Chapter 21
◎The Last Philosopher Stone◎
"We've arrived." After confirming, Borene reported to Regas, "Your Highness, we're here."
“Yes.” Regas nodded. “After a short rest, proceed according to the previous plan.”
Borene acknowledged and left to make further arrangements.
“We’ve arrived,” Regas said softly to Lan Hua.
Lan Hua opened his heavy eyelids and stood up straight with the help of Regas. He had gradually adapted to this feeling of rejection; although he was still extremely uncomfortable, he could force himself to appear normal. However, with Regas as his human crutch, and given his weakness, he figured he might as well make the most of it.
When Lan Hua had taken in her surroundings, she turned to Regas and asked, "Where is the Philosopher's Stone?"
Regas pointed to a huge "pyramid" in front of Lan Hua and said, "This is it."
Lan Hua: "..."
This "pyramid" is somewhat similar in style to ancient pyramids on Earth, but it is grayish-white and not made of stacked stones. It appears to have been carved directly from a single, massive rock. Lan Hua estimates that it is about ten times the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the largest pyramid on Earth.
"You mean, this thing is the Philosopher's Stone?" Lan Hua stretched out her hand, pointed to the pyramid-shaped boulder, and confirmed with Regas again.
"Yes," Regas replied affirmatively.
Lan Hua seemed to have thought of something funny and couldn't help but laugh.
"What are you thinking about?" Regas knew Lan Hua very well. Seeing him like this, he naturally knew that Lan Hua's mind must be wandering in ways that were hard for ordinary people to imagine.
Lan Hua didn't deny it and voiced his thought from a moment ago: "I was thinking, if all philosopher stones are like this, then if those alchemists found philosopher stones in the past, would they have planned to put pots on them to do alchemy?"
Regas: "..."
Lan Hua's wildly unrestrained thinking left Regas speechless. He coughed and said, "The idea that the Philosopher's Stone can be used for alchemy is just the imagination of alchemists."
“I know,” Lan Hua shrugged. “I just think it would be more interesting to continue to expand on this kind of imagination.”
Regas laughed. "That's certainly interesting."
Luo Ying, who was eavesdropping behind them, couldn't help but roll his eyes when he heard Lan Hua's words. He thought Lan Hua was ignorant and boring, but His Highness had to put up with his ignorance and even flatter him.
In contrast to Lan Hua's aversion and extreme discomfort, Luo Ying felt increasingly relaxed and comfortable the closer he got to the Philosopher's Stone, as if all his previous fatigue had vanished. However, this so-called relaxation and comfort was merely an illusion. It didn't actually restore the mental energy Luo Ying had expended while discovering the Philosopher's Stone's location. Once Luo Ying left the Philosopher's Stone's radiant area, or if the Philosopher's Stone was destroyed, that comfortable feeling, like being soaked in warm water, would instantly disappear without a trace.
"You seem to have a lot to say?" Lan Hua turned to look at Luo Ying.
Lan Hua turned around too suddenly, and Luo Ying was caught red-handed. Luo Ying lowered her head in a bit of panic, trying to hide the eye roll she had just made.
Lan Hua scoffed, looking down on Luo Ying's behavior—daring only to secretly grumble and make underhanded moves, but not daring to express it openly. Lan Hua found it pointless to even try to amuse someone like that. Without waiting for Luo Ying to say anything, she turned away, her gaze fixed on the stone pyramid, ignoring him completely.
In fact, the Philosopher's Stone's appearance does fit its role as a transceiver for the cosmic communication device. However, the name "Philosopher's Stone" is too misleading, especially with the legend of it turning stones into gold, which easily leads people to believe that it is a small stone that can be picked up with one hand.
Upon seeing the pyramid-shaped, grayish-white boulder, Lan Hua confirmed that the source of his persistent discomfort and aversion was this very boulder. Its influence on him was a disruption of his mind and will, like the repulsion of like magnetic poles. If this person weren't Lan Hua, but someone with slightly weaker willpower or endurance, stepping into the boulder's magnetic field would likely have either been driven by instinct, desperately fleeing, or had their consciousness instantly and completely disrupted by a particle storm, turning them into a madman or a mentally impaired individual.
However, of all the people here, only Lan Hua was affected by this invisible magnetic storm. Even more surprisingly, he noticed that Luo Ying, with his constant subtle expressions and movements, seemed to be the opposite of him. The closer Luo Ying got to the Philosopher's Stone, the more relaxed his expression became, as if he and the Philosopher's Stone were mutually attracted.
Lan Hua, who never envied others, couldn't help but feel a little envious of Luo Ying's current state when her mind was being torn apart by the magnetic storm.
Although Lan Hua looked a little better than before, his paleness was still undeniable, and Regas noticed it. Regas said, "I'll help you away from the Philosopher's Stone."
Lan Hua leaned closer to Regas and whispered in his ear, "You guessed the reason too?"
"Hmm," Regas responded softly. After witnessing Lan Hua's extreme repulsion and discomfort upon entering the Philosopher's Stone's magnetic field, how could he not know the reason? Moreover, this suspicion was one of the reasons he had initially suspected when he first met Lan Hua. He simply hadn't expected Lan Hua to experience such a magnetic storm-like repulsion with the Philosopher's Stone here. Had he known, he wouldn't have allowed Lan Hua to approach this place.
"I'm already here. If you won't let me investigate, you might as well kill me." Lan Hua stared intently at Regas's handsome profile, her voice soft yet icy.
“I know I can’t stop you from doing anything, but if you really can’t hold on, don’t force yourself,” Regas said. “Otherwise, even if you object, I’ll still have to get you away from here.”
"Your tough side is really captivating," Lan Hua teased Regas with a low laugh.
Regas: "..." Regas had to admit that Lan Hua could be really infuriating sometimes, especially when she was courting death, wouldn't listen to advice, and even teased people in return. He recalled the scene in the Southern Region when Duke Lanxi was so angry with Lan Hua that he kicked her out of his palace several times.
"Is that so?" Regas turned around to face Lan Hua, making their already ambiguous posture even more intimate. To onlookers, their bodies were almost touching, with Lan Hua's head resting on Regas's shoulder. Even without knowing their relationship, no one would doubt that they were a couple based on their posture.
“Of course,” Lan Hua nodded. If it were anyone else, being so intimate with someone in front of so many people would surely make them feel awkward and shy, quickly creating physical distance, even if that person was their lover. But Lan Hua was always self-willed; his shamelessness depended entirely on his mood and thoughts. Therefore, being so intimate in front of others felt no pressure on him. He even took a half-step forward, making their posture even more ambiguous and intimate, fueling the imaginations of those who saw them.
"Then I'll help you leave now," Regas said with a gentle smile.
After saying that, he put one arm around Lan Hua's waist and pressed down on his shoulder with the other, and whispered in his ear with a chuckle, "Then I'll have no choice but to force you to leave."
Lan Hua: "..." When a master of empty talk meets a practical person who takes advantage of opportunities... He must have been out of his mind by the magnetic storm, he even took the bait that Regas had thrown so directly.
"No, no, no." Lan Hua, who was always flexible, said pitifully, "Can you bear to see me regret it for the rest of my life? Curiosity can kill."
“Halt,” Regas said gently. “I think that compared to the slow-acting knife that is ‘curiosity,’ the ‘magnetic storm’ that is incompatible with you is about to take your life.”
Lan Hua: "..." He shouldn't have been so sharp-tongued as to let Regas reveal his true nature in front of him too early. Regas, who was disguised as gentle and surrounded by apologies, was the easiest to talk to.
Lan Hua: "Okay, okay, I promise I won't force myself, but it's not too bad right now, it's within my tolerance range." Lan Hua felt a little annoyed that he had been threatened by Regas, but the situation was beyond his control, and he would get his revenge eventually.
Regas nodded and said, "I'll be watching you."
Lan Hua: "..." Thank you so much.
After the interlude, Lan Hua focused his attention back on the boulder. "This boulder looks somewhat familiar. I feel like I've seen it somewhere before," he muttered to himself.
His voice was heard by Perrin, who had just finished reporting on the preparations. Perrin smiled and said, "Lord Lanhua, this pyramid-shaped structure existed on ancient Earth. You may have seen it in history books. But the pyramids on ancient Earth were actually replicas, built by later generations to commemorate human victory and also to serve as a warning and reminder that threats still exist. It's a pity that the civilization was interrupted, and the true meaning was ultimately lost."
There is actually no Philosopher's Stone on Earth. Humans have long been scattered throughout the universe, but in the struggle against "gods," "demigods," and "believers," they have retreated to a corner. Earth is humanity's last line of defense and bottom line. If Earth is lost, then humanity will truly have failed beyond redemption.
“It’s not ancient Earth,” Lan Hua said. “The pyramids on ancient Earth are indeed replicas, since they weren’t cut from a single giant rock, but rather built one stone at a time.” He rubbed his temples; he was having some difficulty thinking, let alone recalling things that were originally just bits and pieces of his memory.
"It's on Venus." Seeing that Lan Hua was having difficulty recalling, Regas said directly, and at the same time reached out to massage Lan Hua's temples.
Regas's massage pressure was just right, even more comfortable than Lan Hua's own. Lan Hua's headache was relieved a little. He took advantage of the situation and said, "Yes, yes, this is the pressure and speed. Don't stop."
Luo Ying gritted her teeth in anger, while Boreniere seemed unsurprised.
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