The Abyssal Garden: No Room for the Idle

I've mentioned before that if believers want to fulfill their wishes through praying to a shrine or totem, they would perform their prayers and chant like this.

It has nothing to do with the strength of the believers.

The number of people, the degree of faith, the offerings... these conditions often have to be satisfied to have a chance of receiving a response.

"But it's not a Divine Entity, it just gathers believers, invokes the authority of priests, praying... Strength?"

"I just... hope it's not the Evil God Brother..."

The players, guided by the mark, gathered around and chanted.

Meanwhile, the person in the Yellow Robe silently watched Su Qi, who... also silently watched it.

Their eyes met.

In silence.

It slowly activated the aura of its Yellow Robe, thinking it could intimidate this person.

But to its surprise,

Su Qi's gaze did not shift away, but rather, he stared back at it.

As time updated, question marks would continuously reveal more miscellaneous information. The longer he waited, the more he saw, and even if the information was fragmented, Su Qi had the ability to piece it together.

"...You... don't seem to be a Divine Entity?"

Su Qi spoke softly.

It was unable to communicate through the mark and could only use a throat that sounded rusty from countless years, uttering a strained and hoarse voice:

"...You... are... who..."

It was not that it couldn't speak, but it seemed as if it hadn't made a sound for a very long time, or perhaps... this body had decayed long ago, requiring time to recover.

"That question is too broad, I could be a speck of dust in the universe, or the Sect Hierarch of The Hustlers Sect, I could be my mother's son... or my grandfather's grandson....."

"???"

The Yellow-robed person was taken aback, it was merely asking with a hint of caution and confusion, but the series of answers thrown at it was overwhelming.

"Anyway, when you ask who I am," Su Qi looked at it, "You might as well start by telling me who you are."

The Yellow-robed person remained silent; it could see that Su Qi's strength was very weak, at least in its eyes. Although not a Divine Being... as a Priest, it still possessed terrible strength.

Of course.

It was just that it had been asleep for too long, and now was not only suppressed but also very frail.

It struggled to extend its withered arm, and a mark slowly floated over.

Su Qi did not rashly reach for the mark until a few pieces of information from the question mark indicated that there was no other danger.

Then, he reached out his hand.

Upon contact,

A voice slowly rose, deep and ethereal:

"Weak mortal, who on earth are you? Why are you unaffected by... the influence of mighty powers."

"As I've said, ask for someone's name before you reveal your own."

The more information Su Qi saw, the more he understood about the entity before him, and the better he knew its weaknesses.

The Yellow Robe it wore was a Divine Artifact, endowed with the majesty of the Yellow-robed Master.

It... was amazed at itself.

Because when it activated the power of the Yellow Robe just now, for some reason, the Yellow Robe did not envelop me and even actively avoided me.

It said in a deep voice, "I am naturally... the supreme... Divine Being...."

Su Qi cut it off: "Divine Beings have an intimidating presence that is unapproachable, unspeakable, and unheard of for the weak. Except for when I first entered the city, I felt this way, but as soon as I stepped into the pit just now, nothing happened."

He looked at the people: "At first, I thought they could touch it because the mark qualified them to contact the Divine Being, but now it seems the mark was just for your communication with them."

What Su Qi said was based on experience.

The Evil God is the most typical example; its projections always caused an uproar!

And although the Master of Destruction is also a terrifying Divine Entity, on the two occasions she appeared, it was in a weakened Spiritual Body, possessing only extraordinary traits and not the stature of a Divine Being.

The girl's physical strength seemed very powerful at the time, but it was actually somewhat lacking compared to her priests - it was in the normal sequence and nowhere near a sliver of her true strength.

As for the Master of Destruction's true complete form!

I anticipate...

The terror it brings, the unrivaled power, the suppression, are no weaker than the effects of the previously mentioned Yellow-robed Master.

"....."

At this moment, the Yellow-robed person fell into silence.

It was puzzled.

Why wasn't this fellow affected? That was the power unleashed by the Divine Artifacts on its person... the true might of a Divine.

"...Mortal..." it uttered somberly, "...this... isn't something you should be prying into..."

"Even though I am not a Divine, the position and strength I hold are beyond your imagination..."

Su Qi gestured around him, reminding, "...but evidently, you are sealed here and even need us, mere mortals, to aid you."

"And please note one thing, they are considered my people as I brought them here, round up, they are my underlings; in that light, they are striving to assist you. As their boss and spokesperson, I naturally assume responsibility for them, so, Your Excelless, wouldn't it be reasonable to be a bit more sincere?"

Even though the exclamation mark was centered here in deep crimson, he had already discerned the source: it was the grand ritual, the staggering energy originating from this place, which must have a reason.

And these things he could hardly fathom through mere information fragments, to get the complete content.

He could only learn through the person before him.

The Yellow-robed Master remained silent, having previously deemed these mortals as mere tools, after all, by breaking the ritual, they too could survive. Unexpectedly, this insignificant mortal now required it to be a bit more sincere!

How audacious!

What is my identity,

And what is yours!

"Of course... if it truly comes to that," Su Qi shook his head with a sigh, "I can only let my underlings give up assisting. As for these so-called Ancient Whispers, you might want to look for someone else, though it might be too late."

The Yellow-robed Master: "???"

It said solemnly:

"Just as I informed them, this world is collapsing, this massive ritual seeks to destroy everything. Your wish to survive as mortals and my desire to escape, in the end, all lead to breaking the ritual."

Su Qi replied, "I understand this much, but you should be able to see it, we might pay a certain price, but every person here has hidden traits enabling them to leave this place."

The Yellow-robed Master frowned tightly, scrutinizing everyone, his eyes narrowed slightly, as if seeing something unbelievable, "...Old Days..."

Su Qi's eyelids twitched.

His previous words naturally referred to the power of Paradise, which in the Present World should no longer be a secret—the mechanism within each player's being seen as lineage, extraordinary traits, similar powers to a lineage's divine abilities by other high beings.

But.

He didn't expect the Yellow-robed Master to utter the term "Old Days," although clearly some information wasn't revealed, it was enough.

This term was taboo and ancient.

He also learned from various ancient high beings that it was no simple matter; something that even those beings feared, and which was currently beyond his reach.

Clearly.

The Yellow-robed Master was unwilling to say more.

It began to speak slowly:

"Since it is so, mortal, listen well..."

Su Qi silently observed it, must it present itself with such flourish?

"I am... the magnificent... the sacred... revered by countless... feared by countless... a Divine... the Yellow-robed Master!"

It declared with gravity, "...one of its Priests."

"..."

That build-up sure came with the air of a lackey.

No wonder it could play the Three Surnames Servant.

"What a coincidence."

Su Qi introduced himself with a smile, "I am also magnificent... sacred... revered by countless... feared by countless... the Sect Hierarch of The Hustlers Sect!"

"Su Buxian!"

The Yellow-robed Master: "....Never heard of it."

"You, such an insignificant mortal, can also be a Sect Hierarch; it seems this is but a small-time organization of no repute."

Its tone had become much more normal at the moment, no longer as solemn and unemotional as before.

"...judging from your weak fellows."

"Indeed... it has fallen."

Su Qi paused slightly.

It was clear this being... just like the countless ancient warriors slumbering on the Ancient Battlefield, had lived for a very long time.

Its mention of decline,

Was it referring to its own era, that Paradise once existed there too?