"I just said I came from another world. You remember that, right?
"We don't have Aeons where I come from, much less individuals with extraordinary power, so what I said earlier was just a little saying from back home."
"Really?"
Fu Xuan looked utterly unconvinced. She would sooner believe Lingchen had said it deliberately to tease her.
After all, coming from another world might indeed attract Aha's attention, but granting him an Emanator's power surely meant there was something entertaining about Lingchen.
An Emanator's blessing wasn't handed out casually. Just look at how few Lord Ravagers there were even now.
The way Lingchen had snapped her photo without hesitation, capturing the perfect moment, was a case in point.
P.S. Thanks to Daoist Xianyin for the generous tip of 1,000 VIP points. Thank you for your support.
Thanks to Daoist Xianyin for the monthly ticket.
Chapter 19: I Hope You Won't Disappoint Me
"Of course. There are many religions back home. In Buddhism, there is the Medicine Buddha.
"He can cure the sickness of birth and death, hence the name Medicine Buddha; he can illuminate the darkness of the three realms, hence the name Lapis Lazuli Light.
"Compared with Yaoshi in this universe..."
Lingchen spoke at length with a perfectly straight face. Seeing Fu Xuan's expression, as though she couldn't believe such an explanation existed, he nearly lost his composure.
After all, he had said that earlier line on purpose. If he didn't say something like that on the Xianzhou, he would be embarrassed to call himself a transmigrator.
"The Plagues Author, as far as the Xianzhou is concerned.
"But call them whatever you like."
Fu Xuan was starting to lose patience. Was this man mentioning Yaoshi on purpose?
Still, Lingchen wasn't a Xianzhou native, so Fu Xuan didn't particularly mind the issue of what he called them.
As Lingchen had said, he came from another world. She couldn't demand that people from other worlds share their hostility toward Yaoshi. Wouldn't that be coercion?
Besides, she didn't have the power to force him.
Though she really did want to hear others say "The Plagues Author" rather than "Yaoshi," as if it offered some strange sense of validation.
But Lingchen had no intention of giving Fu Xuan what she wanted. He glanced at her with a cheerful smile and continued:
"Yes, there are some similarities to Yaoshi in this universe."
"..."
"So, what you mean is..."
Fu Xuan thought Lingchen would say it was all a coincidence, but-
"Flowers bloom freely, facing their inevitable withering; birds spread their wings and sing, flying toward their inevitable fall; streams babble and murmur, flowing toward their inevitable drying-why must all things perish? Young lady, would you like to experience the power of healing?"
Lingchen wore a devout expression, as if in prayer. Then he opened his palm, and the power of [Purification] appeared in his hand.
This was the power of [Life].
"And you still claim you aren't aligned with [Abundance]! To think you follow two Paths and have kept it hidden until now."
The instant Fu Xuan sensed the vitality within it, she stepped back. Such abundant life force was beyond what an ordinary [Abundance] Pathstrider could possess.
She formed a sword gesture with her fingers and mobilized her imaginary energy.
At the first sign of trouble, she would flee.
Still, her assessment of Lingchen would probably need another entry: not an Abomination of Abundance.
Watching Fu Xuan's nervous expression, Lingchen nearly laughed aloud. Yes, that was exactly the expression he wanted.
Of course he could simply tell her what this power was, but since he had obtained the power of [Elation], he couldn't just sit on it and do nothing.
It's all Aha's fault. If their power weren't influencing me, I'd be a perfectly respectable man. I wouldn't tease people like this. Aha, you've really done me dirty.
[...]
Lingchen simply savored the sight.
He couldn't get this kind of reaction from Jing Yuan. Unless he said something like "The Disciples stand as one, ascending together to bliss," whatever Jing Yuan might think, he wouldn't show it on his face.
But seeing this reaction was enough. He didn't want Fu Xuan to misunderstand, and there wasn't much left of the twenty-four hours. Traveling alone had taken over sixteen hours, after all.
"My dear Diviner Fu, why don't you take a closer look? Does this power feel like [Abundance] to you?"
At Lingchen's words, Fu Xuan realized she had been a little too hasty.
She focused slightly, carefully sensing the aura of the mass of energy in Lingchen's hand.
Lingchen was right. Although this energy was exceptionally pure, its aura was indeed different from that of some [Abundance] Pathstriders in the Alchemy Commission.
"This... really isn't the power of [Abundance]?"
Fu Xuan stared at the energy in Lingchen's hand in astonishment. Her body kept urging her to absorb it.
"As a visitor from another world, I ought to have something that sets me apart."
Lingchen smiled faintly, enjoying the sight of Fu Xuan struggling to suppress her yearning.
"Aren't you going to absorb it? Your body seems to crave it. That pain caused by your body rejecting the Divine Eye."
"You noticed?"
Fu Xuan simply ignored the slightly strange first part.
"Of course. You were drenched in sweat, your lips were pale, and you'd gone from a workplace professional to a frail young girl. How could I not notice?"
"What kind of strange description is that?"
Fu Xuan couldn't help retorting.
"But it's fitting, isn't it?" Lingchen extended his hand a little farther. The energy radiated a milky-white glow, warm and pure. "Come on. This is our first test of trust. You absolutely need this energy."
Between Lingchen's explanation and the nature of the energy, Fu Xuan had more or less figured out what it did.
She raised her head and met Lingchen's eyes for a moment. There was no teasing in his gaze, only sincerity.
