Psychic Saber; 'By Your Imperial Decree'

Just as an Extraordinary advancement along a pathway could succumb to loss of control, the advancement of an Extraordinary weapon also carried the risk of failure. And the chances were by no means small. Perhaps for this very reason, Her Highness had given Bai Zhou two Thousand-Blade Magic Stones. Yet while the two stones could be used on two different weapons, they could never be used on the same weapon twice. The dead do not return to life, and an Extraordinary weapon that failed its advancement could hardly be reforged. Even so, the saber let out a prolonged chime, eagerly putting itself forward. This was its own will. To the faint consciousness dwelling within the weapon, it was a battle-hardened veteran. Though forged as standard-issue gear, it had witnessed the legend of General Ale, and had ultimately come into the hands of the sole heir to the civilization of Troy. Its life had been extraordinary. It could accept shattering in battle, but it refused to be discarded by its master simply due to wear and injury. Hum! Blackish-red and purple-gold light intertwined, twisting and surging within the narrow quarters of the dormitory. The purple-gold saber hovered suspended in the center of the radiant orb. Centered upon the distinct indentation of that palm print, fractures began spiderwebbing across the blade inch by inch. As the stream of blackish-red radiance continuously poured into the saber, an immense force swelled from within, as though something deep inside the steel were awakening. Crack! Crack! Crack! Sharp fractures resounded clearly from the blade. Before long, the fissures spread like cobwebs, unstoppable. Fragment after fragment peeled away, and the slender blade rapidly distorted and deformed, losing its original shape in the blink of an eye. The purple gemstone at the hilt came loose as well, floating at the center of the swirling orb, encircled by the dancing shards. Finally— Boom! Hundreds of fragments detonated simultaneously like a dazzling burst of purple-gold fireworks, scattering and dancing within the four-colored sphere of light. The purple-gold saber had shattered. Although Bai Zhou knew this was the unavoidable path of breaking to be rebuilt under the Thousand-Blade Magic Stone, his heart still clenched, and his breath grew ragged. This was the most perilous stage, where the rate of failure was terrifyingly high! To Bai Zhou, this was the butcher's cleaver General Ale had picked up to hack out a path home, and the weapon that had buried that true general in his final moments. Furthermore, it was a comrade who had fought by Bai Zhou's side from Zhuluoji all the way to the present world, slaying Saints and parrying demons. And now, it had shattered into minuscule fragments. Each piece looked no larger than a grain of rice, yet the edges of every grain gleamed with a piercing, blinding sharpness. A thousand and one fragments—just like the thousand and one nightmares from the demon it had faced in that small world—drifted in the depths of the four-colored radiance. "Don't fail..." Bai Zhou watched them anxiously, holding his breath, his eyes unblinking. The final step: reforging. It began. Guided by the blackish-red light, shard after shard was pulled back together to be reassembled. In an instant, the trails of dark radiance wove into a dense, sprawling net in midair, humming with a low vibration. Everything progressed in an orderly fashion. One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. Suddenly— Snap! A sharp, abrupt crack sent a jolt of ominous dread through Bai Zhou's chest. Hum! Sure enough, every strand of blackish-red light trembled violently. Before Bai Zhou's widening eyes, the dense web began breaking apart segment by segment. "Damn it!" The blackish-red radiance dimmed, and the purple-gold shards gradually faded into a dull, ashen gray. Losing their luster, they ceased their vibrant hums, turning dark and lifeless. Without needing anyone to tell him, Bai Zhou knew the outcome of the saber's advancement. "Did it fail...?" Even with the result before him, his voice remained fraught with disbelief. Then, the fragments began to fall. One piece, two pieces, three, four... tens, hundreds... fluttering downward like gentle snow. "This..." Bai Zhou suddenly felt a final call from the shards, as if before they plunged into total