Game World: I Can Share Talents

Chapter 353 - 4: The First to Ascend Leads the Rest

The Branch of Prosperity of the Yuanshi Territory looked just as she always had. Time could hardly leave a trace on a Transcendent.

Her smooth, brown hair, streaked with hints of dark gold, cascaded down her back. She wore a pure white, lace-trimmed dress embroidered with gold thread, giving her an air of exquisite grace. Yet, the smile held within her dark golden eyes was brimming with allure. Her pointed ears, peeking from behind her hair, twitched slightly, exuding a strange, tantalizing charm.

Gently lifting a side of her long skirt, Luyetan offered a dazzling smile.

"Welcome to the Yuanshi Territory. For you to respond to my invitation so quickly... I’m truly flattered."

Westheid replied, "Since the Yuanxi Palace extended an invitation, how could I possibly hesitate? Especially when you mentioned needing help. I haven’t forgotten for a moment the aid the Yuanxi Palace gave me."

There was a ring of truth to his words. Westheid was, at his core, a dependable man!

Luyetan tilted her head slightly, propping her cheek on a hand clad in a long white glove.

"Oh my, Westheid, you can just call me by my name. I’ll be hurt if you’re so formal with me."

"Yuanxi Lord, you’ve never been one for such self-deprecating words," Reiya said to the fox-like, charming Yuanxi Lord. "If we’re here to talk business, let’s get straight to the point. None of us enjoy the traditional noble song and dance of probing and sizing each other up." The Silver-haired Princess’s dissatisfaction with Luyetan had been building for a long time. Even after their misunderstanding was resolved, her prejudice remained.

Don’t ask why. The reason was simple: they were just incompatible!

"Heh, you’re so strict, Her Highness Reiya."

Luyetan chuckled, but did as Reiya wished, stepping aside slightly to reveal a person behind her.

An Elf Execution Officer clad in a long, platinum-colored robe stepped forward and began to scrutinize Westheid. The Elf’s eyes, once as placid as a still well, now bulged as he stared intently at him.

He stared for so long it became impolite.

Westheid had to interrupt him. "And you are?"

Only then did Xavier bow. "Oh, forgive my rudeness. I am an Execution Officer of the Thousand Laws Royal Court and an envoy of the Wind Law Queen, Xavier Jade. I may have seen your noble bearing in recordings, but seeing you in person... it’s truly staggering. Your heroic presence is a thousand times more impressive than any image."

Westheid smiled. "Jade... Are you also of the Elf Royal Family?"

Xavier replied, "Merely a branch family. There are countless branch families like mine. How could I dare presume to call myself royalty?"

’That explains it, then. That explains it.’

Westheid instantly forgave the man’s rudeness. ’It’s practically hardwired into them.’

Because the Elf Royal Family had been chosen by a Celestial God, they became the rulers of the Royal Court, but they were also influenced by Emperor Qianlu. This resulted in their resistance to the Charm Attribute exhibiting an extreme duality.

Normally, Elves have a very high threshold against enchantment; common charms cannot sway them in the slightest. However, if a Charm Attribute is powerful enough to break through their defenses, then the Elves, as the blessed followers of the Enchanter, Emperor Qianlu, will fall completely under its spell.

This was also why Rozana had fallen for Westheid at first sight. The Qinghui Bloodline had completely overwhelmed her!

’It seems... this little quirk of the Elves is still in effect. In that case, I might be able to use a few unconventional tactics on this trip to the Royal Court.’

Westheid’s eyes lowered, a number of interesting ideas already forming in his mind.

After they sat on a sofa in the main hall, Duke Qinghui steepled his fingers, rested his chin on them, and asked:

"I hear the Thousand Laws Royal Court is in need of our assistance?"

"That is correct. It was I who entrusted the Yuanxi Palace to send you the request. The matter has also been approved by the Royal Court."

Since they had already decided to request foreign aid, Xavier no longer worried about losing face and admitted it frankly.

"As the Queen’s special envoy, I am authorized to act on her behalf to negotiate the terms of this aid with you."

