Sorcerer's Handbook-Chapter 596: Shared Crossing

“Tanomoo said so. She’s a prophecy sorcerer,” Raven replied. “She’s always right.”

“Demi-Gods can have their limbs disassembled?” Harvey was clearly more interested in this.

“Probably not now. If anyone could do it, word would have spread,” the Dark Serpent Twins said. “But if it was during the Gray Fox Divine Era… Wait, Circle Cicada’s disciples would never treat Circle Cicada like this. So, the experimenters here don’t worship Circle Cicada? How did Circle Cicada survive without disciples?”

“Faith isn’t limited to devotion,” Igor said. “It seems they wanted Circle Cicada to evolve.”

The Dark Serpent Twins asked, “How else can a Demi-God evolve?”

“Didn’t they say it? Their path to Immortality is to become a wise Demi-God. But conversely, it doesn’t seem entirely implausible.”

Everyone froze. The Dark Serpent Twins frowned in unison. “Are they trying to awaken Circle Cicada’s intelligence?”

“Exactly,” Igor nodded. “But it seems the plan was eventually scrapped. For one, they discovered that the only material capable of enhancing a Demi-God’s intelligence was sorcerers themselves, but even after consuming a few Sanctuaries, there was no noticeable effect. Secondly, the changes in Circle Cicada seemed to deviate significantly from what they had envisioned.”

What changes?

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However, the Con Artist didn’t elaborate further. He sat back in his chair, set down the documents in his hand, and said, “You can take these files back now.”

The Dark Serpent Twins immediately asked, “Are they no longer needed?”

“There’s nothing more to analyze,” Igor slumped over the table, his voice low. “In the end, what does it matter if we uncover the secrets of the Trial? We have no means of influencing the Abyss. Knowing too much only serves to satisfy our curiosity…”

He glanced sideways at Tamashi. “Might as well be like that Raven over there, sitting in meditation and waiting for the results.”

“After days of work, we’ve still come up empty-handed,” Igor tapped the table lightly, his tone soft and weary. “I’m tired. Harvey, let Alice out. I’m going to take a nap in the coffin.” ꭆАɴȪ₿Ɛ𝙎

Harvey frowned at him-that was incredibly rude. Did he think he could just waltz into someone’s coffin whenever he pleased?

But at that moment, the Dark Serpent Twins looked conflicted and couldn’t help but speak up.

“Actually, it’s not entirely…”

“If only…”

Got them.

Igor’s lips slowly curled into a smirk.

Ashe and Vesser stared at the legendary Gray Fox, Mess of the Gears of Time.

Weren’t you supposed to have charged ahead and sacrificed yourself? Why are you still here!?

Yet Mess showed no shame for having pushed others to their deaths. He was fixated on Circle Cicada, muttering to himself, “Could this be the Circle Cicada cult’s plan after all? Or is it the result of it consuming us? But how? A Demi-God wouldn’t…”

Ashe found it strange and couldn’t help but ask Silver Lantern, “What’s the big deal about Circle Cicada casting spells?”

Vesser replied, “Casting spells is the exclusive domain of spirits.”

“And not just any ordinary spirits.”

Skadi’s voice came from behind. The legend seemed to still hold some goodwill toward them. “Circle Cicada instantly heals its injuries by reversing time, returning itself to a state before it was harmed. Those who turned into skeletons had their time accelerated by decades, so they instantly decayed into bones.”

“It’s not about aging or recovery-those are continuous temporal processes, meaningless to time-immune beings like those resistant to Golden Flow Water. Circle Cicada grasps each individual’s ‘fate’ through the river of time and replaces it, which is why it takes effect instantly,” she said, unable to hide her awe and longing. “Capturing decades of fate through time… that’s already the domain of deities…”

“Not necessarily,” Mess suddenly interjected. “When it cast the spell, it consumed a lot of Golden Flow Water. Under normal circumstances, even with the support of a legendary sorcerer’s spellforce, it could probably only adjust fate for ten seconds-unless someone could carry an entire river of Golden Flow Water around.”

“It’s roughly at the level of a Four-winged Spirit, yet it possesses the power of a Five Wings deity,” he said. “Even if Circle Cicada might be an exception, it’s still an unprecedented discovery. If we can make it out alive…”

Just thinking about it, Ashe realized this could be a groundbreaking technological revolution.

Even if it only transforms a Demi-God into a Four-winged Spirit, the ability to consistently obtain Four-winged Spirits would be extraordinary. Moreover, these Four-winged Spirits could be custom-made!

Whatever obsession one has, they could cultivate a corresponding Demi-God, which would naturally evolve into a specific spirit!

Take Circle Cicada, for example-a dual-element spirit of time and fate. A sorcerer couldn’t summon it themselves; they could only stumble upon it by chance in the Virtual Realm. In the Distant Sky Domain, it would involve encountering the relevant affix, then the reward of an affix bubble, and finally drawing it… Every sorcerer who possesses an ultra-rare spirit has likely sunk thousands, if not tens of thousands, of attempts. It might take decades just to encounter one ultra-rare spirit.

