Xingtie: Starting with an in-depth analysis of the Yellow Springs

[Naka: ...That's true, I agree.]

[Xia Die: Your Excellency, you are the first person to get Teacher Xia's approval. You're truly amazing.]

[Zhe: Don't even mention Xing, my sister doesn't match either.]

Paimon: And the Traveler too!

Bronya: Kiana can't be left out either.

[Qingque: This...is this some kind of glorious competition? Why do we all have to compete?]

[Ling: Brother! I'm ignoring you. Hey, did you guys hear that? At that moment, Teacher Xia said he shattered his own soul, his soul!]

[Ying: Just thinking about it hurts. There really is only a fine line between madness and genius.]

[The Robin: The madman is on the right, the genius on the left, and the brother is in the middle, therefore he is the emperor!]

[Sunday: Thank you for the compliment, sister. But I'd like to know where you learned that. In the beginning…!]

[Walter: I had the privilege of speaking with Naksha; his wisdom is not to be underestimated. Had he not been born in Onphalus, he would at least be a renowned scholar.]

Chapter 316 The Untold Story of Reason and Romance

He relayed Xia Die's words from that moment.

"That was Teacher Xia? That's quite a lot of information... Sorry, let me digest this." Xia Die fell into deep thought, sorting through the information.

Xing reminded him, "He said his name was Anaxagoras."

"This...don't worry about it too much. I don't know why, but he's particularly concerned about his full name."

He believed that all things originated from the same source and shared the same composition: the soul. He named it the "Intelligent Species"...

The good news is that everyone in Tree Garden has been evacuated in advance, allowing them to focus solely on finding the spark. Therefore, they must set off for the Throne of Enlightenment.

That's where the fire of Serhith is kept, at the top of the giant tree.

After sorting through what they had found, the gate gears started turning automatically; it turned out that the message was also a key.

Head to the Throne of Enlightenment.

Arriving at an altar, the air echoed with the voices of the Titans. A statue stood there, resembling an old man draped in a long robe, seated in meditation…

A group of people explored, and a divine echo resonated: romance.

The golden cocoon, the Tower of Mene. A clever scheme, a preordained union of lovers. You are the purest beauty, the most turbid desire.

[Fufu: Wait a minute, why is there a romantic divine echo in the place of the Rational Titan? Could there be some big news?]

[Star: Reason and romance, at that moment Xia and Aglaia...you wouldn't...]

[That Summer: Ha, don't put me and that woman together, it makes me uncomfortable.]

[Aglaia: One of the Seven Sages of the Tree Court, your emotional intelligence is the opposite of your scholarship; you disdain oracles, yet you are still at the mercy of fate.]

[Fireworks: Ah~~~]

[Xia Die: Um, it's best not to offend Teacher Xia and Lady Aglaia. They don't get along, and I'm afraid it might cause unnecessary trouble.]

[Rin: I dare say they are absolutely the people who know each other best.]

[Nakexia: That's right. She's constantly monitoring me with golden threads. I suspect she has some kind of peculiar fetish.]

[Bai E: Uh… Teacher Xia, you'd better say less.]

Xing thought for a moment, then reached out and tapped the statue.

"Ah... even so, the stubborn rock cannot speak." A mellow, mature female voice echoed.

A woman wearing a withered yellow dress, with branches growing from her head, is suspended above the ground.

"Whoa—who—?!" Mimi was so startled that her hair stood on end.

She chuckled, "Hehe...this little rabbit is so lively, and it has a familiar scent."

"Hey! Monster, take this!" Xing shouted.

"What an impatient child... You can't eat hot oatmeal porridge if you're in a hurry."

[Bluebird: It seems like a bountiful creation, with branches on its head and a skirt like withered leaves. Could it be that Onphalus possesses abundant power?]

[Yanqing: The hunting arrows will surely arrive!]

[Cersei: Hold on, everyone. The time for revealing your true colors has not yet come. Why harbor such malice?]

[Star: Hiding your face and revealing your true form... It can't be you, can it? Rational Titan Sersis, I've seen this trick a million times.]

[Cerseis: The wise child is I.]

[That Moment Summer: Ha.]

Xia Die clenched her fist, death gathering in her palm. "...Who are you? Keep your distance, identify yourself, or face the consequences."

She closed her eyes, but her senses remained unaffected. "The aura of Cenatos... I recognize you. The goddess of death of Aederia is renowned."

"Since you understand, then stop challenging the authority of death—answer my question."

"Hehe, all bared teeth and claws...how cute. Call me Calypso, and on behalf of the Seven Sages and the Lotus Food School, I extend my greetings to you all."

"Hello, teacher!" Xing thought she was a scholar from the Tree Garden.

Xia Die whispered a reminder in her ear, "Be careful, Xing... Although the owner of the Lotus Food School has never shown his true face, this person should not be trusted easily."

"Yinwei couldn't sense her presence just now. If it really was a phantom, it's too bizarre. But if she's deceased, I should be able to sense it..."

"...Let me examine her."

Calypso looked over. "Gentlemen, would you mind if I joined this private conversation?"

Xia Die declined, "It's better to skip it. It's a bit too intimate to join our conversation without even showing your true form."

"However, I will ask you a question next, so please answer truthfully—if you can answer fluently, then we will temporarily consider you not an enemy."

"A quiz? Very well, I like it, please." Calypso wasn't worried; as a rational Titan, no one, except one person, dared to question her wisdom.

Xia Die asked, "What is the topic of the final round of the 752nd Grand Debate?"

"Should a flying arrow be in motion or stationary?"

"Who is the representative of your school of thought?"

