by Feng Yue
The four hundred spears of Mary trembled. They resonated and projected electric light among each other. On every fulcrum, there was royal musician in black, chanting the movement.
“…It’s me, I shall confess with my hands and feet in Hell.”
They cut their wrists and their blood fell into the earth. The blood spread under the chant, flowing like a snake into the vast matrix. Life passed in that rapidly growing power. The resolute musicians chanted hoarsely. “My soul shall be whipped and shackled, as you have suffered…”
Passion.
This was the movement for the martyrs of saints. They offered their lives in exchange for the miraculous melody. Once it was triggered, their lives would be forever buried in a dark world whether they would succeed or not. The vast enchantment started from the fulcrum and covered the entire palace in a twinkling. The palace was totally isolated.
Before the enchantment, Jerome held St. George’s Spear. The majesty that could overwhelm everything surfaced silently on the blade.
Charles almost suffocated. He raised his hand and shouted hoarsely. “Hey, old man, don’t be impulsive. Wait!”
“Gavin has the Royal Musician Division’s resonating bell. It’s enough to temporarily borrow the power of all the royal musicians outside of Avalon, including the four grandmasters besides me…If he fails, then we have no other choice.” Jerome lowered his head toward the slowly opening gate and the shadow on the burning throne. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty. If I am a sinner of Anglo, please let me accompany you in Hell forever.”
He grasped his spear and lifted it up with all his strength. Thus, the magnificent movement burst out of thin air. In the void, countless souls praised together as if divine power fell from the sky. It ran in the water, land, fire, and wind. It had created all and could now destroy all as well.
The heart of Avalon’s Shadow roared and shook.
Outside of the kingdom of shadows, the grandmasters of the Royal Musician Division closed their eyes and resonated with each other in the dark room. They injected all the power into Jerome’s body so that he would not be quickly burned out by the horrible flame.
Jerome was covered with mournful wounds by the terrible power. Blood flowed but soon evaporated. Above his head, the ring of the aether that resonated with the world surfaced silently. It glowed and trembled. Overwhelmed by that terrifying power, it was about to crumble.
“May all glory be vested in Anglo. May we rest in this great glory,” he roared. Grasping his spear, he thrust it down his feet.
It was earth shattering.
Amidst the booms, blazing light projected from the spear. Twisted ripples appeared around the vast enchantment that enveloped the palace. The shadow world had been distorted and was about to be completely torn apart.
Vigorous power emerged from Jerome’s body and melted into the holy spear. It was going to throw the palace into the depths of the aetheric world, making it vanish from this world forever.
Charles’ body was lifted by the power like a fallen leaf. He floated in the air, involuntarily flipping. He forced himself to look back at Jerome’s shadow.
Enveloped in a frenzy of flames, Jerome held the holy spear high. Before the holy spear, the music theory within Avalon’s Shadow broke apart layer by layer.
But at that moment everything became still.
The flames solidified in the air, the blast became stagnate in the air, the cracks stopped spreading, and the rumbling stopped. Everything stopped in the sudden stillness. It was as if time was at a standstill.
Charles gazed at the gravels hovering before him. All he felt was fear in the depth of his heart—at that moment, everything in Avalon’s Shadow ceased. Everything seemed to be rooted to the spot, unable to move. Even the magnificent aetheric sea solidified under this terrible majesty. This was the most extreme example of Modifications. It was a force terrifying beyond human imagination.
In the dark vortex overhead, a hand slowly stretched out.
It pressed into the void.
So everything stopped in time.
“He has arrived!”
“He has arrived!”
“He has arrived!”
The dark musicians enthusiastically praised, cheering and dancing. They offered blood and bones, water and earth, souls and the life of their prey to welcome his coming.
Having planned for decades, consumed countless treasures and accumulations, and Malpas’s resolute sacrifice, they finally exchanged the coming of the ‘power.’
It was a terrible shadow cast from the aetheric world; it was the incarnation of the abyss.
