Chapter 307 305-Acquiring Celestial Blossom
Ethan roused himself from his deep contemplation, his thoughts churning for a moment.
Observing Phito's solemn expression, Ethan let out a long sigh, saying, "I'll do my best."
Phito expressed his gratitude, and then his gaze affectionately rested on Daphne's chrysalis.
"Young friend Ethan, Daphne has had a hard life. I hope you can take her away with you."
Ethan was taken aback, his surprise evident as he asked, "Isn't Daphne a hunter from here?"
"Certainly not," Phito's expression became even more animated, a profound sense of fondness in his demeanor. "After realizing my own fate, I was steeped in sorrow, lost in my own melancholy."
"As time wore on, I gradually came to terms with the reality. I started to venture around the Celestial Blossom, and in my comings and goings, the surrounding monsters began to show me some respect. One day, a magical wolf brought a baby still in swaddling clothes to me."
"That was Daphne. I taught her to read and write, and even set her on the path of cultivation."
Phito, deeply moved by his own story, crouched down and gently stroked Daphne's chrysalis:
"Daphne was like a ray of sunshine in my dark world; she saved me. When she was little, she rode on the back of a magical wolf, hunting and bringing back her first prey. She roasted it and offered it to me, wanting me to taste it."
"Where would I have the need to eat? But I still cast an illusion with my magic."
"The smile on Daphne's face that day is something I remember to this very moment."
Ethan bowed his head, feeling a heaviness in his heart.
Just from listening to Phito's story, he could sense how deep and meaningful the bond between Daphne and Phito was.
Phito spoke earnestly, emotions welling up within him until tears flowed from his eyes.
"But I know, I can only spend my life by the side of the Celestial Blossom. Daphne, she still has plenty of time ahead of her; she should go out and see the world, she should have a different life."
"So, I disappeared suddenly, leaving Daphne behind."
"That day, it was raining. Daphne knelt before the Celestial Blossom, crying for three days and three nights. She curled up on the ground in an embrace, looking utterly pitiful."
"I really couldn't restrain my feelings, and on the fourth day, I came out. I found an excuse, saying I needed to enter a deep sleep, urging her to become independent."
"Daphne then tried all kinds of ways to wake me up."
"The disappointment and tears on Daphne's face, I saw it all. My heart ached, but I knew, Daphne can't be trapped in this despairing place like me."
"I want to accompany her, but I can't, I just can't!!"
At this moment, Phito cried bitterly like a child, completely devoid of any Demi-god demeanor.
The divine light on his body began to dim, and his godly robe gradually lost its effectiveness, becoming wrinkled and worn...
Phito suddenly fell to his knees, his pupils filled with tears as he looked at Ethan:
"Young friend Ethan, my biggest wish in this life... is for Daphne to live well, to experience the splendors of life."
"Judging from all these events, you possess not only immense strength but also a benevolent character. I can rest assured with Daphne by your side!"
"Young friend Ethan, take Daphne, take the detestable Celestial Blossom, and go."
The power of a middle-aged man crying in front of oneself is immense.
Ethan took a deep breath and solemnly said, "Demi-god Phito, rest assured, I will protect Daphne."
"But your body..."
It was at this moment that Phito realized what had happened, astounded, he wiped away his tears.
"Did I just cry?" Phito's body petrified, frozen in place.
Ethan, on the other hand, took a couple of steps back, pointed at Phito, and swallowed hard: "Demi-god Phito, you've just wiped your own nose off."
Phito, confused, looked towards Ethan, his eyes no longer shining, dull and lifeless like a clay figure.
The most horrifying part was that Phito's face was now missing a nose, leaving behind two hollow nostrils, creating a terrifying and eerie appearance.
Phito looked down at his arm, noticing cracks resembling dried land, with remnants of his nose on it.
His body began to crumble, shedding mud and sand, and collapse was imminent.
Phito's mouth quivered, attempting to speak, but only countless grains of sand spilled out.
He gave Ethan a hopeful look before his body suddenly collapsed.
Just like a mud figure meticulously built by a child on the beach, toppled in an instant by a fierce wave.
In the end, Phito couldn't utter a single word.
Ethan watched as the mound of soil on the ground trembled slightly, his lips quivering.
Phito, just as he said, had reached the end of his life.
Ethan looked solemnly at the scene before him, his heart inexplicably heavy.
The Celestial Blossom also changed; it no longer radiated halos of light.
