292: Chapter 286 Are there any warm places left?

As the True Word faded in his ears, Zhang Mu came back to his senses, finding it very familiar.

Or rather, he had already recognized it, but it was just somewhat unbelievable.

The moment the Pope appeared in the capital, he understood that the "him" mentioned in the divine oracle was someone by his side.

Zhang Mu had wondered who it could be and what their relationship with God was.

Initially, he thought the probability of it being Mihe was quite high; after all, forming a Resistance Army in an environment like the Saul Continent was not something a normal person could do.

But he quickly dismissed it because Mihe lacked a little... something different from others.

Following this line of thought deeper, he naturally turned his gaze toward Solon and Palina.

Ordinary people without Professional talent, whose thoughts were incompatible with the people of the Saul Continent and whose hearts contained a certain quality, perfectly fit the "special" requirement.

His gaze shifted between the two for a long time, but ultimately, he remained uncertain.

He never expected it to be Lia, a plain Demi-human.

Yes, Lia also had special qualities, such as carrying the key to the Clear Spring Treasure, and her strange behavior of wanting the crystal back before leaving the capital but then entrusting Mihe to return it after setting off.

Zhang Mu's reaction was not slow; at the time, he had also hesitated over whether "he" was Lia.

But because she was too obvious, it ultimately became the reason he excluded the Little Cat Girl.

All the clues eventually converged on her, making it far too conspicuous.

Aren't stories always written like this—putting forward a dazzling false target to mask the true Core?

Before hearing the True Word, Zhang Mu was very certain of his judgment.

However, only now did he realize: if a human enters their own sheepfold to grab a sheep, would they worry about anything and go through the trouble of an elaborate disguise to ensure the lamb doesn't know its companion was taken by a "monster"?

Humans wouldn't.

Because a sheep's brain isn't sufficient to understand these things; even if it did, what could it do?

Escape the sheepfold? Could it escape the areas where humans live?

A sheep cannot physically break free from a planet's gravity and cross space to fly to other distant star systems.

So God wouldn't either.

Zhang Mu woke from his contemplation and looked around.

The twenty-some City Lords who had sporadically survived all had faces full of relief at having escaped death.

The arrival of over a thousand Professionals from the legion led by the Second Prince meant that the Saint-level old man had become their enemy.

They were already barely holding on; with another Saint-level in perfect condition and one injured, they would have died in the capital within a minute at most.

Now that there was a True Word forbidding combat, it couldn't be better.

"Junior," Avril flew over from the side. The Magic Tower she held earlier was nowhere to be seen, having already disappeared. "That voice just now..."

"Yeah, it's Lia."

Her icy blue eyebrows furrowed: "The True Word Spell she used..."

"If I'm not mistaken, she probably doesn't know the True Word Spell."

Hearing this, Avril recalled the events in Kas Town and said in surprise, "Are you saying the treasure beneath the spring was prepared for her?"

"That should be the truth."

"Then... what's with her True Word?"

Zhang Mu pondered for a moment: "It's probably inseparable from God. I estimate, well, it might be a trump card God gave her, something that can't be used many times."

After saying that, he suddenly sped toward the city gate: "Senior, I'll leave the situation here for you to handle. I'll be back soon."

Avril knew what he was going to do and nodded in agreement.

Zhang Mu flew at full speed, crossing the sky above the ruins in over a minute, arriving at the wide dirt road in front of the city gate.

The surroundings were exceptionally quiet; they seemed to have already left.

Just as he was about to give chase along the road, a letter suddenly drifted down from the sky and landed in his palm.

He opened it, pulled out the letter, and quickly scanned it.

The content of the letter was very simple.

Lia told Zhang Mu that the True Word Spell she used was a sliver of divine power God had hidden within her body.

Therefore, the effect was limited; the spoken True Word could only last for about a year.

During this year, she would do her best to complete the trial and inherit the position of Pope, then all the difficulties could be resolved.

If the trial was delayed then, she hoped Zhang Mu could hold out until she succeeded.

Later in the letter, Lia emphasized in bold font that the True Word had a time limit, and the Divine Servant had already announced this to all living beings on the continent.

So Zhang Mu couldn't rely on the lucky chance of bluffing, thinking the nations of the continent would fear her and thus not dare to attack Lake.

[Of course, Lia believes that Brother Mu will definitely be able to hold out until the day Lia returns.]

The letter ended with this sentence at the very bottom.

Zhang Mu put the letter into his inventory, looked toward the end of the straight mud road, and turned back to the capital.

The so-called trial carried no life-threatening danger.

Lia said so, and Zhang Mu generally chose to believe her.

In the letter, the Little Cat Girl revealed that she came from the Divine Realm; although her status was not as high as God's, she wasn't a Servant either.

Moreover, God had gone to great trouble to send her to the Saul Continent, so there must be a purpose; he wouldn't just abandon her.