ruin, there was still something he could do for them. They needed him. Instinctively, Bai Zhou raised his hand, reaching out to catch and cradle the falling fragments. Yet even shattered, the shards were far too sharp. Before they even touched his palm, their razor aura slashed ragged, bloody gashes across his skin. Bai Zhou felt no pain. His entire focus was locked on sensing those desperate calls... At this moment, he seemed to realize what he had to do. He channeled his Fate Principle space, mobilizing that character obtained from Skeleton General Ale above the Sea of Ignorance—[Soothe]! Hum! A shudder ran through Bai Zhou's entire frame. A gentle, invisible ripple of radiance bloomed silently from within him, spreading outward with his palm as its epicenter. Time seemed to freeze in an instant, and every falling fragment halted suspended in midair. "It works!" Bai Zhou's pupils contracted. His spirits lifted, and he quickened the frequency of channeling the character [Soothe]. Buzz, buzz, buzz... The thousand and one tiny shards swayed in resonance, vibrating alongside the invisible ripples to produce a thousand and one faint chimes, like wind chimes swaying in unison with the breeze, or the distant blare of military bugles. The harmonious resonance of these thousand and one fragments reminded Bai Zhou of General Ale leading his army, when every soldier had dissolved into radiance and marched toward the horizon beneath the clarion call. Yet there was no Ale here, nor his legion. There was only Bai Zhou. And Bai Zhou's saber! They hovered suspended in midair, no longer falling, yet not reforging either, as though something was still missing. Only now did the stinging pain in his palm register. He looked down and saw the crisscrossed cuts scoring his right palm. The burning pain made him wince belatedly. If anyone saw his hand, they would probably wonder what bizarre kink he had developed. Droplet after droplet of bright crimson blood welled densely from the cuts, trembling precariously atop the gashes. The ripples, which ought to have been invisible, not only steadied the thousand and one shards, but seemed to gently tug at these crimson beads of blood as well. "Could it be...?" Enlightenment struck Bai Zhou. He curled his fingers slightly, contracting the muscles of his palm, sending one bead of deep red blood after another floating into the air. An Extraordinary's vital blood was remarkably dense. Each crimson droplet Bai Zhou produced was roughly two centimeters across, resembling small rubies or large drops of molten candy. Hum. Sure enough. The invisible ripples born of the character [Soothe] shifted, gathering the large beads of blood and compressing them into slender crimson threads. The blood threads rose, winding gracefully through the air to tether the fragments of the saber, prompting them to reassemble once more. It was like threading a needle. "The ripples of [Soothe] guide the blood threads, and the blood threads stitch the shards..." Watching this unfold, a murmur rose in Bai Zhou's heart. The sight inexplicably brought back the memory of General Ale using a bone whip to bind his skeleton army together. Yet the fragments demanded an enormous volume of blood. Supplying the blood while channeling [Soothe] within his Fate Principle space, Bai Zhou watched the crimson threads being relentlessly drawn from his palm, and the color drained from his face at a terrifying speed. Each shard required a thread drawn from a bead of blood. For a thousand and one shards, Bai Zhou needed a thousand and one drops of vitality—a thousand and one dense, solidified beads. As time slipped by, his face turned deathly pale, and even his lips grew purplish-blue. Had the pre-natal essence within him not continuously regenerated his blood, while the Lunar Wolf Power repaired his body, he would have collapsed from sheer exhaustion. Fortunately, at last... Boom! As the final thread pulled the last shard into place, hundreds upon hundreds of fragments blazed with light simultaneously! Like countless puzzle pieces finally finding their proper homes, the finished picture crystallized at this very moment. Reforging, complete! Advancement, achieved! When the glare faded, a brand-new long saber hovered quietly in midair. Fueled by the Thousand-Blade Magic Stone, given a soul by [Soothe], boned with Bai Zhou's blood, and fleshed out