Basement

Bai Wei moved quickly through the One Academy after nightfall.

With the help of his left eye's "Gaze" and countless times of memorizing and running through this map in the game, he easily avoided the guards and arrived at the most central area of the academy— the Seven Sound Holy Temple.

This is also the venue for the Grand Ceremony finale a month later, where the final bands will compete for the last spot, and then the Lord of Holy Sound will make the judgment.

In other words, this is the closest place to the Lord of Holy Sound.

Standing before the temple, Bai Wei could feel the immense power hidden in the sky.

This made Bai Wei realize that once he stepped into the temple before him, there was a very high probability that he would be discovered by the Lord of Holy Sound, which was something he could not accept at the moment. He did not yet have the power to contend with a god who was perfect in every way.

In fact, Bai Wei's arrival here now is risky.

But there's no other way; if we don't come and take a look now, the risks will be even greater later.

Because the Lord of Holy Sound is mostly in a state of semi-sleep, showing little reaction to the outside world. Only when the Grand Ceremony begins and the first piece of music plays will He slowly awaken.

His awakening requires a process, just as it takes less than a second for an ordinary person to open their eyes, but it takes Him three days.

These three days constitute the entire process of the Grand Ceremony from beginning to end. When He is fully awakened and His spirit and power reach their peak, the final and most outstanding piece of music will be played, pushing everything to its climax.

After all this, He bestowed His grace and then began the next round of slumber.

This has been the case for thousands of years, without any exceptions.

Of course, if Bai Wei were to break in at this moment, there would definitely be an exception, and the Lord of Holy Sound would definitely wake up ahead of time.

Because every deity is exceptionally sensitive to the power of Visas.

In the game, if a player enters the temple before the Grand Ceremony with two or more body parts, they will be instantly killed by the supreme power, regardless of the player's level or equipment at the time.

If even body parts are like this, then it goes without saying that a soul entering would be even more problematic.

If it were still a game, Bai Wei would definitely try to rush in and see the cutscenes, but since the game has become reality, he'll just leave it at that.

Returning to the previous question, there is only one reason why Bai Wei risked coming here at this time—he needed to prepare an escape route.

This time, the situation he faces is far more dangerous than it was in Rhine and Lyra.

Back in the Rhine, his opponent was a bishop who couldn't directly contact the Rhine God, so there was no risk. As long as Ulu was willing to let him Second Order Descent, he could handle everything.

When he was in Lyra, his opponents were two disabled deities who hated each other and had long lost their minds. There was a certain risk involved, but as long as he was cautious and made his move at the last moment, he could escape danger without serious consequences.

But this time it's different.

Retrieving the body parts from right under the nose of the Lord of Holy Sound, a god without any flaws, is one test; but to retrieve the body parts without the Lord of Holy Sound discovering his return and to escape unscathed is another, even greater test.

To be honest, Bai Wei didn't think He Wei Ni Ya's body could hold out until then.

So, Bai Wei needs to start preparing now for how to leave when the time comes.

After glancing once more at the majestic temple before him, Bai Wei did not continue forward. Instead, he turned around and stepped onto a very rugged Mountainside Path, one might even doubt whether it was meant for human use.

This is a hidden path that not many people know about, but almost all players do.

This path allows direct access to the temple's underground chambers without going through the main entrance.

In theory, taking this path would not be detected by the Lord of Holy Sound.

Of course, this is just theory, and the risks are still very high.

But compared to the potential gains, this risk is worth taking; at least we should go and see.

So after a rather thrilling traversal of the map, Bai Wei successfully found and entered the narrow passage, and then went deeper and deeper until he arrived at the basement.

The basement was very rudimentary, and a rusty old lock hung on the door, looking as if it could be broken with the slightest force.

This makes the entire basement seem unremarkable at first glance, and newcomers would not expect that there are any valuable things inside.

And that was indeed the case. It was just an ordinary basement, but someone had hidden something precious inside, something that even Bai Wei wanted to get.

Bai Wei's left eye narrowed slightly.

[Observation] The silent and imperceptible spread.

His gaze traveled deeper into the rusty iron gate.

