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Chapter 283: Pets and Red Eggs, a Starfish with a Great Background!
"This is a relic... left behind by the former Sloth."
At this moment, the voice of the Blood Worship Cult's Saint drifted over, separated by the deep darkness and the triple gates.
"A relic?" Bai Zhou felt puzzled, but he did not turn back, keeping most of his focus on the monster in front of him and maintaining a high state of vigilance.
"Obviously, this is a starfish—a sad starfish."
The Saint explained: "Records show that the former Sloth liked to keep some strange and bizarre pets—for instance, he once picked up a half-dead starfish from the Reflection Ruins Realm and kept it at home as a pet."
"Although it came from the Reflection Ruins Realm, this starfish never showed any supernatural traits; it was no different from an ordinary starfish, and it was always in a dying, dormant state."
As he spoke, the Saint slowly shook his head: "Until that Sloth died, this starfish still didn't show any supernatural traits, except for—"
"It was quite loud."
Loud?
Bai Zhou felt a little puzzled by this description, then heard the Saint continue: "It is said that when the former Sloth died, this starfish was like an old dog that had lost its master. Records show that it let out low wails in the Seven Sins Court for three days, with the echoes never ceasing."
"When the Seven Sins Court closed, it lingered in front of the gate, like a Gatekeeper, never wanting to leave."
"At that time, everyone thought this starfish would soon die—"
"However, the pollution from the Seven Sins Court caused this sad starfish to undergo severe distortion, gradually turning it into the rotting monster you see before you now."
His gaze crossed the triple gates and the deep, ominous darkness, the Saint's scarlet eyes landing on the starfish's pink, festering, pus-oozing, and tumor-ridden tentacles: "It has become uglier, but also stronger!"
"With a body two or three meters tall, countless fangs and sharp teeth, and lethal weapons all over its body, it is a masterpiece born for slaughter. Coupled with strength almost comparable to a Life-Casting Master, capable of sweeping through Level 6 titles—"
"Many people in the cult have tried to tame it, but failed. Furthermore, the pollution from the Seven Sins Court inside it had long since seeped into its bones—over time, people just left it alone, accustomed to its role as the Gatekeeper of the Seven Sins Court."
The Saint slowly shook his head, a movement that caused the tall, arched black hood on his head to tremble slightly: "In the last two years, it has been active less and less, and its dormant periods have become longer and longer. It is clearly not far from its true death."
"Even if other Seven Sins came here, they could not disturb its slumber—until today."
Even without turning around, Bai Zhou could clearly feel the Saint's gaze from behind, resting on him with great interest.
"Now, it seems—"
Then, Bai Zhou heard the Saint say: "It seems to have mistaken you for its master."
"Master—" As Bai Zhou vigilantly sized up the starfish in front of him, his thoughts raced.
If he could truly become the master of this starfish monster, that would certainly be a happy outcome; it would be equivalent to Bai Zhou gaining a pet even more powerful than himself.
In future battles, Bai Zhou wouldn't even need to do it himself; he could just throw this two-to-three-meter-tall monster starfish out and slap it onto someone's head.
However, Bai Zhou knew deep down that the master this starfish recognized was the former Sloth, not him.
He had seen similar stories in Evening City about someone who, relying on a misunderstanding, impersonated the "white moonlight" of a black-robed female elder, and the two were as sweet as could be—
But when the female elder's true "white moonlight" died and the truth was revealed through a posthumous letter, the impostor was immediately strung up on a pyre by the gnashing-toothed female elder, burned to nothing but ash, and even grinding their bones to dust wasn't enough to satisfy her hatred.
However, this type of story was different from other small stories in Evening City; it involved gossip about big shots in black robes and would never appear in textbooks. It came from magazines Bai Zhou bought on the street, which he only occasionally flipped through before bed—
Therefore, a false relationship maintained by misunderstanding would not last; when the misunderstanding was cleared up, the backlash of hatred would be even more enduring.
That was not all.
"Hum—"
The almost ubiquitous pollution brought a bone-chilling pain to Bai Zhou. The invisible influence was trying to break through his skin and flesh to corrupt his bones, but it was blocked by the overflowing Spirituality within his flesh, and the two were wearing each other down.
This pollution came from the triple gates in front of him, from the Seven Sins Court behind the gates, but even more so from the monster starfish in front of him, as if it were a massive radiation source, with terrifying pollution rolling out from it.
This kind of deep-rooted, harmful pollution that had seeped into every inch of flesh and was beyond saving was like Bai Zhou having gone to the Reflection Ruins Realm a hundred times without ever performing the SCE Purification Ritual upon returning.
