Capa made a grasping motion in the empty air. The throbbing, crimson mass floated upward and settled into his palm. He pressed it against the right side of his chest, and to all appearances, it slowly sank through his clothing and melted into his body.
The mutated tissue within his chest wrapped around the heart, swiftly establishing connections with the rest of his anatomy.
Feeling the heartbeat, he drew a deep breath and gave a slight shudder. As this second heart sprang to life, it instantly forged a link to the world on the other side, channeling a continuous stream of energy from across the divide into his body.
Simultaneously, the mutated tissue across his frame grew at a blistering pace, patching up every remaining deficit.
Closing his eyes, he slowly spread his arms. The corners of his mouth curved upward in an expression of pure intoxication.
Truth be told, on his way here he had spotted other items throughout the museum that could have aided him, yet he had disdained them all. He took only what belonged to him—what belonged to his house.
Though this heart of shared lineage could not match his own and funneled energy at a significantly slower rate, it was more than enough for now. In just two or three breaths, the mutated tissue throughout his entire body had completely regenerated.
His eyes were deeper and brighter than before, his curly hair fell past his heels, and his handsome features gained an added touch of eerie, bewitching allure.
The moment his recovery was complete, the other version of him trapped within the ritual froze in place. The color drained from its frame until it resembled an ash-white statue, standing motionless where it was.
A'lu's ritual field encompassed every individual inside, and this former emperor was under particular scrutiny. It promptly issued an alert:
"Field signature for Target Two has vanished. Search indicates the new entity is located in Hall 8 of the Ancient Museum."
"What?"
"How can that be?"
The administrators present were caught completely off guard.
Target Two was none other than the former emperor, Caliocrates.
They had never imagined he would suddenly appear in the Ancient Museum. Wasn't he pinned down inside the ritual encircling the Blockade Hall?
Even if the rituals of the Blockade Hall and the Ancient Museum were one integrated whole, how could he possibly have leaped across the distance into thin air?
Alula's ethereal voice continued, "Analysis complete. The target possesses the following escape options. One—"
"Enough, Alula, don't worry about options for now!" an administrator cut in.
"Since His Imperial Majesty is still within the ritual, find a way to restrict his movements! Do not let him slip away elsewhere!"
A'lu answered truthfully, "Inspection complete. Suppression impossible. Target Two's life stratum has exceeded the ritual's upper containment threshold."
The administrators froze, glancing at one another in visible shock. Exceeding the ritual's threshold meant it could no longer hold him; he could break free at any moment.
Ryan spoke up, "Bring up the feed of Hall 8."
The field screen before them shifted rapidly. The administrators looked over, fully expecting severe interference, yet to their surprise, the scene remained clearly visible.
On the screen, the former emperor was dressed in full ceremonial regalia, wearing an eight-pointed crown and holding a holy scepter and longsword, looking as though he were about to attend a coronation.
Caliocrates I, Emperor of East Yono in the old era.
He seemed to sense the field's surveillance. Looking up, he offered an elegant smile and a subtle nod, as if greeting them all.
In the next instant, the field screen went completely white, devoid of any image. Yet everyone present still vividly remembered his faintly playful smile and the unrestrained, fathomless depth in his gaze.
Confronted with this sight, the administrators fell dead silent.
This emperor held immense influence. His historical stature granted him extraordinary popularity and prestige among the Yono people to this day. Choosing to imprison rather than execute him upon capture had been a decision rooted in deep, pragmatic calculations.
If this man fled back to Yono or retreated into the Melded Lands, the fallout would be unpredictable and the situation infinitely complicated.
It would not only destabilize Yono internally, but could also damage the Federation's long-term partnership with Yono, inflicting devastating losses. Even their West Coast Faction held substantial interests tied up in that relationship.
And even if he did not return, a rogue Throne martial artist wandering at large posed an unimaginable danger. With power at that level, unchecked, he could traverse the entire West Coast in a single day and lay waste to every city in his path.
While regional large-scale field creatures and combat-ready active conscious entities were not easily destroyed, the populations and wealth beneath them would certainly be wiped out—and the very first casualty could well be Vea State.
The thought alone made their scalps tingle.
One administrator seemed to recall something and blurted out anxiously, "Do we know if Mr. Chen has dealt with the Wanderer yet? If he can rush back in time, could he perhaps apprehend this former emperor as well?"
