Chapter 31: Chapter 18: Thank You, Lord Blake

Yes or no?

This was indeed a question worth pondering.

Sean mused on it.

Judging by his experiences in the dream and his control over the statue, he was.

But judging by his twenty-plus years of an ordinary life, he could also be not.

Even if a person’s current life was connected to their previous one, and they possessed memories of that past life, from a biological standpoint, they were still not their original self—in fact, a person from one second to the next wasn’t even the same person.

The cells in the human body are constantly metabolizing. New cells are not the same as the old ones they replace, so the body they constitute is naturally not the original body. This is the famous Theseus’ Ship paradox.

It was also one of the most powerful forms of Magic in the "philosophy" branch of the Truth Technique.

Under the right circumstances, it could bamboozle someone completely.

His thoughts had drifted a bit far. Sean reined them in.

Returning to the question of whether he "was Blake"—

He chose not to answer.

It was clear that Adelf desperately craved a definite, affirmative answer; the old man was already on the verge of tears. Kate and the others were also flushed and trembling with excitement, their gazes fixed on his statue with anticipation. It made Sean wonder if his past self had the constitution of a Succubus...

The more they acted like this, the more Sean refused to give a sign.

Just like a goddess who always takes her time texting back, one had to maintain this sort of ambiguous, equivocal, and inscrutable attitude to keep people hooked and preserve the mystique of a legendary figure from an epic era.

After that, no matter what Adelf and the others said, Sean didn’t move again.

He remained as steady as a rock.

But even so, Adelf and the others didn’t give up.

Or rather, they had already given up long ago. After centuries of vast and constant change, Blake and his Era of Polymath had long since become history. The harder people’s lives were in the present, the more they yearned for the past. Everyone hoped Blake was still alive, but at the same time, everyone knew it was impossible. Sean’s two movements, however, had rekindled hope in hearts that had already accepted reality—

"If it is truly you, Lord Blake, please open your eyes and look at this world."

Adelf’s voice was loud.

"Look at what they have done."

"Those faithless traitors have branded us with the stigma of Heresy, seeking to wipe us out completely. We’ve been forced to hide, constantly living in fear. We want to fight back, to avenge our slaughtered comrades..."

"But Mysticism is weak now, and our enemies are numerous and powerful. Many of our Newborn Wizards don’t even have the ability to protect themselves, forced to scatter and flee under the enemy’s pursuit, just barely surviving..."

"But it doesn’t matter!"

"Because you have returned!"

"Just as you once single-handedly carved out the Void Technique Space, established the Hall of Truth, conquered the Saintess, and soundly defeated the Pope..."

"Lord Blake, please reveal yourself!"

"Please lead us. Please punish those unforgivable traitors."

"Please make Mysticism and the Wizards... great again!!"

Sean: "..."

’Did he really have that many hands?’

Adelf’s speech was passionate and full of emotion, like a devout believer praying for his master’s return. Elise and the others were momentarily swept up in it. Kate’s eyes reddened, and using Shaping Magic, he conjured a soft cushion, knelt on the spot, and choked out, "Please, Lord Blake, reveal yourself!"

No reveal.

Sean’s expression was blank.

He wasn’t coming out.

After all, he wasn’t the real "Master" and didn’t fall for that kind of thing. He himself wasn’t a believer—not in his past life, not in this one. He only believed in knowledge. A believer once insisted on discussing the form in which the Lord exists, and he told them it was math, and that the Lord = 6.

Seeing him remain unresponsive for so long, the group was inevitably a little disappointed.

Especially Elvire. Sean had been keeping an eye on the girl. Her face seemed to hold more gloom than the others. She bit her lip slightly, which made him wonder.

’When I asked Elvire about Blake before, she seemed a bit impatient, as if she didn’t want to bring up the name. But now that I’m not responding, she’s become very dejected...’

’So, what is Elvire’s real attitude toward Blake?’

Sean found that a girl’s thoughts could be truly hard to guess sometimes.

’Looks like there’s a story there.’

But one thing was strange. According to Adelf, the Era of Polymath was several hundred years ago. What kind of story could Elvire, a modern girl of seventeen or eighteen, have with a historical figure?

Sean couldn’t figure it out.

Before the statue, Adelf did not lose heart. He composed himself slightly, turned to the others, and said, "Don’t be discouraged. After sleeping for so many years, Lord Blake is probably tired. We shouldn’t disturb him any further for now."