It went without saying that no one would want to keep such a source of pollution by their side.
Yet at the same time, a doubt arose in Bai Zhou's heart: "Why would the Blood Worship Cult's Seven Sins Court have this level of pollution—"
This strange pollution was somewhat similar to the pollution the Reflection Ruins Realm inflicted upon Extraordinary Persons, but it was clearly not the same thing, especially in terms of its aggressiveness and erosiveness—it was extremely dangerous!
"Ma—Master—"
The harsh noise of fingernails scratching a chalkboard echoed incessantly in his ears. Bai Zhou clearly noticed that those rolling eyeballs on the pink, tender tentacles were all looking at him at the same time—or to be precise, they were fixed on the Gospel in Bai Zhou's hand.
In those bloodshot, turbid, and unevenly sized eyeballs, a vague emotion that seemed like confusion and also like memory appeared, as if an old dog were frantically twitching its nose, having caught its master's scent.
But—
Suddenly, those frantically turning eyeballs froze, then dangerously contracted, and all gazes stiffly locked onto Bai Zhou: "No, you are not the master—"
At first, it was intermittent, low-pitched muttering, then a shrill scream rang out: "You—are not the master!"
"Kill! Kill you!"
The shrill scream brought with it a gust of wind pressure, whipping up the sleeves of Bai Zhou's trench coat.
Clumps of rotting flesh fell down with a rustling sound, landing at Bai Zhou's feet, wriggling with a strange kind of vitality.
"It seems that if you want to step into the Seven Sins Court, you must first pass this trial—"
The Saint behind him exclaimed with emotion: "If you want to become the new Sloth, you must defeat the pet Gatekeeper left behind by the former Sloth."
"Don't you think this is very sacred?"
"Just like those epics that are always praised by people."
"—" Standing to the side, Fang Xiaoxia quietly moved her feet, distancing herself from the Saint whose brain was clearly not quite right, almost pressing herself against her invisible Teacher Crow.
Stop talking, if you keep going on about how sacred it is, the Blood Shadow will jump out and start singing psalms in a moment.
"Swish!"
The red-white scalpel in his sleeve disappeared. Bai Zhou put away the Gospel, his hands once again turning into black and white blades, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense and ready for battle.
Pairs of eyes clearly followed the Gospel in Bai Zhou's hand as it slowly turned. The moment the Gospel was put away, the eyeballs on the starfish in front of him suddenly snapped back to center, a quite bizarre sight.
The scene of a close-range confrontation with the starfish made Bai Zhou inexplicably think of the Gladiators in the Trojan Colosseum, and that animated starfish from the day Evening City shattered, which Bai Zhou had once thought was a trapped Ancient God—
Then, Bai Zhou stepped forward.
He had a reason to step into the Seven Sins Court; there was no reason for him to be blocked by a starfish.
Come to think of it, Adventurers in the former Trojan Civilization were also called Gladiators.
In that era long buried by time, what Adventurers were best at was dueling monsters one-on-one!
"Whoosh!"
Black and white blades slashed across in a cross.
In front of the gate, that mass of rotting flesh finally revealed its true fangs.
Hundreds of sharp mouths with thousands of interlocking fangs clacked noisily, and five tentacles simultaneously sprang up from the magnificent gate, like five mechanical blades reaching out from the door.
The moment they approached Bai Zhou, the tumors at the ends of the tentacles burst one after another, and black-and-white eyeballs, like peas being spat out, shot out densely towards Bai Zhou's face.
These eyeballs ejected from the burst tumors even trailed slender, blood-stained threads of flesh, as if countless parasites were about to take root in Bai Zhou's flesh!
"Swish, swish, swish!"
His blades danced; Bai Zhou's dual blades formed an airtight defense, severing these threads of flesh one after another. The eyeballs also burst in the air with "pop, pop" sounds, the crisp noises accompanied by splattering pus, the scene illuminated by Bai Zhou's blade light appearing extremely disgusting.
"It is simply art—"
The Saint behind him, however, watched this scene with intoxication.
"Every time I watch him fight, I feel it is a kind of enjoyment. His body from top to bottom is like a machine of War, born for slaughter. His hands turn into dual blades, controlled as easily as his own arms, human and blade as one—humans could never achieve such a level!"
"Only a masterpiece of the world, a work of supernatural craftsmanship from the Reflection Ruins Realm, or the most special creature in the world like a King of Desires, could achieve this."
The Saint's chin under his hood lifted slightly: "But he is precisely not a masterpiece of the world, nor a work of supernatural craftsmanship from the Reflection Ruins Realm—"
"He is my! Masterpiece!"
