Franca looked at Lumian, asking expectantly, âWhat do you mean?â
Lumian, now completely comfortable, glanced at Anthony and Jenna before focusing back on Francaâs recliner.
âWe all know that there are great existences occupying several adjacent pathways in this world, like Mr. Fool and the Celestial Worthy at the top of the Apprentice, Seer, and Marauder pathways. Then thereâs the Great Mother, who is at the top of the Moon, Earth, and Villain pathways.
âSo, if the phrase âto approach the way of heavenâ indeed means adjusting oneself to get closer to the bestower and actively seeking boons, then in this context, what does the âway of heavenâ represent? Top of which pathways?â
Franca pondered for a moment before replying, âFrom our current understanding of the twenty-two pathways, the Hunter pathway definitely represents âyang,â while the Demoness pathway might represent âyin.â It could also be the Earth or Moon pathway. Considering the symbol of âyang,â âyinâ here likely refers to the Demoness pathway.â
Franca only knew that the Hunter pathway could transform a woman into a man.
She was unsure if the Earth or Moon pathways could turn a man into a woman, classifying them as âyinâ based on their association with nurturing, reproduction, and growth.
âSo, in these sentences, the âway of heavenâ refers to the top of the Hunter and Demoness pathways?â Jenna asked, following Lumian and Francaâs train of thought.
âProbably,â Franca nodded emphatically. âThe knowledge in Mr. Starâs document might explain how to correctly understand the contradiction, opposition, transformation, and unity of âyinâ and âyang.â Then, through oneâs behavior and necessary external help, harmonize yin and yang to the greatest extent to approach the corresponding way of heaven, that is, the great existences at the top of the Demoness and Hunter pathways, and obtain boons.â
Lumian chuckled. âHaving reached this point in the analysis, what comes to mind?â
Jenna was momentarily stunned and blurted out, âThe joining of the Blood Emperor and the Primordial Demoness?â
âBarely keeping up with my thoughts,â Lumian half-praised, half-mocked. âWeâve always wondered why the Blood Emperor and the Primordial Demoness would cooperate. As true gods of adjacent pathways, shouldnât They be mortal enemies? Madam Magician told me that choosing a pathway determines your enemies and friends.â
Arenât you two from adjacent pathways and still not enemies? Havenât you shared a bed? Franca glanced at Lumian and Jenna, feeling a slight twinge of jealousy as she lampooned.
During such moments, she often felt that her Affliction potion had digested a bit.
Of course, she knew that this enmity mainly applied to the higher levels.
Lumian continued, âThe seal on the convergence effect from Mr. Door might just be a technical detail on how itâs done, not the cause or purpose.â
âThe goal of the Blood Emperor and the Primordial Demoness is to join the body with the way of heaven?â Franca expanded her thoughts from âto approach the way of heaven,â using a concept from her previous life that she felt was more appropriate.
Lumian, Jenna, and Anthony looked at Franca, more or less confused.
What does merging the body with the way of heaven mean?
Sensing her companionsâ confusion, Franca scratched her ponytail and tried to explain, âIt means uniting with the so-called way of heaven⊠Uh, an imprecise analogy would be usurping a true godâs position, not replacing a true god but the great existence represented by the way of heaven.â
âThen why donât the Primordial Demoness and Blood Emperor directly kill each other and devour the otherâs Beyonder characteristics to unify yin and yang?â
Anthony questioned.
Thereâs no need for them to consummate to give birth to two children!
Franca thought for a few seconds. âMaybe they need to harmonize before unifying? At least thatâs what the sentences suggestâŠ
âIn other words, the Blood Emperor and Primordial Demoness had to combine first, adjust their state, get close to the way of heaven, and then enter the unification stage. So, They had to temporarily cooperate while preparing to betray each other once they achieved Their goalsâŠ
âWhat do they call this? The first sword upon reaching the shore cuts down those around you!â
Lumian and the others were used to Francaâs sudden nonsensical remarks and patiently waited for her to continue.
Franca suddenly laughed. âItâs also possible that the Blood Emperor and Primordial Demoness came across similar knowledge but, due to a lack of proper training and understanding, They naively thought combining yin and yang meant the Hunter and Demoness pathways had to be physically united; this resulted in Them producing some children.
