The Church of Light's reaction was rather intriguing~
After carefully listening to the intelligence shared by Lin Chen and Chen Xiao Diao, the bishop knitted his brows as if he had remembered some urgent matter.
Even so, before leaving, he very courteously handed Lin Chen and Chen Xiao Diao two cards as a token of appreciation for the information.
Lin Chen took a look and found that it was actually a Pale Blue Grade Spell Card—Holy Chant Prayer!
Was this the strength of the Church of Light?!
A casual thank-you was enough to give away a blue card?!
Lin Chen really wanted to call the bishop back and ask what else he wanted to know.
He knew the movements of the heavens and the geography of the earth, had dabbled in folk customs and rural legends, and knew a thing or two about all of them;
He even knew a little about the God of Wine's romantic history. Interested? I guarantee I would tell you everything I knew and hold nothing back!
Why keep being a miserable Card Master? Making cards was nowhere near as good as getting cards!
Bishop, I don't want to work hard anymore!
The author has brought Lin Chen here to beg for votes and follows!
Lin Chen took another look and found that it was actually a Pale Blue Grade Double Monthly Ticket!
Huh? Was this the strength of the readers?!
A casual tip was enough to earn a monthly ticket!
Dear readers, I don't want to work hard anymore!
The second-round life-or-death PK was underway. Help this book clear the next round!
With the joy of a bumper harvest, Lin Chen and Chen Xiao Diao each returned home to isolate themselves.
But as far as Lin Chen was concerned, he certainly would not obediently stay isolated. He was confident that he did not have the slightest trace of contamination on him.
That was because he had a natal bond God Card, which naturally possessed divine resistance. Even something of the Black Goat's Egg's caliber could not affect him in the slightest.
After returning to his own little nest, Lin Chen could finally relax the nerves he had kept taut all day, and he loosened up;
As usual, he began reviewing the day's events.
This time, his gains could truly be called a bumper harvest!
One Building Card, one material card for the Maenad of the God of Wine, and most importantly—
The body of the God of Wine Staff, now missing its pine cone!
In the culture of the God of Wine, the pine cone was both a symbol of the harvest of plants and a projection of male "yang※."
It represented "breeding," "harvest," and "debauchery";
It should have been the core of the God of Wine Staff's divine authority.
That was why Amber had abandoned the staff body and taken only the pine cone.
Still, having the staff body was not bad. After all, it was a component of a piece of "Divine Equipment";
Without the influence of the God of Wine's authority, the spirituality within it would only be purer and more immaculate.
For Lin Chen, it was instead an even more versatile card-making material!
He absolutely had to give a shout-out to Yuchi Gong's new skill, Single Whip Seizes Spear. It was practically a divine skill!
The Spirit Rat relied on stealing, while Yuchi Gong simply snatched things in broad daylight!
Your weapon is impressive. Wow, what a pity—it will be mine in a moment.
But he could not just revel in his happiness. Several crucial mysteries remained unsolved.
Amber's purpose was already clear—reviving the God of Wine Godhead.
But where had he ultimately sent the Holy Grail and the Godhead?
Judging from that sinister teleportation item, the Blood-Meat Beacon—Gestation, there had to be a corresponding receiving beacon.
Judging from the flesh-type item, it should have belonged to an intermediary of the Mother Goddess Cult.
What was the Mother Goddess Cult's purpose?
Was it merely to breed a Black Goat cub and spread contamination?
No... That payoff was far too paltry!
Their true purpose was probably—
To call for the Mother Goddess's attention through the Black Goat cub!
They had almost succeeded in the end, too.
If that was really the case, then Lin Chen had, this time, prevented a city-level disaster.
At that thought, a trace of derision surfaced in his heart:
The Cult of the God of Wine and the Mother Goddess Cult seemed to be cooperating for mutual benefit, but when it came down to the crucial moment, as long as they could achieve their own cult's objective, they would betray whoever needed betraying.
It seemed that the evil cult factions were also harboring different schemes in secret, plotting and maneuvering against each other!
Moreover, this made Lin Chen suspect that all the major Outer Gods' forces were secretly infiltrating faiths and stirring up trouble behind the scenes.
Thinking further, could the strange invasion a hundred years ago... have been orchestrated by these Outer Gods joining forces?
Could it have been a "divine war"!?
Greek Mythology had the War of the Titans, while Norse mythology had Ragnarök...
Then could the beginning of this world's "Age of Strangeness" also have been a war between the Outer Gods and the native deities?
The truth remained unknown for the time being, but he had faintly found a direction.
What troubled Lin Chen most in the end was still the Door God's words—
"Open."
The Chinese Door Gods represented the authority of closure and defense.
"Open" meant the exact opposite!
Was it telling him to "open" something?
Or was it saying that... "open" itself was a warning?
Lin Chen rubbed his temples and temporarily forced these thoughts down.
"Divine revelations really are spoken by people who love riddles..."
There was far too little information now. He could only set these abstruse speculations aside for the time being.
He should consider the most practical matter instead!
He was broke again!
After completing Gold-Consuming Black Shop—Cross Slope Happy Forest, only a tiny fraction of his savings remained.
Happy Forest would not produce materials that quickly. It would take at least four or five days to form a complete batch.
"How about... I just join the authorities?"
The moment this thought surfaced in Lin Chen's mind—
The Wu Song Card trembled, sending over a wave of rejection:
"Amnesty? Amnesty? What kind of bird-amnesty is that!"
That was right. Wu Erlang was wild, unrestrained, and loved freedom. He had also been the most resistant to the imperial court's amnesty from the very beginning at Mount Liang.
Anxious divine thoughts from Yuchi Gong also came from within his spiritual platform:
"A true man is born between Heaven and Earth. How could he languish beneath another man for long?!
"My lord bears the aspect of a True Dragon. Why should he live by another's leave?!"
That was right. Yuchi Gong was also a rebel at heart. Back then, he had been one of the main forces behind the Xuanwu Gate Incident;
At the time, Yuchi Gong had been even more impatient than Li Shimin!
If Lin Chen joined the Public Security Bureau, and the authorities wanted to take his God Cards away for research, Yuchi Gong would probably be the first to rebel!
For Lin Chen to practice "nurture-based card cultivation," he also had to take the card spirits' feelings and wishes into consideration.
His card spirits were all proud and upright by nature. He could not recklessly disrupt their "Dao Hearts."
Wu Song was indeed right. In Water Margin, they had first beaten the imperial court until it wailed for its parents before they could sit down and discuss the terms of amnesty!
Lin Chen was not to the point of opposing the authorities.
But without some strength, who would be willing to speak with you as an equal?!
Besides...
Wasn't there still another way to make money—
Run dungeons!
Since he had been healed by Advanced Purification, Lin Chen was still in decent spirits;
So rather than wait for an auspicious day, he might as well go now!
Because he was bound by a natal bond with the Door God, Lin Chen could teleport into Door God Temple together with him and manifest from the Door God statue.
Myriad Ghosts Night Parade Capital
The familiar, bone-chilling ghostly aura rushed into his face. In the distance, the city's neon lights flickered, yet the whole place remained shrouded in a dark haze.
He had returned once more to the place where this dream had begun.
"Squeak squeak squeak!"
A nimble figure darted over at top speed—it was none other than the Spirit Rat Temple Steward!
Before you continue