Hearing this, Fluoxetine beside the Saint bowed obsequiously: "Sloth is mighty, the Saint is wise!"
"This shows that in this era, the Fated One lies with our Blood Worship Cult, and the Blood Moon will eventually descend upon the earth again!"
Standing to the side, Fang Xiaoxia and Crow: "—"
Oh no, I feel the Blood Shadow inside me is already restless. Sister, you must stay calm!
This duo of lunatics' little act doesn't need you, a third party, to intervene!
"AAA—" The strange screech meant that the battle between the starfish monster and Bai Zhou had reached a white-hot stage.
Bai Zhou's dual blades had just severed two tentacles when a third one wrapped around his ankle with uncanny speed, then gave a violent tug, the unstoppable, overwhelming force causing Bai Zhou to suddenly lose his balance.
As his back slammed against the stone slab nearby, several tentacles of the starfish monster immediately pressed down upon him, like five heavy stone pillars, pinning Bai Zhou's limbs and torso firmly to the ground.
Sharp teeth bit fiercely into Bai Zhou's shoulder, sinking three points deep, and blood gushed out through the tear in Bai Zhou's white lab coat.
"Hum! Hum hum hum!"
Bai Zhou gritted his teeth and exerted force, the black and white blades on his arms cutting in reverse against the tentacles wrapped around his limbs, twisting his waist in place, spinning three hundred and sixty degrees, then another three hundred and sixty, and another—
"Thousand Blade Vortex Slash!"
Bai Zhou spun in place like a top, defying physics without any leverage, the rotating blades slicing layer by layer through the rotting flesh of the tentacles, drawing a screech of pain from the starfish monster.
"AAA—"
Tentacle after tentacle retracted like spasms, and fountains of black blood sprayed out, covering Bai Zhou's face; the pungent, fishy stench almost suffocated him.
However, before Bai Zhou could even catch his breath, new flesh buds had already sprouted from the severed ends of the tentacles.
"Splut, splut—"
The flesh buds grew, intertwined, and wove into shape at a visible speed; in the blink of an eye, brand-new tentacles grew from the stumps, even thicker than before, with the sharp mouths and eyeballs on them becoming increasingly dense.
Regeneration! Or rather, proliferation!
A chill crept into his heart, but Bai Zhou did not believe this starfish was an immortal monster.
Even demons can be killed, let alone a corrupted pet?
There must be some way—
The slaughter continued, Bai Zhou's movements becoming a blur of afterimages, yet his eyes remained calmly observant.
Gradually, he noticed an anomaly in the starfish.
On the back of this starfish, there was a naked organ that looked extremely like a brain, suspected to be the nerve center for all the tentacles.
The starfish monster was never stingy with its regenerable tentacles, yet it always protected its back extremely well, keeping it firmly and permanently pressed against the door, never exposing it to anyone, only slightly revealing a glimpse of its back when it occasionally found an opportunity to fiercely attack Bai Zhou.
A weakness.
—This must be where the starfish's weakness lies!
Bai Zhou attempted to attack that spot, but several tentacles immediately crashed down upon him.
After a brief clash, all three of Bai Zhou's attempts failed.
The first time, he retreated from the left, but before he could even circle to the side, three tentacles had already swept over, swatting him away.
The second time, he utilized the high-speed rotation of the "Thousand Blade Vortex Slash" and attempted to leap over the starfish to sever the connection between the monster and the door, but the monster was quick-witted, raising two tentacles like chopsticks to clamp onto Bai Zhou's waist and abdomen, nearly snapping his spine in two!
The third time, Bai Zhou exposed a flaw, luring the starfish to leave the door and fiercely attack him, then Bai Zhou crouched, slid, and rolled, slipping through the gaps between the tentacles; just as he was about to slash that organ, the starfish's body suddenly contracted, its entire back pressing back against the door, while a newly grown tentacle emerged from under its armpit and slapped Bai Zhou back to his original position.
This won't work—this can't go on.
With the injuries on his body increasing, Bai Zhou realized this problem.
The opponent's weakness was also a trap; if he blindly focused on attacking the weakness without ever being able to breach it, he would only be falling into a life-or-death trap time and time again!
The most critical point was actually—
The opponent was too strong; the speed at which the tentacles extended and the overwhelming force contained within them were completely incomparable even to the current Bai Zhou!
Plus that troublesome characteristic of regeneration and proliferation, where the more tentacles he cut, the more there were—
Even if an Extraordinary Person at the Life-Casting Master level came, it would take some effort to deal with this starfish monster.
