RNP Page 79
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After getting dressed, she turned to look at Farn. Although still meditating, Farn had changed noticeably compared to the beginning—he was now bowing and greeting Riven in the House of Commons.
This person must have known all along that they were awake, and was pretending to meditate to tempt—or rather, to hint at—themselves, right?
Somewhat speechless, Riven still obediently came to Farn's side and hummed twice, telling herself to consider it "breakfast." Then she lowered her head and tried to bribe the House of Commons to wake Farn up sooner.
After a long while—"Phew, what a refreshing morning."
Stretching his limbs contentedly, Fain emerged from his room at the inn. Following behind, Riven simply wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief—Fain's size was such that even with his mouth wide open, some saliva would inevitably seep out with each thrust. Fortunately, the nutritious milk ultimately went deep into his mouth and into his stomach, so there was no worry about waste or lingering pleasure affecting other girls.
After finishing his reflections, Fain turned to Riven behind him with a smile: "And you? How are you feeling?"
"Not very good." Although she felt ashamed and embarrassed while doing it, Riven still upheld the virtues of a warrior in her daily life. Even when she felt pain and difficulty, she would never show weakness to her opponent. Instead, she gave Fain a defiant look, then, feeling Fain's unchanging smiling gaze, she looked away and quietly followed behind Fain, carrying her greatsword, acting as his so-called protector.
241·Returning to My Hometown
After reuniting, Farn and his group of four embarked on their journey to Presidium.
The journey wasn't long, as both Fane and Shen were trained and traveled at a fast pace. In addition, Ionia was at peace, so the group quickly arrived at Presidium from the banks of the Ipu River where Fane landed.
Presidium, located in the province of Navori, is the heart of this land and one of the most sacred places in Ionia. Not only Ionia, but also many scholars from overseas travel long distances to study diligently in its ancient academies or meditate peacefully in its flourishing, untamed magical gardens. It is precisely because of this unique cultural status that Presidium, although situated in Navori, is actually more independent; it is Presidium of Ionia, not Presidium of Navori.
Upon returning to Presidium, Farn did not immediately head to the Temple of Eternity, but instead chose to go to Flower Valley, the place where he had previously cultivated.
Neither Shen nor Jie objected to or questioned Fahn's request. In Ionia, the tradition of respecting teachers was deeply ingrained, and the Valley of Flowers, home to the dance master Sonia, was a sacred place in the hearts of every Ionian rhythmic being. For Fahn, a wanderer returning home, visiting his teacher upon his return was perfectly normal.
In fact, after hearing Faen's request, Shen and Jie both relaxed slightly. At least, they still respected their teacher, so even if Faen had some negative views of Noxus, it wouldn't lead him down a path of fanaticism.
The so-called Flower Valley is not actually a valley, but a temple nestled in a valley outside Presidium, filled with fragrant flowers and lush trees. Because of the different areas of study, it can also be called a 'sanctuary'. When Faen pushed open the gates of the Flower Valley temple, a group of people were practicing in the open space in the center of the temple. Most of them were girls, dancing to a melodious tune.
Although Riven had heard more than once before that Faen had trained in dance before mastering demonic power, to be honest, she didn't understand Ionian dance, or Faen's occasional mention of "in Ionia, dance and martial arts are intertwined." Now, while Riven didn't know the true extent of the power or terrifying destructive force within Ionian dance, even a 'rough' warrior like herself could now feel its breathtaking beauty.
As dawn broke, the dark blue light of the sky spilled over the eaves of the ancient temple, mingling with the dew and shrouding the old courtyard in a mother-of-pearl-like haze. And while the morning dew still clung to the tips of the grass, the snow-blue sleeves of the young men and women already pierced through the misty air.
A black-haired girl stood in the center of a circle formed by her senior brothers and sisters, her eyelashes glistening with tiny water droplets, each blink creating a shimmering light. This girl was none other than—even after months away from home, Fain recognized her at first glance as his junior sister, Irelia, the future protagonist of the Battle of Navori.
