Facing an Ancient God for a Year

Chapter 1594: Chapter 1589: Workshop (26)

The material’s value has been fully developed, so naturally, it’s time for the next one.

Although in Ice’s eyes, Sophia’s value is lower than the trio’s, that’s essentially due to Fu Qian’s misleading results.

”What are you hesitating for? Are you going to wait for her to die on her own?”

Even the next moment, Ice once again demonstrated the misleading results, expressing dissatisfaction with Fu Qian’s efficiency.

”So why don’t you just do it yourself?”

However, Fu Qian didn’t even turn his head, carefully observing the changes in the body before him.

With such exaggerated deformation, the body has undoubtedly completely collapsed, and removing the belt only slightly alleviates the pain.

Nevertheless, as the pain is somewhat relieved, there are obviously some gains.

At least some actions involving subjective initiative seemed to increase.

Good.

Realizing that under Sophia’s torment, there might still be some conscious fragments left, Fu Qian continued to maintain the Return Edict that had been activated earlier, feeling satisfied.

Academic research also requires talent. Some people, like Lady Ice, really lack the spirit of research.

Like the trio shattered to pieces, checking whether the Vacuum Flower is hidden inside this body is always the final action.

The excavation of value must be done step by step.

...

As mentioned earlier, more stringent possibilities need to be considered.

In fact, compared to the two ideas already proposed, Fu Qian does have an even more abstract hypothesis—anchors.

Leaving here, it will disperse quickly, but if it doesn’t hide within the flesh directly faced by the Divine Beings, could it be that these are not hiding places for it, but rather conceptions of anchors?

Although the Sage Old Master mentioned not to regard the Vacuum Flower as a Divine Being, he emphasized that it does not possess subjective existence will.

If one opens their mind appropriately, the form of anchors doesn’t necessarily need to be a subjective consciousness capable of praising its honorable name.

Flesh marked with traces may indeed function in this broader sense.

In short, what Fu Qian wants to test now is a scenario where even though the Vacuum Flower isn’t hiding inside, it uses Sophia as some kind of anchor to stabilize its existence, thereby existing independently of this box for a prolonged period.

At this moment, it might be unconsciously wandering within this underground structure.

And verifying this point is quite simple.

The reason for using the Return Edict is because, as early as on Ye Island, when confronting a swarm of victims of Nameless Gods from the Kamakura Family, this ability was proven effective in severing connections.

Of course, turning Sophia completely into ashes directly is also a method of severance, but that would mean abandoning any other potential value.

For instance, under the influence of the Return Edict, the blood-red eyes looking over contained something additional compared to the start.

”It... is there... I know...”

Indeed, the next moment, from under some part of the twisted body cover, some fragmented words struggled to come out, seemingly brewing for a long time.

The sound was eerily strange, as if opening a tough mouth in pitch.

...

”She says she knows—where?”

Even though Fu Qian indicated casualness, Ice nonetheless did not dare to repeat the trick of true execution by rays.

Faced with such an unfathomably dangerous individual, she evidently didn’t want to waste any more effort.

Moreover, in her cognition, that attempt was relatively valueless.

Of course, this didn’t prevent Ice from continuously staring intently at Fu Qian’s work and Sophia’s reaction.

So even though the voice was weak and indistinct, she was the first to decipher it, then fell into an incredible excitement.

”Everywhere...”

Yet the blood-red eyes, which even moved with difficulty, always remained on Fu Qian, and Sophia’s answer sounded like a dream-talk.

”Is it pretty? Really like a flower?”

Compared to the frowning Ice, Fu Qian didn’t mind it at all, nodding slightly with the Return Edict maintained.

The existence difficult to observe and perceive being seen, even by a communicable waking will, evidently made no impression of what was genuinely valuable on Ice.

”Very beautiful... like in full bloom...”

Unexpectedly, Sophia genuinely began describing, and under the effect of the Return Edict, her will seemed to become a little clearer.

”Wound...”

However, her final depiction truly caused a strong contrast.

...

Is this considered as a return of kindness?

The wound, one must say, Sophia did bring a surprise.

For Fu Qian, as opposed to completing the mission, the accidental encounter with the Vacuum Flower this time clearly held more interest for him.

In fact, considering the possibility of such an anchor, Fu Qian immediately thought, if such a special connection had really been established, whether more could be known about the existence state of the Vacuum Flower through the anchor.

This is also why, upon discovering that Sophia still had a remnant of consciousness, he considered it an unexpected gain.

Now, this unexpected gain surprisingly bore fruit.

The question now is, what sort of wound?

Clearly empty, is it a world fissure?

Even under the reflection of this wound, patterns representing ”knowledge” appear to be inscribed automatically onto the Gold.

The deep meaning therein truly provokes endless imagination.

”What does being everywhere mean?”

Unfortunately, Lady Ice evidently didn’t grasp the nuance, impatiently questioning, dissatisfied with the answer.

”Sir... will the dead have an afterlife?”

Regrettably, after answering the question, Sophia had evidently entered the next phase.

Still staring at Fu Qian, she surprisingly struggled to ask a reverse question.

”A good question, hard to say.”

In response, Fu Qian shook his head with admiration.

”I don’t want to die... I’m very scared...”

Sophia’s voice had lowered to almost inaudibility.

”It’s the same for them, she fears more than you.”

For an individual who made outstanding contributions, Fu Qian didn’t mind giving some end-of-life comfort, and saying the latter sentence, he naturally looked at the complex-expressioned Ice.

”Perhaps waking up tomorrow, it’s just a nightmare...”

Sophia’s blood-red eyes finally looked towards the same target, only she seemed to lack the strength to express anger.

”Like a punishment... for a wayward child...”

”Well, that’s not impossible.”

Facing Sophia’s last sentence, Fu Qian seemed to think of something, nodding slightly.

”That’s unlike your style, my dear Ring Lord.”

This self-mutter instantly triggered Ice’s cold laugh beside him.

”Don’t you hate false disguises the most, making an exception for someone about to die?”

”Although she indeed had a rather cute face before turning into this, it’s still hard to imagine it’s worth your wasting responding to fate.”

Eyes fixed on Fu Qian’s face, Ice showed evident curiosity about his reaction to the question.

”Besides, for a dying soul, isn’t such comfort rather ineffective?”

”Hmph, how can a summer insect discuss ice!”

To this seemingly irrefutable statement, Fu Qian just snorted coldly, youthful enthusiasm boiling in his eyes.

”What the Ring Lord bears behind the title, you can hardly imagine!”

In this declaration that seemed on the verge of transformation, Fu Qian slowly stood up, and under Ice’s stupefied gaze, casually tore down his cloak.

An endlessly deep abyss instantly spread over his body.