This monster, which had been coveted and then abandoned by many in the Blood Worship Cult, was indeed quite tricky; even Bai Zhou, who now held the Fated One title, would need to exhaust all his trump cards to even attempt it.
"Hum—" The red and white saber transmitted a sense, as if asking for battle.
At the same time, Bai Zhou's chest felt inexplicably burning, as if a great sun were rising and stirring.
Heaven-bestowed secret technique, [Heaven's Will Returns to Ash]!
Should he use it? Bai Zhou pondered for only a tenth of an instant before temporarily shelving the idea.
If he were in a place where no one knew him, fighting the starfish monster alone, Bai Zhou would be very happy to unleash this heaven-bestowed secret technique to test who was stronger, himself or this starfish monster with strength approaching a Life-Casting Master.
But not now.
It wasn't that he couldn't use it, but it was best not to.
Because the Holy Son of the Blood Worship Cult was watching him not far behind.
Such a surprise as [Heaven's Will Returns to Ash]—if possible, he wanted to save it for this Holy Son.
Unless there was no other way.
But for now, at least Bai Zhou had one method worth trying—
The white blade in Bai Zhou's right hand transformed, turning back into a normal arm, and then he reached into his bosom.
He pulled out the [Gospel of Sloth], the pages flipping between his fingers.
At this moment, the battlefield suddenly fell silent; the constant low screeching of the starfish monster ceased abruptly, and pairs of eyes stared fixedly at the Gospel in Bai Zhou's palm, almost unblinkingly.
"As expected!" Bai Zhou's gaze narrowed.
The next instant, the Gospel snapped shut, and Bai Zhou threw the Gospel in his hand forcefully to the side.
"Rattle—" The Gospel flipped in the air, the pages rustling, and the dim images reflected deep within the monster's countless eyeballs.
"AAAA—" The monster went mad again, but this time the sound did not resemble a roar, but rather more like some kind of whimper.
It was like an old dog running to fetch a bone, or like a dog that had been abandoned for many years, finally hearing its master's footsteps after all this time.
"Swish—" The starfish monster suddenly catapulted off the door, its entire body lunging fiercely toward the Gospel in mid-air, its tentacles spreading out as if to pounce and bite.
At this moment, the starfish monster's back was finally exposed.
That pulsating, naked organ appeared before Bai Zhou for the first time without any obstruction.
"Now!" Bai Zhou confirmed in his heart, and at the same time, Ya behind him also transmitted an identical low-voiced reminder.
"Swish!" A swift figure leaped up from the ground, the black and white blades closed together, a cross of blade light flashed, and he slashed with full force at the exposed organ of the starfish monster.
Slash!
At the same time, to ensure a one-hit kill, a red-white edge also flashed obscurely within the black and white blade light.
"Splut!" The organ burst open under the three blades, pus and black blood spraying everywhere.
Everything was as Bai Zhou had expected; the organ could not regenerate, the starfish monster's body rapidly withered and shriveled, and large masses of black mist carrying contamination detached from the monster's body amidst inexplicable screams, gradually dissipating in the air.
Appearing before Bai Zhou was a shriveled, dying starfish, its five tentacles tightly cradling the Gospel left behind by the previous Sloth, quiet and peaceful.
"Gurgle, gurgle—" The mouths on those tentacles murmured, the eyeballs no longer rolling menacingly, and it slowly, inch by inch, moved its body away from the door, leaving only a wet trail where it passed, like tear stains.
It cradled the Gospel and came to the roadside, settling down.
Then, under Bai Zhou's silent gaze, it died silently.
Seemingly relieved.
Seemingly satisfied.
Then.
The starfish's rotting flesh cracked inch by inch and scattered on the ground.
With a "clatter"—something fell from the decomposing corpse of the starfish.
"This is—?" Bai Zhou looked closely.
A translucent pink crystal ball was rolling on the ground.
But when Bai Zhou carefully picked it up, he was surprised to find that the crystal ball was actually warm, and even pulsed slightly in his hand.
Like an egg.
An egg with a small life hidden inside.
An egg that could hatch.
But—do starfish lay eggs?
How did Bai Zhou remember that "eight thousand questions of the mischievous black cat" said starfish reproduce asexually and don't lay eggs—
"Hmm?" At this moment, Ya's soft exclamation reached his ears, and as his trench coat fluttered, his figure suddenly appeared beside Bai Zhou.
"It looks like this is the offspring left by that starfish, a token of its recognition and entrustment to you."
