Chapter 520 - 316: Golden Sun
First, it was peeled away, layer by layer, and then decomposed into countless lines. Like innumerable fine threads descending from the sky, they draped over Yang An’s body. Then, these lines dissolved into countless particles and merged into him.
His body began to expand, as if being inflated. His form grew rapidly, becoming massive and bloated.
But Yang An was enjoying every moment. All the pain he’d felt before had vanished. Now, he was like a joyful fish swimming freely in a warm river, completely in his element.
Time ticked by, second by second. He didn’t know how long had passed; Yang An had completely lost his sense of time.
His consciousness slowly returned, settling back into his body. He then gradually opened his eyes.
But upon seeing what was before him, a look of surprise still crossed his face.
Everything that had just happened felt like an illusion. Nothing in the Forbidden Land Core had changed—not the weapons strewn haphazardly on the ground, not the jumbled mess of objects, not even the flowers and trees in the open field. Everything was just as it had been when he first arrived.
It felt as if he’d had a fantastical dream, but Yang An was certain it was real. Although nothing before him had changed, the sun in the sky had vanished, leaving behind a vast, gray gloom.
And right above his head, a pearl hovered silently, emitting a faint Golden Radiance. It was no bigger than his thumb and perfectly round. Though its glow was weak, he could sense the vast power contained within.
’This is... a Forbidden Artifact!’
Yang An immediately reached out and snatched the pearl, closing his hand around it. At that exact moment, an information panel popped up before his eyes!
「[Golden Sun Fragment]: A Top Grade Forbidden Artifact Fragment derived from the Xianyuan Forbidden Artifact, the [Golden Sun]. It contains a portion of the Power of Rules, allowing one to control Sunlight. As the fragment is incomplete, the duration and range of its power are limited. Anyone below the Zombie God realm who forcibly attempts to fuse with this item will suffer a fatal backlash from the Power of Rules. Without fusion, only one-third of its maximum power can be wielded.
Usage Cost: None! (This is the item’s first creation.)
Status: No Purification required!」
After reading the contents of the information panel, Yang An brought the pearl to his eyes and examined it closely.
Beneath its faint glow, he peered through the pearl’s surface and saw its core.
The pearl’s core looked like both a sun and a moon. It had the shape of a crescent moon, yet it emitted a golden light.
’This is a Top Grade Forbidden Artifact!’
Of the few Forbidden Artifacts Yang An possessed, the strongest was merely an Upper Grade Forbidden Artifact. Now, he had obtained a Top Grade one, and he couldn’t contain his excitement.
According to the description in the information panel, if he fused with this Forbidden Artifact Fragment, he would gain the ability to freely control Sunlight within a certain range.
It was a perfect match for the many Light Magic techniques he had mastered.
But what surprised Yang An even more was that this Forbidden Artifact could be used directly without needing Purification.
’According to the information panel, this Forbidden Artifact was newly created. Does that mean if I fuse with it, I’ll be its first owner?’
’Furthermore, since no one else has fused with it, the Forbidden Artifact hasn’t been tainted. That must be why it doesn’t require Purification and has no usage cost.’
In this Deep World within the Xian Origin Land, Yang An couldn’t be sure if what he was seeing was real or an illusion. But of one thing he was certain: the Forbidden Artifacts in this Forbidden Land Core were real. The information displayed by his Identification Ability would not be false.
What Yang An hadn’t expected, however, was that even a Top Grade Forbidden Artifact could be incomplete. It was a fragment, and without fusion, it could only unleash a third of its power at most.
’Does that mean that to reassemble the complete Forbidden Artifact, I need to gather at least the other two-thirds in fragments?’
For now, however, Yang An decided not to dwell on these questions. His purpose here was to find a suitable Forbidden Artifact Fragment. Now that he had what he wanted, his priority was to fuse with it and then find a way to leave.
Since the Forbidden Artifact Fragment didn’t require Purification, he had the perfect opportunity to fuse with it right here. Time was short. Yang An cast aside his distracting thoughts and began the process of fusing with a Forbidden Artifact Fragment for the first time.
Once he fused with this Forbidden Artifact Fragment, combined with the Light Magic he had already mastered, he could advance his Cultivation Level again, breaking through from the Early Stage of Zombie God to the Middle Stage.
Although it was only an increase of a single Small Realm in his Cultivation Level, it was equivalent to gaining an additional Dao of Destiny Technique and mastering a Top Grade Power of Rules. His combat strength would be massively enhanced.
As for how to fuse with a Forbidden Artifact Fragment, Yang An already understood the process. He had mentally rehearsed it countless times, all for this very moment.
Soon, clutching the smooth pearl, he sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and entered a meditative state.
「Meanwhile, outside the Forbidden Land Core, beside the dried-up Blood Lake.」
He had been waiting quietly. When he suddenly felt the scorching aura erupting from the lakebed rapidly vanish, he sprang into action.
He instantly transformed into a black shadow and plunged toward the lakebed.
’This must be a lull in the eruption of the Power of Rules,’ he thought. He could seize this chance to drag Yang An out by force and interrupt his process of comprehension.
Although it was a great risk, the thought of his plan—and what a huge asset capturing Yang An would be—spurred him on. He wasn’t willing to give up.
Soon, He reached the lakebed. This point connected to the Forbidden Land Core, linking two different spaces. The connection point was like a funnel; entering it allowed for instantaneous travel to the space where the Forbidden Land Core was located. It was a profound and mysterious phenomenon.
Everything swirled and shifted in the darkness. When his vision cleared, he found himself standing within the Forbidden Land Core.
The moment He set foot in this place, a fierce flame erupted and enveloped his body. Simultaneously, everything around him—the weapons, the debris on the ground, the plants and flowers—began to tremble as if affected by his presence. The chaotic Power of Rules had been triggered in an instant!
This was what happened when someone who had already mastered a Power of Rules entered the Forbidden Land Core.
One’s own Power of Rules would invariably resonate with the chaotic Rules within the Forbidden Land Core, triggering them and inviting trouble and danger. Even He couldn’t control this phenomenon.
But He was prepared for the moment the Rules activated in unison. The flames on his body erupted violently, transforming into a raging inferno that engulfed all the surrounding anomalies.
The next moment, He’s figure shot out from the sea of fire. Like a streak of light, he flew swiftly toward Yang An’s location, having already sensed his aura.
He landed a short distance behind Yang An and observed his state. A puzzled expression appeared on his face beneath his mask.
’Why is it so quiet?’
’What is he doing?’
TAP... TAP... TAP...
He slowly approached Yang An, stopping just five meters away. He saw countless brilliant lines emerging on Yang An’s body, spreading across his form like veins. From these lines, He could actually feel the aura of the Power of Rules!
’He’s fusing with a Power of Rules?’
’Impossible!’
He was immediately suspicious. Based on the previous phenomenon in the Forbidden Land Core, Yang An must have triggered a Power of Rules from the Light Category.
But He refused to believe he was fusing with the Power of Light Rules now.
’Perhaps he’s just putting on a show, fusing with some other Power of Rules!’
He decided to test him.
A flash of blood-red fire shot instantly toward Yang An!
But just as the flame was about to strike, a brilliant light erupted from Yang An’s body. In the blink of an eye, it disintegrated the flame, causing it to shatter instantly!
At the same time, the aura of Yang An’s Cultivation Level began to skyrocket. A web of brilliant light, with his body at its center, rapidly spread outward!