Heroes' Prison

Chapter 778 - 742: The Secret of the Metal Plate

"What is it? Are you still fixated on the Divine Embryo?" The Harbinger of Doomsday retorted before continuing, "The Divine Embryo isn’t as extraordinary as you think. Most people wouldn’t even recognize it for what it is if they stumbled upon it. From what I understand, the Divine Embryo emanates a unique, intense aura related to its parents. For instance, if its parents were a Fire Deity and a Water Deity, the Embryo would likely emit an aura of strong fire or water elements."

"What does the Divine Embryo look like on the outside?" Huang Yi asked further.

The Harbinger of Doomsday patiently answered, "To explain that, we need to start with the difference between humans and gods. Human fetuses develop inside a womb. But gods? They aren’t human. Without a womb, a god’s fetus develops directly within the placenta. When deities extract the fetus, the placenta comes with it. So, the appearance of the Divine Embryo resembles... a placenta."

"Resembles a placenta?" Huang Yi was startled upon hearing this, and a sudden thought struck him. But he suppressed his shock and asked another question, "If someone finds a Divine Embryo, how would it be used?"

"You sure have a lot of questions!" The Harbinger of Doomsday shook his head before replying, "After being removed from the body, the Divine Embryo is no longer affected by divine power and will enter a dormant state. The first step is to awaken the fetus within the placenta through various methods to stimulate it. Once awakened, the Divine Embryo will automatically absorb nutrients from the amniotic fluid within the placenta, or outside elements that seep in. Its absorption ability is incredibly strong, and it will grow until it reaches the full state of a developed infant. At that point, it truly becomes a Divine Embryo. To claim it for yourself, you treat it like you would a Contract Stone: infuse it with a large amount of your blood until it’s saturated. Once that happens, the Embryo will break out of the shell and be born as your second body."

The Harbinger of Doomsday paused before changing topics, "But not everyone can claim a Divine Embryo. There must be a certain degree of compatibility between you and the Embryo; otherwise, it can’t be claimed."

"Oh?" Huang Yi frowned and pressed on, "Then how did you claim your own Divine Embryo?"

Without hesitation, the Harbinger of Doomsday revealed, "My Divine Embryo was one born to the Fire God and the Water God. My expertise lies in fire abilities, which is why I could claim this Embryo. Later, after much investigation, I discovered they had two Divine Embryos during their time. Out of fear of Heavenly Law’s punishment, both were extracted and discarded. I managed to claim one, but I’ve been searching for the other ever since."

"Oh? The Fire God..." Huang Yi’s mind stirred. He nodded slightly and said, "Thank you for sharing this with me."

With excitement brewing inside him, Huang Yi sent a message to Dugu Lengcang: "Solitary Refrigeration, where are you? I have an important secret to tell you."

"I’m in Lonely City. Come find me!" Dugu Lengcang replied swiftly.

Huang Yi quickly headed to the teleportation circle and transported himself to Dugu Lengcang’s guild city—Lonely City!

Situated in the eastern part of Hero’s Continent, Lonely City truly lived up to its name. It perched atop a solitary peak surrounded by steep cliffs, making it practically impregnable. The invading army had been assaulting the Hero’s Continent for ages but still couldn’t conquer this city.

As soon as Huang Yi materialized within the teleportation circle, he heard the sound of a yawn and saw the perpetually drowsy-looking Dugu Lengcang, who always seemed as if he hadn’t had enough sleep.

"Come to my Heavenly Son Peak for tea!" Dugu Lengcang invited as he led Huang Yi through the streets and alleyways.

He guided Huang Yi away from the mountain Lonely City was built upon and teleported them to a smaller nearby peak using a miniature teleportation circle.

The smaller mountain was tranquil and devoid of people, its slopes adorned with bamboo groves. The two eventually arrived at the edge of a cliff, in front of a simple wooden cabin, and entered it.

The interior was sparsely furnished, with two seats by the window, a tea table in the middle, and a stunning view of vast mountain ranges visible through the window, offering an unparalleled perspective.

"Have a seat! I can guarantee no one will disturb us here!" Dugu Lengcang said, seating Huang Yi by the window and pouring him a pot of tea before sitting down himself. "So, what’s the big secret that even you consider significant?"

Sipping his tea lightly, Huang Yi began, "The secret is about that mysterious metal plate you have."

"Oh? You’ve made some progress with it?" Dugu Lengcang’s curiosity piqued as he flipped his hand, producing the item in question.

A round metal plate with flames dancing across its surface, about 15 centimeters in diameter. The temperature in the room seemed to rise just from its presence.

This metal plate was something Dugu Lengcang had acquired long ago at an auction, at Huang Yi’s insistence, for four Holy Crystal Stones. The auction house didn’t know its nature but had offered it as a centerpiece item after significant speculation. Back then, one of the Sand Thief King’s generals, the Black Serpent, had been determined to procure it, but Huang Yi persuaded Dugu Lengcang to outbid him solely to block the rival faction.

