My health recovery is incredibly fast.

Beatrice summoned Silversand to take away the tableware, and brought tea, desserts and fruit. She then used illusion magic to create a sand table on the table, showing the terrain of the Western Continent and the current state of the Starry Night Kingdom.

This was the first time Xia Zuo had seen the entire Western Continent.

At this time, the Starry Night Kingdom occupied about one-third of the land of the Western Continent, and was located in the eastern part of the Western Continent.

The terrain of the western continent from west to east can be described as high in the west and low in the east, with mountain ranges in the west and plains in the east.

After crossing the Storm Mountains beneath their feet to the west, and traversing a hilly plain, a landscape of towering mountains came into view. The entire central and western parts of the Western Continent were mountainous…

Several large valleys nestled among the mountains are among the few flat areas.

In general, the areas on the Western Continent suitable for large-scale human production and business activities are concentrated in the eastern part of the continent, and have all been occupied by the Starry Night Kingdom.

The sparsely populated mountainous regions of the west and central regions are ideal for constructing secretive yet vital buildings.

Chapter 4 Authority

"Teacher, do the indigenous people of the west and central regions live in these large valleys?" Xia Zuo asked, pointing to the mountainous area on the sand table.

“They have already moved into the kingdom.” Beatrice drew several circles on the hills west of the Storm Mountains. “I settled them in these places. I preserved some of their customs and social structures, and slowly helped them adapt to life in the kingdom.”

"So, the western and central regions are completely deserted?" Xia Zuo asked.

“Yes, apart from the research teams assigned by the Outer Temple, there are no natives there anymore.” Beatrice tapped the mountain a few times, placing down several small flags with numbers on them. “In the past few years, the Outer Temple has sent a total of six research teams. Four of them are currently studying the minerals and plants unique to the Western Continent in the mountains.”

“Hmm…” Xia Zuo thought for a moment, “If that’s the case, we can set up the sub-plane’s passage in the central mountainous area. This will ensure both concealment and that the sub-plane’s signal can cover as many areas as possible.”

“That was my initial suggestion too.” Beatrice drew a line on the map, marking a mountain range in the central region. “This is the ideal location to build, large enough to encompass the entire western continent. But then I changed my mind…”

Beatrice paused, then looked at Anruer beside her, "Girl, you should go back to your room first."

“Okay, teacher.” Anru’er stood up tactfully and waved to Xia Zuo, “I’m going to my room to meditate.”

"Mmm." Xia Zuo nodded at her.

After Anru left, Beatrice set up a barrier to prevent prying eyes and continued the previous topic.

"Are you aware that the Temple plans to actively release some monsters into the Western Continent?" Beatrice asked. "Has Christor mentioned this to you?"

“She told me this,” Xia Zuo said after a moment’s thought. “She said that ordinary people in the Starry Night Kingdom are not threatened by monsters or neighboring countries. They live too comfortably under the care of the Alchemy School and the Warriors’ Guild and lack psychological preparation for potential threats.”

Beatrice nodded slightly. "Yes, she's right. From a preventative perspective, it's better for us to expose them to dangerous monsters sooner rather than later when they're powerless to fight back against the Starry Sky Demons."

She drew a circle on the map that ran right next to the kingdom's western border. "If we're going to release monsters, the mountain ranges near the border are the best choice. They'll make the kingdom's inhabitants feel the pressure, and we can keep the monsters' movements within our sight."

Xia Zuo glanced at the circle the other party had drawn, as well as the mountain range that was originally intended to be used to build a sub-dimensional portal, and immediately understood why Beatrice had changed her mind. "Because these two locations are too close, right?"

“That’s right. The subdimensional portal is too close to the monster drop point. It’s not safe enough,” Beatrice said.

“Then let’s arrange the passage to the sub-plane in…” Xia Zuo looked towards the western mountainous region of the continent, then turned his head to look at the other side, which was the eastern coastal region.

Xia Zuo's eyes lit up, and an idea popped into his mind. "Teacher, I have an idea. There are two teleportation transfer stations between the eastern and western continents, one in the sky and one underwater, one visible and one hidden. We can follow this idea and set up two sub-planes. One set in the trenches along the eastern coast, and as for the other..."

Xia Zuo pondered for a moment, then pointed to the Storm Mountains legend on the map, “Another sub-plane passage is located here, on a mountain nearby.”

Beatrice bent her arm and rested it on the table, then rested her chin on the back of her hand and said:

"The construction plans for both the light and dark sub-dimensional passages are the same as my ideas. The idea of ​​placing one in the trench is also the same as mine. But we have a disagreement on the other sub-dimensional passage. I originally thought you wanted to place it in the western mountains... Could you tell me your specific ideas?"

Xia Zuo pondered for a moment and uttered a few words: "authority, cohesion, model, trump card."

Beatrice's eyes narrowed, a sense of awe and unease washing over her.

"That's right, teacher. Based on my personal experience in my early years, although the common people of the kingdom know that Starry Night Academy exists and that mages are important figures, they find it difficult to perceive the specific differences between them."

