Facing an Ancient God for a Year

Chapter 1870: Chapter 1865: Artifact Seedbed (20)

That’s quite an attack, and I’ve received that determination.

In a fleeting moment, the great sword, the whiteness, the headless swordsman, all vanished into nothingness.

Including one of Fu Qian’s arms.

It wasn’t a bluff, but rather a self-immolation.

The attack from the White-Hot Knight was finally unleashed in full force.

As a result, Fu Qian’s entire right arm, along with his shoulder, vaporized and couldn’t be healed in the short term.

Like the earlier wound piercing his chest, the damage was far beyond just superficial flesh.

And the final act of severing its own head did indeed make that whiteness become purer and more formidable.

It’s really something, even for a Second Phase contender, it’s been a while since I’ve received such injuries.

Looking at his own incomplete body, sensing a familiar crystalline feeling at the wound, Fu Qian turned to another direction, bowed slightly to the empty space before him, as a gesture of gratitude.

Even though the existence seemed like a projection, not very stable, its combat power was much stronger than the emotionally unstable Plague Dragon earlier.

Though there was only time for a few words to be exchanged, the information conveyed was substantial.

Seedbed, impurity, desecration... these words seem to confirm my previous thoughts, that he was indeed battling with something, leading to his will being lost.

So, my previous lines finally succeeded in provoking a reaction from him, or rather resentment, making him determined to eliminate me at all costs.

It’s just unclear what this so-called Seedbed is in relation to this prison.

The situation at hand naturally makes it easy to consider them as one and the same, with the Seedbed being the prison, and him guarding it as a knight, ultimately being defeated by the evil Tyrant.

Indeed, the heroic spirit does not disperse.

In thought, Fu Qian could confirm that the original grey-green glow had fundamentally changed, as if stars were now flickering in it.

...

This kind of integration into the whole prison again, almost certainly proves that I’ve indeed encountered two Apocalypse Knights now.

The first one could be attributed to An’s abandonment of struggle, proactively embracing the attraction.

But the White-Hot Knight just now, appearing so pointedly, it’s very unlikely to have nothing to do with my disruptive actions.

And these two also share a common bad news, that is, even in sacrifice, they bring about permanent changes to this place, which was a previous worry.

The Plague Dragon’s downfall left a ubiquitous field effect, where the Transcendent plague infected all.

As for the White-Hot Knight, the irregular flickering stars left behind are not merely brightening up the space.

Whenever the brightness peaks to an almost blazing white, an unperceivable wave happens between the closest pair of such stars.

As for the effect—

Fu Qian extended his left index finger and placed it on the segment between the two points.

No blood spurted, no wound appeared, but I was slightly cut.

The instant the two stars simultaneously vanished, Fu Qian withdrew his finger, silently savoring the sensation.

It was quite similar to the Time-Space Cutting skill of the White-Hot Knight, shattering everything into crystalline fragments.

At the touch earlier, this finger seemed to have advanced a step towards that state.

But of course, the effect is significantly weaker, causing not much impact to myself, only the survival predicament of Mr. Scholar and the other three has worsened considerably.

Besides, there’s another special gain—a crystal, but not an Ice Crystal.

Though easy to confuse, and the shards in that pit on the ground quickly emanate coldness, but the changes in my body at this moment seem to confirm that before, it wasn’t just my imagination.

The power from the White-Hot Knight, not to mention the internal crystalline feeling noted earlier, doesn’t easily translate to possessing cold power.

The relationship between the crystal and the coldness seems inverted, as if the former gives rise to the latter, making one wonder about the true nature of the Frozen Sea enveloping the entire prison.

Moreover, it seems like this crystalline power had encountered earlier—at the Divine Tomb guarded by the Tomb Guard Clan on Ye Island, Kamakura.

In the depths of that ancient structure, not only were there fast and sturdy Crystal Worms, but also an entire pool of versatile, shape-shifting crystal formations.

And according to the skill explanation of Old Day’s Mark acquired later, that place belonged to an ancient Deity, the name being simply "Nameless".

Could there be a connection?

...

The core reason for this question is Fu Qian’s persistent curiosity about the origins of the descending Apocalypse Knights.

The Plague Knight distinctly possessed intelligence, was capable of communication, and even intentionally misled.

While the White-Hot Knight had an unyielding resolve, making it feel less like a spontaneously generated Puppet.

For them, being dragged to this place, what kind of a concept is that?

Before they descended here, who were they?

If the "Seedbed" doesn’t refer to this place, where else could it be?

Although the previous two didn’t delve this deeply in conversations, fortunately, the White-Hot Knight had a highly recognizable appearance, so I can try looking for the Night Watchman later.

But that’s for later, theoretically speaking, another two popping out would mean my mission fails and would require a restart.

And with continuous accumulation, the disruptions caused by the Brilliant Tyrant have become increasingly apparent, giving me ample reason to believe the next one will soon come to stop me.

Tap!

Amidst such contemplation, Fu Qian lightly pressed his bare foot onto the smooth ground and leaped forward.

The most wonderful thing is when both sides move toward each other, and he harbors a considerable curiosity for the third knight as well.

Of course, basic courtesy is not forgotten; having gone through back-to-back major attacks, even the most spacious prison robe is barely enough to cover him now.

To address this, Fu Qian chose to grow scales like those of a fish, covering everything from his limbs to his torso.

Not affecting appearances, he even intentionally chose a dark green color to match his fist claws.

It’s a pity that throughout the journey, though the place was imposing and solemn, there really weren’t many prisons, little modification could be seen.

Mirroring ice crystal curtains from earlier were abundant, but no new White-Hot Knight emerged to join the fray.

Needless to say, there was no sign of the suspected target, Virgin Lanina, either.

Overall, not only were there no living beings, not even a Crimson Angel was seen, dead silence reigned.

But that’s alright, if nothing here, there’s always the next layer.

Without even a pause, Fu Qian gracefully initiated Blood Conquest, propelling upward in a flash.