Chapter 644
Yin-Yang Reversal
From the shattered shell of the Bear Heavenly Envoy, an incomparably brilliant and gorgeous red seeped out.
Like the beautiful, illusory light seen when a kaleidoscope made of red crystal is aimed at a light source.
The “Supreme Heaven” with four wings dissipated like ash, but its tattered humanoid silhouette could still be seen. It looked like a half-melted ice cube or a sugar painting, appearing as if it would be satisfying to chew on.
And standing before him, the Silver Crown Dragon slowly raised his sword.
He gripped the Holy Sword with his solemn hands—and brought it down with a heavy chop!
Only a sound like shattering glass was heard, and the humanoid silhouette instantly shattered completely, turning into vermilion flowing light that soared into the sky.
When the Lord of Scales and Feathers slightly raised his right hand, some of the flowing light gathered in his palm, transforming into a vermilion crystal with at least twenty sharp points.
It floated silently in the Lord of Scales and Feathers’ hand, radiating red brilliance in all directions.
Immediately after, the Lord of Scales and Feathers raised his left hand again.
Part of the radiance between heaven and earth condensed, forming a deep red sphere in his left hand. It lacked the luster of a jewel, but possessed complex patterns within. It looked like a pill or a spherical piece of red sandalwood.
“Well,” the Lord of Scales and Feathers began, “although we have no prior agreement… if neither of you objects, I will take his Heavenly Envoy Fragment. I plan to activate the Warrior class, which requires it.
“A trace of the Supreme Heaven’s essence remains within him… Do you want it, Crown Lord?”
“Give it to me, give it to me, give it to me…”
Eivass muttered to himself internally.
…Of course, he was just thinking that.
After all, he didn’t need this thing… In fact, Eivass had no idea what this thing was even for.
“No, thank you.”
The Silver Armored Knight, the Avatar of the Silver Crown Dragon, shook his head with a cold expression. “The opportunity to completely defeat the Supreme Heaven is reward enough for me.”
“—Don’t look at me.”
The Hourglass Deity, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, looked indifferent. The old man in the yellow robe showed no intention of reaching out. “I am merely here to settle a debt. I will take nothing and accept nothing.”
A brief silence fell among the three Pillar Gods, none of whom laid claim to the crystal orb.
Eivass’s eyes lit up: Could it be…
The Hourglass Deity, facing Eivass, was the first to notice his gaze.
The old man in the yellow robe warned, “No gift comes without a price. Think carefully of the consequences and calculate the future.”
“This is not something you can digest yet,” the Lord of Scales and Feathers said, lowering his head slightly, half comforting, half explaining. “A Pillar God’s essence, used to deepen one’s understanding of the Origin River… At least a Heavenly Envoy could possibly digest it correctly. Otherwise, it would only become the foundation for the Supreme Heaven’s resurrection. Just like that cub in the past.”
But this faceless man in a black suit pondered for a moment and let out a hearty laugh. “Haha, how should I put it… From a standpoint of fairness, Eivass made a significant contribution to this matter. It was precisely because he risked participating in this plan that we were able to achieve our respective goals—you could end an unfinished war, you could resolve past karma, and I could obtain the ‘Warrior’ mark.
“For both emotional and logical reasons, I believe Eivass should also get a share. I intend to give him a red envelope… What are your plans?”
—Boss, my good boss! So generous!
Eivass was deeply moved.
As expected of the God of Lightning-Fast Final Payments…
Not only did he intend to give Eivass some benefits himself, but he was also actively trying to get other partners to give Eivass a red envelope.
It was definitely the right choice to come to you first!
Although Eivass had risked his life and fought hard in this Ascension Ritual, strictly speaking, it wasn’t as dangerous as the Lord of Scales and Feathers described—after all, if it weren’t for this ritual, he would have died if the Bear Heavenly Envoy had found him outside. As for whether the Heavenly Raksha could protect him… Eivass had always been skeptical.
But with the Silver Crown Dragon watching over the ritual, he wouldn’t have been so easily killed…
“What are you thinking? Do you think it’s safe here?”
