Over the years, the Temple’s Demon-Hunting Squad grew from one to three, forming a formidable Demon-Hunting Group of three hundred members.

This expansion was the Temple of Truth’s way of suppressing and weakening the other Nine Great Ritual Temples under the guise of combating the threat of the so-called “God of Knowledge”. It simultaneously strengthened the Temple of Truth’s influence and control over the Nine Temples.

In this era where God-Servant City and the Sky Temple had fallen, the Temple of Truth began to command the authority once held by the Sky Temple.

The Sage of Truth started to replace the former Sky Priests, becoming the nominal leader of all Ability users.

Vivien led the Demon-Hunting Group as its captain, with Anli as her vice captain.

A year ago, Anli advanced to become a fourth-level God’s Grace Priest, making this three-hundred-strong hunting group the most powerful force in the Yinsai Kingdom.

The group was scattered across various locations, with Demon-Hunting Squad leaders guiding them in purging followers of the God of Knowledge, as well as those traitorous evil sorcerers and troublesome demons who had betrayed the kingdom.

However, even with such formidable strength, they could barely hold their own against the Ghost Cult and the God of Knowledge.

If not for the Witch Doctors watching from the sidelines and Blood Plague Stuen’s intense hatred for the God of Knowledge, it would likely be the Demon-Hunting Group being hunted and pursued instead of the Ghost Cult.

Near Stan City, in a small village.

A strange house-like vehicle led a series of carriages through the mud, battling the pouring rain. The carriages were filled with Demon-Hunting Group members on high alert.

In the sky, Wing Demons glided through the rain curtain, their silhouettes impossible to ignore even in the downpour.

“We’re almost there!”

“Get ready!”

Vivien, the Demon-Hunting Group’s captain, wore a specially-made hunting robe and sat in the Magic Wheel House serving as the lead vehicle. Vice captain Anli soared in the sky riding a Wing Demon, her sharp gaze scanning the ground below.

Usually, Vivien and Anli were stationed in the capital. This time, they personally left the capital for this desolate village because of reliable information about the appearance of the Ghost Cult’s Divine Contract High Priest in the area.

The Ghost Cult had three High Priests, known as Original Sin, Truth, and Divine Contract.

All three were fourth-level and the most powerful and important members of the Ghost Cult.

Their status was equal.

However, their combat prowess was not.

The Truth High Priest often appeared in the Abyss Kingdom and the sea islands, possessing formidable strength. He had crossed paths with the Abyss Knight Elena several times.

The Original Sin High Priest was said to be the strongest. Two years ago, he had a standoff with the Sage of Truth, Lan.

He eventually retreated.

Compared to the Original Sin High Priest and the Truth High Priest, the Divine Contract High Priest was rumored to be the most mysterious and the weakest.

This was the main reason why the Demon-Hunting Group had set their sights on him.

Since its establishment, the Demon-Hunting Group hadn’t truly hunted such an important member of the Ghost Cult.

If they could kill or seal such a High Priest, it would be a heavy blow not only to the Ghost Cult but also to the “God of Knowledge”.

The silhouette of mountains appeared in the distance, with a village faintly visible through the rain curtain.

This was the Demon-Hunting Group’s destination, the last place from which a missing group member had sent a message.

It was a poor and unremarkable small village.

Neither close to coastal fishing grounds nor on any significant trade route, it rarely saw merchants pass through even once a year.

In the past, there was a mine nearby, which was the reason for the village’s existence. Their ancestors had all been miners.

But with the ore depleted, only poverty remained.

The carriages stopped outside the village, and shadows quickly moved across the rooftops and streets.

In the sky, several Wing Demons patrolled, observing all movements below.

“Where is everyone?”

“Why can’t we see anyone?”

Those who entered the village immediately noticed that it was eerily quiet, with no sign of life even inside the houses.

Finally, at the village center, members of the Demon-Hunting Group found the villagers.

Outside, the rain poured heavily, while inside a building, these people were fervently dancing a bizarre dance before an idol.

