Seeing the odd atmosphere, Dyon immediately took action to sooth it.
"Don't worry about anything. All elders of your Agios Clan can place requests for themselves. Simply use our alliance's channel and someone will handle it for you."
Dyon's words snapped the elders out of their uncomfortable feeling. They had thought that the support of the Planet Lord would be limited, but who would have known that even they as low-level elders could make requests of their own so simply.
Who among dao experts didn't have countless resources they had accumulated over the years? The issue was using it efficiently. After all, the number of Moon Lords was pitifully small in their tower quadrants. But, Dyon gave them an outlet to use these resources. Many could see potential for breakthroughs where they had previously stagnated.
The best part was that Dyon even provided a few formulas for pills they might be interested in. Of course, these were just the ingredients and a description of the pill, so the most important parts were missing, but even still, if the summaries were accurate… They couldn't slow the beating of their hearts.
Dyon let them know that comet and moon grade requests could be fulfilled within a few weeks while planet grade requests would take a few years, but even that didn't seem to dampen their enthusiasm. What was one or two years to the life of a dao expert?
Dyon signaled Damaris with his eyes. It was best if they went now, before she said something ridiculous again.
Damaris smiled bitterly before turning toward a massive vault.
Dyon couldn't have imagined something of this caliber in his mortal world. It was an over 50-meter-tall wall of silver and bronze metal, outfitted with countless turning dials. But, what was likely even more impressive was its thickness.
Damaris' small hand seemed to awaken the vault doors, causing the dials to turn amongst themselves. It was a complex system, but Dyon felt that he saw through it. Those dials, they were almost like star charts and they turned to represent positions over time… Basically… The Agios Clan's secret code was the day their Clan was founded… Or… Their birthday.
Dyon felt his lip twitch when he saw this, but he refrained from saying anything. Imagining a mighty Dragon Clan using their birthday as their password was forcing him to use every muscle in his body to not die of laughter.
Luckily, the next scene was enough to take his breath and that laughter away. It was a scene that could only be described as heavenly – a true Heaven, descended upon the mortal plane.
The water was a mix of light pink and lavender, cascading downward into a near endless number of lpwer tiers. These tiers, however, didn't rest upon land, but rather clouds of pink. In fact, even the thick vault doors gave way to allow a fog of pink to enter the deep underground structures of the Agios Clan.
And that smell… The kind that made your body shiver and your nose twitch for more… The smell of a woman you loved with all your heart.
Paradise. That was Calming Lake.
Badum Boom.
The vault doors sealed tightly behind them. But, when Dyon turned back, signs of the door were nowhere to be seen. It seemed that this was the entrance to a Mystical World. Dyon was surprised, but he probably should have expected this much.
"This is the highest and easiest tier Calming Lake. The Stream of Consciousnesses here are the easiest to protect against and temper your mind with. As you travel downward, the waters will become thicker and darker. Eventually, if you flow down enough tiers, you'll enter the True Calming Lake below which has a seemingly endless depth.
"Streams of Consciousnesses slowly fall from here, downward. However, if said stream of consciousness is weak, it is swallowed by the stronger ones below it, eradicating its existence.
"I recommend that you all start at this highest tier. Become accustomed to the environment and air first before you even think about stepping into the waters.
"Trust the flow of the water. The streams of consciousness flow naturally to areas of like-strength and concentration. If it decides you're in an area you can withstand, it will naturally push you downward. If you're in or approaching an area too much for you, the current will stop."
This Calming Lake… It reminded Dyon of something from long ago: the Focus Academy fountains. The Storm Clan broke off from the Ragnor Clan and proceeded to use the stolen technique of the Pakal Clan to sacrifice the lives of its students to form this pool. In fact, this was how Dyon met Ava. She saved him from touching the waters and accidentally killing himself.
The difference here was that this Calming Lake was built by willing participants. The difference was akin to Heaven and Earth.
Dyon didn't move for a long time. He was doing his best to not show it, but he was most definitely the weakest here, he didn't even have a dao heart, a fact that he had hidden from everyone.
He had brought Clara, Amphorae and Ri with him, along with Ryu and Violet, the estranged brother-sister pair. By now, they had all disappeared, leaving him standing on a cloud of pink, looking out toward the endless waterfalls and waters before him.
"Hm?" Dyon snapped awake from his thoughts, looking to his side. It seemed he wasn't alone after all, Violet had seemingly stayed back as well.
Violet shrunk back under Dyon's gaze, lowering her head. She didn't stay back because she wanted to. If it was up to her, she'd never be alone with Dyon again. Those memories from so long ago were grating on her conscious. Rather, she was hesitating too.
She had come here today because her mother and father insisted, but she didn't see the same potential within herself they did… There was a reason Damaris mentioned her little brother as a possible successor, but not her.