"Medea, against the White Evil of the School of the Wise."

Who is the winner?

“No one won—because that debate competition was never held.” Calypso answered fluently, knowing even more details than Xiaodie.

"What I just described was the outcome of the previous competition. The winner was Bai E, who has now won the debate championship for ten consecutive years. Furthermore, to dispel any doubts you may have, I'll add some information that's even more useful than that grand debate competition—"

"The Xia of the School of Wisdom was not yet dead, and I have saved him. He is now recuperating well at the Throne of Enlightenment... How is it? Are you satisfied?"

Xia Die's eyes widened in disbelief... She actually knew more details than she did, including what Teacher Xia did at that moment?

Calypso chuckled, "Heh heh, this dumbfounded look... is even more endearing than before."

"As the saying goes, seeing is believing. You two come with me, and we'll take a look at the throne together."

Xia Die: "...I'll be keeping an eye on you at all times."

Although she answered fluently, her identity was still unknown, and a single statement could not guarantee that she was not an enemy.

"Oh, it's an honor." She didn't seem to mind.

[Xia Die: Lord Serhis, I apologize for my intrusion.]

[Cersei: It's alright. I actually find you quite adorable, young lady. A little caution is a good thing.]

[Xing: Bai E, you're quite the expert! Ten-time consecutive debate champion, you must be very eloquent.]

[Bai E: Well… you didn’t even ask. My eloquence is just average, it’s just that I happen to always manage to leave Wan Di speechless, so he can only compete with me in other areas.]

[Wan Di: You're quite the smooth talker; even when you lose, you can make it sound like you were slightly inferior.]

[Bai E: Ha, if you're not convinced, come and argue. Let me see if your Xuanfeng Dictionary even has any words.]

[That summer: My student, aside from being abandoned by Meneta, is of good character, intellect, and patience.]

[Wan Di: He can conjure up fictional histories at will, but real history is out of the question. What outsiders call him... a fictional historian.]

[Gallach: Ahem, don't generalize, although I'm no longer one of them.]

[Paimon: I originally thought Bai Er was a sunny and cheerful young man, but I didn't expect him to be proficient in appraisal, debate, and combat. He truly deserves to be called the savior.]

[Star: I'm pretty good too, okay? I've never lost a debate, come at me if you dare. @Scott]

Scott: Thank you so much! No one else would think of me like this, I'm so touched.

Chapter 317 Calypso

Calypso looked at the waterwheel. “If you make it turn, you can climb the steps… The answer is to awaken this heart.”

Above the altar, a heart shaped like a withered yellow flower bud remained unopened.

The waterwheel stopped operating.

The group descended via a circular platform through a corridor.

A familiar scene came into view. Xia Die asked, "Is that... the Weeping Cleansing Room?"

"What do you want with us here?"

“What I think is clear at a glance…” Calypso gestured, “Do you see that shallow pond over there? Water lilies grow in that water, which were first watered by Cecis with tears and nurtured by Meneta with the love of friendship. They are a token of the eternal companionship of the two gods.”

"Please, you two, cross the deep well and bring me the golden branch and the oath; that will be enough."

Mimi couldn't help but speak up, "...Xiao Ka, you're being so difficult to understand. Basically, you just want us to bring that flower, right?"

"Could this deep well be a trap...?" Xing leaned forward, estimating the height.

Xia Die warned, "You can take it, but I advise you not to bother with any other schemes."

"Alas, I have relieved your worries and troubles, yet I receive no reward?" Calypso said in a wronged tone.

"Moreover, this thing is also crucial for awakening the heart and drawing out the water source. If we fail to find it this time, we will be trapped here forever and unable to escape."

Mimi was confused by her words. "What do you mean? Are you going to cling to us and lock us up here forever?"

Calypso laughed, "Heh heh, not at all. We're just two grasshoppers on the same string."

"However, to say that I have no ulterior motives would be utter nonsense. Hmm, it's better to use this statement to clarify things..."

"Right now, I merely wish to take this opportunity to test the mettle of the two of you. So, are you sincere enough?"

"Checking the quality... that's such a direct reason," Mimi complained.

After back and forth, the two decided to give it a try. If there was any danger, Xia Die would immediately unleash the power of death.

[Ring: Calypso's way of speaking is so strange, it feels like he's somewhere between colloquial and classical Chinese.]

[Star: Exactly! Can't you just explain it clearly?]

[Cersei: Ah, you even want to take away the way I speak! Scholarship pursues inclusiveness, but it cannot abandon tradition.]

[Silver Wolf: How boring. Another time, we have to decipher code to obtain important tokens. I can already predict how things will unfold.]

[Firefly: We're not the characters you control in a game. Every choice we make is crucial. Besides, Starbaby has to save a world.]

[Fu Xuan: I have a question. Doesn't Mimi know how to fly? Why not just let it go and get the golden water lily?]

[Star: Yeah!]

[Cersei: Heh, if it were that simple, there would be no test. You should just go with the flow.]

Through the power of the Miracle Orb and the Prayer of Time, the group overcame numerous obstacles and obtained the Golden Branch Oath, which is the golden water lily.

As something associated with Titans, such behavior would normally be considered reprehensible.

Shortly after it was picked, Calypso floated over from the side, "Ah, beautiful, radiant... just like it was back then."

"Huh?!" Mimi perked up her ears, put her hands on her hips angrily, and said, "Xiao Ka, my heart is already so small, don't suddenly pop out and scare me, okay... This is the second time!"

"Okay. Sorry, little pink bunny."

Mimi was annoyed. "Is it another pink bunny this time? People really are all-encompassing when it comes to species..."