"Hmm… Do you have a way to revive souls?" Rhett glanced at the golden tuna merman. "Since you were able to revive Tymos, who was already dead, it shouldn't be impossible for you to revive others, right?"
The Undead Patriarch's eyes flickered as he replied meaningfully, "It seems you have someone you care about… Could it be that you need my help in bringing them back? It can certainly be done. If it's a matter of someone's life ending, I can find a new body for them, allowing them to live again. Though the cost is steep, if you don't interfere with the construction of the soul passage, I can agree to your request."
Rhett felt a surge of excitement but kept his composure, saying calmly, "Unfortunately, I have no such request. I'm merely curious. If a soul has already passed into the Underworld, can you bring it back here and then revive it?"
"In that case… the cost would indeed be high, but with proper preparations, it is not impossible." The Undead Patriarch pondered for a moment before responding.
"Good…"
Rhett felt a slight sense of relief.
Despite still being in the dark depths of the ocean, as Rhett looked at the abyss before him, it was as if he saw a glimmer of hope.
If even souls that had gone to the Underworld could be brought back and revived, then theoretically, there was a chance to revive Nicole! The key condition, however, was that her soul must still exist.
With that thought, Rhett's heart sank, and he asked, "What if the soul has already dissipated? Can you restore it?"
The Undead Patriarch frowned, puzzled by Rhett's line of questioning, but still answered, "In that case, there's nothing I can do. The process of soul dissipation is irreversible—this is one of the iron laws of the Underworld. However, if I receive the soul before it fully dissipates, there may still be a chance to heal it."
Rhett remained silent for a moment after hearing this before finally saying, "Thank you for the information. I won't interfere with the soul passage, but I want to observe."
"Fine."
The Undead Patriarch had no other choice. If possible, he would have preferred no outsiders to witness this, but the current situation was not in his favor, so he had no choice but to agree.
With a glance from Rhett, Heisenberg instinctively handed the silver disk over to him. Rhett held it in his hands, examined it for a while, but couldn't make sense of it. Under the watchful eyes of the tense Undead Patriarch, he casually tossed it back.
"Thank you…" The Undead Patriarch checked the disk, found no damage, and handed it to the golden tuna merman—Tymos.
Rhett and Heisenberg retreated two hundred meters away as requested, watching from a distance.
The gray mist face of the Undead Patriarch and Tymos exchanged whispers for several minutes, communicating through a unique code.
Soon, a large pile of instruments and components appeared at Tymos' feet, indicating he had space equipment on him. One by one, he placed the components on the ground, and then, using a golden skull-shaped staff, he summoned threads of black mist, which infiltrated the various parts.
Soon enough, an alchemical array began to take shape on the seabed, emitting an eerie and sinister atmosphere.
Time passed silently.
The light in the ocean depths remained unchanged, making it difficult for ordinary people to perceive the passage of time.
But Rhett estimated that about a day and a half had passed before Tymos finally stopped working. Exhausted, he collapsed backward.
The Undead Patriarch released a strand of pure gray mist, rejuvenating Tymos, who immediately revived with vigor. Tymos then pressed the silver disk into a glowing indentation in the air.
Buzz
A sharp, high-pitched hum spread throughout the area.
It was clear that the construction of the soul passage had reached its most critical phase.
Rhett focused intently, eager to observe the next changes.
However, after the initial surge of activity, the light dimmed significantly.
Eventually, the Undead Patriarch's entire form began to waver within the silver glow before fully disintegrating and merging into the light.
A deep, dark portal flickered into existence, appearing to lead directly into the abyss.
And just like that, the Undead Patriarch vanished completely.
The sudden turn of events left Rhett momentarily stunned, but soon he grew intrigued and rushed forward, attempting to enter the portal.
But the portal was like an illusion—Rhett passed right through it without sensing anything unusual.
As confusion filled his mind, Rhett quickly realized that the aura of the soul passage was rapidly fading. Before long, it vanished entirely, leaving only the silver disk and the alchemical array on the ground as proof that any of this had truly happened.
