Sitting on the sofa, Herman watched as the Bodhi Elixir Seekers entered the living room and immediately began prostrating themselves, begging for blessings. He found it hard to keep a straight face.
However, Herman ultimately managed to hold it in. He coughed lightly and said, "The Bodhi Elixir Seeker group, right? Have you misunderstood something? I am not the blessed one of Abundance that you speak of, nor am I a disciple of the Aeon of Abundance, the Sanctus Medicus."
"I'm only eighteen years old, and the Sanctus Medicus's long ascetic journey... culminating in Their ascension to Aeonhood, happened during the Swarm Disaster."
The leader of the Bodhi Elixir Seekers, Yaobo, clasped his hands together, raised his head, and gazed at Herta as he slowly spoke, "Miss Herta, even if you are not the great Sanctus Medicus's disciple, you must still be one of Their blessed. Otherwise, it would be impossible for you to consecutively cultivate miraculous divine trees in such a short time."
"A blessed one of Abundance?" Herman shook his head again. "Yaobo, take a closer look. What Path aura do you sense from me?"
Yaobo closed his eyes and carefully perceived. What he discovered was that the aura emanating from the pointed-hat Herta before him was purely Erudition... and not the aura of an ordinary Pathstrider of Erudition, but something that had reached an entirely different dimension—the level of an Emanator of Erudition!!
Could it be... that those two divine trees of Abundance miracles were truly cultivated by Miss Herta through her own wisdom?!
As this thought formed in Yaobo's mind, his powerful perception extended into the Warp, where he saw Herta's soul projection—a cold black sun.
Though cold, it was a creator of dimensional space... and from within the Warp, he could also sense a continuously strengthening life aura of Abundance. There was no doubt that once it emerged, it would be a natural-born Emanator of Abundance.
At that moment, Yaobo understood:
Herta was indeed an Emanator walking the Path of Erudition. The divine tree of Abundance that appeared in the Warp and the Yongmei Star System had also been cultivated through her own wisdom.
And now, she was already cultivating a new Emanator of Abundance within the Warp.
She was using mortal hands—genius hands—to imitate the Aeon's act of bestowing blessings upon living beings, granting the power of an Emanator!
Was this the wisdom of a genius?!
As Yaobo reached this conclusion, his heart trembled, and the way he looked at Herta underwent a complete transformation. "Miss Herta, I understand now. I understand everything... Just as Miss Ruan Mei, the 76th Seat of the Genius Society, recreated the offspring of the Aeon of Propagation, the Starcrusher Swarm King, you are also using your wisdom and talent to create a newborn Emanator of Abundance."
???
Herman was instantly filled with question marks: What is this guy even talking about? Since when did he and Herta create a newborn Emanator of Abundance?!
Wait... just now, that guy wasn't looking at him. He was looking at the projection of Herta within the Warp—the black sun—and even at one of the four fundamental pillars of the Warp: the Blood of Abundance.
This guy had mistaken the Blood of Abundance, which continuously absorbed emotional energy to strengthen itself, as his creation—and even regarded it as a natural-born Emanator of Abundance?!
After thinking this through, Herman said seriously to Yaobo, "So now you should understand—I have not stepped onto the Path of Abundance. You should leave."
Yaobo shook his head. "We will not leave. We wish to stay here and comprehend your wisdom. We still ask you to take action and bestow your blessing upon us."
"I've already said—I have no power of Abundance to grant."
Yaobo replied, "A blessing from a divine tree of the Path of Erudition is still a blessing. Please, Miss Herta, grant us your blessing so that we may have the opportunity to experience and study it..."
Yaobo began prostrating again.
The rest of the Bodhi clan followed suit, prostrating themselves repeatedly.
Seeing this scene, Herman felt a headache coming on:
Give them Devil Fruits as blessings?—Impossible. Even the Interastral Peace Corporation and the Xianzhou Alliance had offered high prices for them, and he hadn't sold a single one. Herta still needed them for further research.
After all, every Devil Fruit was condensed from biological imagination. The mysteries within them were far too profound to casually hand over to others. At the very least, they couldn't be sold before those mysteries were unraveled.
Since Devil Fruits were out of the question, then only one option remained—chakra.
