Eldritch Horror Theatre

"Just stand right there. Any further and you might lose your footing."

This gathering of all worthies and luminaries did not surprise Fu Qian in the least.

He even casually offered a reminder as Miranda marched straight toward him.

The reason, of course, was simple.

As established earlier, the further down they went, the more "real" everything became, and their perception gradually returned to normal.

He might still be unable to see the abstract rules, but it was quite easy to sense someone quietly approaching and eavesdropping close by.

Even before asking his final question, Fu Qian had already identified this member of the visiting party.

Sha Ming's answer proved that he had sensed her as well, and that he didn't mind Fu Qian knowing it.

After all, this display of Rank and control over the situation strongly corroborated his previous statements, making the pressure he exerted feel all the more real.

Miranda, who had indeed stopped dead in her tracks at Fu Qian's warning, followed up with a demand that sounded equally genuine.

This fierce warrior, brave enough to counter-surveil a Night Watcher, did not look to be in much better spirits than Huang Leji and the others.

She stared fixedly at Sha Ming's face. Normally, Miranda wouldn't have heard much, but just Sha Ming's posture—combined with a little imagination—was enough to draw far too many conclusions.

"See? Answering a question directly is always difficult. But by now, I imagine you can draw your own conclusions?"

Faced with this furious, agonized interrogation, Sha Ming remained completely unmoved.

Looking expressionlessly at Fu Qian, he commented on both Miranda's behavior and his own.

...

It sounded rather reasonable.

Always one to judge the matter and not the person, Fu Qian did not instinctively dismiss his words just because of Sha Ming's identity.

At this moment, aside from showing no abnormalities in her Rank and brimming with righteous fury, Miranda had one more point in her favor—the differing fates of the teams she and Sha Ming had led.

Compared to Huang Leji's group, who had practically become living corpses, her group was clearly far better off just digging holes in the dirt and dust over there.

Fu Qian could even confirm with absolute certainty that no other members had followed behind Miranda.

It wasn't surprising. Thanks to his earlier instigation, the squad's superficial harmony had likely been shattered, creating an irreparable rift. Splitting up was a very natural outcome.

But if Miranda truly harbored the same intentions as Sha Ming, she clearly would have leaned toward dragging the others down with her as expendable material.

"It seems this is why one should avoid participating in groups where people are just making up the numbers."

As he pondered, Fu Qian gave a slight nod, expressing his agreement with Sha Ming's statement.

Not only that, he adopted the exact same approach as the other man, showing absolutely no intention of paying Miranda any further attention.

This fierce warrior, who had gone to such great lengths to descend all the way down here, was completely hung out to dry as an outsider.

"Furthermore, I accept your good intentions. They make perfect sense."

The very next moment, this high efficiency continued.

Instead of continuing to crack jokes and banter as many might have expected, Fu Qian shifted his tone and accepted the counsel from Sha Ming and Sanxun.

"So, let's begin."

His tone was still gentle, but under the gaze of the crowd, a pale gold Handbell was once again gripped in his hand. He raised his arms and tilted his head up at a forty-five-degree angle.

...

This posture—as if he were about to transform—undoubtedly triggered a powerful shock.

After all, the desperate struggle of a cornered High-Tier Transcendent would be unimaginably berserk.

For a moment, it wasn't just the furious Miranda who froze in place, losing the courage to continue her questioning.

Even Huang Leji, further down, shook off his brief shock and forcefully scrambled away from Fu Qian—heedless of the explosive physical injuries it would cause him—retreating to his original position.

The most relaxed among them were Sha Ming and Sanxun. Not only did they show no intention of retreating, but they clearly appreciated this development.

No reaction? Impressive indeed.

Unfortunately, as he held the pose for two seconds under everyone's attention, the thoughts welling up in Fu Qian's mind were entirely beyond their expectations.

The reason for his sigh was simple. Fu Qian wasn't just idly trying to scare them. While striking the pose, he had attempted to activate the Resplendent Tyrant.

This, one of the forms of the Commandment Residue, had been tested back in Laerdin to counter the Blood Clan's Star Law.

Although it ultimately hadn't served as the primary force to destroy the world, it had at least proven effective against that type of law-like power.

Using it in the current situation seemed, at the very least, far more appropriate than his other methods.

It was just a pity that in this Land of Purity, his attempt completely failed, as if it had been outright banned.

And the Decree of Return...

The Commandment Residue...

Having completed his attempts in the blink of an eye, Fu Qian confirmed that all three of his halos were completely ineffective, like cheap knock-offs running into the real deal.

You guys are even fiercer than the Star Law, huh? Even the Star Law couldn't stop me from shining brightly and becoming a menace.

Gazing at the streaks of light in his vision, Fu Qian marveled inwardly as he rotated the sedatives in his hand and clamped them horizontally between his teeth.

Since being high-profile wasn't permitted, the only option left was to be even more high-profile.

Under the increasingly horrified stares of the crowd, Fu Qian gave a stylish toss of his head, causing the sedatives in his mouth to swivel and point in the opposite direction.

With that motion, a sound like a collapsing glacier rang out from beneath his gold-and-white robe, which violently expanded along with his body.

Crushed stone and dirt rained down.

...

Was that—a dragon?

His body tore through the obstacles, his field of vision pitching and rising. In just a few seconds, Fu Qian was looming overhead, the majority of his body no longer confined to the narrow ramp.

Because of his expanding size, a large section of the ancient space had collapsed, allowing him to gaze down imperiously at most of the team members and the traces of those who had been buried alive.

Being handpicked elites, the buried members quickly poked their heads out one by one amid the flying rubble, joining the others in expressing their sheer terror.

There was absolutely no trace of a human left.

It had a long, sinuous body, four ferocious claws, and a terrifying visage bearing a majesty akin to divine wrath.

The originally mysterious man was gone. Now, only an entirely new creature remained coiled there, radiating an endless, bone-piercing chill.

The surface of this endlessly majestic body was composed of countless mirrors that looked as if they were polished from ice crystals.

As it glanced around, it was so dazzlingly resplendent that no one dared look directly at it.

Only the Bell Staff clamped in its jaws—now looking disproportionately fragile and thin—served as a testament to who he had once been.

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