Chapter 325 What do you mean, "What you inherited is the true Rome"?
"The heir?!"
Crow took a deep breath, her fingers, which had been pressing against Bai Zhou's lower abdomen, unconsciously tightening.
Bai Zhou felt a slight, sharp pain in his lower abdomen; it was hard and painful—Crow's fingers had poked his skin.
Crow had always known that Bai Zhou had secrets, which was normal; everyone has their own secrets, and she had hers too.
Even though Bai Zhou had entered the mysterious world right under her nose, and she had guided him to become a Chosen One, he would still encounter many things Crow couldn't know after entering the Void Realm.
Because the Void Realm was the greatest opportunity for every Chosen One. Even though most Chosen Ones gained nothing in the Void Realm most of the time, no one could predict what would happen there in the next second.
It was like a bank vault, hiding countless treasures left by predecessors, and also guarding the greatest secrets of every Chosen One's life—a hidden fantasy land.
Crow had long been curious about these things; her curiosity was even stronger than a cat's, but that was precisely why she had to restrain it.
After all, her current state was related to her insatiable curiosity—
not only that, she was always aware of the boundaries in human relationships. Even though she always ate and slept with Bai Zhou, and faced with Bai Zhou's transformations after each return from the Void Realm, she only ensured Bai Zhou's safety and potential troubles. If Bai Zhou was reluctant to speak, she resolutely refused to ask.
Despite this—
she still never imagined that Bai Zhou's secret—
would be so vast!
So vast that when Bai Zhou spoke, her first reaction was disbelief.
Then, she realized that even if she heard the secret, it would be useless, because it had already begun to exceed her control and understanding.
A student who inherited everything from me—actually, is also the successor of some previous civilization?
My seemingly ordinary, clear-headed, even foolishly clear-headed little apprentice is actually a top-tier "second-generation occultist" unknown to the world?
Originally, Ya thought that he had just randomly chosen to cooperate with a poor person with a difficult fate, and that it was a helpless choice that only the other party could see. Ya never thought about how much Bai Zhou could help him in the future—
until now.
"Could it be... I really hit the jackpot?"
"Previous Civilization—"
Carefully pondering every word Bai Zhou had just uttered, Ya's eyes flickered. His expression momentarily lost in thought, his fingers slid down Bai Zhou's lower abdomen, hanging at his sides. His five fingers unconsciously clenched, as if trying to grasp something for support.
Then, his smooth, cool fingertips unconsciously traced a path down Bai Zhou's abdomen, a teasing stimulation that sent a shiver down his spine. Bai Zhou instinctively took two steps back from Ya's side, then hurriedly covered himself with his clothes.
All of this happened under the watchful eyes of Fang Xiaoxia, a mysterious interaction of skin-to-skin contact witnessed by the girl herself.
"Right—there's someone watching!"
When Bai Zhou realized this, his gaze almost immediately shifted from Ya, who was standing there lost in thought, to Fang Xiaoxia beside him.
As expected, Fang Xiaoxia had already covered her eyes and hid to the side, but the gaps between her fingers were wide enough to fit two bells. Her eyes blinked shyly and curiously as she stared at Bai Zhou.
From Fang Xiaoxia's perspective, there was naturally no crow; Bai Zhou simply landed from mid-air, hesitated for a moment, then lowered his head and lifted his clothes, revealing a flat, fair abdomen. The outline of his abs was faintly visible with each breath.
Little Fang had never seen anything like this before. She was both curious and feasting her eyes, shyly covering her eyes yet unable to resist looking.
Bai Zhou was tall, slender, and fair-skinned. His clothes made him look even thinner, completely concealing the near-perfect contours of his body.
Wealthy and generous, Fang Xiaoxia thought, her mouth watering, as she couldn't help but steal glances from the side. It
wasn't even stealing glances; it was more like a thief covering his ears to steal a bell, simply circling his eyes with his fingers.
But it was more like she was using her fingers to mimic a telescope, her eyes wide open as she peered into Bai Zhou's lower abdomen.
At first, Fang Xiaoxia thought Bai Zhou had suddenly gone mad and wanted to take off his clothes, perhaps the villains of the Blood Worship Cult had given him a vile drug that made him unbearably hot, like that flirtatious [Parinxetine]—if
that were the case, it seemed she could only be prepared to sacrifice herself to repay the favor. The opportunity to do so was now, but she couldn't trust those dangerous and despicable people in the Blood Worship Cult who were like [Parinxetine]. It seemed she had no choice but to personally step forward and act as Bai Zhou's antidote.