As Farn was still pondering, the girls' silk shoes trod across the bluestone, the accumulated night dew not splashing but instead reflecting the arches of their feet like silver plates supporting jade hairpins. A girl with a more graceful and mature figure twirled and flicked her sleeves, stirring up not dust but hundreds of dewdrops—these translucent spheres remained perfectly round in the air, arranging themselves into a fleeting star map with her dance.
At the same time, Irelia raised her hand, pulling out wisps of smoke like silkworms; when she bent her elbow, she kneaded these wisps of mist into blooming petals. The air currents created by the sisters' shifting positions caused the white mist in the courtyard to swirl and churn, forming a floating, iridescent film among the crowd, as if unseen spirits were using the boys and girls as shuttles and the morning mist as warp and weft to weave clouds hanging from the sky.
Even though it was her first time witnessing it, Riven couldn't help but hold her breath, her eyes filled with profound shock. Beside her, Shen and Jie also showed deep astonishment. However, their astonishment differed—Shen was alright; as the son of the master Kushuo, he had received an extremely high level of education and artistic training from a young age. While similar dances were exquisite and moving, it wasn't the first time Shen had seen them, and he could even detect subtle disharmony in the rhythm of these young men and women.
Jie, on the other hand, seemed to be seeing dancers move for the first time, his eyes filled with deep surprise. Clearly, it was also his first time seeing such a performance—Jie was still quite inexperienced, diligently training to catch up with Shen's progress. He lacked Shen's lingering charm, allowing him time to appreciate more art and beauty in his spare time.
While everyone was still admiring the sights, a mature woman sitting on the platform noticed the arrival of Faen and his group—or rather, she had known about their approach as they neared the Flower Valley Temple. Now, as the group entered the temple, her gaze fell upon Faen's location.
Feeling his teacher's gaze, Faen nodded slightly. Seeing this, the mature woman also nodded, tacitly remaining silent and waiting quietly for Faen's junior brothers and sisters to finish their morning exercises.
Before long, the morning ritual dance was drawing to a close. As she finished, Irelia bowed deeply, not to question her teachers, but to express her sincere gratitude to the unseen spirit of the flower valley, as the vermilion mark on her forehead touched the dew-soaked bluestone.
At that very moment, all the suspended dewdrops fell simultaneously, producing a harmonious resonance like that of chimes. The morning mist shrank into droplets and rolled onto the grass, while dust particles danced erratically. Only the wisps of steam rising from the sweat-drenched backs of the young men and women revealed the immense physical and mental exertion required for their seemingly effortless dance.
After finishing her silk dance, the still-inexperienced Irelia bowed slightly, breathing heavily. She looked at her respected teacher, expecting him to offer advice on technique as he had in the past, but instead, she saw her teacher's eyes looking to the side.
This puzzled Irelia, because in her memory, Professor Sonia always offered her thoughts and opinions after reviewing the documents. But why this time…?
Following the teacher's gaze, Irelia looked to the side and saw Fain. Having not seen him for some time, Fain's physique and posture had noticeably changed. However, his unique aura and the distribution of his features still gave Irelia a strong sense of familiarity. A flicker of excitement then appeared on her pretty face as she exclaimed, "Senior brother?!"
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I went to bed early yesterday and got up at six this morning to go to the hospital to be with my grandmother. They were originally planning to have surgery, but it involved removing half or three-fifths of her stomach and then reconnecting it with intestines or something similar. Considering my grandmother is over eighty years old, they ultimately decided to switch to conservative treatment… I feel a bit relieved; I don't have to be so anxious anymore.
241. The Disappearance of the Spirit of War
Seeing Irelia's excited face, Fain smiled and waved. Hearing Irelia's words, Fain's other nominal junior brothers and sisters also turned to look.
However, this time Fan didn't interact with them much, because Cynthia, who was right behind him, stood up and said, "You can all go your separate ways first. Fan and I have something to talk about."
Hearing Sonia's words, the surrounding crowd, though still tinged with regret, didn't say much, simply scattering and joking around. Irelia, at the very end, winked at Fain before leaving with the two girls beside her.