Many had already danced to exhaustion and collapsed on the ground, still kneeling and repeatedly chanting strange names and incantations with their heads pressed to the floor.

A group of elderly Trilobite Men were tied up on a ritual array in the center of the building. One could see waves of light bursting from one of the old Trilobite Men.

He struggled painfully for a moment, then a faint, hazy shadow tore itself from his body, gradually disappearing into the light.

The entire building erupted in fanatical cheers.

“Merciful God! Let Your follower return to Your realm, to enjoy that eternal peace!” The villagers shouted one after another, as if they couldn’t wait to be on that altar themselves.

“Father, God has accepted you.” Kneeling not far away was none other than the son of the elderly Trilobite Man.

“Great God of Knowledge, please bestow upon me the power of truth, grant me wisdom that transcends the mundane!” At the center of the crowd, presiding over the sacrificial ritual, was the village chief.

The scene was all too familiar to the Demon-Hunting Group members. Over the years of confrontation and battle with the Ghost Cult, they had witnessed such scenes countless times.

In the Ghost Cult, this kind of sacrificial ritual was called the Return Ritual.

It turned the sacrificed person into a ghost, sending them to the Ghost City of the “God of Knowledge” to become part of the “God of Knowledge’s” power.

In the minds of the “God of Knowledge’s” followers, this was called returning to God’s realm.

Leaving the painful mortal world to enjoy eternal happiness and peace in the divine realm.

There would be no mortal suffering there, only eternal tranquility and harmony.

In recent years, the Ghost Cult had even introduced new doctrines, promoting the idea that mortals could reincarnate.

It was unclear whether this inspiration came from the Little Person in the Bottle learning about the Samo family’s body-switching immortality technique, or if Anhofus, who created it, had truly once had such an idea.

As long as one devoutly believed in the “God of Knowledge” and followed the Ghost Cult’s doctrines to contribute to the god, they could gain the opportunity for reincarnation.

In the next life, they could be reborn as nobles, become Ability users, or be born into wealthy families. The possibilities seemed endless.

This series of doctrines from the Ghost Cult was extremely deceptive and alluring, causing many people in remote towns and urban slums to start believing in them and worshipping the God of Knowledge.

They recruited young people as their followers and reserve members, and they enticed elderly Trilobite Men to sacrifice themselves and become ghosts to enter the “God of Knowledge’s” realm.

As the Ghost Cult continued to develop, their system became more and more sophisticated, and their methods increasingly difficult to guard against.

The number of believers also continued to grow.

“Save them.”

At Vivien’s command, shadows swiftly moved through the muddy ground and rushed into the building, while others leapt down from above.

In the blink of an eye, the main members of the village with combat capabilities were subdued and controlled.

Especially the village chief who was presiding over the sacrificial ritual, he was the first to be taken down.

But when the Demon-Hunting Group members were rescuing these elderly villagers, these people didn’t accept their kindness at all.

Instead, they cursed and shouted, weeping and refusing to leave the sacrificial altar.

It felt as if the Demon-Hunting Group members had snatched away their tickets to enjoy blissful days in the divine realm, robbing them of their chance to enjoy blessings in the next life.

“No don’t! Let me go!”

“The great God will punish you, God will punish you.”

“I want to go to God’s realm, I want to go to the divine realm.”

Vivien surveyed the scene, her expression grim. They had come prepared for battle, but reality had shattered their expectations.

They hadn’t even caught a minnow, let alone a big fish like the Ghost Cult’s Divine Contract High Priest.

Just a group of bewitched rural villagers, without even seeing a formal member of the Ghost Cult among them.

In the sky, a Wing Demon landed and stopped at the doorway.

The figure of Vice Captain Anli walked down and entered the chaotic hall.

“What’s this?”

“Just a group of cultists, who sent the message saying that he appeared here.”

The village chief was brought before Vivien, still muttering curses incessantly.

“We are willing, we are willing, what right do you have to interfere with us?”

“They have just returned to God’s embrace.”

