{The purpose of the Death Prologue is to prepare people for future crises. Yet those who possess this bloodline ability are considered unlucky.}
A hand resembling a gray crow’s claw is raised in the scene.
The scene plays as if fast-forwarded, with a dozen flickering images overlapping and appearing around.
Yang Zicang sees that one possibility emerges among eight or nine images of processes differing but gradually converging to the same ending.
The scene slows down. Yang Zicang sees that in more than half of the possible future images—
That giant rock bull is shattered into pieces by a person suddenly appearing from the other side of the hall, who shoots it with a gun!
He steps into the hall, followed by another figure, both wearing baseball caps.
It’s Zhao Yun from the Xiongying Group!
It’s him. He is very likely to kill the others in the hall while defeating the giant bull.
In the image, Liang Xi, in order to protect everyone, rushes forward to buy time.
–Yes, this is Liang Xi, this is that kid!-
Yang Zicang recalls the first meeting—the boy who touched his gun, jumped without hesitation into the abandoned waste pit, wanting to check for himself whether Robin Lo was a liar.
He also recalls the boy who, in the C-level interlaced land, faced the moon-shadow-level lightning monster and first shielded the two behind him!
Yang Zicang grits his teeth, trembling all over.
This is Liang Xi! He would absolutely follow the worst-case scenario Gray Crow predicted—throwing himself in front of everyone without hesitation.
–Senior! I’m willing, do it now, please let me make that investment for him!-
Gray Crow raised one of his five claws.
The surroundings receded, the perspective widened, and the great hall appeared under an overhead view.
Beyond the hall, the boundaries where two cities intertwined came into view.
–This is…-
This was one of the five great halls added by Croft at the junction where two mirror cities tangled like a Taiji symbol.
At that moment, Lu Bu and Zhao Yun had already advanced from the platform, and in less than a minute, they would push open the door of this hall from the platform bridge belonging to City 23.
–Senior…-
In Gray Crow’s other claw, a gold coin appeared; he weighed it in his hand, then put it away.
In the current scene, Liang Xi, dodging the Stone Bull, had by chance skirted around the great hall and run to the other side, planning to join forces with Robin Lo from opposite ends to crush the giant monster.
And outside the door behind him, Zhao Yun had already stood at the base of the stone steps, looking up at the eaves of this palace that sat securely among the layers of hellish, jagged teeth.
—-This is where the Earth-type ‘Jagged Claws’ are stored.-
In the scene, Lu Bu stepped in front of Zhao Yun, nodded, and began to ascend the stone steps.
Yang Zicang’s heart was pounding with extreme tension.
He was about to urge it on when the claw landed on his shoulder once more.
{I wish to enter into a temporary domination agreement with you.}
[Gray Crow wishes to sign a temporary domination agreement with me.]
This is…!
Yang Zicang’s scalp prickled for a moment, then he immediately agreed.
[I have accepted the agreement, duration 10S.]
Then, the young man’s spiritual body subconsciously raised its hand.
Meanwhile, inside the cube of the Lost Illusion Company, the silently standing figure also raised its hand, pointing in the same direction.
[According to the agreement, the dominator must redeem one miracle from me.]
His thoughts involuntarily began to recall, as if pulled by some strange force, drawing out a scene from the depths of his consciousness—in the cave, under a frenzied assault, a spear pierced through his chest and he fell to the ground. In that final moment, as he was nearly bereft of all life, the ring on his chest flickered…
A faint radiance appeared within the outlines of the recalled image.
At the fingertips of the two Yang Zicang figures, a strange light began to converge.
{What could not be accomplished in the old world—fortunately, a hero came up with a solution.}
[I, the great quadrilateral… slumbering in my past Chronos flash…]
[–Breaking the impossible to the possible—Revival from the Brink– is redeemed as –Flash of Heroes-.]
–Impossible… to possible…–
Lu Bu’s footsteps began to climb the stone steps, with Zhao Yun following closely behind.
I realized that the prelude of death was unfolding, I felt the arrival of the nether spirit… life withers in sorrow, ignorant and powerless, in need of care.
In Yang Zicang’s mind,
inside the halo on his dying chest, a long string of 0.00 kept sliding by.
It was that moment of blankness!
It was the survival rebellion from the depths of the origin!
It was the spiritual light that even he himself could hardly reproduce!
This body seemed to be endowed with strange power. Driven by a fierce will to survive, it madly pulled out the gradually shortening spear and blocked it toward the rat-man leader who had lost his investment across from him.
A surge of heroic spirit arose.
[Flash of Heroes!]
[I, the tenacious quadrilateral, Yang Zicang! Invest in the withering life that urgently needs care! One new possibility!]
His fingertips raised high. Within the threads of fate, a new radiance began to shine, resonate, and replace!
Between the fingers of two figures, the light flashed briefly, then faded away.
Lü Bu stepped onto the last step of the stairs. Zhao Yun came to his side, switched the spear in his hand to his right hand, and at the same time pressed his left palm against the huge door.
As if nothing had changed, everything seemed very ordinary.
–Senior?– Yang Zicang turned his head to look at the gray crow beside him.
{Trust your investment.}
The figure of Lü Bu ahead turned his head and looked toward the other end of the corridor suspended high above.
—-Wait,– Lü Bu said.
The aura of the prelude of death quickly faded away.
