CHAPTER 361: CHAPTER 306: FACING THE DIVINE SOVEREIGN_2

...

The ’Divine Sovereign’ who died at the hands of the game character wasn’t the first, but engaging in direct combat with an existence of this level was unprecedented.

Let alone the fact that this ’Divine Sovereign’ was problematic—suspected of being corrupted by the mysterious ’Old King.’

Yang Qizhou glanced at the text, and couldn’t help but feel a trace of tension in his heart.

...

"Seeing prisms emerge from the Void, blocking the passage and infinitely extending the distance between both parties, you feel a faint sense of relief."

"This should buy some time."

"But at that moment, an even more intense tremor arises; the entire Void shakes as an abstract oil painting unfurls within your vision—a painting with suns, gentle breezes, countless trees, and migratory animals. The prisms representing infinite distance shatter one by one, at a speed far beyond your expectations. Within no more than a few breaths, a new passage will be opened."

"You feel a heavy weight in your heart, yet you remain composed, for this scene was long anticipated..."

"Though [Residual Ring of the King of Truth] theoretically possesses Super Legendary status, granting it the potential power of a ’Divine Sovereign,’ it ultimately is not a true ’Divine Sovereign.’ At best, it is a partial manifestation of its associated symbolism. When faced with lower-ranked threats, it may dominate with ease, but against a ’Divine Sovereign,’ its chances of victory in a direct confrontation are close to none."

"But this is way too fast, isn’t it?"

"From the beginning up till now, not even two full minutes have passed."

"Its sheer strength can likely be attributed to the ’Tree Ancient God,’ not only possessing the power of a Divine Sovereign, but also having ties to the ’Old King’ who succeeded it?"

"As these thoughts rise in your mind, you see the ’Tree Ancient God’ drawing closer, already stepping through over a dozen shattered prisms. In no more than a few minutes, it will arrive at this grand hall, prompting you to urgently shout... I’m barely holding on! How much longer?"

"The ’Pope’ quickly responds... Two minutes, just give me two more minutes."

"Relying solely on the power of [Residual Ring of the King of Truth], I fear I can’t even last 20 seconds."

"Your mind momentarily wanders, but as the ’Tree Ancient God’s’ oppressive force sweeps forth again, your thoughts swiftly refocus. A fleeting look of reluctance crosses your eyes, though a decision is made without hesitation."

"Let’s hope I don’t exhaust all my chances."

"Let’s hope the mysteries unraveled by the ’Pope’ will prove worthy of the price I’m paying."

"Thinking this, you reach out and pull out a chain pendant, gazing solemnly at the ’Tree Ancient God,’ whose expression remains stern as they continue to traverse dimensions. You mutter... Please forgive me."

...

"Please forgive me"—isn’t this the very effect of [Holy Redemption]?

Indeed.

The game character predictably and shamelessly uses the ’King of Virtue’s’ Holy Sacrifice.

Yang Qizhou’s lips unconsciously twitch, though he quickly restrains himself, murmuring, "[Holy Redemption], no, to be precise, the three Holy Sacrifices related to the ’King of Virtue’ are currently only at Quasi-legend status, with powers not even reaching that of a ’Divine Sovereign.’ Facing the ’Tree Ancient God,’ suspected of being corroded by the ’Old King,’ the effect likely won’t be ideal."

"Thankfully, the game character’s goal isn’t to defeat the ’Tree Ancient God,’ but simply to delay its arrival."

"If they can just hold off the ’Tree Ancient God’ for two more minutes."

"The objective will be met."

With ’Dark Crow of Profane Fortune’ as a trump card, Yang Qizhou, though tense, manages to stay composed and refocuses his gaze on the phone.

...

...

Elsewhere.

As the prison that detains ferocious criminals who—with powers drawn from the Deceit World game—have committed heinous crimes while disregarding the law, the Deceit Prison’s location is extraordinarily hidden. It’s absent from both urban planning maps and satellite imagery and holds a significant Mysticism-layered hidden meaning; without authorization as an investigative member of the Deceit Bureau, locating it is near impossible.