Ya said: "It went to follow the previous Sloth, and entrusted its child to you, the successor of Sloth, as a gift for you becoming Sloth."
"For such eggs, Fated Ones have a hundred ways to make them acknowledge their master, making them pets that share a psychic connection."
"However—" While speaking, Ya's gaze was burning, carefully examining the translucent pink crystal ball in Bai Zhou's hand: "If one only observed the monster that had been corrupted by the Seven Sins Court just now, one would see nothing—but now, seeing the starfish's original form—"
Ya hesitated, his uncertain gaze looking again and again at the pink crystal ball in Bai Zhou's hand: "I think, everyone in the Blood Worship Cult might have been mistaken."
"If I haven't guessed wrong, it might have originally come from some ancient temple deep in the Atlantic Ocean, and its origin might even be traced back to the starry sky beyond the heavens!"
Ya's gaze was burning: "This starfish very likely has an extraordinary origin!"
#295Chapter 284 Authentication Successful, Giant God White Boat!
Chapter 284: Authentication Successful, Giant God Bai Zhou!
An extraordinary... origin?
Bai Zhou felt a chill in his heart; it was rare for him to encounter something that could make Ya speak this way.
"In the mysterious world, especially in the Eastern Federation, generally speaking, cities located inland near large rivers and lakes possess deeper historical heritage and cultural accumulation."
"But cities near the ocean also have their own special characteristics: occasionally, they can encounter mysterious items drifting in from the sea, coming from far away."
Ya said: "Listening to the Sea often has knowledge passed down from the Western Federation; the legends of the Holy Corpse Academy mention a drifting corpse found on the edge of a small fishing village—it is all the same principle."
"Although it is unclear how this starfish drifted across the ocean from the distant Atlantic in such an unreasonable way to reach Listening to the Sea, only to be obtained by Sloth—"
"But if I am not mistaken, it might be related to the one I know of."
Amidst Bai Zhou's confusion, Ya explained: "In the last century, in 1974, before the Eastern and Western Federations were established, a Soviet scientific research vessel named 'Vityaz' captured eight photos from the seabed outside the Strait of Gibraltar."
"From these photos, people clearly and horrifyingly saw that at the bottom of the deep sea, where human footprints cannot tread, besides rotting seaweed and endless dark seawater, there were the ruins of a grand ancient city."
"Castle walls and stone steps stood tall. People initially determined this was a trace left by a pre-civilization, coming from a past unrecorded by history—"
And in the murals of a certain temple inside, it clearly recorded a bizarre pink crystal ball."
"The two look similar, though the one in the mural is far larger than the one in your hand. In the records of the mural, it appears like a massive star, and it also bears the mark of seven additional stars."
"This crystal ball inscribed with seven stars came from beyond the sky, as if it were an emissary of some existence from beyond, accepting the sacrifices and worship of that civilization—no one knows anything more."
As he spoke, Ya shook his head: "However, in fact, people did not gain anything from these empty ruins. The content of the murals covers a myriad of things, and this pink crystal ball, with its unclear meaning and difficulty to investigate, was even less likely to be noticed by anyone."
"Years later, when the Soviet Union dissolved and the Eastern Federation was established, those photos were sealed away, remaining only in small quantities within official circles, stored deep in some large archives, ignored by all."
"I have always been interested in things from pre-civilizations, which is why, by chance, I happened to see those photos and was left with a slight impression."
While speaking, Ya's gaze remained fixed on the crystal ball in Bai Zhou's palm: "If not for this special appearance being quite memorable, and if I hadn't seen such a pink crystal ball nowhere else—I would not have dared to believe how something from the depths of the Atlantic could drift all the way to Listening to the Sea on the edge of the Pacific, appearing before the Seven Sins Court of the Blood Worship Cult!"
"And no one would have ever thought that the crystal ball in the mural might actually be the—egg—of an extraterrestrial creature similar to a starfish!"
An extraterrestrial creature similar to a starfish?
A suspected emissary of some existence from beyond the sky?
A sacred object inscribed with seven stars, resembling a star, and worshipped with sacrifices by a pre-civilization?
Bai Zhou's heart pounded, his face flushed as if he were in love.
"However, this is just a guess, and an exceptionally bold one at that. Before you can research the miraculous nature of this egg, no one can verify its truth."
Ya added: "After all, why has this starfish of mysterious origin remained in a dying, dormant state, and why has it always appeared so unremarkable, like an ordinary starfish—"
"These are all unsolved mysteries."
Ya said in a serious, cold voice: "But in any case, first try to use a Ritual to domesticate this egg."
