Anchor Point of the Soul

Chapter 139

Mu Hang looked toward the black-robed man in the prison, his blue eyes hidden under his eyelashes like bottomless whirlpools.

After a few seconds, he turned his head to Wen Yao and ordered:

"Unhook his gag."

Wen Yao was startled: "Sir, wait a minute! If that's the case--"

After all, she had seen how extreme the other party could be, and if she let go and did something irrational, then all the efforts they had made so far would be wasted.

Wen Yao's voice caused Zhuo Fu to snap out of his earlier swaying.

He barely pulled his eyes away from the man, took a deep breath, and interrupted Wen Yao:

"It won't."

His tone was too certain, causing Wen Yao to freeze and subconsciously swallow the rest of his words.

She fixed her eyes on Zhuo Fu.

Since individuals are making the same judgment, ...... must have their reasons.

There was a click, the electromagnetism disappeared, and the mouth band fell to the ground.

Through a layer of special glass, the black-robed man's wretched form could be clearly seen lying on the ground, his arched spine undulating in irregular convulsions, and his overloaded lungs emitting a muffled sound like a broken bellows.

Inside the lab, there was a dead silence, and only through the glass could be heard the sound of the other side gasping for breath.

Wen Yao felt his heart slowly lifting, his palms subconsciously placed at his waist, in case the other party suddenly sprang up.

In this case, the passage of time became extremely slow, and every second was an ordeal.

Finally, the black-robed man moved.

He raised his head, revealing a face as terrifying as an evil spirit.

With one eye covered by a cloudy cataract, with greenish-purple throbbing veins spreading over his skin, with not-yet-dried saliva and black-red blood running between the furrows, he stared dead at Mu Hang not far away with the only blue eye he could see with, and gasped twice, in a hoarse, completely inaudible native voice:

"Who told you about the soul ......?"

Mu Hang lowered his eyes and replied, "Shi An."

The black-robed man's fingers pressed to the ground began to spasm, his nails rubbing against the ground with a clicking sound as wisps of blood oozed out.

His every word seemed to be gritted with teeth and blood:

"Is ...... for real?"

Mu Hang did not answer.

He didn't have to lie.

--This he knew, and the other man knew, only he didn't want to believe it, so he had to ask.

As Zhuo Fu pondered, Mu Hang opened his mouth and said, "After the last time in the Rustic Region, I made it a point to check the Mu Family's genealogy, and of all the Mu Family members, only one ancestor from nine hundred years ago is unknown."

By now, the average human lifespan has lengthened considerably, and nine hundred years is only four generations ago.

Granted, this length of time is so far beyond what a normal human can live to that it could almost be considered appalling.

Zhuo Fu's heart jumped.

Administration ...... was created around the same time.

He stood aside, gazing at the black-robed man not far away, his mind drifting without warning to his own earlier, meaningful words from the Director of Administration in the Administration basement.

He couldn't help but be slightly stunned.

He is the director of the Institute, and all research projects must go through him. However, Zhuo Fu has never heard of a Fire Dragon skull below the surface of the Administration.

-- because the fire element contained in it was too violent, so it wasn't given to the Institute for secret research?

How could he have believed such a far-fetched reason so easily at the time?

The Director says that the equipment for magic conversion was made by the previous Dean.

But since Zhuo Fu took office, he has gone through all the research logs since Administration's inception, and this so-called Magic Transformation Program has never appeared even once.

Zhuo Fu was sure that if he had gone to retrieve the so-called "seizure operation" from the Combat Section's logbook, he would have come up empty-handed as well.

There's only one possibility.

The means are dirty and come from the wrong place, so they can't be documented.

That's why Administration executives were so caught off guard when they heard Shi An's request.

Because in their plan, no one was supposed to learn of the skull's existence.

He carefully broke the silence:

"...... its death, was it related to Administration?"

This sentence was thrown down with a heavy thud, and the black-robed man's eyes slowly moved to Zhuo Fu's body, the corners of his mouth twitching a bit as he revealed a hideous, ghastly smile:

"...... What do you think?"

Zhuo Fu's heart sank.

If that was the case, then he probably understood why none of the files contained any information related to the Fire Dragon skull - it had been here since the beginning of the Administration's establishment, not "seized by the previous Director during an operation". It wasn't just "seized by the previous Director during an operation".

"But Administration only has skulls here ......"

His voice was a little pale.

The black-robed man sneered:

"Because you only have skulls to guard the most."

For nine hundred years, they tried various means to try to retrieve the remnants of the fire dragon.

Ransomed, robbed, cheated, and finally got most of the body parts back.

But only the skull has never been able to get any clues.

Perhaps because the magic contained therein was the strongest and most precious, the Administration was so tight-lipped about it that even their insiders in the Administration were unable to obtain any information related to it.