“As long as we believe in God, we can escape suffering in this life and choose to enjoy blessings in the next life…”

Vivien looked at this village chief with pity: “Where is there any next life? It’s just a demon deceiving you.”

The village chief’s eyes blazed with fervent belief. “God would never lie!” he cried. “He gives us a chance at a better life!”

“What have you given us?”

“You big shots, how could you know our suffering, you…”

Vivien wanted to ask something more, but Anli reached out and pressed her hand on the village chief’s head, directly using a memory-reading technique to read all his memories.

“What’s the use of talking more with such a cultist!”

“This kind of person is already beyond saving, the power and madness of that evil demon have seeped into his bones.”

Mind-reading techniques could only see the thoughts that momentarily popped up in a person’s mind, while this memory-reading technique could quickly browse through all the important memories of a person’s life, searching for the scenes one wanted to know.

Even some scenes that the person might not remember clearly, the user of this divine technique could find the information they wanted from it.

But relatively speaking, it also had very serious side effects. Almost all who endured this divine technique would directly become idiots or living corpses without any wisdom, though still breathing.

Anli released her hand, and the village chief crumpled to the ground, his eyes vacant and unseeing.

He didn’t die, but his gaze was now completely empty, devoid of all consciousness.

Anli met her sister Vivien’s gaze. “A month ago, Ghost Cult members arrived when the village was starving. They didn’t just bring food; they taught the art of sacrifice.”

“This is the Ghost Cult’s usual tactic. They seek out places and people in difficulty, then have them exchange sacrifices for goods.”

“Once you start sacrificing to evil demons, there’s no turning back.”

Vivien’s eyes hardened as she surveyed the villagers, her gaze a mixture of pity and contempt.

“Don’t you feel that we’ve been constantly fighting against the Ghost Cult, but their numbers keep growing, and their followers are increasing?”

“Why is that?”

A member of the Demon-Hunting Group immediately answered: “Because there are too many evil people. For their desires, they’re willing to betray their faith in God Yinsai.”

Another expressed a different opinion: “It’s because that evil demon always finds the darkest corners of people’s hearts. How can there be no dissatisfaction or pain in life? This demon always takes advantage of these vulnerabilities, bewitching those in difficult situations.”

“Although these people temporarily alleviate their difficulties, they pay a much heavier price.”

Anli then said: “At the root of it all…”

“If we can’t eliminate that self-proclaimed God of Knowledge demon, we can never end this.”

Demon-Hunting Group Captain Vivien looked towards the direction of the Sacred Mountain in the pouring rain: “Indeed!”

“Although we have some issues of our own, we must eliminate that evil demon.”

“Otherwise, this will be an endless competition and slaughter.”

“That high and mighty mythical monster, self-proclaimed God of Knowledge, residing on the Sacred Mountain, plays with our world like a giant hand, devouring all Trilobite Men.”

“Our world is its playground, and each of us is its food and toy.”

Her sister Anli asked curiously: “Sister, you’ve seen that demon before. How formidable is it really?”

Vivien didn’t say much, instead changing the subject.

“What about the person who sent the blood message? Haven’t we found them yet?”

The Demon-Hunting Group members shook their heads. They hadn’t found the group member who sent the message, not even a body.

Vivien suddenly felt something was amiss: “Impossible.”

“How could such a group of ordinary people force a Demon-Hunting Group member to send a blood message?”

“There must be other hidden secrets here. What we’re seeing now is just the surface.”

The Demon-Hunting Group members also felt something was off: “But this is just an ordinary village. We’ve searched everywhere and found nothing.”

Vivien floated up to the rooftop, surveying the entire village in the heavy rain.

The village was situated at the foot of a large mountain, with a small path leading up the mountain behind the village.

She suddenly noticed the depleted mountain mine. If there were any secrets here, that would be the only place to hide them.

“Let’s take a look.”

The Temple’s Demon-Hunting Group sprang into action, their determined faces set as they marched towards the mountain mine.

As soon as they approached the mining area between the mountains, they sensed something was wrong.