by the original saber's steel, a red-and-white saber was born anew! Its silhouette remained similar to before, but the colors and details had completely changed. The dazzling radiance swirling across its surface filled Bai Zhou's vision. The milky-white blade shimmered with a watery sheen, its razor-sharp aura not diminished in the slightest—indeed, far fiercer than ever before. Upon closer inspection, one would find that this milky-white blade was actually pieced together from hundreds of tiny fragments, separated by exceedingly fine seams. These seams pulsed like breathing blood vessels across the steel, glowing with an elusive crimson luminescence that drifted through the milky-white expanse. Even the gemstone on the hilt had shifted from a deep violet to an interwoven blend of red and white. The red was Bai Zhou's blood; the white was the transformative touch of the ripples of [Soothe] upon the shards. Yet for reasons unknown, simply gazing at the saber brought an eerie tranquility to Bai Zhou's mind, and staring too long left his consciousness drifting in a daze. "...Wait!" Bai Zhou snapped back to reality. It affects the mind! Was this a new capability of the blade? Hum... Bai Zhou reached out, gently gripping the hilt of the saber. An overwhelming sense of seamless unity flooded his heart, as though the blade were a natural extension of his own body; describing it as an extension of his arm felt inadequate to capture the wondrous sensation. And so it should be. Now, this blade carried Bai Zhou's personal imprint through and through. It bore the influence of his character [Soothe] and was forged of his own blood. Had anyone else attempted to wield it, the ferocious saber aura would likely slash them to ribbons on the spot, let alone allow itself to be used. Nowhere in heaven or earth could there be found a weapon so perfectly attuned to Bai Zhou. It was a weapon uniquely his. Yet this was no ordinary Extraordinary weapon. It was... Bai Zhou narrowed his eyes, calming his mind to sense the profound mysteries radiating from the blade. "A quasi-Spirit-Name secret treasure." This saber had advanced to become a quasi-Spirit-Name secret treasure! It stood merely a single step away from a true Spirit-Name secret treasure! Under the influence of the Thousand-Blade Magic Stone, it had acquired the trait of Thousand-Blade Transformation. Composed of a thousand and one fragments, the blade could disassemble, reassemble, and alter its trajectory at any moment during combat, making its strikes utterly unpredictable. Yet that was not its greatest strength. Every Spirit-Name secret treasure possessed a distinctive, prominent elemental attribute, which dictated what temperament and Extraordinary pathway could harmonize with it. Excepting its creator, like Bai Zhou. The elemental attribute of the Sky-Thunder Bow was obviously Lightning, while the heavily damaged wand of Gem Witch seemed to be Fire. As a quasi-Spirit-Name secret treasure, this saber also possessed its own attribute, but an exceptionally rare one. It was Psychic. This blade could directly inflict damage upon the mind, carrying an innate suppression. When it struck an opponent, it wounded both flesh and spirit simultaneously. Furthermore, if an enemy harbored intense emotions such as guilt, fear, or obsession in battle, the saber's edge would deal doubled damage! Evidently, this was inseparable from the influence of the character [Soothe]. "So [Soothe] can actually work like this?" Bai Zhou murmured inwardly. "No wonder..." No wonder just looking at the blade had swayed his own mind. Yet conversely, if he—its creator, whose blood had forged it and who was its destined master—was affected, what would happen to anyone else? If an ordinary person like Fang Xiaoxia were to look at it, wouldn't they fall into a trance with a single glance? Charm? Mesmerize? Bewitchment...? In an instant, Bai Zhou recalled various descriptions of such weapons from adventure tales. A demonic blade! Though this red-and-white saber appeared holy and dashing, it could entirely pass as a thoroughbred demonic blade! Naturally, Bai Zhou felt that a saber capable of 'soothing' another's mind ought to be called the Blade of Mercy, or the Trouble-Severing Blade. "The Sky-Thunder Bow is powerful, but right now..." Bai Zhou gave the long saber a gentle flick. The blade moved with his