The Lord of Scales and Feathers chuckled as if reading Eivass’s thoughts. “If these two hadn’t intervened, you would have died long ago; if I hadn’t paused the time within the ritual, you would have been crushed. Strictly speaking, you have died at least four times during this ritual… Do you really think provoking the Supreme Heaven comes without a price?
“Moreover, if this weren’t an Ascension Ritual, I could freely decide where the ‘narrative lens’ is… You would have already been pulverized by now, beyond any hope of rescue.”
Eivass suddenly understood.
So that’s how it is…
The feeling at the time wasn’t an illusion—when the Supreme Heaven unleashed divine punishment, the Equilibrium Barrier had indeed recovered.
That was the subtle interference from the Hourglass Deity.
The Supreme Heaven, full of confidence, had shattered the barrier and launched an attack—and the fact that he had developed such a habit indicated that it had worked in the past. The premature recovery of the barrier was the anomaly.
Even after being filtered once by Equilibrium, that lightning strike was still beyond Eivass’s capacity to withstand. It was only because the Silver Crown Dragon, under the guise of “Arthur,” transformed into a dragon and blocked the attack for Eivass that his soul was saved from utter annihilation by the Supreme Heaven’s divine power.
Meanwhile, in the Material Realm… that finger had indeed descended from the temporary world of the Ascension Ritual.
However, at that moment, the Lord of Scales and Feathers skillfully used overlapping attacks to cut to a “future scene,” shifting the narrative forward in time to the future, without mentioning the ultimate fate of Helchin in the past.
…It is likely that Helchin had already been utterly crushed.
After all, in the past, there was no “Arthur” to shield him from that attack.
“But you are right…”
The Silver Crown Dragon nodded. “From a standpoint of fairness, he deserves some reward.”
He then suddenly looked at Eivass. “I must say, you have a good fiancée.”
…Huh?
Eivass was momentarily stunned.
The Silver Crown Dragon explained with solemnity, “My sudden arrival here was not due to a prior arrangement with the Lord of Scales and Feathers. It was solely because Isabel offered me a prayer.”
“…What?”
“That girl prayed to me. She wanted me to protect you, just as I protect Avalon.
“As the Monarch of Avalon, she made this request of me… So, I naturally came to take a look.”
The Silver Crown Dragon then glanced at the Lord of Scales and Feathers. “Fortunately, I came. Otherwise, I would have missed this opportunity forever—you planned to hunt the Giant Bear and didn’t even call me.”
If the Silver Crown Dragon had not been the one to ultimately slay the Bear Heavenly Envoy, the Origin River experience of “violence” would have been lost to the void. In that case, the Silver Crown Dragon’s completeness would likely have remained elusive until the very end.
“Oh, it’s because I expected you to come,”
The Lord of Scales and Feathers said with a smile. “I don’t want to anger the Crown Lord… I’m a very timid person.”
“You prophets are all so unnecessary. What if your prophecy is wrong?”
The Silver Crown Dragon frowned slightly. “Next time, just call me directly. If I can come, I will. There’s no need to scheme for me.
“…Also, thank you. I will not forget this kindness.”
“—How about this, everyone,”
The Hourglass Deity suddenly chimed in cheerfully. “As the saying goes, each to their own… If you all trust me, let me act as an intermediary. Shall we make a deal?”
…Eivass couldn’t tell if it was an illusion, but he felt the Hourglass Deity’s tone suddenly become gentle, his attitude a little kinder, and his words more easily understood, closer to everyday language.
However, neither the Lord of Scales and Feathers nor the Silver Crown Dragon reacted particularly.
—No, it wasn’t an illusion.
Eivass quickly noticed a subtle detail—the Hourglass Deity’s sleeves were inverted.
Although the Hourglass Deity had his hands in his sleeves before, his left hand was on top and his right hand was below. This was clearly visible from the height of his arms.
Now, the Hourglass Deity had his right hand on top and his left hand below…
The old man’s tone had clearly become gentler. If he had previously been a taciturn, concise, and solitary elder with a stern demeanor; now he gave an impression of kindness and amiability.
If, before, the Hourglass Deity was a “scholar.”
—Then, at this moment, the Hourglass Deity was a “merchant.”
(End of this chapter)