Finally, I saw it, that which was bound in the deepest part.

A hazy, dark shadow.

Before Bai Wei could examine the surrounding power closely, he sensed a change in the surrounding energy and immediately closed his eyes, deactivating his [Gaze].

That's when things returned to normal.

Bai Wei frowned slightly.

Because the source of that power change is... the Lord of Holy Sound.

Why are they so sensitive?

It's just a field of vision that's been entered into; would that really elicit a reaction from the Lord of Holy Sound?

This gave Bai Wei a bad feeling, so he slowly reached out his hand towards the lock on the basement door.

As his fingertips touched the door lock, that feeling returned, and he had to quickly pull his hand back.

It was indeed a reaction to the power of the Lord of Holy Sound; His influence could still extend to this place.

But why is that? In the game, players carrying corpse parts while walking in the basement will not awaken the Lord of Holy Sound.

But Bai Wei hadn't even had a chance to go inside yet; he had only lingered outside for a moment, and the Lord of Holy Sound had already reacted.

Has reality and the game changed, or is his soul truly more important to the Lord of Holy Sound?

Bai Wei couldn't find a definite reason for the time being, but he knew that if he just barged in like that, he would definitely wake up the Lord of Holy Sound just like he would have barged into the temple.

Then everything will come to an end.

Bai Wei clicked his tongue softly, a regretful expression on his face.

Although he doesn't necessarily have to take that thing inside, if he could get it, it would make his future actions much easier.

So Bai Wei didn't give up immediately, but observed for a while longer before drawing a conclusion.

There is still a chance.

This place does indeed contain the power of the Lord of Holy Sound, but it's not much.

If we can find a way to temporarily block the Lord of Holy Sound's perception, or divert the Lord of Holy Sound's attention, there is still a chance of success.

But the possibility is too small.

At this stage, the only one capable of shielding the Lord of Holy Sound's senses is Bai Wei. But if Bai Wei does that, wouldn't it be tantamount to directly telling the Lord of Holy Sound that he has returned?

The same logic applies to the other one; who else but him could divert the Lord of Holy Sound's attention?

He Wei Ni Ya?

Bai Wei gently shook his head.

From the very beginning, he had no intention of letting He Wei Ni Ya participate in the final Grand Ceremony, but instead ran away immediately after taking the body parts.

That way, he could get the guaranteed loot (body parts), and He Wei Ni Ya would save her life. While it was hard to say how long they would survive after leaving, at least they wouldn't die here.

However, if they are tempted by what's inside, there's a very high chance they won't be able to escape.

Having figured this out, Bai Wei quickly made a decision in his mind.

Reality is not a game; it's impossible to collect everything.

From any perspective, he should give up what's inside.

After making his decision, Bai Wei turned and left.

He had two plans for escaping, and since one didn't work, he naturally had to prepare for the other.

There isn't much time to hesitate or waste.

But as he walked out of the passage, he still looked back at the dark basement.

Tsk, it's still a bit of a shame.

He thought to himself.

After all, that thing, in some ways, has a body that is superior to He Wei Ni Ya's.

When He Wei Ni Ya woke up, the long-awaited sunlight was shining warmly on her face through the window.

She was lying in bed, properly covered with a blanket, but the blanket seemed to weigh a ton, making it hard for her to breathe.

But she knew it wasn't the blanket that was the problem, but her body.

She felt something was strange. Even though she had rested for a night, her body still felt heavy, as if she were still using this body in her sleep.

... Isn't that so?

He Wei Ni Ya slowly sat up, and at the same time, her memories from last night began to return little by little.

This reminded her in her hazy state that she probably hadn't had time to go to bed last night, but had fallen asleep on the table instead.

So now...

She looked down at her body and found it was dirtier than she remembered; there was even dirt under her fingernails.

"You're awake." Bai Wei's voice slowly echoed in her mind. "I forgot to tell you, I used your body a little last night. It was almost dawn when I finished, so I didn't clean you up. You can wipe yourself off."

... What a strange statement!

Fortunately, He Wei Ni Ya understood that Bai Wei didn't mean it that way, and she asked, "Can you tell me what it is?"

