Catherine, the former Elven Queen, expressed sheer shock and skepticism at the claim that Anbaixiu's teacher was a deity.
"Teacher" was not a title to be tossed around lightly, especially concerning those exalted beings. Addressing one as your teacher without permission would invite severe punishment.
Yet Anbaixiu claimed to be a student of the God of Alchemy, not a follower. Such a relationship was far closer than that of any God-favored. A mortal favored by a god sounded grand, but in truth, it was merely a deity tossing down a few scraps when in a pleasant mood—charity from a superior to an inferior. A teacher and student, however, were an entirely different matter. In status, they were at least considered of the same order, and their bond ran far deeper.
Under certain special circumstances, a student was entitled to inherit a teacher's legacy, and it was only natural for a student to receive personal guidance from them.
Deities had countless believers, but a divine student was something Catherine had never heard of. Fond as the Lord of the Dawn was of the people of Ryan, she had never heard of any paladin becoming his pupil.
Not knowing how to explain it to her, Anbaixiu simply produced the legendary gold coin bestowed upon him by the God of Alchemy.
"What is this?" Catherine asked curiously.
"An artifact. My teacher shoved it onto me—I didn't even want it at the time."
Catherine's mouth twitched. Anbaixiu's words were infuriating. Her own three artifacts were divine blessings earned through countless arduous trials. Not wanting it while a god forced it on him? Who would believe such nonsense?
Yet Anbaixiu had not lied. Back then, what he had wanted was unlimited Wish spells, not this mere coin.
Had the God of Alchemy not exerted the collective pressure of the lawful deities to force him into agreement, he really would have dared to throw hands with the old fellow, venting his long-held resentment in the process. And had the old man dared to fight back, Anbaixiu would never have acknowledged him again.
"So you mean you intend to contact the God of Alchemy through this artifact?" Catherine asked.
Anbaixiu nodded. There shouldn't be any problem with that.
After all, every time he used it, his teacher collected a hefty "handling fee." Having taken the money, acting as customer support to answer a few questions wasn't asking too much, was it?
Catherine felt a flicker of excitement. Highly favored by the elven pantheon though she was, she remained curious about other gods. Being able to witness a deity's descent in person would be a rare experience indeed.
"Then what preparations are required?" Catherine inquired. "What sacrifices does this god require, and what rituals? We only have two months left. Is there still time to prepare?"
According to elven customs, beyond daily prayers, obtaining a clear response from a deity required a grand sacrificial ceremony. The elves would spend months preparing, offering the most melodious hymns and exquisite artworks to the elven gods, every piece the painstaking masterpiece of a grandmaster.
Harvey had little time left; Catherine feared they could not afford to wait that long.
Yet Anbaixiu's subsequent action stunned her into dead silence.
Raising the gold coin, Anbaixiu hollered, "Teacher, can you hear me? If you can, pop in for a chat. I need your help with something."
Catherine was speechless.
What kind of deity could possibly be summoned by such a slapdash method?!
Even summoning the weakest evil deity required sacrificing at least a black cat!
Yet something that shattered Catherine's worldview occurred. The gold coin in Anbaixiu's hand blazed with radiant light, and an ethereal figure manifested above it.
"Heh, my most esteemed student, calling me 'teacher' again at last?"
The newcomer looked like an utterly ordinary young man, but the moment the phantom appeared, Catherine felt an overwhelming pressure. She was intimately familiar with it—this was the majesty of a god. Even without any malice, the descent of a divine will was enough to exert immense pressure upon a mortal.
He truly managed to make a god descend with just a single shout?
Anbaixiu felt somewhat uncomfortable as well. The pressure radiating from the God of Alchemy made his bones creak. During their previous encounter, he hadn't felt oppressed in the slightest.
The stark contrast made Anbaixiu furrow his brows. Looking at this long-unseen teacher, he remarked, "Teacher, has your power... weakened?"
The smile on the God of Alchemy's face soured into a bitter grin.
Catherine's heart nearly leaped out of her chest. She felt this lich had truly lost his mind. Were such words something one could say so bluntly? She had seen mortals blaspheme against gods, but never to a god's face!
Yet the subsequent exchange left Catherine even more bewildered.
Awkwardly, the God of Alchemy admitted, "The City of Alchemy caused such a massive catastrophe that over half the legendary alchemists died. When nations across the continent caught wind of it, they imposed strict restrictions on alchemy, setting the entire field back. As the God of Alchemy, even though I don't rely on faith, I am tied far too deeply to this craft, so naturally I took a hit. Right now, I've probably been reduced to the weakest tier among the gods. Just like you were before, scraping the absolute bottom of the legends."
Anbaixiu chuckled.
"No matter, things will get better—just as I'm no longer deadweight. Still, it only took me a few years, whereas you, Teacher, who knows how many thousands of years it will take for you to recover?"
