behind and announced to everyone:

"The rehearsal ends here. We only wait for the official festival two days later. Later, Archmage Wohuaide will come to pick you up. Here, I want to warn you one thing—"

Speaking of this, Greta's voice suddenly stopped, and her face turned gloomy. This was, of course, not for any deliberately emphasized effect, but because someone had already left.

However, Greta still controlled her emotions well and continued: "Before the festival officially begins, it is best for everyone not to leave the Old City District!"

After speaking, without giving everyone time to react, she teleported away.

Subsequently, Archmage Wohuaide came and sent everyone out of the Semi-plane.

Until he returned to Giles Tower, Xia Duo was still thinking that there was probably going to be some trouble between Greta and Xigelaier!