Who left their last words here?

Chapter 101 "Having witnessed the grand sacrifice, why not pay homage?" (Part 2)

"It's done!"

The moment Bai Zhou unleashed that powerful strike, without even looking at the wall in front of him, he knew he wouldn't fail.

Gasping for breath, sweat beaded on Bai Zhou's weak forehead.

This strike, layer upon layer, with three consecutive cuts, also generated twenty-seven additional bursts of energy, like waves rising one after another, layer upon layer, mysterious and unpredictable.

No wonder it is indestructible, and no wonder it can unleash a 4.5 times amplification of the wielder's normal full strength!
Bai Zhou had never seen or heard of such a secret technique before.

Other secret techniques are all about giving the spiritual energy within the body a space to be released, just like everyone is a water gun, only some have a bigger muzzle and some have a smaller muzzle.

Exaggerated techniques, some people use a showerhead, some just splash water... it's just a matter of different output power.

But this kind of secret technique that multiplies the damage? It's practically cheating!
If a bottle of water is burned like gasoline, the explosive power will be unstoppable.

It's like some crazy person with a Molotov cocktail barged in during the Water Festival...

At this moment, Bai Zhou is completely transformed from when he arrived.

A level 3 peak Destiny [Adventurer] whose main focus is combat.

A 4.5x burst of full power!

The current White Boat should not mention "Van Gogh".

Even if we bring out Anguisola again for a head-on confrontation, we'll only know who's stronger after the fight!
However, in a large and secretive assassin organization like the Art Society, Anguisola is already considered a mid-level pillar, having risen to the ranks of the upper echelons.

Even within the broader context of Tinghai, it is considered a prominent and influential place.

...But if you calculate the time, how long has it been since Bai Zhou left Wancheng?
All in all, it didn't even last a month.

The young man was just starting out in his career, but a fine sword was already provided for him.

Even without the bombing ceremony, he would no longer be that weak fugitive who could be easily manipulated...

Thinking this, Bai Zhou slowly narrowed his eyes, looking thoughtful.

The line between prey and hunter is often very thin!
"Buzz!"

A golden ray of light descended from the sky, enveloping the white boat before quickly disappearing.

But Bai Zhou's fatigue immediately disappeared, and even the spiritual energy within his body was rapidly recovering.

This golden light effect seems somewhat similar to Shirazuki's rudimentary use of "Tears of the Moon Goddess," but the underlying principle remains unknown.

"Settlement begins... 9 hours and 10 minutes have elapsed."

The cold, mechanical voice came again from somewhere.

"Congratulations, Pilgrim, you have passed the elite assessment!"

The voice paused slightly here, seemingly carrying a subtle, almost imperceptible, unease:

"In addition, you broke the test record for the first three forms of the Temple's 'Basic Nine Cuts'."

"Proved his talent."

Talent?
Bai Zhou stood in the center of a cluster of skeletons, holding the object in front of him, and blinked twice.

Actually, that's not necessarily true.

He turned and looked around.

The writhing whispers on the ground seemed to leap with joy, and the scarlet light shone like lost, unknown starlight.

Bai Zhou felt that he was just an insignificant thief who had stolen the starlight and stood on the shoulders of giants to reap the rewards.

If he has any credit to share, it is that he has brought back these fragmented, lost stars from the historical stage—

The new moon was pieced together through patching and mending.

That's it.

"It's all thanks to them."

Bai Zhou spoke softly, as if thanking unseen people.

Then, the cold, mechanical voice rang out again:
"Now, please follow the passage in front of you to the end to collect your reward."

"But remember! Never look back! Never lose your way!"

The moment the words fell.

The broken wall disappeared.

"Rumble..."

The ground seemed to be rising.

A long, winding passageway appeared before the white boat, like a coiled dragon.

It slowly ascends, the deep darkness leading to an unknown end.

award?

Bai Zhou remained outwardly calm, but his heart couldn't help but skip a few beats.

Although he has already gained quite a lot here.

But after all this hard work, isn't this the moment we've been waiting for?
Don't adventure stories all have this kind of plot? Adventurers who pass the test obtain the holy sword or meet the sleeping sage, and either draw the holy sword to become a hero or win the heart of the beauty and live happily ever after with the sage.

...Or perhaps the Holy Sword is inhabited by a sleeping female sage, where one can possess both the sword and the sage.

"call……"

Bai Zhou knew he was about to leave this place that had confined him for so long and set off again.

"thank you all."

Before departing, Bai Zhou bowed in gratitude to all the remaining words and skeletons around him.

"..."

Naturally, no one responded.

The scarlet last words writhed gently, like the red spider lily swaying as it formed its seeds.

