Chapter 3261: Chapter 3262: The Era of Deception

"The architectural spectacle is a part of a high-level ceremony?" Gutalace was somewhat surprised, "So, Tunyta’s construction of the Crystal City as a spectacle is actually a preparation for a large-scale ceremony?"

Glaipnir glanced at Gutalace and said flatly, "You’ll know if it is by continuing to listen."

With that, Glaipnir shifted the topic and began to narrate the story corresponding to the third piece of the puzzle— "The Resonance of the Holy Corpse Crystal."

"Holy Corpse Crystal, I think you must have heard of it."

"To put it bluntly, the Holy Corpse Crystal is the body of a member of the Crystal Eye Clan."

The features of the Crystal Eye Clan are very distinct, their skin like transparent colored glaze, flesh like colorless liquid gold, and bones like ice pillars on the permafrost. The whole person seems to be made of ice crystal.

Indeed, ordinary humans go through decay and return to dust after death. However, the Crystal Eye Clan is different; they become a human-shaped transparent crystal after death.

This transparent crystal is what is called the "Holy Corpse Crystal."

"Initially, when Tunyta was constructing the Crystal City, everything was normal. Using permafrost as the base, unmeltable ice for the walls, and incombustible frost as decoration... But as the construction was nearing completion, Tunyta suddenly issued a new demand to the Elders Council."

Tunyta’s command was strange, and all the members of the Elders Council instinctively rejected it upon seeing it.

Because Tunyta’s command was—to incorporate the Holy Corpse Crystals of all newly deceased into the walls as a material for constructing the Crystal City.

The Holy Corpse Crystal is the body of a member of the Crystal Eye Clan. Although the Crystal Eye Clan differs greatly in appearance from humans, their initial attitude towards the deceased was quite similar to humans.

The Elders Council unanimously agreed that this was an act of desecrating the deceased, and absolutely could not be tolerated. Even if the command came from the Prophet, resistance was necessary.

Faced with the fierce opposition from the elders, Tunyta did not argue, but secretly issued the same command to his followers in his own name.

Tunyta, as a Prophet of the clan, was seen as a Divine Spirit by many followers. Although Tunyta’s command seemed blasphemous, to the zealots, who would dare to question the will of a ’god’? Moreover, Tunyta’s command was—incorporate the Holy Corpse Crystals of the newly deceased into the Crystal City—it wouldn’t necessarily be oneself who’d die, and it wouldn’t affect oneself in a short time, so supporting it was no harm.

Furthermore, Tunyta’s Crystal City was open to all clan members, and for some lower-class communities, this was a form of re-creation grace. Previously, after death, bodies were buried randomly in the Frozen Soil Wilderness, but now merging into the Crystal City meant accompanying their descendants in a disguised manner, far better than abandoning the body in the wilderness.

For a time, support was widespread from top to bottom.

Perhaps only Tunyta, this Prophet, could achieve such an outcome from ancient times to the present, allowing the upper nobility and lower community to reach a consensus on the same policy.

However, the people’s consensus could not immediately overturn the consensus of the Elders Council.

The Elders Council was still unwilling to allow the Holy Corpse Crystals to be incorporated into the Crystal City.

Tunyta did not take any action against the stubbornness of the Elders Council, only silently waiting for a certain point in time.

Half a month later, the time came.

A guard of the Crystal Eye Clan, while on patrol, encountered a once-in-a-century ice wind disaster and was swept away, whereabouts unknown.

Although it was termed as a disappearance, in reality, everyone knew that encountering an ice wind disaster meant certain death for the guard. The body was likely swept hundreds or even thousands of miles into unknown wastelands.

The family of this guard wanted to find him, even if it were just his body.

They persistently sought people and pleaded with the Guard Team to search, but such thankless tasks were outright rejected by the Guard Team.

At this moment, they remembered Prophet Tunyta’s command.

—Newly deceased should be incorporated into the Crystal City.

If this command were to be executed, the guard’s body must first be found.

