Traveler of the River of Time and Space-Chapter 412 - 28: Zombification

Su Ziyu slowly walked to the corpse of the Undead Squad's Ashen King.

If one were to use a stark analogy, it would be that the flesh of this Ashen King had already been burned away in the last Fire Transmission Ceremony, leaving only some bones that hadn't been completely incinerated. Then, the Fire Transmission Ritual Site, through certain Secret Techniques, reawakened these bones, and when the First Flame needed fuel again, they tossed the bones into the fire once more.

Utterly merciless!

As Su Ziyu reached out to take the dazzling soul floating above the Undead Squad Ashen King's body, his corpse and the Flame Greatsword both turned to ashes.

This time, he truly rested in peace.

If it were another Fireless Ash who killed him, they might have even taken an Ashen King's head, but after Su Ziyu took the Divinity within him, the Undead Squad Ashen King finally returned to dust this time.

——"Soul of the Ashen King of Falan Undead Squad (Refinable): An exceptionally powerful soul, having burnt away and lost much of its Power. Refinement grants 2,100 Energy Value and can consume 1 Source Power Value to condense into a Legendary Quality Soul Crystal Stone."

Legendary Soul Crystal Stone?

That seems to be an item used to craft Legendary Artifacts, right?

Does anyone I know make these?

Hmm.

Can the witches of the Demon Hunter World do it?

If obtaining a Legendary Artifact is possible, it would certainly be more worthwhile than directly refining it into Energy Value.

Legendary Artifacts are things that are sought after but rarely found.

After storing the Ashen King's soul, Su Ziyu turned to the nun Fried and softly asked, "Do you remember what happened in the fire?"

"I don't remember." Nun Fried shook her head.

Su Ziyu pondered for a moment before continuing, "The Fire Transmission Ceremony has been held so many times throughout history."

"Why, in recent years, can an Ashen King be burned once and still be awakened and survive?"

"When did this start?"

After contacting that eerie consciousness, a strange thought emerged in Su Ziyu's mind: throughout history, with so many Fire Transmission Ceremonies held, many world-class powerhouses were completely scorched, yet now there are Ashen Kings who can revive after being burned once? These revived Ashen Kings don't seem as strong as past Ashen Kings, right? Mind you, back then, many ancient beings were burned!

That consciousness's crazed hunger cannot be deceived.

It was so hungry as to want to devour Su Ziyu; how could it spare other Ashen Kings?

Unless the Fire Transmission Ritual Site did something!

If the First Flame were compared to a starved beast about to go mad and die of hunger, the Fire Transmission Ritual Site must have used some method to keep these four Ashen Kings burned once.

Just like feeding a starved beast on the verge of death, quickly throwing in a piece of meat when it's starving to prevent it from dying.

Even when the food to sustain it wasn't enough, after the meat was consumed, they had to find a way to retrieve the bones, waiting for the next time the beast was incredibly hungry, using the leftover bones to suffice its hunger slightly as it's dying.

"I... I don't remember..." Nun Fried's expression showed a tinge of pain as she shook her head.

There is something wrong with the Fire Transmission Ritual Site. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Just as Su Ziyu thought about this, Nun Fried suddenly seemed to remember something, murmuring, "I seem to recall some things..."

"There are two Fire Transmission Ritual Sites! ..."

"One has been abandoned for a long time... The other... Ugh! ..."

Nun Fried let out a painful groan, gasping as she continued, "When we started using the second Fire Transmission Ritual Site... some Ashen Kings, after being burned, could be awakened and revived again..."

"The Fireless Ash..."

"That's when it was born! ... We are Ashen Kings... Ashen Kings burned to nothing..."

Nun Fried's painful expression became more apparent, even showing signs of flames burning on her body, as if the flames wanted to consume her. Su Ziyu was startled and quickly interrupted her thoughts, shouting, "Don't recall anymore! ..."

"Calm down."

"Calm down quickly! ..."

Sizzle.

A faint golden arc of electricity fell upon Nun Fried, and after a painful groan, her recollection was forcibly interrupted.

Nun Fried breathed heavily, looking at her charred-like hands, mumbling, "I seem to have forgotten something very important! ..."

"Something all Fireless Ash forgot..."

Zombification.

Nun Fried's once beautiful and charming face quickly began to zombify. Originally appearing as a beautiful maiden of seventeen or eighteen, which was her appearance when she was burned as Ashen King, Nun Fried's face now visibly withered, her flesh shrank as if wilting, turning slightly horrifying and even revealing the contours of her facial bones. Her once fair hands became shriveled, like the flames burned away the flesh, leaving an empty skeletal frame.

Only her pair of eyes, burning with fiery sparks, remained exceptionally bright. Nun Fried stood still for a long time, then let out a gentle sigh.

"Is this my true form?" Nun Fried's lips curled into a mocking smile.

Uncertain whether mocking herself or some unknowable entity.

Now Nun Fried appeared like a mummy, almost identical to the Undead Squad's Ashen King earlier; the flesh long withered in flames, leaving only an empty shell of a skeletal frame.

This beautiful nun was now completely zombified.

She sighed softly, tearing a corner of her long dress as a veil to cover her visage, then lifted her head, her eyes, slightly sparking, looking at Su Ziyu, "If we can find the former Fire Transmission Ritual Site."

"Perhaps I can recall some forgotten things."

With that, she fell silent.

Su Ziyu blankly watched the transformation before him, observing a beautiful maiden become a withered corpse in front of his eyes. If he hadn't interrupted Nun Fried's recollection in time, the consequences might have been more severe.

A wisp of ash drifted from Nun Fried.

Su Ziyu reached out to catch the ash, feeling a burning pain in his palm before it disintegrated into dust.

"Let's go."

Su Ziyu thought for a moment before slowly saying, "Let's leave this place first."

Meanwhile.

In the distant Fire Transmission Ritual Site.

The sudden, rumbling collapse startled everyone, lifting their heads in astonishment. Hawkwood, having secluded himself in a corner for a long time, stared amazedly upwards, murmuring, "The Throne of the Ashen King..."

"Collapsed..."

The Ashen King Throne, representing the Falan Undead Squad among the arranged Ashen King Thrones, crumbled in a cascade of broken stones into dust.

Beside the bonfire not far away.

The Firekeeper did not turn around, simply kneeling in front of the bonfire as if in prayer, yet her lips curled into a slight smile.

......…