Facing an Ancient God for a Year

Chapter 1911: Chapter 1906: Neither the Wind Nor the Banner Moves

Seven days on the ark, a thousand years have passed in the world.

Fully embodying the spirit of moderation, Fu Qian was the third person to pass through the entrance and board the ship.

Standing right behind the Night Watchmen Stoss and Aike, he didn’t deliberately linger to be the last one, thoroughly displaying the demeanor of an armed technical crew member.

The moment his foot stepped onto the wooden plank, he looked around and couldn’t help but feel amazed.

It was indeed the same ark he had visited before.

But the boarding point seemed a bit off. Even though Su Gao pierced the location with the sword as accurately as last time, what lay before them was not the same room he first boarded with her.

Instead, it was a pile of thickly accumulated feathers, with emaciated bodies lying prostrate on top, possessing structures that resembled both fish fins and wings.

The gray feathers were arranged in a disturbingly orderly pattern, covering the bodies, yet unable to conceal the webbed hands and feet, and the gill slits akin to sea creatures.

Indeed, it was the special creature Feather and Fish they had encountered before.

No wonder Su Gao could directly pinpoint the fallen layer of the Prison Angel Commander with a single sword strike, demonstrating the word precision to its fullest.

Looking at the Feather and Fish, undisturbed and lying here for countless years, although the time flow comparison inside and outside wasn’t so exaggerated as last time, the ark still gave off a transcendent sense of time and space.

It was as if they had crossed endless ages to catch a fleeting glimpse.

”Truly fascinating!”

At this moment, Professor Ah Kai, the unarmed technical personnel following closely behind, couldn’t help but whisper in admiration.

Just this scene alone made him feel the trip was worthwhile.

”Just like what you saw the last time you came in.”

Ignoring him, not even minding his voice, Lord Stoss immediately spoke to Su Gao, who was the last to enter.

It was clear from Su Gao’s detailed report that his descriptions had been quite comprehensive.

Thus, the start of this second operation confirmed the report’s authenticity.

”The same, typically there should be even more feathers inside.”

Remaining calm and composed, Su Gao confirmed while adding a reminder.

...

”A low rank, most likely ordinary people before being transformed like this.”

Not expecting Su Gao to react to this acknowledgment, Stoss nodded slightly, his gaze falling once more on the Feather and Fish, casually commenting.

He appeared to recognize that these people were not born this way.

”Is this the second layer? Moreover, the feathers on them seem duller compared to when you last left?”

Even the observing action adviser beside had not been overlooked by Stoss, as he promptly questioned Fu Qian.

”It’s simple, the change in their feathers’ shine beforehand doesn’t necessarily signify a completed transformation.”

Fu Qian, unwilling to discredit Demigod Su, promptly responded without hesitation.

Oh?

It was evident that though quick, his answer slightly contradicted common sense.

”What does it actually mean then? From your previous experience, it doesn’t seem like they were launching an attack?”

Before Lord Stoss could say anything, Demigod Aike, standing nearby, couldn’t help frowning slightly.

...

Possibly participating out of friendship, but her attitude was irreproachable.

Looking at this woman with whom he had interacted several times, Fu Qian silently evaluated in his mind.

Aike’s presence could undoubtedly be attributed to the gravity of the situation, momentarily setting aside her project to lend a hand.

It’s a reasonable explanation, but in Fu Qian’s view, she might not have truly put down her ongoing project.

The Ecstasy incident Aike was in charge of, being spiced up last time with such a potent ingredient as golden flame, became one of the reasons motivating Lord Stoss’s arrival.

Just as Fu Qian suspected Old Master Stoss’s impure motives, Aike was likely keeping an eye on him, concerning herself more with the Fire of Madness than the ark.

Yet, even so, it was evident that Aike had carefully reviewed Su Gao’s earlier submitted reports.

No wonder she was an elite Night Watchman, proceeding with such meticulousness.

”Indeed it can’t, but if you observe closely, you’ll realize the brightness of the light also differs from the end of our report.”

Praising while not delaying in answering the question, Fu Qian pointed around as he spoke.

Unlike the splendid winter light outside, the inside of the ark now appeared quite dim, with visibility less than ideal.

Whereas, when he and Su Gao left, it was genuinely bright as day.

”Isn’t it because, although this is a closed space, there is still the concept of day and night here?”

With even more surprise, Lord Aike’s initial reaction was to question whether it could be the same?

”And every time you come in, it’s just before dawn?”

This kind of rhetoric was nothing for Fu Qian to handle, immediately responding with a subtle smile that hinted at intellectual superiority, casually counter-questioning.

...

Indeed, it might just be so.

At that moment, not only was Aike somewhat stunned, even Old Master Stoss seemed slightly moved, as if grasping an idea.

”In fact, neither the feathers nor the light have changed; it is we who have changed.”

Despite presenting a slight intellectual demeanor, Fu Qian wasn’t about to withhold for dramatic effect.

Without waiting for others to speculate, he shared the conclusions he had reached after recent contemplation.

”Due to that barely noticeable erosion, our synchronization with the ship has increased, hence making everything appear brighter.”

As he spoke, he gestured towards his eyes.

”Of course, this synchronization and distortion might not be an absolute correlation, but during subsequent operations, it could serve as an important criterion to assess risk levels.”

Not needing to write a report didn’t mean avoiding a review.

On the contrary, Fu Qian’s interest in the ark experience was profound, having considered multiple explanations for particular phenomena.

Combining the newfound experiences from entering today, these explanations gained more inclination.

During the encounter with Su Gao, the transition from dark to light, and even those gradually blazing feathers, could it possibly be ”not the wind, not the flag, but the heart in motion”?

Let’s not forget that besides these two, there was a madly accumulating variable at that time — the erosion of the ark.

This could effectively explain the ”coincidence” of encountering the same weather upon both entries.

The only problem is, theoretically, I should be immune to that kind of erosion, yet have also witnessed the change in light, somewhat conflicting with the deduction.

But that’s okay, an adviser who reads the Sage’s Book doesn’t have to be conclusive. Simply providing a potential explanation allows the involved parties to determine and verify on their own.

”It’s indeed growing brighter, have you noticed?”

Even at this moment, Professor Ah Kai had already offered the first validation result.