With this reason, they reported it layer by layer, finally bringing it to Tunyta’s attention. Prophet Tunyta had no hesitation and immediately mobilized various powers to search for the guard who had encountered disaster.

After the ice wind disaster subsided, the guard was found just a day and a half later, hundreds of miles away.

As everyone had anticipated, he had died and turned into a human-shaped crystal.

Under the sorrowful gaze of his family, he was incorporated into the Crystal City in the name of the Holy Corpse Crystal.

With public opinion backing, not even the Elders Council dared to have an opinion on it, and could only tacitly allow it.

After this event, the storm gradually subsided.

Half a year quickly passed.

During this time, members of the Crystal Eye Clan also passed away, but they were buried according to traditional methods. Even if their families supported the Prophet, supporting was one thing, the deceased had to be dealt with as originally intended.

Tunyta made no response to this, until one day he gathered all the members of the Elders Council.

In front of all the elders, he led an ignorant wandering boy into his secret chamber.

Half a day later, when the wandering boy appeared again, he had become a different person.

Previously ignorant and timid, he had now learned to read and formed his own views. Although not at a scholar’s level, he had surpassed most ordinary people.

Before, he had some strength but lacked extraordinary ability and fought without any tactic. But now, he could not only manipulate crystal shells but also use the power of ice crystals.

The stark difference left the Elders Council in shock.

What on earth is going on? Why such a huge change?

Faced with the elders’ doubts, Tunyta offered an incredible explanation: "The Resonance of the Holy Corpse Crystal."

According to Tunyta, the blueprint of Crystal City was acquired unintentionally and had unimaginable capabilities: Once the Holy Corpse Crystals were integrated into Crystal City, if resonance occurred, it meant someone inside Crystal City would appear who could inherit the legacy within the Holy Corpse Crystal.

In short: the Holy Corpse Crystals inside Crystal City could become a medium for inheriting abilities and knowledge... provided there’s resonance.

This wandering boy resonated with the guard who died in the ice wind disaster.

Thus, the current situation occurred.

The wandering boy inherited the legacy within the Holy Corpse Crystal, gaining part of the abilities and knowledge, transforming from a useless person to the backbone of Crystal City.

Tunyta’s words were like stones thrown into the deathly stillness of a pool, stirring waves upon waves.

The Elders Council, from the bottom of their hearts, disbelieved such absurdity, but the facts were laid bare before them, making them feel as if they were watching a surreal play.

They began to inquire carefully about the situation, having detailed discussions with the wandering youth and consulting with the Prophet Tunyta.

With more information being revealed, they had no choice but to believe.

The wandering youth truly inherited the legacy of the deceased guard!

Tunyta proclaimed loudly at this time: "The construction of Crystal City is not only to eliminate prejudice and break down social hierarchies, but more so for the future of the Crystal Eye Clan. Imagine how tragic it would be if predecessors with extraordinary abilities were to pass without successors? Wouldn’t it mean the brilliant talents that shone in history would vanish into the long river of time?"

"And now, as long as the Holy Corpse Crystal is integrated into the unique structure of Crystal City, there is a certain probability of inheriting the talent of past souls from the river of time. How lucky is that?"

"This is not defying tradition; it is innovating for the future!"

"Don’t you want the Crystal Eye Clan to get better and better? Don’t you wish for the glory of our ancestors to bless our path forward?"

Tunyta’s final words carried a hint of labeling and moral coercion, but it must be said that they struck deep into their souls.

If given the chance to inherit the legacy of predecessors, doesn’t it mean avoiding many detours?

For a time, doubt arose within the Elders Council.

Tunyta looked at the conflicted elders, neither urging nor speaking, only saying softly, "If you still have doubts, why not test it a few more times and let time prove my words are not false."

Two years later, several youths again obtained the inheritance of predecessors in Tunyta’s secret chamber.

Finally, seeing the ironclad facts, the Elders Council had its first defector, who stood beside the Prophet Tunyta, thus indicating his stance.

With the first supporter, a second, a third... more people stood over.

Tunyta looked at the growing number of supporters around him, knowing in his heart that the trend had formed.

...