Back then, he had lost his temper because he truly had been deadweight. But now, he ranked among the apex of legends; the old fellow's petty mockery was nothing more than a gentle breeze.
The God of Alchemy chuckled in turn and countered, "Oh, it is quite a long time indeed. I expect I'll only recover around the time you achieve godhood yourself."
Anbaixiu remained expressionless. The old bastard's silver tongue hadn't dulled a bit.
Smiling at Anbaixiu, the God of Alchemy said, "Still, to have noticed so quickly, it seems you truly care about your teacher after all."
Anbaixiu replied, "Don't flatter yourself. I've simply done my research on deities."
The God of Alchemy chuckled cheerfully. "You're not a pretty maiden; acting stubborn does nothing for you. Still, since you called me teacher, I won't hold it against you. Speak. What do you need your teacher's help with? I can let bygones be bygones and lend you a hand."
In Catherine's eyes, this looked entirely like a pair of bickering master and disciple, devoid of any discernible gap in status between mortal and deity.
Catherine did not know that Anbaixiu had lived alongside this God of Alchemy for many years. A clueless youth who had just transmigrated had crossed paths with a crippled old man who was blind and missing a hand. Both had dwelled at the absolute bottom of society, supporting yet griping about each other through their darkest, most grueling days.
Before the God of Alchemy resurfaced, Anbaixiu had merely remembered him as an unforgettable teacher, the starting point of everything he had experienced in this life.
Yet the old bastard had survived! And even ascended to godhood!
Whether he had ascended before Anbaixiu buried him or after, Anbaixiu's subsequent centuries of drifting through hardship had nothing to do with this man. He hadn't even bothered to write Anbaixiu a single letter.
Well, now was not the time to settle that score.
Anbaixiu refrained from bantering further with the old man and directly explained Harvey's dilemma, hoping for the God of Alchemy's assistance so he could travel back in time to weave a false prophecy for Harvey.
After listening, the God of Alchemy couldn't help remarking, "To think that ignorant, naive youth from back then has reached the age of being someone else's teacher. It truly stirs up nostalgia."
Anbaixiu said impatiently, "Once you're done reminiscing, tell me quickly: can you help me return to the past?"
"My apologies. Perhaps I could have before, but as I am now, I cannot manage it," the God of Alchemy said helplessly.
Between gods, due to the nature of divine portfolios, mutual counter-relationships were distinct, so there was no precise system of power tiers. They were only broadly categorized into greater deities, intermediate deities, and lesser deities, below which lay quasi-deities and demigods.
The God of Alchemy had originally been an intermediate deity, but he had now fallen to a lesser deity, and might soon tumble to the level of a quasi-deity.
Returning to the past did not fall within the portfolio of alchemy in the first place. At his peak, he might have devised a workaround, but now he truly could not help.
Hearing this, Anbaixiu replied decisively, "Farewell, then. I'll ask someone else."
"Wait! Just because I can't do it myself doesn't mean I can't help you!"
Anbaixiu stared blankly at the God of Alchemy. If the old fellow didn't offer something constructive, he would toss this coin into his private demiplane and freeze it away.
Not the least bit embarrassed, the God of Alchemy rambled on, "My dear student, although I never approved of your path in divination, at times even I must admit that fate truly smiles upon you. To reverse time, you sought out an irrelevant God of Alchemy like me, and at my weakest moment no less. Yet as luck would have it, I happen to possess something here that can actually help."
Anbaixiu's brows knitted. He really did not want to hear talk of destiny right now.
What he intended to do next amounted to cheating fate. While it complied with fate's fundamental laws, it was an obvious exploitation of a loophole.
If even the God of Alchemy believed fate had orchestrated this, then the upcoming endeavor to cheat it might not go smoothly.
"Do you remember that druid named Naomi?" the God of Alchemy asked.
"That druid chick? She's still alive?"
Anbaixiu was surprised. According to the prophecy, Naomi should have died. But amidst the chaos back then, Anbaixiu hadn't paid mind to a girl fated to die, so he had never witnessed it firsthand.
"Calling her alive... isn't entirely accurate. When the City of Alchemy was banished into the void and sealed away, that girl was still inside. Later, an accident occurred.
"Her current state is roughly a superposition of life and death. Regarding what happened to the City of Alchemy... she was an entirely innocent victim, so I brought her back from the void."
The God of Alchemy waved his hand. A flash of teleportation light flared, and Naomi, whom Anbaixiu had not seen in a long time, appeared before him.
She looked no different from when they had parted, save that her once bright, sunny expression had turned entirely numb and vacant. Across her neck was a grievous wound that slashed through more than half of her throat.
Moreover, the wound flickered incessantly—disappearing one moment, only to reappear the next.
Was this the superposition of life and death the God of Alchemy had spoken of?
Chapter 152