Lansseax's letter was brief and direct, but it revealed one important piece of news.
After returning to Farum Azula for several days, Florissax had indeed come back to Stormveil Castle.
The purpose of her visit was to invite Nolan to Farum Azula as a guest by order of His Majesty Placidusax.
Florissax did not seem to know the details either. She only knew that this was supposedly a "discussion of state affairs."
The gifts she brought, however, truly lit up the eyes of the Fire Knights. Five Ancient Dragon Smithing Stones and three Somber Ancient Dragon Smithing Stones.
It was a gift full of sincerity, and even Nolan was slightly surprised when he heard of it.
These Smithing Stones were no ordinary items. They were, in truth, scales of the Ancient Dragon King, containing the power to twist space and time. They were rare treasures beyond measure.
More importantly, this material could also be used to forge god-slaying weapons, making its value almost impossible to estimate.
There were eight Smithing Stones in total. The number did not sound large, but considering their special nature and origin, their preciousness was easy to understand.
This kind of special material was not something that could be mass-produced. Otherwise, with Placidusax's enormous body, if he scratched himself whenever he itched, god-slaying weapons would flood the market.
The Promised Greatsword and the Dark Moon Greatsword could both be strengthened, and there would even be some left over. This gift was already excellent.
But Nolan still had matters on hand that had not been settled. He also needed to meet another Lord, so he was not in a hurry to set out for Farum Azula.
"I really don't know what's so appealing about you that the Ancient Dragon King would personally invite you," the one-eyed girl said curiously, looking at Nolan beside her.
She had followed Nolan for so many years that she had long since seen right through him.
Apart from being a little good-looking, growing a little quickly, and being a little strong, there really was nothing special about him.
This was the Hallowhorn Grounds, as the Ancestral Followers called it, and also the place where they held their rituals.
Nolan stood at the center of the altar, facing a deer-shaped skeleton.
There were two such skeletons in the Hallowhorn Grounds. One belonged to the Regal Ancestor Spirit, while the other belonged to an ordinary Ancestor Spirit.
Nolan ignored the latter and went straight to the altar belonging to the Regal Ancestor Spirit.
To meet the Regal Ancestor Spirit, one first had to light the six braziers scattered throughout the Ancestral Woods.
This process could be understood as the key to opening a spatial passage.
And to push open the gate leading to the throne, one had to touch the skeleton before him.
With the cooperation of the Ancestral Followers, Nolan had already lit the six braziers in the forest. Now, only the final step remained before he could meet the Regal Ancestor Spirit.
"Perhaps it's because this Lord possesses the makings of a true dragon, so the Regal Ancestor Spirit has chosen to abdicate the throne in my favor."
The corner of Nolan's mouth lifted slightly. As he said this, he did not blush in the slightest. Instead, he nodded with great confidence.
After all, whether it was Florissax, Borealis, the Flying Dragon Legion, or the flying dragons of Caelid, they had all personally said he was a dragon.
Even a loyal subject like Lansseax had praised him without reservation as a dragon among dragons.
From this, it was clear that he truly possessed the makings of a true dragon.
Melina, standing beside him, scoffed at his self-absorbed words. She rolled her eyes at Nolan and huffed, "You really have no shame."
Seeing this, Nolan not only did not restrain himself, but smiled even more teasingly.
"If I have nothing appealing about me, then why did a certain young lady come looking for me?"
Melina immediately grew both embarrassed and annoyed. She crossed her arms and retorted, "Torrent was the one who came looking for you, not me!"
This awful man loved treating her like an idiot and was always teasing her. He was so irritating.
Faced with Melina's retort, Nolan did not continue arguing. He simply watched her quietly, a faint smile at the corner of his mouth, as if he wanted to remember her flustered expression.
The girl's face reddened under his gaze, and she asked impatiently, "Why aren't we leaving yet? What are you waiting for?"
"Waiting for you, of course. You little fool, you're so silly. What if I left first and you couldn't find me?"
Nolan turned back toward Melina and reached out a hand to her.
At least you still have some conscience.
"I'm not silly."
Melina turned her head aside and placed her hand in his. Their hands clasped tightly together, and they could feel each other's warmth.
The girl seemed to have forgotten once again that she could turn into a spirit.
Seeing this, Nolan smiled faintly. He reached out with his other hand and gently placed it on the skeleton.
In an instant, space rippled like the surface of a disturbed lake, spreading outward in rings.
Melina felt the scene before her suddenly blur, as though the whole world had flipped upside down in a single moment.
When she could see clearly again, she found that she and Nolan were already inside a pitch-black cave.
The cave was deep and gloomy, giving off a suffocating feeling.
Melina looked curiously into the depths of the cave and saw an even wider space within. Puddles covered the ground, and the light was terribly dim.
She focused her gaze and realized the ground was littered with remains.
At the far end of those remains, she could vaguely see a colossal being more than ten meters tall pacing back and forth in the deepest part of the cave.
The monster resembled a giant stag. Its body was abnormally gaunt, as if a massive skeleton had been draped in a layer of blue fur, making it look especially eerie.
A pair of enormous curved antlers grew from its head, making it seem like a creature that had walked out of ancient myth.
Those antlers were not merely huge. They also glowed as if driven by some mysterious energy.
From its neck to its back grew several smaller antlers.
Those antlers also gave off light, enveloping its entire body in a faint blue radiance.
The strangest thing was that, although the giant stag's body was withered and thin, its antlers radiated dense vitality.
The Regal Ancestor Spirit, this mysterious being that existed in the Ancestral Woods of the Eternal City, was a symbol of endless life.
Ancestor Spirits were mysteries beyond the Erdtree. Life sprouted from death, and life also sprouted from life. That was the nature of their existence.
The skeleton in the Hallowhorn Grounds proved this further. It was not merely the gate to an audience with the Lord, but the corpse of that Lord itself.
The Regal Ancestor Spirit had died long ago, yet it still lived. This was life sprouting from death.
As Nolan and Melina approached the cave, a foul stench rushed toward them. In such a sealed place, the air did not circulate at all.
Nolan had not expected birdsong and fragrant flowers, but the smell really was unpleasant, and he frowned slightly.
There was nothing wrong with Nolan's and Melina's eyes. Though the dim light obstructed their vision, they could still roughly make out the situation inside the cave.
"Is this Regal Ancestor Spirit dead or alive?" Melina asked with a frown.
Whether in appearance or movement, the giant stag looked like a walking corpse. But considering the Ancestor Spirits' faith, this might simply be the way it chose to exist.
After all, it was life born from death. Following the law of nature and living like a moving corpse was not all that strange.
"A corpse filled with vitality. Another different kind of resurrected being."
Asimi had been released from Nolan's body. She was always particularly sensitive to topics related to life and death.
"Since you're so afraid of death, you might as well imitate it. This is true resurrection from death," Nolan said with a grin.
Asimi was somewhat tempted, but she could not help worrying.
"Will there be side effects?" She had not forgotten the state of Those Who Live in Death.
"You actually want to learn from it? Don't forget, no matter how you imitate something, you yourself won't change."
Nolan flicked her on the forehead.
"That's true."
Asimi nodded after hearing this. No matter how many skills or powers she imitated, her essence as a Silver Tear would not change.