Yang Qizhou spoke with an eerie calmness, so much so that the ’Secret Cultivator’ instinctively felt as though he were toying with her.
"Lamp Holder, are you... are you being serious?"
Yang Qizhou replied, "Nope. I’m just lying to you."
"Huh?"
The ’Secret Cultivator’s mood instantly plunged into despair.
Yang Qizhou smirked devilishly. "Based on the text, my ga character did indeed discover a Taboo Treasure left behind by those ’Forbidden Existences’ that ruled the Third Epoch—right in Bright City. Whether or not it’s the one you’re seeking, though, is another question."
Seeing the mischievous expression on Yang Qizhou’s face, the Secret Cultivator couldn’t be more certain: he was toying with her for his own amusent.
Under other circumstances, she might have already exploded in anger.
But now, her mind was entirely consud by Yang Qizhou’s casual revelation. Her breathing quickened, and an expression of excitent flickered in her eyes.
And who could bla her? That was, after all, a relic left behind by the ’Forbidden Existences’ of the Third Epoch—one tied to the secret of ’becoming a god.’ Any player from the Deceit World knew exactly how significant this was.
But soon enough, suspicion clouded her excitent. "’Lamp Holder,’ what do you an by ’whether or not it’s the one I’m seeking’?"
Yang Qizhou replied, "Miss Secret Cultivator, you really do have a poor mory, don’t you? Have you already forgotten what you said earlier?"
That reminded her. The mory ca rushing back to her.
According to the earlier narrative reveal, the Taboo Treasure left by the Forbidden Existences of the Third Epoch was stored in the House of Truth. To locate it, one must first receive the guidance of the God of Justice.
If the treasure Yang Qizhou found wasn’t the House of Truth, then naturally, it wasn’t *that* treasure.
"It doesn’t matter, ’Lamp Holder.’ The Black Mist Sect Leader Corewell gave my ga character an ’artifact,’ which serves as the key to open the treasure. If what your ga character found is the treasure I’ve been searching for, I’ll naturally have a way to confirm it."
In truth, there was sothing she left unsaid: the treasure being in the House of Truth and requiring the God of Justice’s guidance was information her ga character had learned from Bright City. But who could say for sure if this was true? What if it was a ruse devised by the Mad Creator for so ulterior motive, and the real treasure was this fragnt hidden in Bright City instead?
By now, a faint sense of wariness crept into the Secret Cultivator’s gaze.
Yang Qizhou caught this sharp look and said, half-smirking, "Miss Secret Cultivator, has anyone ever told you that when you’re angry, you look like a little cat with its fur puffed up? It makes one want to smooth it all down."
After a pause, Yang Qizhou added, "At least that’s how I feel."
Had it been anyone else, the Secret Cultivator would have already flipped the table by now. But at that mont, she lowered her head in resignation.
She understood the subtext of the Lamp Holder’s words.
In his eyes, she was just a little kitten. A kitten is a kitten—no matter how much it bares its claws, it won’t turn into a tiger. If he truly intended to covet the Taboo Treasure of the Forbidden Existences, she couldn’t stop him, nor could she even hope to try.
Reflecting on the Lamp Holder’s unfathomable nature and the ’maid-outfitted shadow’ he commanded, the Secret Cultivator knew deep down that this was simply the truth.
Yang Qizhou chuckled lightly. "Shall we continue the ga?"
...
"You’ve found what appears to be the treasure left by the ’Blaspheming Wizard,’ yet another problem soon arises before you."
"The location of the Taboo Treasure is beneath Bright City—a place closely tied to the Mad Creator, or perhaps even part of Him. To directly retrieve it would be extrely difficult."
"You begin to ponder deeply..."
"And then, the boldest of ideas cos to you."
"The Mad Creator is already affected by the legendary artifact [Heartdream Source], captivated within a dreamscape under your control. If that’s the case, why not weave an even more extre dream and coax this being, once shepherded by the Lord of Blasphemy, to surface from the underground realm?"
"This is without a doubt an incredibly risky idea. The Mad Creator is already resisting the Illusory Dream woven by the Heartdream Source. While it’s barely maintainable for now, the dreamscape itself is precarious. Directly guiding His behavior could very well break the artifact’s hold,"
"But you’ve already made up your mind to proceed."
"First, you instruct ’Null’ to shield you, then throw your consciousness into the Illusory Dream. Through the power of the Heartdream Source, you guide the narrative arc of the dream."
"The world begins to tremble violently. Bright City shakes as shockwaves ripple through its foundations. The creatures, grotesque amalgamations of flesh that are part of the Mad Creator’s essence, wail in agony. Their shrill cries force the Secret Cultivator to clutch her ears as blood streams from her eyes, nose, and the corners of her lips."