"Whether it is an ordinary starfish or truly a mysterious creature from beyond the sky—first, get a firm grip on it!"
At this point, Ya's voice paused slightly: "Moreover—it cannot possibly be a normal starfish; starfish are not oviparous creatures."
"Being able to withstand the pollution of the Seven Sins Court and become a monster almost comparable to a Life-Casting Master, in itself, proves the extraordinary nature of this monster!"
Bai Zhou understood, and immediately, he carefully tucked the warm pink crystal ball, which accompanied a strange pulsation, into his bosom.
When putting it away, Bai Zhou specifically turned his head back, subconsciously glancing at the Saint behind him, wanting to see the Saint's reaction to this crystal ball.
The Saint turned his head away almost immediately, no longer looking at Bai Zhou.
Clearly, he had failed to recognize the special nature of the starfish; his attention was clearly entirely on Bai Zhou, and his reaction was even slightly beyond Bai Zhou's expectations.
This His Highness the Saint seemed to roll his eyes at this moment, though his expression was hidden under his hood and could not be seen clearly.
Although he did not speak, the Saint's pride and disdain were almost overflowing at this moment.
This subordinate was actually worried that he would covet his gains—the Saint was almost amused to the point of laughter.
He was the Saint who had inherited a line of the forbidden canon. Without any other Saint competing, he was the only candidate to inherit the Blood Worship Cult in the future, naturally enjoying everything of the Blood Worship Cult!
Since he was a leader, he must have the spirit and breadth of mind of a leader—the Saint had always demanded this standard of himself.
As a qualified ambitious schemer, his gaze was always on the vast territory surrounding Listening to the Sea, on the entire mysterious world; how could he care about a tiny starfish, let alone covet the meager benefits in a subordinate's hands?
Of course, if he knew that this starfish egg was suspected to be related to the ruins of a pre-civilization deep in the Atlantic—
Whether he could still maintain this composure would be another question entirely.
"As expected of—the Seven Sins!"
In the end, the Saint, who had turned his head away, could only utter such a sigh.
The character of the Seven Sins was truly despicable enough, but that was precisely what the Seven Sins were.
If a great hero with noble character were to appear in this devil's den that was incompatible with him, no matter how much he bore the title of the Seven Sins, the Saint could only suspect that his masterpiece had been tampered with by the authorities.
However—
"Clearly he is Sloth, yet he possesses a portion of the quality of Greed?"
"I heard that the King of Desires, who is most suited to inherit the head of the Seven Sins, will display parts of the characteristics of the other Seven Sins in advance—"
When Bai Zhou put away the pink crystal ball, the Saint turned his gaze back. He looked at Bai Zhou's back with burning eyes, his thoughts racing rapidly; instead of being angry, he was delighted:
"You, a person who is neither diligent, nor good, nor kind, nor generous, truly make me happy!"
"Pat—" Footsteps sounded. Bai Zhou came to the collapsed corpse; the severed tentacles covered the gospel, as if a pet hugging its master.
If it were any other occasion, Bai Zhou would bury the remains of the starfish after its collapse.
But now, under the gaze of the Blood Worship Cult Saint, Bai Zhou could not and dared not do anything unnecessary.
However—
At the very last moment, Bai Zhou had already received the emotions of joy, relief, and gratitude from the starfish.
Otherwise, the starfish would not have entrusted its offspring to him.
The starfish, having survived until now, perhaps had long known that its master was not there, but it still waited here, just to wait for the master's successor—
Or perhaps, it was to wait for someone to whom it could entrust its offspring.
However, bearing that kind of pollution and living in a deformed state for so many years, it was perhaps easier to just die.
Being able to touch the relic and scent of its former master at close range in the final moment of release—for this starfish, death might not be worth fearing or being sad about.
"Pat—" Slowly picking up the gospel from the remains of the corpse, Bai Zhou shook off the nearly petrified flesh residue on it and walked towards the Seven Sins Court holding it.
Under the gaze of Fang Xiaoxia and Ya, and witnessing the expectations of both the Blood Worship Cult Saint and Fluoxetine, with the black gate and red gate behind him, Bai Zhou lifted his foot and stepped through the third grand and golden gate.
"Hum!" Everywhere around him was deep, flowing darkness, and countless twisted, translucent shadows watched him. An invisible force suddenly swept across Bai Zhou's body, from head to toe, from the surface of his skin to his bone marrow, as if searching for something, confirming the existence of certain things.
Bai Zhou's heart stirred; the red and white scalpel in his hand suddenly flashed. The power of the demon cells contained within it echoed with the Sloth component that Bai Zhou possessed when in the [Fallen Saint Physician] form.
