Chapter 376
The Magic Association was completely baffled and deeply shocked by this.
What exactly happened?
The first sage's magic formula and the Magic Element energy sufficient to power the empire for a hundred years all vanished in an instant. How did everyone survive such a crisis?
Moreover, the phenomenon in the sky meant that the spells of the three tower lords were instantly broken. Even a god descending to the Material World might not be able to achieve this.
These questions and thoughts lingered in everyone's minds, a nightmare from which there was no solution.
At the same time, the Giant Thought Tree, located on the main vein of the Imperial Library, continued to expand and spread. Its translucent trunk had no physical form, and like sunlight falling from the sky, it passed through layers of buildings in reverse, engulfing the Imperial Council, and reaching the sky like a colorful cloud.
Divine Sentient Body.
This Emperor legacy, the foundation of humanity, and the lifeblood of civilization, is truly reviving its consciousness after hundreds of years. It seems to be relearning to breathe, and every growth and movement shakes the atmospheric corridor, stirring up a mass riot of Magic Element.
It is obvious that even though the aftershocks of the Martial God Skill were neutralized by the exquisite skill, the damage was done and could not be recovered. The energy wavelength was too terrifying and was considered to have the risk of destroying Saint Roland.
Given that the very foundations of the Giant Thought Tree and even the Golden Law could potentially be damaged, the Divine Sentient Body responsible for unifying authority and protecting humanity will naturally awaken from its dormancy.
This process is irreversible. The body will only fall back into dormancy after it has fully recovered and determined that the situation is not impeded.
At this moment, its consciousness is resonating with the Golden Sea once again, and the entire continent can feel the rhythm of the great sound that is silent. The rampant black tide is also noticed as a result, and the Magic Element tide carrying the will of the law transforms into an army to wipe out the calamity.
The Pure White Witch was in a good mood. She looked down at her surroundings, and a flash of black and white light evaporated all the gathered Magic Element. The thick sea of clouds was also cleared away, leaving behind a clear blue color.
Clean and beautiful.
If the lantern hadn't been mostly shattered, making the roar of the glacier cracking even louder, her emotions would have been even higher.
Chu Yuanqing gently comforted the sickly Lantern Gem, drawing upon the power of his will from [Ideal Land] to repair the damage caused by the Martial God Skill.
The girl glanced at the three tower lords, then turned to admire the scenery of Saint Roland protected by the Giant Thought Tree. She coughed weakly a few times, her delicate, pale face showing a slight upturn of her lips as she thoughtfully said:
"So that's how you wake it up. It seems it really cares about Saint Roland and the Empire, and listens to the Emperor far more than you do. It has absolutely no intention of betraying you."
Archibald had no energy left to refute; he hadn't yet recovered from the overwhelming power emanating from the Martial God Skill. His mind was filled with the black and white flash that caused the spectrum to collapse, Magic Element to decompose, space to shatter, and time to freeze, and...
The Pure White Witch casually reached out and grabbed back, instantly neutralizing the world-destroying energy. Her expression was calm, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and she handled it with ease, as if doing this was simpler than eating or drinking.
But how could that be? Even the gods, who are born of nature and endowed with power by the world, and are the most blessed by heaven, could not possibly do something like that.
This transcends any known magic and alchemy, belonging to a realm beyond the comprehension of humans, and even beyond the understanding of gods... "craft".
Archibald was unsure how to approach Lucy Tiffany.
He even began to doubt whether the other person was really Lucy Tiffany. But if it wasn't Lucy Tiffany, who could it be? And who could possess such unreasonable power?
Could it be...?
The Black Sun Tower Master's mind was in chaos. He disregarded the safety of the Flame Elf King and tried his best to suppress some absurd and rebellious thoughts. He lowered his head in horror and remained silent, like a terrified hamster.
Dilia stood frozen in mid-air, bewildered. She looked down at the mark on her wrist that symbolized the Time Elf King. In the final moments, her opponent had used the time of three Elf Kings to save her life.
But what shocked the tower master was not the fact that Chu Yuanqing had instantly defeated the three Elf Kings, but the entire process of the opponent breaking through this spell, as recorded by the Time Elf King.
It was a simple, almost monotonous movement. There was no need to construct any techniques or gather any power. She simply clenched her fist and then threw it, and truth and rules crumbled. With the demeanor of a tyrant, she demonstrated that power is the fist.
It's so incredibly awesome that it makes me feel lonely.
Throughout the entire process, Lucy Tiffany never showed her true talent.
These legendary mages, who stood atop the continent, were like naive children who had just learned addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, squatting on the beach doing arithmetic with twigs.
And since she was an adult, why would she care if a child proudly told her, "I got all my multiplication problems right"? So she squatted down, picked up a branch, and coaxed the children to draw and write on the beach.
It wasn't until the homeroom teacher called to tell her that school wasn't actually closed that day and all the children had skipped class that she threw down the tree branch, displaying her furious rage and threatening that if they didn't go to class, they would double their homework for the day.
