Little Zi's choice of realm brought no disappointment to Lin Luo, easing a heavy stone from his heart. Though the answer was now known, what of the process? Lin Luo was somewhat curious as to the reasoning behind Little Zi's immediate selection of the realm.

He thus asked, "Why did you choose this one?"

Little Zi replied without hesitation, "Because it allows me to construct a Gensokyo."

"Eh!" Hearing this, it wasn't just Youxiang who was stunned; even Lin Luo was startled. He had considered many possibilities, but never imagined Little Zi chose the realm for the sake of Gensokyo!

"Can't other magics allow you to build Gensokyo?" Lin Luo asked again.

Little Zi shook her head. "The realm is not the most powerful magic here. There are two stronger than it, but those are purely offensive magics. While they can destroy everything, they cannot be used for creation. The realm is different; it is creation accompanying destruction. Only if I can master it completely can I grasp the boundary between any two things... Only this can allow me to create a Gensokyo!"

Lin Luo deliberately frowned. "However, the realm is not easy to learn. After all, you should know that the realm is the very foundation upon which all things exist. If this foundation is destroyed, nothing will remain. In terms of sheer power, it is certainly not weaker than the previous two magics. The only reason it ranks third is because it is too difficult to learn. Back in the era when all these magics existed, over countless years, fewer than three people managed to learn the realm, and even they didn't master it completely. Are you sure... you truly wish to study the realm?"

Lin Luo was not deliberately trying to scare Little Zi; the reality was precisely so. The requirements for learning the realm were too stringent for just anyone to attempt... Although he knew Little Zi was absolutely qualified, he still wanted to see if she would press forward despite the difficulty.

Little Zi's response once again proved she had not let Lin Luo down. She nodded heavily, then stated resolutely, "Yes, I will learn it. No matter how much time it takes, no matter what difficulties I encounter, I must learn it... to realize my dream!"

Everyone has the right to choose on the path to their dreams, and also the obligation to persevere. Little Zi's words undoubtedly demonstrated her determination.

Lin Luo knew she would no longer be confused on her path, and further testing was unnecessary. He nodded. "Good. Since you have decided, then proceed."

Then, he turned his gaze to Youxiang. "And you, have you made your choice?"

"Uh!" Youxiang started, her gaze instinctively drifting toward the Tome of Origin, but she did not answer. She had actually chosen a magic she liked, but its rank was not high. After hearing Little Zi's words, she hesitated.

With Little Zi's aptitude and effort, choosing a high-level magic like the realm meant her future prospects would certainly be limitless. What about her? Setting aside effort, her starting point was already so low; her future level might not be very high either. Could studying such a low-level magic truly make her the strongest yokai?

Furthermore, how would Master view her if she chose a low-level magic?

In an instant, Youxiang fell into confusion.

Seeing her troubled expression, Lin Luo guessed a part of it and immediately said, "You don't need to worry about what others do. What matters is what you should do. Choose what you feel is most suitable for you. No matter what choice you make, I will not look down on you. As long as you can carry it through to the end and do your best, then you are successful. So, I ask you: Do you have confidence?"

Hearing Lin Luo's words, Youxiang suddenly realized, lifting her head sharply, "Yes, of course I have confidence!"

"Then, what is your choice?"

"I choose this one." Youxiang extended her hand, turning the book to the last few pages, and pointed at a magic written there.

Seeing this, Lin Luo finally understood why she hesitated. The magic she chose was called Natural Harmony, ranked very low—even outside the top two hundred among the hundreds of magics in the Tome of Origin.

Given Youxiang's competitive nature, Little Zi chose the high-level realm magic, yet she chose such a low-level one. How could she accept that?

Natural Harmony's effect was to merge oneself with the outside world, turning external power into one's own—a supportive skill, perhaps even a passive one. If cultivated to perfection, even if the user didn't actively cast it, Natural Harmony would activate autonomously, infinitely absorbing external energy and completely integrating the user with nature.

In terms of the final effect when perfected, this magic was quite good, but why was its ranking so low? The reason was simple: the mages of the ancient era rarely relied on the outside world for their magic; they all used themselves as the source of demonic power, prioritizing self-reliance. Thus, they held some disdain for magics dependent on external energy, resulting in its low ranking.

However, in Lin Luo's view, Youxiang's choice was not wrong.

