I Swear I'll Never Leave Your Side Again!

Deboning took the letter from Du Chen's hand and his gaze swept over it…

Suddenly, the temperature in the small hall plummeted. Du Chen himself felt a bone-chilling cold, a sensation akin to an icy blade held against one's jugular, poised to unleash a crimson gush of lifeblood with the slightest, deliberate push!

Perhaps the revelations within the letter were too staggering, for Deboning momentarily lost his composure, inadvertently allowing a sliver of his meticulously concealed aura to escape.

Yet, Du Chen fully grasped the seismic implications of the Art of Artifact Annihilation within the Battle God World, and thus, understood Deboning's reaction. If the information in the letter held true—that one could acquire sacred artifacts regardless of cultivation disparity—for a Battle God, especially one who had stagnated at the peak of the ninth-level for countless years, this was undoubtedly a monumental shock, or rather, an irresistible temptation!

After a long silence, Deboning exhaled slowly. “Young Master, I lost my composure! But this is simply too astonishing! If an Art of Artifact Annihilation truly exists, and if sacred artifacts can indeed be acquired through such means, then I fear all High-level Battle Gods will descend into madness for it! Once the Art of Artifact Annihilation is unveiled, it will inevitably ignite an unprecedented maelstrom of chaos targeting all sacred artifacts!”

Du Chen nodded, and Deboning continued, “I have never heard of any Art of Artifact Annihilation. Historically, countless researchers have pursued such studies, but never once has there been a successful case. So… yet, since it was left behind by Saintess Phil, then I fear this is a secret only successive Grand Pontiffs and their heirs are qualified to know! Furthermore, the Church’s management of Grand Pontiff-level secrets is exceptionally stringent. If any of us members learn something we shouldn’t, we are uniformly subjected to the Dark Sacred Punishment. Even those of exceptionally high status, like a Saint such as myself, are no exception!”

Du Chen sensed the deeper meaning in Deboning’s words and chuckled, “I grant you the right to know of this matter. However, apart from you, me, and Flaying, I do not wish for anyone else to learn of this! Do you understand? In Yetha’s name!”

“Ramepatisu! My profound gratitude, Envoy of Yetha!” Deboning bowed his head deeply.

“If only Grand Pontiffs are privy to this secret, then Philip, having served as Grand Pontiff of Yetha for nearly a decade, must certainly know of the Art of Artifact Annihilation’s existence! But, would the mysterious organization Philip serves also be aware of it? Mother mentioned that obtaining the Art of Artifact Annihilation would lead to a terrifying catastrophe. What, then, does she mean by this catastrophe…? ‘An innocent man is guilty only for possessing a treasure,’ a concept that indeed describes a disaster, but can it truly be called ‘terrifyingly catastrophic’? No, it can’t be that simple…”

Du Chen posed several questions to himself. Suddenly, he lightly tossed the letters Phil had left behind. The white pages fluttered, a flurry of ice shards manifesting in their wake, and in a blink, the letters were encased in thick sheets of ice. With another flick of Du Chen’s wrist, the ice shattered, and the letters vanished into nothingness!

“Young Master, your battle qi has advanced once more, now cresting at the peak of the third level!” Deboning observed, continuing the task he had consistently performed—constantly guiding Du Chen in martial arts.

“However, you still overly emphasize the superficial grandeur of battle qi rather than its destructive power! If…”

Du Chen smiled. “You are absolutely correct, truly a Grandmaster-level expert! Now, what do you think of my ability to dismantle sacred artifacts?!”

In an instant, the second-layer sacred artifact was disassembled by Du Chen using his Lotus Internal Force. Indeed, it was already empty, yet as Du Chen’s hands deftly moved, the sacred artifact was broken down into countless components amidst a flurry of crisp crackling sounds, utterly beyond recognition! One could scarcely imagine these disparate pieces once formed a cohesive box!

Though Deboning had witnessed Du Chen’s methods of dismantling sacred artifacts before, he still felt a chilling sense of dread. Life itself, a symbol of power, the very bedrock of Battle Gods’ existence across the Three Continents—sacred artifacts—were so pliable, so utterly disregarded in the Young Master’s hands, wantonly desecrated at his whim!

“Young Master’s divine skill truly lives up to its divine appellation! Deboning dares not comment, nor does he possess the insight to offer a judgment!”