"Of course," Bai Wei said. "I'm preparing for our escape route."

"Prepare?"

"Yes, for example, we've set up some road signs for you at several key points," Bai Wei said, half-jokingly and half-seriously. "That way, when you're on the run, you'll know which direction to go."

He Wei Ni Ya: "..."

Although Bai Wei's words were somewhat rambling, she still understood what Bai Wei meant.

It is to leave a hint for oneself in advance when there are some important situations, but Bai Wei is unable to give instructions for various reasons.

"It seems you understand what I mean," Bai Wei said with a smile. "I can still talk to you now, but when the Grand Ceremony begins, the power of the Lord of Holy Sound will spread further, and His perception will be further enhanced. At that time, I will need to be more cautious. So at that time, you will need to follow the information I left in advance to help me take the body parts and then leave this place."

He Wei Ni Ya nodded slightly, indicating that she understood.

Bai Wei had told her more than once that all she had to do was collect all seven notes, and then, at the start of the Grand Ceremony, go to another place and play a specific Seven Sound Divine Song to break the seal of the Holy Sound on Bai Wei's body part, and then steal the body part to complete the mission.

It sounds simple.

But both He Wei Ni Ya and Bai Wei were well aware of just how difficult it actually was.

"No need to rush," Bai Wei comforted with a smile. "Let's collect the remaining two notes first. Once you have seven Golden Sound, even without using my power, there won't be many people who can fight you."

He Wei Ni Ya nodded slightly, said nothing more, and quickly got up to wash up.

Because Bai Wei had made her body look quite messy, simply brushing her teeth and washing her face wasn't enough, so she had to take a shower and change into a new set of clothes before going out.

Bai Wei is right. Now is not the time to think about the day of the Grand Ceremony. She hasn't even collected all seven notes yet.

Compared to the crisis on the day of the Grand Ceremony, the more troublesome issue right now is the Dean who has already set his sights on her.

Sure enough, shortly after He Wei Ni Ya left the dormitory, she discovered that two musicians had been following her.

"That Dean is indeed decisive," Bai Wei said with a smile. "However, I think he won't be targeting you specifically, but rather every single Golden Sound. That way, it will be difficult for you to make a move, and the other Golden Sound won't feel like he's deliberately targeting you."

Indeed, as Bai Wei had said, when He Wei Ni Ya arrived at the classroom, she saw four musicians standing outside, making no attempt to conceal their identities.

When He Wei Ni Ya arrived, the number of musicians responsible for her protection increased to six, not counting those who might be providing support from the shadows.

It's definitely more difficult to start now.

After greeting the guardians on the perimeter, He Wei Ni Ya entered the classroom.

Sure enough, both Finnis and Ka Lun, the two Golden Sound, had already arrived.

The same goes for the others.

Except for... Molly.

However, Molly wasn't too late. After greeting everyone in the He Wei Ni Ya classroom, Molly walked in.

However, her complexion was very poor, and she was wearing a very thick robe that covered most of her body.

He Wei Ni Ya couldn't help but glance at her a few more times, but didn't ask any questions. After all, the news about Molly and Ka Lun had spread throughout the entire academy, which made He Wei Ni Ya think that Molly just didn't want to be recognized.

However, Molly only started acting strangely after rehearsals began.

Her pitch was completely off.

At first, she said it was a mistake and apologized repeatedly.

But in the following rehearsals, she never performed normally, like a broken musical instrument.

Finally, Finnis guessed what was going on, looked at Molly, and then slowly said, "Take off your clothes."

Upon hearing this, Molly turned pale and shook her head repeatedly, "No, Master Finnis, I won't..."

"I'll only say this once," Finnis said coldly, "Take off your clothes."

Molly immediately looked at the others, mainly He Wei Ni Ya and Ka Lun, hoping they could say something on her behalf.

He Wei Ni Ya remained silent, while Ka Lun appeared completely at ease.

In the end, Molly could only despairingly unbutton her clothes.

All that could be seen were silver musical notes on her fair skin.

It has grown a tumor just like Ka Lun's.