That's right. Chakra was a form of energy that could be shared.
In Naruto, the Sage of Six Paths, Hagoromo Otsutsuki, established the Ninshū and shared chakra with others, allowing people to develop it continuously, which ultimately led to the flourishing world of ninja techniques.
More importantly, chakra was bound to its owner. Even if it was shared, the owner could reclaim it at any time if they wished.
Now, he could take a look at Yaobo's research points.
With a thought, Herman activated the Research System's appraisal ability. He quickly determined that the Bodhi clan were essentially Bodhi tree beings—a plant-based race that had once received the Sanctus Medicus's blessing in their early history.
The blessing they had received was minimal. It had merely transformed them from plants into humanoid forms, granting them the ability to traverse the stars. It was nothing like the Xianzhou Alliance, which had received the true miracle of Abundance—the blessing of the Ambrosial Arbor.
More importantly, the Bodhi clan's intelligence was fairly decent. While they couldn't compare to geniuses like Herta from the Genius Society, they were already at the level of ordinary scholars. Letting them develop chakra and research ninjutsu might actually work...
After thinking this through, Herman immediately contacted The Herta in the Simulated Laboratory and explained the situation regarding the Bodhi clan's visit and their request for blessings.
The Herta's response was confusion. "Why are they coming to me instead of seeking the Sanctus Medicus? I haven't even stepped onto the Path of Abundance."
Herman said, "Our cultivation of the God Tree and the Devil Tree attracted them. Also, the Bodhi clan leader, Yaobo, has already sensed the existence of the Blood of Abundance within the Warp and mistaken it as our experimental subject—something we artificially cultivated as an Emanator of Abundance."
The Herta asked, "So what are you planning to do?"
Herman replied, "I plan to grant chakra as a blessing and let the Bodhi clan study and develop this special energy. According to the appraisal data, their intelligence is quite good, so they should be suitable for researching chakra."
"That works... I consumed the Chakra Fruit in the Yongmei Star System and obtained the energy known as chakra, but I haven't developed it yet."
The Herta said seriously, "Since you believe the Bodhi clan's research ability is decent, then we'll leave the research topic of chakra and ninjutsu to them."
"As for me, I'll continue my research in the Simulated Laboratory. I can already feel that I'm close to completing the development of psychic surgery."
With that, Herta's consciousness returned to the Simulated Laboratory, where she continued her in-depth research on the Herta Puppet—Psychic Modification Project.
When Herman opened his eyes again, he said to the Bodhi clan members kneeling before him, "Since you have prayed so wholeheartedly, I will now bestow upon you a special blessing—one called the God Tree energy."
As his words fell, Herman stood up, gently raising his hand and brushing it over one bald head after another. In that moment, chakra energy spread through the Honkai universe for the first time.
More importantly, after obtaining this chakra energy, each member of the Bodhi clan widened their eyes, their faces filled with excitement and ecstasy:
This blessing called chakra is so wondrous. I feel every cell in my body becoming comfortable, as if I've been bathed in divine nectar.
This sensation is incredibly similar to what our ancestors described when receiving the great Aeon Sanctus Medicus's blessing.
As expected, Miss Herta's understanding of Abundance is profound.
Chakra... so this is chakra!
My body feels warm. With the nourishment of this energy, I feel like I could transform into a tree again and live for hundreds—no, thousands—of years...
Miss Herta's method of granting blessings is almost like that of an Aeon... calling her a minor Sanctus Medicus walking the mortal world wouldn't be an exaggeration!
With such thoughts, the Bodhi clan members remained kneeling on the ground, their gazes toward Herta growing increasingly fervent.
As Herman transmitted chakra into their bodies, he could also sense the emotional changes within the Bodhi clan. He realized that this special energy called chakra was extremely compatible with a race like the Bodhi clan, who had evolved from trees.
Upon further thought, it made perfect sense. In the world of Naruto, regardless of nationality, human cells possessed plant-like properties.
Thus, it was only natural that chakra would also suit the plant-based Bodhi clan.
After reaching this conclusion, Herman spoke seriously to them, "I have already bestowed my blessing. Chakra is an energy with limitless potential. You must develop it well—and you must not use it for evil."