Dilia's mind raced. Confused and uncertain, she looked at the Pure White Witch's face, her indigo eyes shimmering with light. She pursed her lips and said with certainty:
"You are not Lucy."
Upon hearing this, Chu Yuanqing glanced at the tower master with surprise, but without much thought, readily admitted:
I'm definitely not.
The identity bestowed upon Lucy Tiffany by the Historical Echo is perhaps a bit too high-end. Coupled with the incomplete memories she was given, many "settings" have to be figured out on her own, so it's normal for Dilia to see through the flaws.
However, this response, which seemed out of sync, was interpreted in a completely different way by the three tower masters.
Even Xavier, a normal fan of the Emperor, was shocked and immediately knelt down. He no longer dared to look at the face of the Pure White Witch. The Magic Element in his body began to run wild, his mind trembled violently, and his emotions fell into chaos.
Archibald was struck dumb and tried to play dead.
Dilia was lost in thought and didn't immediately come to her senses.
Chu Yuanqing glanced at the three silent tower masters. Her bright golden eyes flashed with a cool light. Her expression was calm yet dignified, but she was extremely satisfied.
Yeah, you really do need to be scared a little to behave.
Although his anger subsided after unleashing two powerful Martial God Skill, he still needed to maintain a serious demeanor to keep these lunatics in check.
Chu Yuanqing wasn't exactly soft-hearted, but she was neither Lucy Tiffany nor the Divine Emperor, so why should she care about the three Tower Masters' traitorous behavior?
From the perspectives of the Countermeasures Bureau, Earth, and the Magical Girl, executing the highest-ranking members of the academy at the beginning would not have brought any benefits. Forcibly bringing them back would allow them to both Disaster Tide and teach the Magical Girl, making them the most excellent tools.
However, just as she was considering what words to use to deceive the other party, the Divine Sentient Body below showed a new unusual movement.
Those tendrils, spreading like tentacles, reached to the ends of the sky, like the radiance illuminating countless rivers, allowing the phantom of the Giant Thought Tree to spread to every region of the continent, and the resounding chants of great bells and drums echoed along with it.
In an instant, the entire citizens of Saint Roland, and indeed the entire empire and continent, heard the whispers of the intelligent being through the Alchemy Crystal:
"The Divine Sentient Body Network is Reawakening."
"Records, the dormant Golden Law is rekindled."
"Records show that after 436 Frosty Moons, the Empire is still functioning."
"Record: Soul factors belonging to the Emperor have been detected. The Divine Sentient Body will cease its dormancy until a suspected individual is found, and requests access to the Alchemy Kingdom."
"Record: None of the three sages of the White Chalk Tower, Black Sun Tower, and Forest Moon Tower responded. No record of authority transfer was detected. It is assumed that the Divine Sentient Body can bypass the current Tower Master."
"Record: The Alchemy Kingdom opens, the Quantum Branch flows in, the mists of time are peeled away, the Hearts of the Gods are activated, and the Supreme Masterpiece—Eden—is revived."
"First order: Clear all obstacles for the Emperor's return."
This massive and explosive amount of information, transmitted across the continent with zero delay by the Giant Thought Tree, was simultaneously communicated to all citizens of the Empire.
In an instant, the whole world was in an uproar.
Although the Magic Net is always discussing the various deeds of that Emperor, every word he says is carefully studied by famous scholars, who have even proposed the hypothesis of time travel and proclaimed that the Emperor will eventually return.
But he was a great man who existed before the Second Divine Age. A thousand years is enough for dynasties to change and history to be overturned. If it weren't for the instigation of the Three Covenant Families, perhaps not many people would remember that sage.
No one ever imagined that they would have the honor of meeting the Emperor in their lifetime. After all, even the legendary magicians at the pinnacle of humanity had not been lucky enough to witness His Majesty's true face.
And now, the Emperor has actually returned.
Even if this news is utterly absurd, how could the Divine Sentient Body, as a creation of That One, possibly lie about this message?
At this moment, those who had been attacked by the Black Tide and were in a life-or-death crisis subconsciously combined the Emperor's return with the current crisis, imagining him crossing the river of time and space just to save the world once again, and were deeply moved.
Meanwhile, in Saint Roland's area, the public is already preparing for a celebration.
Iris felt completely immersed in a sea of joy, and, utterly bewildered, grabbed Astrid's hand and whispered:
"Huh? What a coincidence! How come the Emperor returned right after Sister Chu finished fighting?"
On the other side, Autumn Maple Territory.
The little girl, feeling dizzy, lay on the back of the Holy Dragon. Upon hearing this shocking news, she instantly forgot all the discomfort she had felt from drinking dozens of bottles of magic potions. She immediately raised her cat head, her emerald green eyes widening slightly, utterly astonished.
What? The Fes Family actually got the Emperor? Then Aurora won't have to sacrifice herself to pass on the Holy Dragon to the next generation, right?