However, Fang Xiaoxia quickly noticed that Bai Zhou had only lifted the fabric at his lower abdomen, then immediately adopted a serious, even solemn, expression, as if facing an unspeakable choice.
So that's it—after returning from the Void Realm, he needed to perform some kind of ritual—
Remembering that location was the Destiny Space, Fang Xiaoxia suddenly realized she was overthinking things.
So, was her current appearance too unreserved and unladylike? Was there a risk of her image collapsing?
Such thoughts flashed through Fang Xiaoxia's mind, and the girl made a painful decision—avoiding Bai Zhou's blind spot, she continued to occasionally peek.
Just one glance.
Hmm—one more glance.
Each time she glanced, Fang Xiaoxia hurriedly looked away, like a thief afraid Bai Zhou would suddenly turn and see her, repenting for two seconds before turning her gaze back, stealing another glance, and so on—
until now, Bai Zhou's gaze shifted, meeting Fang Xiaoxia's large, blinking eyes through her fingers.
The two stared at each other.
Xiao Fang stared blankly at Bai Zhou, who was dressed perfectly.
Bai Zhou looked at Xiao Fang, who was squatting in the corner staring at him.
"Hmm—a necessary purification ritual," Bai Zhou coughed lightly. "This is what
you do after returning from the Void Realm." "Then, do I have to do it again?" Fang Xiaoxia stammered.
"But I've never learned this before." Heaven knows what image Xiao Fang was thinking of; her face flushed instantly.
"Senior brother—afterwards, will you…you…you teach me?"
At this moment, Bai Zhou suspected that Xiao Fang would transform back into the little fire dragon he first met, opening her mouth and breathing fire.
The little interlude was perfectly timed, giving Ya space to think. She seemed to have finally sorted out her thoughts and spoke earnestly to Bai Zhou: "Bai Zhou." She called out seriously.
"I'm here." Bai Zhou quickly turned back.
"I know you have no reason to lie at a time like this—but I still have to say it, do you know what you're saying, Bai Zhou?"
The girl in the trench coat crossed her arms and asked solemnly.
Crow wasn't someone who hadn't seen the world. She had witnessed too much of the wonder of Blue Star and the turbulent waves of its mysterious world. She had seen many self-proclaimed geniuses stir up storms, and she had also seen geniuses fall like wheat before even more brilliant beings.
She had seen some people fought over by ancient schools of thought from birth, and she had also seen some achieve great things late in life, rising from obscurity in a cowshed to dominate the world in the capital.
But it was precisely because she knew so much that she understood, even more clearly than Bai Zhou himself, the weight of Bai Zhou's words in the present world of Blue Star!
"In our current civilization, there is a historically recorded, extremely powerful chosen one, the Philosopher-King Plato, who, in his youth, stumbled upon a certain ruin and inherited the core legacy of the lost civilization, Atlantis."
"From him, our civilization came to know that countless years ago, on Earth, stood a magnificent prehistoric civilization called Atlantis—a civilization that gave rise to Plato's legend. Even in his later years, Plato continued to search for other relics left by Atlantis." And
it wasn't just Plato. "
[The Thousand-Faced Technique] Leonardo da Vinci, a renowned chosen one in the history of the Western Federation, still possesses numerous rough sketches sealed in his notebooks, classified as top secret by the current world of Blue Star."
"Few know that he also stumbled upon a certain ruin in his youth, belonging to an extremely ancient mechanical civilization whose technology was at least three generations ahead of ours—"
"Da Vinci spent his entire life trying to replicate the techniques and processes of that civilization, but he only managed to complete a small portion before passing away on his workbench." "
—Furthermore, in the ancient Eastern Federation, Zhang Ling of the late Han Dynasty also ventured into the Ruins of Longhu Mountain, resonating with a once-thriving pre-civilization and receiving its inheritance."
"The [Longhu Mountain] he founded remains one of the most powerful mystical orders in the Eastern Federation to this day!" "
It is said that the Longhu lineage still preserves several ancient rituals inherited from a prehistoric civilization, extremely mysterious, and impossible for anyone to replicate."
Having said this, Crow looked earnestly at Bai Zhou, meeting his gaze:
"
So, you mean, you're the same as them?"
