Chapter 662: Collecting Divine Thrones (2)

What did they mean, the Deity wasn't dead?!

Of course she wasn't dead.

But that wasn't the issue right now. The issue was why the Deity had just spoken!

Bing Yao stared intently at the frigid pool, not daring to breathe.

Those were the words of a god. Even that tiny, faint snippet was enough for her to remember for a lifetime.

But a second later, whether to satisfy her curiosity or because she had guessed her thoughts, the cold female voice slowly spoke again.

"You did not honor our agreement."

You?

Who was she talking about?

Did not honor?

Who didn't honor it?

Agreement?

What agreement?

Bing Yao was so nervous her body trembled. Upon hearing the woman's words, she frantically looked left and right, trying to grasp their meaning.

Finally, her gaze locked onto Yan Jing.

The Deity was talking to Wen Xu?!

She stared in disbelief, her eyes going wide.

Judging by her tone, the entity in the pool had known Wen Xu for a long time.

Moreover, the two of them must have had quite a deep history together.

Faced with the frigid pool's questioning, Yan Jing merely offered a slight smile.

"I found a better option, so I didn't choose a Ritual from the [Ice] Pathway or anything similar."

["amp*...%"]

He still remembered that mysterious string of syllables. It was the voice belonging to those icy eyes, and its general meaning was:

"If you want my Divine Throne, choose Frost for your next one."

She had made a promise when he advanced to the Ninth Tier: if he wanted her Divine Throne, he had to choose a Ritual of the [Frost] Pathway for his Tenth Rite.

But he had broken his word. His Tenth Rite was a Ritual constructed jointly by the great curtain and the Source of Life. It had nothing to do with frost.

Yet he had still come.

"Then what are you doing here?"

Hearing Yan Jing's answer, a hint of displeasure seeped into the voice from the pool.

"Or did you come here just to provoke me?!"

That displeasure grew stronger as she spoke.

The surface of the frigid pool seemed to boil, bubbling with icy spheres. The blizzard overhead, which had previously stopped, suddenly went berserk. The entire sky darkened, pouring grayness over the earth.

"..."

Yan Jing said no more, lapsing into silence.

He didn't seem worried about the entity's fury, but Bing Yao was completely terrified.

She reached out, grabbing Yan Jing's arm for the very first time.

"Say something, Lord Wen! The Deity is asking you a question!"

Normally, she would never dare do such a thing, but today she was truly terrified. Her transparent body even melted a little, as if she were sweating.

"Speak!!! Just what exactly are you here for?!"

The voice in the frigid pool grew louder. Frost rampaged, and the freezing water surged, quickly overflowing the pool's edges and rushing to Yan Jing and Bing Yao's feet.

It didn't stop until the hems of both their pants were frozen solid.

Yan Jing finally spoke, letting out a faint sigh.

"I came here for your Divine Throne, naturally, but it seems I'm not very welcome."

"I told you, you didn't do what I asked," the existence in the frigid pool said coldly.

"I know, but I feel... a Ritual doesn't mean everything."

The moment he said that, Bing Yao froze in shock.

A Ritual?

What was that?

She vaguely recalled it being a power system used by humans.

"Heh. You mean to say that you've already tainted yourself with another Pathway, yet you still want my Divine Throne? Is that it?!"

The tone of the existence in the frigid pool shifted from coldness to sheer wrath.

"Are you not taking me seriously at all?!"

Faced with her monstrous anger, Yan Jing still didn't speak. He merely opened his palm, and then...

A rune dropped into the freezing water at his feet.

Like a drop from a world-cleansing spring falling into a polluted river, pale blue ripples bloomed from the rune and spread outward. Within every ripple were countless tiny, dense incantations.

When those incantations met the frigid water, they acted like companions, quickly blending into the gaps between the drops. Then they gradually evolved, and finally, quietly devoured the water.

Everything happened at the most microscopic level. By the time Bing Yao realized what was going on, the freezing water at their feet had completely vanished.

Even the surface of the pool itself calmed down.

A dense layer of fine runes blanketed the water, undulating gently with the surface.

The voice of the existence inside the pool fell silent.

A few seconds later, she slowly spoke again.

"Destroying this altar of mine is useless. Once the Day of Godhood arrives, you will die."

Yan Jing smiled.

"I have no need to destroy your altar, nor do I have any intention of making an enemy of you."

"In fact, I don't absolutely need this Divine Throne right now."

