Looking directly at the ancient gods for a whole year

Chapter 2412 The Prophet is Dead (Part 18)
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It's reassuring that, although the window is a bit old, it can still be opened.

As things changed and people were no longer the same, Fu Qian pondered the disappearance of the Goat-Headed Demon. Instead of running into the building to look for him, he simply opened the window in front of him.

The radiance of the Great Mandate King suddenly shone even more powerfully upon this desolate place.

It is indeed the same building, although much of the exterior wall is peeling off.

In addition, the surrounding buildings became clearer, except that they were much more deserted, and they could be compared one by one with the scenes seen earlier.

Of course, the most important thing was the long-awaited lake view.

Right in the direction directly opposite, the spot that looked like it had been drawn with a compass was now clearly in sight.

However, it looks a little different from before. The original calm and smooth surface is completely gone, and it seems that there is not even a drop of water at a glance.

That's right, the Sage's Lake, which seemed to be the core of the entire Unseen Hill in the last mission, is completely dried up in this sunless Unseen Hill.

Although at the same time, the exposed lakebed still retains its remarkable features—

If the original lake was a perfect circle, then from this angle, the dried-up lake seems to have become a concave hemisphere.

Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration? I didn't realize there was such an amazing water volume when we met last time, and there wasn't even a sign warning of deep water.

With a sigh, Fu Qian stepped out once again, just as he had entered the Gate of Freedom earlier.

……

Even the howling wind sounded lifeless.

This time, the situation of walking out but ending up back inside did not happen again.

With his feet hanging in the air, Fu Qian was already in free fall, falling from the eighth floor.

Of course, even when he finally landed with a thud, he maintained good posture and even kept his shoes intact through impeccable cushioning.

After landing, it didn't stop at all and headed straight for the direction of the Wise Man's Lake.

To be fair, it may look like a ghost town, but the cleanliness of the neighborhood is even better than that of the Unseen Hill in front of it.

There were no bonfires or performance artists, not even any similar remains.

In fact, this is one of the reasons why we didn't search the building earlier.

Every action must take into account expected benefits. While a thorough search may not miss anything, it's hard to imagine how much of the time spent on such a search would be worthwhile.

Another reason is that when I was looking out over Wise Man's Lake just now, I seemed to see something interesting—and there really was.

In the blink of an eye, Fu Qian had returned to the same place and stopped somewhere by the lake.

You read that right, it is indeed hemispherical.

The radiance emanating from the Great Mandate King instantly illuminated this mysterious corner, making the scene beneath our feet clear.

It is clearly the same size as the former Wise Man's Lake, and from the outer edge to the center of the lake bottom, it draws an almost perfect arc.

So much so that it resembles a giant cauldron more than a dried-up lake.

Furthermore, while not a single drop of water can be seen, other things have accumulated there.

People, a great many people.

The torso, limbs, and head—Fu Qian was absolutely certain it was a human form—but the entire body was covered in a layer of lifeless gray, piled up in rows.

……

Is the entire Unseen Hill here?

A person's total volume is actually much smaller than it seems.

Given the complete stillness and the fact that the bodies were piled up like utterly lifeless objects, it's possible that the number of people submerged at the bottom of the lake is exaggerated.

It felt as if the entire Unseen Hill had been stewed in a giant pot, then the heat was miscontrolled and it all burned together. So, did we really cross the Gate of Freedom and see the reality of the world?
The name "gray bed" seems to have become more fitting.

At that moment, Fu Qian sighed inwardly and casually canceled the remaining legal decrees.

The light vanished abruptly, and the world instantly returned to darkness.

Snapped!
The next moment, with a spark, a faint ray of light shone from his hand.

It was a lantern with a slightly greenish flame, and its glass cover was also covered in dust.

Although I didn't thoroughly search the Prophet Building, as a low-key person, I still took a few things from room 802.

In such a city, such lighting equipment is a bit too old-fashioned, but when you think of horse-drawn carriages as a means of transportation, such small details don't seem so out of place.

"I'm sorry for borrowing it without your permission."

In the darkness, illuminated by a solitary lamp, Fu Qian naturally gestured to the side.

There's a reason we stopped here.

The only person who didn't go into the pot was leaning against a stone platform nearby.

It was even the only one that wasn't covered in gray.

With messy hair, a large belly, and loose pajamas, he was none other than the prophet Yuan Fang, whom they had been searching for.

Strictly speaking, he should be the former prophet of the Hill of the Unseen, who has long since retired.

……

Although you're sitting on the ground, because of your higher position, you can still completely overlook the entire cauldron.

And Yuan Fang does seem to be doing just that, even in what was originally a completely dark place.

Even though the posture wasn't quite right, one could still sense a deep sense of compassion emanating from it.

"Was this the case when you arrived?"

As for ignoring the arrival of his old friend, Fu Qian didn't mind these trivial matters at all. The next moment, he stood even closer and said, even putting down the lantern.

Unfortunately, there was still no response. Under the dim green light, one could see that on that familiar face, the eyes were no longer visible in their sockets.

Instead, thick, almost tangible ink flowed out, permeating an endless darkness.

……

Profound, the deepest accumulation of human nature.

The scene was slightly unsettling, yet Fu Qian sensed a familiarity within it at that moment.

I've seen this unique color before, when I used the Ash Ring and transformed into the Dark Avatar.

And that was even the reward for the mission I took here last time.

So does this mean that after stepping down, the prophet Yuan Fang actually embraced the profound and mysterious?

By stepping through that door, can we come here and see the truth of the Unseen Hill?
It seems to make some sense, and frankly speaking, for the role he played, it could be described as a sublimation of harmony between man and nature.

After all, judging from the previous situation, although there are many talented people in the Unseen Hill, there is no one who directly grasps the essence of this power.

The only pity is that my old friend seems to have lost the ability to communicate.

Fu Qian was absolutely certain that Yuan Fang was still alive, but seemed completely unresponsive to his arrival—hmm?

As it turns out, one shouldn't rush to judgment; at one point, the prophet's eerie face was actually turning in that direction.

Although he remained stiff and silent, he slowly raised his right hand and gestured to the side.

(End of this chapter)