Chapter 1229
The Prophecy of the Holy Spring
“The sky cracks open, the indigo king breathes fire and descends from the sandstorm;
“The savior behind the curtain whispers: ‘I am the warp and weft of heaven and earth, I bring the inexhaustible clear spring.'”
“I kissed its shadow, drank its blood, and tasted the sweetness in the grit;”
“The fetus of doomsday will finally be strangled by the umbilical cord of tomorrow.”
—”Anxi,” Chapter 1, “The Prophecy of the Holy Spring,” Stanza 1.
This book, read by almost all Free People of Anxi, is the foundation of Holy Spring City.
In the early days of the Ancient Kingdom of Anxi, a winged prophet penned thirteen prophetic poems titled “Anxi,” describing thirteen prophecies that would eventually come true. The First King of Anxi then divided the territory of Anxi into thirteen provinces, each named after a chapter of the prophetic poems.
Over the long passage of time, twelve of these prophecies have already been fulfilled. Coincidentally, all twelve provinces now exist no more, reduced to ruins and swallowed by the desert. Only “The Prophecy of the Holy Spring” remains unfulfilled… perhaps it is for this very reason that only Holy Spring City still exists.
This is also why the title of the Lord of Holy Spring City is different from that of other Oasis City-states—
The name of the Lord of Holy Spring City, “Aimel Nour,” when directly translated into the Avalon language, means “Spring of Light,” and can also be translated as “Holy Spring.”
This does not mean that the original Lord has lived to the present day… rather, each generation of the Lord of Holy Spring City must abandon their original name and change it to “Aimel Nour,” inheriting the name of the Holy Spring.
And now—
“Lord…”
A black-robed priest, wearing a crow mask and holding a long staff, murmured in awe, looking into the distance.
On the distant horizon, a ferocious, savage, yet majestic indigo dragon-beast flew in the sky.
Fine streams of blue fire burned behind its wings, and it was pulling a splendid and luxurious carriage behind it.
Like a meteor as deep as the sea, it fell from the heavens.
—This scene was also witnessed by the other black-robed priests.
They looked up in shock, pointing and gesturing towards the sky. Some knelt in worship on the spot, while others hurried back into the city.
At this time, the slaves being dragged behind, about to be buried in the quicksand, seemed to have a premonition and let out earth-shattering wails at the same moment.
Their cries overlapped, instantly sounding like thunder.
Time itself seemed to suspend at this moment.
Although the priests, high and mighty, were all wearing masks, obscuring their faces, it was as if they could clearly feel their visible panic as the cries shook the heavens, their bodies stiffening and limbs trembling.
As expected.
The hideous yet slender dragon-beast heard the cries of those damned slaves and turned its scarlet gaze upon them!
The leading priest was already at a loss and trembling.
“—Roar!!”
Accompanied by the sound of tearing air and an angry roar, the entity suspected to be the prophesied “Indigo King” descended.
Unsure which priest started it, someone trembled and knelt. Once the first person knelt, the others could no longer avoid it and could only follow suit.
“What is going on?”
From inside the carriage, a majestic and resplendent voice echoed, “Why are you killing these slaves?”
Just hearing the voice sent shivers down their spines.
They were all “Turbid Faction Ritualists” who were frequently involved in sacrificial matters and had close contact with Dream Realm creatures. They could almost effortlessly detect the divine essence of the being behind the voice—just like their own Lord, it had transcended the mundane and become a demigod on earth.
“This is…”
The black-robed priests looked at the leading one in panic, and the expression beneath his mask had already turned pale.
As he racked his brains for a plausible explanation.
Another ancient voice came from inside the carriage, “They are producing thirst stones, sir.
“This is a forbidden spell passed down by the Lords—collecting the grayish-white salt crystals from house walls after burning camel dung, smearing them on the skin of the living sacrifice, and then burying them in quicksand. While using the cursed quicksand to draw out their bodily fluids, their pathetic lives are prolonged through rituals…
“Then, these completely dehydrated but still living wretches are mixed with Sin Thorns and black iron to create thirst stones—the material you saw before.”
The thirst stone bell used to summon the city populace and the handbells used by Adler’s priests—they were all made with this cruel and forbidden spell.
The black-robed priests wearing bird-faced masks looked at the carriage inside in horror, wishing they could cover the mouth of that damned old man.
But he not only did not stop, but he continued: “Besides making people extremely thirsty, thirst stones can also serve as energy storage stones for the caster’s power. The staffs, magical artifacts, and amulets in the hands of Anxi priests are all made of thirst stones. This is also Anxi’s main extraordinary export product, and a specialty of Holy Spring City, a secret held by the Lords of Holy Spring City. Only priests serving Aimel Nour know this ritual.
“Goblins are willing to pay a high price for a thirst stone, yet they have no idea… that the cost of a thirst stone is merely a human life.”
The old man said sarcastically, “Torturing a slave yields gold hundreds of times its price—a profit of three times is enough for a merchant to take risks, so what about a profit of three hundred times?”
And the priests felt chills down their spines.
—Who is he? How does he know even such secrets?
“Is that so.”
The elegant and mysterious voice carried a hint of disgust, “Then stop it. You are not allowed to make thirst stones anymore.”
“But, but… sir…”
The leading priest prostrated himself, stammering, “This is… the command of the ‘Forgiver’…”
—The “Forgiver,” that is, the title of Aimel Nour, the Lord of Clear Spring City.
“You don’t need to listen to him. I will bring you a new order.”
The voice from the carriage said without hesitation, “He gives you clear springs, and I will bring you inexhaustible clear springs—”
Hearing this, the priests’ hearts were about to leap out of their chests.
Didn’t this perfectly match the words in the prophecy book!
They dared not say anything more, merely kneeling on the ground, bowing deeply.
The deep blue, unknown dragon-beast glanced at them and let out a roar that shook the heavens like a lion.
In the next moment, the dragon-beast leaped high again, soaring over their heads and into the city-state.
And the priests remained kneeling on the ground for a long time, no one daring to look up, no one daring to say anything more.