"Very well. I hope you won't disappoint me."
Fu Xuan gritted her teeth and took a step toward Lingchen.
"How do I use it?"
She decided to take the plunge. Judging by Lingchen's behavior, even if it proved useless, it would be a prank at worst.
After all, he was an Emanator of [Elation], not [Destruction], and a visitor from another world. Taking all that into account, he probably wouldn't do anything outrageous.
If something truly unexpected happened, she would simply have to admit she had misjudged him.
Besides, this was the Xianzhou. She wasn't afraid of anything going seriously wrong.
She had already divined that Jing Yuan's disciple, Yanqing, was on his way here.
"Just close your eyes. Hmm, preferably sit in a chair."
With things having come this far, Fu Xuan obediently closed her eyes.
Closing her eyes without any defenses in front of someone she had known for less than a day already showed an extraordinary degree of trust.
Lingchen drew the energy back into his body, then touched the Divine Eye on Fu Xuan's forehead with his index finger.
Feeling the peculiar sensation on the Divine Eye, Fu Xuan trembled slightly.
It had been bestowed by Nous, after all. There was bound to be something extraordinary about it.
Then, before Fu Xuan could wonder what was happening, a wave of pleasure that nearly made her moan spread from her forehead and rapidly surged into her limbs.
The pain vanished instantly, along with her accumulated mental fatigue. Even the imaginary energy within her seemed to circulate a little faster.
In just a few seconds, Fu Xuan's face had turned bright red, her cheeks flushed rosy.
Only after Lingchen lifted his finger did Fu Xuan slowly open her eyes. But the moment she did, she saw his appreciative expression and his hand reaching for his phone.
"That look on your face..."
P.S. There's one more chapter.
I need to prepare for the national civil service exam, so updates will be slower. But I've already completed two books, so you can count on continued updates. I only ask for some flowers and votes. Thank you all for your support.
Chapter 20: Consider It the Accommodation Fee
The Lord Diviner's dignity was gone.
"Forget this ever happened. And no photos."
Even without a mirror, Fu Xuan knew what her expression must look like. After that overwhelming sensation, she would probably have collapsed to the floor if she hadn't been sitting in a chair.
Fu Xuan lightly bit her lip, her eyes shimmering.
It was all because this power felt far too good, like someone finally finding relief after thirty days of constipation, or someone dying of thirst drinking from a sweet spring.
Her body had been in constant pain. Just as Fu Xuan had grown accustomed to it, the pain suddenly disappeared. Perhaps only she could understand that feeling.
This power was just as improper as its wielder.
"If word of your unique abilities gets out, I'm afraid many people will covet them."
Fu Xuan couldn't resist warning him again.
As the person who had been "healed," Fu Xuan could naturally sense the nature of that power.
It was completely different from [Abundance].
Fu Xuan even had the feeling that this power could cure the mara-struck condition.
Even if it couldn't cure it, it could delay its onset for a very long time.
"No one can interfere with my life."
Lingchen shook his head slightly. Everything he had now came from the system, so naturally he trusted it.
That was the confidence his cheats gave him.
"Let's leave that aside. How do you feel?"
"Better than ever."
Fu Xuan touched her forehead and looked at Lingchen with a complicated expression.
This scoundrel had given her an incredible gift at their very first meeting. If she were to return the favor, what could she possibly give him?
"I no longer feel any pain in my forehead."
Lingchen nodded. This outcome didn't surprise him.
"This healing isn't permanent. It only temporarily removed the manifestation of the blessing on Xianzhou natives at the Divine Eye-in other words, it made your body regard the Divine Eye as part of itself. So you'll still need treatment in the future."
There was a message on his phone. The Astral Express had already set off again. The day of the "Trailblazer's" birth probably wasn't far off.
Still, just to be safe, Lingchen condensed the power of [Purification] into six pills and stored them in the System Space.
If his next reward was something else, he would be prepared. If it was this power again, all the better.
Ultimately, this was a concept manifested at the Emanator level. Against anything below that level, Purification could completely resist the influences of [Equilibrium] and [Abundance] and fully cure the mara-struck condition.
For now, though, dealing with the mara-struck condition would have to wait for a crucial moment. As long as Fu Xuan was temporarily free of pain, that was enough.
"In the future, I might even be able to cure you of the mara-struck condition completely."
Fu Xuan shuddered violently. Seeking confirmation, she asked:
"Is that really true?"
If Lingchen could cure the mara-struck condition in the future, then the Xianzhou-
"Of course. But please don't tell anyone. Or rather, keep it to yourself. Even if I gain that ability, I won't announce it, and I certainly won't use it to heal other people."
Otherwise, once they were cured, Xianzhou natives would become the next Swarm Disaster, unless they stopped reproducing like the Vidyadhara.
Of course, the bigger reason was that healing others offered Lingchen little benefit. Individual gratitude and any feelings it might inspire would most likely become a sentiment of "Everyone's in the same boat, so let's repay him together." He might also get dragged into unnecessary complications.
"Sorry. I took too much for granted."
Lingchen's words were a bucket of cold water thrown over Fu Xuan.
Lingchen was right. Even now, the Xianzhou's delves were becoming insufficient, and they had to keep building more. Immortality coupled with endless reproduction-just imagining the eventual outcome made her face turn pale.
"It's fine. As a Xianzhou native, it's normal for that to be your first thought. But I'll only remove mara for people I choose. This purification energy will last a month. Once that month is up, I'll treat you again."