The next instant.
"AAAAA—!!!" Thousands of demonic shadows hidden in the darkness simultaneously let out a shrill, earth-shaking shriek. This shriek rippled through the air, causing Bai Zhou's vision to go black.
A strange tremor seemed to pour deep into Bai Zhou's body, causing every inch of his being to resonate at the same frequency as the surrounding Seven Sins Court at this very moment.
"Rustle— — — —"
The pages of the gospel rustled as they turned; sections that were previously inaccessible now flipped open on their own, the text recorded within appearing and disappearing intermittently.
With a thunderous boom, a massive tremor came from the depths of the Seven Sins Court. This vibration was almost in sync with the tremors in Bai Zhou's own body. In this miraculous resonance, Bai Zhou felt the entire Seven Sins Court breathing together with him. He felt as if this mysterious hall was stretching its limbs, and then— — — —
It cast its gaze upon him.
At this moment, a strange sensation welled up in Bai Zhou's heart, letting him know— — — —
He had gained the recognition of the Seven Sins Court.
[Sloth], authentication successful.
"Rustle— —
"6
The echo, as if from a surging tide, reached his ears. An invisible, immense power surged from every corner of the Seven Sins Court, pouring into Bai Zhou's limbs, bones, and every single cell.
Amidst the crisp "pop" of his bones, Bai Zhou stretched his limbs. His aura climbed steadily, surging like a breached dam with a violent and destructive momentum. Strange red light flickered frequently over his body, and his thin figure in a trench coat appeared even more sinister in the dim environment.
"This feeling— — — —"
Bai Zhou was not unfamiliar with this feeling, because when he was the newly appointed principal of Yuanmeng Middle School in the Reflection Ruins Realm, he had had a similar experience.
No wonder— — — —
No wonder the Saint of the Blood Worship Cult said that the Seven Sins were all man-made Kings of Desire.
The key to it all likely lies in this extremely mysterious and ancient Seven Sins Court!
Bai Zhou's heart thumped, accompanying the turbulent and abnormal flow of power within his body.
The expanding power made it difficult for Bai Zhou to judge the extent of his own strength for a moment, but he estimated— — — —
That as he was now, even without relying on spirit name secret treasures, innate secret techniques, or combined secret techniques, he could probably go toe-to-toe with a zero-fate Life-Casting Master.
Strong! Very strong!
Although there was no doubt that, just like at Yuanmeng Middle School, this experience of having immense power bestowed upon him would disappear once he left the Seven Sins Court— — — —
But Bai Zhou realized that he had already established a certain connection with the Seven Sins Court through the gospel in his hand.
As long as he wanted to, even if he left the Seven Sins Court, he could summon a certain degree of the Seven Sins Court's immense power to descend through the [gospel of Sloth], though the effect would be somewhat reduced.
Incredible! Would the other Seven Sins have such an experience too?
Authority— — — —
Bai Zhou's eyes flickered incessantly.
Because the current experience was very good, but this was only becoming one of the "Seven Sins," becoming [Sloth].
When he became the head of the Seven Sins, what would it be like then?
Standing within the Seven Sins Court, what kind of strength would he possess here in the Blood Worship Cult?
He was looking forward to it.
"Rustle— — — —"
At this moment, the gospel, which had been turning on its own, flipped to the final page in Bai Zhou's hand.
Blank pages appeared out of thin air, then rustled as they stacked backwards.
As if waiting for a new [Sloth] to continue writing new chapters upon it hereafter.
"Hum!"
On the first of these blank pages, lines of ancient text lit up one after another, the dark red glow resembling blood or flowing lava:
[Authentication successful.]
[Congratulations, you have become the new— —]
The text appeared halfway, the handwriting suddenly twisted, and then it stopped abruptly.
Bai Zhou's pupils contracted suddenly, and at the same time, a sudden change occurred!
"Rustle—"
The gospel flipped suddenly, turning back a few pages to reveal a section of crazed, scribbled notes, the ink scarlet as if written in blood:
[Don't want to die don't want to die don't want to die don't want to die evil— — — —]
Carrying overwhelming resentment, the crazed handwriting was almost about to break out of the paper!
Immediately after, behind Bai Zhou, within the starfish remains outside the door, something invisible was pulled by the content on this page of the gospel, silently peeling itself away from that pile of rotting flesh.
Without any physical form, the invisible shadow flashed across the dark air and vanished, and then a cold will, carrying a strong sense of hunger, shot straight into the back of Bai Zhou's head like a sharp arrow.
"It is— — — — the previous Sloth!"