"It seems this soul passage poses no harm to ordinary people. Perhaps it only affects souls?" Rhett mused as he stepped on the silver disk. It was solid and smooth, like stepping on a block of ice.
He gestured for Heisenberg to come over. As Heisenberg approached, he asked cautiously, "Do you need something else?"
Rhett stroked his chin, contemplating before asking, "Since you helped construct this silver disk, is there a way to dismantle it? For instance, if we disassemble the disk, would that stop the soul passage?"
Heisenberg was momentarily taken aback and twitched his mouth, thinking to himself that the passage had just been completed, and now Rhett was considering tearing it down.
Wouldn't it have been better to reject it outright earlier?
But either way, it was none of his concern. He shook his head and responded, "It wouldn't matter. The array only serves as an initial anchor. Once the passage is established, it no longer depends on physical materials in this world. At least, it's not something that can be observed with the naked eye."
Rhett frowned. Was that so? Manu had once suggested there might be a way to dismantle it. He wondered what method Manu had in mind…
He turned to Tymos and asked, "What about you, Tymos? Can you think of a way?"
Tymos gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "You're putting me in a difficult spot. How could I possibly sabotage the Patriarch's plan?"
"So you know how, don't you?" Rhett's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked.
He was eager to know how to destroy the soul passage—not for the sake of destruction, but to have a powerful bargaining chip.
In his mind, once he returned to reality, he could find a way to meet the Undead Patriarch and use the threat of destroying the soul passage to force him to revive Nicole…
Of course, he couldn't be sure the plan would succeed.
But as long as there was a glimmer of hope, he had to try!
Tymos frantically waved his hands. "How could I know? There's no way the Patriarch would reveal his weaknesses to me! Please, spare me…"
Judging by his pleading, Rhett felt Tymos was telling the truth. After all, a mere servant wouldn't know how to destroy such a critical aspect of the Patriarch's plan.
Unless the Undead Patriarch was insane, he wouldn't divulge such vital information.
Still, seeing the fear and desperation in Tymos' eyes stirred something within Rhett.
Once the most powerful Saint on the continent, now reduced to such a pitiful state. The twists of fate were both sobering and intriguing.
Rhett glanced around and casually asked, "Has the Undead Patriarch really just left you here alone? Is he not worried we might kill you?"
"I didn't expect the final step of the soul passage to require the Patriarch to sacrifice his own avatar. As for my safety, there's little to worry about—if I die, I'll use a special method left by the Patriarch to return to the Underworld through the soul passage." Tymos responded after a brief moment of thought.
"I see… I hadn't considered the existence of the soul passage…" Rhett slapped his forehead, realizing how troublesome this would be. From now on, if they encountered enemies, simply killing them wouldn't be enough. Their souls would likely escape to the Underworld.
Though he had heard there were limitations to the soul passage, Rhett suspected those limitations applied to ordinary souls. For the Patriarch's minions, there were likely special countermeasures in place.
For now, Rhett decided to set aside thoughts of the soul passage.
He studied the unique scales on Tymos' body and asked thoughtfully, "Was there another reason the Patriarch transformed you into a merman?"
"Um… It was likely just for the soul passage plan…" Tymos responded awkwardly.
Rhett sighed in frustration, feeling like he had asked in vain.
Suddenly, as if he remembered something, Rhett quickly asked, "How long have you been living among the merfolk?"
"Hmm, about ten years. The Patriarch revived me ten years ago. Before that, I thought I was dead…" Tymos replied.
"How much do you know about the merfolk? Have you ever heard of a black shell capable of devouring the bodies of living creatures?" Rhett asked seriously.
A hint of confusion flashed through Tymos' eyes. "A black shell? I've never heard of that… I only know of a rainbow shell, which is rumored to be the supreme creature of the merfolk."
Rhett's heart skipped a beat. He stepped forward and grasped Tymos' slippery shoulders. "I misspoke. I meant the rainbow shell. What does it do?"