Several stone demons in the team suddenly refused to move forward.

“What’s wrong?” Vivien asked, turning back.

“The little stone demons are afraid,” immediately answered the Spirit Realm priest who had formed a contract with the small stone demons.

“Use mind-reading to communicate with it. Ask what it’s afraid of,” Vivien probed.

“There seem to be stone demons here too, probably very powerful ones,” the Spirit Realm priest replied, soothing his companion.

The appearance of such powerful stone demons in this suspicious place was hard to believe was just a coincidence.

Connecting this with the blood message sent by the previously missing member, Vivien immediately guessed that the powerful stone demon must have an owner.

Vivien immediately called out: “Be on guard!”

Suddenly, the earth rumbled.

Unlike Vivien’s expectations, this wasn’t just a single stone demon.

Before the eyes of the Demon-Hunting Group members, the ground bulged up in multiple mounds.

One after another, stone demons emerged from beneath the earth, each with an Ability user on its head, their cold eyes fixed on the Demon-Hunting Group members.

The robes and insignias of these newcomers left no doubt – they were core members of the Ghost Cult, most of them second-level priests.

This place was originally a stone demon’s lair, which the Ghost Cult had discovered and turned into a breeding ground for demons.

Furthermore, the Ghost Cult seemed to have a very important plan here. Even after being discovered by the Temple’s Demon-Hunting Group members, they hadn’t retreated but remained.

Vivien immediately spoke: “Everyone, prepare for battle.”

The Demon-Hunting Group on the ground spread out their formation, preparing to fight in groups of three, while the Wing Demons circling in the sky began preparing for a swooping attack.

The rain continued to fall.

With a screech from the Wing Demons in the sky, both sides’ formations clashed.

Stone demons battled stone demons, Wing Demons swooped down from the sky to tear at the Ghost Cult’s cultists.

The priests continuously released various divine techniques, using mental power to control various weapons to attack each other.

In the sky, Anli, who had been observing, finally made her move.

With a wave of her hand, the air across the entire battlefield suddenly turned cold, and the ground began to freeze rapidly.

The raindrops in the sky continuously condensed.

Small ice crystals gathered into ice blocks, ice blocks gathered into ice balls.

Finally, the ice balls transformed into an ice giant, seventy to eighty meters tall, crashing down from the sky.

The impact was devastating. With a single, earth-shattering strike, it not only killed the leading third-level Seal Priest instantly but also crushed the stone demon beneath him to powder.

“Rumble!”

In the end, the ground suddenly collapsed under the immense pressure of the battle.

Everyone then discovered that there was a huge cavity beneath the ground.

Standing on the Wing Demon, Anli was the first to see the scene at the bottom of the giant hole.

A massive sphere, tens of meters in diameter, lay at the bottom of the pit, emitting a strong pressure and mental field.

This was a stone demon.

But clearly, compared to ordinary stone demons, this one was extraordinarily large. Even curled up, it was tens of meters across; standing up, it would be over a hundred meters tall.

Especially the faint mythical pressure and mental field it emitted indicated that some organ in its body was undergoing deification.

This was a myth preparing to break through to the fourth level.

Vivien, still in the midst of battle, noticed the huge stone sphere below: “What is that thing?”

Anli shouted to her sister from the sky: “It’s a Demon King, sister!”

“It has the aura of mythical transformation.”

“No, no, not yet. It’s almost there.”

“It’s breaking through to the fourth level.”

The Ghost Cult was actually cultivating demons here, especially producing a Demon King on the verge of breakthrough.

If Vivien and her team had arrived any later, this stone demon would have transformed into a fourth-level being.

The concept of fourth-level demons had always been in the speculations and predictions of the Temple of Truth, but Anli and Vivien only knew of one real example.

That was the Witch Doctors.

Their appearance was likely related to the messenger at God’s right hand, and they were said to worship and offer sacrifices to Shelly, the Mother of Life. Many in the Temple of Truth even speculated whether these Witch Doctors were spirits that had escaped from God’s realm.