Behind him, Ya, who had been closely observing Bai Zhou, had a sudden change in expression, "He died but not completely; he actually left a wisp of residual thought within the starfish's body, using the gospel as a trigger condition— — — —"
"This Sloth actually touched the realm above the Life-Casting Master while he was alive!"
Possession!
Bai Zhou immediately thought of this term, and his heart skipped a beat.
That cold, hungry, invisible thing rampaged within Bai Zhou's body, heading straight for the Destiny space below Bai Zhou's navel!
At the first moment, Bai Zhou mobilized the ancient characters on the Sea of Ignorance; [Soothe] and [Moon] trembled, ready to strike.
At the same time, the half-piece of colorful taboo in Bai Zhou's mind also seemed to be gradually reviving because an external enemy had invaded its territory and provoked it— — — —
But in the next instant, everything returned to quiet, as if it had fallen back into a deep slumber.
Because— — — —
With a "swish"—
As if a scroll were unfurling, the Divine Will Domain, which condensed the essence of Bai Zhou's being, opened up within Bai Zhou's body.
The invisible residual thought had a very clear target and just dived straight in.
Since it was possession, then Bai Zhou's "Spirit" and "Will" were naturally the previous Sloth's primary targets.
Given the previous Sloth's level of life, this confrontation should have been a crushing, dimensionality-reducing strike— — — —
It should have been.
"Rustle— — — —"
The river surged like the Yellow Springs. Invisible ripples carrying the fluctuations of [Peace] and [Soothe] flowed wantonly through the waves, and purple-black water lilies bloomed slowly on the bank, one after another.
The city outline, resembling Evening City or perhaps the ancient city of Shiro, appeared and disappeared. Huge foundation stones fell from the sky, slamming down one after another to build a straight, towering city wall that stood firm, its solemn aura suppressing all directions.
The sun and moon light wheels lit up simultaneously above the scroll. The white sun and silver moon vied for brilliance, illuminating the invisible shadow that had intruded, leaving it with nowhere to hide.
"This is— — — — this is a Divine Will Domain?"
Such a rich, profound, and magnificent Divine Will Domain left the shadow, which had intruded with the intention of crushing and destroying everything, almost dumbfounded.
The suppression from the city wall and the soothing from the river made the shadow almost unable to move. The brilliance of the sun and moon shone upon it, causing ominous black smoke to hiss and rise from its body.
"This— — — — isn't right, is it?"
Wasn't he the one performing the dimensionality-reducing strike? Wasn't this a little guy who hadn't even broken through to become a Life-Casting Master?
But it was completely different from what he had expected. Whose Divine Will Domain was like this?
What was with those invisible special attacks on the soul that were everywhere in the air?
And what was that full moon carrying an ancient, barbaric aura?
Only those dark water lilies carried the [Sloth] aura he was familiar with, but these, the greatest reliance of all previous Sloth holders, were precisely the most inconspicuous scraps in this godforsaken place!
"Damn it, it's a trap—"
A shrill scream rang out; the shadow howled at the sky and turned to flee.
The ancient city below hid too many mysteries and peculiarities that the shadow could not understand, and it was suppressed by the city walls from all directions, so the shadow flew upwards, attempting to escape this damned, sinister Divine Will Domain from there.
He ran, he fled, he flew and flew— — — —
Finally, enduring the corrosion of the damned sun and moon brilliance, he flew all the way above the sun and moon, and the nearly dying shadow felt a surge of joy.
"Escaped— — — —"
Then.
Seemingly sensing something, the shadow looked up suddenly.
"Hum— — — —"
At the peak of the sun and moon, high above in the sky, a vast, boundless golden throne, surrounded by the white sun and silver moon, entered the tiny shadow's line of sight.
On the throne sat a boundless, majestic, and mysterious giant god wearing a crown.
An emperor's will permeated the air, as if proclaiming sovereignty over the heavens and earth here, and the terrifying oppression made the shadow's entire body tremble instinctively.
"What is this— — — —?"
The dumbfounded shadow nearly went mad, its sanity deep within its mind nearly snapping.
The crowned giant god was high above, looking down at the tiny shadow; the gap between them was like heaven and earth, as if the universe compared to a mere mayfly.
Filled with fear and inconceivable confusion, the shadow struggled with all its might under the terrifying pressure to look up, gazing towards that crowned giant god figure— — — —
At this moment, he finally saw clearly the face of the giant god hidden above the clouds— — — —
The giant god's eyes were cold and ruthless, and carried a hint of mockery for him walking right into a trap.
It was none other than Bai Zhou!