Chapter 385: Divine Descent!

Chapter 385: Divine Descent!

The re-emerged Hidden Sage exuded a presence even more formidable than before.

Previously, He had tirelessly altered the terrain of the battlefield, ostensibly to attract the deranged True Creator to this place. However, the true purpose was to leave coordinates and information conduits, allowing for a more convenient entry into the Godforsaken Land.

Although He was inevitably weakened due to not choosing the correct path to enter the Godforsaken Land, the damage was somewhat mitigated.

Now, He was nearly at His prime, a fully activated singularity, a being tainted by the two essences of the Wilderness of Knowledge and the Nexus, with a rank approaching that of a deity!

Lu Ke tossed the crystalline object in his hand, which was condensed with vast amounts of knowledge and countless streams of information. In front of the Hidden Sage, he casually played with the remains of His previous "corpse", his tone mocking.

"I never thought it would be that easy to kill you. After all, how many high-ranking beings have survived this long without being simple."

The Hidden Sage did not respond, His gaze cold. Numerous black-and-white eyes appeared on His massive body, each eye revealing new, ethereal symbols.

They were not complex, just simple numbers.

One was "0", the other was "1."

Numbers themselves do not possess power but carry corresponding mystical implications. However, one of the core abilities of the Hidden Sage is to imbue numbers with power, giving them true, distinct, and significantly diminished symbolic strength!

"0" represents chaos, the unknown, and the state before anything begins. "1" represents the beginning, the origin, and the creator of this world.

The "0" and "1" within the black-and-white eyes connected, forming a transparent tunnel that rapidly flowed, transforming from "0" to "1" and back again, from nothing to something, and from something to nothing.

As the "0" and "1" appeared and flowed, the edge of the Godforsaken Land, once a desolate wasteland, underwent a sudden transformation.

Mountains, hills, lakes, and seas, the cracked earth, twisted monsters, and the enveloping darkness and lightning—all transformed into countless "0" and "1."

These numbers quickly changed from "1" to "0", and when all the numbers of an object turned to "0", it dissolved into chaos, completely disintegrating.

Lu Ke also had numerous numbers appear on his body, but the transformation was extremely slow. This was not only because the Sage, as an Info-Being, had some resistance to the transformation but also because of his Rank!

The Rank of an Old One is not easily shaken, even if it is not entirely genuine.

Although Rank does not directly provide strength, many abilities and effects are determined by the height of one's Rank.

Facing this near-deity with a lethal move, Lu Ke was not in a hurry to borrow power from his true form.

He smiled slowly, his body becoming transparent and ethereal, as if ascending to a higher dimension, and the numbers on his surface also slowed down.

Then, Lu Ke snapped his fingers, neither too lightly nor too heavily.

With his action, a distant seal was broken.

...

Saint George District, Saint Hirlan Cathedral.

In a secret prayer room, Archbishop Holmira, the head of the Steam Church's Barkeland District, was praying before a triangular holy emblem.

In front of the triangular holy emblem, a beautifully crafted stand held a metallic, silver-inlaid item. This was the holy relic sent by the new Divine Favored, Fors.

At this moment, the holy relic suddenly emitted a brilliant light, the seal within it was broken, and incomprehensible knowledge was revealed in its entirety.

Holmira's eyes narrowed, and she solemnly traced the triangular holy emblem on her chest.

"Great Steam and Machinery God, You are the embodiment of essence, the protector of craftsmen, and the light of technology."

...

The Astral Plane.

More abstract than the Spirit Realm, this domain encompasses all the powers and symbols of the universe.

In a virtual kingdom composed of countless intricate machines and gears, powered by a vast array of different steam engines, a gentle, clear light slowly illuminated.

The light was thick and grand, as if it condensed the entire history of human civilization, representing the enlightenment and development of human society in different periods and stages.

...

Godforsaken Land.

The Hidden Sage suddenly began to tremble uncontrollably, His demeanor filled with fear and unease, as if something terrible was about to happen.

In the next moment, a figure appeared in the void behind Him.

It was a tall, broad-shouldered man with a pair of rimless glasses perched on his nose, a light yellow beard on his face, and well-developed chest muscles and thick arms that strained the fabric of his blue shirt.

