1474 Sage Rune Halo
[AN: The people on my Discord did not like the na Occupation Skill Association. So, the new na is Skill Path Association. There will also be a brief explanation in this chapter for the na's explanation.]
—---
"Your Luck Artifact? Didn't you retrieve it from the Southern Chu Dynasty?" Wang Wei asked.
"According to them, you and the Barbarian Race's heir raided the storage room and took most of the Chu Dynasty's treasures."
"As I said to you, we did raid their treasury, but your treasure was not here by the ti we got to it," Wang Wei replied calmly. The artifact was powerful and unique, aning he needed to wait for soone of Miscellaneous' skill level to copy it. In other words, he must buy as much ti as possible.
Elder Chen looked him in the eyes, trying to see through him. Unfortunately, she saw nothing but an innocent man confused by the situation.
"For such a potent artifact, don't you guys have a way to track it?" Wang Wei asked.
"We're ashad to say our thod has been futile," Elder Chen admitted.
"I would offer my help, but since you guys seed to suspect , I think that would be a conflict of interest," Wang Wei said.
"We don't suspect you, but as you know, this treasure is important to us," Elder Chen said in her soothing voice.
"I suspect you," the Association President added. "That artifact is the lifeline of our association, and we must retrieve it at all costs."
The Dao Path Tablet was the key to their Association's rise. During the Golden Era, their founder — Sage Rune Halo — successfully refined what could be described as the first Primal Artifact in that era. The artifact was highly potent, allowing him to reach power beyond the Peak Paragon Realm.
However, the news was leaked, placing Sage Rune Halo before the eyes of the Overlords faction, who were in the initial stages of their creation. The sage knew that with his talent for refining, the only fate awaiting him was to be captured and integrated into these factions. The ability to create Primal Artifact ant he could mass-produce more than one of the three primary requirents to beco a Primal Paragon.
Sage Rune Halo did not want this fate; he wanted to be one of the Overlords. So, he ran and hid himself. He thought he would not have this opportunity until an ancient rune opened: the rune of the Eternal Dao Sect.
Any sect capable of using the word [Dao] was unique, but to also have the na [Eternal], the sa as this world's na, had greater implications than anyone knew in that era. Little knowledge from this sect remained in the Golden Era, but people started scrambling for information.
The resulting information indicated that the sect appeared in the Second Era, or the era corresponding to the beginning of the Paragon Age. They grew into a faction that dominated the entire Eternal Ascension World alone. In other words, at its peak, the Eternal Dao Sect achieved sothing that all Overlords desired: absolute control.
Of course, it's hard to say whether that faction was more powerful than the Overlords of this era. After all, the Golden Era was the pinnacle of luck and destiny of the Eternal Ascension World, aning the Eternal Dao Sect was most likely lucky and ruled during an era without much competition. Regardless, everyone was excited for the rune of such an ancient and powerful lineage.
Many people benefited from that expedition, including Sage Rune Halo. He discovered the Refining Hall of the Eternal Dao Sect, recuperating lost knowledge and inheritance. More importantly, he found a small piece from their Luck Condensing Artifact.
He used it to build the Dao Path Tablet, inheriting a small portion of the Eternal Dao Sect's Qi Luck. Ever since that, his destiny has changed, and he rose like a cot, securing his spot as one of the Overlords. In the universal Dao Language, the character for [Dao] can be translated as [Avenue] or [Path]. Depending on how you write, these words can also serve as synonyms.
"I understand how you feel," Wang Wei answered. He almost lost control of himself as he realized the president and Elder Chen were using the tactic of good and bad cop that he used to watch in Western movies back on Earth. "But as I said, your artifact is not in my hands."
"You said the Southern Chu Dynasty might have handed it to the Qin Court," Elder Chen asked slowly.
"More like 'claid,'" the president added, not hiding his suspicions.
"According to our information, you confronted the Human Emperor's projection from Limbo," Elder Chen continued. "Was it over the artifact?"
"No, it was over Shu Ren's Nether Hell."
"Why would the Human Emperor want such a thing?"
"I don't know, but the fact he was willing to appear from Limbo showed how much he valued it," Wang Wei said truthfully.
"And do you have proof of that?" the president asked.
"I do," Wang Wei nodded. "But I won't show it since this eting is starting to feel like an interview I did not sign up for." Wang Wei squinted his eyes, suddenly increasing the tension in the room to the highest alert. "I've exhausted my patient. Are you going to hand over the blood, or do I have to take it myself?"
The chill behind these words made everybody's hair stand straight. Elder Chen acted swiftly to defuse this situation: "There is no need for all that. It's just that this item is too important for us."
"I understand this, but I think I've been quite forthcoming with your inquiry," Wang Wei responded. "And if I have to be honest, I don't understand why, back then, your association succumbed to Ti Eater's pressure and handed over the artifact. It's your fault you're in the current situation."
The president imdiately lowered his head. His, and the association's greatest sha, was handing over that artifact. Back then, Elder Chen had just injured her [Existence] to fall to the Empyrean Realm, and he was a young and inexperienced Association President.
So, when Ti Eater and the others showed up, pressured him with their cultivation, and even used the two sun's nas, he crumbled under the pressure and gave them the artifact. Elder Chen was enraged after she left seclusion, and if not for the further instability the association would suffer from a sudden change in power, he would have long been replaced.
Over the years, the president has worked hard to prove himself, and Elder Chen saw it and rewarded him by not firing him. However, from that day on, his power was at an all-ti low in the association.
"We indeed have ourselves to bla," Elder Chen sighed. She motioned her hand, and soone approached to deliver the blood to Wang Wei. He checked it before placing it away with a nod: "Thank you, and my words from people still count."
"We appreciate that."
Tong Ruobing escorted Wang Wei out before returning to the banquet room. The atmosphere was depressed since they did not achieve any of their set-out tasks.
"You know him better than us," Elder said as she looked at Tong Ruobing. "What do you think?"
"He took it," Tong Ruobing replied without hesitation.
"Are you sure?" the president asked as a mirror manifested in his hand. "The Mirror of Truth did not find any information."
"What makes you say that?" Elder Chen asked.
"Intuition."
"How is that useful," the president almost rolled his eyes.
"Wang Wei's nature is greedy, but it's a calculated greed," Tong Ruobing stated. "When he does sothing, it's usually for two purposes: benefiting himself or benefiting his sect or the people he cares for. As soon as he learned of the artifact's existence, he would have planned to get his hands on it."
"But doesn't he know this artifact is the kind of thing that we are willing to war over?" the president asked. "Are you saying he's willing to force his sect into a war for greed? How is that benefiting his sect?"
"Oh, he knows," Tong Ruobing replied. "And with his political savvy, he knows the ramifications of his actions."
"He knows better than to break the balance between the Overlords," Tong Ruobing shook his head. Although the Dao Opening Sect would decimate the association in a war, the other Overlords would not allow this to happen since the foundation of the association would only increase the Dao Opening Sect's overall strength.
"Then, what's his purpose?"
"He wants to copy it," Tong Ruobing answered. "He did the sa with the Enlightening Emperor Academy's Dao tablets in the lower dinsion."
"Can that artifact be even copied?" the president asked.
"Yes, it can," Elder Chen said. "With Miscellaneous' skill, ample resources, and a bit of luck, they might do it."
"That's why he's denying it," Tong Ruobing continued. "He's buying ti to wait for their returns."
The room was briefly quiet until the president asked: "So, what do we do now?"
Join my Discord to have many discussions about the story and so on. Here is the Link: sdiscord.gg/bnsezTApeY
LazySageDao
User Comments
0 comments from readers