599 The Holy Operation (1/2)

In the darkness, a regretful sigh sounded from the throne. ”It has more or less reached its limit.”

”Mhmm,” a voice replied.

”Thanks for taking care of me since birth, Maxwell,” the person on the throne said.

”Mhmm,” the old man responded.

In the silence, the sound of the tide could be heard from afar.

”Maxwell, is that the sound of the sea?” the voice asked.

”Mhmm,” the old man answered in affirmation.

”I have been listening to it for more than 30 years, it's really annoying. After being imprisoned for so long, I really want to abandon this position to go travel around. Will you accompany me?” the voice asked again.

”Your Majesty, I will always stand guard by your side,” Maxwell replied.

”Where would be a good place to go? How about Burgundy? Although the people are very annoying, the wine is not bad and the food is good. I heard that it's also quite warm in autumn. Asgard is beautiful, but it's too cold,” the voice said.

”Anywhere's fine,” Maxwell responded.

”Yeah, anywhere's fine.” The person on the throne murmured softly, ”It has already come to this point in time, yet I'm still thinking about living freely. Having entrusted the throne to me, my father and brother must surely be very disappointed?”

”No.” Maxwell said, ”You are the fully deserving ruler of Anglo, the master I approve of, the unparalleled empress.”

The empress giggled, like the girl she had been when they first met. Her laughter was freed of shackles. Having shed its dignified pretenses, it was light-spirited, like a flying bird. ”Maxwell, are you still here?”

”I'm here,” he replied.

She reached out and fumbled about in the darkness. Her fingertips touched the man kneeling before the throne and stroked his cheek, lovingly and gently. ”Maxwell, I am so sleepy, can I sleep for a while first?”

”Mhmm,” he said.

”After I wake up, please give me a hug,” she said.

”Mhmm,” he affirmed.

She smiled. ”Goodnight, Maxwell.”

”Goodnight.” In the dark, tears were shed. ”My queen.”

…

In the nation in the shadows, the throne room in the palace of Avalon, Ye Qingxuan silently gazed at the empty palace. Looking around, he could only see dust and broken weathered remains. What was once the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth had fallen into the shadows. The magnificent city back then had already become ruins occupied by demon parasites, and even the throne room was dilapidated.

It was like a cage.

Under the guidance of an alchemist, an armored knight lifted the sledgehammer and smashed it on the spot before the throne with all his might. The floor cracked, and a hollow echo was heard. It didn't take long before a huge gap appeared on the ground. Under the illumination of the lantern, the darkness in the crack dissipated slightly, revealing the vast space hidden underneath.

”Is it here?” Ye Qingxuan asked.

”It should be right.” Shi Dong nodded, lifted the bottle, and shook it. ”Anything else that you want to add?” The figure in the bottle screamed in distress and pleaded, but didn't provide any more useful information.

Soon, the knights let down the ropes. Two organists hung their lanterns at their waists and descended along the ropes into the dark space below. It didn't take long before they sent a signal indicating that the coast was clear.

The alchemists and the armored knights slid down one by one. Finally, Ye Qingxuan held on to the carabiner and slid into the space that had been sealed for hundreds of years along the ropes.

”Wow, it's big indeed.” Shi Dong made his descent shortly after and saw the vast underground palace illuminated brightly by the giant searchlights. He examined the countless foliage-like alchemy arrays on the walls. He said, ”By right, Avalon and its shadow correspond to each other, anything that Avalon has must exist in the nation in the shadows as well. There's such a large space under the throne in the nation in the shadows, then what about in the palace of Avalon?”

”The final homeland defense front,” Ye Qingxuan replied. ”Its physical body is placed there and consists of three hyper gigantic instruments of harmonious melody named after archangels. The entire palace is actually a huge alchemy musical instrument, like a giant organ. It is connected to various parts of the country via the aether flow in the leylines, and the entire Anglo is under its control. The king simply has to sit on the throne to play it, with Firebird as fingers and the territories of the country as the instrument.”

”What about the power source?” Shi Dong asked, ”Where is the aether furnace of such a huge war weapon? I doubt it can operate even if ten orchestras of musicians propel it?”

Ye Qingxuan had a complicated expression on his face. ”I didn't know it before, but now I have a vague idea.”

Where is the aether furnace? Where else can it be? The heart of the Mountain of Nomadism can be converted into an aether circuit, so... why can't Leviathan's? Especially since all of Avalon is Leviathan's original body.

Shi Dong understood what he meant and couldn't help but smile mockingly. ”The kings of the country are crazy indeed, can I say that it runs in their blood?”

Ye Qingxuan said nothing. He simply observed the huge facilities in the underground palace silently, as well as the countless alchemy matrices extending outwards, and his brow gradually furrowed.

”Alright, now the problem is,” Shi Dong remarked beside him, ”although I barely know alchemy, I think that whatever is placed here is definitely not the one you were talking about.”

Ye Qingxuan said nothing and withdrew his gaze after a good while. ”Yes, it's different from outside. Neither instruments of harmonious melody nor other related equipment can be found here.” He said softly, ”It's a smelting cauldron.”

”Smelting cauldron? What alchemists use to smelt alloys and potions?” Shi Dong asked.

Ye Qingxuan was silent for a long time and suddenly ordered, ”Every one of you, out.”

The entourage of knights of the Witch Hammer standing guard around them and the alchemists studying the arrays were surprised, but after seeing Ye Qingxuan's expression, they said no more and obeyed the order. Soon, they had all climbed up along the ropes.

Shi Dong stayed, and with a smile, he refused to leave. Ye Qingxuan glanced at him and did not shoo him away, but simply looked down, analyzing the alchemy arrays rapidly along their veins. Using the way of deciphering to perform induction, Ye Qingxuan rapidly deconstructed the complex surface layer of the alchemy array. He proceeded on to the outflowing layer, forming layer, creating layer, and finally the circulating layer. In the end, the huge array connecting the entire shadow of Avalon converged into one point.

Ye Qingxuan's steps stopped and he looked up. Above the ceiling was the wreckage of the smashed-up throne.

”Sure enough, it's here,” he murmured softly.

Shi Dong seemed to have gotten into the role of a professional sidekick and asked in a timely manner, ”Have you gotten a lead?”