My Apocalypse System Arrives 10 Years Early

Chapter 463: Chapter 310: Lance of Longinus

This Dragon Vein wasn’t the old man of the Qinling Mountain Range, nor the Spiritual Dragon of the Forbidden City, nor even the gentle and lovely Wenshu Fairy of Jinling City. It had taken the form of a long spear.

No one knew if someone had forged it into a long spear, or if this was its natural form. The fragmented scroll didn’t say. It provided very little information, but it did reveal a name.

This spear was incredibly famous. It was called the ”Lance of Longinus”—the legendary Holy Spear that had pierced Jesus.

According to the Bible, when Jesus was nailed to the cross, a centurion pierced his side with a spear. That centurion was named Longinus. When Jesus’s blood dripped into Longinus’s eyes, he was instantly converted. He then forsook his former identity, became a Cultivator, and gained the ability to perform miracles. He was later recognized as a saint and called ”Saint Longinus.”

Because it was used to confirm Jesus’s death and was stained with his blood, the spear became a holy relic known as the ”Lance of Longinus.” Later generations would also call it the ”Spear of Destiny.”

Legend has it that anyone holding the spear would command the absolute submission of everyone within a 120-foot radius. The wielder could even control the fate of the world, but anyone who lost the spear would die instantly. The Holy Spear was once held by Longinus, Constantine the Great, Charlemagne, and several emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, becoming a symbol of power. Many monarchs with glorious military records won countless battles with this spear in hand.

A spear that was also a Dragon Vein was, naturally, no small matter.

During World War II, Hitler coveted and even possessed it. Later, it fell into the hands of the Americans.

It’s said that General Patton showed an unusual enthusiasm for it. Afterward, Eisenhower returned the Spear of Destiny to the Hofburg Museum in Vienna, where it has been kept ever since.

However, some say that what the US military found was a fake.

As for whether it was real or not, Li Xiang would know with a single glance. The true Holy Spear, even a fragment of it, would surely have some extraordinary quality.

”Erin...” Li Xiang beckoned. The French Rose smiled faintly and walked over gracefully.

”Do you know anything about the Lance of Longinus?” Li Xiang asked.

Erin paused, then said, ”A little.”

The two then exchanged what information they had. Erin read the sheepskin scroll in Li Xiang’s hands carefully, a look of great surprise on her face.

’This fragment... hmm, I’ve never seen it before. The main reason is that my family’s collection is just too vast, and I’m still young. How could I possibly have read every scroll? It’s not like I’m Jiang Cai’Er with her Memory Palace, reading books as swiftly as a scanner.’

”There was only one true original, but it later broke into three pieces. These three fragments were reforged by various kings throughout the ages, so there should be three in existence now. One is in the Hofburg Museum in Vienna, Austria; one is in the Church of St. Augustine in Rome, Italy; and the last one is at the Great Glasstonberry Monastery in the United Kingdom,” Erin explained.

”We move tonight. Let’s go blow off some steam,” Li Xiang said, snatching Erin around her slender waist.

When night fell, two armored figures—one tall and powerful, the other slender, clearly a man and a woman—shot off with a WHOOSH.

At an extreme speed of Mach 12, Li Xiang, with his arm around Erin, reached the Vienna Hofburg Museum in six or seven minutes. A few of those minutes were spent briefly searching for their destination.

Even with Erin as their local guide, it still took some time to find the place; they couldn’t just fly in a straight line and arrive instantly.

To Li Xiang, all of Europe was basically undefended. The bulletproof glass instantly turned to dust, and he snatched the Bronze Long Spear from its display case with one hand. Erin’s Liquid Metal Detection Ring issued an alert: ”It’s a nineteenth-century replica!”

She had two Superpowers: Alchemy and Metal Manipulation. The Liquid Metal Detection Ring was just a little gadget she had crafted in her spare time, but it was very practical.

Erin had tried her best to replicate many technological creations using Classical Alchemy, making them smaller and more convenient to use.

The two left in disappointment, but on the principle that ”a thief never leaves empty-handed,” they cleaned the place out. Li Xiang had looted Europe before but had missed this little spot. Now that they were here, they naturally took everything.

About six minutes later, the pair arrived at the Church of St. Augustine in Rome. This time, a surprise was finally waiting for them.

When Li Xiang shattered the Obsidian Seal beneath the altar, the energy erupting from the ”Holy Spear” illuminated the entire crypt. A few oracle bone script characters appeared on the spear’s shaft.

There was no doubt this was the real thing. It was clearly an artifact from Huaxia—a textbook example of an authentic piece.

Li Xiang put the long spear away.

The two returned to France and then crossed the English Channel, arriving at the Great Glasstonberry Monastery. Moonlight pierced a stained-glass window, casting a cross-shaped shadow on the spear shaft within. Li Xiang’s Earth Superpower formed a rock spike and shattered the Holy Artifact Cabinet.

Erin’s Liquid Metal Detection Ring pinged again. Unfortunately, it was another fake.

”You have astrology in the West. Can you divine where the remaining fragments are?” Li Xiang asked.

Erin shrugged. ”We do, and my family’s library has books on the subject, but I’m not an expert.”

