When the plot-skips players into the game world

July 2nd, early morning.

The dragon carriage from Heaven City to Holy Spring City has been traveling for more than a day.

Of course, rather than calling it a "horse carriage," it's more fitting to call it a "dragon carriage"—Heaven City is already approaching the heart of the Parthian Ancient Country, especially this time without Sherlock accompanying them. Horses, which require large amounts of water, struggle to maintain body temperature in such high temperatures and cannot travel faster than camels.

As they delve deeper into the Parthian Ancient Country, the daytime sandstorms have become increasingly violent.

Sandstorms on many routes have reached the point of blotting out the sky. Once caught in one, it's easy to lose one's way.

When time isn't pressing, the carriage can hide in a barrier and wait for the dust to pass by... But now time is tight. If they rashly travel through a sandstorm, the horses' eyes and tracheas will be injured by the rapidly flying sand.

So when the convoy left Heaven City, Aiwass had them bring all the horses along—it can only be said that horses are not very convenient for commuting in the desert.

And now the creature pulling the carriage is Leviathan.

Leviathan's body, with its dragon scale-like sturdy protection, allows her to plunge into the sandstorm without scruples. Even if sand gets into the exhaust pipe, she only needs to "cough" forcefully a few times to expel it.

Even if they need to be concerned about the carriage's sturdiness and can't accelerate too fast on the ground, it's possible to take advantage of good weather to lift off with the carriage and land on a dune before charging into a sandstorm.

It's like a magical beast dragon pulling a luxurious carriage through the sky—it looks like a fairytale movie fantasy scene.

Seeing this scene from afar, the avianfolk were startled and took wide detours to hide. It's not because they recognized it as Aiwass's vehicle, but rather, as a flying creature's instinct, they try to avoid larger airborne entities.

Though a bit bumpy inside, Isabel has already returned. The others are also more or less capable of withstanding the jostling. Except old Ibn, being of advanced age, might feel a bit uncomfortable... But with Aiwass's healing, there won't be any problem.

Originally, Aiwass did not want to bring Ibn along, just like he didn't really want to take Hayna.

This time, Aiwass is going to battle with the Celestial Marshal, and he doesn't have time to safely take them to a secure location. This means that staying means facing the Abyssal Celestial Envoy in battle.

As a likely ancient Celestial Marshal with remnants of Ai Shiping, this is indeed Aiwass's destined enemy, an inescapable battle.

But Aiwass didn't want to involve others. Mainly because the Abyssal Celestial Envoy's attack power is too strong, Aiwass didn't have the confidence to protect those around him... And randomly using his resurrection ability would cause the already near-critical Sin Beast transformation progress to uncontrollably increase.

Originally, Aiwass only planned on taking Lily, Zhu Tang, and Mu as companions.

Ten miles east of Holy Spring City and over that long snow mountain is the territory of the Primordial Empire—yes, not far east of Holy Spring City is a snow mountain. Some opponents of the Benevolent Lords, and sages who preferred not to get too involved with the Oasis City State's affairs, live at the foot of that mountain bereft of any animals, relying on handmade stone houses and melted snow for water.

No caravans or slave knights from other city-states would pass through here. At least in the Parthian worldview, this is purely the "World Edge".

Occasionally, they crossed mountain ridges to the other side of the snow mountain to the Primordial Empire, trading herbs gathered from the snow mountain for necessities and food... Only at the Night Festival would they return to the city for a brief celebration.

Zhu Tang's acquaintance is an elder living on that snow mountain.

It's said he was exiled as a court sage for saying things that displeased the Benevolent Lords. Therefore, not only is he knowledgeable in many languages, but he's also well-versed in rituals, poetry, and political matters, adept at various historical texts and board games, and proficient with the lute.

He taught Zhu Tang various card games that weren't popular in the Primordial, and learned about tea ceremonies and fishing from Zhu Tang. They traversed the snow mountain many times together, picking rare herbs at the summit, so Zhu Tang is very familiar with the terrain over there.

As long as they can safely leave the city, Zhu Tang and Mu can escape eastwards anytime to reach safety, bringing along the hermits on the snow mountain, which shouldn't pose much problem... The only concern would be whether the tidal waves caused by the Abyssal Celestial Envoy's descent could overtop the mountains.

As for Lily, she could hide in Aiwass's shadow. Unless forced out by a special attack, she would also be relatively safe.