One year...

Flying forward against the strong wind, Zhang Mu began to laugh: "You've underestimated your Brother Mu, haven't you?"

He soon returned to the vicinity of the original Magic Tower.

On the ground, the city that had been prosperous just a few hours ago was now desolate and ruined.

Fragments of walls lay scattered in disorder; in areas less affected by the battle, the outlines of buildings could still be vaguely seen.

The pervasive dust had settled, and the bodies of the unfortunate City Lords lay scattered atop the broken stones.

As for the ordinary citizens and Adventurer Groups.

The clever ones had escaped the city early—Blova and Pestoya had been told part of the truth by Servant and didn't block them, letting them flee on their own.

Most others had their life force drained by the Blood Sacrifice Array to activate the Magic Tower.

Those lucky enough to have half a life left were buried in the ruins during the subsequent fierce battle between Zhang Mu and the others.

Now, the only ones still breathing in the vast capital were the people present.

Avril saw Zhang Mu fly back and asked curiously, "Didn't you go to find Lia?

Don't tell me..."

"You're overthinking; she's fine." Seeing her tense expression, Zhang Mu smiled and said, "In the Saul Continent, no one can touch her."

Once Avril relaxed, he said in a serious tone, "Lia left me a letter. Lake's situation is not optimistic."

"In what way?"

"Lia's True Word can only last for a year. After that, we'll have to face the siege of surrounding kingdoms, and even an expedition from the Empire located at the center of the continent."

"I understand." Avril knew the gravity of the situation. "I'll immediately set about restoring the strength Lake lost in this turmoil. The consolidation of the borders will also proceed simultaneously."

Zhang Mu caught the hidden meaning and asked in confusion, "You're not going to be crowned?"

Having stayed in the capital for some time, he had heard a bit about Lake's regulations through osmosis.

As the supreme leader of a country, the King is not responsible for handling the daily administrative affairs of the kingdom.

His only task is to cultivate, and cultivate more, infinitely increasing his own strength.

Only when the King is strong enough can he gain the loyalty of City Lords everywhere, the trust of the subjects, and the... fear of other royal family members.

Avril said she would handle the subsequent trivial matters, which meant she had no intention of inheriting the throne.

Her deep icy blue pupils gazed at Zhang Mu: "Junior, you'll be going somewhere else soon, right?"

Zhang Mu didn't deny it: "I'll formulate all the plans in the shortest time possible, and then... if there's still no news of Teacher, I have to go find him."

After saying that, he seemed to realize something: "You want to come with me?

Senior, looking for Teacher is very..."

"Very dangerous." Avril finished the sentence, staring at him. "That's what you wanted to say, right?"

"I..."

Just as he spoke, Avril interrupted him again: "You don't mean to look down on me, I know.

I also know that finding Teacher is dangerous, extremely dangerous, and a slight oversight could cost a life.

But Junior, I don't want to be separated anymore, nor do I want to worry about your safety from afar."

Over the past half-year, she had regretted countless times that she was thousands of miles away when Zhang Mu was in the most danger.

Avril was unwilling to endure such torment again.

After a moment of silence, Zhang Mu apologetically grasped her cold palm: "Sorry Senior, I was too selfish."

"

Avril gave a rare, playful smile and said mysteriously, "Don't you find it freezing?"

Stunned for a moment, Zhang Mu realized she was referring to her body temperature.

The ice-attribute mana of the Ice and Snow Clan differed from common ice-attribute mana.

It was an instinct hidden in the bloodline, rather than simple physical affinity for a certain mana attribute.

The external manifestation was that as the strength of the Ice and Snow Clan members climbed, their body temperature would become increasingly cold.

The secret history preserved by the Lake Royal Family recorded that the last Ice and Snow King, who had excavated his bloodline potential to the limit, would instantly freeze anyone below the Gods Blessing level into an ice sculpture just by shaking hands normally.

Avril had fully accepted the inheritance and the legacy of the last Ice and Snow King, and her bloodline had been enhanced by Servant before his death.

By now, her mana level had even surpassed Zhang Mu's, promoting her to Magister.

Although her mana control was slightly clumsy due to the rapid upgrade, the quality of her mana was genuine.

Enduring the bone-chilling cold from her palm, Zhang Mu's fingers tightened slightly: "It's alright, it's not too cold."

Glancing down, Zhang Mu's hand was already covered in a layer of frost, yet he still held her hand firmly.

Avril blinked and suddenly leaned close to his ear, whispering softly:

"Want to know if Senior has any warm places?"

Zhang Mu's whole body stiffened, his gaze unconsciously shifting down, past the rising peaks and flat belly, continuing toward...

Realizing the environment was inappropriate, he looked up in time to meet Avril's gaze. Her face was so red it seemed ready to bleed, yet she still forced herself not to turn away.

After a while, Zhang Mu's gaze landed on her lips.

