Chapter 759 - 115: Destruction
Hamler saw the mirror in Su Changxing’s hand disappear into thin air. He moved his gaze slightly but said nothing more, thinking that with even the Divine Spirit appearing, what significance could a Heretic possibly hold?
Su Changxing walked out of the warehouse, pondering for a moment, then said, "So it seems Eric’s affairs are closely related to the Duke. It’s likely under the Duke’s influence that Eric came into contact with the surrounding Divine Spirits."
Hearing this, Hamler hesitated for a moment and said, "I guess that’s the case. As early as six months ago, Lord Eric gradually established contact with the Duke."
"But I don’t know the specifics of their contact; I just know this happened."
Kasmin thought for a moment and said, "Can you provide more details? Is there anything relevant you can recall?"
Hamler seemed to really be getting old, as he took a long time to recall things. After a long silence, he finally said:
"Lord Eric and the Duke’s first contact seemed to be because of an antique related to the Lost Church."
"At the time, it was during a grand auction held by Sindaga. Many antiques related to the ancient Lost Church were there. Lord Eric was very interested, and I also attended that auction, where I met the Duke."
So the Duke began contacting the Divine Spirits from that auction?
No, it should have been earlier. Previously, it was an imperceptible influence.
Now, however, this world has undergone new changes. The Divine Spirits can indirectly influence things in this world, which is why Eric ended up being completely controlled.
It’s like a frog being slowly boiled in warm water.
Eric didn’t notice the danger at first, and by the time he realized, it was too late to escape the control of the Divine Spirits.
Thinking of this, Su Changxing clapped his hands and turned to Kasmin, saying, "Starting tomorrow, collect all the antiques and items related to the Ancient Church in the entire city and destroy them all."
"List these things as prohibited items, and anyone found secretly possessing them shall be severely punished. Those Evil Gods can influence humans through these items."
"We must clear all things related to the Divine Spirits from Maelon, or they will be like ticking time bombs that could explode at any moment."
Kasmin pondered seriously for a moment, nodded, and said, "Okay, I will officially announce it tomorrow morning, and have the city troops search door to door."
Hamler turned to look at the warehouses and asked, "What about these things?"
Su Changxing resolutely said, "Of course, they must be destroyed as well."
"That’s really a pity," Hamler said with a painful expression.
"Hamler, you’re more familiar with this, so I’ll leave the warehouse to you. I hope there won’t be any oversights," Su Changxing reminded.
He couldn’t meticulously identify which were the methods of the Divine Spirits, so he could only use this crude method to eliminate all possibilities.
"That won’t be a problem," Hamler said.
Even the Princess had no issues, so naturally, he wouldn’t either.
...
Returning once again to Eric’s residence.
Su Changxing settled down in a room slightly to the left on the second floor, where the decor was lavish, primarily in red and blue tones, exuding an air of grandeur and elegance, with a faint fragrance filling the air.
As he entered, an elderly maid with a white apron was cleaning inside.
The maid saw Su Changxing enter, immediately stood up, and said, "Sir, everything’s tidied up. The bathroom next door also has hot water ready. Is there anything else you need?"
Su Changxing sat down on a chair to the side, "Nothing else needed. You may leave now, I want to rest."
The maid had just taken a few steps outside when she heard a shout from behind, "Wait!"
"Is there something you need, sir?"
Su Changxing pointed at her neck and asked, "What’s with that Bronze Necklace you’re wearing around your neck?"
The maid felt puzzled, not knowing why Su Changxing asked such a question: "This necklace was passed down from my grandmother. I heard it’s quite old."
Su Changxing waved his hand, "It’s nothing. You can go now. But remember, these antique items will become prohibited tomorrow, and must be collectively destroyed."
The maid was momentarily stunned by Su Changxing’s words, then turned and left.
After the incident with Annika, he now felt somewhat suspicious. Only after confirming through the Eye of Data did he ascertain the maid was not an issue, nor was the Bronze Necklace around her neck.
Before he could discern the methods of the Divine Spirits, he could only remain cautious, or he might unwittingly find himself ensnared.
At this point, his Mysteriousness had already surpassed 400,000 and was still steadily climbing.
"Having too much Mysteriousness shouldn’t be a problem, right?"
Su Changxing felt a bit uncertain; at this rate, breaking through a million Mysteriousness was only a matter of time.
Due to being promoted once, the original Tier Six requirement of 320,000 Mysteriousness had now become 400,000.
Moreover, he could now proceed with the next ascension; the corpse of that High-level Demon was an enormous treasure for him. With more flesh and bones, he could undergo another high-tier promotion.
However, he paused a bit, not rushing to ascend immediately, as he had just acquired the Eye of Data and needed to fully perceive and familiarize himself with it, or else problems could arise.