The same as them?
Bai Zhou was hearing these stories of the past for the first time, and his emotions surged.
It seemed—
indeed, they were the same. "
It's not like you can just pick up a secret technique or a treasure and call yourself an inheritor of a previous civilization. Do you understand that concept?"
"That's a more precise concept, and you might not be familiar with it,"
Raven said carefully. "So, I think I need to clarify something."
"For example, if the Blood Cult were to completely disappear from history one day, and you found their legacy on the Sloth lineage, or obtained the forbidden text, the Dead Sea Scrolls—even then, you couldn't say you were the Blood Cult's chosen successor across history." "
At least, it would have to be a relic like the Seven Deadly Sins' House or the Five Elders' House that opened up to you, to barely qualify."
This was both an opportunity and a mission. "
She solemnly reminded him, 'Those who inherit the legacy of a previous civilization are destined for greatness, but they will also inevitably lead a life of toil, destined to tirelessly strive for it!'"
Raven's consideration was extremely reasonable. The phrase "inheriting a previous civilization" was too weighty; Bai Zhou might easily be confused and spout nonsense.
But—
he certainly was.
Bai Zhou was certain, after all, it was a direct confirmation from the history of Troy.
"Like that person you dealt with at the Special Administration Bureau—"
Raven's voice came again, "that princess from the Fog City, who claims to be the heir of Rome."
"Although Rome isn't a pre-civilization, she clearly inherited a relic from the Roman Empire thousands of years ago, obtaining important identity verification from it, which is why she dares to make such a claim."
"She can offer her subordinates a path to cultivation through vassalage, knows many secrets of the Roman Empire with ease, and has been constantly pursuing and exploring various Roman Empire relics to further solidify her identity as the inheritor."
Looking into Shiraishu's eyes, Raven countered, "Are you sure you're like her?
Like her?"
Shiraishu blinked twice.
Wasn't this a coincidence?
Mentioning Rome, he just happened to have something to say.
"To be honest—although she is indeed unfathomable and knowledgeable."
"However, in terms of civilizational inheritance alone, I think—"
Bai Zhou spoke earnestly, his tone humble and truthful:
"
I think I'm stronger than her."
His face was utterly serious as he spoke.
Crow: "?"
What was this guy talking about?
I gave you an example, and you actually made a comparison?
What do you mean—you're stronger than that princess from the Fog City?
"Just now, you mentioned Plato, Leonardo da Vinci, and Zhang Ling—I'm not quite sure what those predecessors are all about."
"But, this princess from the Fog City, we all know she inherited Roman civilization."
"Only this Rome—as you said, not a pre-existing civilization, but a contemporary one."
"But—"
Bai Zhou carefully chose his words, replying, "Speaking of which, what I inherited also contains a part of Rome, but not her Rome."
"What I inherited is an earlier Rome.
"
His voice paused slightly, then Bai Zhou coughed lightly twice, earnestly adding, "—the real Rome!"
"What do you mean—the real Rome?!" Crow's eyes widened.
Didn't that princess from the Fog City inherit the real Rome?
What do you mean? The true Roman legitimacy isn't in the Western Federation, but in the Eastern Federation, and in you?
Striving to be the true Roman legitimacy—this seems to be a recurring theme in the history of the Western Federation, and it's now appearing before Raven in this bizarre way.
What would those old men of the Western Federation do if they heard this?
Raven almost rolled his eyes, already muttering to himself.
Bai Zhou really dares to say that—
"So, you didn't know either?"
But Raven's reaction only added to Bai Zhou's surprise.
Then, he explained to Raven, "My Rome is completely different from her Rome."
"It's a civilization from hundreds of thousands, even millions of years ago, where everyone rode armored dinosaurs, patrolling the world under the leadership of a moving Senate, and could even slay demons at will—"
Speaking in a fantastical tale that Raven couldn't understand at all, his expression growing increasingly bewildered, as if he were talking in his sleep, Bai Zhou continued, "And there were giant wooden horses flying in the void's turbulent currents, exiling a civilization, with powerful ritualists and adventurers roaming the world.
"6
"6
What I inherited was the ruins left behind in the Ruins Realm by that extremely brilliant and powerful civilization!"
He didn't dare say that he hadn't inherited the ruins, but had directly gone to that era—after all, this involved the Golden Pass and a will, making the explanation completely unconvincing.