Yang Zicang stared nervously at the images of the two people standing so close in front of him.
Zhao Yun withdrew his hand, which had been about to push the stone door with force.
—-What?-
—-‘Fang Tian’ just saw someone suddenly turn and head our way. It looks very much like… the chief team of City 23, the Four-Phase Heavenly Group.-
Zhao Yun’s face grew solemn.
—-Indeed, we can’t let them be the mantis that catches the cicada. But I’d like to have a go at them.-
[10S has passed.]
The two turned and walked down the stone stairs.
In the mental realm, Yang Zicang slumped to the ground, as if all strength had left him.
–This… is utterly unbelievable.-
In the great hall, Liang Xi and the others, unaware that death had brushed past them, continued to attack the magnificent beast with fervor.
After a few moments of rest, Yang Zicang, watching the images of Lü Bu and company moving forward, asked Gray Crow.
–Senior, what exactly was that ‘investment’ earlier?-
{The so-called –Flash- is a brilliance born from breaking through one impossible miracle after another. It makes that period of your life seem as if engraved, forever shining brightly in time.}
–So that’s the meaning of Flash.-
Yang Zicang thought of the little journalists and the Land of Lost Frequencies.
{Through one’s own efforts, a fluctuation like this is born along the path of fate. By recording and grafting it, you can twist the life point of a person whose fate is declining, enabling them to reveal new potential.}
–How incredible! It changed the course of events just like that. Thank you, Senior Gray Crow.-
{The one you should thank is not me. It is that great existence, Mr. Lin Lei, who first extracted and applied them after reproducing the fate trajectory of the old world. And… yourself.}
Grey Crow looked down at the young man, a smile breaking over his rock-mask-like face.
{I hope that on the road ahead, you will continue, as you did today, to invest your legendary experiences into those lives that cannot birth new possibilities. That is the meaning of those extra lifespans gathering upon you.}
Yang Zicang was deeply moved.
Last time it was Xingmiao, this time it was Grey Crow—both changes that overcame impossible foes were accomplished through their own power.
When would he ever truly become like them!
Except for the moments when he first entered this world and faced those shelves of psychic cultivation books, Yang Zicang once again felt his own insignificance. The might that now paraded arrogantly was nothing before true strength.
Grey Crow turned his face toward the distance, sensed for a moment, then said in a low voice:
{I must leave. Continue training here until your five-day confinement ends.}
With that, he shook his form and transformed into a small black stork, flying away into the distance.
Yet this psychic field remained firmly in place.
Only then did Yang Zicang realize that where he stood was not the –Sea of Spirit- the other had spoken of, but a true manifested place that Grey Crow had concretized with his psychic power.
–Such a powerful person.-
Having lost the help of Gray Crow, the aura of the –Prologue of Death,- which had been almost within reach, grew extremely faint once more, as if it had returned to the very beginning of this training session.
Yang Zicai tried to control the phantom of the Demon Shadow Hall; fortunately, the authority granted by the Black Stork man still remained.
The distant figures of Lü Bu and his companion became clear again under Yang Zicai’s control.
–What a perfect tool for peeping! This is the perspective of a little journalist,- the young man thought with a strange amusement.
Then he immediately recalled how, a day earlier, Gray Crow had caught his mental energy without any warning. In this world, casually using mental energy to spy on others—if you encounter someone stronger than yourself, the consequences could be dire. From now on, Chime Night could not be used carelessly.
In the scene, the strongest teams from the two cities had already met at the intersection of the Grinding Wheel Array Eye. Zhang Zhiquan was sent out to negotiate with Lü Bu.
—-You’re Lü Bu and Zhao Yun from City 23, right? I heard you took over the lottery booth. Aren’t you afraid of being dealt with when you get out?-
Lü Bu, standing a dozen meters in front of Zhang Zhiquan, acted as if he hadn’t heard. He completely ignored the question and looked past Zhang Zhiquan toward Cheng Yunze, who was thirty or forty meters away.
After waiting a few seconds, Zhang Zhiquan’s face showed anger.
–What an arrogant bastard! Just the two of you? I’ll teach you a lesson on behalf of your city’s White Moxel.-
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Zhang Zhiquan charged swiftly toward the platform. Midway, his figure suddenly accelerated, leaving afterimages, and in less than two seconds, a ferocious punch was already before Lü Bu.
Bang!
Zhao Yun, clad in battle armor, deflected the incoming punch shadow with his long spear, then retracted the spear and instantly thrust it forward with explosive force!
Boom! A dragon’s roar seemed to echo.
A silver light flashed in the void as an invisible spear shot out from Zhao Yun’s weapon, hurtling toward Zhang Zhiquan.
—-Dragon’s Roar Burst!–
Zhang Zhiquan’s bones collided with the spear shadow, sending out a shockwave that blasted him backward. He steadied himself and looked up solemnly.
Zhao Yun smoothly withdrew his spear and stood by Lü Bu’s side.
Lü Bu said calmly, –Not bad. To force Zhao Yun to use ‘Dragon’s Roar Burst’, your strength is worthy of my notice.–
The sky before dawn brightened as a straight beam of light split the heavens and earth.
Crash! The rock beneath Zhang Zhiquan’s feet shattered into fragments.
In that instant, a skeleton made of light materialized over Zhang Zhiquan’s body, withstanding the blow from above.
Leave a Reply