These random thoughts arose, but before Green Eyed Cat and Aurora could share their feelings, the Holy Dragon Lady, who was sitting down, couldn't wait to chant in multiple verses. With the airship behind her, she transformed into a dazzling meteor shower and sped towards the capital.
Meanwhile, there are towns and villages thousands of miles away from Qiufeng.
Duke Tiffany's icy expression thawed like spring snow, revealing extremely complex emotions: joy, excitement, regret, sorrow, melancholy... and relief.
August lowered his eyelids, recalled his alchemical weapons, casually slashed another cultist who tried to negotiate with him and the Calamity Beasts into dust, and walked toward Saint Roland.
Now that the Emperor has returned, his plan to compensate for Lucy's defects by breaking his oath and getting involved in Human Transmutation, using Iris's bloodline, has already failed.
Although he hoped to fulfill his long-cherished wish, if he continued to break the oath he had made to the Emperor, it was unlikely that the emperor would accept his ancestor's goodwill.
Therefore, in order to quell the Emperor's anger and prevent the vision of his ancestors and family from being tarnished, he, who had committed a heinous crime, naturally had to wash away the price of betrayal with blood.
August may die, but Tiffany's dream cannot end. Before he can truly atone, he must pass on the legacy of the Emperor's Armor to Lucy.
If this continues, eventually a generation of Tiffany will be able to fulfill this long-cherished wish.
Sadly, he will never see it.
The Imperial Frontier, the City of Digar.
Military transport system, rest area.
Lin Bao'er sat in the corner next to the gray-haired girl, her thigh brushing against the other's skin. Her clear, bright eyes darted around like a curious child. Amidst the bustling discussion, she quietly asked:
"Xiaoxiao, what kind of person do you think the Emperor was? Everyone seems to idolize him so much, even though it's been over a thousand years! His charisma is just too exaggerated."
Liang Xiaoxiao briefly introduced the history of Earth and said seriously:
"If we convert the Emperor's return here to our own timeline, does it mean Qin Shi Huang has been resurrected?"
Lin Bao'er was reminded of an internet meme and immediately found it hilarious. Her eyes crinkled into a smile, and she couldn't help but smirk. After coughing a few times, she tried to regain her composure and began to discuss:
"Of course it's different. This is a fantasy world with gods, magic, and various races. The Emperor who rules this continent will naturally seem more special."
"Besides, if Qin Shi Huang were to be resurrected, even if it trended on social media, it would probably be taken down. We can't let the whole world know about it."
"By the way, Xiaoxiao, do you think the Emperor's appearance at this time is specifically to lower the difficulty of the training camp?"
Liang Xiaoxiao suddenly understood upon hearing this.
Indeed, if the Emperor is an official NPC, then the scene of being trapped in the battlefield and escaping the Disaster Tide is a preliminary level to familiarize players with the story and to scare newbies.
Now that the Emperor has returned, the Black Tide should be eradicated soon, and peace should be restored, giving them time to study properly.
Thinking about it, she became somewhat curious about what she could learn from the Emperor if he were to become her teacher.
Thinking of this, Liang Xiaoxiao suddenly began to worry. How could she find Teacher Chu in the Ideal World? The Fanor Continent was so vast; by the time she found him, would the training camp be almost over?
The mainland border, the Lost Sea.
Fiona stood on the deck of the alchemy warship, looking at the aftershocks of the tsunami, now shrouded in darkness, after the Blade of the Empire had wiped out the calamity, and sighed inwardly.
Charlotte's sister has such a twisted sense of humor; she always deliberately puts on a dignified act, forcing herself to call the other judges "Mom."
Although an older sister is like a mother to her, I always felt that something was off.
If she could choose, she would prefer Qing Bao to be the arbitrator; surprisingly, that made her mother happier.
Chu Wangshu puffed out her cheeks slightly. She was clearly not used to being a handsome and elegant knight princess and the winter flower of Avignon City. Her cute face showed the innocence of a child.
Charlotte had no idea what "malicious" thoughts were lurking in her daughter's heart. She poked the other girl's cheek with her fingertips as if popping a balloon, enjoying it immensely.
Yeah, raising a daughter is really just for fun.
Thinking about it this way, missing out on Xiao Shu's childhood was a complete mistake.
But to avoid really upsetting her Little Cotton-padded Jacket,
Charlotte poked him a few times, then, seeing that she was satisfied, she stopped, changed the subject, and asked in a serious tone:
"Xiao Shu, aren't you curious about what kind of person the Emperor will be?"
Chu Wangshu blinked and replied:
"That has nothing to do with us. No matter how powerful Emperor is, no matter how many people like or admire him, he is still unattainable. A person so far away is no longer concrete; he is just a symbol."
Upon hearing this, the Doomsday Diva revealed a mysterious and mischievous smile. Feeling the familiar aura of golden blood emanating from deep within her body, she smiled and said: