Chapter 1028: Weng Falos 3.0 (74)

The Legend of the Immortal Sword.

"Hey—" Jingtian set down the wine jar in his hand, "I didn't expect that after Bai'e absorbed the fire seed nothing happened; I thought the fire seed was like the sword in our family, not everyone can wield it."

Zhonglou gave no reply; his gaze was cold as he stared at the sky, but his focus had already shifted from Bai'e to another person—Wandi, the man who had constantly been abandoning his path to become a Demigod. When he saw Wandi give up that road to power, Zhonglou's eye corner twitched slightly.

"Irrational, foolish."

"Who are you talking about?"

"The one who abandoned the fire seed," Zhonglou's jaw tightened slightly, "to discard power that is within easy reach as if it were a worn‑out shoe—what else but foolishness?"

"Oh… but I think it's pretty good," Jingtian rested his hand on the wine jar, "Look, what's his status? He's the prince of Xuanfengcheng. What is a prince's duty? To protect his people. He's already doing that well, why does he have to become a Demigod? What would a Demigod help him with—collect rent or something? Since Bai'e also wants to be a Demigod, let him be."

Zhonglou was silent for a moment, then said slowly, "You're wrong; power is the foundation."

"The foundation? As if that's your head," Jingtian couldn't help rolling his eyes, "You speak as if everyone in the world is like you, wanting to carve 'becoming stronger' and 'combat' onto their foreheads as a plaque. Wandi also has his own path; you can't keep imposing your battle‑mad philosophy on others, can you?"

"Isn't Wandi a battle maniac?"

"Stop, stop, stop—" Jingtian raised his hand and sliced the air, "Hongmao, you're fine in every way except for one flaw: you always put fighting first. Look at me—back then I never chased the title of number one in the world or supreme martial artist, and now I'm living just fine. I have wine to drink, meat to eat, and—"

He paused, glanced toward the room, and his voice unintentionally dropped two tones.

"…Having someone watch over you is also fine."

"Also, we made a promise today—if any dispute arises between us tonight…" Jingtian slapped a vat of wine onto the table in front of Zhonglou with a "thwack," "We'll let the wine speak: whoever drinks more has the right. No more words, just drink!"

——

"Bai'e suggested first returning to Aohema to inform Aglaea, while Xing plans to, before departing, use the power of Oulonisi's prayer to restore the nearly destroyed Xuanfengcheng."

"Before leaving, Xing discovered Xia Die still standing in place, staring in astonishment at the pile of Nicadoli's still‑undispersed corpse on the ground."

"Aren't you going back, Xia Die?"

"Please return first, Lord Xing; I will catch up later. I wish to speak with Lord Genauus once more… the final time."

"After Xing left, Xia Die picked up a fragment of Genauus's wreckage; a golden butterfly perched on the remains, gradually turning into golden light and fading away…"

"Lord Genauus… Lord Nicadoli, can you still hear me?" Xia Die called softly, "I know you now only wish to rest peacefully. But only you can answer the doubts in my heart… please forgive my intrusion."

"Please tell me… do you know where Senatos (the Death Titan) is? I must find it. The half that was taken from me at birth… I must reclaim it from its hand."

Nicadoli's wreckage emitted a faint echo.

"So… even the Conflict Titan has never faced the true form of Death. My journey must continue, even if I have to traverse every corner of Weng Falos…"

"I understand; the Golden Descendants will surely honor the pact and continue what you left unfinished. You brought Conflict to this world, which should not have such a tranquil end… but it's okay. Here it's just you and me; no one else needs to see you in your final moments."

"In the poet's pen, you will still be the embodiment of madness and decay, a war god whose glory has burned out. But at this moment… I am willing to send you to a gentle land blooming with flowers."

"Farewell forever, Titan."

——

One Punch Man.

"What does 'the half taken from me at birth' mean?" Thus line: Yuanzǐ Wushi furrowed his brow slightly, "Does it mean that Xia Die is now incomplete, that the other half of the body was taken by the Death Titan?"

"…Probably so," Tongdi licked the lollipop in his hand, "From what she says, the Death Titan's whereabouts have been unknown for more than a day or two; Aglaea and Ti Bao have been operating in Aohema for centuries, and surely they've been inquiring about the Death Titan's location."

"It seems the trouble isn't just fighting the Titan; locating the Titan is also tricky… Oh right, since there is a sisterly relationship among the three Fate Titans, might such a relationship also exist among the three Calamity Titans? Setting aside Conflict, perhaps we could ask the Demigod of Schemes."

"The Demigod of Schemes is what Aglaea calls Saifei'er, apparently a fellow who only knows how to hide in shadows and command his thief spirits to steal. Would such a person cooperate willingly?"

"Simple," Banggu said calmly, "Aglaea can use her golden thread; she only needs to delay that Demigod for a few minutes. After asking about the Death Titan, let them leave. However, that Demigod of Schemes has been reluctant to join the Fire Pursuit Journey; could it be because she holds a personal grudge against the Golden Descendants, or against Ti Bao, Aglaea, etc.?"

——

"After a while…"

"Aya, they're back!"

Bai'e approached the two excitedly, "We've completed the mission, Master Ti Bao—no missing limbs, just an extra scorching fire seed in the palm."

"I can sense the temperature of the fire seed… Well done, Bai'e," Aglaea's usually flat tone rippled unusually, "Weng Falos hasn't seen a new Demigod born in a long time. If you can fill the void left by Nicadoli, it will greatly inspire the citizens of the Holy City."

Bai'e hesitated: "I… must be honest with you; I think Wandi is a more suitable candidate. He was the crown prince of Xuanfengcheng, and spent most of his life campaigning alongside Nicadoli. He bears the weight of the word Conflict more than I do."

"Innocent child, you think so much yet forget one thing—what you say may be exactly why Maidemos refuses to take the fire seed," Aglaea said. "I don't doubt his power and talent… the vision of becoming a god, he has rehearsed it countless times in his mind. But his hesitation is precisely because he does not want to lead his people down the same path again."