Even Haru, the progenitor of demons and the Fire Demon, hadn’t been able to break through to the fourth level in the end.

Demons don’t have brain structures, so they only have low-level intelligence.

But upon becoming the Sage of Truth, Lan predicted that once they reached the fourth level, they would certainly possess high-level intelligence. They might even be able to command those demons with only low-level intelligence and give birth to more powerful demons.

This is why the Temple of Truth called fourth-level demons “Demon Kings”.

The Temple of Truth had been trying to cultivate fourth-level Demon Kings for years, but the crucial point was that they lacked sufficient mythical blood.

However, it was clear that the “God of Knowledge” had an abundance of mythical blood.

After accumulating for several years, it had gathered enough power for a fourth-level being, preparing to use it to create a Demon King.

Vivien had stumbled upon such a major plan of the Ghost Cult by accident. How could she let them succeed so easily?

She immediately said to her sister Anli in the sky.

“Stop it from breaking through to the fourth level.”

“We absolutely cannot let the Ghost Cult’s plan succeed.”

Anli immediately controlled her Wing Demon to dive down, and the ice giant on the ground also jumped into the deep pit.

A massive force suddenly surged upward, blasting Anli’s ice giant and Wing Demon out of the pit.

A figure slowly floated out from the deep pit, standing guard over the stone demon that was breaking through.

Vivien looked at that figure and, without needing to guess, spoke the other’s name.

“The Divine Contract High Priest of the Ghost Cult, so you were indeed here.”

The Divine Contract High Priest glanced at the two of them. Although this was their first direct encounter, he had heard their names many times.

Many of the Original Sin High Priest’s followers had died at their hands, and the Original Sin High Priest hated them bitterly.

However, the Divine Contract High Priest didn’t feel much. He just found these two interesting.

The three High Priests of the Ghost Cult each had different duties, and there was great competition between them.

To vie for God’s favor, the three of them had often used various schemes against each other, so they couldn’t be said to have a good relationship.

“The Vivien sisters of the Temple’s Demon-Hunting Group, I’ve heard your names quite a few times.”

He wanted to say more, but the Vivien sisters directly attacked the Divine Contract High Priest, giving him no chance to delay.

“Spirit of Divine Contract.”

In his haste, the Divine Contract High Priest summoned one puppet after another.

They looked similar to ghosts, but their power wasn’t strong.

His power seemed more like borrowed strength through contracts, or perhaps ghosts summoned from the Ghost City.

He relied on quantity rather than quality, summoning numerous weak entities instead of a few powerful ones.

Meanwhile, Anli’s army of ice puppets continuously burst forth from the rainwater, proving overwhelmingly powerful in this rainy weather.

A single ice puppet could match two or even three Divine Contract Spirits. Despite the Ghost Cult High Priest recklessly expending his power, he couldn’t change his precarious situation.

Anli even managed to control her puppets to approach the Divine Contract High Priest several times, directly bombarding his mental barrier.

The impact sent him stumbling back repeatedly, coughing up blood.

Had things gone according to plan, the Vivien sisters would be celebrating their imminent victory.

They had cornered him, and if they could drag this out, they might actually wear down this weakest of the Ghost Cult’s High Priests.

But now, things were different. Below them was another demon on the verge of breaking through to the fourth level.

The Divine Contract High Priest was anxious, but the Vivien sisters were even more so.

Members of the Demon-Hunting Group charged forward one after another, with five or six third-level Seal Priests plus Anli surrounding the Divine Contract High Priest.

But the Divine Contract High Priest, despite suffering grievous injuries, stubbornly blocked the cave entrance, not allowing the Vivien sisters or the Temple’s Demon-Hunting Group to get any closer.

He knew that if he could hold out just a bit longer, it would be his opponents who’d have to flee.

Seeing the stone demon’s power below surging layer by layer, its mythical organ about to form, Vivien grew increasingly anxious.

“Magic Wheel House.”

At Vivien’s call, the Magic Wheel House at the foot of the mountain suddenly accelerated upwards.