Compared to relying on luck, this technology that allows for the customization of rare spirits would drive every legendary figure to madness!

The problem is that this process consumes sorcerers with strong obsessions. But that’s fine-as long as a special environment is created where these sorcerers willingly become Demi-Gods, then…

Ashe paused, suddenly realizing this wasn’t exactly a novel idea.

At that moment, Silver Lantern impatiently tugged at him, and Ashe noticed that the group had moved forward quite a bit. With many people dead, several tributaries of the Golden Flow Water had closed, slowing the current significantly and extending their progress.

“Mess, you despicable scoundrel! You tricked so many into dying earlier, and now you dare to act again!” A legendary figure ahead roared in battle. “We can’t let you stay any longer! Let’s all send him to feed the cicada!”

“You didn’t rush forward earlier because you wanted to see if others would succeed first, didn’t you? I’m just doing the same as you,” Mess said. “There’s no cooperation now. Everyone wants to kill others to slow the flow and make Circle Cicada stop to feed. Whether you or I die, they’d accept it. Why would they help you?”

Ashe glanced back and saw that Circle Cicada was indeed chasing them. Although the golden cicada wasn’t fast, they themselves were moving slowly, and there was a limit to how long they could keep swimming. Without intervention, they would inevitably become the cicada’s buffet.

Soon, Mess won. The legend whose limbs had been broken drifted downstream, his blood a deep blue, likely the result of enhancements from a fantasy creation similar to the Dragon Blood Cultivation System. Circle Cicada, now with a new snack, paused to enjoy its meal.

Ashe and Vesser cautiously stopped further back. When they saw Mess turn to look at them, their hearts tightened, but Mess soon turned away and continued swimming forward with determination.

The river churned, waves splashing everywhere.

Suddenly, Yibaqian, a legend in the front ranks, came to a halt.

Not just a pause-as Mess, Skadi, and others passed him, he didn’t move forward but was instead swept back by the Golden Flow.

Everyone glanced at him and immediately understood what had happened.

It wasn’t the flow or his physical limits. It was his will.

If will is a blade, the sharper it is, the better it can cut through the Golden Flow. But blades dull and rust over time, and once they rust, they’re useless.

Under the endless erosion of the Golden Flow, only the sharpest will can reach the other shore; only the most resilient will can endure to the end.

Perhaps he was tired, or perhaps this was simply his limit. In any case, Yibaqian’s will had rusted. He couldn’t even maintain his sense of self, and the Golden Flow swept away his fighting spirit.

He was doomed.

He seemed to realize this too, turning to look back at the others with a gray, lifeless gaze in his eyes.

“Let’s die together!” Yibaqian growled, letting the Golden Flow wash over him as he completely abandoned his defenses and attacked the Trial Takers behind him with wild ferocity.

But no one engaged with him. Whether they blocked or dodged, as long as they passed him, Yibaqian would be swept away by the current.

“Moryu, you’re dead!”

However, Yibaqian seemed to have a personal vendetta against someone named Moryu. He latched onto him, biting and locking his legs around him, refusing to let go even when one of his eyes was stabbed.

The two of them tumbled down, locked in a fierce struggle. Ashe and Vesser naturally swam far to the other side to avoid the chaos. However, when Yibaqian spotted them, he opened his bloodshot eyes and roared, “How could I be weaker than a Sanctuary?!”

Even though Ashe and Vesser immediately tried to block them, the force of the current combined with Yibaqian and Moryu’s momentum was too much to withstand.

Boom!

Ashe and Vesser were sent flying. But that wasn’t the end of it-Yibaqian wanted more people to join him in death, while Moryu hoped to grab onto something to stop himself. Both of them reached out, trying to latch onto the weaker Sanctuaries nearby!

Ashe and Vesser were both caught. Ashe quickly drew his sword, intending to chop off Yibaqian’s hand. However, Yibaqian had grabbed him from behind, clutching his right shoulder with a grip that felt like it could crush his shoulder blade. The angle made it nearly impossible to swing his sword effectively, and a simple stab likely wouldn’t make this deranged legend let go.

In desperation, Ashe glanced over at Silver Lantern, who had been caught by Moryu’s grip on her leg. With a swift motion, Ashe brought down his Honey Sword, cleanly severing Moryu’s tendons and forcing him to release his hold.

Silver Lantern was spared. She looked at Ashe, who had just saved her life, and Ashe met her gaze through her fox Mask. But Ashe was still being dragged by Yibaqian, hurtling dangerously close to Circle Cicada’s gaping maw.

Ashe extended his left hand. Vesser, quick to act, grabbed hold and swiftly closed the distance. With a deft motion, she crushed Yibaqian’s wrist and ulna as easily as cracking an egg.

Yibaqian finally let go, and both he and Moryu tumbled toward Circle Cicada.

The cicada, having just finished its last “snack,” paused for a moment before letting out a cheerful chirp, as if thanking the Golden Flow for its generous offering.

Ashe and Vesser managed to stop their momentum. Without a word, without rest, and without even exchanging a glance, they struggled forward in the Golden Flow, swimming with a slightly quicker pace than before.