Chapter 262 Wishes and Costs 2

Ma Zao once touched a fragment of my divine seal.

That happened when I had just told her about meeting Little Bowl Number Two in the Void Realm. To enter the Void Realm through the Divine Seal Fragment, Ma Zao had borrowed a Divine Seal Fragment from me, but it would quickly return to me automatically. Later, we even slept holding hands while simultaneously grasping the Divine Seal Fragment; I could clearly see that she could normally touch it.

Asaho had also come into contact with the Divine Seal fragment bound to the second small bowl. Since the second small bowl discovered that Divine Seal fragment first, it's unlikely that Asaho had touched it before it had a chance to bind with the bowl. And if she hadn't touched it afterward, Asaho wouldn't have been able to describe to me the feel of the Divine Seal fragment and its special property of not conducting heat.

If it were merely a matter of being able to make contact, that would only mean that although Ma Zao wasn't a chosen one of the Void Realm, she was destined to be connected with the fragments of the Divine Seal. Ying Lingyun should be in the same situation. The Lord of the Divine Seal has also explicitly stated that if we suffer too many casualties, he will summon new chosen ones from the real world. Presumably, someone like Ying Lingyun, a "talent," is one of his candidates.

The biggest problem is that the two Divine Seal fragments that Ma Zao came into contact with were those that were bound to me and Number Two Little Bowl, respectively. Divine Seal fragments bound to other Chosen Ones are inaccessible even to us Chosen Ones. If Number One is like this, then it's even more impossible for those who are "merely connected to Divine Seal fragments."

To verify what Xuanming No. 4 had said, I tried to summon my second divine seal fragment and then attempted to hand it to Xiaowan No. 2. She stretched out her hand with a serious expression, but as expected, she couldn't touch my divine seal fragment.

Why is it possible to come into contact with anesthetic?

Is it because her constitution allows her to attract strange things that her affinity with the special substance, the Divine Seal Fragment, is strengthened to the point that it can even break through the rules summarized by Xuanming No. 4 to a certain extent?

Thinking about this, I suddenly realized another possible truth.

When the Lord of the Divine Seal first saw me, he seemed surprised by my existence. Perhaps before all the chosen ones were summoned to the Void Realm, he had already secretly drawn up a list of invitees, choosing the corresponding masters for the seven stone seats opposite him. However, I seemed to have disrupted his plans; he stated bluntly that I was not among his invitees and referred to me as an uninvited guest who had "invaded the Void Realm by some means." Clearly, I am not someone destined for the fragments of the Divine Seal.

So, what exactly is this "certain method"?

Although I have no recollection of it, I might have actually used "some method." To be precise, I just happened to catch an incredible tailwind, but I wasn't even aware of it until now.

Asaho not only attracts strange things to herself, but she can also infect those around her with this ability, as if it were contagious. If this "attraction" is interpreted as "fate," then could it be that I, who was originally destined to be without the fragments of the Divine Seal, was also forced into this fate thanks to Asaho?

Then how do we explain the situation with Little Bowl Number Two? She wasn't identified as an intruder by the Lord of the Divine Seal. Could it be that, unlike me, she wasn't forcibly bound to the Divine Seal fragment under Ma Zao's influence, but rather had a destiny connected to the Divine Seal fragment from the very beginning?

"I can't touch it..."

The second small bowl stared at the fragment of the divine seal with puzzlement, probably lost in the same thoughts as me.

Then, probably due to a lack of clues and evidence, she could only put aside her thoughts for the time being, and then said regretfully in her mind, "If you can give me this fragment of the divine seal, I can go and make a deal with the master of the divine seal on your behalf, Mr. Number Three."

Even if she could touch it, I wouldn't allow her to make a deal with the Lord of the Seal in my place. The deepening of the connection through the deal is merely a visible consequence; it doesn't mean there aren't other, unseen consequences. Who knows what other costs there would be in making a deal with the Lord of the Seal, a bizarre being who claims to grant any wish and answer any question, like a demon from a fable?

Since this is a transaction I want to make, I must bear all the risks myself.

“I’m about to make a deal. Before that, I’d like to hear your opinion,” I said. “The true identity of the hostile Great Impermanence, or the whereabouts of my friend’s soul—which do you think I should choose?”