Li Xiang: ”...”

”I’m sorry, darling, but I’ll find a way to look into it for you.”

’I might have to ask Luo Feifei after all,’ Li Xiang mused. He then said, ”I’ve been away for many days. It’s time for me to go back.”

”Huh? So soon?” Erin was reluctant to see him go.

”I’ll come back when I have time,” Li Xiang said, stroking her satin-like golden hair.

”Can I go home with you?” Erin asked.

Li Xiang: ”...” ’A year or so ago, back when I was single... hmm, bringing a foreign girl home would have been so cool. But now, with so many people at home, it’s not exactly convenient.’

’I feel like I’m straying further and further down the path of a scumbag, with no way back,’ Li Xiang thought. ’In my past life, I was a man of integrity, unmoved by beauty, but now... I’ve fallen.’

’Then again, maybe being reborn means I’m supposed to experience a different kind of life.’

”We’ll see if there’s a chance in the future,” Li Xiang said, gently turning her down.

He hugged Erin, and with a flicker of his body, he vanished.

’Mr. Armor, I’ll come find you in China one day.’ A few glimmers of melancholy welled up in Erin’s cobalt-blue, star-like eyes.

This trip to Europe had been incredibly fruitful for Li Xiang. He returned with a massive haul of artifacts and supplies under a starry sky, a little after two in the morning. Then, he sent Luo Feifei a message.

He thought she would be asleep, but to his surprise, she replied instantly.

”So you finally remembered to contact me. I was starting to think you were having too much fun in Europe and had forgotten all about me.” Luo Feifei had seen the news about the major incidents in Europe and knew Li Xiang was over there causing trouble.

”Where are you? I’ll come find you,” Li Xiang said.

”I’m filming in Jiuzhaigou, working overtime. You can come visit me on set.”

Li Xiang was shocked. ”You’re still filming this late? That’s too rough. Why don’t you just quit?”

”I’d love to quit, but you’d have to convince my mom. She’s obsessed with money,” Luo Feifei pouted.

Li Xiang decided not to pursue the topic. Mainly because he didn’t have a good reason to convince Luo Feifei’s mother.

Jiuzhaigou wasn’t far. Li Xiang took off and arrived in about two minutes. He leaped high into the air and looked down, spotting a brightly lit area where many people were gathered. He knew it had to be the film crew working through the night.

Many movie scenes are set at night, and when Luo Feifei filmed, she always preferred real locations over studio sets and post-production special effects.

Li Xiang landed in a nearby forest, retracted the Giant Whale Saint Armor into his body, and changed into normal clothes. He then carefully selected some snacks, a few unique European drinks, and some expensive skincare products from his system inventory. He packed them all in a Chanel luxury bag and headed to the set to find Luo Feifei.

Luo Feifei would probably never use the skincare products, as she preferred to go without makeup, but her mother was older and likely wouldn’t refuse them.

Unfortunately, Li Xiang had arrived at a slightly inconvenient time. Luo Feifei was busy working. Li Xiang watched from the side for a while before the director once again yelled, ”Cut!”

The director started yelling at the actors performing with Luo Feifei. ”Can you guys act or not?! It’s a short scene, and we’ve already done more than ten takes and still can’t get it right!”

Luo Feifei sensed Li Xiang’s gaze, and her eyes immediately curved into a smile. She gave the director a small smile and said, ”A friend of mine came to visit the set. I’m going to step away for a moment, sorry.”

”Feifei, take as long as you need.” The director was very polite to Luo Feifei, forcing a smile. But the moment he turned back to the other actors, his expression changed instantly, and he launched into another tirade.

The crew had been enjoying the drama, but when they saw Luo Feifei hurry through the crowd and walk away, their attention shifted to her. When they saw her practically pounce on Li Xiang and start chatting and laughing with him, an uproar went through the crew.

Having worked together for so many days, many had only ever seen Luo Feifei’s cold and aloof side. They thought she had the disposition of an Ice Fairy, but they never expected her to have such a cute, lively, and enthusiastic side.

So, it wasn’t that she wasn’t proactive or enthusiastic; it just depended on who she was with.

Many of them were heartbroken and shot Li Xiang looks filled with envy, jealousy, and hate.

”That guy must be the other half of the ’Dreaming of Feifei’ ship, right?”

”I always thought ’Dreaming of Feifei’ sounded kind of pervy.”

”That guy’s nothing special. Just some internet celebrity with over fifty million followers. Why is Luo Feifei so warm to him? She barely gives us the time of day! We’re big shots in the entertainment industry, A-listers at least. We’ve got way more influence than some internet celebrity, right?”

”You guys probably don’t know, but he has a military rank,” an insider revealed.

”For real?”

...

Luo Feifei and Li Xiang were both Extraordinary Beings with sharp hearing, so they could naturally hear all the idle gossip. However, neither of them cared. It was only because there were so many people around that Luo Feifei felt a little shy; otherwise, she would have already thrown herself into Li Xiang’s arms and hugged him tightly.

Li Xiang also kept some distance from Luo Feifei. After all, she was still a minor. If he got too handsy or acted too intimately, and it was caught by the media or secretly filmed and posted online, he’d get canceled.