——But after all, Ibn and Hayna are different from them. For Zhu Tang and Mu, going to the Primordial is like returning home, but for them, it's a place they can't return from.

If they went with Zhu Tang to the Primordial, it's likely they'd never be able to return in this lifetime. Coming back would mean journeying across the entire desert... Perhaps only after Parthia's transformation by Aiwass could there be a possibility of being brought back.

The Sin Thorn can nullify any Path's Extraordinary Power... With the disturbance of the Sin Thorn beneath the desert, teleportation magic can't be used from within the desert, just like a strong magnetic field might disable some precision electronic devices.

Even fifth or sixth power level Great Sorcerers must travel on foot through the desert—no one knows if there's a Sin Thorn buried beneath the desert ahead.

Other spells being affected at most causes unstable flames, curses deviating or being nullified… But if teleportation magic gets seriously affected, one might end up evenly spread in a fifty-meter radius resembling red jam.

You know, even on a plane, you must turn on flight mode! Teleportation magic is much more dangerous than flying on a plane.

"You two... aren't planning on coming back?"

Aiwass finally couldn't resist opening his mouth to ask the two of them.

Old Ibn nodded with a smile, appearing calm and composed: "Yes, I'm not coming back.

"My lifespan is almost over…I remember I mentioned it to you before."

——That's true.

Ritual Master Ibn, as early as a few months ago, already sensed his life was nearing its end—he accompanied Aiwass to the promotion ceremony because he thought he was dying.

At that time, he was ready to sacrifice himself to elevate Aiwass. Although he survived the ceremony and completed the promotion, partially due to his exceptional ritual magic, a stroke of good fortune also played into his survival—his resolve to face death wasn't feigned.

The promotion ceremony extended old Ibn's lifespan, adding some black hair to his head. However, he remained an old man... The extension wasn't enough to revert him to a youthful state.

Having overexerted his life force in the ritual, the day to repay the debt has come.

"You and I both know, death is not the end of life, nor an eternal farewell."

Old Ibn slowly said, "But ascending to the Dream Realm, entering the Source River, souls always follow a flowing direction."

"...Who do you want to follow?" Zhu Tang hesitated, closing his eyes as he asked.

"Naturally, the Serpent Father."

Old Ibn knew what Zhu Tang was worried about, so he smiled at him, then turned and seriously looked at Aiwass: "I won't go searching for the Serpent Celestial Marshal."

"The Serpent Father is rarely seen recruiting Angel Envoys."

Aiwass couldn't help but seriously remind him, "The Serpent Father's and Eternal Self's Angel Envoys are the fewest, even fewer than Amber. You're most likely to be transformed into a Sin Beast uncontrollably again if you recklessly use the resurrection ability."

"So, I initially planned my team to consist only of Lily, Zhu Tang, and Mu."

East of Holy Spring City, beyond the long snow mountain, lies the lands of the Primordial Empire—yes, not far east of Holy Spring City lies a snow mountain. Some dissenters of the Benevolent Lords and sages who do not wish to get too involved with the Oasis City State dwell at the foot of the animal-free mountain, living off water drawn from stone houses and snowmelt.

No caravans or slave knights from other city-states pass through here, at least in the worldview of the Parthians, this is purely the "World Edge."

Occasionally they cross the ridges to the other side of the Primordial Empire, exchanging herbs picked from the snow mountain for daily commodities and food... only returning to the city for a brief revelry during the Night Festival.

Zhu Tang's friend, whom he knows, is an old man living on the snow mountain.

He's said to have been a court sage exiled for making the Benevolent Lords unhappy. So, not only is he proficient in many languages, but he is also skilled in rituals, poetry, and politics, mastering various historical texts and board games, and he's quite proficient with a lute.

He taught Zhu Tang several card games that were not popular in the Primordial and learned about tea ceremonies and fishing from Zhu Tang. They've crossed the snow mountain many times together, picking its precious herbs, hence Zhu Tang is quite familiar with the terrain there.

As long as they can safely leave the city, Zhu Tang and Mu can escape east anytime to a safe place, bringing the hermits on the snow mountain with them, which shouldn't be much of a problem... The only concern is whether a tsunami triggered by the descent of the Abyssal Celestial Envoy can cross the mountains.

And Lily can hide in Aiwass's shadow; if she's not forced out by a special attack, she should be relatively safe too.