Faen held Sinya in high esteem. There were many reasons for this—Faen hadn't come into this world as an adult, but rather his entire body had shrunk back to the size of an infant. Under these circumstances, he was taken back to the temple by Sinya, and Faen could be considered to have diligently cultivated himself from a young age.
“Actually, given your abilities and skill level, if you had been able to let go of your obsession with Noxus earlier, you might already have been granted the Grandmaster's Armlet.” Sonia looked at Fain and said calmly, “And now that you’ve been gone for so long, perhaps you’ve gained some new insights?”
Ordinary people might not be able to tell, but as a master dancer of Ionia, Sonia could sense that Fain had not only changed in appearance and temperament, but also in the projection of his spiritual realm.
Although such changes in the projection of the spiritual realm are not as easily visible as physical appearance, it is not particularly difficult for Sinya, who raised Fan, to notice them.
To this, Farn simply said with a gentle expression, "It will be soon; the smell of war is just around the corner."
"Ugh……"
Hearing Fain's answer, Sonia rubbed her temples, showing no surprise whatsoever at his response. In fact, having watched Fain grow up, Sonia had begun trying to correct some of his views on the outside world more than a decade ago—even the prophecy itself wasn't immutable. And in Ionia's history over the past few centuries, Venerable Karma had caused tragedies to occur in order to prevent them from happening more than once. But unfortunately, Fain wouldn't listen.
In contrast, Shen and Jie exchanged a surprised glance, their eyes filled with astonishment. Although they already knew that Fane possessed considerable power, they were still unclear about the extent to which he had progressed on his path of cultivation. According to what Xinya had just said, Fane had already reached the level of a master, which truly astonished them.
It's important to understand that in Ionia, "Master" is almost the highest praise one can receive for their achievements in a particular path. For example, Shen's master, Kushuo, reached the level of a Master in his understanding of the Way of Balance. In an instant, he could communicate with the energy of the spiritual realm, attaching it to his armor and sword, resonating with the Spirit of Balance of Ionia, and thus gaining a better understanding of the balance between the two realms.
The problem is, how old is Kushuo? How old is Faen? Even if the Way of the Dancer might advance faster in terms of cultivation than the Way of Balance, those who can be called masters are invariably those who can resonate harmoniously with all the spirits of nature. In Ionia, where compassion is paramount, Faen's views on war clearly fail to meet the expectations of all spirits.
Perhaps noticing Shen and Jie's puzzled expressions, Sonia said with some emotion, "I told you a long time ago that for Ionia today, the spirit of war has long since vanished from this world. All spirits, whether in the spiritual or material realms, are pursuing harmony, and having lost all their origins, the negative consciousness associated with war has been reduced to evil spirits..."
Upon hearing this, Shen and Jie, who were standing to the side, immediately understood.
A master needs to cultivate a path to a state of harmony with all spirits, but Fane's pessimistic views on war clearly do not belong to the spirits of this era—at least, the spirit of war has long since vanished. In other words, Fane possesses exceptional talent on the path of the spirit of war, but unfortunately, the spirit of war no longer exists in this era.
"This is only temporary, because the malice in human nature will not disappear—that malice may be despicable, but it is still part of people's psyche."
In this regard, Fane also had his own views. This had nothing to do with Osiris in the spiritual realm—Fane wanted to devour Osiris, to become the new 'Osiris'. But this didn't mean Fane had forgotten his name. On the contrary, Fane knew very well that he was merely using, manipulating Osiris. Essentially, the power of Osiris that Fane later acquired was no different from the War Spirit resonance that Fane had cultivated since childhood. Both were simply a type of power, a tool. It was just that in terms of power level, whether in terms of existing power or future potential, the power of Osiris was simply greater.
However, without the solid foundation laid by the cultivation of the Spirit of War, Fane could not have so easily mastered Osiris's Blessing Curse and used it to counter it.
"The malice in human nature may be suppressed by kindness and dissolved by tolerance, but it will never disappear."
After a pause, Farn added, "Instead of saying that, the most terrifying thing would be if all the thoughts and ideas of the souls could be reflected, and if there were no realm of the spirit of war in the spiritual realm of thought."
