“Brother, it’s still not too late to turn around and leave now.”
“Turn around and leave?” Lu Mingfei looked at the boy beside him, who was gazing into the deep, dark hole.
“White Emperor City was built during the Western Han Dynasty. The person pushed to the forefront was named Gongsun Shu. Gongsun Shu believed his luck came from metal, and the color of metal is white, which is why he was called ‘White Emperor’ and the city he resided in was called ‘White Emperor City’,” Lu Mingze said. “The Chinese record of ‘Dragon emerging from the palace’ is not a rumor. What stood before Gongsun Shu back then was the living Dragon King Norton. He was ordered by the King of Bronze and Fire to claim emperorship.”
Lu Mingfei’s heart tightened, knowing that everything Lu Mingze said was the truth hidden in the shadows of history.
“Later, when Emperor Guangwu conquered Baidi, White Emperor City instantly fell. This ancient bronze city, along with Norton himself, was buried beneath the weight of time. His loyal guards have been faithfully waiting for the day their King awakens,” Lu Mingze said, picking up a pebble and tossing it into the passage.
“The King of Bronze and Fire once forged dragon-slaying weapons powerful enough to kill other monarchs on their thrones. However, before these weapons could even appear, they were buried by other monarchs first.”
“That sounds pretty tragic,” Lu Mingfei said.
“You’ll be even more tragic than him if you go down there, eighteen layers of hell, boiled in a pot of oil,” Lu Mingze said, making a scary face to intimidate Lu Mingfei.
Lu Mingfei was unmoved. Even if he didn’t find that 13, he could still follow Zero’s advice and get a decent outcome, not ending up as Lu Mingze described.
“If you absolutely have to go down, help me find something down there and bring it up,” Lu Mingze hummed.
“What?” Lu Mingfei was a little curious. This was the first time he had heard Lu Mingze ask him for a favor.
“I can’t explain it clearly to you, but you’ll definitely understand when you see it,” Lu Mingze said.
“Another riddle?”
“If you practiced your fundamentals more diligently, I could explain it clearly,” Lu Mingze said, turning his back to the cave entrance and floating spread-eagled in the water, circling around Lu Mingfei. “As long as you see that thing, you’ll definitely know it’s what I want.”
“You think I’m a master of mind-reading?” Lu Mingfei pressed down on Lu Mingze’s head. “If you can’t even explain it clearly, how can I help you? It’s very difficult.”
“I really can’t explain the specific meaning of that thing to you. Among the Seven Kingdoms of Alchemy, 'causal separation' is the most difficult concept to describe. Brother, with no foundation at all, anything I say would be like talking to a brick wall,” Lu Mingze said, shrugging helplessly.
“The only thing I can tell you is that you definitely won’t understand it. It’s a kind of Inspiration.”
“Inspiration?”
“Yes, the Inspiration to deconstruct one of the King of Bronze and Fire’s authorities. I don’t think it will appear in a fixed form. After all, it records life forging, the pinnacle of Dragon Race Alchemy gathered within that thing. The living spirit within it must be extraordinary.”
“Like you?” Lu Mingfei looked at Lu Mingze.
“I’m not a living spirit,” Lu Mingze rolled his eyes. “The key isn’t the living spirit, but the thing the living spirit resides in. If you can’t get this thing when you enter the Bronze City this time, your fundamental training will have reached its limit.”
“Huh?”
“Yes, your bones and blood have completely quieted down. Without Alchemy as an aid, you’ll never fully inherit the bones and blood in this lifetime,” Lu Mingze sighed. “Who do you think I’m thinking for? It’s for you, Brother!”
The inheritance of bones and blood.
Lu Mingfei watched him, then gently placed his hand over his heart, feeling the beating organ through his bones.
“To be honest, it’s not that you, Brother, don’t have the talent to learn the fundamentals, but that your bones and blood have completely forgotten how to adapt to the melody. So, whether for me or for you, you need to find that Inspiration,” Lu Mingze looked at Lu Mingfei with burning eyes.
“Of course, if you don’t intend to continue developing and learning the fundamentals, you can completely pretend I never said anything. I can even be more direct and help you hide this memory.”
“…” Lu Mingfei fell silent.
Give up?
If it had been a month ago, he would probably have agreed to Lu Mingze’s request without hesitation, saying, “Please, please delete my memories. Runes and everything else aren’t as important as my worthless life.”
But not now.
He carried the expectations of so many people—the military flag, the heart-protecting armor, the ribbon… everyone believed he could do things ordinary people couldn’t. Now, to turn back and run, to disappoint those expectations, Lu Mingfei couldn’t do it anymore.
He touched his shoulder, inexplicably feeling a heavy weight.
“I agree.”
“Excellent, my dear brother! I knew I wasn’t wrong about you!” Lu Mingze gave a thumbs up. “That thing is most likely to appear in Norton’s bedchamber, which is like the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Brother, don’t miss it.”
“Damn it, in games, this kind of place is where high-level guards are most likely to spawn, right? Are you serious?”
“That’s why I suggested you turn around and leave, Brother. The Bronze City is like a dangerous maze. If no one leads the way, two hours won’t be enough for you to reach Norton’s bedchamber,” Lu Mingze said, spreading his hands.
“You know so much, why aren’t you a tour guide?”
“I’m busy fighting with people. Otherwise, how could the awakening of a Dragon King be so peaceful? ※_13_⛬ isn’t a lazy dog like Fingel; he’s been active for many years,” Lu Mingze explained. “If you don’t want to go to the bedchamber, you can check the study. Learning some Alchemy isn’t bad either.”
“Thanks for the good words!”
Lu Mingfei felt that nothing Lu Mingze said was reliable, especially after he finished speaking and then suddenly disappeared.
After calming himself, he took Zero and re-submerged into the now-flooded passage.
For some reason, 13 hadn’t appeared yet, and Zero was the main force now.
Ye Sheng and Shuhtome Yaji climbed onto the ship’s rail, removing their flippers. Thanks to Lu Mingfei, the journey back was uneventful. Shuhtome Yaji had worried for Ye Sheng after he’d set so many flags, but thankfully, nothing happened.
Liu Tongchen followed closely. After getting onto the deck, he didn’t even bother to take off his diving suit and headed straight for the front cabin.
Dark green video footage appeared on the large screen, sent back by Lu Mingfei and Zero from underwater.
In the spotlight’s beam, rippling waves were cast upon an incredible bronze artifact. It was circular, with a ring of sharp, wolf-tooth-like structures around it. At first glance, it made one imagine it being thrown, whistling through the air in a strange arc, biting into an enemy’s neck and spinning.
Lu Mingfei’s voice came through the public channel, “We have successfully entered the Bronze City. You should have already seen that gear; it’s just a small part of the entire Bronze City’s operation.”
“The King of Bronze and Fire truly is the pinnacle of Alchemy. Even the Black King couldn’t do better than this, could he?” Ye Sheng and Shuhtome Yaji caught up.
“There’s a saying that the Black King had to divide his authority to allow the four monarchs to descend, which led to an unavoidable period of weakness. Someone discovered his change, which led to an unprecedented betrayal in Dragon Race history,” Liu Heguang softly recounted a piece of history.
“After the Black King fell into slumber, the authority of Alchemy completely belonged to the King of Bronze and Fire. For thousands of years thereafter, this monarch held the undisputed lead in this art.”
“This Bronze City is undoubtedly one of his masterpieces, Mingfei. Be cautious,” Liu Heguang advised gravely.
“Okay.”