The above is the story told in "The Resonance of the Holy Corpse Crystal," narrated with particular detail by Glaipnir because the first two stories were not really secrets, just an introduction.

This story already involves the biggest secret of the Crystal Eye Clan.

After hearing it, most were still in a daze, even Gutalace was shocked into silence by this secret for a long time.

However, Luigi was quite pleased as he said to Angel: "Didn’t I tell you about the conjecture concerning the Holy Corpse Crystal when we came to Crystal City before? I said at the time that the youths emerging from the forbidden land suddenly mastering various strange abilities was definitely suspicious. It could well be that they inherited the abilities of the predecessors through the Holy Corpse Crystal."

"See, I was right."

Luigi boasted smugly.

Angel nodded in affirmation, confirming that Luigi had indeed mentioned this conjecture.

At that time, Angel also could not believe such rumors which seemed like Arabian Nights, but after listening to Glaipnir’s narration, he realized that Luigi was not wrong.

Seeing the proud Luigi, Glaipnir glanced at him indifferently: "I’ve only told half of the puzzle; do you already think your conjecture is definitely correct?"

Luigi hesitated: "Is there more to it?"

Glaipnir smirked silently, while Angel quietly spoke: "As of now, the truth of Lita’s crisis has still not surfaced. If Lita is related to the resonance of the Holy Corpse Crystal, he shouldn’t be in danger, he should be delighted by this."

But the situation is completely the opposite now, with Hiluda missing, Fahda warning, and Lita in crisis, clearly indicating more underlying complexities.

Also, Angel, after hearing "The Resonance of the Holy Corpse Crystal," felt deeply troubled.

As a Wizard, he strongly adhered to one principle: since there’s gain, there must be a cost.

Gain and cost, even if unequal, must exist.

Yet in "The Resonance of the Holy Corpse Crystal," the wandering youth gained the inheritance of the deceased, but what price did he pay?

Obtaining something for nothing without any reciprocation is evidently impossible.

Sure enough, facing Angel’s query, Glaipnir gently nodded: "That’s right, gain and cost must be mutual. Even if the cost is not apparent now, it will certainly come in the future."

With that said, Glaipnir finally entered the next puzzle story: "If ’The Resonance of the Holy Corpse Crystal’ is a beautiful dream, then ’The Elegy of the Boy’s Demise’ is the reality that pierces this dream."

In the century of integrating the Holy Corpse Crystal into Crystal City, countless talented youths have emerged, inheriting the legacy of predecessors, reaching the current pinnacle within a short time, and then continuously breaking limits with their efforts.

A mere century surpassed the achievements the Crystal Eye Clan failed to reach in thousands of years.

It was precisely due to this brilliant century that Tunyta’s prestige reached an unprecedented level, making him the greatest prophet of the Crystal Eye Clan.

Many in the Elders Council originally insisted on tradition, unwilling to let the deceased merge with Crystal City.

However, witnessing such a glorious and dazzling era, they too defected.

With the full support of the Elders Council, added to Tunyta’s own reputation and the century-long subtle promotion, almost all citizens of the Crystal Eye Clan accepted the new burial method.

To have themselves, their family, and friends integrate with Crystal City after death.

Many among the Crystal Eye Clan even felt that this burial method made them more at ease, as if their departed family always remained by their side.

Whether it be the changing tide of thoughts or the current brilliance of stars, everything seemed to be moving in the right direction.

The Elders Council even thought that this rapidly elevating time would continue until the Crystal Eye Clan reached an irreplaceable height... but reality, at this time, dealt them a sharp slap.

The greatest prophet, Tunyta, died of old age.

Initially, everyone believed Tunyta’s death, like many epic poems in history stories, would be grand for a while but slowly fade away with time.

But, the truth was different.

Tunyta’s death was not merely a page turned in history books; it brought the entire history of the Crystal Eye Clan into an unknown direction.

The reason being that Tunyta wove a grand lie during his lifetime.

And this grand lie entrapped everyone in the Elders Council, leading them into a ditch with no turning back.

Because this grand lie is—this current star-studded era.

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