Walnut used me to boost her sales performance.

Although they were soldiers of the Fools, they were not the kind of people who would shout for battle at will; they were here for a reason.

"We're adventurers who stumbled upon this place. We'd like to ask what's going on with that terrifying hole in the sky? It looks so scary, is the end of the world coming..."

"The end of the world? What nonsense are you talking about!"

The soldiers, though seemingly foolish, were quite disdainful of Jiang Bai's ignorant statement, but they didn't hesitate to tell him the truth.

This is no secret.

To prevent these adventurers from having wild thoughts and creating panic.

"That thing, which the Sumeru people call the 'Celestial Phenomenon of Burning Truth,' is not actually a hole in the ground; it's just an illusory projection."

"Huh! It's all an illusion!"

Jiang Bai truly hadn't expected this; he thought the sky had actually cracked open.

"Don't worry, the celestial phenomenon reflects the view outside the rift. Monsters can't enter Teyvat through this illusion. The Board of Supervisors should be the ones worrying about these things. You adventurers should just go back to where you came from; this is a forbidden area for the Board of Supervisors..."

The foolish soldiers simply drove the people away, not wanting to waste any more words with them.

"Wait a minute, I have another question. We saw a huge sinkhole earlier, and it seemed to connect to this terrifying place. What was that?"

"You're talking about the Black Abyss of Mud, right? That's been around for a long time. Most of the dark monsters in the calamity five hundred years ago came from there, but it was sealed away long ago. The reason you find it terrifying is simply because of the filthy power that flows from it."

The fool turned to two idle soldiers and ordered, "Go, take them out."

Jiang Bai was a little confused by his actions.

When did these fools become so kind as to send them out?

"No need, no need, we can leave on our own."

Jiang Bai had no intention of letting this fool send him off, and quickly led Hu Tao and Aite toward the exit of the Cangshi Desert.

Are we just going to leave like this?

"Of course not, there's a ley line anchor over there, let's set up camp there first."

Jiang Bai planned to return to Jingshan Palace to tell Naxida what had happened there and ask about the doubts that had been lingering in his mind.

His intuition told him that the celestial phenomenon of burning truth was definitely not that simple.

Instead of slowly searching for the Flower Goddess's backup plan that Felicity mentioned, it would be better to just ask Narcida directly.

Even if she didn't fully inherit the memories of the Great Tree King, she should still be able to find these answers in the World Tree.

The camp was quickly set up, and Jiang Bai gave Hu Tao a few instructions before disappearing from sight.

Hu Tao sat outside the tent, looking up at the sky, which was mostly obscured by tall rocks, her brows furrowed with worry.

Perhaps this really is just a phantom projection, but even projections always have a source.

In places unseen by them, countless crises seem to be emerging that could affect the entire world.

How long can this peace last?

Aite, who was also observing the celestial phenomena, turned his head and said, "Master Hu, you seem very worried."

"I am worried about the unknown future."

"Actually, there's no need to worry too much. There's a saying that goes something like, 'You can't stop an army, you can't block a flood...' If disaster strikes again one day, we can just deal with it the same way we did 500 years ago."

Aite takes it all in stride.

Desert sands never think that far ahead; they are swept along by the rolling yellow sand, and the scarcity of water and food is the biggest crisis.

They don't have many tomorrows, only today where they strive to survive.

Regardless of whether any unknown disasters may occur, it's always good to live each day to the fullest.

Hu Tao was amused by his clumsy words, and her worried mood eased considerably.

"There's a saying: 'When soldiers come, generals will block them; when water comes, earth will dam it.' But you're right, we're certainly no worse than our ancestors from 500 years ago!"

Chapter 795 I Hate Riddlers! [Happy New Year!]

Jiang Bai arrived at Jingshan Palace and faced Naxi Da once again.

"Is there some problem this time?"

Nasita's gaze was filled with kindness, like that of a gentle elder.

This contrast between his physical and mental state made Jiang Bai feel quite uncomfortable.

"There are indeed quite a few problems. And they all involve the world's hidden secrets."

"Oh?"

Naxida's expression became much more serious.

"It seems you've traveled to quite a few places recently."

“That’s right. I went to Mount Dama, met the spirit named Feligis, and entered the Eternal Oasis. I obtained a lot of important information there.”

Jiang Bai repeated Feligis's words, which made Nasida fall into deep thought.

"I'm sorry, this information isn't in my memory. I only learned it from you..."

She went through a cycle of reincarnation, but few memories of the previous cycle remained.

Although the World Tree records all the information in this world, there is simply too much information. Unless you deliberately search for it, it is difficult to find the important information by chance.

"The records of the ancient past in the World Tree have been sealed."

"Just as you guessed, the master of the sky blurred that history, and all those who knew the truth, like the fairy race, were cursed and lost their minds."

Even now, she cannot obtain any information about that past from the World Tree.

"Well, it wasn't really unexpected."

Jiang Bai felt that the old man should know about this past, or even have experienced it personally. After all, he had lived for more than six thousand years, so he would know more or less about it.

However, he was bound by the contract and could not say anything.

"However, my memories of the goddess of flowers are complete."

Jiang Bai pricked up his ears, ready to listen attentively as Naxida recounted the story of the Flower Goddess.

