After hearing Yuan Chen speak, the Yuentars beside him didn't respond right away. They gazed at him for a brief moment, then the woman in gold-rimmed glasses took the initiative and said:
"Master... do you know what those two words mean?"
Yuan Chen nodded at her question. "Though Ionia and Ixialia lie at the northernmost and southernmost ends of Runeterra, I imagine the word 'master' shouldn't mean all that much differently between them."
As he spoke, Yuan Chen continued:
"Like Ixialia, my homeland, Ionia, is also isolated from the rest of the world. But unlike Ixialia, which is secluded by means of the Veil Technique, Ionia is a vast archipelago. The ocean cuts it off from the Valoran Continent."
"I've heard of it. You're right."
Sem stroked his beard and nodded.
"Ixialia is the center of the world, and the Vidalion can send a person's consciousness to any corner of the world along the curves of the axioms. I've seen Ionia... It's a very special place, unlike anywhere else in Runeterra."
The Yuentars who had seen Ionia during the Vidalion Trial nodded in agreement.
The Vidalion Trial sounded difficult, but the test could be summed up in three parts.
The first was the study of the Elemental Axiom.
Much like a university thesis defense, qualified elemental mages presented their Yuan Chu Paths and Axiom Constraints under the Yuentars' scrutiny.
Throughout this process, the Vidalion continually verified whether the mages' axioms were correct. The Yuentars, in turn, asked them questions.
The second part tested the candidates' own power.
The Vidalion drew on a candidate's magic and wove it into a robe representing the Vidalion. If the candidate had enough magic, the robe would be made. If not, they would have to try again next time.
The final part was whether candidates could view everything rationally after learning about the Outside World.
During the trial, a candidate's spirit merged with Ixialia, allowing their consciousness to spread along the paths of the axioms. In most cases, the candidate's spirit was projected along a particular dimension.
Depending on the route of projection, candidates could see very different sights. Some traveled from Ixialia all the way to frigid Freljord, while others crossed the continent of Shurima and witnessed the empire's fading glory after the Sun Disc was lost.
Demacia and Noxus went without saying. Candidates whose spirits were projected north would often see those two empires.
By comparison, Ionia was special. Even among the Yuentars, few had ever projected their spirits to such an unusual place.
"I was fortunate enough to catch a brief glimpse of Ionia."
An elderly Yuentar, who looked old but was clearly much younger than Sem, spoke up:
"The boundary between the material and spirit realms isn't distinct there, and the natural world teems with spirits. Unfortunately, I couldn't stay long. The blurring of matter and spirit interfered with the curves of the axioms."
"Yes. Because the boundary between the material and spirit realms isn't distinct, magic in Ionia is ever-changing."
"It's like a mirror: give it tranquility, and it reflects tranquility. The water is plentiful, the soil fertile, life flourishes, the seasons are distinct, and the harvests are bountiful.
"But give it malice, and Ionia's land becomes dry and barren, its waters foul and overflowing, its seasons harsh, and its harvests fail."
Yuan Chen nodded at the Yuentars' conversation.
"For that reason, Ionia values harmony. But unlike Ixialia, it has no concept of a nation. Instead, its people live in many tribes, mingling across islands and provinces."
"It has no army. Of course, in my view, Ionia doesn't need one. Its arts draw their principles from nature. In Ionia, the more graceful a technique, the deadlier it is. Different techniques also embody different philosophies."
The Yuentars listened to Yuan Chen's account with rapt attention, without interrupting.
They knew of Ionia. A traveling scholar had even visited it a thousand years ago... But ever since they had chosen to isolate Ixialia from the outside world, there had been no further contact.
The records left by the Yuentar scholars who had traveled there a thousand years ago didn't entirely match Yuan Chen's account, but that was only natural given how much time had passed.
And as Yuan Chen spoke about local customs and culture, he filled in many details that had never been recorded in their predecessors' notes.
Judging by those details, what Yuan Chen said was at least logically sound.
Sane had fallen completely silent. She stood off to one side, deep in thought, saying nothing as she considered what to do next.
Unlike Sane, the Yuentar scholars were brimming with enthusiasm.
