Chapter 1173: Chapter 1171: Sincerity and Shock
"Heh heh... Now I have a question."
Facing Fu Qian’s counter-question, Yuan Shan watched in worried anticipation, but Henry’s expression eased all at once.
"Knowing the essence of this city, if your actions are unrestricted, what will you do next?"
"Simple."
Fu Qian glanced at Yuan Shan, seemingly having had his answer ready in advance.
"Tour all of these churches and then try my luck."
"Whatever the so-called essence is, there’s no conflict with its top amusement park."
Ha ha ha...
After hearing Fu Qian’s plan, Henry was initially startled but soon laughed wholeheartedly.
"How did you know about the name ’Prism of Radiant Transformation’?"
However, he quickly stifled his laughter the next second and brought the conversation back to the main topic.
The sudden switch clearly caught Yuan Shan off guard, as she watched Fu Qian with a hint of nervousness.
After all, as Chief Yuan, she of course knew that the nonsense the two had just spouted was far from simple.
The teacher was definitely probing, and this top adviser of hers was never a passive person.
Earlier she had found these two guys annoying, but now she couldn’t help but worry as the topic shifted to serious matters so quickly.
"I’ve had a bit of an encounter with Him."
Yet under Yuan Shan’s nervously watchful eyes, Fu Qian gave a shockingly calm response.
...
Once Yuan Shan fully processed Fu Qian’s words, her mind seemed to freeze for a few seconds. Upon recovering, she immediately looked at the teacher, her face filled with horror.
"I thought we had established an honest exchange..."
Yet the teacher didn’t seem much better, as all hints of a smile vanished from his face almost instantly.
Moreover, with that sentence, the visibility around them began to diminish rapidly.
It was indeed close to midnight, but the room should have had the lights constantly on, and all three of them were high-ranking Transcendents with no issues regarding their field of vision.
However, at this moment, darkness seemed to become a tangible entity, seeping out from every place and enveloping everything within its grasp.
What tremendous oppressive force!
Unfortunately, I can’t see any connection with the powers encountered in the Color Wheel.
As the targeted individual, Fu Qian showed no panic, only a sense of loss.
The intimidation in front of him was what he wanted; otherwise, why would he put so much effort into scaring others?
Unfortunately, what the Divine Envoy displayed in his anger was not the ideal situation.
Powerful, it definitely was; the enveloping darkness was about far more than merely restraining action or fabricating illusions.
It seemed as if this space had been defiled.
Fu Qian could distinctly feel the intangible imbalance and distortion that filled the space around him.
Like an uneven lens, things appeared normal, but any action he might want to take could be repelled, magnified, or obstructed.
Even doing nothing, this otherworldly curse-like thing was even invading his state of just sitting here, with a disgusting feeling of filth encompassing him.
While power is just a tool, much like one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, isn’t this tool of yours a bit too disgusting?
Fu Qian internally jeered for a moment while casting a glance at Chief Yuan out of the corner of his eye.
She seemed to have considerable experience in handling such situations, as strands of a black substance were enveloping her body’s surface.
This ability, which she once used to control pollution, was now wrapping around her in reverse.
Though her fists were clenched, she remained composed and didn’t rush to make any move that would escalate the conflict.
"No problem at all, that’s what I think too."
In response to Yuan Shan’s handling, Fu Qian even refrained from any resistance, supporting his face with his hand, allowing the filth to wash over him, as a gesture of stance.
"Do you think what I’m saying is impossible? But if not, why would I seek out news about this name?"
"That’s what I want to know too. This name shouldn’t exist in this world in any form—"
Henry’s words were cut short as his attention was captured by something that appeared before his eyes.
It was an old-fashioned lantern with a round belly and black tube, not only worn on the outside but even lacking a wick inside the glass cover.
Instead, a feint and indescribable cascade of colors swirled within it.
"How is that possible, where did you get it from?"
Foregoing his previous composure, this Second Phase big shot suddenly stood up, his tone full of life doubts.
"Oh, dug it out from the warehouse."
Fu Qian clearly had his answer prepared, naturally responding without missing a beat.
...
While Henry was doubting his life, Yuan Shan appeared to be calmer, her gaze shifting between Fu Qian and the lantern, filled with suspicion.
"Such a large object, how did I not notice you carrying it, where did you pull it out from?"
"Such dangerous items naturally have their special preservation methods."
Fu Qian shook his head, his face an enigma.
The Miniscule Cosmic Aberration, this lantern that seemed to be connected to the Prism of Radiant Transformation in any sense, was certainly not something he carried with him at all times.
What Fu Qian did just now was quite simple: he took off his "Messenger" mask under the pretext of touching his face, making a trip back to the warehouse.
However, under the effect of Zawarudo, Yuan Shan and another person obviously could not perceive this fact, ending up as if he had conjured a lantern out of thin air.
This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment idea; as part of his top collection, Fu Qian had already thought on his way here to use this item to add a bit of shock value for Mr. Henry.
"Indeed, it is a very special Extraordinary Item, but hasn’t Mr. Fang still avoided the question?"
At this point, Henry finally seemed to stabilize his emotions, but his gaze at Fu Qian became more intense.
"What does it have to do with the name ’Prism of Radiant Transformation’? It can’t possibly be inscribed on it, right? It seemed like we were discussing the origin of the name."
"Of course, there are no inscriptions on it, but it is indeed the source of the name."
In face of Henry’s persistence, Fu Qian smiled contentedly.
"As an Extraordinary Item, its nature is to project a random image of an ancient divine being after being knocked three times."
"The name ’Prism of Radiant Transformation’ just appeared in my mind when I obtained it."
Fu Qian nonchalantly muddled the cause and effect, covering up the fact that the Prism of Radiant Transformation actually originated from a mission summary.
"You summoned the projection of the Prism of Radiant Transformation?"
Henry indeed did not doubt the logic in his speech; his shock was tantamount to brimming with killing intent.
"Its name appeared in your consciousness, then what?"
"Then? I didn’t quite understand what It wanted, so I refused."
Facing the mounting pressure, Fu Qian continued to respond with unmatched composure.
"However, considering the threatening presence shown by the other party, I went to Chief Yuan seeking more information."