"Miss Herta, incarnation of the Sanctus Medicus in the mortal world... we swear we will never use this power for wrongdoing!"
"As Elixir Seekers, we once only sought blessings. Now that we have received one, we will devote ourselves entirely to researching it!"
"Chakra—we will definitely study and develop it properly!"
"With your wisdom, Miss Herta, it won't be long before we fully master the blessing of chakra!"
After saying this, the Bodhi clan members began prostrating once more.
"Alright, you may leave now... Go to the Blue Federation. They will arrange accommodations for you."
"Yes."
The Bodhi Elixir Seekers stood up, hands clasped together, each wearing an expression of utmost reverence as they departed the room.
Not long after, the Bodhi Elixir Seekers reported to the Blue Federation that they had received Herta's blessing.
???
The upper echelons of the Blue Federation were utterly baffled upon hearing that the Elixir Seekers had received Herta's blessing.
They couldn't understand how an Emanator of Erudition like Herta could grant blessings to Elixir Seekers of the Abundance faction.
However, after verifying the truth of the Bodhi clan's claims with the Fourth Mirror and Herta 05, the Federation arranged suitable accommodations for them.
From that point onward, the Bodhi Elixir Seekers began their research at full speed. Their first step was to mobilize the chakra energy within their bodies and study methods of increasing it. Naturally, their research materials still drew from religious and mythological knowledge within the Blue Federation.
Through their studies, the Bodhi clan discovered that chakra could be synthesized from cells. More importantly, hand seals derived from religious practices could mobilize chakra.
In addition, chakra seemed capable of integrating with the Path of Abundance. After combining with it... it could amplify Abundance effects, allowing trees to grow taller and larger.
Far away in the cosmos, the supreme existence who wandered the universe, continuously spreading miracles—the Aeon of Abundance, the Sanctus Medicus—cast Their gaze toward The Blue star system at this very moment, a trace of surprise appearing in Their eyes:
The chakra produced from the God Tree researched by Herta could be shared with others.
More importantly, the recipients were the Bodhi clan, who had undergone millennia of ascetic practice—and she asked for nothing in return.
All of this reminded the Sanctus Medicus of the past—their journey of asceticism during the Swarm Disaster.
Along that path, They had witnessed the horrors of the Propagation swarm, seen people struggling to survive, and even observed the fall of Permanence. Under the influence of the universe's destiny (HooH), They had become the right person in the right place and successfully ascended to Aeonhood.
On the day of Their ascension, They resolved to save those suffering under the Swarm Disaster, to free them from hardship—to save all!
They bestowed blessings upon Their disciple, the ascetic Shuhu, and...
As the Sanctus Medicus reflected, Their gaze turned toward Herta.
In that instant, countless phenomena erupted across The Blue star system. Vegetation grew wildly, and the Imaginary Tide surrounding the system surged with energy.
As a result, Herman's consciousness entered the interstice of Paths, where he saw the figure of the Sanctus Medicus. He immediately understood that Herta had stepped onto the Path of Abundance—and that he himself had been judged as her second consciousness.
But why?!
Planting divine trees twice hadn't caused Herta to step onto the Path of Abundance—so why did sharing chakra accomplish it this time?
Wait... sharing?!
A realization formed in Herman's mind. He raised his head and met the gaze of the Sanctus Medicus within the interstice of Paths. He saw that within those strange, even somewhat eerie eyes, there was a trace of gentle compassion.
That gaze seemed to say: good child... continue walking this path.
Herman blinked, about to speak, but found his consciousness had already exited the interstice. Immediately after, he heard Herta's confused voice:
"What just happened? I was in the middle of researching the Herta Puppet—Psychic Modification, and suddenly the gaze of the Sanctus Medicus descended... Herman, what did you do?"
"I only shared chakra energy. That act attracted the Sanctus Medicus's attention."
"Just that? That shouldn't be enough to draw the attention of the Aeon of Abundance. I think it's because you taught chakra to the Bodhi clan of the Elixir Seeker faction, and they successfully carried out initial development of it—that's what attracted the Sanctus Medicus's attention."
Upon hearing this, Herman immediately sensed the chakra he had transmitted to the Bodhi clan.
