The Blasphemy Society, an Ancient Curse

It was a strange symbol embedded at the very bottom of the mural. If you didn't look closely, you might mistake it for random scribbles carved on stone. But upon closer inspection, you could see that it was a bizarre circle with a hand carved in the center, its fingers outstretched and pointing towards the sky. Coiling around the five fingers were poisonous snakes and floral vines.

"The Blasphemy Society."

Li Lin frowned.

"They still exist in this world?"

"Blasphemy Society?"

The three old mages were somewhat puzzled, as even they had never heard of this organization. Li Lin and Nia, on the other hand, seemed to be very familiar with it.

"It was an organization founded by someone a thousand years ago."

Li Lin waved his hand, then carefully recalled the scene at that time.

"The specific date is... Nia?"

"The Blasphemy Society was founded in Imperial Year 361 and destroyed in Imperial Year 418. Its origins and founders are unknown, and its danger level is the highest."

It is clear that the history recorded in the Eternal Library is more accurate than that recorded in a computer.

"That's a very strange organization."

Li Lin continued.

"Their belief is anti-theism. They believe that the existence of gods is a mockery of human efforts, which is not what they hope for. The Blasphemy Society's slogan is to overthrow divine authority and establish themselves as gods. They believe that the power of gods has limits, and that gods are beings that can be overthrown. They have been working towards this goal."

"Of course, they are not popular with other people."

Nia picked up where she left off and continued.

"For the first ten years Blasphemy Society was constantly suppressed, and their lack of sufficient power was a weakness. Unlike the clergy who possessed divine power, the Blasphemy Society's power came entirely from their own cultivation. After that, they came to the Magic Empire and settled on its border. Arcane Mage initially paid little attention to this small organization, but the Blasphemy Society increasingly outrageous. They even took advantage of the fact that mages were unbelievers and began spreading their doctrines throughout the Magic Empire, setting mages against gods."

"Such dangerous behavior is not permitted."

Li Lin gave a cold snort.

"There is no conflict between mages and gods. They are responsible for controlling the Outer Planes, while we are responsible for controlling the Prime Material Plane. Mages and gods have always maintained a good cooperative relationship. Our power comes from the source, while the power of the gods comes from faith; there is no inherent conflict between the two. Those cultists who spread rumors and mislead people cannot be tolerated. Their attempt to use mages to overthrow the gods is even more unacceptable."

Thus, after years of proselytizing within the Magic Empire, the Blasphemy Society's influence began to grow, and what had previously been hidden beneath the surface surfaced. This greatly enraged the Arcane Mage who had communicated with the gods, leading to a rare collective mobilization to exterminate all Blasphemy Society. To the Arcane Mage, who were dedicated to studying the origins of the world, the Blasphemy Society's propaganda was nothing more than the malicious slander of the weak based on their own imaginations. They claimed that the gods would not tolerate mages possessing great power and would ultimately fight against them. These fools, who didn't even understand the true nature of the gods, were shaking the minds of young mages with these pointless rumors, something the Arcane Mage leading the empire were naturally very unwilling to see.

Therefore, when Nia saw this symbol here, Nia was so surprised that she asked Fina to find Li Lin. After all, this city was built after the fall of the Magic Empire, and the Blasphemy Society had been wiped out without a trace during the Magic Empire's heyday. So, it's no wonder that the appearance of something like this in this era would greatly surprise Nia and Li Lin.

"Could it be that this matter is also related to the Blasphemy Society?"

"That's hard to say."

Li Lin stared at the symbol, beginning to genuinely regret letting the red dragon devour Ailas. He had initially thought it was just a simple matter between two nations, but now it seemed that if the Blasphemy Society involved, things would become far more complicated. He had never endorsed the Blasphemy Society; in his eyes, they were nothing more than a group of poor, stupid fools maliciously slandering others like jealous self-made millionaires. "They're just luckier than me," "Their family background is better than mine," "Their strength is higher than mine"—they used such excuses to evade their own weakness and incompetence. Their inflammatory rhetoric was utterly meaningless except for getting mages to do things they shouldn't be involved in. They only sowed seeds of chaos, which was exactly what Li Lin hated most.

This unexpected discovery surprised Li Lin, but after thoroughly investigating the entire room again, Li Lin found no further clues related to the Blasphemy Society.