intent. Clack! The steel disassembled in an instant, transforming into hundreds of fine, darting streams of light. They whipped through the air of the dorm room like fluttering butterflies, then clattered back together into a pristine blade. The sharp aura left faint scoring on the floor, a dazzling sight of a thousand and one fragments that would leave anyone utterly bewildered. "So smooth!" Bai Zhou could feel that, as the dual source of the ripples of [Soothe] and the vital blood, he possessed absolute mastery over this weapon! Under normal circumstances, a Spirit-Name secret treasure required gradual attunement and progressive unlocking, just like the Sky-Thunder Bow. This blade required none of that. How could a person fail to know how to use their own arm? This saber felt like an inseparable part of Bai Zhou's flesh and blood. Even if it advanced to a true Spirit-Name secret treasure in the future, that bond would remain unchanged. Although it was still half a step away from a true Spirit-Name secret treasure, because Bai Zhou could draw forth its full power without restriction, it had become the strongest weapon in his arsenal! Bar none! After all, without favorable timing and terrain, an item like the Sky-Thunder Bow... As formidable as it was, Bai Zhou could barely draw the string, so what could he do? "Using this blade will certainly drain a massive amount of energy, but pushed to its limits, for a brief window, it should be able to..." Bai Zhou estimated, "I feel like I could trade blows with that dark-haired youth?" That domineering, dark-haired youth from the Western Federation delegation. A Level 6 Titled expert... and in all likelihood, a Level 6 Titled Heavenly Mandate bearer! He had posed a terrifying mortal threat to Bai Zhou. Yet now, armed with this saber, Bai Zhou felt an unexpected surge of confidence! In truth, according to Bai Zhou's understanding, a fully liberated Spirit-Name secret treasure—even the weakest of its kind—was equivalent to a living entity above Level 6. And as Bai Zhou perceived it now, if this saber operated at full output... It genuinely matched half an entity above Level 6! In other words, Bai Zhou held an exceptionally powerful, living Level 6 Titled Heavenly Mandate expert that obeyed his every command! "And that's not all!" Bai Zhou gently stroked the blade. The fierce saber aura recoiled on its own upon touching his skin, humming with a few docile, low chimes. If he unleashed the saber's maximum power, even if he poured everything he had into it, he could barely sustain its full release for two or three seconds. However, as its master, he could preserve its innate properties as a Spirit-Name secret treasure while throttling down its power output. By Bai Zhou's estimates, a mere seven percent output would already surpass its former sharpness, while granting the extra bonuses of Thousand-Blade Transformation and psychic-targeted attacks. A leap! A leap in the truest sense! "Looks like you can't retire just yet." Not long ago, the demon who had possessed Li Manman had left an indentation of a palm print upon the saber. Though that mark was proof of the saber having stared down a demon, it had also inflicted indelible damage. Bai Zhou had always worried about it. Apart from a few wooden stool legs, this was the first real blade of his life. Humans were complicated creatures; they could coolly accept parting with the living most of the time, yet cling with profound reluctance to inanimate objects that had kept them company for so long. Fortunately— At this moment, the knot in his heart was completely untied! Buzz, buzz, buzz... As his fingertips lifted from the edge, Bai Zhou flicked his wrist. The thousand and one fragments hummed in response. The rice-grain-sized shards gathered into thirteen larger sections, their vibration producing a tremulous, wind-chime-like chime, as if answering his words. "Yeah, that's right. We're going to keep fighting side by side." He raised the saber, looking at this weapon that felt both foreign and familiar, catching his own reflection across the polished steel. Sensing the naive, familiar, and excitedly stirring consciousness within the blade, Bai Zhou gave his old partner a wink. "I'll be counting on you in the battles to come, old blade." In the empty room, the youth murmured with a touch of cheerful lightness: "Looking forward to working