Lotus Seal of Purity

“Excellent. You understand the situation well,” Du Chen remarked, pointing a finger at Flaying, who was affixed to the wall. “Inform Helen of everything she needs to know.”

“Understood!” Flaying emerged from the wall, his form wreathed in a shroud of black mist, rendering him mysterious and inscrutable. Du Chen remained silently seated, observing Helen and her attendant absorb Flaying's “guidance.” Seizing the moment while their attention was diverted, he subtly manifested a Lotus Sacred Artifact beneath his feet. His body swiftly diminished, settling entirely upon the lotus, which then glided away without a sound.

By the time Helen noticed the empty chair, Du Chen was already leisurely sipping a honeyed drink in his private chambers.

A short while later, Flaying reappeared before Du Chen, assuming the guise of Frith. “Everything is arranged!” he announced, then gave Du Chen an odd look. “Those Lotus Sacred Artifacts of yours are truly wondrous! They almost defy my understanding!”

Du Chen offered a faint smile. He hadn't bothered to conceal the truth about his lotus manifestations from Flaying. After all, Flaying was constantly by his side; no matter how well he tried to hide it, a flaw would eventually appear. Rather than let Flaying discover it on his own, it was better to be forthright. Furthermore, Flaying was currently his only completely trustworthy bodyguard, and a clear understanding of Du Chen's true capabilities would only enhance future protective endeavors.

Moreover, Du Chen couldn't possibly keep his Lotus Sacred Artifacts hidden forever. He would undoubtedly need to employ them in battle in the future, and such a thing, even if concealed for a time, could never remain a secret indefinitely!

Naturally, Du Chen couldn't reveal the full truth of the Precious Lotus Scripture, nor the matter of transmigration and rebirth. If Flaying were to learn he was merely a soul occupying a borrowed body, it would be a miracle if he didn't go mad! Thus, Du Chen meticulously crafted a lie, claiming his lotus powers were a unique form of sacred artifact, acquired fortuitously after a profound transformation of his innate talents.

“Indeed,” Du Chen mused, “even I hadn't anticipated such marvelous effects from the Lotus Sacred Artifacts. I've only just begun experimenting with them, and I suspect they'll bring even greater surprises in the days to come!” Du Chen fixed his gaze on Flaying's eyes, attempting to discern some hint of his true identity, but ultimately, he was met with disappointment.

Flaying chuckled again, “Deboning is practically going insane! He knows Louis is somewhere around you, but he can't for the life of him find him! Ha, it's truly amusing!”

“Deboning isn't truly our friend, is he?” Du Chen mused, his right thumb idly rubbing the tip of his nose. “Once the Mount Tianshan affair concludes, I'll take my time playing with him! I'm sure it will be quite entertaining, wouldn't you agree?”

“Frith”—Flaying, in Frith's guise, smiled. And it was, surprisingly, quite beautiful...

***

March Third, predawn. On a rocky island several nautical miles from Mount Tianshan.

Mas and Bairu, leading over a dozen Battle Gods from the Holy Church, awaited them here. All were clad in black, their faces masked by dark scarves. Furthermore, thanks to Du Chen's prior instruction, their eye coverings had been specially treated to ensure Helen couldn't identify them with her accursed Soul-Ensnaring Art.

A small skiff, carrying Du Chen and Helen, rode the waves to the island, and they disembarked slowly onto the reef.

“This is one of our collaborators, the Divine Pet belongs to him,” Du Chen stated, gesturing towards Helen, who was clad in a black skintight suit with her head veiled. He then took a military-grade telescope from Mas's hand and cast his gaze toward the distant Mount Tianshan.

The mountain, named “Tianshan” (Heavenly King Mountain), certainly lived up to its moniker in grandeur. From a distance, this obsidian volcano soared to an impossible height for an island range. A faint red glow subtly emanated from its summit, and beneath the starlit sky, the internal magma seemed poised to erupt with explosive force. Viewed across the sea, the entirety of Mount Tianshan resembled a divine entity, abruptly thrust forth from the ocean, gazing down upon all beneath heaven.

Mas reported from the side, “Philip has just arrived at Mount Tianshan, right on the summit!” Following Mas's direction, Du Chen observed Philip and dozens of his followers conducting some sort of ritual upon an altar-like structure atop the peak. A quick count revealed that, apart from Du Chen himself, most of Philip's seventeen other assistants were present.