But what he said was still the truth, not a single word false, all things Bai Zhou had witnessed firsthand.
For some reason, these truths caused Crow, whose expression was usually indifferent, to show an increasingly bewildered and even pitying look.
What exactly was Bai Zhou talking about?
Crow couldn't help but take a deep breath.
By now, she probably fully understood the situation.
What had Bai Zhou suffered in the Void Realm—he really had gone mad, hadn't he?
"The opportunity for inheritance is this ring left by the Roman Empress."
Bai Zhou raised his left hand and shook it twice, then said, "My ability to forge and evolve my personal destiny is also thanks to this."
As he spoke, he asked again:
"2.
Didn't I ask you about this before?"
"You asked me—what?" Crow raised her eyebrows, her expression stunned.
"I asked you about that era. It's mentioned in 'Black Cat's 8000 Questions,' an era when dinosaurs were everywhere."
Bai Zhou spoke earnestly, uttering what seemed like utterly absurd nonsense to Ya: "The true first Rome existed in that era."
"If I remember correctly, in later generations, that civilization was generally called—"
Finally, Bai Zhou uttered something that both succinctly and profoundly shocked Ya:
He said:
"
The Jurassic period, right?"
Ya: "?"
"You mean—"
Ya tried to understand, translating Bai Zhou's words in an incredibly strange tone: "You, Bai Zhou, are a descendant of those dinosaurs from the Jurassic period, 199.6 million years ago?"
"And, the Roman orthodoxy you believe in is actually knights riding Tyrannosaurus Rex and moving Senate mechs?"
Prehistoric civilization—can it be this "historic," this "prehistoric"?
"More or less—you can understand it that way?" Bai Zhou nodded hesitantly.
"To be precise, what I inherited was a civilization from that era,"
Bai Zhou said. "You just asked if I was mistaken—I can confirm that I truly inherited that civilization, and there shouldn't be another like it in this world."
At this point, Bai Zhou took a deep breath, and the ritual, performed with perfect understanding, began solemnly.
In the quiet room, invisible ripples resonated in Crow's ears. The three figures lengthened subtly in the night's light and shadow, the silent atmosphere seemingly representing the present world of Blue Star witnessing something.
Then, Crow heard Bai Zhou's voice, slow and deliberate, as if some ancient history hidden by time was being slowly told through the young man's words.
He said, "Because the artificial intelligence of that civilization personally told me that I am the fire servant of the temple, the successor of the high priest, the king of the arena, and—"
His voice paused slightly.
Bai Zhou and Miss Crow, that night, finally met in honesty—
one a chosen successor of its history, the sole inheritor of the flame of civilization
!
Chapter 326 Raven's Gift, [A Winter's Aria]
"Stop! I said stop!"
Raven raised his hand seriously, wanting to say that this was the Blood Worship Cult, a place teeming with demons, and couldn't accommodate so many important figures of extraordinary origin.
The Fire Attendant of the Temple, the Heir to the High Priest, the King of Fighters in the Arena, and the Registrar of History—?
What on earth is all this?!
Remember the first website domain name 𝕥𝕨𝕜𝕒𝕟.𝕔𝕠𝕞
Raven wanted to say, when did you pick up this bad habit from the Jewel Witch? So many fancy titles and appellations, quite similar to the Jewel Witch's.
However, compared to the Jewel Witch's empty and grandiose prefixes like "love and justice" and "radiant axioms," what Bai Zhou said was clearly more detailed and specific.
Temple, High Priest, Arena, even mentioning artificial intelligence—
these extremely detailed and seemingly real prefixes made Raven's expression turn serious.
Although she couldn't believe it, based on Crow's experience navigating the mystical world, these terms didn't seem casually made up. There was a subtle connection between them, like a massive iceberg revealing only the tip to the girl.
Most importantly—
for Bai Zhou, who severely lacked both everyday and mystical knowledge, relying entirely on Crow's instruction—
Crow didn't recall ever mentioning these terms.
Even Crow was hearing terms like "Great Sacrifice" for the first time—yet, it seemed to possess a peculiar charm, carrying a historical weight and an unknown significance.
It didn't seem fabricated.
If someone openly claimed to be Qin Shi Huang, people's first reaction would be that he'd ask for fifty dollars to restore his kingdom.
