'Not bad.'

After hearing Leon's inquiry, the mermaid beauty, who had left a bit of will in the same manner as the third director, answered:

'The appearance of the root descendants indeed often accompanies destruction, and I just sent most of the Clearing Bureau into the Realm of the Dead not long ago. His distrust is completely understandable. If it were me, I would be more cautious as well.'

Darn, she's clearly holding a grudge.

Leon couldn't help but blink helplessly at her words.

According to Evangelin's personality, if she directly showed her dissatisfaction or did something abstract, it would prove she didn't take it too seriously, and the matter would be considered over.

But not only did she act very understanding, but she also took the initiative to make excuses for the third director. That means the matter isn't over yet. She must have some sinister plan in mind, preparing to find an opportunity to take revenge.

'Although I'm not happy about being treated as the bad guy, there's nothing wrong with the plan he proposed.'

Knowing she couldn't hide her plans from Leon, the mermaid beauty's will remaining in Leon's heart chuckled before speaking:

'If someone constantly guards the Eye of the Sea, then indeed, there's no need to worry about the seabed freezing. It can also enhance the roots of the present world. This is indeed a feasible method, and I truly am a more suitable candidate than he is,

After all, my clansmen will still live in the sea in the future. If there's a problem with the Eye of the Sea, my people would be the first to suffer. With his prejudice against me, I wouldn't dare let him handle the Eye of the Sea. It's better to handle it myself to feel more at ease...

Alright, that's all I'll say. I'm leaving now. See you after fixing the Sea Abyss Realm!'

'...'

"Let's go, we should head back too."

Just as the mermaid beauty was waving goodbye to Leon in his mind, the third director walked over to the large hole she had dug, peeked at the chaotic roots below the Origin Mud Plate, and then turned back to urge:

"The mermaid is gone, and we can't go down between the roots. Why are we still here? Let's hurry back to the Realm of the Dead!

Before you two left the Realm of the Dead, Capricorn and Taurus were working on the 'treasures' you snatched from the Four Pillars Gods. By now, they're probably almost purified. If you return now, you'll likely catch them just in time!"

"Hmm..."

Faced with the old man's urging, Leon, who was still hesitating about reminding him to be wary of revenge, simply gave up on the idea. Learning from Evangelin's manner, he attempted to directly carve out a pathway from the Source God Platform to the Realm of the Dead with roots, and stepped in.

Even though Evangelin's character is abstract, she seems to have a degree of restraint when doing things. It's likely that even if she seeks revenge, it won't be excessive. There's no need for him to get involved and forcefully suppress the situation.

Their differences and conflicts will surely arise again in the future. He only needs to act as a mediator and control the situation's extent, leaving the rest to them. These two ancient beings should be able to handle such trivial matters.

"Aquarius!"

Upon Leon's return to his loyal Realm of the Dead, the Cancer Director, who had just been rescued not long ago, was the first to spot him, joyfully rushing out from the Sage's Cemetery and waving up at Leon.

"Come quickly! There's great news! Huge news!"

Great news?

Leon was slightly taken aback by the words. He then pinched his nose and bypassed the manure pit surrounding the Sage's Cemetery, descending to the Clearing Bureau's temporary base in the Realm of the Dead, curiously asking:

"What great news? Have [Inheritance], [Creation], and [Connection] all been purified?"

"That's part of it... But there's other good news I want to tell you."

After Leon entered the Sage's Cemetery, the usually calm Cancer Director, with a rarely seen blush on his face, replied:

"Aquarius, not long after you left, news came from the Old Soil side. About a month ago, the Director and the Aries Director discovered a space-time beacon left by old earth humans in a broken magnetic plane. They're probably close to reconnecting with them now!"

Old Earth humans?

Leon blinked, then asked somewhat puzzledly:

"The Old Earth humans were the branch of our ancestors who chose to stay behind when our ancestors fled Old Soil, right? What's the significance of reuniting with them?"

"Oh right, no one has explained this to you in detail yet!"

Upon hearing Leon's inquiry, the Cancer Director calmed his excitement somewhat and then proactively asked:

"I remember when you went to the Northern Kingdom, you spoke with Baltro from the Aquarius Division about Old Earth humans. What did he tell you?"

"As for the Aquarius Director... he told me about the Seven Deadly Sins and Six Virtues of the Thirteen Kingdoms."

After recalling his exchange with the blue-haired old director from the Aquarius Division, Leon responded:

"Director Baltro said that humanity now is a race with more vice than virtue. Besides the Seven Deadly Sins and Six Virtues of the Thirteen Kingdoms, there should be another branch of humans that holds the seventh virtue called [Hope]."

"He indeed knows quite a bit... Well, Baltro is the most senior among the Zodiac Directors, so it's normal he knows more."

The Cancer Director chuckled upon hearing this, then explained while walking deeper into the Sage's Cemetery with Leon:

"As he told you, after being attacked by the Four Pillars Gods, our human ancestors split into two branches. One branch, our ancestors, fled Old Soil with most of the people and settled in the present world.

The other branch, the ancestors of Old Earth humans, felt that fleeing wasn't safe enough, so they hid deeper into Old Soil, hoping to use the omnipresent spatial turbulence to avoid the Four Pillars Gods' assaults.

While both branches of our human ancestors successfully avoided the Four Pillars Gods, unlike us who have constantly been entangled with them, the ancestors on Old Soil not only completely evaded the Four Pillars Gods, but also most species on Old Soil.

To make up for the lost [Hope] and to prevent them from being discovered first by the Four Pillars Gods, our bureau's predecessors frequently searched Old Soil. However, there was never much progress until now. This time, it's the closest they've come to success in thousands of years. The Director might soon find them."

I see...

After hearing the Cancer Director's explanation, Leon thought for a moment and then asked:

"If the Director and Aries find the whereabouts of the Old Earth branch of humans and regain the hope they hold, what impact will it have on the present world?"

"It will have many impacts, all positive,"

The Cancer Director smiled and continued:

"Though the current state of reality may not entirely be due to the absence of hope, it is indeed closely related to the nature of vice outweighing virtue. Recovering this lost virtue will surely make the present world better.

Furthermore, hope itself is extremely beautiful. In our ancestors' words, hope is the dream one has while awake, a kind of flying thing residing within the soul, a power that supports life more than anything else."