Chapter 184: The Essence of Faith-Based Magic

“Is that so…”

It seems that competition follows closely with the dense web of social relationships, especially in places like the Theological Hall, where elites strive for the top, making it particularly intense.

Miss White Fox nodded slightly and glanced down at the little loli beside her, who seemed to understand half of what was going on. After a moment of thought, she shifted her gaze away from the eliminated participant and walked straight into the territory known as the “Council Chamber,” where the winds of change converged.

To be honest, the setup inside was slightly simpler than what Vilyric had imagined; there weren’t any flashy decorations, just a raised platform at the front, a lectern, and some equipment.

Opposite them, where Miss White Fox and the others sat, hundreds of fixed seats were already filled to capacity, with more people standing in the relatively empty area at the back to listen.

Yet even so, they showed no signs of dissatisfaction or complaints; instead, they focused their attention on the topic presented by the young speaker, engaging in lively discussions.

“I can’t believe it, it’s already the year 1377 of the new calendar, and there are still people aiming at the ley lines. Do they really think it’s some kind of endless, convenient energy source?”

“That’s not entirely fair; ley lines are indeed a very rich and pure energy source. If we don’t consider the recycling aspect, what he just mentioned might not be unworkable…”

“Nonsense! What a ridiculous premise! You know you have to consider recycling, so what’s the difference between digging into the ley lines and digging your own grave? Are you wanting to experience the scenery of the Northern Snow Country in the Holy Capital ahead of time?”

“Come on now, don’t get angry. Isn’t it clear to everyone what the issue is? Look at his age; he probably just joined the Theological Hall and rushed into research without fully checking his materials. This kind of thing isn’t a first.”

“Hmph, so eager for results, neglecting the fundamentals; utterly foolish!”

The next speaker hadn’t yet taken the stage, but those seasoned researchers around were already tearing apart the previous speaker’s proposal, showing their disdain.

Still, although Vilyric only overheard the final summary, she could roughly infer the main points the young scholar was expressing; it involved exploiting the rich energy beneath the ley lines for daily needs, production, military, and so on, in order to significantly reduce costs.

Anyone who’s experienced the overwhelming energy of the ley lines would probably entertain similar thoughts.

But this was clearly out of the question; it’s not an exaggeration to say it’s akin to digging one’s own grave.

Back in the Valley of Magic in the Illusion Realm, during the second of the Demon God’s three questions, Vilyric once read a particularly profuse book on ley line knowledge and applications in an enormous library whose location was unknown, which had greatly benefited Miss Priestess.

Thus, she was more aware than most about what mining the ley line truly meant.

Ley lines are the blood vessels of the world; their existence not only regulates the stability of elemental concentrations in the air but also brings seasonal changes along with the flow of magic, allowing climate, temperature, and humidity to remain in order.

If we consider a nation, extracting ley line energy recklessly day and night over a prolonged period may indeed produce visible profits and conveniences in the short term…

But as the theory of absolute energy conservation states, the total amount of magic in the ley lines is fixed. If the ley line energy in a certain area diminishes too rapidly, it will lead to a situation where other areas cannot replenish it in time, causing a deficit.

The depletion of ley line energy leads to a continued thinning of magic elements in the air, hindering the meditation of magic-related professions, draining the vitality from the land, causing plants to wither, and even disrupting the regularity of seasonal changes and climate—either plunging into a year-round scorched desert or becoming an eternal frozen land like the extreme northern snow country.

Until no being can inhabit it anymore.

Digging into ley lines is an utterly foolish act that should never be attempted; in fact, anyone caught trying to exploit the ley lines would likely be stopped and apprehended by local armed forces immediately.

Thus, the Summoner, who is now imprisoned in the “Domain of Portals,” Sylvania, secretly buried the broken Demon God jewel at an underground altar in a rarely traveled dark forest, fearing that her act of siphoning ley line magic would be discovered.

It’s the same principle.

It appears that the Council Chamber has no strict requirements for personnel. Or perhaps these seasoned scholars engrossed in research simply aren’t interested in things outside of academics.

Even when three young girls, especially one dressed as uniquely as Miss White Fox, or a little loli like Eudora, walked in confidently through the side door, not many people cast their eyes upon them; they remained engrossed in discussions about the previous speeches.

Which was convenient.

Finding a corner where not many could pay attention, the three girls stopped to quietly wait.

According to Edwina’s earlier statement, it seemed that speeches in the Council Chamber wouldn’t stop; hundreds of research societies in the Theological Hall needed to present within a single day, and the schedule was quite tight, so the next speaker would probably be on stage soon.

Vilyric had come to the Theological Hall intending merely to look around, without any particularly clear goals, so since she happened to stumble upon this annual report conference, it would be a shame to not listen to a few speeches.

Sure enough, about half a minute later, as the announcer’s voice boomed through with amplification magic, the new speaker stepped onto the platform.

She appeared to be a slightly gloomy girl, likely only around sixteen or seventeen years old by appearance.

“Um… why her?”

Upon hearing Miss White Fox’s faintly surprised murmur, Edwina instinctively turned her head.

“Miss Xī, do you know her? This one is quite a senior scholar in the Holy Academy, but her research…”

Vilyric shook her head.

Of course, she didn’t know the person, but previously, on the way to the Bamboo House, the three of them had had a brief encounter with this girl. She left a strong impression on Miss White Fox due to her distinct characteristics.

That girl wore the same uniform as the other scholars, her bangs long enough to nearly cover her panda-like dark circles. Her shoulder-length, somewhat messy short hair seemed as though she hadn’t bothered to groom it for the occasion, just throwing herself together and heading straight on stage.

But she was evidently not human.

Though disheveled, the strange hair that seemed to be composed of light itself, combined with the sapphire-like brilliant eyes that the bangs and thick dark circles couldn’t hide, all proved her noble lineage.

She was a Light Tribe girl.

Yet, just as Edwina seemed to know her, this Light Tribe scholar’s appearance didn’t generate much positive reaction in the hall; surrounding scholars whispered among themselves as though they were already familiar with her.

“Wow… it’s her? She hasn’t given up yet?”

“Right? I heard that after last year’s speech, funding for her research was completely cut off. Didn’t her research society dissolve yet?”

“Dissolve? That society has had only her as a member for three years now. What else could she do but stay?”

“Sigh, such is heresy! With such outstanding talents as a Light Tribe member, to engage in such blasphemous research, she doesn’t even know when to turn back after hitting a wall; utterly foolish!”

“There’s nothing to be done; the Theological Hall is like this. We might not support her, but we can’t stop her search for the truth, otherwise it’s just like…”

“Can that even be called truth? It’s blasphemy!”

The murmurs from below were loud, and before it even started, there were already boos echoing, but the girl, clearly from the Light Tribe yet with an air of gloom, seemed to not hear at all. After the announcer nodded, signaling her to start, she pulled out a thick stack of documents from her bag and spoke in a somewhat hoarse yet pleasant voice.

“Ella Light, I’m sure everyone knows me, so I won’t waste time on an introduction. Today, I will talk about the same topic again.”

The girl looked up and raised the thick paper in her hand towards the hundreds of audience members in front of her.

“Let’s discuss the essence of faith-based magic.”

   

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