Arriving above the Fleshbloom, Yan Qi was just about to summon a ball of azure fire to reduce it to ashes when she suddenly heard something slicing through the air.
Realizing that something was flying toward her, she immediately halted her actions.
Executing an emergency maneuver mid-air, she barely managed to dodge the incoming object.
“What the heck is that? It looks like a basketball…?”
After stabilizing herself in the air, Yan Qi instinctively glanced at the object that had just shot past her. To her surprise, it did resemble a basketball—except it was green and at least ten meters in diameter.
Just as she was puzzling over what this giant green “basketball” could be, it suddenly split open down the middle.
From within emerged a creature radiating abyssal energy—a grotesque, tumorous mass of writhing tentacles, the kind that seemed tailor-made to be a magical girl’s worst nightmare.
“A tentacle monster? So this green basketball was actually an abyssal beast of that type?”
Instinctively recoiling from the repulsive creature, Yan Qi paled slightly and muttered under her breath.
“Are you the one who’s been destroying our cult’s Fleshblooms?”
A voice rang out, startling her. She followed the sound and noticed a middle-aged man with a kindly expression standing atop the tentacle monster’s head.
“Who are you?” Yan Qi asked, unable to hide her surprise.
“Who am I? I am Wen Ning, the bishop of the Plague Lord’s cult.”
The man seemed entirely unconcerned about revealing his identity.
“The bishop of the Plague Lord’s cult? So, the Fleshblooms near Ninghang City were all planted by your people?”
“Indeed. Every last one of them was cultivated by our followers.”
Frowning at his blunt admission, Yan Qi pressed further.
“Why would you plant these things?”
“To welcome the descent of our great deity into this world.”
“Welcome a deity…?”
His answer, combined with what she already knew about abyssal rifts from the system, made everything click.
So these fanatics are planning to sacrifice the people of Ninghang City—using their souls to open a rift large enough for higher-tier abyssal beasts to pass through, all to summon their so-called god.
Seeing the realization dawn on her face, Wen Ning smiled.
“You seem to understand our plan now. Then you must also know why I’ve come here?”
Yan Qi met his gaze without a trace of fear.
“Of course I know why a mad cultist like you would show up. But do you really think you can take me on alone?”
Wen Ning chuckled.
“Alone? You’re right—I might not stand a chance against the famed ‘Daoyan Empress’ of the internet. But you seem to have forgotten about the abyssal beast under my control.”
With a roar, the tentacled monstrosity beneath him lashed out, hurling several slimy appendages toward Yan Qi.
Sensing the creature’s energy—a solid early three-star tier—she knew even a single hit could spell disaster despite her own three-star abilities.
Deciding to play it safe, she dodged to the side, planning to analyze the beast’s abilities before engaging properly.
“You’re quick, I’ll give you that. But speed alone won’t save you from infection by our specially bred Plague Beast.”
As Yan Qi evaded the initial assault, Wen Ning muttered under his breath.
Suddenly, the green tentacles that had missed her began to swell grotesquely.
Then—whoosh!
Countless vents along the tentacles spewed thick green mist, saturated with pathogens, flooding the surrounding space in an instant and trapping Yan Qi within.
Faced with the encroaching fog, she remained calm despite knowing full well its danger.
Reacting swiftly, she cloaked herself in Samadhi True Fire and layered Golden Light Mantra over it for extra protection.
The defenses held—the contaminated mist failed to penetrate.
Is this the Plague Beast’s power? Feels a bit… underwhelming.
The thought flickered through her mind, but she didn’t dwell on it. Eager to escape the hazardous cloud, she bolted toward the edge.
Meanwhile, Yan Yu—who had been observing the battle from afar, ready to assist—suddenly noticed something and shouted in warning:
“Daoyan, stop! Don’t leave the mist—it’s a trap!”
“What?!”
The warning came too late. Before Yan Qi could react, she had already breached the mist’s perimeter.
Wen Ning’s lips curled into a smirk.
“Now witness the true might of our god.”
The Plague Beast’s eyes flared, unleashing a massive green beam—dozens of meters in radius—engulfing both the mist and everyone within its range.