He raised his hand, and the rune flew back into his palm. With another gentle lift, liquid surged from the rune like frost, turning into droplets identical to the freezing water from earlier and falling at their feet.

Aside from a slight difference in color, there seemed to be no distinction between the two liquids.

Bing Yao stared wide-eyed, speechless.

Who could have imagined that Yan Jing had actually grasped the power of the frigid pool?

"..."

"..."

Silence. Another long period of silence.

Bing Yao felt deeply uneasy, worried that the Deity would completely lose her temper. After all, having one's power learned out of thin air wouldn't sit well with anyone.

But...

Ultimately, a profound blue sphere of light slowly drifted out from the pool. Under Bing Yao's shocked gaze, it landed in Yan Jing's hand.

"Thank you for your generosity,"

Yan Jing said, offering a slight bow. Then he waved his hand, and a Space Rift appeared in midair.

He stepped inside, and both he and Bing Yao vanished from sight.

A few seconds later, the frigid pool began to boil once more.

Clearly, the Deity inside the water was still furious at Yan Jing's actions.

But... out of various considerations, she had still ultimately chosen Yan Jing as her Demigod.

'You'll have a hard time later...'

She made up her mind. Once Yan Jing became her Demigod, she would definitely make him suffer.

...

...

"Ah Ji!!! Welcome home!!!"

A woman in a long white dress pulled Yan Jing into her arms, her face radiating happiness.

She seemed to have finally emerged from the grief of losing her son. Now that she could see her youngest son again, her eyes were filled with joy.

"How many days are you staying this time? How long will you be here? It must be exhausting out there. I heard about what you've been up to from A-Cheng and A-Chuan. You're so amazing out there now, Ah Ji; Mom knows all about it. Are you hungry? I'll have someone make you food. What do you want to eat? How about some noodles made by Mom..."

The woman kept chattering on. Yan Jing answered her questions one by one as they walked deeper into the courtyard together.

When they reached the entrance of the residence, Shi Sanchuan, Shi Yicheng, and the other brothers were all waiting there. Seeing Yan Jing arrive, they greeted him one after another.

While the others were fine, Shi Sanchuan and Shi Yicheng's expressions looked incredibly awkward.

Yet Yan Jing walked straight toward the two of them.

"Oldest Brother, Second Brother."

Yan Jing offered a slight bow. Shi Sanchuan and Shi Yicheng hastily plastered smiles onto their faces and spoke.

"Ah Ji, is there something you need?"

Yan Jing replied softly, "It's like this. I came back this time because I want..."

"..."

"He wants a Divine Throne?!"

San Yan was furious. Upon hearing his two sons' words, he slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet.

"What nerve does he have to come back and ask for a Divine Throne?!"

"Does he even consider himself part of this Family?!"

Shi Sanchuan and Shi Yicheng's recent trip to Old Sin City had been a massive blow to him. Not only had they returned empty-handed, but the two ancestors had even spoken up, ordering him to pass his position to Yi Ji.

In the end, it was only because Yi Dao stepped in that the tension between Yi Ji and the Family eased slightly.

But now, he heard that his youngest son wanted a Divine Throne the moment he returned.

He finally exploded.

"Tell him to get lost! Tell him I'm dead! Let him go find another Family!!!"

Facing San Yan's rage, Shi Sanchuan felt helpless while Shi Yicheng looked disdainful. After much coaxing, they finally managed to calm him down.

"You know how it is. Uncle threw his pride away to intervene just so he could mend the relationship with little brother."

"And you know his temperament—he's gentle and kind. If he reaches the Demigod Realm and shines brightly on Advent Day, would he really ignore our Fear Intent Clan? When that time comes, wouldn't you feel proud as well?"

Shi Sanchuan played the good cop.

"I know you've done a lot for the Family, and I know you're unhappy with the ancestors' decision. But sometimes, when things have already happened, we just have to accept them! Don't you agree?"

"If you don't accept it, won't all your years of hard work truly go to waste? Right now, both the Fear Seed and the Fear Bird are with Ah Ji. Without those two things, can our Clan raise another Divine Envoy? Let alone someone in the Demigod Realm."

"Please, calm down."

Shi Sanchuan talked until his mouth went dry, but San Yan still looked furious, his face dark and sullen.

"Who said we don't have a Fear Seed and a Fear Bird? Do I not have a Fear Seed and a Fear Bird myself? Whoever wants them, I'll give them to you right now!!"

