Veyra's escape left Elias and Mei Lin with a bitter taste of defeat, but the map of Emberfall's ley line nexus solidified her next, terrifying target. The spreading resonance from the first bomb was already destabilizing the Realm; a second, larger vortex would push it past the point of no return.
The crisis, however, had forced a new, unexpected player onto the public stage. With Jadeheart on the brink of inter-species war and cultivation itself threatened, the reclusive figure of High Sage Arthan finally emerged from his centuries of hidden manipulation.
He appeared before the Grand Council, a revered, almost mythical figure from ancient history. His presence was a palpable force, emanating immense, ancient power. His words, however, were chilling.
"My esteemed Councilors," Arthan intoned, his voice resonating with an authority that quelled all dissent. "The current turmoil, the shifting ley lines, the struggles of cultivation… this is not a crisis. This is a karmic correction."
He spoke of the Ledger becoming "bloated" and "impure" over millennia, corrupted by countless minor manipulations and the accumulated weight of false justice. He argued that the current instability was merely the Ledger attempting to purge itself, to return to a state of primal purity.
"We must not interfere," Arthan urged, his gaze sweeping over the Council members, many of whom seemed mesmerized by his ancient wisdom. "Any attempt to 'stabilize' the ley lines, to 'restore' the old order, would only prolong the inevitable. Let the Ledger purify itself. Let it return to its unblemished, original state. This is not a time for intervention, but for acceptance."
Elias, observing the Council proceedings through a covert Ledger link, felt a cold dread settle in his bones. Arthan's words were a terrifying confirmation of his worst fears. Arthan wants the ley lines to collapse. He desires the very chaos that Elias and Mei Lin were fighting against. His goal was not preservation, but a radical, devastating reset of the Ledger to its "pure" state, erasing all karma accumulated since his initial, failed proto-Ledger experiment. This would not only erase cultivation powers above Rank 4 but would potentially obliterate centuries of history, leaving only the "primal karmic laws" he had tried to enforce.
Mei Lin, listening beside Elias, her expression grim, understood the implication instantly. "He wants to burn it all down," she whispered, her voice tight. "To reset the world to his vision. We need to stop him, but how? The Grand Council is under his spell."
Then, a flicker of an idea ignited in her eyes, born from her newfound understanding of Arthan's ancient experiments. "The original karmic laws," she said. "The ones Arthan sealed away. If we can find them, truly understand them, perhaps we can expose his deception to the Council, show them he's twisting their very faith. His archive. Beneath Jade Spire Academy. We need to infiltrate Arthan's sealed archive to find the original karmic laws."
Elias looked at her, then back at the projected image of the ancient Sage, commanding the Council with his terrifying vision of purity through destruction. It was a desperate plan, a direct challenge to Arthan on his home turf, but it was their only chance to truly expose him and turn the tide of this cosmic war