But what if that person spoke fluent Shaanxi dialect, with a sharp, piercing gaze and a powerful stride, casually recounting historical events more meticulously and thoroughly than historians, and even pointing out the location of the Qin emperor's tomb?
Wouldn't that—be a little more credible?
This is Bai Zhou's current situation in front of Ya, even though he describes himself in an even more exaggerated way, almost as if he's telling Ya that this boy he spends every day with is actually the reincarnation of the Great General of the Southern Heavenly Gate. "
I've watched you grow up with my own eyes, I know your worth perfectly well."
At this moment, Crow's expression faltered slightly, her thoughts seemingly stuck at a crucial juncture.
Yes, this boy was someone she had watched grow up, so she knew Bai Zhou never lied to her.
Crow wanted to ask Bai Zhou if he had gone mad, but those clear eyes held no trace of confusion, staring intently at her without blinking, meeting her gaze.
Truly eyes like the sun—any hypocrite would retreat before the sincerity of those eyes.
Actually, Bai Zhou always seemed to have secrets that were almost miraculous, didn't he? And every miracle happened after he returned from the Void Realm.
Crow said Bai Zhou was practically the chosen one, and even asked Bai Zhou if the Void Realm was his family's mine—
if what Bai Zhou said was true, then all of this seemed to make sense.
Having eliminated all impossibilities, Miss Crow took a deep breath, seemingly left with only the truth more absurd than any fairy tale—
"Is it true?"
Crow asked uncertainly, "Are you really a descendant of dinosaurs from 199.6 million years ago?"
—Dinosaur people really exist in the world?
Everyone else is a "descendant of dragons," so how come her student, Bai Zhou, is a "descendant of dinosaurs"?
At this moment, just like when Bai Zhou was reading "Black Cat's 8000 Questions" and fantasizing about Empress Irina riding a dinosaur in her early years—this was the first time in her life that the well-informed Miss Crow had imagined the absurd scene of dinosaurs using three claws to form hand seals.
Could it be that the two seemingly degenerated, useless, and completely contrary to the evolutionary laws of hunters—those two small claws on the front of the Tyrannosaurus Rex—were actually used for hand seals and rituals?
—Has Bai Zhou solved this historical mystery that countless scholars in modern times have been unable to understand?
"They're not descendants of dinosaurs—but I don't know their true identities either."
Faced with this question, Bai Zhou shook his head, his expression very serious, as if recalling something.
Crow thought Bai Zhou had seen it in a mural, but Bai Zhou had actually witnessed it firsthand: the powerful imperial guards of the Hiro Empire, clad in ceramic armor, were all over three meters tall—they were practically inhuman.
Until now, Crow's single sentence had given Bai Zhou a sudden insight, even sparking a wild imagination—
Perhaps, the pure-blooded high-ranking members of the Hiro Empire were indeed not the same species as modern humans?
"As expected of Raven, you're so knowledgeable!" Bai Zhou praised Raven out of the blue.
By now, he knew Raven believed him—or at least most of it.
He saw Raven's loss of composure, her concern, and her surprise.
To be honest, Bai Zhou felt quite accomplished to have moved Raven—though he always did this, this time the impact on Raven was probably stronger.
"Actually, whether you are the chosen successor of the previous civilization or not isn't that important to me," Raven said softly. "After all, no matter what, you are my student." "
I just—"
Miss Raven pursed her lips.
"I just can't believe it—"
She kept changing her opinion of Bai Zhou, telling herself that perhaps she could have higher expectations of the boy—even so, the boy still always surprised her, exceeding her expectations time and time again.
"Born in a place that is both very ordinary and very extraordinary, from the moment you awakened your destiny to where you are today, not a single step has been the same as that of ordinary people."
"Always surviving where you shouldn't, always achieving victory where victory seems impossible—perhaps I should have known long ago that the secret within you would be like this."
This day, this night, in the early hours of the morning.
Never before had Miss Crow realized so clearly that Bai Zhou's future—perhaps it truly could be alongside hers.
Maybe, she could really be bolder, have a little more expectation for Bai Zhou.
"In that case, perhaps in the not-too-distant future, I really will need Bai Zhou's help"
—thinking to himself, a familiar drowsiness, accompanied by complex thoughts, surged up, causing Crow to unconsciously yawn. "Is there anything that Teacher Crow wouldn't believe?"