It was the root of all evils, the master of darkness, the mother of chaos, the king of destruction and killing. The God who ruled all the sources of darkness of this world—the natural catastrophe Hyakume!
God’s incarnate had descended. Thus, a frenzied song of destruction played in the world in the shadows.
295 Believe and it Will Be Real
When that hand reached out, the dark vortex immediately collapsed silently. All the power was drawn by that palm to turn itself into a faint figure. There seemed to be layers of curtains in the middle. The shadow was so vague but kept disturbing the surrounding music theory. Everything it passed all fell into the black zone of the rioting aether.
The dark area trembled, making the figure seem especially unreal. This was the resistance of Avalon’s Shadow.
Here was Arthur’s scepter, the fallen ‘Heaven on Earth.’ Its music theory rejected the invasion of external forces. The immense presence in the aetheric world could not enter the physical world. If he wanted to pass through that door, he must suppress his power from the level of God and truly become his incarnate.
That figure huffed coldly. The aura of the abyss changed violently. Instantly, countless music theories interweaved. When the terrifying aura was gone, the figure grew gradually clearer after the blurry illusion.
An old face first emerged. That weathered face had thirty-two faces. They changed constantly but were full of gloom and deceit. The two eyes were overwhelming like an abyss. He wore a vague robe that contained the splendor and majesty of the world. He was one of the nine incarnations of Hyakume in the World, the king of change and chaos—the Dark Lord.
He stepped into the void, walked toward the direction of the palace step by step leisurely. Looking at Jerome’s stagnant figure, he sneered.
“Presumptuous.”
Boom! The frozen world broke free from the shackles and began moved again. But under the rumbling, everything was different from before. The enchantment collapsed instantly. All the royal musicians were fatally wounded and bled from all openings. The matrix of the spears of Mary fell apart. This was only from the aftershock.
Jerome’s body warped. The symphony of predestination brewing in his heart broke immediately. The ring of resonance disintegrated and dense blood mist spouted from the body. He collapsed to the ground soundlessly. The sacred spear fell from his hands and rolled in the pool of blood.
The Dark Lord fell upon the Earth. Gavin, dressed in a red robe, knelt. The dark musicians knelt as well and dared not move. The Dark Lord passed his disciples and went toward the palace.
At the end of the line, Naberius shook and twitched. He forced himself to raise his head and look at the approaching shadow. He made his all effort to ask with his hoarse voice, “I’ve met my promise! After sixty years of penance, where is my freedom?!”
The Dark Lord passed by without looking at him. A finger pointed vaguely between his eyebrows. The hoarse voice said, “As you expect, clown, you are free.”
Naberius only heard a snap in the brain. Blood flowed down his face, tragically and pathetically. He bowed his head, vomiting blood, but he could not help but smile in ecstasy. The shackles that had restrained him more than sixty years had disappeared.
He lowered his head and grinned widely. “Well, what else can I do, your Majesty?”
“These realms are beyond thou. Thou shall only look up.” T
he Dark Lord laughed disdainfully and thoughtfully gazed at the dark palace ahead. “Witness the wonders of the world! A new member of the ‘dark followers’ is born!”
-
“Hey, are you alright? How can you die so easily? At least struggle a bit!” Charles shook Jerome’s body in the pool of blood. “You couldn’t act cool for more than three seconds! How can you go?”
Jerome was still breathing. He opened his eyes with difficulty and vomited foul blood. The theory of the abyss was lingering in his body, dragging him into the Hell. He was rapidly aging and dying.
“Wait a minute. I’ll treat you right away.” Charles wanted to bandage Jerome but he froze. He did not know where to start. He did not even know how Jerome was hurt.
“It’s no use.” Jerome was very weak now. “Charles, nothing can save me.”
“Then what will I do?” Charles wanted to cry. “You all pretended to be cool, but why do you have to take me with when you die! Help! Help! If anyone can help me, I’ll marry them.”
