Chapter 258 — That Topic's a Bit Off

"Yes, at least I saw the wind element appear briefly with my own eyes—a wall outside the tomb chamber was shrouded in a cloud of gas at the time," Sogilim nodded. "Only the elemental incarnations did not communicate with humans. They merely manifested, for less than a minute, I'd say."

Gaoyang Cecil had once concluded a contract with the four elements. This was not only a legend passed down in the Kingdom of Ansu for seven hundred years, but also a tale the bards of every nation on the continent never tired of telling—and this "legend" was not entirely fabricated.

Gaoyang Cecil truly had communicated with the elements, and his ability to grow into a legendary powerhouse in a mere thirty-five years of life was inextricably linked to the power of the elements. But that contract was not as simple and clear as ordinary people imagined. In fact, even Gaoyang himself could not figure out what Gaoyang Cecil had actually agreed upon with the elements back then.

The incarnations of elemental power possessed a chaotic, elusive "mind," and the human mental structure was almost incapable of true communication with them. Even those shamans who claimed to be able to communicate with the elements did not dare say they could understand the language of the elements. For most mortals who studied the way of the elements, so-called "communication with the elements" was nothing more than vague conjecture about the flow tendencies of elemental power. And if anyone claimed to have established a rational, logical connection with "a certain elemental incarnation," then he was either a liar, a madman, or simply a poor wretch deceived by the "Elemental Lords."

Those "elemental creatures" living on the various planes and the true "power of the elements" were not the same thing at all. The former were essentially beings with very extreme magical tendencies, formed from a single element, with tangible form and substance; the latter was in truth closer to a kind of manifestation of the world's essence.

And the legendary contract between Gaoyang Cecil and the four great elements seemed to have been concluded with the essence of those elements, not with some powerful elemental creature. This was the fact that shocked Gaoyang most and was hardest for him to believe.

But just like those memories concerning the "Sea of Eternal Darkness" and the "secret voyage," the memory of how Gaoyang Cecil had concluded the contract with the four great elements was a complete blank in what he had inherited.

Even now, if he wanted to ask the elemental wills for the truth, he had no idea where to begin.

Gaoyang turned over in his mind all sorts of knowledge concerning the essence of the elements and elemental creatures, and amid his pondering did not forget to remind himself: when analyzing elemental creatures, he must first of all set aside that bunch of deep-sea harmonics. Though Tyr maintained that sirens were also elemental creatures, he always felt he must under all circumstances single out those salted-fish spirits for separate discussion. They were too bizarre—treat them as research samples and just one glance might cost you your sanity...

"What are you thinking about?" Sogilim, seeing that Gaoyang had not spoken for a long while and that his expression kept shifting, could not help asking.

"How much do you know about the way of the elements?" Gaoyang asked.

Sogilim thought for a moment. "I'm proficient in the four spellings of 'the way of the elements' in the common human tongue and in Elvish, and I know who wrote the highest work on the four elements, the Elemental Theory..."

"...Then there's nothing more to say," Gaoyang said, the corner of his eye twitching slightly. "Was there anything else about my funeral?"

Sogilim thought back carefully, then finally shook his head. "No, that's all. You looked quite peaceful lying in there."

"...Let's change the subject."

"I think so too."