The low ranking of Natural Harmony was a result of the era's environment, not its inherent flaw. If placed in the current time, at least from Lin Luo's perspective, it could certainly rank in the top twenty, perhaps even higher. If cultivated by someone very suited to it, the final outcome would absolutely not be inferior to those who mastered the top ten magics.

And was Youxiang suited for this magic?

The answer was affirmative!

Looking closely at Gensokyo, in terms of direct confrontation, only three people could truly be invincible: Hakurei Reimu, Yakumo Yukari, and Kazami Yuuka.

Reimu's invincibility stems from her exceptional nature; she is the soul of Gensokyo. If she wills it, she can ignore all attacks, both physical and magical, rendering her immune to harm.

Yakumo Yukari's invincibility lies in her Boundaries and the Realm. Her Realm can completely overturn the states of both enemy and self. Her Boundaries allow anything to be hidden away—be it enemies or their attacks. If she opens her Boundaries completely, no one can touch her; her evasion is maxed out.

Finally, Kazami Yuuka's invincibility, to use gaming terms, is high HP, high defense, and fast recovery.

Yuuka's sharp attacks are well-known, so there is no need to elaborate. Her health and defense can be glimpsed from the fact that she emerged unscathed from her battle with Yakumo Yukari. Moreover, when she displays her strongest form, she can merge with nature, becoming completely one with it and possessing inexhaustible energy. As long as the enemy doesn't instantly kill her, she can recover instantly by borrowing the power of nature.

Can anyone instantly kill Kazami Yuuka?

At least within Gensokyo, absolutely not. Therefore, she is invincible!

Would such a person not be suitable for cultivating Natural Harmony? Lin Luo even had reason to believe that the reason Kazami Yuuka would become so powerful in the future was largely thanks to Natural Harmony.

Since a choice had been made, Youxiang no longer hesitated, pointing at the magic and continuing, "Although this is a low-level magic, I feel it is the most suitable for me. After all, my comprehension is inherently poor; those high-level, profound magics are difficult to grasp, and I might not even learn them if I try. But this one is different. The moment I saw it, I felt like I saw a friend; it's as if it was custom-made for me. So... I will learn this!"

Lin Luo nodded. "Your choice is very correct. Rather than choosing magics you don't know if they suit you and are hard to learn, it is far better to learn what suits you. I agree with this point."

"Really?!" Hearing this, Youxiang, who had been worried that Lin Luo would look down on her, suddenly beamed with joy and exclaimed excitedly.

"Of course," Lin Luo smiled faintly. "Any magic or art in this world, when first created, was certainly tailored by its creator for themselves or for family and friends; the compatibility from the beginning is the highest, which is why it can unleash powerful effects. When we later generations learn these magics, the differences in strength are not the fault of the magic itself, but a matter of compatibility. Therefore... there is no best or worst magic, only magic that is suitable and unsuitable. Do you understand?"

The two girls instantly grasped the concept upon hearing this and nodded in unison, "Yes, Master!"

"Now that your choices are made, there is no need to waste more time. Begin your training now." A moment later, Lin Luo quickly copied down the notes for these two magics and handed them over.

The reason he didn't give them the Tome of Origin directly wasn't due to stinginess, but because he didn't want the other magics inside to distract them.

After all, people are inherently curious; it was hard to guarantee they wouldn't look at other magics out of sheer curiosity. Even if the possibility was low, anything that could be avoided should be avoided.

Taking the copied spell notes from Lin Luo, Little Zi did not immediately begin training. Instead, she looked around, feeling something was missing. After a moment of thought, she realized what it was and immediately asked, "Master, where are Uncle and the others? Why haven't we seen them all day?"

"Oh, right, they haven't been around since last night," Youxiang noted with confusion when reminded.

The "Uncles" they referred to were naturally the Thirteen Protectors. These yokai were not inherently malicious, and in recent days, they had enjoyed good meals thanks to the two girls, so they treated the girls exceptionally well, often offering guidance and pointers.

Youxiang and Little Zi were grateful for their instruction, hence they called them Uncle.

Lin Luo replied, "I sent them out on an errand."

His arrival in this era was due to reverse causality, and the people connected by reverse causality were not just Little Zi and Youxiang, but also a certain Shikii. Since he himself couldn't leave for the moment, sending the Thirteen Protectors out to gather information was also a viable method. Useful resources should be utilized reasonably.

Since Shikii wasn't showing herself, he would take the initiative!

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