“Heh! Go on, tell Harry to accelerate! I must reach Newin Port by sunset today!” Du Chen waved a hand, then settled into a chair, casually pulling a book from a nearby shelf. As Deboning reached the doorway, Du Chen rubbed his nose and added, “What’s so special about the Art of Artifact Annihilation?! Hmph, if you ever fancy a high-tier sacred artifact, bring it to me. I can render it masterless for you, free for you to acknowledge mastery! Any level will do!”

Deboning’s shoulders trembled, and he departed.

Du Chen suddenly sighed. He knew he wasn’t worried about Deboning learning of his abilities, but there was no need to deliberately flaunt his capabilities before Deboning! Yet, Du Chen had done so. He wished to witness the astonishment in Deboning’s eyes, the shock on the face of this peak ninth-level Battle God. Only then would the unease sparked by the Art of Artifact Annihilation somewhat dissipate.

Capability, after all, equates to leverage. Consider Du Chen’s past life: after two decades of arduous study, he believed himself an “elite.” But just as he was about to leverage his knowledge for career and profit, he suddenly discovered that others had been researching the same field for years. When job hunting, they’d coldly dismiss him with, “Our lowest-tier employees already know what little you do.” If one could remain composed through that, if anyone facing such a situation truly wouldn’t want to unravel the mysteries of the Art of Artifact Annihilation, Du Chen wanted to ask, “Buddy, are your nerves made of reinforced steel?”

Phil, ah, Phil! You’ve left me yet another colossal conundrum!

Du Chen smiled peculiarly. Before, he sought Phil primarily for two reasons: first, to perform the grandest of good deeds, following the tenet that filial piety is the foremost virtue; second, he was pressured by that mysterious organization and Philip! Now, he had another reason, an even more compelling one…

He *must* ascertain the current technological advancement of the Art of Artifact Annihilation; otherwise, Du Chen would find no peace day or night!

The Wyvern Carriage soared rapidly through the sky. At its current speed, it would soon reach Newin Port, the capital of the Newin River territory!

As night fell, Du Chen set down the book he was reading—*On Governance: The Sacred Legacy of Bovin of Lanning*! He turned to the window, gazing down from a thousand meters in the air at the land below—his own land!

Mulling over recent events, Du Chen suddenly quirked a smile. “I wonder how that fat wolf, Andy, is doing? Is it ‘long lines catch big fish’? No, it’s ‘offer juicy bait to reel in an even juicier catch!’ Heh, I actually miss Andy a little!”

“Master Francis, I miss you so much!”

Andy cried out from the depths of his being, but his plea was answered by a dull “CLANG!” The heavy iron door slammed shut, and he found himself splayed out and securely fastened to an experimental table, his voluminous belly rising high, resembling a small hillock.

Brockman and Sinos, the two old acquaintances who had recently tormented Andy until he’d lost over ten pounds, now eyed him with frigid malice. Yet, Andy could only perceive two ominous, terror-inducing silhouettes obscuring the ceiling light, a sight that sent shivers down his spine!

But they weren’t the most terrifying. Behind Brockman stood several white-robed figures wearing strange masks—clearly not benevolent individuals! And any object they held could easily end Andy’s life!

Bone Saws, Steel Shears, Flaying Knives, Barbed Needles, and Hide Mallets…

Andy’s mouth gaped, his lips smacking. “Hey, I—I’m telling you, you can’t do this to me! I am not what you monstrously imagine me to be…”

“Lord Brockman, is this the new Number Six?” A white-robed individual stepped forward, prodded Andy, and then mused, “Hmm, his aura is undeniably potent, but his strength… this is peculiar. According to Master Philip’s experimental data, such a deviation shouldn’t occur! He’s utterly worthless, a complete and unmitigated failure!”

Brockman replied, “I am not privy to Master Philip’s specific experimental projects, but regrettably, this fat wolf is indeed Number Six. I personally witnessed him consume the Number Six Crystal!”

“Oh, Lord Brockman, I meant no doubt. It’s just that this wolf is truly bizarre! A peculiar creation indeed,” the white-robed man gestured to his subordinates, speaking as if to Brockman, yet also to himself. “The ultimate goal of the Composite Aberrant Beast experiment is to implant six crystals into Aberrant Beasts separately, thereby absorbing their inherent racial abilities. Finally, with Number One as the primary entity, a powerful Divine Pet would be assembled! Before the Number Six Crystal was implanted into the Merfolk King, it had already absorbed the traits of many Aberrant Beasts. How is it that these traits aren’t manifesting in Andy?”

“I believe they are manifesting, at least Andy can speak over twenty Aberrant Beast languages! And he possesses a formidable aura!”

