Above The Sky
Chapter 578 - 578 547 Spirit Energy Legacy The Immortal Army 33

578: Chapter 547 Spirit Energy Legacy: The Immortal Army (3/3) 578: Chapter 547 Spirit Energy Legacy: The Immortal Army (3/3) “I’m sorry, I didn’t notice…

that there could still be a sniper’s phantom manifesting behind us and ambushing you…

This situation is far too dangerous!”

Tres, after all, was not a fool, and he quickly understood what the previous screeching and the crisp clashing noises were all about.

He repeatedly apologized to Ian, “This is my team’s failure in protection, for not confirming our surroundings and not coming to the rescue in time!”

“Don’t fret over it too much.”

At this moment, Ian was in exceptionally good spirits, as the growth of the Frost Butterfly made the gloomy forests and fields of the Avak region much more pleasing to the eye.

In the final analysis, the mistake Tres made could have happened to anyone, and the enemy’s tactics were indeed very unexpected.

It was unnecessary to dwell on it, “This needs to be included in the report — some phantasms possess considerable intelligence and will use ambush tactics, including sniper phantasms.

This should count as a merit.”

“Indeed.”

Tres sighed — this time it was a case of overconfidence, focusing solely on breaking through the Viscount’s Knight Order from the front, without providing adequate protection for key personnel.

If it weren’t for the protection of the Fae, Ian might have been dead by now.

He would not make excuses for himself; Ian did not blame him, yet he could not forgive himself.

After sending these pieces of information to the Knight Order camp using the vehicle-mounted communication device, the convoy temporarily stopped to regroup and check their armaments.

The efficacy of Ian’s Efficacy Potions was confirmed by Tres, and immediately attracted the attention of everyone present, but Ian himself did not have time to listen to those whispered praises.

Instead, he began to research the ‘sniper phantom’ captured by Miss Hua’an.

Although the Silver Chip gave Ian all the varied information on the Projection of the Phantasmal Realm as soon as he came into contact with it, he still had to maintain appearances.

The sniper phantom, which appeared out of nowhere behind the convoy, possessed intelligence like Viscount Awak and the Knight Order members.

He had constantly been trying to commit suicide, but Miss Hua’an, who was very adept with Spirit Energy, skillfully restrained a self-destruct mechanism within the phantom’s body.

She then imprisoned it within a Spirit Energy Barrier and had it transported into the carriage for scanning and examination.

Of course, there was also a scan from the Silver Chip.

The results proved that this was indeed a very advanced Projection of the Phantasmal Realm technology.

The Duke of Sorin had likely utilized knowledge from the Abyssal Sacrificial Text, allowing some of his subordinates to immerse themselves in the Phantasmal Realm, and then using the power of the realm as a medium to project within the Avak Domain, which had begun to unfold the Silent Abyss Ritual, forming an indestructible Phantom Army.

This technology, for the current Empire, or rather, for Terra today, also proved to be a potential method of warfare — as long as one could unfold the ‘Silent Abyss Ceremony’, a Spiritual Ritual that allows the Phantasmal Realm to overlap with reality, the host of the ritual would have an army and armed forces that cannot be killed or destroyed.

At most, if the projection gets killed or destroyed, the original owner might need some potions and rest to recover, but it’s better than actually dying.

Even if the phantoms cannot exert their full strength, after all, even ants can bite an elephant to death.

Who would willingly risk their lives against a horde of phantoms whose deaths would cause no sorrow?

“This technique is even more profound and arcane than the sacramental procedures recorded in the Abyssal Sacrificial Text…”

Mo Feng was quite serious at the moment, and the Wind Fairy even produced a pair of glasses from somewhere, adopting a serious demeanor to examine the Spirit Substance structure within the sniper phantom’s body, and finally concluded, “The Spirit Energy Techniques from the Duke of Sorin’s side even rival those of the Fae in some aspects!”

“Especially the technology related to the Phantom Army, it bears a striking resemblance to our Fae’s full-blown ‘Utopia Ritual’ from days of yore — back then, we Fae could project the ‘Utopia’ in the Phantasmal Realm into the real Fairy Homeland, overlaying a full-fledged spirit state shield.

The fairies in Utopia also could not die…

but it was only limited to Utopia.”

“However, the Phantom Army has broken through this limitation; if it weren’t for the fact that the Silent Abyss Ceremony would disrupt a part of the stability in the Phantasmal Realm, this would simply be an invincible army!”

[It seems that the Duke of Sorin indeed has gained quite a bit from the Spirit Energy materials left by his grandfather.]

At this moment, the Light Bird also emerged in front of Ian, and Michael’s voice carried a thoughtful tone: [An immortal Phantom Army, I never thought it would be achieved in this way, what a pity…

If grandfather hadn’t died, if my uncle hadn’t done such a foolish thing…

perhaps our Setar Empire could have held a key that could break the balance.]

[Alas, each legacy of the past was a masterpiece infused with tremendous wisdom and imagination, but why was grandfather so hasty…]

Michael’s voice and even his image seemed to only be audible and visible to Ian, but Ian did not echo with a few words of agreement.