Hearing Crow's words, Bai Zhou's eyebrows unconsciously rose. "Well then, it seems I really have some ambition."
"Actually, I was thinking that if you still don't believe me, I have more proof here," Bai Zhou said, taking out the Trojan Horse and opening its belly.
"Buzz—" A savage bone knife and a dreamlike knight's sword flashed briefly inside the horse, only for Crow to see before Bai Zhou quickly put them away.
The spirit-named treasure, a divine object, remained unassuming. Although its appearance was unique and strange, it was completely unremarkable lying inside the Trojan Horse. Its aura was unremarkable, and the spiritual fluctuations around it were even weaker than any ordinary extraordinary weapon, only slightly better than a fire poker.
But at this moment, Bai Zhou solemnly showed them to Ya, then swiftly put them away. Naturally, they couldn't just be two ordinary weapons, or weapons Ya had never seen before, of unknown origin.
With just a moment's thought, Ya's expression changed, realizing what the seemingly ordinary appearance of the swords might mean.
Subconsciously turning his head, Ya looked around, then quickly turned back to Bai Zhou, asking, "Ordinary, yet divine objects remain hidden—are they—spiritual treasures?"
"
One or two?!"
"I've heard that these things are extremely rare on Blue Star." Bai Zhou nodded.
"So, the fact that I suddenly have these two items—should also prove my words."
More than just prove—
Ya took a deep breath, his expression becoming increasingly complex.
"Do you know?" Ya asked in a low voice, "In the entire Tinghai, excluding those uncontrollable, high-risk black boxes, there are probably no more than ten Spirit Name Treasures openly held by the Chosen Ones!" "
That's why Deputy Director Liu, who possessed a Spirit Name Treasure, immediately joined the Anomaly Investigation Bureau for protection, and with the Thunderous Heavenly Bow, quickly rose from an ordinary Fate Forger to make a name for himself!"
It was Deputy Director Liu again.
It seemed that in Tinghai, whenever Spirit Name Treasures were mentioned, people would mention Liu Jia—and then immediately think of "Savior Senior Zhou," who picked up the Spirit Name Treasure.
If Senior Zhou didn't have the title of Tinghai's savior, and his background and personal strength were shrouded in mystery, he really had no reason to keep the Thunderous Heavenly Bow under the covert surveillance of the Fate Forgers.
Of course, that was before.
Now it's different. What Bai Zhou held in his hands was no longer just one coveted Spirit Name Treasure.
It was four!
"In other words, if we were to create a list of the top ten spiritual treasures in Tinghai City, after removing the items that certain forces are hiding, most spiritual treasures would be able to make the list, barely enough to fill it up." "
But now, you alone occupy almost half of it."
Crow explained the seriousness of the matter, "I've hardly heard of anyone in Tinghai inheriting the civilization of the previous generation, and no one in contemporary Tinghai is as nouveau riche as you—"
"So, from now on, be very careful when you go out, don't let bad guys sneak up on you at night and knock you over!"
Knock you over?
Bai Zhou's expression turned solemn, he always felt that this was something he was capable of doing, and that's why he had to be even more careful not to let others knock him over.
"I understand the principle of not flaunting wealth, I'll be careful—especially careful!"
Bai Zhou thought for a moment and replied, "With the identity of Sloth, I can only use a saber—oh right, Teacher Crow, the saber has also successfully advanced to a Spirit Name Treasure."
It's advanced too—it turns out there are four Spirit Name Treasures—
for some reason, after hearing Bai Zhou's latest news, Crow gradually became numb, her expression slowly returning to calm.
Perhaps it's the principle of extremes meeting; news that should have surprised her didn't cause much change in her numb expression.
At this moment, only one thought lingered in Crow's mind: "Is there more?"
—Could there be something even bigger coming?
Then, Raven heard Bai Zhou continue, "But with the Blood Worship Cult as a powerful force behind him, aside from other followers, most people wouldn't dare to mess with this identity." "
So, nothing will happen."
Bai Zhou had already figured it out. An identity using a spiritual treasure—a sword obtained from the arena—would naturally lead to a corresponding new identity appearing somewhere in the future. "As for myself—"
"To be honest, although I've just advanced to the Life Forging stage, and not to the Noble Life stage—I'm confident I'm not comparable to others of the same level."
As he spoke, Bai Zhou straightened his back, revealing a confidence that Raven was unfamiliar with.