Styano!

This was the character that Lu Ke had pulled from the historical projection during his preparations!

He wasn't the Steam and Machinery God himself, but a manifestation that had once visited Lu Ke, sharing drinks and conversation. Now, the eyes of this "historical projection" manifestation, which had been dull, were filled with a vibrant, clear light.

From the moment He appeared, He was shrouded in "unknown" and "secrecy", keeping a distance from the battlefield until Lu Ke gave the signal, at which point He arrived here.

To deal with a high-ranking entity with formidable survival abilities, the best choice would be a higher-ranked entity from the current pathway or an adjacent one.

The "Secret Seeker" and "Generalist" were precisely the two adjacent pathways corresponding to the source essence "Wilderness of Knowledge." The former represented knowledge related to mysticism, while the latter leaned more toward the real world.

The "Hidden Sage" was ultimately just a "Uniqueness" and an angel king of the "Knowledge Emperor", fundamentally weaker than the most powerful angel kings, such as Mr. Door, Amon, or Adam.

However, due to being tainted by the source essence, He had some special qualities, making Him appear stronger than the average angel king.

Styano, without a word, instantly transformed into a series of projection-like scrolls that lunged toward the "Hidden Sage."

Some of these scrolls depicted the helplessness and tragedy of humans facing extraordinary beings, while others recreated epic scenes of humans experimenting on themselves with extraordinary materials to gain power and save their race. Some showed images of Roselle's propaganda and speeches, showcasing steam engines and various inventions, and others bore the advanced technologies that Lu Ke had recently acquired, painting a grand but incomplete blueprint of a new era.

The scrolls, carrying the vast history of human civilization, instantly reached the "Hidden Sage", a being composed of complex information and ethereal light resembling a giant serpent. The moment they made contact, they began to intertwine and merge!

Sensing the threat, the "Hidden Sage" struggled frantically, causing the heavy scrolls to tear and reform repeatedly.

Even though He was ambushed and restrained by a higher-ranked entity from an adjacent pathway, the "Hidden Sage" in His true form was still stronger than the "historical projection" receiving remote support from the true god.

"The mystic power here diminishes, while the real world's influence grows!"

Lu Ke, standing in a higher dimension, recited calmly and indifferently.

He wasn't using a regular edict but a combination of the edict's ability, mimicking the "covenant" of the main body and analyzing the twisted and chaotic rules of the Lantern Spirit, to create a "judgment" that wasn't entirely fair.

Both parties had to abide by an edict, but a judgment was his sole decision, affecting whomever and to whatever degree he chose.

Although, after referencing the "distortion" of the Black Emperor and the "extraordinary exchange" of the Uncertain Fog, the judgment was not as potent as an edict, it was more flexible and aligned with his will.

The "Hidden Sage's" aura suddenly plummeted, while Styano's momentum rose and fell. He belonged to the real world but was currently a "historical projection" of the mystical side.

Lu Ke, like a master of balance, adjusted the situation so that the "Hidden Sage", who had been clearly dominant, now found Himself evenly matched, neither more nor less.

Trapped, the "Hidden Sage" writhed wildly, trying to split into multiple streams of information to escape, but found it impossible. He emitted an invisible, terrifying howl.

As the malevolent sound echoed, a strange scene materialized in the misty air.

It was a grayish-white, ethereal wilderness where figures moved silently, slowly approaching the edge, where blood-red, towering peaks like nests or wombs slowly and unstably emerged.

The "Hidden Sage" was trying to "mystically reappear" His original location, the "Wilderness of Knowledge" He had tainted and the "Nexus" that had given Him life!

He was attempting to instill humanity and new life into Styano's "historical projection" and the true divine will it carried, causing them to betray both the main body and Lu Ke!

Lu Ke, seeing the image gradually forming, frowned, and his body rapidly fell back to the current dimension, the flowing digits on his skin fading away.

In the next moment, his aura surged, and behind him, numerous light orbs composed of countless unknown substances appeared, their terrifying presence making the struggling "Hidden Sage" tremble uncontrollably.

Lu Ke picked up the "Hidden Sage's" previous form and, with his other hand, pointed at the "Hidden Sage", as if touching something heavy, and pulled forcefully.

