Chapter 704 - 442: Blasphemy

Chapter 704: Chapter 442: Blasphemy

·

After finishing her experiment, Tang Ling hurried back to the central server room, connected to the terminal server, came back online, and took control of the situation.

With a CLICK, a special cable, much thicker than the others, plugged into the port at the back of Tang Ling’s head.

[Database reconnected. Download resuming. Downloading application modules...]

"I still need three days to complete my upgrade," Tang Ling said to Zhou Chen. "In the meantime, you can do as you please. If you want to start your infiltration, go ahead. If not, just wait here in the Satellite City. In three days, I’ll clear *Gaia*."

Zhou Chen was puzzled. "Isn’t the Adaptive Evolution Array already perfected? What else do you need to upgrade?"

"Before coming in here, almost all the modules on my body were stripped clean. I need to reinstall them. The Godslaying Armament also needs time to be forged. You don’t actually think I can kill a Demigod with just the Evolution Matrix, do you?"

Tang Ling explained, "Without the Godslaying Blade, without the equipment and Essence supplied by the Star Association, even with a perfected Adaptive Evolution Array, I can’t match a Demigod. At best, I’m just a Tier Five who can adapt to various abilities a bit faster and has mastered a few more Authorities.

The gulf between mortal and God is not so easily crossed, especially for a soulless mechanical creation like me."

Then, Tang Ling raised her hand, a brilliant light surging in her palm.

A few seconds later, the light dissipated, and a pure white mask fell into her grasp.

"This is an Extraordinary Artifact I crafted using the Transformation Rule as the main material. It allows you to assume anyone’s appearance, including their physique and gender. If you’re going undercover, take this."

[Transformation Mask: Everyone has but one face, but this mask allows you to possess thousands.

A magical mask that allows for countless transformations. The perfect choice for a double agent.

A gift brimming with the good intentions of a mechanical girl. Please take good care of it.]

Zhou Chen was taken aback for a moment after reading the artifact’s description, and Tang Ling winked at him.

Zhou Chen smiled and put the artifact away. It wasn’t just a Rule Level artifact; it was a token of Tang Ling’s thoughtfulness.

In fact, he could also craft Rule Level artifacts now, since the Hammer of Forging was mostly repaired. The difficult part, however, was obtaining the main material. Rules weren’t exactly growing on trees.

"Be careful while you’re undercover. The Desecration Church runs deep. What Danika knows is likely just the tip of the iceberg," Tang Ling warned him one last time.

·

Zhou Chen teleported to a derelict church on the outskirts of the Magic Academy.

He took out the Transformation Mask and placed it on his face. His features instantly became unremarkable, his height shrank by over ten centimeters, and even his clothes automatically changed into a plain villager’s style. The disguise was perfect.

’Next, I need to find the Desecration Church’s base and infiltrate it.

’Security screening within Gaia’s major cities is extremely strict, so the Desecration Cultists are mostly scattered across the towns and villages outside the cities, where it’s easier to hide. But the recent cataclysm destroyed all those towns, leaving the cultists with only three choices: die, sneak into the cities for refuge, or flee to a Desecration Church stronghold.

’The Desecration Cultists who snuck into the cities have basically all been caught by now; there weren’t that many to begin with. That leaves two possibilities.

’One is that most of the Desecration Cultists died in the cataclysm. The other, of course, is that they’ve all hidden away in some unknown stronghold.

’The latter is the most likely.

’The Desecration Church needs manpower. They wouldn’t just let their cultists die en masse. They must have many secret strongholds.

’—Still, Jiang Che hadn’t provided any relevant intel when he assigned the mission, because the Star Association also had no leads on the Desecration Church’s strongholds. I’ll have to improvise. Fortunately, with Danika’s help, finding a base is only a matter of time.’

"There’s an abandoned Desecration Church stronghold in a canyon in the Brett Mountain Range. You can go try your luck. Maybe they’ve rebuilt it," Danika’s voice sounded.

"Then I’ll head there first."

Zhou Chen summoned Spirit Horse Bao Li and vaulted onto its back.

"I won’t be going," the Nameless Ghost suddenly materialized. "I have no interest in this matter. Let’s part ways here. Perhaps we’ll meet again someday."

"Alright. May we meet again."

Zhou Chen didn’t press him to stay. After bidding farewell, he opened his map, confirmed the location, and spurred his horse into a gallop.

[You have triggered the side quest: ’Investigate the Desecration Church Stronghold’!]

[Quest Type: Investigation]

[Quest Difficulty: Hard]

[Quest Description: You have decided to infiltrate the Desecration Church and wait for an opportunity to stir up trouble. You have just learned the possible location of a Desecration Church stronghold from Danika. Go and investigate.]

[Quest Reward: 1000 EXP]

「Three hours later, Zhou Chen flew to the Brett Mountain Range.」

Why flew, you ask? Because on the way, he encountered an earthquake. After finally making it through the earthquake zone, he ran into mudslides and swamps. With no other choice, he had to resort to flying himself.

Only when he neared the Brett Mountain Range did he re-summon Spirit Horse Bao Li to avoid attracting attention.

As he rode along the road, several figures suddenly flashed out from the trees on both sides. They brandished swords, their faces vicious, and roared:

"ROBBERY!"

Zhou Chen stopped his horse, dumbfounded. ’Bandits? In this godforsaken place?’

He observed them more closely and found that they all showed varying degrees of mutation. One had three arms, another had four pairs of eyes on his face, and a third had a fleshy tumor on his neck that made it look like he had two heads. The one thing they all had in common was the unholy black light shimmering in their eyes.

’Well, what do you know. Desecration Cultists.’

’I was just looking for you, and you delivered yourselves right to my doorstep.’