“Shut up.” Jerome’s face was pale with wrath. He vomited more blood but stared at Charles seriously. “Can you be a man? Charles, where is your dignity? You shout for help but who’s going to save you?”
“If I believe it, it’ll be real.” Charles wiped his tear and choked out, “Perhaps in the next moment, my junior will descend from the sky and save me. He’s really powerful!”
“You…” Jerome kept vomiting out blood with no strength to scold him again. Then just enjoy your dream, at least you can die with hope. He lay in a pool of blood and looked wearily at the dim sky. He saw the moonlight. Among the dim stars, moonlight shone from the sky.
-
Fifteen minutes ago, the dying youth lay in a pool of blood at the top of the Elizabeth Tower. The blood was guided by an invisible power to sketch out his ‘last words.’ The scarlet blood spread like the complex branches of thorns and vines. That was the music score Moonlight.
The scarlet expanded as if there were thousands of hands moving at the same time. When the blood crossed, the aether was agitated and projected sparks. In the end, the whole tower was enveloped in this scarlet red.
Cold moonlight fell down and seemed to melt into the blood, making the blood reflect with a soft glow. The silent melody of that bloody message flowed in the moonlight, echoing in Ye Qingxuan’s mind.
“It’s so beautiful.” Ye Qingxuan gazed at the bright moon in the sky and felt the last bit of his body heat drift away. He could no longer feel the weight as if his body was flying up into the sky. However, his consciousness fell into the darkness, slowly sinking. This was the effect of the potion. The short time of lingering finally ended.
Death came quietly without pain. The lethargy gradually engulfed him and his eyes closed slowly. His breath severed and he walked into the eternal serene slumber… That was a joke! How could he be serene?! He was barely twenty years old! He would absolutely become an angry spirit. He had only been stabbed. How could he just lay down and die?
In that instant, Ye Qingxuan suddenly opened his eyes. He clenched his fists with his last strength and smashed down at the bloody movement under his body! To live or to die depended on the last fight!
Faint light brewed in the amber jewel on Jiu Xiao Huan Pei. It was like a candle in the wind. But when it fell into the blood, it turned into a wild forest fire. Lightning cracked instantly.
Indra’s Eye absorbed the blood and turned the blood of Deva into thunder and lightning. Thunder stretched to the sky, extending to all directions along with the blood.
The alchemy matrix was activated and instrument strings emerged from the thunder. They crossed and erected in the void, playing out the gloomy melody. With this frenzied thunder and blood, the melody echoed with the moonlight. Thus, moonlight descended from the sky!
The moonlight soon dispelled the Gawain’s apparition like a torrent. It melted into the bloody movement and illuminated! In that light, Ye Qingxuan trembled as if he was struck by the lightning. He yelled with great pain.
Endless moonlight rushed into his shell along with the residual blood. It melted into the aether and flowed through his veins like fire.
His body seemed to extinguish in an instant. Every inch of his flesh and blood felt severe pain. Finally, he breathed again. He regained his senses slowly. The youth’s blank eyes reflected the moon above the sky and brightened again.
The power that was stronger much more than his expectations gathered in his blood. It glowed like lava and illuminated his empty chest.
Gritting his teeth, he put his hands on Jiu Xiao Huan Pei to control the melody’s changes. He guided the moonlight and aether to rush into his shell. The cold light rushed out of the rift in his chest. Endless aether gathered in the empty chest. It brewed and gradually produced a pulsating sound. It was the construction of the sub-originator! If there was no heart, then he would just make a new one!
By losing sixty percent of his blood, Ye Qingxuan finally gathered the final moonlight and melted it into him to create the body’s source of aether. He created an interval with a present note to then create a music theory. The music theory guided the aether by overlapping. At last, the fiery power was awakened from the aether.
“As above it, as under it, so is the beginning of all things.” Based on this alchemical matrix, he was going to build a heart for himself by using the sub-originator technology!
