Climbing the Stairway, Treading the Desolation

At this moment, almost all eyes were on Li Chen, who was rising step by step up the stairs. Even many people in Sinful City noticed this.

A hissing red light swept down.

The clouds above Sinful City parted, revealing an enormous steel eye, a truly magnificent sight. Surrounding it were rings of tiny, miniature robots, like little elves, though they were lifeless machines.

This is the control measure known as "Heavenly Eye".

Countless criminals attempt to escape this Sinful City, and most are detected immediately by this giant robot, which has long been the best way to deal with these criminals.

But now this "Heavenly Eye" is slowly moving.

[Energy explosion signal detected; must be eliminated before explosion.]

[Allow/Disallow]

[Please provide instructions, Chief Executive Officer.]

His mechanical voice came from Qin Jiao's office. Qin Jiao's appearance had changed drastically; her blonde hair had turned into long, light gray hair, and her eyes seemed to shimmer with a faint energy. She played with the shimmering light on her fingertips, a slight smile playing on her lips as she murmured, "This ability is truly remarkable, but it seems I can only extract half of it, and there are other additional abilities... If he could stay in bed for another year, perhaps I could completely replicate it... But now, time is running out."

"This technology should be sealed away and taught to Pass Master Guan in the future."

Qin Jiao stared into the dimly lit office, lost in thought for a few minutes. Her obsession with power grew stronger. She craved power because it would allow her to live a carefree life. Otherwise, why would she have taken such a big risk to experiment with this project?

Moreover, she was the warden, yet she conducted research on her own, risking her future. Now that she had succeeded, she felt no joy, but instead set her sights on even higher peaks.

Why can others control the world and wield power, but she can't?

It's a real shame that such an experiment, which transformed a mere mortal into Sequence User, can only remain buried here. If it were used for other purposes, could she have created an extremely terrifying legion?

The technology she possesses is not simply the ability to replicate, but rather the ability to mass-produce. As long as there is enough raw material blood, mass-producing powerful beings is not a dream.

The only drawback is that she is currently just a newly acquired Sequence User, and a pseudo -Sequence User at that, because she lacks talent, her cultivation speed naturally cannot match that of others. What use is even the best ability then?

It even requires constant monitoring of one's physical condition to see if there will be any rejection reaction; these are the invisible side effects, but for an ordinary person, it's already extremely good.

At that moment, the voice from the Heavenly Eye echoed in her ears.

Qin Jiao frowned and remained silent.

The fact that the energy explosion could be detected by the Heavenly Eye indicates that if it wasn't eliminated, it would cause massive casualties. Who could it be?

Ding ding~

Tap the table twice.

Suddenly, a projection appeared before her eyes, showing the location of the energy explosion, and Qin Jiao's expression changed drastically.

"Damn it, is this Wrath guy trying to break through the gates?"

"And wasn't Greed dead?"

What happened?

What exactly happened in the outside world during the short period of time she was absorbing the medication?

At this moment, the Heavenly Eye System continued to transmit messages.

[Executive, please issue instructions]

Qin Jiao pondered for a few seconds, then strode out of the office, while the command Heavenly Eye received was "No".

Meanwhile, the sky outside was completely dark.

A muffled sob seemed to drift in the wind.

Li Chen walked slowly up the steps, his expression neither joyful nor sorrowful. Everything around him seemed irrelevant, as if he had fallen into deep darkness.

In his eyes, there was only the road to heaven.

It seemed as if countless people were muttering in their sleep, or as if countless voices were viciously cursing, mocking, and ridiculing him. Li Chen could even feel as if countless people were following him around him.

The voice of the Eldritch God echoed in his mind, attempting to Distortion and corrupt Li Chen's will.

"Hahaha, Li Chen, don't go any further. You won't see the end of this road."

"Even if you become Calamity Realm in this human system, so what? There are still higher and farther mountains blocking your way. Rather than climbing them little by little, you might as well give up."

"Give me your body, and I will lead Eerie Monsters to sweep across the entire universe!"

Li Chen paused for a second.

The Eldritch God, thinking he had a chance, immediately began to mock and ridicule.

Li Chen merely returned a smile, his eyes shining as he looked at the road ahead, and said softly, "Eldritch God, your world is too small, so small that you have no dreams, no will. You are like a few-year-old infant among humans, merely a separated consciousness born from Li Chen's body, obsessed with destroying the world. Do you think the universe is your toy?"

Or perhaps there is no being stronger than you?

Li Chen's tone was complex, seemingly lamenting his own situation while also teasing the Eldritch God. When he learned more about the truth from Cangyue, he realized that the world was too big, so big that he didn't know where to begin.

The more truth he encountered, the stronger this deep-seated fear became.

Even the Eldritch God was nothing more than a being manipulated by Li Chen.

Otherwise, why would it be sealed within the Forbidden Door?

They're all just pieces that were already placed in the game...

For a moment, the Eldritch God fell silent, but still stubbornly insisted, "So what? I was born from the Forbidden, I possess the body of the Lord of Rules, and besides, there is so much Authority Power within you. Once I absorb it, everything will fall into eternal darkness!"

"You are incomparable to me. Even though I haven't witnessed the splendor of that vast world, I will see it once I go out. I have plenty of time, while you don't. You can only watch helplessly as the universe is completely swallowed by the Forbidden!"

"Heh..." Li Chen continued to stride forward, but this time he did not respond to the Eldritch God. His words were indeed correct, but everyone has their own path to walk, and naturally he would not give up on this path of seeking freedom and truth.

With each step taken.

It seemed as if countless chains appeared in the surrounding void, binding Li Chen, while the steps beneath his feet were also changing in an instant. Strange, pitch-black tentacles, bone hands, and even rotten dragon heads appeared under Li Chen's feet, biting him tightly and preventing Li Chen from moving forward.

Li Chen's body seemed to be carrying countless Eerie Monsters, yet he continued to move forward, with each step accompanied by the cracking sound of his bones colliding.

Meanwhile, in a place unknown to Li Chen.

Uncle Mu stood atop the Sinful Pass, scythe in hand, a burning cigarette dangling from his lips, muttering, "Just stepping into the Calamity Realm, and I've already begun the Desolation Tribulation?"

"He really is a monster, but it has nothing to do with me now..."

He then turned around, stared at the Black Mist behind him for a while, shook his head, and sighed.

"It seems the owl has failed after all."