Coincidence? No, it couldn't be a coincidence. Looking back, Ailas's demeanor, as if the whole world owed him something and he alone was righteous, does seem to resemble the characteristics of Blasphemy Society believer. On the surface, it appears to be nothing more than immaturity and a distorted adherence to beliefs, but once one recognizes their true identity, one will find that things are not so simple.

The question is, what is the point of the Blasphemy Society demanding City of a Thousand Towers?

Li Lin frowned, trying to figure out the connection, but he liked order and hated the uncertainty of chaos, which was completely opposite to the chaotic Blasphemy Society cultists. So he had no way of guessing the actions and thoughts of these half-madmen.

Ultimately, Li Lin had no choice but to abandon his speculation.

Regardless, what follows is no longer his concern. The City of a Thousand Towers can be left to the three old mages; they only need to conserve their energy and await their true moment. In the meantime, Li Lin needs to continue traveling to various places to search for scattered weapons. Kalatu's help, though limited, will be sufficient. Once the "Infinite Corridor" is found, finding the next Seven Ring Spirit Envoys won't be so difficult. The Blasphemy Society's problem isn't a serious issue now, since their target is the gods, not mages.

However, finding the "Infinite Corridor" proved to be much more complicated than expected.

"Here?"

Back in her room, when Nia saw the next destination Li Lin had marked, even she couldn't help but widen her eyes in surprise, revealing an expression of disbelief.

Why did she run off there?

"I don't know either."

Li Lin looked helplessly at the location marked on the map.

"Perhaps she wanted to go to the beach because it was too hot."

Finally, he spoke with a wry smile.

"She's always wanted to go there."

Of course, Li Lin was just joking.

After Li Lin's death, the magical weapons sensed the change almost immediately. They couldn't return to Li Lin's side in time, so the Weapon Spirit Li Lin had created quickly hid. Not all of them possessed the power to maintain their form like Nia; many could only rely on their instincts to find places to hide, reverting to their original forms and falling into slumber. Li Lin wasn't worried about them being used by others. After all, these Weapon Spirit the culmination of his years of effort; how could he not consider how others would feel if they were possessed? Like Nia, even if she reverted to her Eternal Library form, if any foolish mage tried to use her, Nia would continuously absorb surrounding Magic Power to fill that mage's body until he completely exploded. Without Li Lin's soul imprint, it was impossible to use the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys.

However, the Mages' Association clearly has its own plans for collecting these magical weapons.

Li Lin naturally wouldn't let them succeed.

However, traveling to their destination was not without risk. As the old mages had said, the journey to the location of the Infinite Corridor was long and dangerous, and with the North and South at war, unauthorized personnel were not allowed to pass freely. Moreover, this posed a significant risk. However, the rulers of the City of a Thousand Towers had provided Li Lin with considerable convenience in this regard. At Li Lin's behest, they produced a travel document that allowed unimpeded passage between countries on the continent. Furthermore, they provided cover for Li Lin and his companions' journey.

"Oh, it's been a long time, sir."

Looking at Li Lin before him, the portly businessman wore a warm and attentive smile. It had to be said that the court trial had indeed brought considerable benefits to his business. With the affirmation and recognition of the three old mages and the Golden Leaf Mage, "Old Pikachu's Hundred Thousand Thunderbolts" instantly became the focus of attention, and sales soared. Of course, most of the customers who came here were buying those "contraband items." After all, since that trial, this shop had practically become a "government-designated base for the sale of contraband."

The portly merchant was naturally eager to show his hospitality to the two guests who had brought him so much wealth. Moreover, he had been summoned by the ruler of the City of a Thousand Towers, so he had no choice but to come.

"Old Pikachu is always ready to serve our esteemed guests. Is there anything you need?"

"I heard you're planning to travel south recently for some... trade?"

Looking at the somewhat comical, overweight businessman before him, Li Lin asked.

"Of course, esteemed guest."

At this point, Old Pikachu took off his ridiculously pointed yellow hat that looked like two sharp horns and bowed with a nimbleness that was completely unimaginable for his massive body.

"Thanks to everyone, 'Old Pikachu's Hundred Thousand Thunderbolts' has been very popular lately... You see, my stock is almost sold out. If I don't restock soon, those customers might just pluck me out and use me as magic material. Because I'm planning to go south this time to find some valuable goods... Is there anything you need? Old Pikachu will do his best to meet your needs."

"I do need your help."

Li Lin longed for Angela, who lay quietly on his lap like a cat, and a gentle smile appeared on her face.

"Look, sir, I happen to be planning a trip to the south for some business. I wonder if I could travel with you?"