Yishuaoken

##DONE## Chapter 46: 44

Qiyana's mastery of Elemental Magic was evident.

Following behind Qiyana, Yuan Chen clearly felt that with every turn of the Oretal Ring Blade in her hand, the dense vines beneath the Rainforest Canopy would actively retreat before her, clearing a path.

Whether weeds, shrubs, or vines, these dense plant roots crawled out of the land, carrying small clumps of soil to make way.

The path itself quickly became flat and smooth, even forming steps when necessary.

However, it was clear that Qiyana's influence had a limited range.

Even so, within a certain area around her, the forest was like her domain, responding to her will. Without even a word, a mere thought would shape the terrain appropriately.

If this ability were stronger, the caravan could probably traverse the forest directly and reach Yishuaoken.

Yuan Chen thought:

The paths of Ixialia connected the various Axiom Towers. In such a situation, maintaining the roads was also part of maintaining the Concealment Spell that enveloped all of Ixialia.

This meant that the roads to Yishuaoken were not planned for convenience, but were specifically laid out according to the Concealment Spell's routes.

As for why they didn't bypass the spell and connect each prefecture in a straight line... this could be seen from the regeneration speed of the dense forests of Ixialia itself.

Behind Qiyana, in the areas she had passed, the forest outside her 'Qiyana Domain' quickly saw the recently separated weeds, shrubs, and vines crawl back onto the path, sealing it off without leaving a trace.

One had to remember, this was Ixialia. Although the weeds and shrubs were similar to those outside, the vines deep within the dense forest were as thick as Giant Pythons, each one counted.

For an ordinary person pursuing Qiyana in such terrain, Qiyana wouldn't even need to attack actively; the surging, regenerating vines would swallow everything.

Although the rapid regeneration also had Qiyana's active maintenance, even without it, it would take at most a day for this place to return to its original state.

"A forest full of Vibrant life... I have a new appreciation for your mastery of the elements," Yuan Chen said with some amazement.

Qiyana seemed pleased by the compliment, but considering that Yuan Chen had made her uncomfortable earlier...

Or perhaps because he was always lecturing her, Qiyana merely snorted dismissively.

However, the slight upturn of her lips revealed her inner joy and delight.

At the same time, Qiyana deactivated the forest's accelerated regeneration—the forest regenerated quickly, and if she were any slower, she would be entangled by the vines.

She had near-absolute control over the natural elements, and she knew the speed at which the vines regenerated, but she didn't tell Yuan Chen.

The reason was simple: Yuan Chen was always lecturing, always lecturing, like a Teacher or a father. This kind of advice was a novel experience for Qiyana, as few people had ever given her advice about the succession struggle before.

And this had sparked Qiyana's rebellious streak--

He waited for the guy to be unable to take it anymore and ask for his help, then he would mercifully slow down and rescue him from the vines.

By the way, he could also let him know that Qiyana didn't need so much advice, Qiyana was perfect!

But soon, Qiyana's joy and little thoughts turned into surprise. She turned her head to look at Yuan Chen, looking at his body that was easily keeping up with her, Qiyana stopped with some apprehension.

"What's wrong?"

Yuan Chen glanced at Qiyana.

Qiyana, after a moment of silence, said unhappily, "I should be the one saying that. You shouldn't have the Wood Axiom; your magic doesn't have that aura."

"Wilderness Blessing."

Yuan Chen explained, "Just like you have a special trait, others in this world also have special traits. And Wilderness Blessing allows me to move freely in the wilderness."

He paused and added, "Of course, my Wilderness Blessing is only Fine Quality. It's not as good as your Elemental Dominion, which is an Epic Quality special trait."

Hearing Yuan Chen's words, Qiyana, who had been feeling a little unwilling because her attempt to show off her abilities had failed, let out a satisfied snort:

"Wilderness Blessing... No wonder you could pass through Ixialia's Veil without being discovered. But it doesn't matter. Since you are my vassal, you naturally must have special skills that others don't!"

As she spoke, Qiyana and Yuan Chen set off again. On the way, Qiyana couldn't suppress her curiosity and asked Yuan Chen many things.

"Where are you from?"

"Ionia... Don't you know? You recognized where I was from the moment you saw me."

"Uh... just confirming." Qiyana felt a little awkward. But after a moment of silence, she couldn't help but say, "What is this Noxus you mentioned earlier?"

Qiyana rolled her eyes and asked, "Of course I know Noxus. I'm just curious, what do you mean by 'the capable rise to the top'?"

"It's part of Noxian culture."