with you." Repairing and advancing the saber was a tremendous gain for Bai Zhou, taking a massive weight off his chest. Yet there was another treasure that had long remained damaged, waiting for his repairs. Bang! Bang! Bang! Someone pounded on the dormitory door, the knocks thoroughly unapologetic. Bai Zhou opened the door. Before he could even get a clear look at his visitor, a crisp, self-righteous shout rang out: "Pay up!" Bai Zhou's face turned solemn. He raised a hand to block the uninvited guest just as she stepped forward. "Boys' dorm! No girls allowed!" "And didn't I say that eight yuan and twenty-seven cents didn't need to be repaid?" "That's what you said! Since when does a debtor get to decide that a debt is forgiven?" Gem Witch curled her lip. "Besides, you promised to fix my wand." Her gaze turned gloomy. "A whole day has passed, and I haven't seen you keep your word!" Bai Zhou laughed sheepishly. "Haven't I been busy the whole time? You saw it yourself." "I certainly did." In the end, Gem Witch slipped into the room anyway. After looking left and right, she withdrew her gaze with vague disappointment and turned to Bai Zhou. "You looked quite impressive, Bai Zhou!" "When you won that sweeping victory, the entire Special Control Bureau was shouting your name." Pausing briefly, Gem Witch added in an undertone: "Naturally, I shouted too." "Thanks. You know, I usually don't care much about that sort of thing." Bai Zhou blinked twice. "So you definitely didn't come for eight yuan and twenty-seven cents." Bai Zhou continued, "Actually, I was just about to find you to talk about the wand." "Isn't that why people say they love dealing with smart people?" Gem Witch snapped her fingers, looking at him eagerly. "So, don't you think today is great weather for repairing a wand, Master Magic-Pattern Craftsman?" "I wouldn't call myself a master, but I do have a few ideas about fixing that wand." Bai Zhou didn't intend to delay any further and held out his hand. "Hand it over. The wand." "You... hmm?" Gem Witch reached behind her waist for the wand, then suddenly froze, staring intently at Bai Zhou's palm. Turned upward, his right palm was scored with the crisscrossed blood marks left by the red-and-white saber earlier. "Did I ever mention that my college major was actually psychology?" Choosing her words carefully, Gem Witch looked at him with caution. "So, if you're feeling down... maybe I could help talk you through it." "What?" Bai Zhou paused. "Why would I be down?" That Luo guy had just died; he could hardly wait to dance on Luo Tunan's grave while cackling like a villain. His mood couldn't be better. Why on earth would he need counseling? Following Gem Witch's gaze to the scratches on his palm, Bai Zhou gave a start, finally realizing what she meant. "No, no, no, I'm not so depressed that I'd hurt myself." Bai Zhou waved his hand dismissively, his expression turning serious. "To be honest, I've always believed that no matter what happens, harming oneself is utterly pointless." "If I don't even cherish myself, who else can I expect to feel bad for me?" "A person has to pamper themselves to live well—and live better and happier than anyone else." With a hint of pride, Bai Zhou recounted his own past: "In fact, I'm also very good at talking to myself and giving myself pep talks—I'm my own best therapist." "So don't worry." Why had he said 'also'? At that moment, Bai Zhou inexplicably thought of a certain hissing little fire dragon who was equally adept at the practice. "I see..." Gem Witch finally let out a sigh of relief. She drew out the wand and handed it to Bai Zhou, remarking casually, "Honestly, I think if I hadn't become Gem Witch, I might have made a pretty good therapist." "A chatterbox therapist?" Bai Zhou quipped, then looked down at the wand in his hand. The wand looked thoroughly unremarkable. In every respect, it resembled a rotted branch, its shaft covered in dense fractures caked with centuries of grime. Holding it carefully, a few specks of black debris even crumbled to the floor. "It was by chance that I obtained an Extraordinary pathway and this wand, which is how I stepped into the mysterious world," Gem Witch explained. "In the Reflected Ruin Realm, that..." Her voice took on an embarrassed tinge. "That grenade-like wand that exploded was dug up right alongside it." "That's why I've been