Tymos shook his head. "With my status, even if I meet the Merfolk King, I wouldn't be able to get close to something like that. Its exact purpose is a mystery, even to me. I'd wager that apart from the Merfolk King, no one truly knows what the shell does."
Rhett narrowed his eyes. "Have you ever met the Merfolk King? What does he look like?"
"With him? What chance would he have of meeting the Merfolk King? The Merfolk King is a mysterious and powerful existence, far beyond what even Saints could encounter. How could a mere golden tuna merman like him gain such an audience…" Heisenberg interrupted disdainfully, casting a complex glance at Tymos.
Tymos wasn't fazed by Heisenberg's attitude and replied calmly, "Actually, I've met him. In fact, I'm highly regarded by the Merfolk King."
"You…" Heisenberg seemed momentarily speechless, glaring at Tymos but unable to come up with a retort. He eventually huffed, "Who knows if you're just lying…"
Rhett ignored Heisenberg's taunts, his curiosity piqued. "You really know the Merfolk King?"
"Absolutely. He values my alchemical talents. I'm one of the most promising alchemists among the merfolk, and there are few like me." Tymos spoke with a trace of pride.
"Hmph, what's so special about that? The Merfolk King once sought my help in alchemy too, but I didn't even bother to agree. Traitor!" Heisenberg snorted with disdain.
For the first time, Tymos' expression shifted. His face showed a mix of unwillingness and bitterness, but he ultimately smiled ruefully at his situation.
"Anyway, I just remembered I have other matters to attend to. I've already spent too much time here, so it's time I returned." Tymos spoke with a tone of disinterest, turning and swimming away without looking back.
Heisenberg watched the golden glow of Tymos fade into the distance before disappearing completely. He then turned back to Rhett.
Reflecting on their conversation, Rhett asked Heisenberg, "You said… the Merfolk King once sought you out? To help him craft something?"
"It was about seven years ago. The Merfolk King privately approached me, but I flatly refused." Heisenberg confirmed.
"Did he mention what he wanted you to craft?" Rhett frowned as he pressed for more details.
"I have no idea. He said he wouldn't reveal anything until I agreed. At the time, I felt he lacked sincerity and didn't bother considering his request." Heisenberg recalled the event and explained.
Rhett narrowed his eyes, remembering the golden coffin he had discovered in the deep sea of the Far East.
He had once wondered if Heisenberg had crafted it.
But now, knowing the strained relationship between Heisenberg and the Merfolk King, the likelihood of that seemed far less.
Considering the scarcity of alchemists among the merfolk, the answer became clearer—Tymos!
"So it was Tymos who crafted that golden coffin. But who exactly is sealed inside?" Rhett's eyes gleamed with curiosity. Given that the Merfolk King had approached Heisenberg seven years ago, it meant the request had been in place for quite some time.
It seemed they had waited for Tymos to achieve Saint status before seeking his help to craft the golden coffin…
As the clues in his mind started to connect, the entire chain of events became much clearer.
With newfound clarity, Rhett turned to Heisenberg once more and, after some thought, began drawing a rather crude alchemical pattern on the ground.
"Do you recognize the purpose of these alchemical runes?"
As he spoke, Rhett kept a close eye on Heisenberg's reaction. Heisenberg was visibly shocked, staring at the markings on the ground in disbelief. "Alchemical fusion? You also know about alchemical fusion?"
"Are you an alchemist as well?" Heisenberg asked in astonishment, looking at the runes Rhett had drawn on the ground. "No, these markings are far too rough. You can't even draw the runes correctly…"
Muttering to himself, Heisenberg's expression grew more serious. "Where did you learn these alchemical runes?"
"I found them in a collapsed ruin and memorized them roughly. Can you tell what they do?" Rhett replied casually.
Heisenberg, now a far more advanced alchemist than he had been a hundred years ago, was still skeptical. Could someone in history have truly reached this level of understanding?