Wizard: I Have a Cultivation System

Chapter 400: Chapter 86: The People of Antiquity, Each Lived Past a Hundred

"Let’s go back to the study. As for the Holy City, since we’ve already decided not to go, the formal written reply should be drafted and sent out today."

Just as Aurora was about to push the wheelchair, Murphy suddenly felt a shift.

VMMMM!

In an instant, everything around them froze.

The sunlight stopped moving, dust motes hung motionless in the air, a servant’s movements in the distance were frozen mid-action, and even the flow of air stagnated.

Time itself seemed to have been paused by an invisible hand.

Aurora’s motion of pushing the wheelchair froze in place, the gentle and concerned expression on her face still fixed from the moment before.

And a few steps in front of Murphy, in the previously empty corridor, a tall, imposing figure now stood silently, having appeared from nowhere.

The Ironspine Duke, Hakon Perik.

Compared to ten years ago, he looked a bit older. His gray-blue eyes were still deep, but the wrinkles at their corners had deepened. However, his air of absolute control had not diminished in the slightest.

He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his calm gaze resting on Murphy, as if he had been waiting here all along.

"What are you doing here?" Murphy’s voice rang out in the absolute, deathly stillness, devoid of surprise, only coldness.

The Ironspine Duke didn’t answer his question. Instead, his gaze passed over him and fell upon the frozen Aurora. It lingered for a moment before he finally spoke slowly, his voice even. "I didn’t come to see you, Melfield. I came to see just what kind of man my precious granddaughter, Annie, has chosen in that Kaiden."

He paused, his gaze seeming to pierce through the walls to the depths of the castle. "It seems he isn’t good enough for Annie. To this day, Annie shows no signs of being pregnant."

Murphy sneered. "Oh great Balance Keeper, you froze time to talk to me just to say this? Go on, tell me. What have I done now that’s about to disrupt the balance, something worthy of you making a personal trip?"

The Ironspine Duke finally turned his gaze back to Murphy’s face. A hint of an inscrutable smile touched his lips as he asked directly, "Are you truly not going to the Holy City?"

"I’m not." Murphy’s reply was firm and decisive.

"What if Elizabeth is in danger?" The Ironspine Duke’s gray-blue eyes narrowed slightly.

"Still not going." Murphy’s tone didn’t waver in the slightest.

The Ironspine Duke shook his head, his tone tinged with an almost mocking sigh. "You truly are heartless. She’s a woman who loves you, you know."

"Isn’t it ridiculous for you to say something like that?" Murphy’s voice grew colder. "With our status, countless people can easily claim to love you or me. Even if it initially stems from self-interest, admiration, or fear, it can be dressed up as pure love, even becoming a fanaticism with no clear origin. If I had to save every such person who fell into a crisis, wouldn’t I work myself to death?"

The Ironspine Duke was noncommittal, seemingly having anticipated Murphy’s response.

He changed the subject, his tone becoming profound. "Very well. Let me share a more concrete piece of news. Do you know what the ringing of the Morning Star Bell truly signifies?"

"Power?" Murphy guessed, following his line of questioning.

"Wrong. It’s not power." The Ironspine Duke slowly shook his head, his gaze locked on Murphy. "It’s lifespan."

Something flickered in Murphy’s eyes.

The Ironspine Duke continued, "Long ago, in the early days of the Pioneering Age, the First Pope who led the people to establish kingdoms across this Continent was a man who had survived the long Dark Age following the Dawn War. And that Dark Age... how long did it last? A thousand years! His ability to live through those long centuries was thanks to the Morning Star Bell. Do you realize what that means?"

"And besides the Pope himself, there was also a group of ordinary people in that era who were not Extraordinary Beings, yet lived for two hundred years. Their longevity was also inextricably linked to the Morning Star Bell."

As he spoke, the Ironspine Duke’s gaze seemed to inadvertently sweep over the frozen Aurora once more before returning to Murphy’s face.

A distinct change finally crossed Murphy’s face, as a sharp light flashed in the depths of his eyes.

"So," the Ironspine Duke’s voice was filled with emotion, "this trip to the Holy City isn’t just about attending a ceremony. It’s about choosing a side. Making a choice. If you miss this opportunity, even as a member of a Holy Protector Clan... I’m afraid you will find it difficult to enjoy the life-extending grace of the Holy Bell in the future."

After speaking, without even waiting for Murphy’s reply, his figure, like a drop of ink in water, rapidly faded and blurred. Within a single breath, he vanished completely from the frozen space-time, leaving not a single trace behind.

VMMMM!

The frozen world suddenly came "alive" again!

The sunlight resumed its movement, the dust motes continued to float, the distant servant completed their action, and Aurora’s hand naturally continued to push the wheelchair forward, as if the long conversation had been nothing more than a momentary illusion.

"...Brother?" Aurora, keenly sensing the subtle shift in Murphy’s mood, stopped and leaned down slightly, asking with concern, "What’s wrong? You seemed to zone out for a moment there."

Murphy was silent for a moment before finally just shaking his head. "It’s nothing."

Aurora didn’t press him. She knew Murphy; if he didn’t want to talk, it was useless to ask.

She resumed pushing the wheelchair, continuing down the corridor toward the study.

Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting warm patches of light on them.

After a few more steps, Murphy suddenly spoke again, his voice low and clear. "Aurora, the reply letter needs to be rewritten."

Aurora’s steps faltered, and she looked at Murphy’s profile in surprise. "Rewritten? You mean..."

"Yes," Murphy said, his gaze fixed on the corridor ahead, his tone as steady as ever. "The reply will now say that I am going to the Holy City to attend the coronation ceremony."