"Come over here!"

The "Hidden Sage" immediately felt a repulsion from His information body, while the previous information remnants, which were closely related to Him, exerted a terrifying suction.

His will detached from the current information body uncontrollably.

As His consciousness separated, the process of "mystic reappearance" was interrupted, and the grayish wilderness and the towering peaks vanished. The struggling ethereal serpent stopped moving and was obediently absorbed by the scrolls.

Following his entry into the fragmented information body, the Hidden Sage once again felt his body being rejected, drawn to another form that had already been absorbed into the scroll.

The Hidden Sage felt the aura of death spreading, and in desperation and fear, he cried out:

"Please, spare me! I will pledge my loyalty to you!

"Please, spare me! I will give you everything you desire!"

Lu Ke’s movements paused slightly, as if he was deep in thought.

Seeing this, Styano’s figure appeared on the illusory scroll, his eyes inscrutable and his voice deep and resonant.

"In the Godforsaken Land, naturally isolated and cut off from information by me, killing him will prevent any further information from leaking."

At this moment, he was only a “Historical Projection,” and all his power was focused on sealing off the Hidden Sage’s information, leaving him unable to influence Lu Ke’s thoughts.

"I know, but there’s one more step to complete."

The layered light orb behind Lu Ke, composed of countless unknown substances, had already vanished. He smiled gently at the Hidden Sage, his voice calm.

"I accept your submission."

The Hidden Sage felt a wave of relief, but before he could show any joy, he saw a faint green-black flame appear on Lu Ke’s fingertip. Lu Ke aimed it at the scroll sealing the Hidden Sage and flicked it lightly.

Amid Styano’s approving expression, the intangible, illusory scroll was set ablaze.

"Why? Why!"

The chilling screams echoed wildly, filled with rage, despair, and unwillingness as the Hidden Sage questioned.

Lu Ke said nothing, only watching with a smile as the scroll, which carried the essence of a civilization, turned to dust. The wisps of green smoke carried a hint of crimson, conveying the last message.

"Save me, Great Mother!"

Lu Ke casually cleared his ears. "You’re not the Eldest Daughter; you have no symbolic significance. She won’t and can’t save you."

As the scroll completely dissipated, the entity known as the Hidden Sage vanished from the world.

At the same time, Lu Ke felt the Sage Extraordinary Trait he had just absorbed rapidly digesting, needing only a little more to be fully integrated, a situation that wouldn’t be problematic for a current direct ingestion of a Sequence 1 trait.

A pair of eyelashless, cold, and merciless eyes remained where the scroll had been, accompanied by a large number of Extraordinary Traits from the Secret Seeker and Generalist paths.

The Secret Seeker path included the Uniqueness of Sequence 0, the Recluse, as well as a Sequence 1 Knowledge Emperor and three Sequence 2 Sages, with even more to follow.

The Generalist path had fewer Extraordinary Traits, with the highest being two Sequence 2 Knowledge Mentors.

"Not bad."

Lu Ke was both satisfied and a bit regretful. The “Essence,” “Uniqueness,” and “Sequence 1 Extraordinary Trait” were the three things he truly needed. His previous advancements were all preparations to obtain these, with their importance decreasing in that order.

The Knowledge Emperor was quite compatible with him, but since he planned to ascend to godhood as a Red Priest, it would be best for him to accommodate a Conqueror at the Sequence 1 stage.

For him, the requirements for ascending to godhood were relatively flexible. As long as he was a Conqueror, the materials needed for ascension could be a combination of the Red Priest’s Uniqueness and any two Sequence 1 traits.

If the current Sequence 1 Extraordinary Trait was incompatible with the Uniqueness, the probability of successfully ascending would decrease.

Lu Ke collected his spoils and looked at the ravaged land, its terrain drastically altered. He snapped his fingers lightly.

The fragmented, data-like terrain was rapidly “revised,” returning to its original state.

Then, his body vanished from the spot, flickering rapidly.

He wasn’t leaving the Godforsaken Land but was moving closer to his destination.

Hunting the Hidden Sage was just one of his goals, and not the most important one. His true objective was to…

Cross the barrier of the Western Continent and, with the help of the high-ranking figures there, absorb the Essence in advance!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end