Later, when Huang Yi acquired the Heart of the Sand Thief King, this very metal plate had been used to dispel the chilling aura within the heart. Interestingly, the plate underwent a transformation after that, and Huang Yi’s Third Eye revealed what lay within: a fetus! From that moment, the mystery of the metal plate had plagued the two of them, but they had never been able to ascertain its true nature.

Taking a deep breath, Huang Yi accepted the metal plate and activated his Third Eye to peer inside once more.

Through the lens of his Third Eye, the interior of the metal plate became visible again.

There was still the fiery red liquid, and within it was the tiny fetus.

The fetus had now fully developed, complete with all its limbs, swimming in the crimson liquid. As if sensing Huang Yi’s gaze, it turned its face toward him and smiled. This smile, neither friendly nor hostile, was purely instinctual, devoid of any thought—a response fitting of an unborn child.

Seeing this, a knowing smile spread across Huang Yi’s face. This metal plate was undoubtedly identical to what the Harbinger of Doomsday had described as the Divine Embryo.

Dugu Lengcang, unable to hold back his curiosity, asked, "So, what’s the secret behind this metal plate? I asked Zi Wuya about it later, and he said it came from an ancient ruin and took great effort to retrieve. Even he couldn’t figure out what it was, which is why he sold it at the auction."

"It’s highly likely to be a Divine Embryo!" Huang Yi said, taking a deep breath.

"A Divine Embryo? And what’s that supposed to be?" Dugu Lengcang looked puzzled.

"A Divine Embryo is... the offspring of gods." Huang Yi then recounted everything he had learned from the Harbinger of Doomsday about the Divine Embryo.

"So, this thing that I bought for four Holy Crystal Stones... it’s a priceless treasure?" Dugu Lengcang was no longer his usual listless self. He stared at the metal plate in pure astonishment.

Huang Yi nodded. "Exactly! Furthermore, this Divine Embryo could very well be the other fetus of the Fire God and the Water God—the one the Harbinger of Doomsday has been searching for all along!"

"To think this item has such a significant origin!" Dugu Lengcang took back the metal plate to examine it more closely, marveling in wonder.

"With this Divine Embryo, your potential could increase tenfold. If you manage to cultivate it, you won’t just remain a first-rate expert—you’ll become a super-first-class master!" Huang Yi said with anticipation, imagining an ally of such magnitude.

"Then let’s give it a try." Without hesitation, Dugu Lengcang sliced into his skin with his fingernail, letting his blood drip onto the Divine Embryo.

But to everyone’s surprise, the moment the blood touched the Embryo, it failed to absorb and evaporated instantly on contact with the surrounding flames.

"Hmm? The system prompt says I don’t meet the criteria! It requires someone of a Fire or Water race to qualify!" Dugu Lengcang paused briefly, muttering in shock.

"You don’t meet the criteria?" Huang Yi was equally stunned. The Harbinger of Doomsday had mentioned that compatibility was essential to claim the Divine Embryo, and clearly, Dugu Lengcang did not align with it.

"Why don’t you try? See if fate decides the Embryo belongs to you," Dugu Lengcang suggested, handing the metal plate to Huang Yi.

"I’m not of a Fire or Water race either, so I can’t claim it!" Huang Yi waved it off. "Besides, my focus is already stretched thin. On certain days, I can multitask up to three or four tasks, but that’s only temporarily. I already have an incarnation that I balance alongside my life, and sustaining this constant split focus is already exhausting. Adding a Divine Embryo would be impossible for me. Plus, in the Reincarnation system, there’s my pet—raising and nurturing it consumes massive amounts of experience points. If I also had to cultivate this Divine Embryo, it’d be far too overwhelming."

"Then what should we do? I don’t need to sell it for money—it’s far too valuable to simply discard," Dugu Lengcang mused, stroking his chin.

"I know someone who might be able to use this Divine Embryo. Why don’t you let me take it? I’ll deliver it to them," Huang Yi suddenly suggested, thinking of a particular individual.

"Sure, I’ll let you handle it," Dugu Lengcang said without hesitation, handing the metal plate to him. He yawned again and reverted to his signature lazy demeanor.

"Thank you!" Huang Yi accepted the priceless Divine Embryo and tucked it securely into his storage ring.

——

The metal plate’s significance has been a long-hidden thread, mentioned all the way back in Chapter 242 when it first appeared. For those who’ve forgotten, feel free to revisit that Chapter. Now, past mysteries are beginning to unravel, and some of the long-standing plot points will start to be resolved. (To be continued. If you enjoy this story, please visit Starting Point (qidian.com) to vote with your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)