Upon hearing Fain's words, Sonia pursed her lips in silence, a hint of helplessness appearing on her bright, cheerful face.
"Sigh, I still can't convince you..."
Clearly, this is not the first time Cynthia has felt helpless about this.
But just like before, Sonia was speechless in the face of Fain's question.
Thinking this, Cynthia also turned her gaze to Shen and Jie beside her and asked, "Are you two disciples of the Order of Balance? What is your relationship with Master Kushuo?"
“He is my master,” Shen said.
“He is his father, and he is my master,” Jie said.
Upon hearing that Shen was the son of Master Kushuo, Xinya's eyes showed a hint of surprise. She looked at Shen carefully for a moment before nodding as if recalling something: "I see. I was wondering why you looked so familiar. So you are the son of Master Kushuo... Well, since you are Master Kushuo's disciple, then I don't need to worry."
"Although I'm not entirely certain, as far as I know, Venerable Karma should know the whereabouts of the Spirit of War. If you wish to make progress on this path, you might as well ask Venerable Karma when you visit him."
242. First Encounter with Karma
After bidding farewell to his teacher, Fain followed Shen and Jie to the Temple of Eternity. In his heart, he silently memorized the information about the Spirit of War.
Although there is no description of Sonia in the base game of League of Legends, nor is she mentioned in Irelia's backstory, like other Darkin characters, Sonia's true debut was in the card game Legends of Runeterra (LOR) with the Irelia card pack, where she was named Sonia with the Rising Steel Blade.
As a classic aggro deck focused on quick kills, the core card Irelia has average stats. Her skill, Blade Dance, allows a 1/1 Blade minion to attack an additional turn, in addition to its fixed attack once per turn. Meanwhile, Sonia, costing 8 mana and with 3/5 stats, seems extremely underwhelming, but she can synergize with Blade Dance to launch an extra attack outside her turn and also has a built-in Blade Dance. This is often the card used in a late-game comeback in this aggro deck.
Although it's a game, the cost of the card serves as proof of Sonia's strength and status. Aside from lacking hero-specific skill growth, she possesses effects similar to a game card. In reality, Sonia is even more powerful, a renowned master of the Ionian Dancer's Way, responsible for every Spring Festival. Her understanding of Ionia, aside from what's revealed in the game, surpasses even that of Fane.
On their way to the Hall of Eternity, Shen and Jie clearly wanted to ask Fain something. However, considering that some things were too sensitive for people of their level to inquire about, they exchanged a glance and silently chose a more moderate topic.
“Judging from Master Cynthia’s words, you seem to be qualified to receive a dancer’s armlet? Why not lower your expectations a bit? For example, become a master first.” Jie looked at Fan with some curiosity.
Armlet, simply put, is a bracelet-like ornament fixed to the upper arm, and it is of paramount importance to dancers. Especially since these armlets are grown from branches of the ancient spirit tree of the Temple of Eternity, they greatly assist in both dance and in deepening one's understanding of the spirit realm—Ionia's term for the spiritual realm.
For Fane now, the armlet is practically superfluous. While Osiris granted Fane immense power, he also bestowed upon him supreme authority to freely enter and exit the mental realm. In this context, the armlet's most valuable attribute—enhancing his perception of the mental realm—is ultimately of little use to Fane.
But for Fan at the time—to be honest, Fan did have thoughts similar to Jie's. However, Fan still shook his head and said, "You will gradually understand how disgusting and pedantic those guys are."
As they talked, the group quickly arrived at the Hall of Eternity.
After relaying the news of Faen's arrival to the guards of the Temple of Eternity, the group soon arrived inside the ancient sanctuary.
The Temple of Eternity stood above the Garden of Forgetfulness, its ancient walls covered in glazed tiles. Its winding, undulating walls shimmered with a honey-like glow from the morning sun. When Faen and his companions arrived, more than ten people sat cross-legged on either side of the main hall, and seated at the very top was none other than Venerable Karma, with two jade dragons appearing behind him and radiating a sacred aura.
Upon meeting Karma, Shen and Jie almost immediately bowed in respect, their expressions filled with reverence and worship.