âWhat do they call this? This is what happens when cultures donât communicate well! Uh, itâs not exactly wrong, just somewhat narrow-minded, overlooking other possible approaches.â
As Jenna started to feel uneasy, relating to her own experience, Lumian sarcastically remarked, âIâve always said that redheads and thick-heads need to read more and study hard.â
As soon as Lumian finished speaking, Franca and Jenna glared at him furiously.
âI donât think itâs a misunderstanding. Even if the Blood Emperor, being half-mad, didnât fully grasp the meaning of unifying yin and yang, He had top-tier Cryptologists around Him,â Anthony expressed a different view, referring to Amon, the grand duke of the Tudor Empire and Angel of the Marauder pathway.
Lumian mused aloud,âDid you forget that one of Amonâs titles is the âGod of Mischiefâ?
âMaybe He wanted to see such a development.â
âDo you resonate with Amonâs mindset because youâre a trickster tooâŠâ Franca muttered softly.
Jenna nodded.âSo, the special mirror world is a byproduct of the Blood Emperor and Primordial Demonessâs attempt to unify yin and yang to approach the way of heaven?
âOr a necessary creation for occupying the way of heaven, similar to High-Sequence advancement rituals?â
âWe canât draw conclusions yet, but the direction seems right.â Franca took out a dark red fountain pen from her Travelerâs Bag and wrote the translated sentences under different headings on her thigh.
She thoughtfully interpreted individual characters based on sentence structure, text shape, and reasonable assumptions. Finally, she organized their discussion into a report, appended it to the document, and sent it to the Major Arcana card holder as a reference instead of a conclusion.
Phew⊠Having completed this task, Franca breathed a sigh of relief.
âThe gains from summoning Armored Shadow this time were greater than I expected. Now we can confirm that Resurrection Island is Penglai divine mountain, and Harrison is the corpse that drifted from Penglai!â
Franca was somewhat disappointed that there was still no definitive evidence proving that Underworld Daoist and Harrisonâs world was the same as the one they had transmigrated from-similar language, culture, and appearance were not sufficient premises for inference.
She planned to ask Armored Shadow directly next time if it had heard of the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings, the culprit behind their transmigration!
Anthony, who knew little about Armored Shadow, Penglai, and the so-called river, was confused but understood the importance of Resurrection Island and Harrison, which the Major Arcana card holders were also interested in.
âHarrison died and was resurrected? As expected from someone from Resurrection Island⊠Why did Resurrection Island disappear from Underworld Daoistâs world?
âBased on Harrisonâs words to the Demon Warlock, people from Resurrection Island have been active in our world for a long timeâŠ
âDid Resurrection Island disappear from its original world because it transmigrated here? Can it now communicate with its original world?â Jenna finally understood Francaâs shock at seeing the corresponding illusion after asking the second question.
She suddenly froze, feeling she shouldnât analyze in this direction.
Francaâs eyes lit up. âItâs possible!â
She then left the armchair, paced back and forth, and said angrily, âDamn, why didnât we lure Harrison out this time!â
Although she realized that the visitor from Resurrection Island might be more dangerous than expected, they had Madam Magician overseeing their visit to the Samaritan Womenâs Spring this time.
âOur main task now is to find Harrison or the Mirror Person, Palia.â Lumian stood up and spoke with the demeanor of a team leader.
Mirror Person Palia was the mineralogist, Jasmine.
Before Franca and the others could respond, he added, âI also need to start gathering supplementary ingredients for the Iron-blooded Knight.â
âWe can also gather ingredients for the Demoness of Despair. With no clear leads to track for now, we have plenty of free time,â Franca agreed.
Anthony said, âIâll do my best on this task, but I have another one as well.â
âJoining the Psychology Alchemists?â Franca asked curiously.
âThatâs a long-term task,â Anthony explained briefly. âMaâam Hermitâs Minor Arcana card, the Knight of Swords, is in Trier and needs help from a Beyonder of the Spectator pathway. Madam Justice recommended me.â
âWhat kind of help?â Lumian asked.
Anthony shook his head. âWe havenât met yet.â
Lumian nodded. âFeel free to ask for help if needed.â
âŠ
In a wooden house on the Southern Continent.
The Star leaned back in his chair, staring blankly at the paper and pen on the table.
Suddenly, a brilliant starry light appeared before him, forming a dazzling door.
The door opened, and Madam Magician stepped out, holding a letter from Franca.