looking for someone who recognizes these magic patterns and can repair the wand. I staked out the ghost market for an entire year just for that, and then..." And then she had staked out Bai Zhou. "Truth be told, I can only say I'll give it a try. I can't guarantee success." Bai Zhou examined the intricate patterns on the wand. His focused scrutiny of the rotten stick looked as though he were admiring a priceless masterpiece. "If I feel something is wrong, I'll stop immediately to avoid causing extra damage..." At this point, Bai Zhou paused in thought and looked back at her: "Actually, if you're not in a hurry to fix it, I'd personally suggest..." "I know what you mean—but it's quite urgent," Gem Witch replied helplessly. "I can't afford to wait much longer. Truthfully, my subsequent pathway advancement depends on this wand. If it isn't repaired, I'll remain stuck." She sighed. "Even the old consultant at the Armory didn't recognize these patterns. In all of Tinghai, you're the person I know who can help me the most." "Understood." Bai Zhou's expression grew solemn. Under Gem Witch's gaze, he produced an Extraordinary paintbrush, its tip carrying vibrant pigment that squirmed like a living creature. It was still the Sketching Paintbrush · Earth. With this, his success rate as a half-baked pattern crafter was vastly improved. As for the brush the principal had delivered—Bai Zhou had tested it the previous night and discovered it possessed a distinct purpose, ill-suited for delicate pattern work like this. "Is that specialized equipment for pattern crafters?" Gem Witch's eyes filled with wonder. She could sense the aura of a formidable Extraordinary weapon upon the brush. Using something like that simply to trace magic patterns was truly extravagant. "Others probably don't have one," Bai Zhou answered honestly. "The Art Club gave it to me—an heirloom of their pathway." "Gave...?" Gem Witch was rendered speechless. Repaying enmity with kindness? Since when had the folks at the Art Club been so accommodating? "I'm going to begin." Focusing his mind and steadying his spirit, Bai Zhou set brush to work. The brush tip traced imaginary shapes in the air: a circle, a horizontal line, an inverted triangle, an upright triangle, a wavy line, and a spiral curving upward by a turn and a half... "The covenant is forged." Bai Zhou lifted the brush and silently recited in his heart: "Guide me." Gem Witch had witnessed this practiced and intricate procedure back in the ghost market of the Reflected Ruin Realm, where Bai Zhou's actions had stunned the veteran consultant from the Armory. It was called Sacred Demarcation. From this moment onward, his movements would be empowered by the ritual. His spirit resonated with the world, granting a second boost to the success rate of repairing the patterns. That was not all. Bai Zhou quietly activated Celestial Pivot. Hum! The paths of the magic patterns became ten times clearer in his sight, and the faint flow of spirituality upon the wand was finally revealed in vague outline. Conversely, where damage had interrupted the spiritual flow, Bai Zhou could now roughly discern the fractures. Having completed this sequence of preparations to maximize success— Bai Zhou finally got to work in earnest. Hovering the brush tip above the wand, he did not rush to stroke. He observed the wand with undivided attention for a long time. As Celestial Pivot revolved, profound intricacies flowed deep within his eyes. Deduce, deduce, deduce... Stillness before motion; opportunities in the spiritual flow flickered past in the blink of an eye. After long stretches of observation, his brush fell like lightning only at rare intervals. His hand remained remarkably steady—sometimes merely a light tap, sometimes a flick or a hook. One minute, two minutes, ten minutes, half an hour... Throughout that half hour, Bai Zhou did not even blink, remaining silent the entire time. Before sweat could even bead on his forehead, Gem Witch leaned in to dab it away. The masked girl stood nervously at his side, hardly daring to breathe, quietly watching his intense focus. The room was terrifyingly quiet. Now, an ancient wand tied to Zhuluoji lay in Bai Zhou's hands. Amidst the ruins of Troy, Bai Zhou had seen many similar variants of magic patterns. Having repaired an imitation back in the Reflected Ruin Realm, he was far from