The enemy's approach ant danger was imminent, but Cheng Shi wasn't afraid in the slightest.
Because just now — at the very mont Nangong shed Decay's colors — the trial had ended.
Though the trial hadn't ejected Cheng Shi yet, the notification he'd received clearly said it was over. He could leave whenever he wished — leave this Rosna Empire where devotion no longer existed.
And it wasn't just him — Nangong's trial had ended too.
She stared at Cheng Shi in bewildernt, unable to fathom why clearing trials always seed so effortless whenever she ran into Cheng Shi.
Cheng Shi glanced at Nangong and read her confusion. He chuckled inwardly: 'This girl really needs to see more of the world. Wait until you actually use my na to pray your way into a Prosperity trial — then you'll learn what "easy" really ans!'
'Big Cat will certainly arrange everything perfectly for you.'
"Leave this place. Follow my instructions and pray for a trial as soon as possible. The road ahead might beco a bit smoother.
Though it's cruel to say, I have to remind you, Nangong — not every trial is this simple, and not every person..."
Cheng Shi had been about to say that not everyone on her gratitude ledger was still a good person. Different circumstances shape different personalities, and she should be careful.
But on second thought, he swallowed the words.
Everyone had their own choices — he had no right to interfere. Perhaps for Nangong, personally coming to understand soone was its own form of repaying a debt.
Cheng Shi gave Nangong one last look laden with complex emotion, then repeated: "Leave this place. Your trial is over."
Nangong's eyes were even more complex. She seed to grasp what he ant and understood that without faith and without her talents, she would only be a burden here. So she nodded firmly.
"Cheng Shi, I will rember you."
With those words, the little priest's form gradually faded away. And at that very instant, from the sky above Kannar City ca the sound of a whistling arrow.
Both Da Yi and Qu Yan were signaling for assembly. Cheng Shi furrowed his brow, looked beyond the imperial court, and darted out with agile steps.
Before long, the three reconvened in the First Prince's room. Da Yi's expression was grave, and the mont he spotted Cheng Shi, the words tumbled out:
"Grand... my lord, the trial is over! The two players I was following vanished!"
Bianse Long had obviously lost his targets too. Departing from a trial was a power governed by the ga's rules — he couldn't prevent it. So he considered the mission a failure on his part.
But strangely, Qu Yan didn't look depressed. Or rather, he was trying to look disappointed, but the barely concealed glee in his eyes was far too obvious — completely impossible to hide. So he settled for controlling the corners of his mouth, lowering his head, and avoiding Lord Yu Xi's gaze.
Cheng Shi shot Qu Yan a contemplative glance. Sothing seed to click, and his expression turned peculiar — but he quickly turned to address Da Yi's anxiety. He didn't bla either of them. Instead, he smiled and nodded:
"Don't panic. I know the trial has ended.
I told you — even if we couldn't find the Gift of Sores, I wouldn't let you leave empty-handed.
I found the key to clearing the trial and ended it."
"Huh?" Da Yi blinked, about to offer thanks — but then his expression darkened as realization struck. Lord Ultraman's words implied that the dagger... still hadn't been found!
"My lord, did They interfere again...?"
'Yes! Perfect! That's exactly what I was waiting for you to say!'
Cheng Shi gave a somber nod, his expression clearly conveying that the gods had ddled too deeply and the dagger had been lost once more.
However, to prevent lingering mission complications, he added:
"We've lost the opportunity to obtain Dizel's soul. The mission is void. I need ti to carefully consider our next move...
But for now, before we leave — co with
to the city walls. The World Destroyers appear to have arrived."
Da Yi was deeply disappointed about the mission's failure, since that had been his only path to earning his Benefactor's attention. Cheng Shi saw his dejection and smiled reassuringly:
"No need to worry. After this trial ends, you two might...
just get a chance to take a walk on the Chaos Steps."
"!!!" Da Yi's eyes went wide with disbelief. "My lord — truly?!"
"If you'd rather not, then don't." Cheng Shi snorted with amusent, ignored him, and took the lead toward the Kannar City walls.
Da Yi followed behind, brimming with excitent. He clenched his fists tight, wanting to express his elation but unable to find words better than "damn" — so after a mont's hesitation, he gave up.
