Facing an Ancient God for a Year

Chapter 2737: Chapter 2731: Kings of the Lost Homeland

A paragon of Shangjing actually came to visit the Abandoned Prison without a word?

A tiny detail discovered by accident, but digging into it makes one’s heart lurch.

As far as Fu Qian is concerned, although he hasn’t had much contact with that young man, he himself doesn’t really have any opinions about him.

A teenage prodigy gradually ruined like the tale of Zhongyong, all the way down to becoming a laughingstock, even abandoned by his family.

And yet under such circumstances he still held on to a few bottom lines, even possessed a certain sense for danger, refusing to be easily bewitched by the Greedy Worms.

After returning alone to Shangjing, he even tried to reverse‑cultivate the Scripture of Body Transcendence, using his will—tenacious, yet not tenacious enough—to forcibly harness certain things awakened inside his body.

And in the end, he really did persevere until he reached his own fateful opportunity: first discovering the secret treasure ”Fangthroat” at an underground auction, then, despite suffering repeated setbacks, still clenching his teeth and refusing to let go of his ambition to soar.

Finally, when his body and mind were nearing their limits, he triggered the hidden secret on the item, and thereby opened a new path to advance to Middle Tier.

Never mind how much scheming is mixed into all of this, or what the factual truth is—calling it a case of ”do not bully the poor youth” is hardly a problem.

And ever since he and Wen Li together sent out that Deception Ritual Elixir, the two haven’t actually interacted much.

His sudden appearance now is enough to make anyone feel a bit pleasantly surprised.

So why did he appear—actually, it’s very simple.

Regardless of his personal attitude, Brother Jiang En is someone who knows of the Abandonment King and His sigil.

That’s right, the moment one vaguely recognized that silhouette, a certain hypothesis had already surfaced on its own.

Having little contact has this advantage: fewer relevant elements.

He may not be willing or even self‑aware, but Jiang En is, in the end, one of the Greedy Worms.

And this entire batch of the Death Overlord’s followers had long since been bewitched by the Abandonment King.

And the first time he fell into the Nightmare Corridor, it was through his rival Tyler that the Abandonment King’s sacred name and sigil were clearly conveyed to him.

As long as those two can be matched, anyone can use them to call upon the Abandonment King, just like the Greedy Worms did before.

This humanoid silhouette right now is the concretization of that call.

As for why he didn’t notice anything before, with the previous seventy‑nine blossoms?

Even simpler—Jiang En hadn’t called yet back then. Fate works in such wondrous ways.

What, Extraordinary Perception is currently lost, so even if the Greedy Worms shout themselves hoarse, He can’t hear?

This is precisely where it gets interesting. Determining that Jiang En appears here is easy; figuring out how he’s able to appear here is what takes more brainpower.

Fortunately, as mentioned earlier, when the number of elements is small, elimination becomes easier—because this is the Abandoned Prison.

...

The Abandoned Prison, the Abandonment King—it goes without saying how tightly bound the two are.

Just like Paradise and its former Lord of Bliss.

As a mechanically remade version of the Tyrant, He is without a doubt the will of absolute dominion over Calamity‑related authority.

Then what does the Abandoned Prison represent?

In Fu Qian’s view, this question can be perfectly analogized with the now‑masterless Paradise, and even the Abyss, which seems to have never had a master.

Pillars of the world, concrete embodiments of authority, absolute symbols within a given domain, carriers of cosmic Rules...

And once you reach this point, the relationship between it and the Abandonment King seems to become clear as well.

The Abandonment King is the one who rules Calamity, whereas the Abandoned Prison is the Calamity itself.

The two are not at all in conflict, and even fit Mr. Cass Sr.’s former description—

[So‑called New Gods are nothing more than beings who fully command a certain category of authority]

Even if you can’t find the Abandoned Prison, you can still be the Abandonment King.

Because you have both the declaration, and the real power.

The meaning of the Abandoned Prison lies in the fact that it determines the existence of a title such as the Abandonment King.

For example, if he had only draped the Tyrant’s Divine Skin over himself back in the Night Holy City.

And later never had Jade Soul Master generously dipping into his coffers to help him find the Abandoned Prison’s existence.

Then at this moment, his corresponding state ought to be that of a New God, still a wielder of authority, just temporarily unable to find his own Divine Realm.

There is of course a gap between the two. Even when he projected himself into the Night of King Slayer to relive that stretch of history, he could clearly feel how effortlessly he moved there, like a fish in water.

Were he outside, trading blows with the Dark Moon and its ilk, things certainly wouldn’t be so easy.

And combining this further: after extinguishing the Fire of Madness that had burned for a thousand years, that great power was also added to him, rendering the Mechanical Abandoned Prison King more complete.

At this point, it also seems possible to answer why those with old seniority are so hard to kill.

It really is close to what was previously hypothesized: the veterans don’t just hold orthodox declarations; even their own wills have etched traces onto the very essence of their authority.

In other words, they very likely all found their own ”Abandoned Prison” and achieved deep fusion with it.

As for the Prism of Radiant Transformation’s attempt to seize the Abyss?

It appears to be taking the reverse route.

Without necessarily being the Master of Abyss, it chose first to leave its own imprint on the Abyss in its own way, then seek a declaration.

After so much argumentation, the point he ultimately wants to express is: within the Abandoned Prison there ought to be the Abandonment King’s imprint.

And the latter may have lost Extraordinary Perception, but as a ”world pillar,” could the Abandoned Prison possibly substitute to receive prayers?

Yes, the Abandoned Prison has become a signal relay station at this moment, and through its resonance with the Abandonment King, it has manifested a portion of the signals it receives.

...

So everyone here is a Lost Wanderer, then, and not some special treatment targeted at him as an outsider?

His mood seems to have evened out quite a bit.

Effortlessly deducing a plausible explanation, Fu Qian even feels a faint, elder‑like gratification.

Perhaps matters involving succession of old and new, or even concepts of Subordinate Gods, are far more complex than this.

But if you add in this homesickness, then his understanding of just how vicious the Superior Being ecology of the entire Bookstore World is seems to deepen further.

No wonder the Supernatural System is so chaotic now—the Abandoned Prison alone has been burning for a thousand years straight, and who knows how many similar places there are.

And no wonder, back during that mission, the warehouse’s assessment of the Abyss was: ”Because of its essential chaos and savagery, it has instead remained relatively intact.”

...

”Good afternoon.”

Ordinarily, lacking the conditions, it couldn’t be helped—but as the Abandonment King, how could he be one to keep people thousands of miles away?

Brainstorming on the one hand, Fu Qian on the other watches the silhouette of ”North’s Jiangen” grow clearer and clearer, and calls out with a squinting smile.

Mm...

And a gratifying scene unfolds.

In this unexpected fateful convergence, the supplicant actually seems able to receive some information through this method.

Confronted with his greeting, that head composed only of blood slowly lifts.

”I am not well.”

It even truly lets a voice reverberate forth from within.

”I have suffered a Curse.”