"You must know the reason we were locked away. We're all stubborn individuals. All we had to do was take the Sapientia name and we would have likely lived grand lives."
"I'm aware." Dyon nodded.
The man's eyes sharpened. "Our work is our own. We don't want to work for the sake of others."
"And what do you want to work for then?"
"Obviously for ourselves."
"Is that so? Then why didn't you accept the Sapientia name?"
The man looked at Dyon with an odd expression.
"What?" Dyon smiled. "You don't find your words contradictory? If you really only cared for yourself, what does it matter what your last name is?
"What is the point of a last name? Isn't it to carry on the legacy of your ancestors? Only your first name truly represents yourself and your selfishness. So, the reality is different from what you're saying. You wanted to keep your last names because it meant something to you.
"Plus, if you truly wanted to work for yourselves as you say, then you're selfish, self-centered individuals, no? Then why is it that you didn't jump at a chance to spread your inventions across the martial world? Sure, Sapientia name would be attached to your inventions, but wouldn't your first names also be there?"
"You don't understand the pride of a researcher." The man shook his head. "Not only do we want our inventions to be recognized, we want them used the way we intended. All anyone ever seems to want to do is use us for war."
Dyon nodded. "I want to use you for war too. That much is true."
The man's face twisted in disgust, but his expression contorted even more violently at Dyon's next words.
"Are you aware of what happened to the individuals you likely called friend and family after you were all locked in those cages?"
The researchers froze.
"The Sapientia killed them all."
Groans of pain escaped their lips.
"Do you know what reason they had for killing them all?" Dyon shrugged. "They simply felt that keeping their dirty dealings secret was worth more than the lives of your Clans."
The man bitterly laughed. He already had a faint idea that this was what would happen. The only way to stop a wave of individuals from suddenly asking about abrupt disappearances was by rooting out those who had close connections with them.
With the help of the Sapientia's information network, not to mention the fact they had centers of power in practically every quadrant, it was a simple task for them to know the most risky targets and thus eliminate them to avoid future problems.
"And now what? You want to use our anger toward the Sapientia to say that we should fight for you? That we should unite and fight against a common enemy? That you'll be different?"
"Isn't that much obvious? What would you like to do? Spend the rest of your lives in a cage? Letting the lives sacrificed for the sake of your pride and stubbornness go to waste?"
"YOU!" The man roared. "What do you know?! Do you think it's an easy decision to say no?! That it's easy to turn down more money than you couldn't spend in countless lifetimes when all you've known is a backwater Clan?! This is what having principles means!"
"Principles?" Dyon shook his head. "Sorry, I don't bother with that word when it comes to lives of those I care about. Whatever is necessary, I'll do.
"You've heard tales of happened to my Celestial Deer Sect, but you have no real idea. Let alone your livelihoods, the lives of everyone on this mortal plane are in danger. Soon, there might not even be a place for us mere mortals in all of existence anymore.
"You don't want your inventions used in war? But somehow you're alright with your Clansmen, your wife, your parents, your children, dying due to your inaction? That isn't being principled, it's the height of naivete."
The man clenched his fists and stared daggers at Dyon, but he didn't respond. Sometimes when two individuals stood on opposite sides of an aisle, so-called recourse was impossible.
"I can only say that if your research is useful to me, I'll use it."
The man snorted, turning his head away. How could he know about their research if he didn't tell him? He wouldn't even bother speaking anymore. His whole demeanor said, 'just go ahead and kill me.'
Who would have known that Dyon would directly ignore him and say something he could have never expected in his wild dreams… Something that filled him with shock.
"Alright, Little Lyla." Dyon rubbed his little sister's head. "It's your turn to shine. You don't need to dig too deep, I just need a general summary of their fields. Will it be a problem?"
"No problem." Little Lyla shook her head. "Though it's a bit difficult to read dao experts sometimes, that only applies to those with powerful souls and true domains… They shouldn't be too difficult. If big brother uses his Presence, considering their weak bodies, there won't be any hiccups."
"I can't understand much of it, big brother, but if it's you, I'm sure you can. I'll just try to reiterate it in their words." Lyla said softly.
The researchers snorted. This war crazed maniac, comprehending their research without it being dumbed down? Ridiculous.
It was then that something the researchers could only sigh in awe at occurred. It wasn't just Lyla's abilities, it was Dyon's commentary that almost shocked them even more… This cultivator, the very man they had classified as a war crazed meat head just moments ago, actually understood their research perfectly.
Little Lyla pointed toward the one and only person who had spoken directly to Dyon.
"This is Researcher Ton. His research is focused on the life cycle of universes. He believes that every universe has an initial action that births it. He theorizes that it's possible to predict everything that can and will occur in a universe, excluding godlike external factors, from this initial event. Those there, here and there are part of his research team."
Dyon nodded. At first, Ton snorted again, thinking Dyon was just pretending to understand, but he nearly bit his tongue in the next moment.