"She once asked me three questions. She asked me: 'What is something that is as cold as an inanimate object when it is alive, but can bring a warm breeze to people after it is gone?'"

Jiang Bai subconsciously followed the line of thought regarding this question, but couldn't come up with any answer at all.

I replied to her: "The roses of late spring fade quickly."

"what?"

Jiang Bai looked completely bewildered.

Does the rose have anything to do with this question?

"Even though it is full of thorns, its fragrance cannot be concealed. The flowers are picked to make rich perfumes, and the stems are cut to make the wicks for oil lamps."

"Throughout history, countless lovers have been captivated by her beauty, and even the most powerful kings have been enamored with her alluring charm. Yet, the rose has never longed for anyone; it merely withers away with the new moon and morning dew."

Listening to Naxida's explanation, Jiang Bai felt that it made some sense, but something seemed off.

Why does it feel like it's foreshadowing something, or referring to something?

Seeing Jiang Bai's confusion, Naxida took the initiative to explain:

"My answer to this question is actually about the goddess of flowers herself."

Having said all that, there's really no need for Nasita to provide a further explanation.

The goddess of flowers is asking herself questions, while the Great Tree King foretells her future.

Jiang Bai had mixed feelings. "Is this how all you riddle tellers talk?"

Nasida covered her mouth and chuckled, "Perhaps this is a riddle for you."

"Alright, what's the second question?"

"What rises from the earth and falls from the sky, unseen by anyone, yet gazes upon everything? Its upper part is just as its lower part is as its upper part, yet it can only descend from above, never from below?"

Hearing this question, Jiang Bai felt completely confused.

I replied to her, "It is the righteous law established by Heaven, a sacred plan forged in the beginning."

"So, is there some other hidden secret here?"

"Let me finish with her third question. The third question is:"

What can withstand destruction but not arrows? What can break armor but not city walls?

It neither submits to the messengers of the heavens nor yields to the nations of the earth; neither gods nor demons, even with their utmost efforts, can defeat it.

I said, "It is inexhaustible wisdom."

"These three questions: first, she was asking about my wisdom; second, she was asking how I viewed those taboo secrets; and third, she was asking about my stance."

Jiang Bai: (°Д°)?

Is what you heard the same thing as what I heard?

Do these three questions really imply these things? I don't understand anything they mean.

Jiang Bai fell into self-doubt.

Fortunately, Nasita quickly provided an explanation.

"She is dissatisfied with the rule of the heavens and does not believe that human civilization needs to be confined under the control of heavenly principles. She harbors wild ideas of liberating human thought... These presumptuous thoughts cannot be known to the heavens and can only be expressed in what you consider to be a riddle..."

Jiang Bai really didn't know what to say. In front of these two wise gods, he felt like an idiot.

The meaning of the Flower Goddess is that he didn't taste anything at all.

However, the stance of the Great Tree King back then is self-evident; just look at the alliance the three gods formed afterward.

"Didn't she consider the consequences when she guided the Red King to learn forbidden knowledge?"

"Her vision is longer than any of ours."

"I don't understand, what was the point of all her scheming? The Crimson King died, you used all your power to seal away forbidden knowledge, and then used reincarnation as the price to delete it. What else did forbidden knowledge bring besides calamity?"

If the goal is to shatter God's delusions and make people think of leaving God and relying on themselves, in the end, isn't it still God who solves the problem?

Jiang Bai really couldn't understand it.

"Perhaps these questions will be answered in the future."

Narcida couldn't answer that question either. She wasn't the wise goddess she was; her knowledge was limited, she couldn't decipher its meaning, and she couldn't see into the distant past.

She once told me: "The untouchables bring gray death, and black waves wash over the banks of life."

The rebirth of plants and animals will rise up alongside mortals to repel wave after wave of perilous tides.

"She had long foreseen the calamity that would occur and entrusted me with half of her power, the [Aura]. It is a power of the same origin as the Heavenly Nail, capable of purifying that filthy power."

The noble mistress of the flowers from the sky had foreseen the calamity; she saw the deaths of the Lord of Dew and the Lord of Plants and Trees, and made all the necessary arrangements in advance.

“Five hundred years ago, when the Black Abyss engulfed all living beings, in the Sea of ​​Dew that the former Water God had transformed into, ten thousand kinds of Mother Trees were born. The divine bird Seymourne, which I sculpted with spiritual light, shattered its divine form and sealed the passage from the Abyss, thus fulfilling its mission…”

The more Jiang Bai listened, the more confused he became.

Did the Goddess of Flowers foresee this even thousands of years after her death?

First, it guided the Red King to pursue forbidden knowledge and open up channels for it. Then, it gave him the power to stop the spread of forbidden knowledge.

Even the death of the water god was probably part of her plan...

If all of this is meant to guide humanity to awaken to self-awareness, whether or not they have awakened is unknown, but in the end, God has to save the day.

If it was to take revenge on the master of the sky, then how did the master of the sky suffer as a result?

On the contrary, the creatures living on the earth paid an unimaginable price in this calamity.

I don't understand, I really don't understand.

Chapter 796 Suddenly It Became Scientific

Seeing the emotions that were almost written all over Jiang Bai's face, Naxi Da sighed.

"Many things are indistinguishable as good or bad at the time; only by standing outside the long river of time can one glimpse their purpose."