This wasn’t just self-deception; the statue had indeed moved. It wasn’t just him and Kate who saw it.

’Lord Blake must have his reasons for not revealing himself.’

And taking a step back, even if Lord Blake had truly been submerged by the river of time, with only a remnant of his soul left, it was still heartening news.

Because as long as he was here, he could bring everyone hope.

Such was the Power of a great man.

What’s more, Lord Blake might be able to help them enter the 3rd Floor of the Holy Hall and above, to obtain the knowledge that had been sealed away for ages. That alone would be enough to elevate the combat strength of all the Wizards in the Void Technique Space to a whole new level.

"No matter what, this is a good start. The era of us Wizards will soon come again!" Adelf’s voice was vigorous and powerful. He gave a deep bow to the statue and added, "Let’s dismiss the meeting for tonight. Go back and prepare what needs to be prepared. Don’t let it delay our real business."

"Also, from today on, we must ensure someone is guarding the statue at all times. If Lord Blake has any instructions, you must notify everyone immediately."

Sean: Huh?

’Instructions?’

"Me, let me do it!" Kate volunteered eagerly.

Staying in the Void Technique Space for long periods was actually very taxing, as it continuously consumed Mental Power. But Kate wasn’t afraid of hardship. He had grown up listening to the stories of Carl Black. To become Lord Blake’s exclusive, first-hand messenger was an immense honor!

"Then I won’t fight you for it." Elise glanced at Elvire with an unreadable expression and said with a smile, "When you get tired, you can call me to take over your shift."

Kate: "You’ll be waiting a long time, then."

’I’ll never get tired!’

The others smiled and shook their heads. They all looked toward the statue again, their eyes shining with a light that hadn’t been there before.

It seemed tonight’s Dawn Conference had truly welcomed a dawn.

Elvire gave the statue one last look before turning to leave.

Elise hurried to catch up, and the others left one by one, leaving only Kate behind.

And Sean, inside the statue.

The candelabra on the round table burned silently. The great hall returned to stillness.

At this moment, Sean’s brain started working at high speed, recalling the process of his Cultivation from Tier One to Tier Two in the dream.

It was a distant memory for both him and Blake. It took Sean quite a while to remember.

It was mainly because Kate was trying too hard...

Adelf and the others had been gone for a while, but he still maintained his previous posture of reverence, his eyes fixed on the statue, full of expectation. Even through a layer of stone, Sean could feel his fervent desire—he really, *really* wanted to be given instructions.

It made Sean feel rather embarrassed.

So, when Kate’s neck grew a little sore and he decided that just waiting around wasn’t going to work, getting up to fetch a book from the library, Sean stealthily floated out. Using his Mental Power as a pen, he wrote a few lines of small text on the table, every word exuding arrogance and indifference—

[Kate?]

[I have remembered your name.]

[I have been watching your performance tonight. Not bad. I suppose I can consider giving you an opportunity.]

[Silver Algae, Rust Ore, White Crystal... You should know of these?]

[East Suburbs of Old Segal City. This is the address. In one week, you will deliver them personally.]

[Personally. You should understand my meaning.]

Aside from a few items used to identify poisons, the rest were ingredients for brewing the Demon Spirit Potion.

Wizards relied on Meditation to cultivate their Magic Power, and the Demon Spirit Potion was used to aid Meditation. The White Crystal in it had a certain hallucinogenic effect, but through Alchemy, this effect could be channeled into the Meditation, increasing the cultivation speed of Low-tier Wizards.

After leaving the instructions, Sean also left the Holy Sanctuary, departing coolly without a second glance.

When Kate returned from the library and saw the writing on the table, he was completely stunned. The book in his hand fell to the floor with a THUD.

Almost ten seconds passed before the text on the table began to burn, each stroke turning to ash. Only then did he snap out of it.

’It’s really Lord Blake!’

’Lord Blake is still alive!’

’Although having me do something so simple is a bit of a waste of my talents, and it’s a little strange, but maybe... this is a small test Lord Blake is deliberately giving me?’

’After all, this is the first time Lord Blake is using me. He can’t just entrust me with a great responsibility right away. It’s only right to observe me first.’

’I would do the same if I were him.’

As it all dawned on him, Kate’s face flushed red. He looked at the statue and said excitedly:

"Please rest assured, Lord Blake! I will do everything in my Power to carry out your instructions and will not fail to live up to your expectations!"

"Thank you for your trust, Lord Blake!"

"Thank you!"

...