Chapter 2003: Chapter 22: Flame Reincarnation
"Flame Reincarnation?"
Ian perceived the myriad information flowing within the Aether of the Ashen King. For an ordinary Sublimator, it would be impossible to discern comprehensible patterns from an opponentâs Aether.
But he was a Prophet and also the founder of the Arcane Pathway. With the blessing of the Heart of Terra, his computational abilities had reached an incredible level, allowing him to directly penetrate the flow of Aether and "see" its essence beyond space-time.
Moreover, the Ashen King himself was burning his heart and soul intensely, allowing Ian to directly read his most fervent desires from his fists, his light, and his flames and ashes.
Besides battling against himself, the Ashen Kingâs true plan in the past was "Flame Reincarnation."
And this reincarnation...
Is still related to him?
The azure radiance flickered, and the Foresight View traversed the reversed space-time, seeing everything.
[So, youâre being persecuted by The Empire and had to flee to Fiery Flame Land? Kid, Iâve indeed heard of the name Chehalorvo, and knowing youâre quite a formidable Spirit Energy User, I agreed to see you, but donât take me for some easy-to-fool old man from your rural hometown.]
[Hmm, your innate talent is quite impressive, and youâre exceptionally smart... The Empire shouldnât be foolish enough to take a genius like you as a spy. Itâs a pity I donât have a daughter of suitable age; otherwise, taking you in wouldnât be a loss...]
[Tsk... This kidâs talent is unparalleled, with a terrifying learning ability. This one is too extraordinary to keep within the pool of Fiery Flame Land!]
[What? âDespite wandering half a life, I regret not meeting a wise master. If the King does not abandon me, I am willing to be adopted as a godsonâ? How can this be! Get up, my dear!]
This was a tributary... A tributary originating from Harrison Port and flowing toward Fiery Flame Land.
[Youâre actually a Prophet?! And you waited until after becoming Crown Prince to tell me youâre a Prophet?! Iâve told you a hundred times, in Fiery Flame Land we embrace talent regardless of its form, as long as youâre willing to accept my Bloodline and acknowledge me as a godfather, youâd be a member of Abassalom. Yet you hid this from me?!]
[What do I mean? I mean, if I had known you were a Prophet earlier, you wouldnât have needed to compete with my foolish descendants. Youâd have been the Crown Prince already, do you understand?]
[Sigh. Calm down. Ian Abassalom, tell me, what else are you hiding?]
[Damn, youâre the disciple of the First Knight?!]
If not for the Foresight View, Ian couldnât have imagined that, in ordinary life, the Ashen King was such a hot-tempered and straightforward old manâwhether viewed from the perspective of the Imperial People or the People of Fiery Flame Land.
It was something only those who became an offspring of the Ashen King, those who became the object of his appreciation, could learn about the true nature hidden behind the dreary and solemn exterior... Just like ash, seemingly gray and cold on the outside, but unless touched, who could know its inner searing heat?
"What exactly is Flame Reincarnation?"
In the heat of battle, Ian inquired of the "real Ashen King," throwing a punch accelerated layer by layer by magnetism, like firing a Hyper Electromagnetic Cannon, and his will surged forth along with the frenzied torrent of magnetism.
[A method to continue the existence of Humans after the worldâs destruction.]
Faced with Ianâs powerful punch, the Ashen King retracted his hands, tilted them upwards, letting the heavy blow pass over his head. Simultaneously, a vortex-like flame twined with Ianâs punch crept onto it, attaching like a malignant growth, attempting to penetrate Ianâs defenses, bypassing the multiple shields of The Unyielding Fortress: Pioneer of Iron.
The two of them could no longer speak nor hear each otherâs voices; their communication relied on the intertwined attacks of fist against fist, force against force, and the "Aether resonance" erupted in that instant.
Even at the Fifth Energy Level, itâs impossible to converse using Aether resonance amidst combat; the previous dialogue was already pushing the limits.
But Ian was differentâhe had the Foresight View. The increasingly mighty Foresight View had already enabled him, through this "cause and effect," to directly pierce through to the "possible futures" of parallel space-time!
And in parallel space-time, as his offspring, Ian could even directly listen to the otherâs recount of the truth behind "Flame Reincarnation."
This was something even Arcane Ian, no matter how powerful, could not accomplish!
[Donât believe the world will end? Hah, optimistic kid, youâre harboring a notion that most in this world would have, but let me truthfully tell you, all things in this world, whether itâs you and me or the heavens and stars, will eventually turn to ash.]
[Anyone at the Fifth Energy Level is actually aware that the end is near. Heavenfall may not come again, but in the depths of this earth, there exists a Dark Sea capable of destroying all.]
[And in the heavens, hasnât the old man from the Hall of Ten Thousand Spirits recently predicted a Calamity of Light? No one finds it strange, because deep in our hearts, we have that vague premonition, a prediction of destruction returning.]
[Even if the calamities of heaven and earth fail to destroy us, wonât we ultimately destroy ourselves? The glowing bird in the east grows more restless, and we are the same. Inheritances passed down generation after generation, relentless struggles, and that inexplicable urgency compel us forward.]
[We wish to change the world too, but other Fifth Energy Levels block our path. This anxiety will ultimately lead us to the final showdown, that doomsdayâthat will truly be the man-made disaster capable of utterly annihilating us Humans.]