"Under your manipulation, the underground space housing what could be the Blaspheming Wizard’s treasure starts to surface."
"The ground above cracks open."
"You see the subterranean chamber rising to the earth’s surface, and before your eyes appears a prismatic ’storage box.’
"And then, suddenly, an unknown whisper surges into your ears. It emanates from the ’box’ in front of you. Sothing inside is calling out to you."
...
...
Could it be that the box left behind by the Blaspheming Wizard contains sothing that is reaching out to the ga character?
Yang Qizhou narrowed his eyes.
"The Mad Creator was once a god shepherded by the Lord of Blasphemy, and this box was hidden by Him. Could it be... that what’s inside the box is tied to the Lord of Blasphemy?"
"If that’s the case, then no matter what, this thing must be secured."
"As for the Secret Cultivator,"
"At worst, I’ll help her ascend to godhood as compensation."
Having swiftly made his decision in his heart, Yang Qizhou returned his focus to the narrative text, intent on seizing what might be connected to the Lord of Blasphemy in one sweeping effort.
At the sa ti,
another group of players stirred restlessly at the ergence of the ’treasure box.’
...
...
Elsewhere.
Li Congyun was staring intently at the narrative text on his interface, afraid of missing even the smallest detail that could jeopardize the mission. Li Congyang and Li Congmu were equally alert.
"You are leveraging the power of the Divine Hidden Bone to carefully remain concealed in the shadows,"
"You notice the mysterious figure accompanying the Secret Cultivator pulling out a ’pendant.’ An enigmatic and indescribable illusionary force blankets the entire city in an instant. The skies tremble, the ground convulses, and the grotesque, contorted, nightmarish creatures comprised of mismatched flesh stagger clumsily, as if drunken."
"To your shock, the ever-present deathly aura within this horrifying city vanishes without a trace."
The three siblings exchanged glances, seeing mutual astonishnt reflected in each other’s eyes.
Bound by the Destiny Chain and boasting similar prowess, the three refreshed texts that confird one thing—they had encountered a player capable of clashing in secret with the god of the Land of Prayer Light itself.
Incredulousness spread as a voice ca through their voice comms, "Hey, hey, hey, is that player commanding the maid-outfitted shadow actually for real? A mystical artifact capable of influencing the Mad Creator? Quasi-legendary? Legendary? Above legendary? How is such a thing even appearing at this stage, isn’t this breaking the balance?"
Another voice chid in monts later, "With a player like that lurking around, are we really going to try stealing the Taboo Treasure?"
A third voice then followed, "Where on earth did Secret Cultivator find such a ridiculous person? The Mad Creator—it’s a bona fide Evil God of the Land of Prayer Light! It could crush my ga character with a single breath, and yet this player can hold his own against it using a ’legendary’ mystical artifact."
These voices belonged to eight different players who had joined the faction aiming to claim the Taboo Treasure.
None of them had anticipated that this mysterious player, aside from commanding an imnsely powerful ’maid-outfitted shadow’ follower, also wielded a mystical artifact capable of contending with the Evil God.
Even Li Congyun hesitated, thinking of retreat. But when he recalled the lucrative rewards tied to completing the mission, he gritted his teeth and said, "Everyone, don’t panic. I believe this is actually a golden opportunity."
His words caused not only the other players to look on in confusion but also drew baffled glances from his siblings, Li Congyang and Li Congmu.
Li Congyun explained calmly.
"Think about it. Previously, we had no idea this player wielded such terrifying mystical artifacts. Acting rashly would’ve been suicide. But now we know. His supposed ’legendary’-level mystical artifact is already entangled with the Mad Creator—it can’t affect us. All we need to do is stick to the plan: neutralize the maid-outfitted shadow first and kill that player. The Taboo Treasure will still be ours."
His reasoning was sound, and soon several players nodded in agreent.
Still, one nervous voice arose, "But... but what if this player has other terrifying mystical artifacts up his sleeve?"
This ti, soone let out a derisive laugh, retorting, "Do you think legendary mystical artifacts grow on trees? Having one is already absurd. Two? You think he’s a GM or sothing?"
The player who’d voiced their worries remained silent, their concerns silenced but not resolved. Regardless, their greedy curiosity began to simr beneath the surface.
After all,
if the player’s strongest weapon had already been neutralized by the Mad Creator, then as long as they executed their plan, the treasure was within reach.
At that mont, Li Congyang suddenly shouted, his eyes wide, "Look at the text—the Taboo Treasure has surfaced...!"
Reviews
All reviews (0)