Hao Yun was at a loss for words upon hearing this, his mouth gaping wide in extreme embarrassment at his earlier rash remarks. He hadn't imagined that the palace guards not only didn't defect to the Mastanians' rule but also sacrificed their lives and honor to ensure that other Everlasting Star people trapped on the Eternal Star wouldn't fall victim to Mastanian slaughter. In doing so, they hoped to maintain a slim chance for the Everlasting Star people to counterattack the Mastanians.
After apologizing to King Earl for his disrespectful words, Hao Yun continued, "Do General Iron Blade and the others know about this?"
"Of course they do. How else could they have smoothly escaped from the Palace of Eternal Stars in what appeared to be a desperate battle? It was our guards who valiantly charged forward to block the true enemies from intercepting General Iron Blade and the others, ultimately aiding their successful escape under seemingly dire circumstances," explained King Earl.
"So rest assured, Lord Hao, while these guards appear to be monitoring our every move from the outside, they are actually watching the movements of our other enemies who walk among us. If any of these real enemies attempt to act against us, the guards will notify us in advance and delay them just enough from the outside to allow us to escape suspicion," added Iron Pillar.
"But I still don't understand how the Mastanians can allow a guard composed solely of normal Everlasting Star people to protect such an important figure like you. Doesn't that seem too bold on their part?" Hao Yun asked, puzzled.
"In any case, I am now a trapped fish in a jar. The Mastanians only need to block the periphery and certain key positions. Even if I sprouted wings, it would be difficult to escape from here. Therefore, in this situation, it doesn't matter much to them to show respect for my dignity as the king," King Earl replied, admiring the massive mural on the wall and adding a touch of pride to his tone.
"Furthermore, my own situation is cause for concern among the Mastanians. Because, for me, the most direct monitor is myself," King Earl paused, pointing to his own face, which, though now restored with some color, was still composed of dried-up muscle tissue like grass.
"That's right. Once you are completely transformed into a Mastanian puppet, you should belong to their kind. No, wait! If you have already become a Mastanian puppet, shouldn't there still be an entire Mastanian residing within you?" Hao Yun responded to King Earl, suddenly realizing this point. He quickly distanced himself from King Earl and raised his dagger into a defensive stance. At the same time, he cursed himself for being too careless and forgetting the crucial fact that Mastanians could merge with puppets and control them!
"Hey there, Lord Hao, don't worry! Normally, after I was infected with the Mastanian toxin and transformed into a puppet, I would have become a dried corpse. Only when a Mastanian takes up residence in my body can they control my movements again. However, my situation is quite different from other puppets. In fact, once the Mastanians transformed me into a puppet, their task was complete," King Earl quickly explained, raising both hands to show that he had no intention of attacking Hao Yun.
"What do you mean by that?" Hao Yun asked cautiously.
"Because the one who desires to possess my flesh isn't a Mastanian, but rather the wielder of the Mold Spirit Energy—the Destroyer, Black Gate," King Earl replied calmly.
"Oh! Your Majesty, can we skip the roundabout talk? I understand that the Destroyer is a fusion of Mold Spirit Energy and wouldn't let someone of your stature become a mere Mastanian vessel. So let's speak plainly! What has the Destroyer done wrong?" Hao Yun said impatiently.
Seeing this, King Earl hurriedly said, "Lord Hao, please don't be hasty. I hope to explain our situation in detail to you."
At the same time, King Earl closed his eyes and began reciting a strange incantation, feeling his way across the mural with his hands. As King Earl's brow gradually relaxed, small points of white light appeared on the mural. These lights swiftly converged to form the shape of a deer's antlers on the massive mural. Then, the lights dispersed rapidly, forming a film of light across the entire wall covered with the mural. Finally, as the light film completely disappeared into the high wall, the entire wall began to vibrate.
Accompanied by a series of clattering sounds, the vibrating wall automatically pushed backward, splitting apart from the center to both sides. It was then that Hao Yun realized that the towering wall was a massive hidden door. The mural on the high wall was specifically drawn to conceal a charm that could open this hidden door.
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"Those Mastanians are neither masters of charms nor do they have much culture, let alone artistic appreciation. Therefore, by simply drawing a mural, we can effectively hide this hidden door. It's just that my painting skills are very limited, coupled with the rushed time, so I could only produce work of this caliber. Please forgive me for my shortcomings," Iron Pillar explained.
As the massive hidden door opened, a cold, damp demonic wind immediately rushed out, carrying a musty odor that caused the temperature in the entire hall to drop by more than ten degrees in an instant. After wreaking havoc in the hall with its icy demon wind, the cold breeze quickly dissipated. However, the temperature in the entire room had already dropped to the point where even breathing produced mist. Fortunately, the white light emitted from the dagger had spread at this moment into the interior of the secret room behind the high wall, igniting each of the wall fires wherever the light went, finally allowing Hao Yun and the other three to experience a little warmth once again.