"So what if he reaches the Demigod Realm? If he has the guts, let him come! Let him wipe out our whole Clan! If he has the guts to bear the infamy of killing his father and betraying his Clan, let him wipe us all out!"

"Even if he kills me, I'll never give him this Divine Throne!"

San Yan was truly enraged, refusing to listen to reason.

At his wit's end, Shi Sanchuan nudged Shi Yicheng with his elbow.

He knew that anything else he said would be useless. Only if Shi Yicheng stepped in would things turn around.

Sure enough, Shi Yicheng changed San Yan's mind with just two sentences.

"Look at how highly you think of yourself, refusing to give Ah Ji the Divine Throne. But when Advent Day begins, do you really think Ah Ji won't be able to get it anyway?"

"He came home specifically to give you an easy way out. But you're such a great Clan Head—you refuse the out he's offering. Fine; when Advent Day comes and Ah Ji ascends to godhood, you can just sit there and watch with envy."

"..." San Yan opened his mouth, but in the end, he said nothing.

Dozens of minutes later, a massive eye slowly opened above the Fear Intent Clan.

The will of fear shot into the sky.

...

...

"Everyone get out of the way! Out of the way! Out of the way!!!"

Under everyone's astonished gazes, a black cat wearing a suit and tie swaggered through the doors of the Train carriage.

The cat sported a wild, unbridled grin. Its flamboyant behavior carried a certain punchable arrogance.

"Hello."

Someone called for a train attendant, asking them to kick this ill-mannered cat off the Train.

"Your Train has always claimed to be the most refined mode of transportation in the world. I hope you can uphold that standard."

The passenger spoke with sound reasoning, forcing the attendant to step forward to "invite" Yan Jing off the Train.

"I paid my fare, and I'm following your code of conduct to the letter."

Yan Jing spoke, pulling out a small booklet.

"Since crossing that white line, I haven't made a sound louder than eighty decibels."

He pointed at the white line in front of the boarding door, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

The attendant looked at the white line, her smile stiffening.

She hadn't expected this cat to not only act so arrogantly but also know the rules so well.

She went back to talk to the passenger again, but the passenger simply flashed a black card.

Upon seeing the black card, the attendant hesitated for a few seconds before calling the onboard security.

A black card passenger's demands were obviously much more important than an ordinary passenger's.

Although this rule wasn't written in the code of conduct for the sake of superficial fairness, it absolutely existed.

Soon, several burly men strode toward Yan Jing.

The passengers in the carriage closed their eyes one after another.

They could all guess what was coming next. It was going to be bloody.

They didn't want such a sight to pollute their journey.

Until a few seconds later.

A series of rugged, agonized screams rang out.

Only when that punchable, raspy voice echoed above their heads did the passengers finally open their eyes in shock.

They saw Yan Jing standing in the middle of the aisle, throwing his head back and laughing.

"If you've got the skills, throw your Cat Grandpa out! If you don't, go fetch your Train Conductor!!!"

Yan Jing's words were arrogant to the extreme. In the distance, the Chief Conductor stared at the cat standing with its paws on its hips, her gaze flickering. Finally, she called the Train Conductor.

Upon receiving the call, the expression of a tall female figure gradually darkened.

The next second, despite having just been in the driver's cabin, she appeared directly in front of Yan Jing.

"You're the one causing trouble?"

She looked down at the "little kitty" before her and sneered coldly.

"I'm your Cat Grandpa."

Yan Jing smiled.

"Cat Grandpa..."

The woman laughed out of sheer anger.

Ever since she became the Train Conductor, no one had dared call themselves "Grandpa" in front of her.

"Spit it out. How do you want to die?"

She glared at Yan Jing.

Yan Jing also laughed.

"How do I want to die?"

"Do you know how the driver of the train next to yours died?"

The moment the words fell, the woman's smile froze on her face.

She had locked down the news of the neighboring Train Conductor's death a long time ago.

In fact, even she didn't know exactly how he died. She was only certain that his life signature had vanished.

And the last place he was seen was in Old Sin City.

She stared fixedly at Yan Jing, her previously relaxed mind gradually pulling taut.

She tried to read something from Yan Jing's expression—at least to tell whether the cat in front of her was bluffing or actually knew something.

But she couldn't read a thing.

All she saw was a middle finger.

"It seems you don't know."

Yan Jing lightly extended his middle finger and tapped it against the woman's leg.

"Then let me show you."

The next second, the woman's body flew backward like a cannonball.