’The current Wind Law Queen? With Emperor Qianlu absent, does that little one still hold any real power? Then again... the era of conflict only began a few years ago. She couldn’t have become a puppet already, could she?’

Westheid mulled this over for a moment, then, feigning complete ignorance, asked a question to which he already knew the answer.

"Oh? And what disaster could be so difficult for the Royal Court to handle? Is it an incursion from the Chaos Tide? That’s right up our alley, you know."

The words had barely left his mouth when Xavier’s expression became deeply uncomfortable. The Royal Court’s Execution Officer fidgeted with his cuffs and stammered.

"It’s not... Chaos, exactly. It’s less intense than that... no, I suppose it’s actually more severe?"

"What exactly do you mean?"

Xavier struggled with himself for a long moment. He finally realized that if he wanted to bring Westheid into this, he couldn’t possibly hide the most crucial information. With a long sigh, he lowered his voice and confessed to Duke Qinghui:

"It’s... the Celestial God’s Shadow. Not just one or two, but multiple Celestial God’s Shadows have invaded the Land of Rhythm and disrupted the harmony of the ensemble. We... are finding it rather difficult to handle."

This was as much as Xavier could bring himself to say. As a follower of Emperor Qianlu, he couldn’t offer any more explanation about his Divine Ancestor’s corrupted shadow.

Westheid raised an eyebrow, his expression turning comical.

He was trying his best not to laugh.

Why Emperor Qianlu was able to expel so many Demons was a truly baffling question.

The Elves of the Royal Court knew their Divine Ancestor had sealed away many Demons, but they had no idea why.

Was that something one could even ask about? It was a topic that couldn’t even be mentioned!

However, Westheid knew the inside story.

The Origin could be traced back to when Emperor Qianlu first resolved to bring harmony to the Land of Thousand Lakes. Back then, the little Enchanter was not yet terrifyingly powerful. Despite being a peerless genius, the limitations of their race were a heavy burden. How was a creature like a Succubus supposed to become a Powerhouse?

Moreover, the Land of Thousand Lakes at that time was a savage land, teeming with all sorts of powerful beings. Every race was engaged in a free-for-all brawl.

Thus, this unique Enchanter made a decision: they would climb the ladder using an unorthodox, even heretical, method.

That method was Soul Fusion. Through various means—coaxing, befriending, seducing... in short, by hook or by crook—the Enchanter convinced the many powerful Demonic Spirits and Monsters of the Land of Thousand Lakes to voluntarily merge into their body.

Among the Order Creatures, Celestial Gods were undoubtedly the sole T0, while Holy Spirits were T1, second only to the gods. However, while Holy Spirits were pure, they weren’t in a league of their own. Many beings from the ancient era were not much weaker than Holy Spirits... such as the Demonic Spirits and Monsters of the Land of Thousand Lakes, whose ranks were quite respectable.

And so, Emperor Qianlu performed Soul Fusion with all these disparate Spirit Monsters, promising to share with them the glory of reaching the supreme realm.

"As long as you all help me achieve my Great Enterprise, I will surely pull you, my brothers and sisters, up with me! The first to ascend will help the rest ascend, and eventually, we will all achieve Ascension together! Wouldn’t that be wonderful?!"

This event was even recorded in the *Song of Melody Ensemble*!

"A lone hand cannot clap; the ensemble is infinite. With ten thousand hearts as one, we shall clear a path through the thorns!"

"Come, let us perform this flawless, grand symphony together, for the many shall be king! And the king shall be the many!"

Through this insane method, Emperor Qianlu’s power swelled in an extremely short period. After a long and arduous journey, they finally unified the Land of Thousand Lakes and attuned the Thousand Laws Ceremony.

This Great Enterprise also forged Emperor Qianlu’s Ascension Ladder.

Unfortunately, this Celestial God fulfilled every promise made to his mortal followers, but he failed to keep the one made to the Demonic Spirits and Monsters who had fused their souls with his.

At the moment of his Ascension, Emperor Qianlu directly expelled all the disparate, foreign elements from his soul, casting them out as filth.

The first to ascend would help the rest? How about a swift kick to send them back down instead!