Instead, he frowned.

“This isn’t right.”

At this point, Ian slowly raised his head, surveying everyone present: “If all of this was part of the Duke of Sorin’s plan, then why are there so many uncontrollable Exobeasts and phantasms?”

“This sniper was able to materialize behind us on his own will and ambush us.

The structure of Spirit Substance within him is very intact, with a special materialization array that allows him to move freely in the Phantasmal Realm and choose the timing of his own materialization — his threat is not significant, but what if it were a Second Energy Level, an exploding Flame Wind Giant Owl?”

“In that case, our armored transport vehicles, along with us, would probably be half dead from the blast.”

Ian asserted, “Even if this was technology from the Duke of Sorin, there’s definitely been an accident this time, with all of the most important samples in the laboratory losing control and escaping, and even his own subordinates forced into the Phantasmal Realm, becoming the main force behind the Phantom Legion, without the benefits of perfected technology to back them up.”

“Only a group led by Viscount Awak retained their intelligence, so they could fight of their own free will, impeding our progress.”

“The laboratory in the Avak region has definitely lost control.” Concluding thus, Ian was confident: “The only question is, how much strength does the out-of-control laboratory still have to stop us?”

Although he spoke with great confidence, only part of these speculations were actual guesses; the rest were based on the identification results from the Silver Chip.

[Runaway Phantasm (Projection of the Phantasmal Realm·Sniper)]

[Incapable Level·Spiritual State·Innate Intelligent Organism·Starfield’s Primary Intelligent Beings·Spirit Energy Conversion]

[Product of an out-of-control experiment that was no accident, a human was forcibly bestowed a soul, transforming into a Projection of the Phantasmal Realm.

This represented a transcendental opportunity and a fall straight into the Abyss.]

[Body constitution…

Sublimation in progress…

Conversion into spiritual state during sublimation]

[Strength Level: Ordinary]

[Contained Primordial Essence: 91.2055 Standard Spirit Substance Units]

[…]

The assessment results were very delicate, and even Ian chose not to disclose them entirely, only selecting a handful of suppositions that seemed somewhat comprehensible.

As for the ‘non-accidental out-of-control experiment’…

“Was it the doings of a traitor?

Deliberately causing an out-of-control experiment…

and forcibly bestowing human souls?

It’s indeed possible to do such a thing, but there must be severe negative consequences,”

Ian’s eyes lowered, his mind already harboring a guess.

However, outwardly, he still awaited the opinions of others.

“Indeed,”

Hua’an nodded, agreeing with Ian: “I also think that this phantom soldier has many technical issues that need to be resolved.

For instance, only beings with a soul can serve as phantoms.

Moreover, the majority who become phantoms lack self-consciousness and instead behave instinctively like soulless spirits.”

Mo Feng also concurred: “Based on previous intelligence, the phantoms in the Avak Domain attacked all targets indiscriminately, which is exactly a case in point.

And this time, most members of the Knight Order seem to lack distinctive intelligence.

Although they are somewhat spirited, they are definitely not fully formed.”

[The sudden anomaly in the Avak Domain was indeed not an intentional exposure by the Duke of Solin, but because of an accident.]

Even the second prince acknowledged Ian’s judgment: [If we say that it was caused by an out-of-control situation within the laboratory, then everything makes sense…

I see, that’s why everyone was preventing me from going.

Are those old fools really preferring the Duke of Solin’s anomaly from our grandfather rather than letting me collect another piece of the puzzle?]

[A bunch of cowardly old things, don’t they realize that the reason the Empire still stands tall on the Terra Continent is due to whose legacy!]

—It seems to be an imperial capital’s internal strife that I can’t get involved in.

Thinking this, Ian found no wonder Michael could not reveal his identity and come; apparently, there were also people in the imperial capital who didn’t want this prince to gather all of Inaga’s Legacy.

—Inaga II is right, but we don’t need a second Inaga.

This was probably the thought of the vast majority of the imperial capital’s nobles.

The boy neither agreed nor disagreed.

He merely coughed and then asked, “What’s our next task?”

The fairies didn’t respond, for they knew exactly to whom Ian was posing the question.

[Continue deeper, we head to one of the three great cities in the Avak Domain, Azure City, which lies beside the central hills and has become part of The Dead Domain]

Michael gave instructions: [However, intelligence indicates that ‘living people’, not ‘phantoms’, have appeared there.

Sublimators native to the area.]

[Find them, they are the key to entering the core area.]

Since the boss had given orders, there was no need for Ian and Tres to think further; they only had to execute.

Leaving behind a ground littered with ammunition casings and traces of combat, the squad continued to advance deeper into the Avak Domain.

If one were to look down from high above, they could faintly discern that the entire Avak Domain was riddled with the glow of gunfire and the rumble of continuous battle, resounding everywhere.

It wasn’t just the Empire; many other teams from mysterious origins were also converging on the heart of this region.

And their target, naturally, was also the laboratory of the Duke of Solin.

The night was still long.

Everything was just beginning.