—But Ibn and Hayna are different from them. Zhu Tang and Mu are returning home by going to the Primordial, but for them, there's no going back home.

If they follow Zhu Tang to the Primordial, they might never return in this lifetime. To come back would mean crossing the entire desert… Maybe after Parthia has been transformed by Aiwass, there might be a possibility of return.

Sin Thorn can disable any Path's Extraordinary Power... Just like how moving through the desert could render fire unstable or prevent a curse from working properly, the presence of Sin Thorn is such that its interference makes the progress of the Sin Beast transformation, which is already pushing the critical point, uncontrollable if the resurrection ability is casually used.

When other spells are disrupted, the flame might just become unstable, or the curse might misdirect… but with a teleportation spell, it could turn one into a smear of red jam upon failure.

You know, even getting on a plane requires you to turn on flight mode!

Old Ibn chuckled and replied: "Yes, we're not coming back."

——Indeed.

The Court Ritualist Ibn had mentioned that troubling the Benevolent Lords had led to his exile. Thus, it wasn't just that he was knowledgeable in several languages, but he was also well-versed in rituals, poetry, and political matters, and was skilled at various historical texts and board games, even playing the lute quite well.

He had taught Zhu Tang many card games that were not popular in the Primordial and had learned from Zhu Tang about the tea ceremony and fishing. They had traversed the snow mountain together many times, picking precious herbs at its peak, so Zhu Tang was very familiar with the terrain over there.

As long as they can safely leave the city, Zhu Tang and Mu could escape east at any time, running to a safe place and taking the hermits from the snow mountain with them; the only worry was whether the tsunami triggered by the arrival of the Abyssal Celestial Envoy would be able to cross the mountain range.

Lily could hide in Aiwass's shadow, and if she wasn't forced out by a special attack, she'd be relatively safe too.

——But Ibn and Hayna, they're different, Zhu Tang and Mu going to the Primordial is a return home, for them, it's a return they can't make.

If they went with Zhu Tang to the Primordial, they might never return in this lifetime. To come back, they would have to cross the entire desert... Perhaps, if Parthia is transformed by Aiwass in the future, there might be a chance to return.

The Sin Thorn could nullify any Path's power... With the disturbance of the Sin Thorn beneath the desert, it's like how fire might become unstable or curses might misfire, just as other equipment might fail due to a strong magnetic field.

When affected, other spells may underperform, with fire becoming unstable or curses misfiring, much like how a strong electromagnetic field might cause some devices to malfunction.

Even fifth, sixth-level Energy Level wizards would only be turned into a sticky jelly like substance if a powerful spell failed.

You should know, even when boarding a plane, you must enable flight mode!

"You're both not coming back, are you?"

Aiwass finally couldn't hold back and asked the two.

Old Ibn smiled and said: "No."

——That is indeed true.

Ritual Master Ibn had initially planned not to bring Ibn. Just like Aiwass wasn't too eager to bring Hayna along.

This time, Aiwass was to fight a Celestial Marshal, and he didn't have the time to take them back to a safer place. In other words, whoever stayed would have to fight the Abyssal Celestial Envoy.

As an ancient Celestial Marshal that is probably the ruined body of Ai Shiping, it was indeed Aiwass's fated enemy, a fight he couldn't escape from.

But Aiwass didn't want to involve the others. Mainly because Abyssal Celestial Envoy's attack power was too strong, and Aiwass didn't have the confidence to protect the people around him... Also, if he used the resurrection ability recklessly, the conversion progress of the Sin Beast, which was already near the critical point, would uncontrollably increase.

So Aiwass's initial team arrangement included only Lily, Zhu Tang, and Mu.

From Holy Spring City, ten miles east, over the long snow mountain, lies the territory of the Primordial Empire—yes, not far east of Holy Spring City is a snow mountain. Some of the opponents of the Benevolent Lords, and sages who prefer to avoid overly involving themselves in the affairs of the Oasis City State, reside at the foot of this animal-free snow mountain, surviving on water obtained by melting snow in handmade stone houses.

No caravans or other city-state slave knights pass through here; at least in the Parthian worldview, this is the pure "edge of the world".

Occasionally, they cross over the ridge to the other side of the snow mountain, into the Primordial Empire, exchanging herbs plucked from the mountain for essential goods and food... Only during the Night Festival do they return to the city for a brief celebration.

Zhu Tang's acquaintance is an old man living on top of the snow mountain.

