139: I see!

Lu Yuan suddenly snapped back to his senses.

“So… that’s how it is.”

He looked at the Flame Sprite, his eyes complex, seemingly sympathizing with its plight.

“That crown is your hope, but it’s been bound by some evil force.”

“You’ve guarded this place for generations, hoping to break those chains and free the crown?”

The Flame Sprite nodded vigorously, its eyes filled with sadness.

It pointed at Lu Yuan, then at the crown, making “jiji” sounds.

Lu Yuan understood its meaning.

It believed that he might have a way to help them.

“Why me?” Lu Yuan gave a bitter smile, “I’m just a third-tier Card Master; I can’t even get close to those chains.”

The Flame Sprite shook its head, then its tiny paw pointed at Lu Yuan’s chest.

There, a fragment of stone lay.

Lu Yuan’s heart stirred, and he took it out.

But this… was too ridiculous, wasn't it?

A mere stone fragment could save them?

That was a seal that even an existence of the Old Flame Spirit’s caliber was helpless against.

This thought flashed through Lu Yuan’s mind.

He recalled the Old Flame Spirit’s gaze at him earlier, and the abrupt teleportation portal.

Perhaps, that Old Fellow bringing him here wasn't accidental.

Or rather, he saw that Lu Yuan possessed something that could help them?

The more Lu Yuan thought about it, the more he felt this possibility was high.

“Little Fellow, are you sure I can help?” Lu Yuan pointed at the stone fragment, confirming with the Flame Sprite again.

The Flame Sprite nodded without hesitation, its small face filled with trust.

It flew onto Lu Yuan’s shoulder, rubbing its small head against Lu Yuan’s cheek, seemingly cheering him on.

Lu Yuan took a deep breath, his gaze gradually becoming firm.

“Alright!”

“Since you trust me, then I’ll… try!”

“However, I’m telling you upfront, I’m not confident at all. If I mess it up, or get you involved, don’t blame me.”

The Flame Sprite chirped twice, as if saying, “It won’t happen.”

Lu Yuan no longer hesitated, his gaze fixed on the crown in the distance.

“So, the problem is…”

“How should I do it?”

He couldn't just rush up and confront those chains, could he?

That would be no different from suicide.

He held the stone fragment, trying to approach the crown again.

This time, he didn't release any Source Power, but merely relied on his physical strength, moving cautiously step by step.

However, the result was the same.

At about ten meters from the crown, that invisible repulsive force reappeared, preventing him from moving forward.

“It’s not working.” Lu Yuan retreated, pondering.

“This repulsive force is too strong; I can’t get close at all.”

The Flame Sprite also looked anxious, flying back and forth around Lu Yuan, seemingly thinking of a solution.

Suddenly, its eyes lit up. It pointed at Lu Yuan, then at the crown, and then made a… hugging gesture?

“Hug?” Lu Yuan was startled.

“Are you saying… I should try to communicate or merge with the crown using my mind or energy?”

The Flame Sprite didn't hear clearly, but nodded repeatedly.

Lu Yuan’s heart stirred.

“Alright, I’ll give it a try.”

Lu Yuan sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to slowly extend his mental power towards the crown.

However, just as his mental power was about to touch the crown—

Buzz!

The red gem on the crown’s surface suddenly erupted with power!

A repulsive force several times stronger than before burst forth!

“Pfft!”

Lu Yuan was struck hard, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood, his face instantly turning pale!

His mental power seemed to have hit an invisible Iron Wall, fiercely rebounding!

A tearing pain shot through his head, almost making him faint.

“Damn it! So overbearing!”

“Little thing! You’re not an undercover agent, are you?”

Lu Yuan clutched his head, grimacing.

“Jigoo! Jigoo!” The Flame Sprite spun anxiously, its tiny paws waving constantly, seemingly wanting to share Lu Yuan’s pain, but not knowing how.

Blood dripped from Lu Yuan’s mouth.

One drop, two drops… falling precisely onto the stone fragment in his palm.

The moment the blood touched the stone fragment—

Buzz!

That originally unremarkable stone fragment suddenly burst into light!

It violently broke free from Lu Yuan’s hand, soaring into the air!

“Huh?!” Lu Yuan was startled, ignoring the severe pain in his head, and suddenly looked up.

He saw the glowing stone fragment, as if endowed with life, flying directly towards the nearest azure chain!

Clatter!

A light sound.

The stone fragment adhered to the thick chain with incredible precision, like a magnet attracting steel!

