He wasn’t hurt at all. This matter confused Ovid, as he couldn’t understand the reason behind it; even if Tanin’s mana had strengthened his body now that he was a half-saint, it shouldn’t have strengthened it to such a shocking extent, the power behind that gold nib was enough to wound a bishop but to mention the sword.
This question probably could only be answered by an experienced saint or an immortal. Soon, he reorganising the paper covering the room and make it near identical to how it had been before he attacked himself with the sword.
Leaving the room, he walked down the quiet hallway. Knocking twice on Li Zhan’s door, he entered after hearing a faint ‘hmm’.
A ‘hmm’ could signify many things, it could express interest, satisfaction, dissatisfaction, and countless other things. Li Zhan was the daughter of an emperor, so she was quite used to using a ‘hmm’ to respond to anything.
Li Zhan used her preception and sensed the sudden changes in Ovid’s body. Contrary to what one expects, she did not burst out with pride, thinking that ‘my disciple-in-law has become the world’s youngest saint’, rather, her expression turned extremely severe, countless times more so than when Anna had crossed the boundary into deaconhood.
Ovid noticed this, after some silence, he asked, “Li Zhan, is there something wrong with me?”
Li Zhan did not directly answer the question. She took out the deck of cards on her belt and stroke it in an attempt to calm down.
“One hundred years ago, I had just been born. My father, at that time the crown prince heard that a foreign sage had the empire, and invited the man. After talking to my father for a while, he left me a wooden sword.”
Li Zhan looked at Ovid and said, “And just then when I used my preception on you, the wooden sword trembled a little.”
Ovid’s expression did not change, but deep down, his admiration for Li Zhan grew. To be able to connect an offhanded gift from one hundred thousand years ago to his current state requires an insurmountably high level of memory and comprehension.
Li Zhan had obviously guess who was trapped in Gael’s tomb. His ideology back then was something universally rejected. She said gently, “I am still your master’s wife first. While I had seen many people over the years, I value relationships first. There’s no reason why I would shun you because you inherited some of Glafx’s techniques.”
“However, Ovid, you must remember that there are things in the universe that cannot be probed. Even after ascension, you cannot understand the heavens, only exist outside of it as an observer. Although some of the world’s rule doesn’t apply to you, you are at the end bound by this world, and mustn’t poke it. If you touched them, I advise you to forget them.”
Ovid knows that Li Zhan meant well and that she was persuading him to avoid going down the path of understanding the universe. Many years ago, Glafx had attempted to understand the relationship between saints and man, becoming insane in the process.
Compared to what Glafx had done, Ovid’s intentions of understanding the fabric of the world was grander, more ambitious, and countless times more dangerous. However, he does not have the intentions to stop, even if the world goes against him.
Li Zhan lowered her head, knowing she hadn’t convinced Ovid. She said, “Sage Glafx is a legendary figure, tell me about him.”
Ovid partly understood that Li Zhan had also guessed that he was from another realm, though he didn’t understand how. After some hesitation, he began to tell her the strange encounters he had in Gael’s tomb.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
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Li Zhan’s room was decorated with sandalwood furniture. They gave off a light scent that stubbornly wafts from Li Zhan to Ovid. At some point, Li Zhan had lit an incense, giving the room and solemn feeling.
After listening to Ovid’s tale, she closed her eyes and swiftly process its contents.
She tapped her finger on the armrest of her chair, giving off a mysterious and imposing air. It seemed like a miniature army training in strict forms, refusing to make a single mistake.
“The old guy had a lot of time to think, so it’s not too surprising that he came up with this sort of technique - if you can even call that. It’s a shame that it could only occur in an extremely rare circumstance, or else I would have an army of half-immortals.”
A half-smile appeared on Li Zhan’s pretty face. She looked at the cards on the table calmly and said calmly, “Your current state is a misfortune, and that’s what the sage referred to as a curse. Now that your body is constantly drawing mana, it wouldn’t be too difficult for someone to know that you are an outsider to this world.”
She gazed into Ovid’s eyes and said, “Your appearance here is not arbitrary, it has a purpose. The star that you are linked to is also not arbitrary - it’s too perfect. Your talent is too perfect and your temperament is likewise too perfect. The location you appeared after entering the world just happens to be outside Juliana, far enough for your presence to be undetected by Julia, but close enough for you to meet Anna.”
Li Zhan smiled and said, “I don’t know why you were sent here. People always fear what they don’t understand, and some of them may suspect the reasoning behind is not good. If you know why you came here, please tell me.”
Ovid was rather absent-minded at this moment, feeling a combination of unease, frustration and an unwillingness to answer. In the end, he shook his head.
However, Li Zhan continued to glance into his eyes, her voice continuing.
“That’s expected, the architect of this plan only needs you to be present in this world to enact it. Even with Glafx’s technique, you should not have advanced to half-saint so quickly. He was considered a genius in his days, yet it still took him three years to become a sage…”
“...But you took only a day.”
Li Zhan did not say those last words, but it was clear this sentence appeared in her mind.
Li Zhan shook her head and continued, “Those on the path to immortality seek order in all things. When Anna became a deacon, flowers and other plants started to grow in her world. Yet not even the most insignificant weed could be found in yours. I’m not too certain, but your current body is more similar to those one hundred thousand years ago than today.”
Li Zhan paused for a moment and drank a cup of tea to wet her lips. She said, “Your previous body shouldn’t be able to manipulate mana, but your current one is exceptionally talented. Yet a person is a blend of their soul and body, your current body could not be nourished by your soul, so your field lay empty. That’s why only through Glafx’s technique could you manipulate mana.”
Ovid felt something was wrong.
“Li Zhan, my preception and possibly to manipulate mana was destroyed when I killed Glafx, how could I use his technique in the first place?”
Li Zhan answered, “Glafx had originally been a doctor, after being a sage, his medical skills subsequently increase.”
Ovid shook his head and said, “Even then, it doesn’t make sense it can be so extraordinary.”
Li Zhan answered, “The biggest contributor is that his ideology is intertwined with the technique. With his skill, as long as you have an ample supply of spiritual essence, even the most ordinary sort of person can become a sage with enough time. You have that star on you, of course, you wouldn’t run into any problems.”
Ovid was momentarily shocked.
The presence of Tanin is something only known by him and Cai Hua. Not even Julia was aware of it.
He did not expect Li Zhan to see through it so easily and then said aloud so casually.
Li Zhan felt Ovid’s shock expression a little amusing. She continued, “Probably, the architect who sent you here didn’t realise you would encounter this sort of problem… but if he or she did, and knew a secret that no one else in this world knew, that person would be truly frightening, not even the world’s representatives are aware of these things.”
Ovid raised his head and asked, “What are the world representatives.”
Li Zhan stood up and walked to the window. Glaring at the sky, she said, “The world is not sentient, but it has representatives to act out its will. Their identity is extremely mysterious, to the degree that even my father doesn’t know. When Alexander had been ascending to godhood, one of these representatives had received him to the celestials. They’re all ancient beings, but not all ancient beings are world representatives - take the owner (receptionist, changed the name) for example, if she had been ones of these representatives, you would not be standing here.”
Ovid recalled that Glafx had said the world does not permit his existence. His face turning white, he lowered his head and listened carefully.
Li Zhan didn’t give Ovid any time to speculate, saying straightaway, “One of the representative’s role is to prevent outsiders from coming in. Logically speaking, you shouldn’t even have even entered this world.”
Li Zhan twisted her body to look at Ovid once more, she said, “Just who are you? You don’t need to answer this question, but I advise you to think about it very carefully.”
Ovid lowered his head. For a very long time, he did not speak.