It's said that he was once a court sage exiled for saying things that displeased the Benevolent Lords. Therefore, not only is he knowledgeable in many languages, but he is also well-versed in rituals, poetry, political affairs, and he is quite adept at a variety of historical texts and board games. He even plays the lute at a notable level.

He taught Zhu Tang various card games that are not popular in the Primordial and learned about the art of tea and fishing from Zhu Tang. They have traversed the mountaintop many times together, picking precious herbs, so Zhu Tang is quite familiar with the terrain over there.

As long as they can safely leave the city, Zhu Tang and Mu can escape eastward anytime to a safe place, accompanied by the hermits on the snow mountain, and it should not be much of an issue... The only concern remaining is whether the tidal wave triggered by the arrival of the Abyssal Celestial Marshal can surmount the mountain range.

As for Lily, she can take shelter in Aiwass's shadow if not forced out by a special attack, which should be relatively safe for her as well.

——But Ibn and Hayna are different from them. For Zhu Tang and Mu, going to the Primordial is like returning home, but for them, it means they won't be able to return home.

If they followed Zhu Tang to the Primordial, they might never be able to come back. To return, they would have to traverse the entire desert... perhaps only after Parthia is transformed by Aiwass would there be a chance for them to be brought back.

The Sin Thorn can nullify any Transcendent's Path... Just as moving through the desert could make flames unstable or cause a curse to backfire, the Sin Thorn's disturbance is similar to how a strong magnetic field might disable some precision electronic devices.

Even Great Sorcerers with a Fifth Power Level or even Sixth Power Level have to travel through the desert on foot—no one knows whether there's a Sin Thorn buried beneath the desert ahead.

Other spells being affected might just cause the flame to become unstable, a curse to backfire on others, or be nullified... But if teleportation magic is severely affected, you might land distributed evenly in a fifty-meter radius like red jam.

You know, even when you take a flight, you have to activate flight mode!

"You two... are you not planning to come back?"

Aiwass finally couldn't resist and asked the two.

Old Ibn smiled and nodded, appearing calm: "Yes, I'm not coming back.

I already know I'm nearing the end of my life… I remember telling you that before."

——That's true.

Long before, around a few months ago, Ritual Master Ibn already felt that his lifespan was near—he took part in the ascension ritual with Aiwass precisely because he sensed that he was going to die.

At the time, he was prepared to sacrifice himself to elevate Aiwass further. Although he survived the ritual and completed the ascension, it was partly due to his superb ritual magic skills and partly because he was lucky enough—that resolve to face death head-on was not a pretense.

And the ascension ceremony allowed old Ibn's life to continue, with a few more black hairs appearing on his head. But he was still an old man— the prolonged life wasn't enough to rejuvenate him.

He had overdrawn too much life force in the ritual, and now the time has come to repay the debt.

"You and I both know, death is not the end of life, nor an eternal farewell."

Old Ibn said slowly, "But after ascending to the Dream Realm and flowing into the Source River, every soul has a direction it drifts towards."

"...Who do you want to follow?" Zhu Tang asked hesitantly, eyes closed.

"Of course, the Serpent Father,"

Old Ibn knew what Zhu Tang was worried about, so he smiled at him and then turned back to look seriously at Aiwass: "I'm not about to follow the Serpent Celestial Marshal."

"The Serpent Father seldom recruits Angel Envoys."

Aiwass couldn't help but remind him seriously, "The Serpent Father's and Eternal Self's Angel Envoys are the fewest, even fewer than Amber. It's likely you'll still be taken by the Serpent Celestial Marshal."

"I know. But if I don't try, I won't even have a chance."

Ibn sighed, "The Transcendence Tide has come but has not receded... If things are as you mentioned before, and the Serpent Father is planning to transcend Amber and go beyond the world—then His chosen day would only be August 8th.

"After death, without guidance, it takes about a week for one to enter the Dream Realm. Many wandering lost souls linger on the other side... And then lining up to enter the Source River probably takes another week.

"I have to die before July 20th at the latest to have a chance of being picked up by the Serpent Father. Considering that the Serpent Father would be increasingly busy, it's better to die early than late. And to be picked up by the Serpent Father, one would naturally have to do something so extraordinary that it would amaze Him—

"——And what would be more 'transcendent' than dragging an old body into a god-slaying plan?"

At this point, Ibn showed an enchantingly excited smile.