Du Chen nodded subtly. This experiment was clearly of paramount importance to Philip. Judging by the “Spirit Seed” experiment, Philip intended to harness the formidable battle qi that would erupt from Mount Tianshan on March Third to rapidly mature Helen's father—his very own “Spirit Seed.” Consequently, Philip had brought almost his entire retinue, along with numerous Holy Church experts assigned to him.

It was even highly probable that Tendon-Severing and Corpse Dissolution were concealed among them. In essence, Philip had gathered the entirety of his strength on Mount Tianshan!

Du Chen lowered the telescope, his voice grave. “When the sun rises, Mount Tianshan will experience a violent surge of battle qi. That will be Philip's final phase, and we absolutely must conclude everything before then!” He paused, then added, “Even if we cannot finish it all by that point, we must delay his experiment. Roland will arrive at Mount Tianshan after dawn, and I will use him to achieve our objectives! Understood?”

The entire plan had been proposed by Du Chen, so his questioning of the Holy Church members was entirely reasonable. The Holy Church personnel nodded in unison, affirming, “Understood!” However, in Helen's eyes, this scene signified Du Chen commanding everyone present; he was the supreme commander of this operation!

Du Chen gestured towards Helen. “Let your friends commence!”

Helen approached the water's edge, bending low and emitting a sibilant hiss towards the sea. Immediately, layers of ripples spread across the ocean's surface, the waves churning. Faintly, serpents, sea sharks, colossal octopi, and various other aberrant beasts of the sea converged upon Mount Tianshan. Moments later, countless more monstrous creatures crawled forth from the dust, mud, and gravel at the base of Mount Tianshan: giant lizards, wyverns, saber-toothed turtles...

Witnessing this spectacle, Bairu glanced at Du Chen, who stood facing the wind on the reef's peak, and thought to himself, *I must re-evaluate Francis's importance to the Holy Church!*

Helen raised her head. “We are ready to begin at any moment!”

Du Chen squinted one eye, while the other remained fixed through the telescope on the unfolding changes at Mount Tianshan. He stated blandly, “Let the little ones riot!”

At Du Chen's command, the aberrant beasts, which had moments ago been stealthily advancing, suddenly reared their heads, letting out defiant roars as they surged towards Mount Tianshan.

On the summit, the Holy Church experts tasked with protecting Philip were greatly alarmed. They cried out urgently, “Someone is controlling a massive horde of aberrant beasts to attack Mount Tianshan! Protect the Vice Dean!”

Philip, who had been holding a staff aloft and praying to the heavens, angrily cast down his short staff at the news. He roared, “Is it communication and psychic manipulation abilities? Damn it, that fiend's daughter has arrived!” He paced anxiously for a few steps, then barked, “Battle Qi Convergence only occurs once a year! The experiment cannot be stopped! You, go to the foot of the mountain and fully intercept the aberrant beasts, quickly!”

“But, Vice Dean, your safety...”

“Don't mind me!” Philip sneered, glancing at two large boulders on the summit. “I will not be in danger! My assistants, half of you go aid the Academy's warriors, while the rest assist me with the experiment!”

Meanwhile, Helen returned to Du Chen's side and reported, “I have already dispersed their forces. Additionally, some of my friends will intercept the Academy's arriving experts along the way!”

Du Chen seemed to pay little heed to Helen's words. “There won't be many from Battle God Academy coming,” he said dismissively. “Dean Zigurd is currently leading people to meet with friends!” With that, Du Chen smiled at the Holy Church members. “It's your turn!”

*Swoosh, swoosh!* Dozens of figures soared into the air, shooting like arrows towards Mount Tianshan. Helen was once again startled; these individuals were all absolute masters, with practically no one's strength falling below that of a Seventh-Rank Battle God!

A moment's reflection brought a smile to Helen's face. With such powerful allies, her hope of rescuing her father had magnified considerably!

“You're smiling? You rejoice too soon!” Flaying's ominous voice came from behind Helen, Deboning materializing like a shadow beside him, his Deboning Hook glinting with cold light. “Philip still has two top-tier experts who haven't made their move...”