"Do you want to know the nature of my power?"
"Your Excellency Xiu Yi, I am willing to offer equivalent intelligence in exchange. I do not need the specific method—I mainly wish to understand the underlying concept, as a reference for dealing with the Abyssal Swarm's consciousness."
"Very well."
"Ah."
When the demigod Xiu Yi readily agreed to Lu PingAn's request, he was instead taken aback.
Originally, he had thought he would have to pay a great cost. After all, if one wanted to target and kill an existence, one had to at least understand its form of existence.
Lu PingAn had thought Xiu Yi would hesitate, or at least demand an intelligence exchange. He had not expected her to agree so casually.
"Heh. Once you reach my level, you will understand that the Great Dao is simple. Where one intends to go cannot be concealed, nor is there any need to conceal it. How one gets there is what matters."
As she spoke, the owl's claw pulled out a crystal.
Lu PingAn looked closely, then froze.
It was not some kind of "USB drive." Within the crystal was a tiny castle.
A lake, city walls, a castle, even busy farmers and a woodland. In one corner of the castle, beneath the eaves of a small wooden house, an old woman smiled and raised a teacup toward him.
"Your Excellency Xiu Yi..."
Lu PingAn suddenly understood. When he looked again, all he saw was the utterly ordinary surface of the crystal.
He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and once again activated the Eye of Truth at full power, along with Spirit Energy Emission at its fullest—
"...As expected. If it is you, someone with those eyes, then you can see it."
A gentle voice suddenly sounded behind Lu PingAn.