Chapter 1562: Chapter 256: Ancient Phantom Cards
Aiwass gazed closely at this Phantom Card, confirming a detail.
—Upon activating the "Thorn Crown" state, it doesn’t render one invincible; rather, one’s life and mana remain unaffected.
What does this imply?
It’s suitable for use with the Art of Herding!
Once this card is activated, you can use the Art of Herding to inflict fatal wounds upon yourself. You may then continuously nourish the other party with unending life force and mana.
Who is most suited to use this Phantom Card, which can be used only twice?
—That would be none other than the Fallen Celestial Marshal!
At that time, the Shepherd was already able to control a sea of Upper-Level Demons at will, surviving unscathed during the entire Parthian’s siege—even from the scale of devastation, perhaps Horus, the Holy Nation, Heracel, and Primordial were all involved.
When the Fallen Celestial Marshal descended into the world, it merely allowed demon legions rampage, plunder, and slaughter everywhere.
But the Shepherd...
Aiwass himself knew the power of the Art of Herding. To the Phantom Demons, the Art of Herding was like offering a lavish meal to someone who had never tasted meat and was starving—delicious enough to cause one to die suddenly.
The Art of Herding is powerful due to its ability to charm the heart... because the essence of this mysterious skill is also a kind of Tail Cutting Skill.
It essentially cuts off a part of one’s essence and feeds it to the other. Once shepherded, it’s akin to being assimilated by the Shepherd. Phantom demons like the Little Crow and Little Butterfly, who have been deeply shepherded, can have their inner thoughts directly read by Aiwass, even if they haven’t signed a fate contract and become Aiwass’s Great Sin Beast.
From this angle, the existence of the Shepherd could even be considered a kind of disaster for the Phantom Demons.
Suppose there exists an exceedingly fanatical demon army, comprising not only Phantom Demons but also including Angel Envoys and other Path Phantom Demons... If the Shepherd can directly ignore Path Levels and grant mortal followers transcendent power...
His feared presence during life, wanted by nations far and wide, and the complete erasure of records upon death is entirely rational.
Such a powerful Shepherd should at least be at the Fifth Power Level.
...And therein lies the problem.
If this card is intended for shepherding the Fallen Celestial Marshal, why does it appear here?
If the Shepherd can indeed use infinite life, mana, and pain to shepherd the Fallen Celestial Marshal, wouldn’t it mean replacing the Fallen Celestial Marshal with his own existence?
—In that case, would the Fallen Celestial Marshal lose control?
Yet, it appeared undamaged here, rather than being collected or sealed by some Monarch.
The result is but one.
"...Betrayal?"
Aiwass murmured softly, opening his eyes, "or..."
Although he’s unaware of what transpired back then... it’s clear that the Shepherd did not use this card when summoning the Fallen Celestial Marshal. Its presence here is because the leader of the "Sand Throat Sect" was once one of the Shepherd’s followers.
Not knowing what means were used, he stole this card from the Shepherd, leading to the Shepherd’s failure in shepherding during that critical summoning, causing the Fallen Celestial Marshal to lose control.
Or akin to Aiwass’s previous conjecture... the Shepherd abandoned shepherding before summoning the Fallen Celestial Marshal, choosing instead to sacrifice himself to the Fallen Celestial Marshal to undermine the Serpent Celestial Marshal’s plan, preventing himself from being consumed by the Serpent Celestial Marshal.
If that’s the case, this card would be a gift to his follower.
The fact that he could appear here now and acquire this card—it’s all due to Aiwass’s existence.
He once more disrupted the trajectory of fate.
As Aiwass looked again at the card in his hand, he was momentarily stunned.
Because the card was no longer as it was before—
It had transformed into the Sun Card of the Thoth Tarot.
Just like all the Phantom Cards Aiwass had processed before.
Did the Shepherd not need to change the Phantom Card into the Thoth Tarot?
...Was this never the norm??