Immediately after, an unbelievable scene occurred!

The azure light on the surface of the chain where the stone fragment was attached began to dim at a visible speed!

It was as if the massive water element energy contained within the chain was being frantically extracted, even devoured, by the stone fragment!

In just a few breaths, that section of the chain, which was originally cold and watery, gradually faded in color, from deep blue to light blue, then to grayish-white… until finally, it completely turned a dead,paint black!

As if it had lost all energy, turning into a piece of ordinary scrap metal!

With the “death” of this section of the chain, the bound crown also seemed to feel a slight loosening.

Boom—!

An even more violent flame energy suddenly erupted from the crown!

This was the crown’s struggle! Its roar and desire for freedom after being suppressed for countless years!

The entire main hall of the temple trembled violently due to this sudden burst of flame energy!

Lu Yuan could even feel the flagstones beneath his feet growing warm!

“My goodness!” Lu Yuan was thrown to the ground by this energy impact, his eyes filled with horror.

Is this the true power of this crown?

Just a slight loosening, and it could unleash such might!

However, before Lu Yuan could ponder further, another anomaly occurred!

As if sensing the crown’s resistance.

The dozens of other azure chains still binding the crown suddenly flared with intense light!

Buzz buzz buzz—!

Endless water element energy surged frantically from those chains!

These water elements rapidly condensed in mid-air, forming visible blue torrents, carrying an ice-sealing chill, and fiercely crashed into that energy!

Chichichichi—!

Water and fire, two diametrically opposed extreme forces, collided violently in the mid-air of the temple!

There was no earth-shattering explosion.

Only the friction sound as energy annihilated, and the massive amount of white steam rising!

The violent flames that had just erupted from the crown, though powerful, ultimately appeared somewhat outnumbered and weak in the face of the immense water elements unleashed by the combined dozens of chains.

The flames were constantly compressed, constantly weakened.

Finally, after an unwilling whimper, they were completely annihilated by the endless torrent of water elements!

the crown’s counterattack failed!

The light on its surface dimmed again, returning to that half-dead state.

The entire main hall also returned to calm.

As if the thrilling energy clash just now was merely an illusion.

This left Lu Yuan dumbfounded!

He swallowed, his gaze turning to the nowpaint black chain, and the stone fragment still firmly attached to it.

“This… this fragment can be used like this?!” He was somewhat incredulous.

A small stone fragment could actually disable a chain binding such a terrifying divine object?!

Why?

He subconsciously reached out, trying to touch the stone fragment.

The moment his fingertip was about to touch the fragment, a realization dawned on him.

This stone fragment seemed to have established a faint connection with him.

He could… control it?

Oh my god! Is this real or fake?!

Blood recognition of a master?!

Lu Yuan’s heart stirred, and he tried to communicate with his mind.

“Come back!”

Swish!

The stone fragment, which had been tightly affixed to thepaint black chain, trembled slightly, actually detached from the chain, turning into a gray light, and flew back into Lu Yuan’s hand!

Lu Yuan opened his palm, looking at the stone fragment lying quietly in his palm.

The light on the surface of the stone fragment had receded, and it had returned to its previous unremarkable appearance.

As if everything that had just happened had nothing to do with it.

But Lu Yuan knew, this thing was definitely a treasure!

He looked at the chain again.

He saw that after the stone fragment detached, the chain, which had turnedpaint black and had no energy fluctuations, actually began to emit a faint blue light again at a visible speed!

Although it was far from as strong as before, water element energy was indeed re-converging towards it!

It was… recovering?!

Damn it, could it be that this stone fragment only temporarily suppressed the chain’s energy, and once it left, the chain could repair itself?

Wouldn’t that mean all his efforts were in vain?

He looked at the stone fragment in his hand, then at the crown in the distance, still bound by dozens of chains.

If one stone fragment could only temporarily suppress a small section of a chain… then how many such fragments would he need to completely unseal the crown?

And, it seemed, these stone fragments couldn't leave the chains.

“Jiji?” The Flame Sprite flew in front of Lu Yuan; it had also seen the miraculous effect of the stone fragment just now and was excited.

Lu Yuan stroked his chin, lost in thought.

“No, that’s not right.”

He recalled the dozens of stone fragments that had been peeled off the heart of rules in the volcano earlier.

If every stone fragment had this effect… he suddenly understood, completely and thoroughly understood!

The scheming frog has been touching your belly all along!

There is only one truth!

...