Some skeletons gaze at the ceiling with their dark, hollow eyeballs, contemplating life; others sit cross-legged, lean against a wall, lie diagonally, or recline on their side.

Everyone was busy with their own things and had no time to pay attention to Bai Zhou, a passerby.

Then, the white boat set off.

Then the last words stopped swaying.

It was as if all the withered bones and last words were holding their breath, silently watching the white boat's back as he stepped into the deep, dark passageway.

No one knows where this passageway ends; perhaps every step could lead to a miracle or an abyss.

Perhaps at the end lies a vast and mysterious world, where angelic maidens ride on the backs of silver dragons, and golden giants ride warhorses with thunderous roars amidst the breathing mountains.

Regardless of which path Bai Zhou took, he resolutely walked into the depths of darkness.

Regardless of whether it's black or white, every landscape becomes a testament to his "adventure"; and no matter what the story is, as long as you're present, it's hard to stay out of it, and you're destined to become a part of the epic.

—This is the destiny of an adventurer.

Just like how, even though one doesn't know where life leads, the white boat is always on the road to the unknown.

Those who can lie in a secret room to learn the "Nine Basic Slashes" are undoubtedly adventurers.

And so, carrying their hopes for "adventure" and "future," Bai Zhou will not stop.

"Da da……"

As the footsteps faded into the distance, Bai Zhou's figure disappeared into the darkness of the passageway.

The last words seemed to be watching something, until a new wall slowly materialized out of thin air, filling the collapsed void.

A new secret room was formed, completely blocking their view.

Everything returned to its former peaceful state.

Waiting for the newcomers to arrive.

Or perhaps, there will never be another.

……

"Whoa! Whoa!"

As the white boat ventured deeper into the winding passageway, a sapphire embedded in the wall ignited.

Then came the second one, the third one...

The sapphires on both sides of the passageway lit up one after another, winding their way into the depths, as if an entire tribe of fireflies had been awakened by the white boat, holding a silent sacrificial ceremony for him.

The pale blue light illuminated the murals on the wall.

"This is……"

Bai Zhou stared intently at it.

Rich ochre red, fertile earthy yellow, vibrant ultramarine, and bronze emerald green, etc...

The vibrant colors seem to have been created using ancient minerals as pigments, displaying a dazzling and exquisite beauty, though the lines are somewhat rough.

The chaotic brushstrokes vaguely record many stories that seem like epics but are more like myths on the black rock wall.

...At the beginning of the mural, which is also the beginning of the story, the first thing is a blurry and distorted figure descending into the world.

Without the pull of a sun-wheeled chariot or any unusual signs, the deity stood on the earth.

One of them was as large as a majestic mountain range, another wore a robe and moved like a surging wind, another was plump with heavy ears of grain in his hair, and the third was covered in armor with eyes like burning flames.

Those whose form resembles mountains inspire people to do good and bestow life and virtue upon all living beings.

Those who are as swift as the wind bestow magic, truth, wisdom, and covenants.

Those whose hair bears ears of grain will be given abundant wheat fields and encouraged to multiply.

Those who wore full armor taught people how to forge weapons and farm tools to protect their families and homes.

...And so, gradually, the colors of the murals became more complex and vibrant, and the content became increasingly dense and magnificent. City walls were built, calendars were inscribed on animal bones, and sacrificial songs were sung around the campfire.

The deity who completed the guidance and creation gradually no longer occupies the center of the picture.

They hid in the clouds and on the mountaintops, becoming the backdrop for watching the world, returning this thriving world to humanity itself.

Therefore, in the subsequent murals, the figures of "people" became larger and clearer.

The murals began to depict human emotions and development more clearly.

Ultimately, a prosperous, bustling, and thriving world was created by humankind itself...

"Gods, civilization..."

Based on what Bai Zhou had seen of "Leia".

Those gods may have had real-life prototypes, or they may simply be figments of people's imagination and fabrications.

But one thing is certain.

The history of a little-known ancient civilization, its birth and rise, is right here.

Through these murals engraved in the temple's passageways, Bai Zhou learned about some of the civilization's past for the first time.

As he became engrossed in watching, Bai Zhou vaguely heard some singing in his ears.

The singing was ethereal and distant, sacred and solemn, as if it came from a hymn sung in a church of light, drifting and surrounding my ears.

Although the lyrics are incomprehensible, careful listening reveals a touch of sadness in the song, affecting one's emotions and causing inexplicable sorrow.

Where did the singing come from?

Bai Zhou felt a chill run down his spine and looked around.

"Am I hallucinating again?"

Is there a problem with the mural?

On the sea of ​​ignorance, the character 【抚】 was activated immediately.

At the same time, Bai Zhou hurriedly looked away from the mural, not daring to look at it anymore.

But the singing remained unchanged.

It's not a mural!

