Chapter 1280: Hourglass Reaping of False Everlife

Far beyond the first killing line of the Undead Skyfall Canyons, where the death mist rolled like an ocean of ash, and the heavens trembled beneath the collision of Quasi-Myths, a small black vessel remained perfectly still.

It did not hide behind mountains, nor did it flee toward the continent’s edge. Instead, it floated between shattered cliffs less than a breath away from the battlefield’s outer pressure, wrapped in a transparent hourglass-shaped distortion.

Inside the vessel, Ellie’s face was pale with anger.

"Old man," She hissed, "have you finally lost your mind?"

Beside her, Lucy’s icy eyes were fixed on the projection of the battlefield. Her usual lazy elegance was gone, replaced by a cold stillness.

"You dragged us out of one grave," She said softly, "only to hide us beside the mouth of a larger one."

Nelson stood before the central console, his expression calm, but the hand behind his back was clenched so tightly his knuckles had turned white.

Outside, the heavens exploded.

The Myth of Inferno’s scarlet flames collided with three rotten Celestial Astrolabes. The Myth of Thunder’s laughter shook the sky as black lightning devoured azure thunder.

Farther away, the Myth of Venom’s emerald domain was being torn apart by undead poison, while the Myth of Alchemy’s formations cracked and reformed like a collapsing universe.

Yet Nelson had not brought them but here!

Ellie stepped forward, silver-blue sparks flickering in her hair. "If that bastard Reverend finds us, we’re dead. If Faceless Ancient finds us, we’re worse than dead. If even one of those undead Dukes notices us, we’ll be turned into dust before we scream!"

Nelson sighed as he finally turned and said matter-of-factly, "That is exactly why this place is safest."

Ellie froze, and Lucy’s eyes narrowed.

Nelson’s voice was low as he continued, "The safest place is not the farthest place from danger. It is the place no sane creature would choose. Reverend will search escape routes. Hidden sanctuaries. Abandoned vessels. Outer ruins. He will not expect us to sit at the edge of a battlefield where Quasi-Myths are tearing the sky apart."

Lucy smiled faintly, but there was no warmth in it. "You are gambling with our lives."

Nelson looked back at the battlefield projection.

"No," he said. "I am investing them. And don’t forget if Reverend really wanted to find us, it won’t be difficult because of his lineage. So, as long as we are here, he’ll have to deal with all those Quasi-Myths, and he won’t be able to easily muddle through!"

The next moment, the refined Baron Timeless Hourglass rose from the control platform. Its bronze-gold frame shimmered with countless hair-thin cracks, and within it, starry black Timeless Sand flowed upward instead of down.

The moment it appeared, the entire vessel became silent.

Nelson’s eyes turned sharp. "That narrow-minded ’senior’ of mine taught me something useful before mocking me for half an hour. The Order of Everlife’s disciples are not merely followers. They are walking reservoirs. Their lifespan has been contaminated, sealed, expanded, and stored inside their own souls."

Lucy’s gaze sharpened, and Ellie’s anger paused.

Nelson continued, "Reverend’s people are everywhere in that fleet. Many are already wounded. Many are praying. Many are terrified. Their faith channels are open because they believe their God is watching."

Thereafter, the Timeless Hourglass pulsed, and across the projection, faint golden-blue sparks began appearing among the countless soldiers and commanders and affecting dozens... hundreds... thousands.

Nelson’s lips curled coldly, "They are lanterns in a storm."

Ellie whispered, "So, that’s your true goal of coming here? You want to harvest them?"

"I want us to survive." Nelson’s voice became colder. "And survival requires power."

Lucy’s eyes glowed with deep interest as she slowly stood. "What is the method?"

Nelson merely smiled before he placed his palm beneath the hourglass, and the black sand froze, and then, one grain fell.

"Hourglass Reaping of False Everlife!"

The vessel trembled softly as invisible rings expanded outward.

Outside, beneath the screaming heavens, a wounded Order of Evernight disciple of Legendary Lord Rank hiding within a broken warship suddenly stiffened. His eyes blurred. For one instant, the world around him slowed.

His golden-blue lifespan trembled, and then a single shining thread slipped out of him and vanished into the folds of time.

Inside the vessel, the Timeless Hourglass caught it, and a bead of warm golden-blue light formed within the starry sand. Ellie’s eyes widened, and Lucy’s breathing slowed after witnessing this mystical scene.

Nelson stared at the bead as if staring at poison wrapped in gold.

"We fish in troubled waters," He said coldly, "Small prey first. No greed. No mistakes."

Far away, another heaven-shaking explosion lit up the battlefield.

Nelson’s face darkened, "And if Reverend comes..."

He did not finish, as he did not need to, for both Lucy and Ellie understood the implication behind those words.

At this moment, the first bead of stolen Everlife floated inside the Timeless Hourglass like a tiny sun trapped in black sand. It was beautiful as golden-blue radiance rippled within it, filled with vitality so dense that even Lucy’s icy expression shifted.

Ellie stared at it with unconcealed hunger. "This came from one wounded disciple?"

"A fragment," Nelson corrected. "Not even a full strand."

"That much power from a fragment?" Ellie’s eyes brightened.

Nelson’s gaze turned stern. "And that is why you will not touch it recklessly."

Ellie clicked her tongue, but she did not argue.

The next moment, Nelson raised one finger, and the projection split into five layers.

He explained, "The method has five steps."

The first layer showed golden-blue sparks scattered among warships.

"Faith Mark Detection. The Timeless Hourglass identifies Everlife’s influence through abnormal lifespan resonance."

The second layer showed a wounded disciple surrounded by a transparent ring.

"Temporal Isolation. We delay the target’s personal time by a fraction. Not enough to alert them. Enough to peel away what does not naturally belong."

The third layer showed golden-blue vitality separating from crimson life force.

"Lifespan Separation. We only take the refined Everlife layer. Touch the core lifespan too deeply, and the target dies."

The fourth layer showed black sand grinding golden-blue light into smaller particles.

"Constant Conversion. Timeless Sand strips away part of the divine structure and makes the vitality usable by us. Granting us options like refining Timeless Sands, increasing our powers, or even increasing our lifespans!"

The fifth layer showed three thin streams dividing.

"Shared Refinement. This allows me to regulate the flow, so you absorb only what I permit."

Ellie frowned. "You make it sound like we’re children."

Nelson looked at her. "You are worse. Children fear poison when warned. You see poison and ask whether it tastes sweet."

Lucy gave a soft laugh, and Ellie glared at both of them, but secretly they were both relieved to see Nelson acting like his true self again!