"Only the two of them?"
The Bronze Ancient King sat cross-legged in the hall. Fine motes of starlight dust drifted from his bronze-like shell, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"Yes." Chu Lingyuan’s expression was grave. He took two steps forward and continued, "Not only that, but according to Qin Yun, the Prison King is likely in a coma."
Hearing this, the light in the Bronze Ancient King’s eyes grew sharper. "In a coma?"
"Meaning, the only one who currently knows what truly happened inside the Lost Flame is Qin Yun?"
"It seems so for now." Chu Lingyuan sighed. The moment he received the news, he knew things had taken a turn for the worse.
There were seven Morning Star Tiers in total—one from each Sect and two from the Royal Court. Now, only two have returned. The other five all died inside.
Both the Sects and the Royal Court will surely want to find out what happened.
With the Prison King in a coma, Qin Yun is the only conscious one. He has now become the center of everyone’s attention.
A bronze-green light flickered in the Bronze Ancient King’s pupils. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Are you certain the other five are truly dead?"
"That’s what Qin Yun said." Chu Lingyuan wasn’t certain either.
When a Morning Star Tier dies, their corresponding Spiritual aspect will have a certain reaction. If they had died long ago, the other Sects should have sensed it.
But the Lost Flame is treacherous and unpredictable. It’s possible it may have blocked such a connection.
But whether they died or are trapped inside, Qin Yun, having come out, is guaranteed to become the focus.
And then there were the secrets of the Lost Flame. Had Qin Yun managed to return alive because he had mastered some secret?
Putting himself in their shoes, Chu Lingyuan knew that if one of the other Sects’ Morning Star Tiers had emerged instead of Qin Yun, he too would want to find out what happened.
"This is troublesome," the Bronze Ancient King sighed softly.
"Indeed." Chu Lingyuan felt helpless. Although the Sects were allied, that was only due to the pressure from the Royal Court. They didn’t truly share everything with one another.
If the other Sects’ Morning Star Tiers were truly dead, the situation would change instantly.
"Has Qin Yun said anything?"
Chu Lingyuan shook his head. "He hasn’t said a thing. He only expressed his wish to return as soon as possible."
The Bronze Ancient King pondered for a moment. "How many people know about his appearance?"
"Quite a few, I’d imagine. He appeared abruptly near the Xichuan Central Hub, and his arrival, along with the Prison King’s body, triggered an Energy tide."
"The Royal Court’s people have already taken the Prison King’s body." Chu Lingyuan’s expression was grim. "Under these circumstances, we can’t even try to cover it up."
The Bronze Ancient King nodded. "Lingyuan, go yourself and bring Qin Yun back."
"Bring him back unharmed," the Ancient King stressed.
Chu Lingyuan sighed inwardly and said solemnly, "I understand."
The consequences could be dealt with later. For now, bringing Qin Yun back was the priority.
’Actually, the best outcome would have been if something had happened to Qin Yun as well—if he’d died in there, or gotten trapped and couldn’t get out.’
’If the Prison King had been the only one to emerge, things would be much simpler. The Five Great Sects would have undoubtedly united to demand an answer from the Royal Court.’
’But now, with Qin Yun also back, he not only indirectly shields the Royal Court from the fallout but could also cause other complications.’
After agreeing, Chu Lingyuan didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he asked tentatively, "Master, what was that anomaly with the Ancient King Stele just now?"
His words were tinged with worry.
"It was nothing. Pay it no mind." The Bronze Ancient King shook his head. He knew what Chu Lingyuan was worried about, but this was the only answer he could give.
"And the Flame Fire..." Chu Lingyuan pressed.
The Bronze Ancient King said with a sense of loss, "Ever since it was corrupted by the Fog Ashes years ago, and after Luo Ting and Lin Feng sacrificed themselves to merge with the fire, we barely managed to reawaken it. But the influence of the Fog Ashes is still spreading."
Chu Lingyuan’s heart tightened. He said in a low voice, "If it continues to worsen to the point where it can no longer be suppressed, please inform me, Master."
The Bronze Ancient King sighed softly. "The Fog Ashes are a coagulation of Nether Fog mixed with the Deceitful God’s Power. Their purpose is to ’bring down the fire.’ Once it takes hold, it’s like a plague clinging to the bone—impossible to peel away. Even if you alleviate it temporarily, you can never eradicate it."
"These Fog Ashes are strong in the Spiritual sense, not in sheer power. Could Su Chen be of any use?"
Chu Lingyuan asked suddenly. The Fog Ashes were, in essence, a form of corruption. They manifested differently depending on the target and could even cause a Morning Star Tier’s Spiritual nature to degenerate.
When Su Chen first arrived, both he and Qin Yun had the same idea: someone who could withstand the corruption of the Deceitful God’s Power might be able to help solve the problem with the Flame Fire.
However, the Ancient King had made no move since his arrival, so Chu Lingyuan had put the matter out of his mind.
But now, with a storm brewing and the crisis of the Flame Fire tying the Ancient King to this place, the Sect would likely have a hard time holding its ground if Qin Yun’s situation caused any major upheaval.
"Su Chen..." the Bronze Ancient King mused, then shook his head. "His Tier is still a bit too low. Let’s wait until he reaches Tier Six, then we can let him try."
Seeing that his Master had his own plans, Chu Lingyuan said no more. He bowed, then left the Ancient King Hall.
* * *
On the Floating Island, inside a dining hall, Su Chen stared at the various dishes on the table and began to eat with great relish.
Halfway through his meal, he casually picked up a bottle of wine from the table, poured the purplish-red liquid into his cup, and downed it in one go. Su Chen couldn’t help but sigh in admiration:
’It really is good to have a high status. Even after causing such a huge commotion, no one has come to bother me.’
He had expected that after the incidents with the Ancient King Stele and the pillar of light, countless people would show up to interrupt him with questions. But until now, not a single person had come to the island.
Then again, it made sense. He was a Star Seed, after all, and practically a half-apprentice to the Ancient King. It was only natural for there to be something unusual about him.