"The road ahead is always strewn with blood, isn't it?"

The black-robed man read the words in a mocking tone.

His voice was hoarse with an almost disgusted undertone as he asked, word for word, "Even if the foundations of modern society are built on blood and pain, as long as it can evolve and develop, so all behavior is perfectly justified, isn't it?"

He stood up and walked slowly and staggeringly towards the glass in front of him, staring dead at the three men standing outside with a voice that sounded like a whisper originating from hell:

"Combining technology with magic, what a great ...... what a transgressive, century-old discovery."

Under your feet are piles of false splendor ...... piled up by sin and terror How beautiful, how ugly.

The black-robed man laughed in a low voice, but there was no semblance of laughter in that voice; instead, it was more like a mournful howl:

"Humans owe a debt that can only be paid through death, don't you understand?"

"......"

Zhuo Fu's heart twitched, subconsciously avoiding the other party's blade-like line of sight, actually feeling an embarrassment that could not be ignored.

He fell into a long silence.

Because ...... can't refute it.

As the director of the Institute, no one knows better than he how mankind s current achievements have been achieved ...... and how much bloodshed has been forgotten and ignored.

Every step they took forward, they stepped on the tired white bones of the foreigners, the pitch-black sins that could not be washed away.

Wen Yao spoke slowly:

"So upon realizing that the dragon was unable to purify the continent to your liking, you chose to use the bones left behind by the fiery dragon to open the seal when the blood moon descended, correct?"

The black-robed man's eye twitched.

Mu Hang scrutinized his expression and shook his head slowly, "No."

"It's your other companions, isn't it?"

No one knew better than he what the bones of a dragon really meant to the man.

If the black-robed man had a choice, he would never use a dragon's corpse to perform a ritual ...... But for other pagans, pieces of a dragon's skeleton are nothing more than medium props that hold immense power.

"...... So what?"

The black-robed man said in a sorrowful tone, "It's enough to complete the ritual."

"Even if the price is the soul of that dragon?"

Mu Hang's eyes fell upon the other man's face, and his cold, searching gaze seemed to have a penetrating quality as he scrutinized the black-robed man in front of him, inquiring slowly and curiously.

"......"

The air fell into silence once more.

The black-robed man didn't answer.

His body was ravaged and twisted by the long years that had come to him abnormally, his face corroded by the powerful forces that he had forcibly borrowed, his sight destroyed by rituals that exceeded the limits of his power, like earth and stone that were falling apart, and every organ in his body struggling hard on the brink of exhaustion.

He just stood fixedly in place, his hair hanging down to hide his expression.

Like a rotten tree on the verge of dying, or a stone pillar on the verge of collapse.

Mu Hang walks up slowly, one step at a time.

Through a thin pane of glass, he gazed deeply at the man who was only inches away from him.

Blind and crippled.

In nine hundred years of hatred all the qualities that belong to mankind have been worn away.

"The Dragon Flame frees the dragon's soul from the spell's confinement.

Otherwise, his soul will be bound forever, suffering a long period of oblivion and pain, and after your death, his remnants will still be used, bought and sold by generations of humans, draining every inch of use out of them."

Mu Hang's voice was calm and seemed to be stating a simple fact.

Seemingly cruel statements but so true, everyone in the room knew that this was destined to happen.

The black-robed man remained silent.

However, his body trembled fiercely with the sound of Mu Hang's voice, as if the wreckage that had already begun to crumble could no longer hold up to the overpowering emotional outbursts.

Intense hatred and pain almost broke through his body, transforming into a corpse that roared and screamed for killing and destruction.

Mu Hang lowered his eyes, the depths of his blue pupils rippling with waves, almost seeming especially dark:

"Or, you can stop this."

*

Shi An took that scroll to the place where he awakened.

The scorch marks from the dragon's flames hadn't been completely wiped away, and the air seemed to still smell like the aftermath of a scorch as the black fog slowly surged overhead.

The other three demons watched Shi An apprehensively:

"My lord, are you ...... sure of yourself?"

Shi An thought about it and shook her head honestly, "No."

According to the intelligence known now, the passage between the abyss and the continent was probably unilaterally closed by the continent side, which meant that going from the continent to the abyss was much easier than going from the abyss to the continent.

So ...... will have to try it first.

He spread the scroll in his hand on the ground, a golden-red fire flowing from his half-closed line of eyes as elaborate, ancient phrases spat from his mouth.

Black mist swirled in the air, and magical fluctuations spread out from between the wastelands.

The three demons subconsciously held their breath and waited nervously.

But the three of them weren't the only ones nervous in the abyss.