In Ionia, Karma is not merely a name, but a sacred title. Or rather, it is indeed a name—the embodiment of an ancient soul in the present era, born thousands of years ago, and reincarnated into a new chosen one after her first demise. This reincarnation is not possession, but rather the transfer of her memories, spirit, and power into the mind of the chosen one. Over thousands of years, Karma has undergone countless reincarnations, and each new life inherits all her previous memories, as well as the terrifying power accumulated over thousands of years of reincarnation.
The Karma from the past don't disappear or die; instead, they appear as grandfathers in the minds of the new generation of Karma, offering their advice. Because there are so many Karma, in the lore, when Ionia faces a great crisis, the current 'Fan Mom' Karma is often annoyed and suffers headaches from their constant arguments in her mind.
Upon seeing Fain's arrival, Karma nodded. Without further ado, she directly explained why she had sent Shen and the Ring to escort Fain to the Temple of Eternity.
“Just a few months ago, while observing the spirit world, I discovered an ancient being rising and awakening on the other side of the sea. At first, I thought it would be a terrible catastrophe, like the rune wars triggered by the collapse of Hyria, becoming the prelude to a chaotic era. But later, I discovered that things were not so simple.”
Opening her eyes, Karma's gaze shone with a vibrant green. Even within the sacred Temple of Eternity, those emerald eyes still captivated everyone's attention.
Although Shen and Jie, and even many elders in the Hall of Eternity, were hearing Karma's words for the first time, without exception, they showed no doubt or skepticism—as the spiritual leader of Ionia for thousands of years, Karma's divinity far surpassed what ordinary people could imagine. Even the so-called Emperor Darkwill's power in Noxus was far less than Karma's standing in the hearts of the Ionians.
Karma's gaze fell upon Fane. Although her expression was calm, anyone could clearly feel the invisible pressure emanating from her eyes.
This was not because Karma harbored any ill will towards Farn, but simply because the spiritual forces accumulated over thousands of years overlapped, and even the ripples in the spiritual realm generated during actions were far beyond what ordinary people could withstand.
“I saw you, Farn. You are the embodiment of that ancient being in the material realm. I don’t know what you did on the other side of the sea, but I can clearly see the towering waves rising in the spiritual realm. And in those countless waves, every soul is calling out your name—and the ancient evil spirit’s continuous, incessant roars and curses against you.”
243. Debate, Argument
Farn was not surprised to hear Karma's words.
The reason why Fane was unaffected by the curse of Ossilash was partly because Nera was suppressing Ossilash from the other side, but also because, after Fane gradually grasped more of the essence of pleasure, although Ossilash still firmly held the ultimate core, Fane was able to unilaterally silence him.
This greatly improved Farn's quality of life.
After saying this, Karma looked at Fane and calmly said, "For beings in the spiritual realm, the pursuit of their fundamental nature is the greatest meaning of existence. It is precisely for this reason that those spirits who pursue malice constantly create conflict. And now, Fane, why have you returned to Ionia?"
Upon hearing Karma's words, Fane nodded and prepared to give a brief explanation.
Fane had a favorable impression of Karma. While all the previous Karma possessed memories and spirits of the past, the one ultimately in control was the chosen Karma herself. In other words, although they all shared the title Karma, each generation of Karma had a distinct personality.
In this context, the Karma of this generation is not the conventional and rule-abiding Karma of the past. On the contrary, she chooses to quietly promote change in Ionia from within, and she is also the person that Fain believes he must deepen his contact with if he wants to change Ionia.
Unfortunately, although Fane wanted to give a simple explanation, before he could speak, an old man with white hair and wearing a white robe sneered and said, "What could it be for? Of course, it's to create more emotions, shake the ancient traditions of Ionia, and stir up countless ripples in the spirit world, so as to fill the belly that feeds on negative thoughts!"
While Fane had a favorable impression of Karma, that didn't mean he liked the old fogies in the Hall of Eternity. Before, when they were silent, Fane could pretend they didn't exist. But now they were actively causing trouble?