Ye Qingxuan suddenly crushed the blood conch in his hand. So far, it was no longer useful since he had mastered the basic theory of the School of Mind and could freely enter Avalon’s Shadow. He would rather use the conch here. After all, he was creating a heart. The more the power the better it was.
In a twinkling, the essence which was condensed from thousands of people’s blood burst. It surged into Ye Qingxuan’s body and slowly and continuously transformed into the blood of Deva.
At this moment, under the stimulation of the movement, Deva’s blood was also extracting the bright moonlight greedily. The hidden strength contained in it was getting stronger and stronger. In the end, it almost glimmered.
Not only was the Pure White Moon’s light attracted, the Blue Moon was also melted into it. The two moons’ light blended in his body; the aether was transformed into a new power.
Ye Qingxuan carefully controlled the glow that was enough to destroy his body. The light gathered in his empty chest and emerged from the rift in his chest.
A gentle melody sounded under the light. It was like the sound of gentle water and soft wind. Amidst the water and wind, the moonlight’s melody lingered. All began to grow in the barren land.
It was as if all the good in the world converged here. It was so gentle and charming, fascinating.
It was the Spring Song.
296 Invite the Moon into Arms
The Spring Song.
It was the key movement of School of Stone Heart, the origin of sub-originator technology, as well as the mystery that could make the soul and the aether coexist in the same shell. This was not merely a pure healing movement. Under the extreme complex guidance of the theory, one could achieve the balance between two, eliminating conflicts, so that all could coexist in the realm without harm.
The original pain and suffering seemed to vanish in an instant, freeing Ye Qingxuan from the hell-like torment. In his body, the aether sewed the broken veins while singing the movement of rebirth to turn destruction into creation. For an instant, he perceived a faint resonance beneath the body.
In the Elizabeth Tower beneath him, Avalon’s vast enchantment which had already fallen apart seemed to be awakened too. The shattered core responded to the call of the Spring Song. The collapsed theory within it showed signs of recovering.
At this moment, Ye Qingxuan did not notice his surroundings. He was totally absorbed in constructing his sub-originator. If there was sweat, he must have been drenched already because the sub-originator was much more difficult to build for him.
The sub-originator should be attached to an org
an in the body, but now, this was reversed. It would replace the heart’s function, so the construction was very difficult. Had it not been because of the precise operation of Jiu Xiao Huan Pei, he would have been burnt to ashes.
He continuously extracted the moonlight to make the notes appear and assemble the intervals, transforming them into music theory. Then, the sub-originator constructed in the void could become tangible. Moonlight condensed into an ethereal embryonic heart. Vast aetheric light was brewing in it.
In just a twinkling, the phantom of the heart twitched, trembled, and almost collapsed. Ye Qingxuan only felt a burst of emptiness and was immediately terrified. The aether extracted from the moonlight into the blood was not enough! He had miscalculated. Building a heart out of thin air not only had a great difficulty, but required great strength too! The moonlight he drew with the blood of Deva was quit a lot, but the consumption was also soaring. The moonlight had been completely depleted without him realizing.
The strength that he got from the moonlight on the tower was running out. However, he could not stop once he started the sub-originator construction. Otherwise, he would not only die, but die without even leaving a body behind!
“As expected, you’re flirting with death.”
A sigh came from the distance that made Ye Qingxuan practically start cheering. “Lola, come help me!”
“Yezi, you are really mean.” Lola’s eyes grew sad. She squatted down and touched the youth’s cheek. Her fair face was full of resentment and sadness. “I am so worried about you. Coming here is not easy thing, but you just greet me by turning me into a tool?”
Ye Qingxuan’s face twitched. He squeezed out, “One thousand CCs, no more than that!”
“Deal.” The resentment on Lola’s face disappeared. She revealed a charming smile. “I like a straightforward man like you.”
Before Ye Qingxuan could say anything, Lola bent down. She put her hair up and moved closer. Her eyes reflected the teenager’s startled face. A soft touch came from the lips.