If the Wolf Knight statue were here, it would surely be pleased to find that this confident and composed demeanor was somewhat similar to the self-confidence and arrogance it naturally displayed whenever it mentioned a certain topic.
As for that topic, it was obviously—
"Because I'm not just a Life Forging Master."
"—What?" Raven's eyes flickered.
"Really? There's more?
" Then, Crow saw the boy chuckle shyly, "It's quite a coincidence. Back when I was at Special Administration Base 36, guiding me onto the path of a ritual master by having me draw hundreds of eggs every day, I wondered—"
He said, "Would I happen to meet someone from a previous civilization who was extremely skilled in ritual mastery, and then, less than a month later, successfully form a contract in the Void Realm?"
A contract!
The familiar term made Crow, a ritual master herself, react instinctively.
With a "whoosh," her trench coat fluttered in the air as the girl quickly approached, almost touching Bai Zhou.
She opened her ruby-like eyes wide, scrutinizing Bai Zhou from head to toe, "You wouldn't have advanced to a second-tier ritual master, would you?"
"Yes, I formed three contract patterns, and then advanced to second tier."
After receiving Bai Zhou's confirmation, Crow couldn't help but widen her eyes, her pupils contracting like a cat with its fur standing on end.
Perhaps since meeting Bai Zhou, her expressions had become several times more varied than before.
Long, long ago, in a hazy memory, she seemed to recall an opponent asking her if she had facial paralysis.
However, now it seemed—
even if she truly did have facial paralysis, meeting Bai Zhou should have greatly alleviated her symptoms.
"Buzz—"
Then, to prove this to Ya, Bai Zhou began another strange act that gave Fang Xiaoxia a real treat.
He rolled up his sleeves, pulled down the collar, revealing his well-proportioned, muscular arms and clearly defined collarbones.
The next instant, Ya's ruby-like eyes reflected the icy blue, frigid snowflakes, crystal clear and breathtakingly beautiful.
Left humerus, right ulna, and collarbone—
now, Ya finally understood where the subtle, aloof aura that Bai Zhou had acquired since his return came from.
—Because this guy had truly branded a snow-capped mountain onto her bones!
"A snow mountain capable of condensing three contracts in one go must be an extremely ancient environment—is this the location of the pre-civilization you inherited? A city ruin built on a snow mountain?"
Obviously, Raven's speculation is the more normal understanding.
It's not the Void Realm, but a civilization graveyard created by the Hiro Empire, which, even if said, would be incomprehensible to the people of present-day Earth.
However—
"Curiosity—a burning curiosity is about to devour me!" Raven said softly, "I don't remember there being such a snow mountain in the Void Realm behind the Listening Sea."
"Tsk!" She shook her head, "I only regret that I can't go to the Void Realm with you and see what it looks like in your eyes!"
Faced with Raven's burning and eerie gaze that seemed to want to devour him, the snow fairy—or rather, the white boat with purple hexagonal ice flowers blooming on her neck—who was pulling down her collar as if trying to seduce someone, could only smile awkwardly, quickly pull her collar back, and retract her contract patterns.
"However, this way, no matter what difficulties you encounter at the Demon Assembly a few days later, you should have more confidence to protect yourself."
Raven seemed thoughtful. "If a suitable ritual is arranged in advance, plus the cursed iron trap in your possession and the bomb left behind by the previous Sloth—"
"Even if your identity is exposed later, and the Holy Son of the Blood Cult personally attacks you, you might still have a fighting chance!"
"That makes sense. Now we can say that everything is ready, except for the final push."
Bai Zhou nodded.
Strength is confidence. As the clock struck midnight, a new day began, and Bai Zhou, who had quietly undergone a transformation, finally had a chance to catch his breath.
"Next, I just need to wait for the Demon Assembly to convene, find a way to crown the Seven Deadly Sins, and then I'll know what this Holy Son is planning to do with the [Brain in a Vat]!"
"However—"
As if thinking of something, Bai Zhou's expression showed a hint of regret.
"I've clearly condensed three contracts to advance to a second-tier ritual master, but I don't have a second-tier ritual that resonates with my contract field, preventing me from unleashing the true power of a second-tier ritual master—that's a bit awkward and regrettable."
Bai Zhou returned in a hurry this time, only managing to condense contracts for advancement, but he couldn't find anything to sacrifice to Troy in exchange for a suitable second-tier ritual.