It seemed as if all of its power had dissipated with Phito's passing.
The Celestial Blossom turned into a crystal flower with seven petals of different colors.
Ethan walked up to the Celestial Blossom, and with a gentle effort, the Celestial Blossom was freed from the soil.
With the Celestial Blossom now in hand, Ethan finally felt a weight lifted from his heart.
The system then announced: "Congratulations to the host for acquiring the Celestial Blossom, granting access to the Deityforsaken Land."
"Quest reward: Possession of the Embryo of the Rune of Law."
[Embryo of the Rune of Law: Unique function, capable of crafting any divine artifact.]
Ethan's eyes lit up slightly. He was increasingly recognizing the formidable nature of divine artifacts.
At this point, striving for further advancement in his realm had become exceedingly challenging.
The only aspects he could progress in were unique magical arts and divine artifacts.
The Blasphemous Spear had already given him the courage to challenge ancient deities.
Should he possess another divine artifact, Ethan could hardly imagine the extent of his power.
By then, he would be unrivaled in the world, beneath only the deities themselves.
Ethan gathered his thoughts and once again turned back to look at what remained of Phito... the mound of mud and sand.
How tragic Phito's fate had been; once a prodigious youth, he entered the Aurora Veil only to ultimately meet his demise, his soul scattered and body disintegrated.
Apart from a fable, he left nothing behind.
Ethan softly said, "Demi-god Phito, your journey in this world was not in vain. The Empire will remember the contributions you made. You played an indispensable role in solving the toxic miasma issue of the Waysonny River."
Ethan scooped up the sand that was once Phito, and scattered it casually from the cliff.
"Demi-god Phito, may your soul travel with these grains of sand to every corner of the world. May you never have to endure centuries of solitude again."
Ethan held a deep respect for Phito in his heart.
Spending merely a short time in the Aurora Veil had left Ethan feeling impatient, almost on the verge of emotional collapse.
Yet Phito had endured the Aurora Veil for at least a century.
To maintain such stability in his emotions without becoming fierce and malicious was indeed rare.
Ethan turned to Daphne and said:
"Perhaps, Daphne was the redeemer sent by the deity for Demi-god Phito."
Ethan sat beside Daphne, waiting for her to awaken. He had gained a lot and needed to properly assimilate his newfound knowledge and skills.
The Frost Language of Nature and Flame Language of Nature required no further study; he had already thoroughly understood these two Languages of Nature.
Now, what Ethan needed to do was to fuse them together for use.
Although the Frost and Flame Languages of Nature were mutually exclusive, using them simultaneously could catch the enemy off guard.
After all, no one would practice both Hydro and Pyro, two opposing elements, at the same time.
Moreover, would the Thunder Language of Nature combined with the Flame Language of Nature enhance each other?
Both represent violent and ferocious power; merging them could potentially double Ethan's attack power.
All of these possibilities required Ethan to slowly comprehend and master over time.
Seven days later.
Ethan opened his eyes, sensing an anomaly in the surrounding elemental energies.
His gaze sharply turned to Daphne. She was about to awaken.
The cocoon, akin to a cicada's chrysalis, radiated with a spectrum of colorful lights.
Those lights were all too familiar to Ethan, resembling the hues of the Celestial Blossom.
The cocoon frantically absorbed the elemental energies around it, to the extent that an energy vortex appeared on its surface.
Ethan distanced himself slightly from this energy storm, standing quietly to the side, observing everything in front of him.
Like a whale gulping down its prey, the cocoon absorbed energy until it became crystal clear, encapsulating endless vitality and power, making even Ethan somewhat envious.
His Blasphemous Spear had the [Bloodthirst] attribute.
If he were to plunge the spear into the cocoon, the energy absorbed by the Blasphemous Spear could potentially equate to a strike from a deity.
"Phito indeed has bestowed a great opportunity upon Daphne," a glint of greed flashed in Ethan's eyes.
The power he had gained from a deadly battle, Daphne was on the verge of surpassing it in merely seven days.
How could one not feel envious?
Ethan took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart.
He was not particularly benevolent, but he had made a promise to Phito, and he intended to keep it.
At this moment, the energy absorbed by the cocoon wrapping Daphne had reached its apex.
In an instant, a wave of energy burst forth from the mountaintop, and holy light descended from the sky.
A silhouette gradually emerged within the holy light.
A warm smile graced Ethan's face as he softly murmured:
"Daphne, welcome back."
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