clueless about the wand before him. Even though the patterns on this wand were countless times more intricate than the previous two, Equipped with both Celestial Pivot and an Extraordinary paintbrush, Bai Zhou was no longer the novice he once was. In fact, he was deeply intrigued by the secrets concealed behind this wand. "Rome..." Perhaps Gem Witch would bring him unexpected revelations. An hour later, a tiny portion of the patterns across the rotted wood finally linked up smoothly, and the ancient lines dormant for centuries flickered with a faint luminescence. Yet Bai Zhou paid it little mind, keeping his head down as he continued tracing. This small section made up barely a tenth of the entire wand's patterns—and the most marginal, simple tenth at the very base... The road ahead was long and arduous! Yet at that exact moment— Hum! The wand shuddered violently. The newly repaired lines flared simultaneously. A mysterious, dark red radiance welled from deep within the wood, rushing frantically along the ancient carvings, illuminating Bai Zhou's face. "What's happening?!" Standing beside him, Gem Witch's eyes went wide. The next instant— Boom! A torrent of spiritual fluctuations erupted from the wand, as if proclaiming a long-awaited return. Bai Zhou's pupils contracted. From the wand, he sensed the unmistakable aura of an awakening Spirit-Name secret treasure—a terrifying sensation that no ordinary Extraordinary weapon could ever imitate. It felt as though a mighty being above Level 6 was slowly opening its eyes right before him. Yet the problem was... "This is only a tenth?" Holding the wand in his left hand, the Extraordinary brush in his right froze in midair. Merely a tenth of the patterns—and this battered, rotted wand had already unleashed the tremendous presence of an awakening Spirit-Name secret treasure?! The spirituality upon the wand surged violently, the wood trembling in his grip. Bai Zhou dared not move his brush. He could no longer tell whether the tenth he had traced was right or wrong. Everything was spiraling beyond control. Because of this single tenth of the patterns, an internal metamorphosis had occurred within the wand. It seemed to be waking, yet turning dangerously erratic. "Did it succeed? Did it fail?" Unable to tell, Gem Witch dared not interrupt, her nerves stretched to their absolute limit. Suddenly, Bai Zhou's gaze fell upon the magic patterns surging wildly with spirituality at the base of the wand. In his vision, the patterns seemed to enlarge and rearrange themselves, transforming into a script. A humming chime echoed in his ears, blurring his senses. At this moment, an utterly bizarre sensation surged from the depths of Bai Zhou's heart. Those patterns... were speaking to him. More accurately, they wanted to hear him speak. They were calling out to him, longing and praying to hear his voice. Instinctively, Bai Zhou raised his hand, his fingertips gently touching the glowing red lines at the base. Then, an inexplicable feeling arose within him—a drive born of pure instinct. It was waiting. Piously waiting for a command. Or rather, waiting for Bai Zhou's command. Any command. So long as he willed it. So long as he spoke it. Realizing this, Bai Zhou froze. His heart pounded against his ribs. He had no idea why such an illusion had appeared. Yet his throat bobbed. His lips parted. Yielding to that instinctive impulse, he uttered softly: "Return." He issued the command. In his identity as the sole citizen acknowledged by the Roman Spirit Net, First in the Line of Succession to the Roman Empire—Lucus Nies Nolanus. The instant the word left his mouth— Buzz, buzz, buzz! Every repaired pattern upon the wand erupted with blinding crimson radiance! The light was hundreds of times more dazzling than before. A torrent of blazing red engulfed the room, making the dormitory look as though consumed by a fire fallen from the heavens! The violent resonance crashed like mountain-toppling waves, the spreading crimson glow instantly submerging Bai Zhou's figure, while a thunderous roar reverberated in his ears. It sounded like a chorus in unison, a roaring ocean paying homage and swearing fealty to Bai Zhou, completely casting aside its original owner, Gem Witch. And through the daze, Bai Zhou heard an ancient, familiar tongue. They spoke—or perhaps the wand itself spoke: "By your imperial decree!"