Eldritch Horror Theatre

It truly was a case of silently nourishing all things.

At that moment, Fu Qian felt as if he had just watched two sophons lock down human technology. The unseen opponent he had been searching for was confirmed once again.

He really hadn't just been battling wits with thin air.

The other party hadn't temporarily let him off. Instead, they had chosen a method far more vicious than physical annihilation, intending to trap him completely within that City of Sin.

And the entire process had been executed through the man standing right in front of him.

Some form of suggestion had been planted in the Tombkeeper, leading him to believe Fu Qian was beyond saving and to immediately shut the Coffin Lid, thereby minimizing Fu Qian's chances of receiving guidance.

Indeed, Fu Qian harbored doubts about the claim that he was "too deeply entangled to be saved."

He didn't doubt the Tombkeeper's honesty, but rather his judgment.

His actions in the City of Sin had indeed been rather drastic. He had killed repeatedly, experienced the Inhuman Samsara, and finally wreaked havoc in the Brotherhood's incense hall. His karmic burden was undeniably immense.

It was far more likely that this justification was also part of the implanted suggestion, aimed at locking down his path in the most efficient manner possible.

After all, ever since the task began, he had maintained the proactive urgency of a man being chased by wild dogs, raising hell without wasting a single second—yet his Coffin Lid had still been slammed shut with incredible speed.

Had he not been lucky enough to encounter the "lotus" over by Madam Silk Scarf, he likely never would have gotten another chance to experience it, and his odds of successfully waking up would have been infinitely diminished.

Or perhaps it wasn't just good luck?

"Understood. So, does the lotus that guides the way appear at random within that pre-awakening haze?"

Fu Qian didn't voice his speculations to enlighten the Tombkeeper. Instead, he shifted his focus to confirm a minor detail.

"Not entirely. Judging from everyone's experience, it is far more likely to appear when you are stirring up a massive fuss in there."

The Tombkeeper didn't mind the question, freely sharing his experience as a senior.

"The Burden of Causality?"

His words easily reminded Fu Qian of a term mentioned earlier.

"Yes. They all think themselves extraordinary. Unfortunately, what they don't realize is that chasing those so-called causes and effects will only entangle them deeper. Then, when the truly guiding lotus appears, they are too terrified to touch it."

Affirming his deduction, the Tombkeeper spoke in a tone that was less a mockery of others and more a bitter self-deprecation.

"Only by abandoning hope can one see the truth. The all-encompassing Bright Light will attempt to cast its enlightenment upon the souls trapped in the haze, and what ultimately manifests is the Black Lotus that negates everything.

"And when you no longer resist, when you attempt to comprehend its profound mysteries, you will slowly realize that light is not light, and black is not black. You will finally understand what is true and what is false."

...

Just as they said: the harder you work, the luckier you get.

The Tombkeeper's explanation was quite detailed, so much so that while gaining a deeper understanding of the Burden of Causality, Fu Qian also realized why the Black Lotus had manifested exactly when it did.

Clearly, the latter was somewhat akin to an anti-addiction system. When someone became too deeply immersed in cause and effect, it had a much higher probability of popping out to issue a warning.

And at that time, he had been at the absolute peak of his momentum within the Brotherhood, actively generating his own brand of twisted karmic burdens and having a grand old time stirring up chaos.

Refusing to take things slowly and instead executing a high-speed blitz strategy had indeed been the correct choice.

The pair of eyes watching him from the shadows was clearly sharp, and they showed absolutely no intention of holding back.

If he hadn't violently churned the waters in such a short timeframe, his Coffin Lid would have most likely been shut long before the Black Lotus ever made its appearance.

Without that guidance, his efficiency in breaking through to the Upper Heaven would have undoubtedly suffered a massive blow.

Such vicious methods—no wonder they needed to be eliminated.

Having sorted out his previous predicament with the Tombkeeper's help, Fu Qian mentally praised his own flawless operations while simultaneously declaring that the mastermind behind the scenes was truly courting one's own death.

Of course, this didn't mean he fully bought into everything the Tombkeeper had said.

Everyone had their own limitations. This man might stand one tier higher, but one shouldn't forget that there were still at least seven more tiers above him.

In the eyes of these people, the City of Sin was a fake, and the place before them was the true Realm of Bliss. As far as they were concerned, reaching it meant complete success.

But in Fu Qian's view, the so-called "awakening" was nothing more than an abstract method of dimensional ascension—

The Zeroth Heaven was the non-human conscious state of insects. The method to break through was simply remembering one's human identity.

The First Heaven was the City of Sin, suspected to be the haze one traversed before entering the Realm of Bliss. The method to break through was to awaken.

The Second Heaven was the true Realm of Bliss, the destination reached after that awakening...

Every single step was far more abstract than the conventional concept of shattering the void. As for what the ascension method to the Third Heaven would be, it was going to seriously test his imagination.

Of course, there was also one minor detail: up to this point, there hadn't been a single system prompt about deducting his SAN Value.

Was his previous hypothesis wrong? Did his SAN Value not actually need to be drained?

Or did this prove that he hadn't actually broken through to the Second Heaven, and the world before his eyes was just another type of illusion?

Fortunately, besides those two pessimistic answers, there was another plausible explanation: it had already been deducted, and he simply hadn't noticed.

Given the gradual thawing process he had experienced upon waking, it wouldn't be strange to have missed a prompt or two.

Unfortunately, with his abilities and items restricted, he also had no way to use his Transcendent Perception to confirm his current SAN Value.

He would just have to verify it when breaking through to the next Heaven—or when tumbling back down.

Actually, Fu Qian had always harbored a nagging curiosity: if they could get someone to shut his Coffin Lid, why not just strangle his defenseless self to death?

Even if everyone in this current Heaven lived in peace and contentment, making it difficult to induce violent behavior, there were still seven whole Heavens left. Could they really not find a single opportunity for a dimensional strike?

Could it be that killing him on a higher tier would be entirely meaningless?

That wasn't exactly good news. If that were truly the case, then even if he shattered the Ninth Heaven and killed his target—the ancient entity—would that also be meaningless?

This mission scenario was truly bizarre.

Regardless, one thing remained abundantly clear: he couldn't stop. He had to maintain his high efficiency.

"Whatever the case, you are an incredibly lucky man right now."

Seeing that Fu Qian remained silent, the Tombkeeper seemed to understand his mood. Instead of probing further, he offered a brief word of comfort before asking about Fu Qian's plans.

"Where do you want to go once we enter the city? I can take you there.

"To be honest, the replica in that dream was actually quite accurate. Though, of course, there are no gangs for you to join here."

...

The carved balustrades and jade steps still stand, but the culture has changed?

"The Church?"

Faced with the enthusiastic Tombkeeper, Fu Qian gazed out at the true City of Bliss drawing closer with every step. After a brief moment of thought, he spoke.

The organization might be gone, but there was a chance its faith had left something behind.

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