Ryan shook his head. As a martial artist, he had observed carefully. The emperor had recovered his weapons and robes, and appeared to have acquired something to bolster his strength.
While Ryan had reasonable confidence in Chen Chuan's ability to handle the Wanderer, the young man had already fought two grueling battles in succession. Against a Throne martial artist who had recovered at least the lion's share of his strength, what odds would he have?
Not to mention, Chen Chuan had departed the city for parts unknown, leaving them with no way to contact him.
Another administrator suggested, "Isn't the active conscious entity from the Free Stars Academy ready? We could awaken it! Perhaps that could hold Target Two back!"
Ryan had previously been the most vocal advocate for deploying an active conscious entity, but now he disagreed. "I don't think that is necessary. This man will not linger in Vea State, because doing so would ruin his chance to escape."
Fewer than a few minutes remained until the three stars convergence ended, and the Throne martial artist belonging to Vea State was already on his way back. Every additional second the former emperor lingered, his chance of escape slipped away. His priority right now was definitely not to strike at them, but to get out.
Yet the administrators were reluctant to let the matter rest. Even if Vea State emerged unscathed, allowing him to escape elsewhere boded ill. If other parts of the West Coast were devastated, the blame would fall squarely on their shoulders.
Ryan shook his head. "Even if we deploy the active conscious entity, it's too late."
His assessment was correct. Capa could easily sense that the convergence of the three stars was nearing its end; when that wisp of spirit descended, not even he could withstand it.
Thus, the moment he scrambled the field screen, gold-red spiritual fire flared around him. He burst out of the museum in a flash, slammed through the ritual barrier with a thunderous roar, and streaked into the distant sky.
In virtually an instant, he cleared Center City, hurtling farther afield. Without an opposing force of equal stature to stop him, his speed would carry him beyond the Federation's borders before long. Once over open waters, nothing short of mobilizing multiple Throne martial artists in another coordinated dragnet would ever bring him down.
***
Having dealt with the Wanderer, Chen Chuan was on his way back when his gaze narrowed. He caught sight of a streak of light erupting from Center City. Judging by its speed and the formidable aura of its spiritual fire, it was very likely the other prisoner from the Blockade Hall he had sensed earlier.
However, he had no intention of stepping in to stop it. Helping them take down two prisoners in a row was solely because it involved entities from the other side, and out of respect for the First Delegation's request. Otherwise, he felt no obligation to labor on the Federation's behalf.
Not eager to rush back, he slowly descended from the air and proceeded on foot toward Center City.
When he finished off the Wanderer just now, he had noticed a strand of mental information transmitted by the creature in its final moments. Like before, this message was somewhat chaotic, but he could clearly sense that the disorder was different from what he had encountered last time.
The previous information was likely jumbled intentionally to conceal the truth, whereas this time, it seemed designed to keep certain things from being directly perceived or sensed by him.
It sounded somewhat contradictory, but in truth, if he learned or perceived certain things, the entity on the other side might also register the connection.
He was curious to see what the creature had tried to convey, but first, he needed to find a place that offered isolation. That was simple enough—he only needed to step within the bounds of a ritual. Inside Vea State's city would do, where that immense spiritual force still blanketed the area, eliminating any cause for concern.
After walking for several minutes, he noticed the curtain of light above the cluster of stone pillars ahead gradually fading, while the massive, indistinct silhouette within slowly dimmed.
Looking up at the night sky, he saw the three ritual stars drifting apart once more, slowly retreating into the darkness.
The once-in-three-centuries convergence of the three stars had evidently come to an end.
At the same time, the massive, eye-like vortex churning over Center City rotated a few more times before closing shut.
It seemed the crisis had passed.
Withdrawing his gaze, he continued walking at a steady pace. About ten minutes later, something flashed across the night sky.
With a booming crash, a radiant figure plummeted from the heavens, landing not far before him.
Chen Chuan came to a halt and fixed his eyes ahead. Standing before him was a tall, lanky man who exuded the sinister aura of a venomous snake, easily surpassing three meters in height. His eyes protruded slightly, and though his frame appeared lean, his arms and legs were exceptionally long, wound with taut, corded muscle.
Straightening up, the man regarded him with a scrutinizing, unfriendly gaze. "Are you Chen Chuan of the Great Shun Delegation?"
Chapter 1158