599 The Holy Operation (2/2)
”More or less.” Ye Qingxuan said in a low voice, ”The style is very familiar: classical deconstruction, orthodox alchemical formulas, and induction process, as well as traces of music theory of the earliest period. I can more or less guess who was the one to set up this place...”
Who is it?
Who else can it be?
In all of Avalon, all of Anglo, no, the whole world, who else would cause such trouble? Who enjoys causing trouble so much? And who is so good at causing trouble?
There is only one answer.
Hermes, that asshole. Even after his death, so many problems remain.
Ye Qingxuan pressed his faintly aching temples, and remarked in a low voice, ”You do people great harm, boss...”
The core of so-called alchemy was the basic formula of the school of modifications—equal exchange. Hermes abided accordingly and laid the foundation for alchemy. With alchemy, a goal could be achieved by replacing everything via formulas and passing them through the four layers of interface, such that they would undergo blackening, yellowing, greening, whitening, and finally reddening.
It could sublime usual items of the mortal world into miracles and turn black iron into gold.
It could be considered a pioneering creation that set the world on fire.
But ultimately, its original essence was just about turning one thing into another.
Even the alchemy array that Hermes had inscribed here was nothing more than that.
It was just that its scale was too large and the assumptions involved were too terrifying. It even combined all seven systems of music in it, with various types of music theory and propositions within the seven systems intertwining and entangling into one inextricably. If not for the Heaven Ladder in his hands, Ye Qingxuan probably couldn't make sense of it either.
Even for Hermes, it probably wasn't an easy task to set up such a large and complex alchemy array? So, what else is there in the world that is worthy of being smelted so troublesomely using an alchemy array of such an incredible scale by who was once Merlin? The answer is so obvious that it's going to reveal itself anytime now.
Ye Qingxuan exhaled a deep breath along with the agitation in him and squeezed out a few words, ”The holy operation...”
Such was the truth of Arthur's holy operation. Using Avalon, it extracted the aether flow in the leylines of Anglo, almost making use of the whole of the country's territories. It united the vast country as one, truly bringing together the power of the entire country to produce the miraculous system. After it was completed, even Hermes regretted his past recklessness and frivolity, wanting to bury it completely. Provided that Ye Qingxuan's guess was correct, even the homeland defense front was adapted from it.
”This is where Arthur built the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, where he sought to ascend as God after gathered the human, material, and financial resources of the entire country.” Ye Qingxuan stood in the core of the alchemy array, overlooking the surrounding area. Countless perception threads of moonlight extended from his hands, allowing him to observe the entirety of the huge system. Countless formulas were solved by induction using the way of deciphering. In the end, the array became pure numbers, and a simple conclusion was drawn.
”Nine equals two?” Ye Qingxuan was almost amused by the answer, but he failed to muster a laugh.
”What is that? A strange formula?” Shi Dong asked.
”It's a method of expression in alchemy, the format used by the earliest alchemists.” Ye Qingxuan's kept his eyes low. ”Alchemists regard the whole world as an organic transformation process, and in the process, each existing being has its own Case, be it human or something else...
”The higher the Case, the more important the role it plays in the overall process, and the more precious it is. Alchemists use formulas to derive results and name all things on earth according to the numbers obtained.
”It is one of the important reasons why the early Church has always unwaveringly attempted to finish the alchemists off for good: Only God can measure the value of all beings.
”Be it an ordinary human, a demon, a musician or even a saint or a catastrophe, it is nothing but a sheer unit in the process of alchemy.
”The value of an ordinary person is too little, and the person can only be used as blank material, so the Case is 'zero equals zero'. Further up would be musicians and demons capable of controlling aether, or the alchemy equipment and special metals... Only items with a Case equal to or above 'one equals ten' are worth creating.
”Meanwhile, 'nine minus two' is already the maximum that can be achieved in the mortal realm. A 'ten equals zero' item only exists in theory, and it is an existence that has combined all meanings, powers, the past and the future. Humans usually refer to it as the Originator.
”Such is the truth of the holy operation. Arthur, whose attainments had stopped at the Level of Scepter, was unwilling to bow to the Church. He wanted to have powers comparable to the three kings, or even powers greater than that, surpassing that of catastrophes. He wanted to be the one and only emperor of the mortal realm, a being only one step away from the Originator.”
After listening to his words, Shi Dong was silent for a long time and finally remarked, ”It's quite terrible indeed.”
”There's more.” Ye Qingxuan looked down, expressionless, and tapped a few times on the alchemy array under his feet with his boots. ”Keep in mind the basic principle of alchemy, equal exchange. The value of an item has already been defined by its Case. If you want to create gold, you have to pay a price equal to that of gold.
”Even in his heyday, Arthur was merely at the peak of the Level of Scepter, so how could he be comparable with an existence almost surpassing a catastrophe? And who was the one who paid for the price difference in between?”
Shi Dong was stunned. He understood what Ye Qingxuan meant, and with how dark his thinking was, it was only natural for him to be able to understand Arthur's intentions. With Ye Qingxuan's explanation and his own knack for stratagem, it was of course not difficult for Shi Dong to think of the only answer.
It's very simple. Too easy even…
Hermes had paved the way, Arthur only had to walk down it.
If the materials are not enough, just make up the deficiency.
If the value is not enough, just add more value.
If the Chapter of the Golden Victory does not suffice, there's still the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. If the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth does not suffice, there's still Avalon. If Avalon still does not suffice, just offer all of Anglo up. Since he wanted to become a catastrophe, then... he only had to find a catastrophe to pay the price for him! Coincidentally, everything he needed was available around him, at his fingertips...
”For example, Her Royal Highness the Queen who was close at hand is Leviathan,” said Ye Qingxuan.
Such was the truth of the holy operation. He killed a catastrophe and robbed it of its power to make himself a catastrophe. He sacrificed the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, sacrificed Avalon, sacrificed all of Anglo, sacrificed his love, sacrificed everything for his own accomplishment. Right from the beginning, he had already completed all the necessary preparations for the day of his ascension as a god.
Everything was ready.
”The king and his accomplice kidnapped the queen and jailed her in the dream...” Ye Qingxuan softly sang the song that had once echoed in Avalon in the dead of the night, and his gaze gradually turned cold.
Shi Dong sighed. ”So in other words, the reason behind Leviathan's obsession with Anglo for so many years is retaliation against what Arthur did back then?”
”Retaliation? What for?” With his head low, Ye Qingxuan gazed at the alchemy array on the ground, and his voice became hoarse. ”Surely you are not thinking that the alchemical process could begin once they had tied Leviathan up, put it here, and closed the cage? Super-large alchemy arrays that involve God knows how many fine, precise details like this one can't operate like that. It requires the absolute cooperation of the participants. In other words,” he looked at the alchemy array at his feet and could only feel a deep sense of being ridiculed by reality, ”Leviathan was voluntary...”
As the inferring reached this step, the conclusion was already clear as day. For centuries, Leviathan's targeting of Anglo had definitely not been an act of revenge. She was so deeply in love with Arthur, despite him robbing her of power, life, and everything else…
Although the holy operation failed at the last juncture for reasons unknown, once the alchemy array was activated, the first to be destroyed was definitely Leviathan itself. This much could be established beyond any doubt.
The real Leviathan had died a long time ago. It had died a few centuries ago…