Chapter 1304: The Prison Opens (1)

Deep beneath the Undead Skyfall Canyons, within the immeasurable abyss.

The ancient altar remained suspended in absolute darkness while billions of suppression runes continued to illuminate its colossal surface, their deep silver radiance pulsing in rhythm with the ancient lock at the altar’s center.

’Hum...’

The entire abyss trembled, and the mountain-sized chains stretched into the darkness, each one shaking faintly as though something at the very end of them was beginning to struggle.

The concentric rings of the lock had already rotated several times, and only a thin gap remained, for it was the final seal, and the final obstruction between the prisoner and freedom.

’Click...’

The sound was so faint that it should have been impossible to hear, yet it echoed throughout the entire abyss, and then another...

’Click...’

A third...

’Click...’

The ancient lock slowly rotated again as a hairline crack appeared between the two intertwined rings, and from within that crack seeped a darkness so profound that even the surrounding abyss seemed to recoil.

It wasn’t ordinary darkness, nor was it Death Law, nor was it Undead Authority, but it was something that had accumulated within the prison for countless ages.

The despair, hatred, resentment, loneliness, and murderous intent of an existence that had been denied freedom for longer than most civilizations had existed.

But despite everything happening, the Fateless Celestial didn’t react as the Destin Saint’s vessel hovered quietly before the altar. His faceless expression remained impossible to read, and anyone looking at him would have thought he was completely focused on the ancient lock.

But that wasn’t the case, as a faint, almost impossible-to-perceive glyph flickered across his forehead. It appeared for less than an instant before vanishing, and then it appeared again. Each time, it was so faint that even a God-rank existence might mistake it for an illusion.

However, it wasn’t for it was his eyes, but not literally; rather, it was the manifestation of his consciousness extending somewhere far beyond this abyss.

Destin Saint had never stopped watching Alexandra from the moment she left the prison to deal with the intruder; a portion of his consciousness had followed her.

He had watched everything and seen Alexandra enter the treasury. He had seen the mysterious intruder standing there, and just like Alexandra, Destin Saint had immediately recognized him.

’So, it really was you.’

The glyph upon his forehead flickered as, for the first time, a trace of genuine interest with a hint of complication appeared within his consciousness.

’The Cursed One.’

He wasn’t particularly surprised. After all, among all the possibilities he had considered, Jacob appearing here had always been one of the most likely. But what surprised him was what happened afterward.

The Fateless Celestial had watched the battle from beginning to end. He had watched the Starfall awaken, then watched the countless weapons descend from the artificial heavens.

Finally, he had watched Alexandra disappear into darkness again and again, and then he had watched the entire Starfall arsenal synchronize with Jacob’s profound vision.

The glyph on Destin Saint’s forehead flickered once more.

’Interesting...’

His attention lingered on the vast artificial star field that had appeared above the battlefield. The countless weapons, with their terrifying destructive power and synchronization. The way Jacob could seemingly transform his entire surroundings into an extension of his perception.

Even Destin Saint had to admit something. That weapon was absurd, and it didn’t belong in the Middle Plains. In fact, calling it a weapon of the Middle Plains was already an insult to what it represented.

’If he possessed sufficient energy to maintain that state indefinitely...’ Destin Saint paused. ’He could probably conquer a small region in the Upper Plains alone.’

There was no exaggeration in his assessment, as even the weakest forces in the Upper Plains could conquer the Middle Plains, yet they would struggle to withstand such overwhelming firepower.

But it was only at that level, and Destin Saint wasn’t afraid since this posed no threat to him, not even slightly. Instead, fascination filled his consciousness.

’Where did he obtain such technology?’

That was what truly interested him, as the Middle Plains simply shouldn’t possess the knowledge necessary to create something like Starfall.

Only the greatest technological civilization of the Zodiac Plains, the Spirit Natural Intelligence Mechanic Race, can easily produce such a terrifying system.

Yet Jacob had somehow done it in the Middle Plains, and that raised another question.

’Who taught him? Is a Spirit Natural Intelligence Mechanic Race member behind him? No, that’s impossible. "HE" won’t allow it!’

Destin Saint’s thoughts moved rapidly, but he didn’t pursue the question for long, as there were more important matters.

His attention returned to the battle, and Alexandra had been completely suppressed and forced to retreat.

Destin Saint wasn’t surprised by this result. In fact, he had expected it from the moment he sent Alexandra out; he had already understood that she probably wouldn’t be able to defeat the Cursed One.

Her current strength was severely restricted, as not only could she not freely use her Arcane Law, but she also couldn’t fully utilize the power of her Universal Godly Scripture.

That’s why against a strange existence like Jacob, whose methods were impossible to predict, those limitations were fatal.

’Still...’ The glyph on Destin Saint’s forehead flickered. ’He didn’t use it. The Universal Godly Scripture!’

Destin Saint was slightly frustrated that Jacob had never revealed its true power, but he soon calmed down, as that alone was enough to satisfy him.

He had wanted Alexandra to force Jacob into revealing one of his trump cards, but unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to push him far enough.

Still, Destin Saint had gained something. From the battle, he could roughly estimate Jacob’s current condition.

’His Universal Godly Scripture probably cannot be used freely. Just like the Heir of Chaos. Which means he had yet to grow!’ Destin Saint was relieved.

Perhaps Jacob’s Scripture had some limitation, some missing condition, or some restriction preventing him from unleashing its full power.

That conclusion immediately eased one of Destin Saint’s concerns.

’Then we’re still within the range I calculated.’

His confidence returned; however, there was one thing he still couldn’t understand. That strange wheel.

Destin Saint’s consciousness shifted toward the image of the Life Bane Wheel that had appeared behind Jacob. His expression remained unreadable, but his thoughts became slightly more serious.

’That artifact...’

He had observed it carefully, and it wasn’t merely absorbing energy; it had interfered with the sacrificial ritual itself, intercepting the flow of vitality before it could reach the altar.

Destin Saint couldn’t determine exactly how, not even after observing it directly through his various calculations. That was very unusual.

’Artifact? Spell? Authority?’

None of the possibilities seemed completely correct, as the wheel seemed to exist somewhere between several categories.

Even Destin Saint couldn’t immediately see through it with just this level of power, and that alone made the object quite remarkable.

But he didn’t dwell on it, as there was no need; the plan had already reached its final stage, and more importantly, he didn’t have much time.

A faint, almost imperceptible tremor passed through Destin Saint’s vessel as his consciousness remained calm, but beneath that calmness, something terrifying was constantly being suppressed.

It was none other than the backlash from the Winter of Past!