Vivien’s Miracle Tool combined with her Seal Spirit, transforming into a bizarre house giant, instantly unleashing tremendous power.

This brief burst of power was immense, directly breaking through the formation of the Divine Contract Spirit’s puppet army.

Anli immediately seized the opportunity.

Riding her Wing Demon, she dove down towards the stone demon emanating the mental field.

The Ghost Cult’s Divine Contract High Priest bellowed in rage: “Vivien sisters! You dare!”

“Your efforts are futile!”

“Our plans are protected by God’s own mark. You cannot hope to interfere!”

Anli clenched her fist, and the rainwater in mid-air coalesced into a giant fist, hammering down towards the stone demon.

But just as it neared the stone demon, it stopped.

On the curled-up stone sphere of the demon, a strange pattern lit up.

The pattern elongated, like a massive door opening, pulling Anli’s consciousness in.

Following this consciousness channel, Anli suddenly saw a place thousands of miles away.

An endless lake reflected a sea of clouds, with a azure sky where clouds gathered and dispersed.

The two connected, blurring the boundary between sky and water.

By the lake stood a majestic mountain, with a grand city and sacred halls visible.

Suddenly, the sky darkened.

A terrifying shadow appeared behind the mountain, turning to look at Anli.

The shadow was taller than the mountain, like a deity walking among mortals.

“What is that?”

The moment she saw the shadow, her mind was flooded with endless evil and distorted thoughts, the desires and greed of millions stretching out endlessly.

Anli felt dizzy, as if she were a tiny insect pinched between a giant’s fingers.

Slowly pulled out from the sand.

This was Anli’s first encounter with a myth, and she was utterly overwhelmed by its imposing presence and unmatched power.

“Is this what a myth is?”

Although her sister Vivien had once seen the consciousness projection of the “God of Knowledge” from afar, only when truly facing this mythical monster could one feel its overwhelming strength.

A strength so great it led to despair, like mortals facing the power of heaven and earth.

Just as Anli was sinking deeper, an urgent voice rang out in her mind.

“Anli!”

“Wake up!”

Hearing Vivien’s mental call, Anli finally broke free from the trance.

She realized she had lost consciousness in mid-air.

At this moment, the stone sphere began to move.

An arm shot out from inside, reaching for Anli.

The Demon King of the stone demon race.

It had appeared.

Anli knew she had missed her best chance. Her Wing Demon immediately spread its wings, flying backwards towards the sky.

Vivien’s house giant came to receive her at this moment, pulling her out of the encirclement of the Divine Contract Spirit and the Demon King.

But after this final burst of power, the house giant collapsed.

It reverted back to the Magic Wheel House and Seal Spirit, seemingly unable to be used again for some time.

“Retreat!”

Vivien immediately issued the order, and all Demon-Hunting Group members began to withdraw, no longer engaging with the Ghost Cult members.

Wing Demons soared into the sky one by one, while stone demons raced across the ground.

The rest jumped onto the Magic Wheel House, quickly departing with this Miracle Tool.

The Divine Contract High Priest, in a sorry state, descended to stand atop the Demon King.

He looked at the Demon King he had created, laughing triumphantly.

“Thinking of leaving now? Don’t you think it’s a bit late?”

“Let your blood celebrate the birth of the Demon King!”

Among the three High Priests of the Ghost Cult, the Divine Contract High Priest was originally the weakest.

But now that he controlled a Demon King through contract, everything was different.

As the Divine Contract High Priest controlled the fourth-level stone demon, pursuing the retreating Demon-Hunting Group,

Vivien suddenly shouted towards the distance: “Blood Plague!”

“As agreed, we’ve found the Ghost Cult’s High Priest here.”

Hearing this name, the Ghost Cult’s Divine Contract High Priest’s heart skipped a beat.

Almost stopping completely.

He hurriedly looked up to see a vast river of blood rolling towards them in the distance.

“Blood Plague Stuen!”

