Facing an Ancient God for a Year

Chapter 1298: Chapter 1296: An Unconventional Extreme

A faint light in the dark room, the flickering shadows of the candle cast a crimson glow.

The already dim lantern seemed on the verge of toppling within an instant.

But it was merely a threat, just as perceived earlier—the flame behind the lantern corresponded to a vitality far surpassing its own essence.

Even after the transformation into a Pseudo-Divine Being, there was a peculiar misalignment and detachment, making its connection to the core less taut.

Yet as a top-tier expert in fleshwork, preserving just a few percentage points was sufficient to achieve remarkable effects.

The tangible manifestation lay in the flame, which resisted extinction regardless of the degree of compression brought upon it.

Fortunately, Fu Qian’s breath was long enough.

Confronted with such resilience, he showed not a trace of hesitation, maintaining his actions with unwavering steadiness—even the flow of his breath remained perfectly constant.

“Are you insane?”

Of course, not everyone could keep their emotions stable.

Eyes wide and bloodshot, Orintel’s voice turned sharp after confirming the other’s behavior.

“If the lantern goes out, you die. Haven’t you been listening to a word I said?”

Unable to suppress the urge to vent his frustration, he almost roared the words out.

Evidently, despite all the contingency plans Orintel had laid for this meeting, his imagination was still stretched beyond its limits by this scene.

Faced with his newfound fatal weakness, the other party not only refused to protect it but actively targeted it on his own.

Though it had nothing to do with him, that teetering flame almost delivered a heart-clenching shock.

“Do you think I’m bluffing you? Haven’t you felt anything at all—any sense of that particular connection?”

Sadly, his desperate warning elicited no response whatsoever.

…

“Are you trying to scare me?”

Orintel’s reaction turned surprisingly quick.

After his futile rants, a trace of calmness appeared on his face.

“From our dealings prior, I don’t believe you’re truly a reckless lunatic. The same trick wouldn’t fool me again…”

“It’s not that you can’t feel your connection to it, but that you feel it too much. You know it won’t be extinguished so easily; you’re betting on us wanting to capture you alive, aren’t you?”

“I have to admit, you’re overly cautious.”

Fu Qian still gave no response, but Orintel began to sneer, evidently growing more convinced of his deduction.

“A living target is, of course, better than a corpse. But I’ve told you, today’s focus is merely delivering this gift to you. If you want to leave, I won’t stop you… there’s no need to use a method like this to create an opportunity.”

“I understand you wouldn’t believe me, but that’s fine. Because now I’m abruptly curious about when exactly you’ll halt. I hope what unfolds next will demonstrate your extraordinary ability and not disappoint me—”

As he spoke, Orintel really sat down with a smirk, full of composure.

Yet in the very next moment, he demonstrated what it means to spring up as if electrified.

His bottom barely touched the seat before he leapt back up, as though frightened by the sudden dimming of the light.

Indeed, Fu Qian finally let the lantern in his hand succumb to extinction, plunging the room into immediate darkness.

The sight Orintel declared impossible a moment ago caused an impact that was undeniably immense.

Ka!

Greater still was the reaction of the ashen-faced individual with crimson eyes, who stood steadily in place, even casually closing the lantern as though performing an insignificant act.

The only discernible change was his already pale complexion becoming even more lifeless for a moment.

…

“Thank you for the hospitality.”

After taking a deep breath, Fu Qian even smiled and expressed his gratitude.

“This is impossible…”

“Why impossible?”

Fu Qian placed the lantern down and asked nonchalantly.

“Xin Yan shares vitality with its bearer. Extinguishing it means certain death… This is absolute, a law witnessed by the cosmos… nothing can resist it…”

Orintel’s emotions had clearly spiraled out of control.

“I understand your feelings, but the evidence is before you. I suggest you accept it and consider the reasons why.”

“What reasons?”

Orintel asked almost instinctively.

Simple—there’s no longer a principal entity.

Fu Qian mused silently.

This has been the greatest epiphany of the night.

Earlier, activating the transformation into a Pseudo-Divine Being was definitely not to elevate his ranking and resist Xin Yan’s effects.

Fu Qian did not believe Pseudo-Divine Being’s status could surpass Dimensional Poison in the presence of the Star Law.

The latter had been thoroughly eradicated.

The significance of such transformation lay in instantaneous shifts in ranking, not the ranking itself.

As a seemingly supreme yet self-destroyed target, Fu Qian never ceased to probe its limits.

Dimensional Poison had been an attempt, and The Sect’s carefully orchestrated gift was another opportunity he couldn’t afford to overlook.

The process had been rather straightforward.

Unknowingly stepping into the trap, Fu Qian had ignited Xin Yan within himself.

The transformation triggered, the ranking spiked in an instant—and the “bonds” between himself and Xin Yan noticeably lost their color.

Eventually, the flame extinguished, leaving Fu Qian with some injuries but far from the brink of death.

However, the laws seemed oddly peculiar here—he was still the same person, yet raising his ranking suddenly altered his fate from decapitation to mere punishment?

It epitomized the inability to truly uphold equality among entities under even the simplest laws.

Fu Qian’s understanding of this strange phenomenon was that defining the transformed self required time.

Simply put, the post-transformation self resembled a new, vastly complex entity to the Star Law.

Precise laws demand precise definitions, full digestion, and assimilation before their effects reach completion.

Fu Qian had no doubt that given even a moment longer, the extinguished Xin Yan would inevitably claim his life.

But through persistent effort, he seemed to have finally discovered an unconventional boundary.

“It’s simple—if the statement is absolute to reality, then wouldn’t being outside of reality eliminate the issue?”

Yet Fu Qian did not rush to disclose this insight; instead, he continued shaping the persona of the Dark Moon Apostle.

“You mean… I’m dreaming?”

Orintel rejected the notion outright.

“Humans are truly peculiar—you’re fearless of death, yet you dread the possibility that your surroundings might be unreal.”

Fu Qian chuckled deeply, his gaze retracting from Orintel’s extinguished lantern.

“This has been an enjoyable exchange. Send my regards to the others.”

Giving no chance for Orintel to raise further questions, a surge of blood mist enveloped Fu Qian entirely.

Announcing his departure, he launched Blood Conquest for the first time.

Indeed, this time felt distinct—he “watched” his own transformation.

This time, following activation, he didn’t shift into a special dimension but remained in place, his body transforming into a dense cloud of blood mist.

A form more befitting that of the Bloodline Clan.

Additionally, the method of traversal seemed strangely altered.

The next moment, guided by an unusual sensation, Fu Qian vanished from the spot, reappearing in an unfamiliar room.

A female Sect member was staring at him with visible fear.