499: Face-to-face meeting battle (Part 2)

At this moment, the warm chamber of Chenfeng Palace had been transformed into a temporary command center.

The dining table had long been removed, replaced by a larger tactical table. A water mirror floated in the center, simultaneously displaying the scene inside the “Prayer Chamber.”

Star adjusted his breathing, tidying the details of his black robe.

Shang Wan Ning sat in the main seat, propping her chin with one hand, her expression focused. Ling Qi stood beside her, a virtual notebook formed from spiritual light spread open before her, rapidly scrolling with various key prompts.

Chen Yu also squeezed in beside them, her white-haired head leaned close, red eyes wide, still clutching half an uneaten osmanthus cake, too nervous to chew.

Little Four's light sphere projected above the tactical table, responsible for multi-line communication and backend monitoring.

“Host, the spiritual message connection request from the Candle Shadow Shaking Red account is expected to arrive in five minutes.”

“The signal channel has been encrypted and reinforced, simulating Ativi Continent plane coordinate fluctuations,” Little Four reported.

“Excellent.” Shang Wan Ning nodded, looking at Gang Zi in the water mirror. “Star, remember, you are Alvaro now.”

“A Great Abyss Priest who respects knowledge, is curious about the Lamp Bearer, and possesses considerable strength and status himself.”

“Neither humble nor arrogant, respond with composure.”

In the water mirror, Star walked behind the ebony long table and sat down in a high-backed chair, his hands clasped on the table, a relaxed posture concealing the restraint of a superior.

He had practiced this movement countless times in front of a mirror in private.

“Understood.” He spoke, using Alvaro's deep, hoarse voice. “I am ready.”

Silence fell in the warm chamber, time ticking by second by second.

The osmanthus cake in Chen Yu's hand was slightly deformed, crumbs falling. Ling Qi's fingertip lightly traced the virtual notebook, making a final check of the tongue position diagrams for key prayer pronunciations.

Shang Wan Ning picked up her teacup and took a sip of the already cold Snow Peak Nectar.

“It's here!”

The moment Little Four's voice fell, the water mirror image gently swayed.

It wasn't the direct appearance of the Candle Dragon's form, but a lazy female voice.

It came through the plane connection first, speaking in clear and articulate Oriental Elegant Speech: “Priest Alvaro?”

This voice was identical to the voice of “Candle Shadow Shaking Red” during her live streams, but it lacked the sweet softness she used for fans, replaced by a casualness befitting a superior.

Star immediately responded, speaking in fluent Ativi Continent Common Tongue, “Indeed. In the name of the Abyss, I extend greetings to the Lamp Bearer. May the light in your hand always illuminate the lost.”

After speaking, he paused briefly, then switched to equally standard Oriental Elegant Speech, with a perfectly appropriate foreign accent: “Please forgive my presumption in disturbing you in this manner.”

The water mirror rippled, gradually becoming clear.

What appeared was neither the ice crystal palace where the Candle Dragon's true body resided, nor a live streaming boudoir filled with worldly charm.

The background was a hazy, flowing starlight, as if one were in boundless void. A figure reclined on a soft couch formed purely of light and shadow.

It was still in the appearance of “Candle Shadow Shaking Red”—a flowing, smoky-purple brocade dress, exquisite makeup, and hair like clouds.

She propped her forehead with one hand, while the other toyed with a translucent ice crystal, her divine consciousness piercing through the water mirror, falling upon Star, or rather, Alvaro.

“Priest, you are too kind.” The Candle Dragon's lips curved into a slight arc, her gaze sweeping over Star's body, then returning to the stone chamber environment.

“To be able to cross plane barriers and connect with such exquisite water mirror techniques, the Abyss Church's foundation is indeed profound.”

These words sounded like praise, but in reality, they contained a probe.

“Is the word ‘exquisite’ referring to the encryption method, or is it astonishment at how realistically the ‘Prayer Chamber’ is constructed?”

Star's expression remained unchanged, and he nodded slightly: “The Lamp Bearer overpraises. It is merely a reliance on the meager skills accumulated by generations of predecessors.”

“Compared to the Lamp Bearer's unpredictable divine abilities of manifesting countless avatars and enacting the mortal world, it is truly insignificant.”

He actively steered the conversation towards “avatars,” which was both a response and a flattering probe—we already know that you are no ordinary streamer.

The Candle Dragon chuckled, her smile revealing no discernible emotion, and the ice crystal at her fingertip spun. “Avatar enactments are merely games when one is idle.”

“However, Priest, your dedication to ancient divine script, even going so far as to connect with the ‘Lamp Bearer’ from another plane to seek guidance, your scholarly heart, I admire.”

“With the Key of Glory before us, how dare we be negligent.” Star, following Ling Qi's prompt, used the more intimate honorific “Key of Glory.”

“In the ancient texts of the Church, I have seen several distorted inscriptions suspected to be related to the ‘Light of Origin.’ Their structure and divine charm bear a striking resemblance to certain decorative patterns recently displayed by the Lamp Bearer.”

“My heart is troubled by these unsolved mysteries, hence I presumptuously seek your guidance.” After saying this, he raised his hand and outlined a few simple yet bizarre symbols in the empty space above the table.

These symbols were half-true, half-false: some were the deciphered results of the Underworld Research Institute's work on Ativi Continent's ancient divine script, while others were fabricated by him based on the patterns of the Candle Dragon's attire during her live streams.

The purpose was clear: to throw out bait and see if the Candle Dragon would take it.

The Candle Dragon's gaze rested on the symbols outlined in the void, pausing for about three breaths.

Inside the warm chamber, everyone held their breath.

Chen Yu almost stuffed the osmanthus cake into her nostril.

“Interesting.” The Candle Dragon finally spoke, her words devoid of much emotion. “These patterns... they do remind me of some very ancient records.”

“Neither from the Source Realm, nor from your Ativi. Priest, do you know of ‘Gui Xu’?”

“Gui Xu?”

Star's heart skipped a beat; this name was completely outside the contingency plan!!!

He maintained an expression of thought and confusion: “Gui Xu? Please forgive my ignorance, Lamp Bearer; there seems to be no clear record of this name in the Church's archives.”

“Only on the tattered edges of a very incomplete copy of the ‘Records of the Myriad Realms Wandering Merchants’ have I seen the words ‘Gui Xu,’ listed alongside ‘Immortals and Demons.’”

Star answered cautiously: acknowledging his lack of knowledge, yet hinting that he wasn't entirely ignorant, and also throwing out “Myriad Realms Wandering Merchants” as a seemingly reliable source of information.

The golden-red background in the Candle Dragon's eyes seemed to deepen slightly. “Myriad Realms Wandering Merchants... they might indeed possess such records.” Her tone was casual, as if she had just mentioned it offhand. “Where did you see these patterns, Priest?”

“In the Gray Mist Territory, deep within a half-collapsed ancient altar.” Star answered fluently, simultaneously pointing to the crystal shard on the table that served as the primer.

“This stone was taken from that very place. The altar's original faith has long since been extinguished, leaving only these incomprehensible symbols.”

The Candle Dragon's gaze swept over the crystal, and she nodded slightly, no longer pressing about the origin of the patterns. Instead, she said, “Priest, you mentioned earlier that you are quite interested in morphological embellishment in a magic-free state.”

“Seeing your true appearance today, it is quite different from what I imagined.”

“Here it comes!”

The topic shifted from “business” to “personal acquaintance,” with familiarity laced with scrutiny.