When he saw her during the day, only the foreign woman’s right calf had turned to metal. But by night, perhaps due to some sort of shock, her "condition" had worsened. All four of her limbs were now metal, and the transformation was slowly spreading toward her torso.
If she turned to metal but remained flexible, she could at worst live as a robot, which wouldn’t be entirely unacceptable. But that wasn’t the case. Once her limbs turned to metal, she couldn’t move them at all, rendering her disabled.
’What in the world is going on with this woman? Her situation looks like the backlash from a failed transformation of an Extraordinary Being.’ Li Xiang had heard in his previous life that some Extraordinary Beings would experience this for unknown reasons.
It was possibly related to their Breathing Technique or some potion they consumed. In his previous life, he had just been a small fry, so he didn’t know much.
In this life, however, his Breathing Technique and Spiritual Medicines all came from the System. And anything produced by the System was guaranteed to be top-tier; it almost never provided garbage Cultivation Techniques or medicines with such side effects.
At that moment, Erin de Merovingian, held in Li Xiang’s arms as they tunneled deep underground, was shocked beyond belief.
She recognized Li Xiang.
No, to be precise, she recognized the mysterious Armored Warrior.
After all, the Mysterious Armored Man was famous worldwide for plundering treasures everywhere. He had even looted the most powerful nation, the Lighthouse Country. She never thought she would actually meet him, let alone be saved by him.
’Seeing him in person is nothing like just hearing about him. This Mysterious Armored Man is actually this powerful? It’s unbelievable! Does he have a spatial storage item? How else could he have taken away so many artifacts?’
’Hiss... He took so many artifacts... Does that mean my ancestor’s crown is also with him?’ A glimmer of hope suddenly sparked within Erin de Merovingian.
Once they reached a desolate forest in the suburbs, Li Xiang emerged from the ground and placed Erin de Merovingian on the ground.
Erin de Merovingian could no longer stand. She struggled to crawl forward a little, her voice as ethereal as the sound of a classical Western Layaqin. "Thank you, Warrior. I will repay you."
"Don’t mention repayment. It was nothing," Li Xiang said nonchalantly with a wave of his hand.
He spoke flawless French. Erin de Merovingian couldn’t detect any accent, which made her wonder, ’Could the Mysterious Armored Man be one of us, a Frenchman? Aren’t the online rumors that he’s Chinese, or maybe Indian?’
Seeing that Li Xiang was about to leave, Erin de Merovingian could no longer worry about her pride. She quickly called out, "Honorable Warrior, could you please return the crown of the Merovingian Dynasty to me? It’s my ancestor’s relic, and I need it urgently. Otherwise, in twenty minutes at most, my entire body will turn to metal, and the process will be irreversible."
HISS. Li Xiang sucked in a sharp breath and stopped in his tracks. He turned, walked back to Erin de Merovingian, and crouched down to examine the foreign woman, his curiosity burning fiercely.
"Alright," Li Xiang nodded.
"Thank you." Erin de Merovingian was instantly overjoyed. ’It’s that easy?’ Li Xiang had already saved her life; she shouldn’t have made such an outrageous request. But she had no choice. It was the only thing that could save her.
However, Li Xiang’s tone suddenly shifted. "But you have to agree to one condition."
"What condition?" Erin de Merovingian suddenly grew nervous. ’Does this Armored Warrior see how beautiful I am and want my body? He may be one of the most exceptional men in the world, but I’ve never seen his face. What if he’s ugly... and I’m still a virgin.’
After all, Li Xiang was crouching beside her, looking her beautiful figure up and down.
’Oh, well. If that’s really his condition, I’ll just agree. If he’s not my type, we can just turn off the lights. If he insists on leaving the lights on and wants to try all sorts of kinky things, I’ll just close my eyes, or maybe blindfold myself with a piece of black cloth.’
"I can give you the crown, but you have to tell me how you stepped into the Extraordinary Realm," Li Xiang said.
"Huh?" Erin de Merovingian was stunned. ’That’s it? He’s not after my beauty?’
Her beauty was renowned throughout France, surpassing even that of supermodels. Many nobles and tycoons had made advances toward her, but she had rejected them all.
With her power as a Tier Two Transcendent, those nobles and tycoons couldn’t take her by force either.
’And Li Xiang... was only asking about something like that?’
’Well, the story of how I became an Extraordinary Being is a secret, but it’s nothing compared to my life.’
"Alright, I promise! Now give me the crown, quickly! I can’t hold on much longer," Erin de Merovingian said hastily, panting for breath as her ample chest rose and fell dramatically.
"Let me look for it," Li Xiang said.
"Faster! Please!" Erin de Merovingian was dying of anxiety. ’Please don’t tell me he can’t find it! I only have a dozen minutes or so left. There were tens of thousands of artifacts in the Louvre Museum. If he can’t find it soon, I’m really going to turn into a metal sculpture!’
Seeing how unhurried and composed Li Xiang was, Erin de Merovingian wanted to urge him again but didn’t dare. She forced herself to hold back, but the anxiety in her heart made her feel like an ant on a hot pan.
’What time does he think it is? How can he be so leisurely? I don’t need a graceful gentleman right now, I need a frenzied warrior! Faster, faster, faster!’
"Don’t rush me. Here it is, isn’t it?" With a flip of his hand, an ancient crown appeared in Li Xiang’s palm.