Within the Scalegorge Waterscape, Pei Guang and Dan Heng sped their boat across the vast expanse, trailed by over twenty Vidyadhara assassins who seemed to have completely lost their minds.
Pei Guang shouted from the boat, "Come on, chase me! Trash like you deserves to wallow in garbage!"
As he taunted, Pei Guang hurled yet another bag of trash. With Dan Heng's precise coordination, the garbage landed perfectly on the assassins, splattering them once again.
This only fueled their rage.
One assassin roared, "If you've got guts, stop running!"
Pei Guang replied smugly, "If you've got guts, catch up first."
The assassin screamed, "I'll kill you!"
Pei Guang shrugged, "Good luck trying."
Dan Heng, sitting beside him, couldn't help but marvel at Pei Guang's unique talent for infuriating people. Even as a bystander, he felt his own head buzzing from the relentless taunting.
While the two were expertly drawing all the aggro, on the other side of the battlefield, Bailu was reaching a breakthrough. She extended her hand toward the Vidyadhara assassins, her voice resolute:
"Attempting to assassinate a High Elder is treason of the highest order. Today, I, Bailu, shall grant you rebirth. Reflect on your sins and start anew!"
At that moment, the power of Permanence surged from Bailu, enveloping the assassins.
The assassins were stunned: their bodies were flooded with a surge of life force—a force so potent it was unmistakably that of the High Elders' healing arts. But something felt off.
This wasn't just healing; this was... rebirth.
The Scalegorge Waterscape was, after all, the sacred ground for Vidyadhara rebirth. Using its inherent power, Bailu forced the assassins into the cycle of reincarnation. In mere moments, their transformation began.
The assassins' eyes widened as they realized what was happening. This wasn't a power they had ever heard of. A technique that could forcibly initiate a Vidyadhara's rebirth? This was… unprecedented.
Before they could process their fate, their bodies had already dissolved into Vidyadhara eggs, leaving behind their clothes and gear on the ground—ready for Pei Guang to loot.
As the last of the assassins disappeared, Dan Heng ceased his water manipulation and guided the boat to a halt. "Is it over? This… this could change the entire Vidyadhara race."
He hadn't expected Bailu to actually develop such an ability. But thinking back, it made sense—none of it would've been possible without Pei Guang's unconventional guidance.
Bailu, ecstatic over her success, jumped up and down. "I did it! I really did it! Ah Guang, look! I can send all the bad Vidyadhara straight to rebirth now!"
She was practically glowing with pride.
The principle behind Bailu's newfound ability was surprisingly straightforward: by channeling raw, unfiltered Permanence energy, she flooded their bodies with overwhelming healing. The cells, overwhelmed and mistaking the excess energy for catastrophic damage, triggered an automatic rebirth response.
In reality, there was no actual harm, but once the body entered the rebirth process, it couldn't reverse course. Thus, with Bailu's manipulation, the assassins were effectively reborn prematurely.
It was an ingenious yet cheeky application of the Vidyadhara's innate traits.
Dan Heng couldn't help but marvel at the creativity. Sure, it was theoretically possible, but no one had ever thought to use it this way. Most Vidyadhara who needed rebirth would simply seek it out themselves, and those gravely injured wouldn't have the luxury of a carefully orchestrated process.
Furthermore, the immense power of High Elders meant no Vidyadhara Preceptor would dare challenge them openly. Other High Elders across the Xianzhou had enough authority to keep dissent in check. However, here in the Xianzhou Luofu, Bailu's position was unique, leaving her vulnerable to these internal power plays.
Watching the remnants of the assassins—now reduced to glistening Vidyadhara eggs—Bailu placed her hands on her hips and declared with a triumphant grin, "From now on, all the Vidyadhara troublemakers can experience this. Reflect and repent as eggs!"
Bailu's strength was limited, and considering the prosperity of the Vidyadhara, she didn't want to see her people perish. Using the vast array of knowledge she had picked up from Pei Guang along the way, she managed to master this peculiar ability.
Was it powerful? Not particularly. For most individuals, over-treatment wouldn't cause any issues. However, for Vidyadhara bodies, this over-healing triggered a misjudgment that made them believe they had suffered fatal injuries. This ability only worked on ordinary Vidyadhara, and furthermore, it required the power of the High Elder, meaning only someone like Bailu could use it.
But was it effective? Very. As long as she wielded this power in the Luofu, she no longer had to fear assassination attempts. Although the first time she used it required significant buildup and trial and error, now that she had experience, subsequent uses would become much simpler.
At this moment, Bailu stood proudly with her hands on her hips, waiting for Pei Guang's praise. However, she waited and waited, but not only did no compliment come—there wasn't even a sound from him! This puzzled her.
"Ah Guang? What's wrong?"
Curious, Bailu turned to look at Pei Guang, only to find him deep in thought not far away. When he heard her call, he snapped out of it and looked over.
"I was just thinking. You're the High Elder. Even though you're young and haven't accomplished much yet, most Vidyadhara, even those with some status, wouldn't dare act against you. For someone to go this far, it must mean they're eyeing your position. While we've dealt with these assassins, the real problem remains unresolved."
The happiness on Bailu's face froze upon hearing this. "Then… what should we do? Invincible Ah Guang, you must think of a way!"
Pei Guang rolled his eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you? Don't put 'invincible' in front of my name—it's a debuff! A curse! Anyway, the solution? Easy. You're a hero of the Luofu, a key figure in sealing the Ambrosial Arbor. If they dared to assassinate you today, they could betray the Luofu tomorrow.
My guess is that most Vidyadhara don't care much about you being the High Elder. At most, they might grumble because their lives didn't improve under your rule. The ones trying to kill you are those coveting your position; we don't know exactly who's behind it yet, but we can always just beat them all up."
Bailu's eyes widened. "Beat them all up? But you're right! Today, they might assassinate me over the position of High Elder. Tomorrow, they could target the General over their position. If things like this keep happening, our Vidyadhara race will have no future! I'll send all these bad eggs into reincarnation!"