Xia Zuo pointed to the teacup and said:

"To give a somewhat inappropriate example. Commoners drink from wooden cups, believing that precious metals are a symbol of status, and naturally assume that monks would drink from cups made of precious metals... However, in reality, most of us don't drink alcohol. This is a difference in our beliefs about dietary habits."

"If we want them to understand why monks rarely drink alcohol, we need to introduce them to terms like meditation, magic, and thought, which are profound and difficult for them to comprehend. This is a very difficult task."

Xia Zuo rubbed his hands together lightly. "You could say that Starry Night Academy's current authority is built on the high-ranking officials and nobles of the Starry Night Kingdom. When commoners see nobles treating the academy's mages with utmost respect, they assume that the mages are superiors to the nobles and that the mages are part of the noble system."

Xia Zuo shrugged and said, "We all know that's not the case. Nobles are nobles, but they are still ordinary people, and there's a world of difference between them and the academy's mages."

He pointed to the Storm Mountains on the map.

"Building a grand sub-dimensional passage here for the entire nation to observe will demonstrate the academy's authority and further solidify Starry Night Academy's prestige before more bloodline awakeners emerge among ordinary people, suppressing any potential future instability."

"For example, newly awakened individuals who have just awakened their bloodline power embark on the extraordinary path, their confidence inflated. However, upon seeing the sub-dimensional passages in the mountains, they will feel terrified and realize the gap between themselves and the academy. The academy's authority will be like a nail, firmly driven into their hearts, and then spread to ordinary people through their mouths."

"For ordinary people, which action is more convincing: a nobleman praising a mage's nobility or an awakened bloodline showing reverence to a mage at an academy? It must be the latter!"

“Good idea…You have a good understanding of the mindset of ordinary residents…I lack similar life experience.”

Beatrice took a breath and slowly exhaled. “I was born into a noble family and always thought that the way to maintain authority was through isolation and mystery… but I never considered the misunderstandings and ambiguities that would result. You’re right, Shazo. The authority of the academy should not be built on the groveling of nobles. We should use majestic magical creations to show the true face of the academy to the inhabitants of the kingdom.”

Beatrice composed herself and said, "The reason of 'authority' alone has already impressed me. But I'd like to hear what the other three terms mean."

Chapter 5 Holy Land

"Teacher, have you heard about the tragedy that happened in Tambus State of the Silver Moon Federation?" Xia Zuo asked.

“Selena (Lady Starry Night) mentioned it to me,” Beatrice said. “It’s said that the entire state has fallen, with only the garrison mages and the temple stronghold remaining untouched by the demons. If reinforcements from other states had arrived any later, the garrison mages and the temple stronghold’s guards would have had to retreat temporarily.”

“I’ve studied this case in depth,” Xia Zuo said after a moment’s thought.

"The whole incident stemmed from a couple of mages who were seduced and corrupted by the Church of the Otherworld. Both of them were official mages in the action team. The husband first became a spy for the Church of the Otherworld. After discovering her husband's abnormal behavior, the wife, out of emotional reasons, concealed the truth from her superiors and cooperated with her husband to obtain information about the local defense layout. If the wife had reported her husband in time, none of this tragedy would have happened."

Xia Zuo shook his head with a hint of helplessness. "I've seen another example like this. In the Emergency Response Department building in Poseidon City, a pharmacist from the pharmaceutical team became a servant of the Blood Demon, sacrificing his own life to supply the sealed Blood Demon with blood runes, helping it prolong its life. Afterwards, the action team's investigation revealed that this man's wife had known about her husband's fall for evil for a long time, but she also chose to remain silent due to emotional factors."

“I used to think that my wife’s infatuation led them to make the wrong choice. Later, after studying the laws for formal monks, I learned the reason.”

Xia Zuo pointed to himself, "High-level mages like us, once we betray the Temple, will die at the hands of the light elements in the spiritual ocean. This is the price of gaining power, and it's understandable. The consequences for a formal mage who betrays the Temple start with permanent imprisonment and end with the death penalty. Imagine if a formal mage, due to a moment of carelessness, fell into the trap of the Otherworldly Church, but he hadn't caused any major losses yet, what would he do?"

Xia Zuo shrugged. “He’ll keep making the same mistakes. Since he’s going to be imprisoned for life anyway, there’s no turning back. He might as well try to get more benefits from the Church of the Otherworld and get himself taken to their territory.”

Beatrice frowned. "That's certainly true. It's a thought that any normal person would have. So we should always be vigilant and guard against any potential temptations. Besides reminding the formal mages to strictly discipline themselves, the only way is to give each of them a Light Elemental..."

"No, teacher. You and all those in the temple have fallen into a misconception."

Actually... Xia Zuo was a little speechless.

The old men of the inner and outer sanctuaries, including Rexor, Cerestus, Crestor, Beatrice, and Seresporina, were all born in the Middle Ages and had never been exposed to the culture and laws of modern civilization. When faced with illegality and crime, each of them had only one thought:

Torture, extreme punishment, is not open to negotiation.