Thinking about it, Farn's face showed no extra emotional fluctuation. He simply said with a half-smile, "It seems that Master Furukawa has a lot of opinions about the negative thoughts in people's minds?"
Upon hearing Fan's words, Furukawa sneered. As the most steadfast defender of Ionia's ancient traditions, Furukawa appeared extremely indifferent to Fan's words, even his voice was filled with an undeniable firmness: "Opinions? Are negative thoughts a good thing? You were born in the province of Navori, so you should know very well that when those evil spirits pass through the veil of the material realm, they will create the emotions they need in the material realm without hesitation."
"Hatred, anger, pain, slaughter... all the negative emotions and extreme malice that can ignite the violent desires deep within people are their means of feeding. And for these evil spirits, the suffering people endure in the process, and the impact on the fragile balance of Ionia, are completely outside their consideration."
"The greatest evil is the evil of being unaware of one's own actions!"
As he spoke, he paused, and a hint of pity appeared in Master Furukawa's eyes, but it was quickly dispelled by a cold look.
"If your purpose is to shake the foundations of Ionia's traditions, then even if you are Sonia's disciple, you should not set foot on this land and disturb the peace of all the spirits here."
Although he appeared cold and aloof, all the other elders and masters around him, as well as Shin and Kai standing to the side, thought that Master Furukawa's words were very reasonable.
Especially for the Order of the Balance, their mission is to safeguard the balance between the material and spiritual realms. This is why the Order of the Balance is the Ionian order that has the most experience with and confrontations with evil spirits. For evil spirits that feed on emotions, constantly creating chaos and slaughter, the balance between the two realms is not a concern. Rather, these evil spirits would rather see the two realms become unbalanced, causing greater chaos and generating more negative emotions for their own consumption.
If we were to push the timeline back a hundred or two hundred years, not only others, but perhaps even Farn himself would have become a staunch defender of tradition—not a fickle opportunist, but a true pragmatist.
In the past, this tradition did indeed protect Ionia, whose shroud was jeopardized by the War of the Ancients, for thousands of years.
The problem is that the present era is not the same as the past. Runeterra has been peaceful for over a thousand years since the Rune Wars ended—although during this time, Runeterra has still been plagued by constant warfare, with Noxus waging wars everywhere and Valoran shrouded in smoke. But in reality, this is nothing compared to the era of the Rune Wars.
Thinking it over, Faen simply asked calmly, "Then, in Master Furukawa's view, negative emotions shouldn't exist?"
"It can exist, but it shouldn't be pursued." Master Furukawa shook his head, not making a hasty decision. Instead, he calmly said, "Just like your talent in War Dance, even if you can focus your will on every corner of your body and resonate with the consciousness in the spirit world, the mere existence of the War Spirit will cause people to feel resentment. If it's like this for you alone, if there are more, the already restless youths will quickly cause Ionia to lose its original balance."
"If that's the case, does simply suppressing and ignoring truly create balance?" Upon hearing this, Farn didn't show any displeasure, but calmly replied:
"Struggle and competitiveness are inherent in human nature, and even in this land. Bamboo groves grow and break through rocks, and surging torrents carve canyons. In the lush forests, towering ancient trees compete for the sunlight that falls from the sky and the few nutrients in the soil. Among fragrant flowers and green grass, butterflies struggle to emerge from their cocoons—all of this is part of this land. If these thoughts were to be abandoned for the sake of so-called balance, then Ionia would be a desolate wasteland now."
“No, you’re wrong.” Furukawa shook his head: “Ionia is stable and prosperous precisely because of the balance that we have painstakingly maintained.”
"And what about the fighting spirit? Has it simply disappeared?" Farn countered. "Or are these so-called negative emotions simply hidden away, slowly accumulating in corners where people can't see them?"
244 Incident
He was having a normal discussion with Fain, but when he heard Fain ask where the suppressed fighting spirit and related negative emotions had gone, Fain could clearly feel the atmosphere in the entire Hall of Eternity change.
The elders exchanged glances in small groups, while Elder Furukawa, who had been discussing the Dao with Fain, frowned and fell silent. After a moment, Karma calmly said, "We were just discussing harmony between two realms."