Beyond the wasteland, the abyssal species burrowed out from under the pitch-black rock crevices, countless eyes fixedly looking in the direction of the wasteland, most of them didn't have the concept of faith, but in this instant, all of them began to pray in their hearts as if they were of one mind-

Please, please, please make it work!!!!

The black fog overhead slowly cracked open a line of sky, and a dim white light shone in, landing on the teenager's forehead.

Silver-white scales shimmered in the darkness that surrounded them.

All the Abyssal species couldn't help but suck in a breath of cool air, and the light of joy rose a little bit in the bottom of their eyes -

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh prayers actually work!

This Demon King is finally leaving the abyss!!!!

Emancipated!

Freedom!

However, in the next second, some kind of invisible force struck, and the gap rapidly closed, the white light disappearing, leaving only a raging, dull black fog.

"No-!!!"

Hope was punctured at the last second, and the abyssal species simultaneously let out a wail of despair.

Shi An had just come back from her meditative state when she was startled by the sound of howls rising up all around her and asked suspiciously:

"What's going on here?"

"Ahem."

Magic Worm cleared his throat and flew over to round off the conversation, "That ...... they are big, they probably can't afford to spare you ......"

Shi An is a little touched:

"Really?"

Magic Worm: "......"

How do you expect me to answer that?

It cleared its throat and hastily changed the subject, "So what, did you succeed, my lord?"

"No."

Shi An shook his head in frustration, "With my power, I can indeed barely tear a gap between the Abyss and the continent, but ......"

"But?"

"But ...... in that short period of time, I couldn't find a place to land."

Shi An sighed.

The essence of what is recorded on this scroll is actually the faking of a summoning ceremony held from the continent to deceive the Laws, so while it is he who uses his power to try and leave the Abyss, the entire movement is the opposite for the Laws.

This masking, while it can be accomplished, must have an anchor point.

It was the human Shi An's own soul that was used as an anchor point during the last summoning that brought him from the Abyss to the continent above.

However, since that magical drain had to be borne by the other party as well, his soul was ripped from him before Shi An awoke.

"So ...... what's this going to be?"

Demon Worm furrowed his brow and racked his brain.

Shi An shook his head, looking forlorn:

"...... I don't know."

*

Mu Hang twisted his head to look at the black-robed man, "That's good enough?"

The black-robed man gave a twisted, grim smile, "Yes."

"But I don't guarantee it will work."

His eyes were covered with shadows, and there was undisguised malice in them, "At most, your soul will be caught in the crevice between the abyss and the continent, and then crushed to pieces ...... Your magic power is of no use at all in that place."

Wen Yao on the side subconsciously clutched Zhuo Fu's arm with his palm.

Zhuo Fu was pinched by the other party's excessively strong hand strength and grimaced, "...... Ancestor, lighter, please."

"The likelihood of success is slim to none, but it's there."

The black-robed man came forward slowly, gazing at Mu Hang with a single gray eye, his voice hoarse:

"Provided, he wants to come back?"

Mu Hang's eyes moved slightly as he pursed his lips and did not reply.

The black-robed man's venomous eyes fell on Mu Hang's face, and his stern face twitched for a moment before he began to stifle his laughter:

"Haha ...... hahahahahahahahahahahahaha, that's funny, I didn't realize that ah ...... you wouldn't even know the answer to that question - "

"Anyway, I've told you about all the dangers."

The black-robed man slowly withdrew his laughter, but the corners of his mouth were still strangely upturned, as if he was enjoying the other party's pain very much:

"If the other side isn't prepared to come back, you're done for, your spirit body will either be crushed or you'll be trapped forever between the gap between the abyss and the continent ...... Are you sure you want to continue?"

"......"

Mu Hang frowned and looked at the black-robed man with an expressionless face:

"Don't waste time."

The black-robed man gave him a fixed look, the color of his eyes deep and difficult to understand:

"...... Should I call you stupid or blind?"

Zhuo Fu was also nervous now, and he clutched Wen Yao with his backhand:

"Forget it, Ancestor, you might as well pinch me or I'll-"

As the incantation was recited, heaven and earth lost their colors.

Magic fluctuations swirled and spread, spreading and rushing through the air like it was a liquid with a solid body.

Wen Yao felt an even heavier magical pressure than last time, like thousands of tons of stone pressing down from above, and she could almost hear her bones clicking and snapping.

The gale was whistling in his ears.

She couldn't see or feel anything, but only vaguely glimpsed Mu Hang's long and straight back not far away in the chaos.

The ancient incantation grew a little higher in the black-robed man's mouth, echoing in the wind like a chime.

Mu Hang felt his body and soul tremble.

The concept of time becomes blurred.

It was clear to him that the process would last at least half a day, barely enough to allow his soul to pass through the gap between the abyss and the continent, and that the way time was measured would change in the process.

