Nahida: "What? Greater Lord Rukkhadevata looks exactly like me? How is that possible? I am the avatar of Irminsul; how could there be someone who looks identical to me? And why is she standing beneath Irminsul, as if she were waiting for me?"
Fu Xuan: "Based on what you just said, this Greater Lord Rukkhadevata should be your older or younger sister. According to the traveler Lumine—wait, according to the traveler Aether, she erased herself from Irminsul for some reason, causing everyone in your world to forget her."
Herta: "She's actually able to control the memories of everyone in the entire world? I've never heard of such a thing. I really want to study this."
Just then, the screen shifted to the opposite side. Aside from a faint green glow surrounding her, this person looked almost identical to Nahida.
Nilou: "How can this be? There really are two Dendro Archons."
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata: "Yes, it is me. Does this appearance... surprise you?"
Aether: "Two people who look completely identical..."
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata: "This place reproduces the appearance of Irminsul and the land from back then, but after all, it is still a space of consciousness."
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata took a few steps toward them and said, "Since your 'essence' and mine are the same, we have manifested the exact same appearance."
Nahida pressed her right hand to her chest and asked in bewilderment, "Why... are our 'essences' the same?"
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata: "Because you are me, and I am you."
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata: "You are my 'reincarnation'."
Nilou: "What? So the Dendro Archon is actually Greater Lord Rukkhadevata!"
Alhaitham: "Then why are there no records whatsoever about Greater Lord Rukkhadevata in the library, not even this title?"
March 7th: "Is that even a question? It's just a title. If they didn't write it down, they didn't write it down, right, Star?"
Star: "March is right."
Lin Yu: "Why don't I feel that way? I have a feeling something big is about to happen."
Hu Tao looked at Zhongli: "Consultant, what do you make of this?"
Zhongli glanced at Hu Tao, took a leisurely sip of tea, and slowly said, "This matter concerns the Dendro Archon of Sumeru. Even she was unable to provide an answer, so how could a humble consultant like myself possibly know?"
"That's true."
Nahida: "Reincarnation..."
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata: "As Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, I am the avatar of Irminsul, while you are the purest branch snapped off from Irminsul. It's much like... even if a tree dies, a branch will one day take root and grow, continuing life in another form."
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata: "The one standing before you is merely a shred of consciousness left behind by Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. The real me must have died a long time ago, right?"
Nilou: "Ah, you mean the original Dendro Archon was called Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, and she even died once? Then why are there no records or memories of her? And isn't the Dendro Archon Sumeru's first Dendro Archon? Why is there another Dendro Archon, and why is this different from our memories?"
Sparkle: "Hahaha, this is getting more and more entertaining."
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata: "Hmm... judging the time by your current appearance, I suppose I died about five hundred years ago... You finally came, the 'reincarnated' me."
Aether: "Lesser Lord Kusanali and Greater Lord Rukkhadevata..."
Nahida: "Put that way... will I one day become a deity as great as you?"
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata: "Although our essences are the same, our destinies will surely be different. All things have their own destinies. Just as a branch grows into a new tree, it can never be exactly the same as the original tree."
Nahida: "So destiny is the ultimate knowledge, is that it?"
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata: "What a wonderful thought. I approve. And because of that, you will no longer become me..."
Nahida lowered her head with a look of disappointment: "Is that so..."
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata: "But you might well become a deity even greater than I am, hehe."
Nahida raised her head in shock and looked at Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata: "I already see in you a will that I did not possess back then. The future it leads toward is a destiny that belongs solely to you."
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata: "And those, too, are blessings brought by everything you have experienced in the past. Rest assured, the growth of wisdom is much like that of plants and trees; you only need to quietly wait for the flowers to bloom."
Aether: "I believe in Nahida too..."
Paimon: "Now that I think about it, the insight of the Akademiya sages is truly hopeless..."
At that moment, Nahida took a few steps forward: "Thank you... This is truly such a wonderfully happy thing. The goal I've always looked up to is actually myself, just with a different destiny... It's so good to be able to talk to you, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. I've always wanted to meet you..."
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata: "How could I feel any differently? From the moment I snapped the branch of Irminsul to create you, I, too, have always looked forward to conversing with you like this."
Nahida: "Could you tell me... why you wanted to create me? And what on earth happened when you died..."
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata: "Yes, I know. You have come seeking 'answers', haven't you?"