Even in the Silvermoon Federation's restrictive laws, the word "surrender" is nowhere to be found. Anyone who makes a mistake must be severely punished, even if they did not act with malicious intent, even if they did not harm others, and even if they voluntarily confess their mistakes and beg for forgiveness.

Imagine if the Temple's inquisition had been willing to consider leniency after criminals surrendered, many tragedies could have been avoided.

But the old folks didn't know, and couldn't even imagine, this...

In their eyes, only those of similar status deserve understanding and forgiveness. This is vividly exemplified in Nyxat.

Convincing such a group of stubborn old men to "surrender" is almost impossible; this is a limitation imposed by their birth and upbringing.

It took Xia Zuo a lot of effort to make Beatrice, who was born into a medieval noble family, understand the benefits of turning herself in.

“I think I understand what you mean, Xia Zuo. Now that I think about it, it’s true what you said. If the official mages of Tambus State could surrender to the action team, not only would Tambus State be spared from disaster, but the Temple would also be able to capture the demons lurking in the state in time.” Beatrice rubbed her throbbing temples. What the other party said was too shocking, and she needed to calm down.

She picked up her teacup, took a sip, rested for a moment, and then asked, "But what does turning yourself in have to do with the sub-dimensional portal?"

There is a gap between these two things that is roughly the size of an undergraduate sociology course.

The release of monsters is not simply about strengthening the vigilance of the residents of the Starry Night Kingdom; its impact is far more complex.

This involves many things, such as the breaking down of social classes, new profitable business projects, the reshaping of residents' values ​​and worldviews, and the spontaneous changes in residents' habits and customs.

Each of these issues, taken individually, would trigger a series of social problems.

When these problems all come at once, given the existing operating mechanism of the Starry Night Kingdom, it will most likely cause chaos, and then Beatrice will have to dispatch the academy mages to solve them, using the academy mages' merciless magic to suppress them.

But don't forget the existence of bloodline power. When the time comes, those who rebel against the academy's mages will not only be ordinary people and warriors who have taken illegal breathing techniques.

It is worth noting that more than 80% of the bloodline awakeners on Beatrice's list were awakened outside the academy.

“Teacher, I see someone on the list. There was a three-month gap between when he awakened his bloodline power and when he entered the academy, right?” Xia Zuo asked, taking out the parchment scroll.

“Yes. He comes from the most remote part of the western part of the kingdom.” Beatrice looked worried, as if she understood the connection between surrendering and the sub-dimensional portal.

Xia Zuo said, "In the current peaceful situation of the kingdom, it can take up to three months for an Awakener who awakens their bloodline power outside the academy to be accepted into the academy. Imagine how much longer the time interval for the academy to accept Awakeners would be if monsters were released and the kingdom fell into turmoil?"

Beatrice sighed softly, "Under those circumstances, those bloodline awakeners who awakened on the kingdom's borders might never enter the academy."

Beatrice pressed her forehead. "I think I've realized where I went wrong. My long absence from the kingdom's affairs made me forget the thorny problems the kingdom encountered over 20 years ago when it expanded its territory. Back then, many young men and women with the spiritual ocean's potential were lured by native rebels and joined the resistance against the Starry Night Kingdom. Among them were quite a few with innate affinity. This was something that once filled me with regret and heartache..."

Beatrice shuddered, then looked up at Xia Zuo. "Oh! I see, Xia Zuo. I see. This is the benefit of turning yourself in. They didn't have to be executed..."

A tear welled up in Beatrice's eye. She immediately closed her eyes, gently covered them with her right hand, and took a few deep breaths.

Xia Zuo said in a soft voice:

"When a lamb goes astray but has not yet committed a grave error, we should appropriately forgive his sins and save him from the abyss of depravity."

"The subdimensional portal built atop the Storm Mountains will become a world-renowned spectacle."

"It is an authoritative symbol of the academy, but it should not become a burden on the hearts of those whose bloodlines have awakened. Rather, it is a sacred place, a light that guides the sinful lambs back from their wrong paths."

Chapter 6 Spirit Splitting Technique

After hearing Xia Zuo's words, Beatrice also made up her mind to establish a sub-plane passage in the Storm Mountains.

Authority, cohesion, model, trump card. Xia Zuo explained the first three of the four words. The most difficult to grasp was the third word, "model".

What kind of operating model should we establish to achieve the ideal scenario?

This requires the designer of the model to have extensive management experience.

Xia Zuo himself couldn't do it; only Beatrice could.

The task of designing patterns was entrusted to Beatrice. It is believed that after understanding the connotation and significance of the sub-plane channel, she will design a pattern that can both demonstrate the authority of the academy and foster cohesion.

The fourth word is "trump card".

The principle behind creating a sub-plane is the same as that of crafting a spatial pocket; a sub-plane itself is a spatial pocket with an extremely large internal space.