Unfortunately, although Leon's acting skills were not bad, without wearing the [Master Performer], he still lacked some finesse and ultimately couldn't deceive the mermaid beauty's observation.

Upon seeing his somewhat strange expression and the obviously illogical connection with the No. 3 root, the mermaid beauty excluded all impossible scenarios and finally locked onto the only true reality...

Leon was not a descendant of the root origin, but rather the second-third generation director who accidentally entered between the roots!

"Damn it!!"

Realizing she had been kept in the dark all along, the mermaid beauty was so furious that her eyes turned red.

"You knew all along you weren't a descendant of the root origin? Damn it! You've been hiding it from me this whole time?!!!"

Ahem... I mean... Didn't you always assume I was your 'tribesman' and then go on rambling by yourself? I never said I was a descendant of the root origin.

After internally defending himself for a couple of lines, Leon coughed lightly and said:

"I did have some suspicions, but I wasn't particularly sure... what if I really was?"

You're full of it!

The mermaid beauty, infuriated by Leon's refusal to admit it, only felt her head begin to spin.

If you were a descendant of the root origin, could I have been knocked around like this between the No. 3 root? Damn bastard! If you weren't a descendant of the root origin, you should have said so sooner! I nearly cracked my skull!

"You know, I'm not really reliable as a guide between the No. 3 root."

Decisively passing the blame, Leon blinked and said:

"Back during the third generation, he once mistook someone, so maybe he made a mistake again this time... anyway, he said I'm definitely a descendant of the root origin, though I'm not too sure if he's right, so he said it temporarily, and I just listened temporarily."

"And then temporarily hide it from me, right?"

The mermaid beauty said in an exasperated tone:

"Stop lying! You must have realized long ago that you're not a descendant of the root origin, but because you didn't trust me, you kept holding back, even when I misunderstood you, you deliberately didn't explain it, just to get information out of me!

You really are... I was ready to devote myself to the root origin before, just about to die for you and the current world, I went to such lengths, yet you damn bastard still wouldn't tell me the truth!"

"Well... it's not all that bad, is it?"

Scratching the back of his head a bit awkwardly, Leon asked:

"Since the No. 3 root hasn't 'opened' yet, doesn't that mean you don't have to devote yourself to the root origin?"

"I can't even enter, how can I devote myself to the root origin?"

The mermaid beauty replied irritably:

"But if I don't devote myself to the root origin, the Sea Abyss Realm cannot integrate with the current world, and the upper limit of the No. 3 root cannot expand, so then how do you plan to contend with No. 1?"

"Don't know, but we can try."

Looking at the various badges glimmering in the panel, Leon spoke seriously:

"Since you temporarily can't devote yourself to the root origin, we should find another way to strengthen the roots of the current world to resist any possible attacks... we can't just sit and wait for death, after all, we have to do something."

"What can we do then?"

The mermaid beauty sighed, looking a bit vexed, and said:

"If we don't 'consume' our own race of origin, we can't refine the essence of the root, and thus can't merge it to strengthen the roots of the current world. But if you really did that... you'd be not far from losing yourself and becoming another No. 1."

Indeed...

Nodding slightly, Leon furrowed his brow in thought, then looked up at the mermaid beauty and proactively asked:

"Evangelin, aside from sacrificing yourself to the root, is there another way for the current world to absorb the Sea Abyss Realm?"

Another way to absorb the Sea Abyss Realm?

The mermaid beauty pondered for a moment upon hearing this, then nodded somewhat uncertainly and said:

"If you put it that way... there is another method, though it's not much of one."

Upon hearing this, Leon felt a flash of joy in his heart.

"What method?"

"Let the Sea Abyss Realm completely replace the Cold Spring Realm's position, connecting to the Sea Eye of the current world."

The mermaid beauty replied:

"If this is done, the Sea Abyss Realm would become part of the current world plane group like the Tidal Realm, it might even directly merge with the Tidal Realm, completely replacing the Tidal Realm's position, and greatly strengthen the roots of the current world, but..."

"The seabed would freeze again?"

"Yes."

The mermaid beauty nodded with some helplessness and said:

"You've seen the situation in the Sea Abyss Realm, where the seawater lost the rules of [Congealing] and [Thermal Insulation], and even the entire plane is in a state of extreme cold weather that won't freeze.

If I devoted myself to the root, the Sea Abyss Realm would be absorbed by the current world and become part of it, but if the Sea Abyss Realm replaces the Cold Spring Realm, it would exist 'parallel' to the current world.

And to maintain this condition, the Sea Eye won't be able to be sealed, the rule-deficient seawater would inevitably flood the current world, given the volume of the Sea Abyss Realm, by then, all oceans are likely to be completely frozen, and over half of the lands of the current world would be submerged."

"..."

Freezing all oceans, then submerging more than half the land... my goodness, this isn't just a terrible idea; it's practically a disastrous plan with no real consideration needed, no wonder Evangelin never mentioned this method before.

Shaking his head a bit helplessly, Leon was about to think of another plan when he suddenly felt his heart tremble slightly, and a squarish head poked out from within.

"If it's just a matter of freezing, I might have a way."

"?!!!"

Seeing the old man popping out of his heart, Leon was immediately taken aback.

"Haven't I already undone the Snake-man Secret Skill? Why are you still here?"

Wasn't I worried she might suddenly change her mind and harm you, so I left a bit of will to back you up~

Giving Leon a "you don't understand my good intentions" look, the old man chuckled and said:

"Though not very skilled, I've learned a bit of the Snake-man Secret Skill, so when you nullified the secret skill, I left just a smidgen of will, thinking if you ever run into trouble, I could help… hey! Don't pull! Don't pull!"

With a stern face, Leon grabbed the remnant will of the old man and pulled it out of his heart, then closely examined his own body, and as expected, found several familiar auras.

Some were automatic protection means, some were Star Palace marks able to temporarily activate secret techniques, it seems the board members he brought inside during the melee didn't waste their time and left some "marks" on him.

But the board members were more principled than the old man, leaving only thoughtless marks and the like, except for the old man who stealthily mixed a wisp of will along with a group of roots he left.

Excellent… this habit of marking territory like a dog peeing on a lamppost is just so… very 'Cleaner'!