Chapter 390

Everyone was startled, especially the witch, who instinctively screamed: "My King!"

But the skeleton raised its hands and then stopped moving; after a while, its arms twitched slightly, fumbling over its body, yet apart from the hands, not a single other part moved.

Looking again at Ange, who stood motionless with one hand pressed against the black crystal skeleton, everyone finally understood what had happened; Negrilis cautiously called out: "Ange?"

A muffled voice came from the black crystal body: "Can't move."

Negrilis immediately understood: "Your body can't move? But your hands can?"

"Yes." Ange moved his hands; the sensation was all too familiar—he'd experienced this before, when his bones had rotted away and he'd replaced them with a new skeleton, encountering a Silver skeleton of higher rank than his own.

Whenever he transferred his soul over, this would happen—he couldn't move.

After acquiring Luo Ke's skeleton, he replaced his own bones with Luo Ke's, and the same thing happened—the Purple Gold skeleton only extended to his elbows; beyond that, his movements became stiff.

But as his soul grew stronger, Luo Ke's hands became more agile, and by then he had already learned Ultimate Transformation and could transform into a Death Skeleton himself, so there was no need to replace his skeleton further.

Unexpectedly, upon touching the black crystal body, his intent transferred over—but his soul's strength was insufficient to drive it, leaving him able to raise only his hands.

"H-how is this possible?!" the witch was more shocked and incredulous than anyone else, for a thousand years ago, she had tried countless times to commune with the King, attempting to transfer her intent into the black crystal body—only to be humiliated, unable to enter at all.

The black crystal body's power repelled her; when she tried to transfer her intent inside, it felt like lifting a mountain—she'd felt as if her head had slammed into the mountain's face, her nose nearly crooked.

But now, Ange showed no trace of any force collision—he simply touched it, and his intent transferred effortlessly, raising the black crystal body's hands.

This wasn't about whether he could lift it or not—it was as if the black crystal body didn't reject him at all.

"Why can you transfer your intent? Why doesn't the black crystal body reject you?" the witch asked.

Ange wanted to shake his head, but his skull wouldn't move, so he said: "No."

Negrilis snapped his book shut and said enviously: "I told you—he's the real one. All the good stuff went to him."

Hearing this, the witch suddenly understood: "So he's the King's own? You were resurrected by His Majesty personally—of course you're his own! No wonder the black crystal body doesn't reject you."

Du Luo, who had been silently pondering with his chin in his palm, shook his head and asked the witch: "You said the black crystal body lay dormant for ages, only recently beginning to show these star-like energies—when exactly did this 'recent' start?"

The witch's face twisted in distress: "It's pitch black here—I have no idea when it started. Let me calculate." She fixed her eyes on the empty space before her, squinting until her eyes looked half-crossed, counting intently.

After a long while, the witch said: "Reversing from now, it began roughly two or three years ago."

"Two or three years ago? That's 'recent'? Your 'recent' is way too 'recent'." Negrilis mocked. But having been here over a thousand years, two or three years ago could indeed be called the "most recent."

Du Luo slapped his palm: "That's it! Have you considered that the power within the black crystal body might not originate from His Majesty? Because two or three years ago is precisely when Ange inherited the Death Godhood."

The witch's eyes darted repeatedly between the black crystal body and Ange, incredulous: "You mean the star points inside the black crystal body come from Ange? That's why it doesn't reject his intent?"

"Exactly. His Majesty sent his intent over, but couldn't stop the Star Burst—and he never returned, because he couldn't send power back. If he could send power back, his intent should've returned too. And if His Majesty had enough strength to send power back, why did these star points vanish in the end?"

With these points laid out, the witch immediately agreed with Du Luo's theory: "So the Death Godhood's power sustains the black crystal body? After blocking the Star Burst, the star points inside the body were greatly depleted."

While they were passionately discussing, the black crystal body—whose only movable parts were its two hands—extended a finger toward the empty air ahead. Ange's voice rang out: "I feel… there's a point there. I'll go take a look."

Then the black crystal body froze. One minute. Two minutes. Ten minutes…

Negrilis grew anxious: "Why hasn't he come back? Ange! Ange! No response—where did he project to?"

"He was just inside His Majesty's black crystal body… could it be…" Everyone exchanged glances, all thinking the same impossible possibility: "Did he project himself to His Majesty's location?"

The witch refused to believe: "Impossible. Even His Majesty needed Soul Projection to get there—how could he project his intent?"

The Grand Sage shook his head: "It's possible. His Majesty already projected ahead and established a soul node there. Ange merely needs to follow the soul network to project over."

"You mean he used His Majesty's soul network to reach a node on the other side?" the witch murmured. After a long silence, everyone simultaneously sighed: "The real one."

Another half-hour passed, and Ange still hadn't returned. Negrilis panicked again: "Why hasn't he come back? Could something have happened?"

"No, no, look—Ange's soul is intact, meaning his intent is fine. Don't panic, don't panic." Du Luo reassured them, though his own voice trembled.

He couldn't afford to stay calm—they were all soul-linked to Ange. If Ange died, they all died. Ange wouldn't be like His Majesty, who severed all soul connections.

At that moment, a ripple suddenly surged from Ange's body, spreading outward and affecting everyone.

Du Luo and the witch both noticed their flesh rapidly drying out, curling into layers of dead skin.

"Ah~ What's happening? What's going on?!" the witch cried in terror, staring at her hands.

"Don't panic, don't panic—it's just the Rapid Death Aura. Quick, get out of its range!" the Grand Sage hurriedly pulled the witch away from the aura.

Du Luo wasn't in a hurry—he was a lich, and the Rapid Death Aura only desiccated and toughened his flesh; it wouldn't kill him. He could just have Lisha reactivate him later.

So instead, he joined Negrilis, drawing close to Ange.

After observing for a while, Negrilis gritted his teeth: "He's fine—he's casting the Rapid Death Aura. Damn it, this damn skeleton's planting crops again. Is he insane? Projecting over to plant vegetables?"