He quickly discovered that, thanks to their above-average research capabilities and the amplification of the group wisdom halo, they had already completed the development of certain ninja hand seals and even chakra extraction techniques.
More importantly, since the Bodhi clan were originally plant-based beings—Bodhi tree people—their bodies were entirely composed of plant cells. When extracting chakra, they could draw massive amounts at once.
Each of them possessed chakra on a massive scale. In the world of Naruto, each one would be comparable to a humanoid tailed beast.
Using this immense chakra, they were now frantically forming hand seals and developing chakra-based ninjutsu techniques.
Fire Release, Water Release, Earth Release... prototypes of various elemental techniques began to take shape. Small flames, water spheres, and earthen mounds were all formed and condensed.
Of course, the technique they developed most successfully was Wood Release!
That's right... since the Bodhi tree people were, in a sense, sentient trees, the easiest technique for them wasn't the five elemental releases—but Wood Release.
After sensing all of this, Herman revealed a strange expression and muttered inwardly:
Good grief... in the Naruto world, Wood Release is the hardest to obtain, but here, it has become the easiest.
However, upon further thought, it made perfect sense. After all, the Bodhi clan were Elixir Seekers—Pathstriders who had stepped onto the Path of Abundance.
And their racial essence was that of trees.
Most likely, the reason the Sanctus Medicus cast Their gaze over was precisely because They noticed the Bodhi clan developing chakra and discovered that chakra could merge with Abundance energy, making it a perfect match...
After thinking this through, Herman raised his head and called out to the Fourth Mirror, instructing it to let in the next group of visitors.
"Yes, Second Madam Herta."
The Fourth Mirror responded.
At the same time, within Herta City, the Bodhi Elixir Seekers also noticed the descent of the Aeon's gaze upon the city, landing within the dormitories of The Blue's First University.
They immediately realized that the gaze of the Aeon Sanctus Medicus had fallen upon Herta. They were momentarily stunned, but their gazes toward Herta soon became even more fervent:
The great Sanctus Medicus is watching Herta!
As expected, Miss Herta's research into the Path of Abundance has reached its peak—even the Sanctus Medicus cannot help but cast a glance!
In that case, we must also devote ourselves to studying chakra energy, using this as a way to repay Miss Herta for her blessing!
Meanwhile, within Herta City, even more people were shocked by the fact that Herta had been gazed upon by the Aeon of Abundance and had stepped onto the Path of Abundance.
Yao Guang and Fu Xuan had never expected an Aeon to suddenly take notice of Herta. This led them to conclude that Herta must have done something extraordinary—something that even the Plagues Author had begun to observe.
After exchanging a glance, Fu Xuan and Yao Guang contacted Herta together to ask about the situation.
Herman did not hide anything and directly explained that he had granted a blessing to the Bodhi Elixir Seekers—an energy called chakra.
Chakra?!
Fu Xuan and Yao Guang immediately recalled that in the Yongmei Star System, the divine tree Herta had planted was the God Tree. They quickly asked over the call whether chakra could grant longevity.
"Chakra alone cannot grant longevity. On the contrary, it will shorten one's lifespan," Herman replied calmly.
After hearing this, Fu Xuan and Yao Guang exchanged another glance, their confusion deepening.
At this moment, they were not the only ones puzzled within The Blue star system.
Chadwick, Yabuli, the Chaos Doctor Virex, and the Lord Ravager Phantylia... all of them were equally perplexed by Herta suddenly being gazed upon by an Aeon and stepping onto the Path of Abundance.
Phantylia, in particular, understood that with Herta stepping onto the Path of Abundance, she would become even harder to kill.
After all, Pathstriders of Abundance were famously difficult to eliminate across the universe.
And at that very moment, the incarnation of Harmony—the Choral Conductor Dominicus—also turned its gaze toward The Blue's First University. Its massive face frowned slightly:
Abundance... a discordant note.
Originally, such pure wisdom—how wonderful... Now it is necessary to meet Herta, to embrace her, and let her listen to the heartbeats of innumerable souls.
If an invitation is not extended soon, even more discordant notes—other Paths—will entangle themselves with Herta.
Tap... tap...