Ascending the Order (Thanks to Zhang, the Wasabi-Dumpling Lover, for the Grand Certification)

Leike had finally arrived.

Swarm Insects filled the sky, bearing him through the passage that had been forcibly carved through the sea of blood, surging all the way to the top of the Tower of Erudition.

The Worm of Knowledge carried Lu Yuan as it slowly descended from the sky, stopping in midair not far from Leike.

In truth, Lu Yuan had long had a chance to leave. With a single word from him, the Worms of Knowledge carrying him could wrap around him, tear open a gap elsewhere, and send him out of the Inner City.

But Lu Yuan had not chosen to do so.

He had come this far. He was unwilling to simply flee empty-handed.

Besides, [Forbidden Studies—Scholar: 0/5 (Taboo)] was still empty.

This Newborn Taboo before him, one whose name he could not even call, was an opportunity he had encountered only after great difficulty.

If he missed this chance, who knew how long he would have to wait before that experience bar moved forward even a single step.

There was another reason, of course: Leike had ascended an Order... Once Lu Yuan chose to leave, the Bronze City would become the battlefield of the Person on the Wall, the Newborn Taboo, and Leike.

But could Leike survive before such things?

The answer was no. Lu Yuan did not want Leike to die here for nothing.

Before Lu Yuan could think further, Leike stopped in front of him.

He no longer looked human.

His entire body was formed from densely packed Swarm Insects, a black mass twisted together, its edges constantly writhing and reshaping.

There was no longer any clear boundary between man and insect.

He could not open his mouth, nor could he make a sound.

The Swarm Insects before him stuck together, crookedly piecing