They were full and rounded, their tenderness clearly felt just by looking.

If he were to kiss them, the sensation would surely be...

Sensing the fire in Zhang Mu's eyes, Avril, who was already a Magister, actually felt a bit nervous, but her body didn't retreat; instead, she leaned forward.

"Can you two come down first?" the Second Prince shouted from the ground, looking up. "There are many things that need to be handled!"

"Coming."

Landing side by side, both of their faces were dark, and they stared at the Second Prince with unfriendly eyes.

He looked at Avril, then glanced at Zhang Mu, and asked cautiously, "Is there... something on my face?"

"Nothing." Zhang Mu waved his hand in annoyance. "What is it? Speak quickly."

"The City Lords have been gathered. You also know how heavy Lake's losses are this time, so for now, they can only be guarded by Grand Duke Bulova and Grand Duchess Pestoya in rotation."

After saying it all in one breath, the Second Prince felt the malicious atmosphere surrounding him dissipate slightly. He breathed a sigh of relief and said slowly:

"The territories of the two Grand Dukes account for half of the kingdom. Among the City Lords of the remaining half, they are the only ones left."

Pointing at the twenty-some City Lords squatting together in the distance, he continued, "There's no need to worry about the governance of their respective cities for now.

I've consulted with Grand Duke Bulova; he will transfer people from his territory to take over. According to that glowing fellow above us, all neighboring countries will besiege us in a year, and because of this, there's no hurry to send the legion back.

I'm thinking, taking advantage of the good opportunity of the whole legion being gathered in the capital, we should dismantle and reorganize the legion."

The Second Prince's suggestions hit the mark and were the most urgent tasks at hand.

Most of the City Lords had been executed, but the legion was still controlled by their confidants.

Thanks to the King's reckless behavior while he was alive, most of these confidants harbored ill intentions.

Combined with the plummeting strength of the Royal Family and the "divine punishment," even if these people bowed their heads now, they would likely defect with the legion the moment they turned around.

Therefore, they must not be allowed to leave with their troops.

And to ensure no future troubles, it was best to dismantle and reorganize them right here in the capital.

Zhang Mu pondered that he should handle this matter personally.

The number of Soldiers in the First Army was too scarce, but expanding the army couldn't be done blindly.

The First Army was equipped with a large number of magic-conducting weapons, which were Zhang Mu's trump card for the battle against the enemy in a year. If he recruited Soldiers on a large scale without screening, it was very likely to be leaked inadvertently.

Having made a decision, Zhang Mu said, "I'll be responsible for the legion. Time is tight; I'll go now."

The Second Prince quickly pressed his shoulder: "Wait, before that, we must first hold the coronation ceremony for my Royal Younger Sister."

Zhang Mu looked at Avril, and her eyes returned a firm look.

Understanding her intent, Zhang Mu smiled and said to the Second Prince, "The palace isn't severely damaged. Lake's current situation, well...

The coronation ceremony will be held in the palace tomorrow. There's time for emergency repairs to the venue. Make the process grand to tell those with ulterior motives that the King is still here."

"You're right, I'll immediately..." The Second Prince was invigorated and turned to go make arrangements.

"Wait."

"What is it?" he turned back and asked in confusion.

"The coronation ceremony must be held, but the person needs to be changed."

"Uh, I don't understand, what do you mean?"

The Second Prince was very confused. The only direct descendants of the Royal Family are Avril and me; if it's not her, could it be...

His eyes widened, and he hurriedly waved his hands: "I can't do it. My Royal Younger Sister inherited the Magic Tower and is of the Ice and Snow Clan..."

"Royal Brother, the King who leads a country shouldn't be determined only by Professional level, but also by whether they possess the heart of a King.

In this regard, Royal Brother is more suitable than I am."

Looking at the silent Second Prince, she explained: "Junior and I are not evading responsibility. Lake—no, starting tomorrow, we will change back to the country name Ice and Snow.

The difficulties coming to Ice and Snow, Junior and I will face them together with you."

Shaking his head, the Second Prince sighed: "I never doubt your courage, it's just... I have no hope of becoming high-rank in my lifetime..."

"Enough with the nonsense." Zhang Mu waved his hand. "It's settled. You'll be crowned tomorrow. With Senior and me here, what are you afraid of?"

After saying that, he stepped toward the city gates: "Prepare the coronation ceremony immediately. I'll handle the legion."

After taking just two steps, Avril suddenly called out to him from behind: "Junior."

"Is there anything else?"

Avril quickly stepped to his side, stood on her tiptoes, and whispered in his ear for a while.

After listening, Zhang Mu's body shook violently, and he immediately took off, flying toward the outskirts of the city.

Avril watched his figure disappear into the horizon before turning and hurrying toward the palace.

The Second Prince looked left and right, scratching the back of his head with a look of bewilderment.