The Extraordinary are akin to building a high tower with bricks; any slight flaw could lead to the collapse of the entire structure, or at least result in various issues.
The Saintess of the Doomsday Cult was a case like this. Her spirit encountered problems at some point, gradually nearing the brink of losing control, ultimately forced to partake in the Slaughter Game.
For now, staying in Maelon was undoubtedly the best option. Here, he could continuously accrue Faith Value, enhance Mysteriousness, and strengthen his Power.
Based on previous experiences in the Slaughter Game, as long as he possessed sufficient Mysteriousness, he could progress through his own capabilities.
Moreover, this method of ascension reassured him, as relying on the discount shop or the Doomsday Game was ultimately an external force, dependent on others.
At this moment, Su Changxing grew increasingly concerned about the situation on Blue Star, destined for an apocalypse, a world doomed to destruction.
It seemed he hadn’t spent much time in this Steam World, but the temporal flow in the two worlds was certainly different.
The Steam World was a High-Level World; theoretically, time flowed more slowly here. One day spent here could equate to several days on Blue Star.
He still remembered his original intention in coming to the Ninth Dimension was not to become a so-called Divine Spirit but to find a solution to Blue Star’s apocalyptic issue.
Whether in Zhu Wenwu’s or Huang Biao’s doomsday trajectory, he was already dead at this time point.
He was the enormous variable; if he continued to ignore the matters on Blue Star, everything might lead to the same result.
However, if he wished to return, he first needed to solve the "Antivirus Software" issue on Blue Star.
"I wonder if there is anything similar to Antivirus Software in Wizard World or Black Fog World."
Su Changxing pondered, thinking it might be worth a try, believing the so-called Antivirus Software is likely a component attached to the Doomsday Game, similar to a plugin.
And neither Wizard World nor Black Fog World is encompassed by the Doomsday Game, as both have their own power systems, so it’s unlikely they would have such Antivirus Software.
The task before him was clear: strengthen the All Beings Sect, harvest Faith, and gather Tunnel Fragments to reach the Ninth Dimension or find a way to the Black Fog World or Wizard World.
He thought that since the tunnel could lead to the Ninth Dimension, it should also reach other worlds.
The Bronze Gate was like a universal track, linking many worlds together, and the tunnel resembled a train traveling along the rail.
...
Early the next morning.
Nobu and others, following Su Changxing’s prior instructions, established new small chapels in various areas of Maelon, assigning devout followers to the small chapels and granting each chapel leader the title of Priest.
As for the statues needed for the small chapels, Su Changxing had completed them last night and sent them over.
The statues were identical in appearance to the idols but lacked the function of collecting faith.
"Each new believer must receive garments, doctrines, and participate in the first unified prayer," Nobu emphasized to Jameson.
Jameson was not a Priest, but he was responsible for organizing within the small chapel and possessed excellent organizational skills.
"Great Priest, I assure you there will be no mistakes," Jameson stated earnestly, feeling he was doing something remarkable.
Although he wasn’t certain exactly what the task entailed, he still felt it was outstanding.
Nobu nodded and smiled, "As long as you diligently perform your duties, you are a loyal follower. Soon, I’ll recommend to the Great Sect Leader that you also have the opportunity to become a Priest, independently governing a small chapel."
Those who become Priests are typically highly devout believers with reasonably clear minds, who don’t need to perform tasks but rather set an example to constantly influence and inspire others.
Before noon, more than ten chapels were established in East City of Maelon, converted from other buildings, adorned with simple decorations, and placed with idols’ sculptures.
Meanwhile.
Su Changxing sat outside the balcony on the top floor of the great cathedral, stirring a steaming cup of coffee with his left hand, several pieces of cream-covered bread on the table before him, appearing quite leisurely,
"How many days does it take to reach Sindaga from here?"
Weilian sat across the table, holding an open bottle of rum, a bit of brown liquid still at the mouth, with four empty rum bottles lined up on one side of the table; this was the fifth bottle.
Despite drinking so much, he showed no signs of drunkenness; it seemed that ever since advancing on the ship, his body improved daily, with his once-white hair darkening significantly, making him look more than ten years younger.
"Very soon, the speed of the Horror Ghost Ship could get us there in a day, perhaps even less, since the speed now is faster than it was before."
Weilian took another big swig from the bottle, "Want to try some? The taste is really good; I could drink all day without needing to eat."
Su Changxing shook his head, "No, mixing flavors isn’t good for me. Nonetheless, if it’s just a day, that’s quick. Once things here are settled, we’re prepared to head to Sindaga."
Putting the bottle down, Weilian looked at Su Changxing, "Isn’t that the Duke’s territory? Are you planning to take down the Duke? But currently, the Duke should be in Wodan. I heard it’s now under the control of a group of Witches."