Silent Crown

“My apologies, I didn’t manage to control myself.” Ye Qingxuan’s face turned green as he was barely able to continue, “When I saw your face that looked like neither man or woman, I could not help but…”

With that, he whistled and sighed contentedly, “How satisfying.”

“I treated you as my equal by giving you the respect you deserved, yet… this is how you repay me?” Paganini’s face was solemn. The projection of the Witches’ Dance tightened its grip on Ye Qingxuan, so that his music theory and bones were gradually crushed.

“With your powers, you could have escaped in the first place but now, you are going to lose your life because you have chosen a moment of satisfaction.” Paganini muttered, “You will never understand the bigger picture.”

“Bigger picture?” Ye Qingxuan was trying to control the tremor of aether as he questioned in a muffled voice, “And you are telling me that you understand it?”

In that instant, Paganini was stunned and he began to frown. Then, he saw a smile on Ye Qingxuan’s face. That fellow was smiling so widely even as the broken bones have pierced into his lungs and blood was gushing freely out of his wounds.

Realization suddenly dawned on Paganini. “You have been tricking me?”

“Ha! Indeed!” Ye Qingxuan laughed, “Someone must be dictating your every move.”

“What?” Paganini remained composed. “Whatever gave you such an idea?”

“Do you even have to ask?” Ye Qingxuan shook his head slowly in the cage, as his eyes were filled with disappointment. “Paganini, music theories reflect the user. I understand the Changing Music Theory and I understand you. Changing Music Theory may be very powerful but it will always rely on the circumstances. You can never be the main body. You will always be like a vine that needs to rely on something else for nutrients. This is your biggest weakness.”

As Paganini’s face became more and more awful, Ye Qingxuan pushed even more, “In other words, this is your pattern. If not for the fact that Hyakume’s death has given you a glimmer of hope of replacing him, you would probably have sought another master on the very same day the abyss fell. Someone must be telling you what to do. He is stoking your ambitions, in hope that you will gain control of the abyss one day and go against the Sacred City. However, this person probably has other ideas as well. You are too narrow-minded and you do not have the ability to control the abyss. Therefore, the moment you gain the abyss is the moment that person will turn you into his puppet and the abyss will become his tool!”

Smack!

Ye Qingxuan was stopped suddenly as Paganini drew back his palm slowly. “You may be right, but you will not live to see that day.”

Ye Qingxuan looked down and could not help but sigh. “Haven’t you realized what is my forte?”

What was his forte? Without question, it was the ultimate skill of the Ye family – seek help in times of greatest need!

In that instant, the ring on his finger shimmered. Far away, on the surface of the sea, a beam of golden light was being summoned! It was Firebird! Countless illusions appeared from the Firebird as they sang in praise together, “I give my life to the great and mighty Emperor. May Heaven protect the kingdom and may the Emperor protect me!”

‘Pomp and Circumstance’ was played on this foreign land once again as the melody that has been crowned by the Emperor could be heard above the Ultimate. The Chapter of the Golden Victory appeared within the Firebird and the silhouette of the Dragon of Gold could gradually be seen.

“Firebird? That’s impossible…” Paganini was stunned as he looked at the Firebird that was fast approaching. He knew Ye Qingxuan’s background better than anyone, so naturally, he had also done his research on matters related to Anglo.

Although there were still some secrets and discrepancies, he could more or less hazard a guess that since Anglo’s homeland defense front could defeat Leviathan, it would definitely be able to go against catastrophe as well. With the addition of the Firebird, Ye Qingxuan would be like a demi god.

But the homeland defense front has its own weaknesses. A formidable system that relied on the terrain meant that the latter would also be a limitation. The homeland defense front was everywhere on Anglo land but beyond those lands, the prowess of the former would be drastically reduced.

This was definitely nowhere near Anglo lands. In fact, it was more than a thousand miles away!

And yet, the power of Firebird was capable of reaching all the way here? Could it be that for the past few centuries, the Anglos have been expanding their lands in secret?

But very soon, his gaze landed on the surface of the sea and realization dawned on him. Right in the middle of the Royal Navy, above the Sovereign, blinding light shot out of the instruments of harmonious melody and the gigantic machine. It was like a pillar that was supporting and extending into the sky. No wonder!

“Heaven Ladder!” His face was contorted as he could barely force out those words through gritted teeth.

—

At this very moment, it was late at night in Avalon and the entire city was asleep. But the reflection of the city in the sea showed that it was fully lit up like a sun. The bright Firebird spread out like waves, such that the entire surface of the sea was a shimmering golden color. It was the hall of the throne. On the throne, a teenage girl who had been sleeping lightly, opened her eyes as if in response to a call from far away. She held onto the scepter and nodded slightly, “Granted.”

With that, a booming melody could be heard from the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. The Golden Chapter of Victory played with great passion. The illusion of the Beast of Gold appeared from behind her out of thin air. It growled once before turning into light and rose from the surface of the sea with the Firebird. With the long tail of the Firebird trailing behind, it looked like a meteor as it shot towards the Ultimate.

In the blink of an eye, the homeland defense was right there. But the Beast of Gold did not slow down and increased its speed instead. At the same time, the old and broken fishing boat above the homeland defense suddenly burst open. Beneath the body of the boat, a gigantic structure of instruments of harmonious melody rose gradually. The mysterious instruments of harmonious melody were like a lighthouse that floated on the sea. The only difference was that this lighthouse was sending out deep melodies instead of light!

It was the repeater of the Net of Aether!

At this very moment, it was the Ye’s Heaven Ladder music theory that was in operation!

With Ye Qingxuan’s design, the music theory that has been hibernating in the Ye bloodline for all these years has finally been embedded in the alchemy formations of the Net of Aether to become its main body.

At this moment, under the influence of the resonating Heaven Ladder, the Beast of Gold blew past with Firebird and leapt towards the next platform.

A hundred miles away, the merchant ship that has deviated away from its route was slowly getting into its position. New instruments of harmonious melody rose from the cargo ship of East India trading company. They were calling out for the Beast of Gold and transporting the power of catastrophe for him. Hundreds of boats were already in position. The music theory of the Net of Aether extended outwards from the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth as they passed through one endpoint after another to head towards the Ultimate. Each endpoint was also a resonance.

The Firebird was like a golden river of light as it passed through the repeater instruments of harmonious melody. The river of light tore through the night as it transported incredible power towards a destination that was far away.

All the repeaters that the Royal Institute of Research had rushed out in a month were fully used on this region of sea. They guided the Firebird forward, until it dove into the bridge of the Sovereign.

In that instant, flames shot out and into the embrace of Ye Qingxuan. His aether waves rose steadily as they broke through the level of Master and into the region of Scepter. They did not stop there. They continued rising again and again until finally, they reached the region of catastrophe.

A blinding halo appeared above Ye Qingxuan’s head, like the crown made from the sun. The figure of the golden hound became more and more concrete, even as it looked down coolly at the Ultimate from the vault of heaven. Ye Qingxuan smiled and stretched out his hand to point at Paganini, “Old Phil, get him!”