That night, the Twin Iris Totem spun frantically within Erin de Merovingian’s pupils. Under the searing burn of the Runes, the parts of her body that had turned to metal briefly reverted to flesh and blood.
She grabbed the Astrological Compass from the table, its needle jumping erratically between seven coordinates, among them the Louvre Museum, Aachen Cathedral, and the Istanbul Basilica Cistern.
As the third crescent moon ascended to the top of the stained-glass window, Erin let out a muffled groan and collapsed to the floor. Trembling, she retrieved a Bronze Ring inlaid with Obsidian from a hidden compartment in the altar—it was the Abandoned King’s Seal Ring, worn by the first Merovingian Grand Duke at his coronation.
’So that’s how it is...’ She pressed the ring onto the burning scroll, and the Inscription on its inner band resonated with the fiery script. "To break the backlash, I have to use the crowns of seven deposed dynasties to counteract the dethronement curse within the Vibranium Inscription."
"The time limit is one year. I must gather all seven crowns within six months, otherwise the Runes will devour my flesh, and I’ll permanently become a metal sculpture. Each one I obtain buys me an extra month. If I collect all seven, the curse can be completely broken," Erin de Merovingian said to Li Xiang at the dining table.
And she already had the first one: the Merovingian Iris Gold Crown, which Li Xiang had given her.
The crown had originally been hidden in an underground altar at the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, but for various reasons, it was later moved to the Louvre Museum. When Erin went to scout the location after hearing this news, she had her "fateful encounter" with Li Xiang.
It was a matter of coincidence and fate. If she had gone a day earlier, she would have missed him. A day later, and well... Li Xiang would have already plundered every artifact, and she probably would have spent the rest of her life searching for it in vain before finally kicking the bucket.
Erin’s slender, pale fingertips tapped gently on a silver-plated candlestick. The click and clatter of the surrounding Alchemy Puppets’ gears echoed beneath the vaulted ceiling. Her cobalt-blue eyes reflected the dancing Ghost Fire in the crystal chandelier, and liquid metal trickled slowly along the filigree of a dinner knife.
"I must get the other six as soon as possible, my esteemed..." Her voice trailed off, softening, as her fingertips unconsciously caressed the gold-embroidered Iris pattern on her napkin. "Mr. Armor, can you help me?"
Fractured moonlight streamed through the stained glass, drawing a stark line between light and shadow across the side of her face. Her body trembled faintly, terrified that Li Xiang would refuse.
Li Xiang’s knife carved a perfect arc through his medium-well steak, the blade scraping against the bone china plate with a crisp, clear sound. "What’s in it for me?"
Erin said, "I know of many hidden vaults filled with artifacts. Since you’re so interested in such things, I’m sure this information would be very valuable to you."
Seeing that Li Xiang remained unmoved, Erin de Merovingian bit her red lip, hesitating for a moment.
But she quickly made up her mind.
Although she was a Tier Two Transcendent, her current condition was extremely unstable. The slightest agitation would cause her to turn to metal, severely hampering her combat effectiveness. And since the six remaining crowns were all heavily guarded, she didn’t have enough confidence to retrieve them on her own.
Li Xiang was the world’s greatest thief, bar none. If she could get his help, Erin de Merovingian felt her chances of successfully obtaining the other six crowns would increase at least ten thousandfold.
A Star Map made of liquid metal coalesced at her fingertip, and twelve Iris totems flickered in the depths of her pupils. "The Merovingian family holds the ultimate secret of the Merovingian Dynasty’s Holy Blood Alchemy—"
The stunningly beautiful, blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman suddenly tore open her collar. A beating heart of liquid metal glimmered within a vortex of Spiritual Power just below her collarbone. It was small and exquisitely crafted. "Once I have the seven crowns, I can use the Holy Blood Thorn as a catalyst to forge an inexhaustible Alchemy Holy Blood Core for you."
"This core allows one to bypass the barrier to Saint Tier."
The silver dinner knife spinning in Li Xiang’s palm froze mid-air. What she was offering... was a shortcut to reaching Saint Tier.
When he and Luo Feifei had exchanged notes on Cultivation, they had inevitably discussed the bottleneck to Saint Tier. He was confident he wouldn’t face such a bottleneck in this life. In his past life, however, many High-level Transcendent beings were stuck at Tier Eighteen, unable to break through.
In her past life, Luo Feifei’s Cultivation had been high, and she had made many preparations in advance to break through to Saint Tier. She had learned of a secret path called "Holy Body Casting," which originated in the West. It could transform a mortal body into a powerful vessel for energy, allowing one to bypass all obstacles and directly ascend to Saint Tier.
The Alchemy Heart Erin was now showing him perfectly matched what Luo Feifei had once described as "Holy Body Casting."
In other words, with this, there was no bottleneck to reaching Saint Tier.
He and Luo Feifei would have no problem reaching Saint Tier, of course. But Yao Yao, Zhao Xueqing, and Lei Xiaohui might have lesser aptitude, and their ascent might not be as smooth. It could be useful for them.
Even if they didn’t need it, he could use it to reward his most meritorious followers, allowing those who had performed great deeds but couldn’t break through to smoothly step into Saint Tier.
Li Xiang searched his system thoroughly, but it contained no record of this Western Magic Skill, nor did it have any kind of "cheat" that could let someone easily pass into Saint Tier. Perhaps the system figured that its chosen host would never have such a problem to begin with.
’Anyone with that problem simply lacks the talent and isn’t worthy of a system.’
Li Xiang guessed that taking this shortcut would limit one’s future achievements. They might never be able to improve again for the rest of their lives, but that was still better than never reaching Saint Tier at all.
Of course, for an "originator" like Erin de Merovingian, who possessed the so-called "Holy Blood" bloodline, such a limitation probably didn’t exist.
"Ten," Li Xiang said after a moment’s thought.
"..." Erin de Merovingian’s brow furrowed slightly.
"Forget it, then." Li Xiang leaned back in the ornate, high-backed chair, gently swirling the dark red wine in his glass. "I don’t actually need it myself. It’s a gift for others."
’Giving away a core I refined with my own Holy Blood as a catalyst? Like it’s some party favor?’ Erin looked ready to explode, but she ultimately suppressed her anger, a sense of deep grievance welling up inside her.
Her pearly teeth, which had been biting her lower lip, gleamed in the candlelight. When she finally let go, she left a faint mark on her lip. Elegantly, she extended her hand. "To our partnership."
"To our partnership." Li Xiang shook her hand. ’Have to admit,’ he thought, ’it’s silky smooth.’
"Esteemed Mr. Armored Warrior, now that we’re partners, may I know your real name?" Erin sat back down and blinked slowly. Her light-gold eyelashes were thick and long, curling naturally at the tips, and her cobalt-blue eyes were filled with an exotic charm.
"Li Xiang. But that name might be a bit of a mouthful for you."
Sure enough, Erin gave it a try. Her tongue was usually quite nimble, but it seemed clumsy when trying to form the Eastern sounds. "Lee Sean..."
"Just curious, is that heart of yours an implant?" Li Xiang couldn’t resist another glance at the spot below her collarbone.
"Mr. Armored Warrior, are you saying you want to see my original heart, too?" Erin made a show of unfastening her collar but stopped midway. A look of playful reproach flashed in her eyes, which rippled like the spring waters of the Seine.
Her original heart was located much lower, after all.
Just then, the candle flame sputtered, sending out a spark that cast a shimmering, blood-red light across the Ruby Pendant on her chest.