I do have my own thoughts and inclinations, but I also want to draw on the wisdom of Little Bowl Number Two. Although she looks so young, I can see that she has a clear and quick mind. Perhaps she really is the strategist who provided advice and assistance to Ma Yuan in surviving the apocalypse. Compared to me, who is merely someone with a faster mental processing speed, her intelligence is probably a notch higher.

She seemed to have already made up her mind, and said very decisively, "You should ask about the whereabouts of your friend's soul, Mr. Number Three."

"Why do you say that?" I asked in detail.

“There are many advantages. First, considering the potential risks of making a deal with the Lord of the Divine Seal, the smaller the scale of the questions, the better. The smaller our gains, the smaller the consequences we might have to bear. And compared to information that directly points to the Great Impermanence, information about a weaker friend is obviously more suitable for this condition.” She said clearly, “Second, Mr. Number Three, you have more than one channel to investigate the true identity of the hostile Great Impermanence; in contrast, you have no clue about the whereabouts of your friend’s soul.”

"The latter even has an unknown time limit, and if left unattended, the risk of your friend's soul being scattered will increase dramatically. It is very likely that you can only get relevant clues here, so you really have no other choice."

"Furthermore, Mr. Number Three, objectively speaking, you don't actually need to be in such a hurry to find out the true identity of the hostile Great Impermanence, right? Or rather, you know very well that you shouldn't be in such a hurry to start a war with them. Because you still need time to unleash your power—of course, if you don't resolve this issue as soon as possible, Asahi's life will continue to be threatened, so you also need to find a way to compress this period as much as possible."

"The only way is to fight a powerful enemy."

"Coincidentally, a formidable enemy awaits you right where your friend is—the great demon Silver Moon. If you wish to save your friend's soul, you must fight Silver Moon once more. Perhaps Silver Moon's power is now outdated for you, but her terror lies in the fact that her danger does not depend on the strength of her power, but on her understanding of magic as a strange being—didn't you say that before?"

"Silver Moon was the key that enabled your superpowers to truly awaken before, and later, she may also become the whetstone for you to fully unleash your power."

The things she said included parts that I had already thought of, as well as parts that I had only vaguely thought of but had not yet sorted out.

It was definitely the right decision to consult her. Now, all my confusion has finally cleared up.

“I understand. Then, I’ll do it your way,” I said. “Thank you, Little Bowl.”

“You’re welcome, Mr. Number Three,” she said demurely.

I released her hand, walked towards the Lord of the Divine Seal, and then took out my own fragment of the Divine Seal.

“I have a question to ask you,” I said.

At that moment, not only Little Bowl No. 2 and the Lord of the Divine Seal, but everyone else also looked at me simultaneously. It seemed they were all very curious about what question this "mysterious intruder" wanted to ask the Lord of the Divine Seal.

The Lord of the Divine Seal remained unchanged and calmly said, "Ask away."

I didn't intend to reveal any information related to Chang'an in front of everyone, so I said to him, "I want to conduct this transaction privately, is that alright?"

"Can."

He nodded and tapped the armrest of the rock chair with his fingers. Suddenly, the gray mist around us thickened, like an impenetrable wall that shut us out from the gaze of others.

“Now, they can’t see us or hear us. You can start talking now,” he said.

“Okay,” I said. “I want to know where my friend Chang’an’s soul has gone. Where can I find him?”

“I can answer your question, but is this level of question sufficient?” he said.

“That’s enough. Answer me,” I said.

As soon as I confirmed it, the fragment of the divine seal in my hand disappeared like a snowball melting in hot water.

"Two days later, at Moonshadow Mountain." The Lord of the Divine Seal gave the time and place. "You can easily find that place. Once you get there, you will definitely meet your target."

I noted this information down and didn't ask for more precise time and location details. Given Ma Zao's jinxed nature, as long as I went to the right place at the right time, there was no reason I wouldn't encounter the Silver Moon who had kidnapped Chang'an's soul. Perhaps the Lord of the Divine Seal was well aware of this as well.

I turned to leave, but found that after giving my answer, the Lord of the Divine Seal did not immediately disperse the gray mist walls around him. I turned back to look at him again, and saw him sitting upright on a huge rock chair, still looking down at me with a gaze that seemed to exert a tangible pressure.

"The question you just asked isn't worth exchanging a fragment of a divine seal for," he said calmly. "You can ask me another question."

(End of this chapter)