"I see... I once read in the notes of our Yuentar predecessors that Ionia's construction and methods of gathering resources seemed different from those of other regions."
An elderly woman with white hair asked curiously, "The notes only said that their methods were difficult to understand through the Yuan Chu Axiom. So I'd like to ask how they differ."
"You're probably asking about the Wood Weavers."
Yuan Chen explained, "Ionians believe that all things have spirits. When people build houses, they don't cut down trees, because that would harm the spirits within them."
"They don't cut down trees? Then how do they build houses? Do they use stone?"
"We ask Wood Weavers to persuade them." As the Yuentar scholars watched with curiosity, Yuan Chen continued:
"Usually, when a family needs a new house, they invite a Wood Weaver to persuade the trees."
"The trees they ask are usually in the area. If the spirits within them agree to the Wood Weaver's request, the trees grow into homes of their own accord."
"And the people who move in care for the trees by watering and fertilizing them, and supplying the magic they need to grow."
"What if they refuse?"
"Then they try another area."
"And if they all refuse?"
"Then they can ask the spirits within the trees to offer some branches that might be useful."
Yuan Chen went on, "It's rare, but Ionia does have some houses built from timber. Mining and gathering fruit work the same way."
"You ask the earth to grant you some minerals. You ask a fruit tree if it can bear some fruit. Usually, the spirits of nature won't refuse, as long as you're willing to live peacefully on the land."
"Of course, there are always a few hateful scoundrels. They're usually exiled or sent to temples and monasteries to reflect on their actions."
"How fascinating..."
At Yuan Chen's words, the elderly woman murmured to herself, a trace of sorrow in her eyes.
For someone devoted to knowledge, merely hearing about a place without being able to visit it, witness it, or record it firsthand was pure torment.
The other Yuentars were moved to varying degrees as well...
Noticing their reactions, Yuan Chen nodded to himself. The first step of the plan was complete.
After a long silence, the others came back to themselves, and Sem continued:
"There's no doubt that you really are from Ionia. But how can you prove that you're a 'master'?"
"Dance."
As he spoke, Yuan Chen spread his arms, displaying his graceful figure and bearing.
"Dance?"
"Yes, dance," Yuan Chen said. "In Ionia, warriors, mages, monks, and dancers are all one. They're different ways of exploring truth and harmony. And in Ionia, dance is never a performance. It's a way of following the harmonious rhythms that govern all things."
"An accomplished dancer can part the sea and command rainbows with nothing but the breath of their movements."
The Yuentar in gold-rimmed glasses nodded in agreement. She studied Yuan Chen's physique and, after a brief calculation, exclaimed in admiration:
"Fascinating. Your body conforms to the Yuan Chu Axiom's definition and division of perfection. But there are subtle differences... What could be the reason?"
The Yuentars began discussing it among themselves. Sem fell silent for a moment, then said:
"It's because his body is unusually active."
"The breath, flesh, magic, and elements within him are all exceptionally active." Sem turned to the Yuentars beside him.
"This runs counter to what we know of the Yuan Chu Axiom. Flesh and spirit that are too active cause magic to run wild and cross the boundaries of the Axiom Constraint. That's why we've continually refined the limits imposed by the axioms."
"But Ionia's environment allows this gentleman before us to control that activity through harmony and resonance, turning fluctuations of the spirit into a power he can control."
"Hmm... Perhaps this should be our next direction of study: how resonance can expand the boundaries of the Axiom Constraint."
"I'm quite interested in that." The woman in gold-rimmed glasses pushed up her glasses and invited him, "Young master from Ionia, would you be willing to discuss the common ground between the Yuan Chu Axiom's limits and Ionia's theory of harmony?"
"Master Tina, perhaps you should let someone else go first." A burly old man said with some displeasure:
"The Earth Axiom I study may have more need of Ionia's resonance principles. Activated earth and stone could better fortify our city defenses."
"No, no, masters, the Wind Axiom should come first. The liveliness of the wind needs harmony and calm to balance it."
"The liveliness of the wind? We of the Fire Axiom haven't even had our say yet!"
Before you continue