Chapter 330 - Chapter 330: Chapter 314 Sapphire (2/2)

“Yes, it was a special alchemical tool, and through the light of that blue gem, I came to that snow-capped mountain in spirit form, where I ended up meeting… the Chairman of the Alchemy Council.”

“Time Stasis Stone,” he said, and both he and Byrne fell silent for a moment.

For decades, Byrne had had numerous encounters with the Alchemy Council, but the chairman had always spoken very little, and his true identity was completely a puzzle. However, Byrne could very distinctly feel the oppressive presence of that entity, finding the power possessed by the chairman to be terrifying.

After ascending the 5th Rank, Byrne’s perception of the chairman’s strength became even more direct and clear.

He could feel distinctly that even a dozen of himself might not be able to defeat the chairman of the Alchemy Council.

Even after stepping onto the 5th Rank, he still felt like a naive child in front of the chairman’s overwhelming pressure.

Byrne couldn’t help but ask, “Time Stasis Stone, how much do you know about the chairman?”

“He has lived for at least a few hundred years, and his strength is quite possibly at the high-level Monarch, hmm, maybe even a step away from the Heavenly Enlightenment Level.”

“Time Stasis Stone” paused for a bit, then continued, “Actually, it’s more accurate to say that I can be sure his strength hasn’t reached the Heavenly Enlightenment Level.”

Byrne was stunned for a moment and asked with some confusion, “Why are you so certain?”

“Of course, it’s because the gods have laid down rules, that no Heavenly Enlightenment powerful expert may come close to the territory of the Eastern Four Kingdoms, nor even make contact with the White Sea. I don’t know the specific reasons, but such regulations have indeed been in place since my era.”

Byrne had never directly heard such reasons, but he had long speculated about it since most regions around the world harbored Heavenly Enlightenment powerful experts, except for the Eastern Four Kingdoms, which had none for thousands of years.

The reasons given by “Time Stasis Stone” might very well be the real ones.

But why would the gods impose such a restriction?

He did not understand, nor could he figure it out.

If that was the case, the chairman’s power was probably close to that of Heavenly Enlightenment; such a level of power was extremely terrifying within the bounds of the Eastern Four Kingdoms.

Even if all of Cyart’s Monarch powerful experts were to stand against him together, it would probably be very difficult, and they would need to lead him into a trap and surround him before they could hope to succeed.

In fact, over the years, the chairman of the Alchemy Council had always been trying to create more powerful alchemical tools, but he never quite succeeded—instead, giving people like Byrne many useful cast-offs.

Could it be, as long as the chairman can create that stone, he would be able to break through to Heavenly Enlightenment?

After a long silence, he heard the old man slowly say,

“Not long from now, a new meeting will begin…”

“Actually, there are many extraordinary materials near the island, and I’ve conducted many trades with them, but henceforth, all those extraordinary materials will belong to the Fischer family. You’ve really reaped a vast harvest, which is quite enviable.”

Byrne suddenly asked, “When it comes down to it, Time Stasis Stone, why have you always prevented us members of the Alchemy Council from setting you free?”

“You could have mentioned your plight at the meeting. Is it because of distrust?”

“Time Stasis Stone” gave a decisive answer.

“No, even with distrust, I would have seized any chance I could back then.”

“In fact, it was because of the curse on that gold coin, which prevents me from making requests to anyone too far from it—an extremely sinister trap indeed…”

—-

Several days later.

A new meeting of the Alchemy Council had already begun.

In the resplendent white palace, several people took their seats one after another.

“Mithril” and “Time Stasis Stone” were present at this meeting once again.

Byrne and the old man exchanged a glance, with an understanding that went unspoken.

Just at that moment, the youthful voice of “Moon River Stone” asked in confusion, “Eh, ‘Solar Gold’ isn’t here?”

They realized that “Solar Gold” was conspicuously absent from the trade meeting.

The participants of this meeting were only the chairman himself, “Moon River Stone,” “Spirit Essence,” “Time Stasis Stone,” and “Mithril.”

No one knew the specifics of “Solar Gold’s” situation, nor did they know if he would ever come back. The mysterious chairman revealed no information either.

“Perhaps he will never come back, and from now on, there will only be five of us…”

Byrne calmly looked at Spirit Essence, pondering deeply. The two others who had conspired with him to ambush the Tempest Bishop had already been dealt with, and she was the last one.

Someday, he would make Spirit Essence pay the price too.

Then he looked up at the chairman, high above, and at that very moment, that pressure seemed more palpable than ever.

Indeed, the chairman possessed an extremely powerful force, even making Byrne feel an oppressive sensation akin to facing a giant.

“All right, you may begin,” said the chairman.

With the chairman’s voice, the new trade meeting immediately commenced.

And by the time this trade meeting had concluded, the enigmatic chairman let all the others go but asked Byrne to stay behind.

Byrne furrowed his brows slightly and turned his head toward the mysterious person whose true face remained hidden.

The ethereal voice of the chairman reached his ears.

“Mithril, I would like to make a trade with you.”