The white-robed man pondered for a moment, then stated, “That cannot be all. Under normal circumstances, Andy should now be capable of flight, underwater breathing, scent tracking, mental communication, and survival in toxic gases… Most importantly, he should possess the terrifying might of at least a Seven-level Aberrant Beast!”

Andy heard this and chuckled, shaking his fat head, his jowls jiggling. “I, Chris Andy, darling of the Moon Goddess, am mighty beyond measure! My presence commands an awe that would astound any Aberrant Beast! I am not trash!”

The experimenters completely ignored Andy, continuing amongst themselves, “Never mind, this fat wolf is too abysmal. Master Philip will certainly be displeased! We shall prepare the experiment, extract Number Six from his body, and find another Aberrant Beast to serve as the host!”

Seeing the experimenters advance, armed with various tools, Andy’s stubby tail began to twitch violently, wagging frantically like an anxious, adorable pug—a habit owed to Master Harry, the Shieb butler!

“Hey, what are you doing!? I misspoke earlier! I am trash, I am well-behaved, I am obedient, I have dreams, I have an appetite… AARGH!”

Amidst Andy’s agonizing cries, the white-robed man exclaimed in surprise, “Gods, how is this possible?! Number Six has actually fused completely with this worthless creation… This situation is far beyond what we assistants can handle! Lord Brockman, I suggest we immediately transport Andy to the Great Plains and let Master Philip deal with him!”

They did not realize that Number Five, which Andy had ostensibly consumed, was also within the fat wolf’s body, for at this very moment, Number Five, Number Six, and Andy had perfectly fused…

Alchemical Prodigy Philip’s painstaking plan to create an incomparably powerful and flawless Composite Aberrant Beast had, in fact, begun the moment Andy swallowed the two crystals…

Brockman cast a chilling gaze at Andy. “Very well. Prepare the personnel and a carriage for me. I will personally escort this piece of trash to the Great Plains!”

“Your command is our pleasure, Lord Brockman! However, my fellow assistants and I will accompany you throughout, for Master Philip will be furious if we deliver him such… trash! En route, we shall perform some modifications on Andy to make him more agreeable to Master Philip’s wishes…”

Soon after, a golden carriage emerged from a jungle, its interior filled with one wail of agony after another.

“No, please! I, Chris Andy, am… dreams… an appetite… Oh, heavens, Master Francis, Andy swears! If you save Andy, Andy will never leave your side for the rest of his life! Why did I ever leave you, Master Harry!?”

Meanwhile, Du Chen had arrived in Newin Port, accepting the cheers of the common folk. After enacting several new decrees, he journeyed to the picturesque McAllen Great Plains!

Governing a territory is not an overnight endeavor. After much study of countless books recently, Du Chen understood clearly that even with massive financial support, improving the living standards of Newin River’s three hundred thousand commoners would require at least five to ten years to build an economic foundation. Otherwise, wealth acquired solely through Gold Coins would be nothing more than a fleeting mirage, destined to collapse one day!

Thus, Du Chen did not implement sweeping reforms in the territory this time. He merely purged corrupt officials and strategically placed trustworthy, promising newcomers into local government positions for training. Other aspects saw no major alterations!

Yet, even these few decrees had garnered immeasurable gratitude from the Newin River commoners.

“Hey, did you hear? The Lord’s first decree is that there shall not be a single orphan along the eight hundred *li* of the Newin River! For this, the Lord plans to establish over ten orphanages!”

“Heard that ages ago! The latest news is that the Lord has coined a new term, something called Project Hope, to send all children in the territory to school! Hey! Even children of slaves can go, and if they excel, they can shed their slave status!”

“Come on, your news is outdated too! The benevolent Lord’s latest command is to harness his own Gold Coins to tame the Newin River’s fury, ensuring we no longer suffer from floods!”

“Praise Lord Francis! Haha, the Lord is only sixteen this year; he can serve as our master for at least another fifty years! Oh, heavens, this is truly a blessing!”

The commoners of Newin River celebrated their benevolent Lord, their future filled with bright hope! Excitement rippled throughout the entire eight hundred *li* territory. Yet, at this moment, their Lord wore a look of profound grievance, constantly scanning his surroundings restlessly, his legs constantly twitching, and his hands intermittently reaching for his posterior…

Did the Master need to relieve himself? Harry, the ever-alert Harry, began searching his satchel for toilet paper.

But Du Chen inwardly roared, “Damn it, why does my butt keep itching like this?! Yet here, across these vast plains, there’s not a single soul—not even a ghost—to offer a good deed to?!”