Ideally, it would be something related to ice and snow, resonating with one of his contract patterns to create a synergistic effect greater than 2.
[Achilles' Wrath] is certainly good, but it's only a first-tier ritual that theoretically reaches its limit; it's not truly second-tier.
Currently, Bai Zhou hasn't learned a single second-tier ritual and isn't entirely clear on the power of rituals at this stage.
Otherwise, he would truly be perfect at this stage, lacking nothing.
However, at this moment,
Bai Zhou saw Teacher Ya wave her hand and hear her say, "What's so difficult about that!"
At this moment, Teacher Ya's eyes seemed to sparkle, as if she, as a teacher, had finally found her place in the world.
"Whoosh—whoosh whoosh whoosh—
"
The moment the words fell, flames ignited in mid-air. Miss Crow raised her hand, her slender, white fingertips dancing in the air. The burning flames transformed into intricate patterns and characters, illuminating the girl's earnest face.
The blazing flames and characters, with their interplay of light and shadow, were reflected in Bai Zhou's stunned eyes.
"This is—?" Bai Zhou subconsciously held his breath.
The characters and patterns that came into view were clearly written in the air by Crow with flames, yet as the warm, crimson light entered Bai Zhou's eyes and he understood the meaning of the words, an indescribable chill naturally welled up from the depths of his heart, sweeping through his entire body.
"For certain reasons, the rituals I've learned are mostly related to fire and shadow."
"Therefore, I don't know much about rituals related to ice and snow."
At this moment, Raven's voice rang in Bai Zhou's ears: "But by chance, during an exploration of the Reflection Ruins, I saved a reckless ritual master—to thank me, that young lady from the far north gifted me a second-tier ritual."
The sound of burning flames hissed in the quiet room, and Raven's fingertips danced in the air like fire butterflies.
"Although I've never learned it, I remember its contents—and coincidentally, this ritual is related to ice and snow."
"This ritual is powerful in attack and destruction, quite characteristic of that far northern school of rituals, and is undoubtedly one of the best second-tier rituals!"
Raven said calmly:
"
Now, I'll write them down for you."
The characters formed by the flames spread out in front of Bai Zhou in the blink of an eye, almost reaching the roof, burning and dancing densely in the air.
As the girl searched deep within her memory, she wrote down the contents for Bai Zhou to study.
With the final stroke, Raven slowly exhaled, gently retracting her fingertips, and a chilling, murderous aura naturally arose, spreading throughout the room.
Cold! A bone-chilling cold!
Silence! A silence of utter desolation, of everything utterly defeated!
Bai Zhou was astonished.
Simply writing down this knowledge caused Bai Zhou, who witnessed it, to have an adverse reaction—something that had never happened before with his first-tier rituals!
"Buzz!"
Just then, the [Ice Pact - Hibernating Dragon] on Bai Zhou's left humerus vibrated, as if responding to the ritual.
"A good reaction."
"It seems it matches the mark on your arm quite well."
Noticing the abnormality in Bai Zhou, Raven turned to look at him.
At this moment, the girl's ruby-like eyes were slightly weary, but illuminated by the firelight beside her, they shone brightly.
The hem of her trench coat fluttered without wind, her jet-black hair swirling amidst the flickering embers. The girl, who had just penned a thousand words, finally showed a hint of satisfaction and contentment upon seeing Bai Zhou's slightly stunned expression, a look of surprise mixed with emotion.
"Second-tier ritual, [Winter's Aria].
"
"For you."
With a soft "click," the girl turned, her hands clasped behind her back.Slightly raising her chin, her proud face was illuminated by the hazy firelight of the crimson hill.
And so, deep within Bai Zhou's eyes, was reflected the slender profile of someone standing with hands behind their back, a figure amidst the dim light of the flames, a figure standing beside a thousand words of writing.
A three-legged raven perched languidly on the girl's shoulder, her fluttering trench coat like a jet-black flower blooming beside the flames—a scene as beautiful as an ancient painting hanging deep within a castle.
"Once you master it and set it up smoothly—"
"Even a single-life forger like [Paroxetine] might not be as powerful as you!"Miss Raven's profile was indifferent, as was her voice.
After thinking for a moment, she added softly, "Just take it as a gift for your advancement to the second tier, Bai Zhou."
She said, "—I hope you like it."