He turned instead to Qu Yan, wanting to share his joy with this temporary recruit who'd joined halfway through. But to his surprise, a single glance revealed that the other man seed even more excited than he was.
'What's with you, Chaleon? Already taking on my colors?'
'How co I'm the one who got good news, but you're the one bouncing off the walls?'
Bianse Long naturally knew Da Yi was watching him, but he had no idea what the man was thinking. He'd had no bandwidth for Da Yi's thoughts since earlier. He was drowning in euphoria, completely unable to surface.
As for the reason behind this euphoria...
Praise be to Lord Yu Xi — it was his masterful arrangents that had allowed him to... successfully obtain a second faith!
That's right — Qu Yan had beco a dual-faith hunter. At this stage, at a ti when even many Chosen Ones hadn't found their second faith, he — Silence's sixth-ranked — had beco a dual-faith player just by standing on the right side!
And his second faith was none other than... Decay.
At this very mont when Decay's tide was already receding, he'd inadvertently beco a twilight hunter!
In truth, Qu Yan's second faith was indeed connected to Cheng Shi, but Cheng Shi himself was completely unaware of it.
When Cheng Shi had ordered Qu Yan to play the role of a twilight hunter, this God Worship Society chaleon had begun obsessively analyzing Lord Yu Xi's intentions. He couldn't fathom the depths of a Deceit follower — especially a Deceit Herald — but he knew how to obey.
He'd chewed over and over on that phrase: "Whether we can find that dagger depends on how convincing your disguise is." Then he'd poured everything into becoming a twilight hunter. He'd even torn open several wounds on his own body to sell the illusion, allowing the Tomb End Stone's aura to appropriately corrode his flesh.
This way, unless soone recognized him outright, a casual glance would convince even peak players that he was a genuine Decay believer!
He'd even found himself wishing he really were a Decay believer — that way, Lord Yu Xi's plans could proceed even more smoothly.
Under this conviction's influence, he'd maintained the twilight hunter disguise even while tailing the other players, constantly reinforcing the self-suggestion that he was a Decay believer.
And at precisely that mont, Cheng Shi had received Decay's attention and the gift of "Faded."
It was the exact instant when Decay's true will was understood by a mortal — when the vision of universal decay resonated with another soul. This "begging" deity's capacity for compassion reached its zenith. He sensed Qu Yan's "plea," and following His own deepest desire, bestowed upon the "pitiful one" Qu Yan a Decay identity.
Of course, during the recession of Decay's tide, He shouldn't have been expanding His faith. But it was precisely because He sensed the subordination between Qu Yan and Cheng Shi — knowing this particular gift wouldn't hinder the grand cause of universal decay and might even assist His chosen Faded One in advancing the great enterprise — that He acted.
In the end, this wasn't a simple act of rcy toward a "pitiful soul." It was more like a small bonus attached to Cheng Shi's "alignnt of wills."
But acquiring a second faith wasn't that simple. It didn't happen just because the second Benefactor agreed. To fuse faiths, the prerequisite was always obtaining the original Benefactor's approval.
And here, the coincidence was beautifully perfect — because Bianse Long's original Benefactor was that deity who "never expressed, never comnted," who only ever observed from the sidelines: Silence!
He had likely already noticed everything happening here. But He would never offer comnt — and no comnt ant... no refusal.
And so, through a cascade of strange coincidences piling atop one another, the chaleon Qu Yan had silently "earned" sothing big.
He attributed it all to following the right master. His gaze toward Cheng Shi grew ever more fervent. But what he didn't know was that his master, Lord Yu Xi, was still puzzling over the Decay power he sensed pulsing within Qu Yan.
'What's going on — did I misunderstand the whole recession thing?'
'How did we gain a new Decay believer?'
'The tide just went out and it's already coming back in?'
Cheng Shi did feel sowhat muddled, but it didn't dampen his mood. Because he suddenly realized that now that this chaleon possessed a Decay faith, if the man ever rebelled... he could give him a taste of "Faded Majesty!"
'Ha! That "bear the consequences yourself" written on that blank A4 paper is no longer just empty words!'
'So should I praise Fate for this outco, or Decay?'
'Forget it — praise them both.'
'Praise be to Fate — may You finally see predetermination fulfilled.'
'Praise be to Decay — may You... decay swiftly.'
...
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