After careful examination, Bai Zhou finally realized...

A solemn and sacred hymn, carrying a certain calling and sorrow, seems to come from…

—Deep within the temple, at the end of the passageway!

It was as if someone, or some being, was waiting for him there!
Is it the owner of the mechanical voice we heard before?

"..."

After a moment's hesitation, the white boat, having no other choice, could only continue its journey.

The passageway begins at that secret room.

He didn't even know where he was, and there was no way to retreat.

Fortunately, the singing came suddenly and strangely.

But since it was happening in the center of this enclosed temple, and the chanting was so sacred and solemn, it couldn't possibly be coming from some ferocious monster.

Moreover, although singing can easily affect people's emotions, beautiful singing can be even more immersive...

But it is actually surprisingly harmless.

At least, Bai Zhou felt no discomfort whatsoever after hearing it.

It's such a pity that such an ethereal voice could be wasted; if it were in Tinghai City, she would undoubtedly be the number one female singer...

That's what I was thinking deep down.

But Bai Zhou still subconsciously gripped the saber at his waist with one hand and the short stick Leia had given him with the other.

Not only that, he lingered in the passageway for quite a while, pondering many things.

But every road eventually comes to an end.

As the light before him suddenly changed, Bai Zhou emerged from the long, winding, dimly lit passageway.

"Here is..."

The wary Bai Zhou, half-hidden in the passageway, cautiously surveyed his surroundings:

"Where do you collect the rewards?"

What comes into view is a circular plaza.

As time has passed, everything here has fallen into disrepair, but traces of the past can still be seen.

The circular plaza in the center of the temple has an open dome, rather than a closed one.

In the very center was a circular altar, on which all the candles had been extinguished.

Behind the massive altar were several statues of deities that Bai Zhou had seen in the murals before, with features identical to those in the murals.

The largest of the three, standing in the center, was a deity in a robe, holding a book, moving like a swift wind.

Bai Zhou speculated that, within the beliefs of this civilization, it might symbolize "truth," "magic," and "contract."

"Om..."

The sacred chants surrounding us reached their highest climax at this moment.

But Bai Zhou did not see any creature or object that made the sound.

For some inexplicable reason, Shirashu felt a sticky, viscous feeling of being watched.

"What is that...?"

With some doubt and caution, following the grand hymn to find its source, the white boat slowly raised its head and looked up at the sky.

Then, he immediately felt a shiver run through his body.

Bai Zhou saw it...

At the edge of the overhead courtyard

He saw a hand.

A huge, bony, withered hand clung tightly to the edge of the ceiling at the top of the temple.

The five fingers, like twisted vines, are deeply entwined around the edge of the building's walls.

Following the withered hand backward, one can vaguely see a huge, dry arm, like a dead ancient tree.

But, in the next instant—

Right next to that arm, an eye suddenly popped out.

Calling them eyes is an understatement; they resemble a pale moon rising from a dark swamp, its sclera bloodshot and its pupils darting about in a sickly manner.

He met Bai Zhou's gaze.

peep……

Or rather, it clung to the top of the temple, spying on the white boat!

As if to say:

"I see you!"

And the ethereal, beautiful hymn I heard before—

It was clearly coming from the mouth of this enormous monster!

The open ceiling above the giant's head became a trumpet in the giant's mouth, allowing its song to echo throughout the entire temple!

"..."

In that instant, Bai Zhou felt ice-cold all over, as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and was even unable to move under some kind of terrifying pressure.

With just one glance, Bai Zhou's rationality began to crumble madly. Countless chaotic and useless pieces of information rained down on his brain, making it impossible for him to think.

Once upon a time, Bai Zhou stood on the shattered wasteland, gazing up at this colossal city suspended in the sky, wondering if Sleeping Beauty might be inside.

But now, Bai Zhou knows.

There is no Sleeping Beauty here, but there is a giant "Siren".

It's that monster in fairy tales that lures sailors with songs and then opens its blood-red maw to devour them all!

—On this day, Bai Zhou recalled the fear of being dominated by sea monsters when he read stories about sea monsters in his childhood.

"How to do?"

"what do I do!"

His muscles roared, and the ripples from the word "抚" swept through his entire body.

While Bai Zhou briefly regained consciousness, he tried his best to regain his freedom of movement.

then--

The familiar, cold, mechanical voice rang out again, echoing throughout the entire circular plaza.

The moment it sounded, Bai Zhou inexplicably regained his mobility and felt completely relaxed.

Whether it was a misperception or not, Bai Zhou felt that the mechanical voice carried a solemn and dignified quality, like chanting, yet it also seemed to carry a hint of doubt towards Bai Zhou.

it says:

"Now that the grand sacrifice has been witnessed—"

"Why not?"

(End of this chapter)