After Lin Chuan finished his advice regarding “how to become a Beyonder,” a brief silence fell within the palace.
Audrey blinked her emerald-green eyes, her expression gradually shifting from initial anticipation to confusion, and finally settling into a subtle look that seemed to say, “Was I just being teased?”
She seemed to want to say something, but restrained herself out of regard for the other party’s status, finding it difficult to question him directly.
As for Klein, he hadn’t understood a single thing.
What Beyonder, what Pathway, what Blasphemy Slate—he didn’t know a single one of these things, remaining completely bewildered from start to finish, but he could now be certain of two things:
First, that fellow who recognized him, could speak Chinese, and was nine times out of ten a transmigrator, was definitely Lin Chuan.
Second, given this fellow’s personality, the first answer he gave was definitely not a serious one.
Judging by the reactions of those two people, this was roughly equivalent to “If you want to make a million, first save one hundred million and live off the interest.”
When Alger heard the four words “Blasphemy Slate,” he first felt a sense of absurd amusement, as if thinking, “What kind of nonsensical nonsense is this fellow blabbering about?” feeling as though he were listening to an Arabian Nights fairy tale, but his pupils instantly constricted imperceptibly a moment later.
Ordinarily, if someone told him that “the best way to become a Beyonder is to read the Blasphemy Slate,” he would only think the other person was trolling or deliberately playing a trick.
Yet in this current setting and atmosphere, he couldn’t help but suspect that the other party might genuinely have seen the Blasphemy Slate, which was why he casually recommended it to them.
In other words, this figure was an ancient existence from at least a thousand years ago, or even…
Alger remained silent, merely pressing his breathing even lighter.
Klein maintained that unfathomable posture, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Lin Chuan’s suggestion, looking as though he were simply listening to friends chat casually.
Lin Chuan clearly noticed Audrey’s confusion.
He let out a soft chuckle, as if he had finally finished playing around, his tone turning somewhat gentler:
“Just joking.
Don’t take it seriously.”
He paused, his gaze sweeping past Audrey and Alger, and extended a single finger, slowly drawing a circle on the bronze tabletop:
“The Blasphemy Slate records twenty-two paths leading to transcendence, known as ‘Sequence Pathways’, and also called ‘Pathways of the Gods’.
By consuming the corresponding potions recorded on it, starting from Sequence 9, one can truly step into the extraordinary realm and become a Beyonder.”
“Of course,” he looked at Alger, adding with a hint of regret:
“However, nowadays, regardless of which Blasphemy Slate it might be, it’s virtually impossible for you to find one and view its entirety, so I was merely joking after all.”
Klein was still listening quietly, deep in thought.
It sounded like this thing called the Blasphemy Slate, or rather the potions recorded on it, was the source of extraordinary power in this world.
“So, is this actually some kind of Wizard world?
But with a high-sounding name like ‘Pathways of the Gods’ and a road leading to the divine throne, it feels like the power scaling here probably isn’t low…”
He adjusted his posture slightly, resting his left elbow on the high-backed chair’s armrest, supporting his slightly tilted forehead lightly with his fingers, putting on an appearance of calm listening while involuntarily thinking to himself:
“…Speaking of which, just how many pieces of this thing called the Blasphemy Slate are there?
He even said ‘regardless of Blasphemy Slate it is’—could there really be many pieces of something so important?”
Lin Chuan noticed Klein’s demeanor, and then glanced at Audrey, finding that she was still listening attentively without voicing an interruption to his speech, so he added:
“For those who have just come into contact with the mystical world, a more practical method is generally to find a Beyonder willing to guide you and take you under their wing, or to join an organization with a heritage.”
“Whether it’s the official churches or a secret organization, the royal families of various nations or those great aristocrats with a thousand-year heritage will do.
Regarding this point, you surely understand?”
Audrey listened quietly to the end, let out a soft sigh, and said:
“Yes, Your Excellency, I am aware of all these—for instance, the Nighthawks, the Mandated Punishers, the Machinery Hivemind, but I do not want to lose my freedom, and secret organizations…”
Speaking up to this point, she hesitated for a moment, because Audrey realized a problem: could this gray fog space be considered a secret organization?
And could these two acquainted excellencies be considered secret existences?
Lin Chuan understood her meaning, smiled, and continued along with her words: “Secret organizations are indeed not a good choice for ordinary members.
Members are a mixed bag, and having no rules is secondary; the most crucial thing is that it’s easy to run into evil gods, practically stepping into a pit every step you take.”
As he spoke, his gaze intentionally or unintentionally swept across Alger’s position, seemingly implying something:
“However, since you neither want to lose your freedom by joining an official organization or family, nor want to worry about accidentally tumbling into an evil god’s pit…”
“…Then why don’t you just buy it from someone directly?”
Alger remained silent, but cold sweat had already seeped from his temples.
He felt as though his thoughts had been seen through, yet he couldn’t tell whether that glance from Lin Chuan was a warning for him not to act rashly, or a hint that he should proactively bring up the potion formula.
“Buy?
You mean…
gold pounds?” Audrey’s face was filled with confusion.
There were some extraordinary creature materials in her family’s treasury, but growing up, none of her aristocratic friends had ever acquired supernatural abilities or become true Beyonders.
How could a potion formula be bought with money?
If it could be bought with gold pounds, why hadn’t a single one of her friends succeeded?
Klein remained with that peaceful and indifferent expression, though an inquiry similar to Audrey’s surged within his heart, only with a slightly different starting point.
Audrey felt that gold pounds couldn’t buy it, whereas he didn’t have the money to buy it.
“Of course,” Lin Chuan said casually:
“Why can’t potion formulas be bought with money?
Could it be that after becoming a Beyonder, there are no places where gold pounds are needed?
Where there is a need, transactions will be generated; this couldn’t be more normal.”
“Of course, when it comes to the higher-Sequence formulas later on, you definitely won’t be able to buy them with just money, but at least the formulas for the first few Sequences are relatively easy to get your hands on.”
Hearing Lin Chuan’s offhand reply, Audrey’s eyes lit up slightly.
Her fingers gently curled inward, as if suppressing some kind of impulse, and then she asked:
“Then…
where can one buy them?
I mean, through formal and reliable channels.”
Her tone still carried the propriety of an aristocratic young lady, but the tail end of her voice drifted slightly upward, revealing her irrepressible curiosity and anticipation.
“Formal channels?” Lin Chuan looked as if he had heard something funny, teasingly saying:
“Do you really think there would be some official, formal marketplace for this kind of thing?
The so-called ‘channel’ is, when all is said and done, just buying from someone.”
He thought about it and listed a few examples:
“Underground transactions, gray areas, word-of-mouth among acquaintances…
That’s all.
Of course, the risks are not small either; the specific situation depends on yourselves.”