In just a few seconds on the continent, he may bear the weight of more than a century.

And in this process, any hint of laxity would result in the total collapse of his soul and body, being crushed between the gaps of this nothingness.

Mu Hang waited calmly for the process to come to a head.

But the next second.

The magic wave disappeared.

It was like a black hole had suddenly appeared in front of them, swept away all the abnormal fluctuations and then immediately disappeared.

The swirling winds instantly became quiet, the flying dust fell down little by little, and the powerful demonic pressure was eroded in the blink of an eye.

"--will be afraid."

Zhuo Fu spat out the last three words as an afterthought.

He stood frozen in place for a long time.

He'd fantasized about all the possible things that could happen, but just didn't think it would turn out this way.

Huh?

Wait a minute?

What's going on?

What's the deal with ......?

Is this the end of ......? Or did it simply not work from the get-go?

Zhuo Fu dully turned his head toward Wen Yao.

Wen Yao is also confused: "......"

She was ready to suffer for as long as last time, but ...... how is it completely different this time?

How can it be over before it's begun?

The two men exchanged glances, then rushed forward together, searching anxiously among a gray, hazy cloud of dust and fog:

"Mu Hang?"

"Sir?"

They didn't find Mu Hang, but they did find the black-robed man who performed the ceremony amongst the smoke that was dispersing everywhere.

He seemed to have been bounced halfway off the ground by the magical pressure he had just felt, and fell to the ground in a lumbering heap, gazing woodenly at the inexplicably ended ceremony before him, as if he hadn't yet recovered from the shock, his expression dull and bewildered.

Wen Yao and Zhuo Fu rushed forward, one on the left and one on the right, pinning the black-robed man within inches of each other.

"What's going on here?" Zhuo Fu looked anxious and asked hurriedly, "Is, is it a failure?"

Wen Yao's brows were cold and solemn, and his fingers clasped each other's shoulders:

"What did you do? Where's Officer Mu?"

The black-robed man looked back and opened his mouth, a meaningless sound coming from deep in his throat, "This ......"

In fact, this is a situation he didn't see coming.

There are generally only two possibilities, either Mu Hang's soul was crushed to smithereens by the abyss and the continent, or it finally succeeded after a long time had passed-

But neither option could have been so quick.

Did something go wrong?

The lines on the black-robed man's face twitched slowly, greenish-purple veins writhing beneath the skin.

Half-blind eyes searched the air as if trying to find the reason for his failure.

However, the next second, he seemed to see something, a pair of cloudy eyes slowly widened, seemed to feel very shocked in general, his mouth opened a little bit, froze in place for a long time without moving.

Zhuo Fu and Wen Yao were slightly stunned.

They twisted their heads and followed the black-robed man's line of sight.

The smoke and magic power fluctuations in mid-air were slowly dissipating, like a morning mist that had disappeared under the sunlight, and were revealing the original clear air little by little.

The center of the spell was not far in front of them.

"......"

The moment they saw the scene over there, both of them couldn't help but freeze at the same time.

Mu Hang blinked.

It took him two seconds to realize that he was actually lying on the ground now, the back of his head landing heavily on the cold, hard floor, vague pain coming from his back, but all of that was completely negligible to him.

The only thing that surprised him ......

It was the weight coming from his own arms.

Mu Hang took another two seconds to process the amount of information that was now too difficult for him to comprehend.

Slowly, almost incredulously, he raised his eyes toward his arms.

The teenager was mostly sprawled in his arms, both hands braced on either side of his skull, his slender body bringing the exact weight and warmth.

It all seems so unreal that it's almost hard for Mu Hang to believe it's actually happening.

The teenager hung his head slightly, gazing fixedly at the human he had pinned beneath him.

Brilliant and pure in those golden ruddy vertical pupils, as if they were congealed from a blazing fire, they shimmered with a dazzling and burning shimmering light in the midst of a chaos and darkness.

He leaned down.

As the distance shortens, Mu Hang is able to see the reflection of his face in the other's eyes.

--frozen, bewildered, unbelievable.

"You smell like me."

The teenager lowered his head and sniffed Mu Hang's scent, narrowing his eyes in satisfaction.

"By the way, you know what?"

Shi An hooked her lips pleasantly and kissed the other man on the lips.

He wagged the tip of his tail and wrapped it around the other man's calf, then said in a smug tone:

"After voluntarily offering yourself as an anchor point for the dragon, your soul belongs to me from this day forward."

Mu Hang stared at him, some kind of extremely deep emotion settling in the depths of those blue eyes, as if they were boundless oceans.

He lifted his hand, tugging the other into a second kiss.

"It's been yours for a long time."

He pressed his lips against Shi An's and whispered softly.