Seeing Qiyana's curiosity, Yuan Chen didn't hide anything and said:

"Noxus is a multi-ethnic nation where anyone with enough ability can easily stand out. Even if you commit insubordination, as long as you demonstrate sufficient ability, the higher-ups will give their tacit approval."

"And in Noxus, strength is believed to have many forms."

"What forms are there?"

"Magic, strategy, military force, conspiracy, trickery, assassination... many kinds." Yuan Chen explained, "Usually, as long as you have enough ability, you can stand out in Noxus."

"Sounds good!" Qiyana's face showed a hint of yearning.

The royal families of Yuentar and Ixialia knew about the outside world and its civilizations. But under the traditions of the Veil and isolationism, they didn't understand it, only having a general stereotype.

"It only sounds good." Yuan Chen said calmly:

"Everyone has a time when they think they're the protagonist of the world, destined to stand out. But most people are just supporting characters for the protagonist, sometimes not even amounting to the green leaves beside the flowers."

"Lacking ability, not being strong enough, being introverted... these traits common to ordinary people are a sin in Noxus. That's why I don't like Noxus."

"But you aren't an ordinary person, are you?"

"...We're all just the Masses."

Yuan Chen didn't directly answer Qiyana's question, or perhaps Yuan Chen himself didn't know if his current state could still be considered ordinary.

Sensing something different about Yuan Chen, Qiyana felt a bit curious but didn't pry further. She merely quickened her pace, heading towards Yishuaoken faster.

Yuan Chen's state appeared unchanged, neither speeding up nor slowing down. Yet, his relaxed demeanor always kept him a short, consistent distance from Qiyana.

This made Qiyana a little frustrated.

Yuan Chen, on the other hand, didn't care... Do you even understand the physical capabilities of a dancer?

Like now, just following behind Qiyana, is that tiring?

With a hint of competitive spirit, Qiyana continuously increased her speed. By the time she herself started to pant slightly, a fine sheen of sweat covering her body, she looked back. Yuan Chen remained as calm and composed as ever, seemingly unaffected.

Finally, through continuous acceleration and taking a shortcut, Yuan Chen and Qiyana arrived at Yishuaoken the next day at noon.

Although Yuan Chen had seen the concept art and lore for Yishuaoken on the League of Legends universe official website, seeing its scale with his own eyes still made him involuntarily hold his breath.

Yishuaoken was situated amidst mountains. Despite being a man-made city, Yishuaoken was clearly more massive, grander, and more opulent than the surrounding peaks.

Yishuaoken was a colossal, white tower constructed entirely from Elemental Stone. The base of the tower was a perfect cube. From the center of the tower, grand corridors pulsed with elemental energy, extending outwards from the center of each of the four city walls.

These corridors connected to roads. These roads originated from Ixialia and disappeared into the distant plains and boundless mountains. Their ends were unseen, but Yuan Chen could feel that this place was almost constantly suffused with immense magical power.

This magical power was converted, generated, and transported within Yishuaoken. Like a heart, Yishuaoken transported this vast magical power through a veil formation to every inch of Ixialia's Land.

Yishuaoken itself was also magnificent beyond words.

The massive tower base was divided into four levels from bottom to top. It wasn't purely an Engineering Structure; these stones, through the precise divisions of the Yuan Chu Axiom, transmitted power to the entire land, forming a cohesive whole with the surrounding environment on an Energy Level.

Every area of the city was unique. The pure white, towering walls were adorned with geometric lines drawn in gold thread and gem solutions. They were connected by intricate Energy Pathways, each representing a form or Pattern of Elemental Magic.

Within the complexity lay an indescribable order. At the very top of the tower base stood five towering stone pillars reaching into the clouds. Four of these pillars corresponded to the corridors directly below them, while a fifth pillar stood in the center, being the thickest and most ornate.

Energy, invisible to the naked eye, was transmitted through the stone pillars into the sky, enveloping all of Ixialia like a grand canopy.

Fire, Flowing Water, Rock, Magnetic Force...

Beneath the intricate Energy Pathways, the forces of various elements converged, forming a stable and resilient final Form—

Yishuaoken.

"Welcome to the Center of All Things!!"

Qiyana wanted to say this with great passion, but the exhaustion from her Dash made her inevitably pant for breath.

"Why aren't you even sweating? Aren't you tired?"

Facing Qiyana's unconvinced question, Yuan Chen merely chuckled—it was obvious Qiyana didn't know about Prestation's Ritual Dance.

That was a dance only a master could complete, a dual test of spirit and body.

Even Kagura, the God of Fire, would have to kowtow.

Too lazy to write a shelf announcement, I'll upload the drafts first. I'll fix typos later and continue updating tomorrow.