Hao Yun followed King Erl into the secret room and discovered it was very spacious, with rows of stone columns adding to its mystery. There were rectangular wooden storage boxes stacked inside, making it more like a large freezer than a refuge.
Occasionally, a slight odor of decay emanated from the boxes, making the air less pleasant. However, Hao Yun didn't dwell on it, knowing the low temperature was ideal for storage but not a real freezer, so some spoilage was normal.
"Lord Hao, please sit here. We can light a fire to keep you warm," said Tie Zhu respectfully, lighting a fireplace in the corner with a candlestick dagger. As King Erl and Hao Yun settled near the fireplace, the doors automatically closed, concealing them within the walls of the hall.
"Ah, I never expected this place to be a public restaurant on the surface but secretly a base for royal family members!" Hao Yun exclaimed, taking a sip of wine handed to him by Tie Zhu.
King Erl chuckled, "Haha! Indeed, the environment here is quite humble. Please forgive us. Nevertheless, it's a safe place for us to converse without fear of enemies. However, our time is limited. I must provide you with as much information as possible before the Mastanians notice and my mental fatigue sets in."
As King Erl finished speaking, Tie Zhu turned an hourglass on the table, reminding them of the time constraint. "Your Majesty, the hourglass has been reset. Both you and Lord Hao must leave before time runs out," Tie Zhu cautioned.
King Erl nodded and turned to Hao Yun, "Let us begin. First, let me explain my current situation. Although Her Majesty and the Destroyer have signed a temporary ceasefire agreement, the Mastanians continue to drive the Eternal Longing people off Eternal Star while massacring those who resist. To prevent indiscriminate slaughter and ensure more citizens can escape, I proposed sacrificing myself in exchange for their safety."
"The Destroyer eagerly accepted my proposal. He has long been dissatisfied with his original fusion body and has sought a more satisfactory puppet. Thus, when he led the Mastanians in an invasion of Eternal Star and repeatedly failed, we Eternal Longing people became both his targets and a source of admiration. During the reign of my father, who defied the Mastanians time and again, the Destroyer boasted that he would conquer Eternal Star and use my father's body for his purposes."
King Erl touched his dry, grassy face and continued with a bitter recollection, "When the Destroyer pierced my heart with his slender fingers, I felt no pain. At the moment my heart was pierced, I felt a cold liquid flow into it, instantly weakening my body and causing extreme fatigue. I wanted nothing more than to close my eyes and sleep."
King Erl also brushed aside his long beard and lightly tapped the blood hole the size of a ballpoint pen on his chest. Hao Yun then noticed that the armor King Erl had struck on his chest was still partially punctured.
"After fainting, I had a strange dream. I dreamed of an evil black mist rushing towards me, ready to engulf me. Just as it was about to engulf me, a bright light suddenly appeared behind me. Well, it wasn't exactly a bright light; it was a powerful force. It was a protective force that gave me faith and hope. This dazzling power forcibly suppressed the attack of the black mist and confronted it. After that, I gradually regained consciousness in a chaotic state and found myself lying on the floor of the royal palace. The Destroyer looked at me with a look of confusion, regret, and fear."
"Can you describe in detail the powerful force you felt at that moment? Why do you call it a protective force?" Hao Yun asked.
"Because it was the power given to me by Lady Anatalia. Strictly speaking, Lady Anatalia transferred her power to me. She said that when we merged, part of her power would be lost. This lost power would enter my body and optimize my physique with divine power, allowing me to practice some simple celestial spells and use the dagger there," King Erl said, glancing at the dagger on the table, his face slightly flushed.
"Merge? Do you mean - oh! I understand!" Hao Yun subconsciously followed King Erl's speech and quickly realized what King Erl meant by 'merge.' So he quickly raised his hand to make an "OK" gesture and cast an envious expression at King Erl that only a man could read.
Seeing Hao Yun's puzzled expression, King Erl quickly coughed several times to change the subject, "Cough, cough! Well, uh, later, I learned that the divine power that Lady Anatalia gave me was crucial to resisting Mastanian toxins. As long as I concentrated my spiritual power to drive this divine power, I could resist the Mastanian toxins from further eroding my body."
"Learn? How can you get this information when you are already a prisoner of the Mastanians?" Hao Yun asked with a frown.
"It was the black energy that told me. It was part of the black energy that entered my body with the Mastanian toxins, the same black energy that merged with the Destroyer's black portal." King Erl replied.
"So, the Destroyer separated some of his black energy and injected it into your body?" Hao Yun asked in alarm.