Not to mention its tight security—with guards stationed every five steps, armed to the teeth, as well as Extraordinary Realm players of Deceit World presiding over it.

Thus, apart from the prison break incidents of Wang Chuan and Luo Fusheng within the past half year, no other severe events have occurred.

Meanwhile,

meters away from the Deceit Prison.

A figure wearing framed glasses stands beneath the shade of a tree, deep in thought as they gaze at the imposing concrete walls before them. Their eyes reveal an unfathomable depth; it’s unclear what they are contemplating.

"’Sir Death,’ you’re punctual as always—it seems you hold great expectations regarding the upcoming operation." A voice emerges from behind another nearby tree, though the person remains unseen.

"I’ve been here for a while," Sir Death calmly replies. "I merely didn’t want you to notice, lest your Hermit Association interprets my eagerness."

Unfazed, Sir Death adjusts his glasses and speaks in a low, steady tone: "Ever since releasing Wang Chuan, dabbling with the Abyss Old God’s birth at the Diamond Building, and culminating in today—aren’t you far more eager for this moment than I am?"

The silent forest stirs with a frenzied voice:

"No, Sir Death, what we’ve done exceeds your imagination; you simply don’t know. However, one thing you got right—we are indeed more ’eager’ than you. Because a true God will be born through you, the world shall cleanse its sins, and eternal rebirth shall arrive."

"Born through me?"

"No, no, no, you’ve all mistaken—the one seizing the Deceiving Apostle’s ascension ritual shall be me. I will become a true God, qualified to initiate the preliminary rule of this world. In adherence to the Hermit Association’s creed, you will also become my followers, aiding me in fulfilling the long-cherished wish to cleanse the sins of this world."

While envisioning this, his thoughts turn briefly to the enigmatic player known as ’Dark Crow of Profane Fortune,’ musing that once he ascends, he ought to surpass them.

Sir Death maintains his composed, erudite manner: "This is precisely what we both anticipate."

The voice in the shadows replies:

"Indeed."

With that, their conversation concludes. Silhouetted against the sunlight, both Sir Death and the unseen Hermit Association member move toward the towering concrete walls.

...

Sky Mountain Garden, No. 10.

As Yang Qizhou focuses back on his phone, the text refreshes again.

"You activated the effect of ’Holy Redemption’... Rank discrepancy assessment underway... Assessment successful."

"Due to the significant discrepancy in ranks between this Divine Descent Sacrificial Object and the ’Tree Ancient God,’ its effect is drastically weakened, barely sustaining for 10 seconds."

"At the same time..."

"As ’Holy Redemption’s’ effect takes hold, the ’Tree Ancient God,’ who was breaching dimensions, suddenly pauses in place. Their previously icy-cold expression softens slightly, and their eyes gain a warmth."

"In that brief moment, they forgave you."

"But the effect only lasts 10 seconds."

"You count silently in your mind, but before reaching ten, the ’Tree Ancient God’s’ disposition abruptly turns cold again, their steady steps resuming, accompanied by an overwhelming pressure."

"Wasn’t it supposed to last 10 seconds?"

"You can’t help but cry out, hurriedly activating ’Holy Redemption’ again."

"Once more, the ’Tree Ancient God’ halts; their features visibly soften, but this time, the effect lasts even shorter—a mere five seconds—before their expression reverts to stone-cold severity."

"At this very moment, "

"The ’Tree Ancient God’ is now perilously close, their slightly aged fingers piercing through the Void into the Real World, permeating the grand hall with the terrifying presence of a ’Divine Sovereign.’"

"Activate ’Heart Dream Source’? Impossible. Even something half a level superior to it, like the [Residual Ring of the King of Truth], struggles to impede effectively. Using this Legendary-tier artifact would not only be a waste of time but also fail to achieve significant results."

"Does this mean I must now use ’Mother’s Crown,’ summoning the power of the ’Desolate Mother’? Or rely on ’Dark Crow of Profane Fortune’ to escape?"

"While you’re contemplating, a deep voice suddenly resonates from above... It’s done."