Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 627 - 620: The Heart’s Eye

Chapter 627: Chapter 620: The Heart’s Eye

"No, it’s fate’s choice. There’s no need for you to shoulder the blame yourself," the old man said, coughing as he spoke.

Apparently, the girl named Feng had just attempted to strike a fatal blow against Luo’er, but the old man had barely managed to stop her. However, this intervention cost the old man a significant internal injury, causing Luo’er to feel guilty.

After a bout of severe coughing, the old man’s complexion noticeably worsened, though his spirit seemed oddly invigorated. Having experienced life-and-death situations before, Luo’er recognized this as a deathbed rally.

"Let’s continue our discussion!" The old man, having finally stopped his coughing, said this while sitting up straight.

"May I ask your name?" After a moment of silence, Luo’er asked.

"My name has long been swept away by the wind. Ask another question," replied the old man calmly.

Luo’er fell silent again. After a long while, he finally said, "Then, tell me your story."

"My story, huh..." The old man let out a sigh, unsurprised by Luo’er’s request, as if he had expected it all along.

"I come from a noble family. In my youth, I traveled the world, sword in hand, unbeatable by anyone. They all revered me as the ’Sword Saint,’" the old man recalled, letting out a few sighs.

"Sword Saint?" Luo’er was taken aback, the title reminding him of Yalunte.

"Later on, I became a knight of the temple. For the Church Court, for the Pope, I waged war in all directions, staining my hands with the blood of countless people. When I turned fifty and looked back on my life, I asked myself, is this really how I want to live my life..." the old man continued.

This time, Luo’er was tactful enough not to interrupt, choosing instead to quietly listen to the man’s story.

"The turning point in my life came from an accidental visit. I went to the Great Library of the Holy City, where I found the ’Drexsita Prophecy Collection’, which has influenced my entire life. From this book, I saw my future, I saw my mission. I was shocked at the time, refusing to believe the future that was predicted. I tried to resist it, but ended up falling into the facts predicted by the prophecy. The prophecy is like a framework, confining the second half of my life, forcing me to act according to its rules," the old man confessed, filled with emotion.

"So, I started following the instructions of the prophecy, stealing this book from the library," the old man said, shaking his head and chuckling ruefully. "By then, I didn’t even know whether the book was predicting the future, or issuing me orders. Anyway, I started roaming this world with the book."

"Throughout the years, the book provided me no guidance. I lived a dull life, beginning to doubt if I was being deceived by the book, but..." The old man looked in the direction of the girl and sighed deeply, "One day, I found a small basket atop a mountain. Inside the basket was a baby girl. The moment I saw her, my body started trembling, and an unspeakable sense of defeat spread from my spine to every part of my body. The book didn’t lie to me after all. I had to continue living within the framework set by the prophecy."

"At the same time, I also found a thin booklet in the cradle. The booklet contained images and strange characters. I tried to decipher the text but to no avail, yet the images provided me with inspiration. Eventually, I understood that it was a manual for a kind of practice. A new kind of practice, different from magic, so I began to follow this manual..."

"The girl grew day by day. I named her Fengye after the maple leaf that fell into the basket when I found her. Or just Feng for short. As she grew up, I began teaching her the practices from the booklet. To my surprise, she progressed much faster than I did. Clearly, this manual was more suited for her, tailored specifically for her," the old man suggested, his words filled with appreciation for the girl.

"So, the moves she’s using now were all learned from the booklet?" Luo’er couldn’t help but ask.

"No, I taught her how to handle a sword. Don’t forget, I was once known as the Sword Saint," the old man said. "However, the way she uses magic was indeed learned from the booklet."

"Look at her now, she’s reaccumulating magic power in preparation for the next battle," the old man said, pointing towards the girl.

"So, she’s recharging..." Luo’er mumbled, looking at Feng’s meditative state.

After a moment of silence, Luo’er frowned and asked, "Is the reason you could sense the existence of Fulajie’er because of your practice?"

"Fulajie’er, ah, you’re referring to that little girl," the elder slightingly nodded his head before continuing, "Indeed, although my abilities are much inferior to Feng’s."

"How exactly did you manage to do this, why is it that despite such great distances, you were able to establish a resonance with Fula’s soul?" Luo’er asked with a furrowed brow.

"The human body is like a pot, and the soul is like water. If the pot is coarse pottery, water can easily seep out," the elder explained.

"I don’t quite understand?" Luo’er said hesitantly.

"Put simply, it’s making the soul swell, freeing it from the shackles of the body, and allowing it to spread around," the elder further elucidated.

"Unshackling the soul from the body can lead to trouble," Luo’er stated.

While managing the Deity Creation Project in the south, Luo’er had accumulated ample experience in this regard. Therefore, he understood well that, once a person’s soul is unbound from the body, it will completely disappear, and the body will subsequently succumb to death.

Fulajie’er was only able to live in her current state because Nightingale had transferred the soul constraint to a vessel before her body could eradicate the soul’s bondage. Thus, Fulajie’er’s soul did not disperse due to the vessel constrain, but her body had already died.

"As long as the root remains in the body, there will be no issues," the elder explained nonchalantly.

"I don’t quite understand..." said Luo’er.

"You will understand someday," the elder said as he pulled out a thin booklet from his pocket, placed it on the ground, and pushed it over, "This is a practice guidebook. Take it back with you and study it well."

Luo’er stared at the worn-out booklet for a long time and suddenly asked, "Is this part of the prophecy too?"

"Of course!" the elder responded naturally.

"What will happen if I don’t accept it?" Luo’er inquired.

Hearing Luo’er’s words, the elder revealed a faint smile and said, "Young man, whether you accept or reject it all depends on your heart. But I must remind you that you had better not inquire about the contents of the prophecy, or else you will undoubtedly regret it your whole life."

Hearing his words, Luo’er hesitated for a moment, reached out to take the book, and held it in his hand. It was a paper booklet, and the paper quality was strange. Despite looking so tattered, it still had tenacity, not easily tearing.

The booklet was like a martial arts secret manual. Luo’er opened it, and pictures and texts vividly described the methods of practice. He, however, was unable to understand these characters, only the illustrations. This kind of text, which was somewhat pictographic, was very rare in the Otherworld, where phonetic characters were predominant.

Through his conversation with the elder, Luo’er had clarified two things at least. Firstly, the elder seemed to be waiting for them guided by the prophecy, and it was unclear as to what he intended to do next. Secondly, both the elder and the girl seemed to have undergone a practice different from magic, which was why the girl’s moves were abnormal, and her Soul Domain was stronger than ordinary people.

Noticing Luo’er’s deep thoughts, the elder paused before suddenly asking, "Do you know how I became blind?"

"I would be glad to learn more." Luo’er nodded and responded.

"When your practice reaches a certain level, you will realize that eyes are the least useful things. They only lead you to see a chaos of things, preventing you from focusing on one particular thing. After I opened my mind’s eye, I gouged out my own physical eyes. Although I may be blind, my mind’s eye is very clear. I can see exactly where each of you is standing and what you are doing."