The Divine Contract High Priest’s voice cracked in fear. He immediately turned and fled with the Demon King and his subordinates.

However, after running for dozens of kilometers, he realized something was amiss.

If it had truly been Blood Plague Stuen, he would have caught up by now.

How could there be no movement?

The Divine Contract High Priest cautiously walked back, only to see the hundred-meter-long river of blood slowly dissipating.

He pulled a Sun Cup Flower from the ground, which twisted and writhed, trying to bite the Divine Contract High Priest.

“The Xilong family’s light and shadow illusion?”

Being tricked like this by the Vivien sisters infuriated the Divine Contract High Priest.

Perhaps even Vivien hadn’t expected the name of Blood Plague Stuen to be so powerful.

It had scared the mighty Ghost Cult High Priest into a panicked flight, without even the courage to look back—

God-Descended City.

The Demon-Hunting Group had set out with great momentum, but returned in a somewhat sorry state. Everyone remained silent after returning to their base.

The Ghost Cult gaining the power of a Demon King greatly worried Vivien. This posed an even greater crisis for the Temple of Truth, which already held no significant advantage.

Her sister Anli was also deeply unsettled by the shadowy figure she had seen behind the Sacred Mountain.

For the first time, she realized how naive her previous words had been, and understood why their teacher Lan was so wary when mentioning that mythical monster.

At the Demon-Hunting Group’s base, Vivien addressed everyone:

“Alright!”

“Although we’ve suffered some setbacks this time, we’ve also uncovered the Ghost Cult’s evil plan, giving us time to respond and prepare.”

“Everyone, take a rest. We’ll fight side by side again soon!”

That night, Vivien’s sleep was troubled by vivid dreams.

Once again, she found herself in Cross City, her hometown. Familiar faces surrounded her – her neighbor’s aunt, people from her street, all crowding close, their mouths moving as if trying to speak.

In a horrifying instant, these beloved faces transformed into eyeless corpses, mere shells of their former selves, howling at her in agony.

“Vivien!”

“We don’t want to die.”

“Avenge us.”

“Kill that demon, kill him!”

The nightmare shifted, plunging Vivien into a montage of horrors.

She saw a terrifying, shadow-shrouded demon temple, caves overflowing with corpses, and a town consumed by madness and evil.

In her years as the captain of the Temple’s Demon-Hunting Group, she had seen too much evil and horror.

Those crazed and twisted people, those cultists who had fallen into the abyss due to the corruption of demonic consciousness and desires.

Fathers who killed their own children, fanatical believers who sacrificed their own relatives.

Vivien woke up in terror, sitting on her bed and patting her face.

“No.”

“This can’t go on.”

Vivien once again recalled what her teacher Lan had told her about Blood Plague Stuen.

Over the years, they had been trying to win him over, but he showed not the slightest interest in contacting the Temple of Truth.

Vivien silently uttered a name: “Cross City!”

Vivien decided to return to Cross City for a look. She wanted to know what exactly had happened back then.

Perhaps then she could understand what had happened to Lester.

That might be the turning point for everything—

House of the Witch Doctors.

Blood Plague Stuen arrived at the underground supernatural laboratory, where the Witch Doctors began their examination.

He morphed through various bizarre forms, each transformation unleashing waves of power. Finally, he settled into the shape of the God-Created Man.

Respectfully, he stepped down from the platform and addressed the row of Witch Doctors.

“Witch Doctor masters.”

“How is it?”

The Witch Doctor named Left Hand spoke to Blood Plague Stuen: “You’ve mastered the third-level power and the law of blood quite well.”

“You can now use this sequence 1 body very compatibly and skillfully, but regarding the fourth-level power…”

“Our research isn’t very profound. We can’t even say how to break through to the fourth level of the Life Ability, let alone possess the Art of God’s Grace of the Wisdom Ability.”

Blood Plague Stuen: “I have a premonition.”

“When life breaks through again, I might be able to possess power that can rival or even destroy that demon.”

Witch Doctor Left Hand: “That’s something you’ll have to find the answer to yourself.”