Zhu Yanyi smiled faintly. "Wandering and daydreaming are much the same to me. I just came out to look at the sky and observe. Strange thoughts keep flashing through my mind, but they are hard to catch. So, I walk around. Perhaps I will find a breakthrough."
Ouyang Tianyun did not doubt her words. she also looked up at the sky. "The resentment in this world is too deep. But it feels unnatural."
"You noticed that too," Zhu Yanyi nodded slightly. "I feel the same. The resentment in the air seems deliberately created. Is it bait to lure something out?"
"Do you think this resentment is bait?" Ouyang Tianyun asked. "I thought I was the only one who suspected it."
"I don't know if it is bait, but it feels wrong. Resentment cannot be this intense naturally. In a normal plane, such strong resentment would cause a collapse. Yet, the Black Demon Secret Realm remains stable despite the heavy resentment." Zhu Yanyi shared her observations.
Ouyang Tianyun nodded. "If you feel the same, I believe this might be a conspiracy."
"A conspiracy? What is the goal?" Zhu Yanyi was speechless. How did this relate to a plot?
Ouyang Tianyun explained, "I once read a passage stating that when resentment reaches a certain level, it can sweep up the five elements. This turns nearby planes into black holes, plunging them into chaos. If used correctly, one can create their own world."
Zhu Yanyi paused, then said, "Third Senior Brother, please repeat that."
Ouyang Tianyun repeated, "When resentment reaches a certain level, it can sweep and fuse the five elements. This turns nearby planes into black holes, causing chaos, and allows the creation of a new world. However, the cost is high. It requires killing many living beings."
"Creating a new world using resentment as the cost?" Zhu Yanyi’s eyes lit up. She took out three test tubes she had just prepared.
"I extracted these from the Baye leaves using my Ice Blue technique. I noticed the leaves have different colored patterns. I selected blue, gold, and red ones. After extraction, these three drops remained." She handed them to Ouyang Tianyun.
Ouyang Tianyun sniffed them slightly. "Water element, Metal element, and Fire element."
Zhu Yanyi nodded. "Check your Baye leaves. Do you have any with patterns other than blue, red, or gold?"
Ouyang Tianyun searched her leaves and finally found one with a green pattern. She handed it to Zhu Yanyi.
Zhu Yanyi examined it, summoned Ice Blue, and extracted it. Within seconds, a drop of green liquid appeared. She sealed it in a capped test tube and handed it to Ouyang Tianyun.
"Wood element," Ouyang Tianyun said, surprised.
Zhu Yanyi hummed. "Combining your quote with these elemental liquids, I suspect your theory might be true. We still need to find the Earth element. If we find it, our guess will be close to the truth."
"You mean someone is using human resentment to fuse the five elements to create a new plane?" Ouyang Tianyun asked.
Zhu Yanyi shook her head. "Whether it is creation or destruction is unclear. But we must find the source of this resentment. Only by resolving it can we prevent this situation."
"Finding the source of resentment is not easy," Ouyang Tianyun mused. She believed Zhu Yanyi might be right, but finding the source would be difficult. If it were easy, the Sage Academy would not have been stuck here fighting evil demons for so many years.
Zhu Yanyi understood her concern. After a moment of silence, she said, "Let us pay close attention in the coming days. We will find a direction. At least now we have a hypothesis. If it holds true, the next steps will be easier."
"How will you verify this hypothesis?" Ouyang Tianyun asked.
Zhu Yanyi scratched her head. "I need to think. Some things require thought before taking the next step."
Ouyang Tianyun shrugged. As Zhu Yanyi said, some matters needed clear thinking before action.
Zhu Yanyi did not continue the topic but remained in deep thought, looking for other clues.
"Let us first prove that these evil demons possess all five elements. We have found Metal, Wood, Water, and Fire. We only lack Earth. It should be findable," Zhu Yanyi said.
Ouyang Tianyun understood. He would ask the others if they had leaves with other colors.
Zhu Yanyi nodded. "I will go with you."
Their small rest camp had an open space nearby. There were three Mongolian tents. One housed Yi Yunfei, Ouyang Tianyun, and Gu Jun. Another held Lei Danfeng, Liu Qirong, and Jin Gui. The third was for Jian Feiyan, Zhuo Yue, Mi Xiao, and Zhu Yanyi. All tents had bunk beds, providing ample space.
Ouyang Tianyun went to find Yi Yunfei. Zhu Yanyi called Jian Feiyan and the others. They gathered in Yi Yunfei’s tent. After hearing Zhu Yanyi and Ouyang Tianyun’s analysis, everyone checked their leaves. They only found the four types.
"Tomorrow, we will fight more evil demons and check again. If Fifteen’s speculation is correct, the Earth attribute should also be found," Yi Yunfei decided after serious thought.
Since arriving here, fighting evil demons had been their duty. Now, knowing Zhu Yanyi and Ouyang Tianyun’s theory, everyone felt more determined. Who did not want the war to end sooner? If Zhu Yanyi’s theory was true, they would do whatever it took to investigate.