Chapter 113: 113 Qin Prime Minister – 7K Subscription Request, Second Update Delayed

But this pain didn't last long; Wang Wu quickly adapted.

He shook his head vigorously, looked at the obelisk before him, and Wang Wu wasn't afraid.

This thing was clearly non‑hostile from the start until now; otherwise, given its behavior, our group would have been killed long ago or turned into monsters.

He glanced back and saw that the few companions he had just rescued had vanished again; now he was the only one left here.

"Why did you bring me here alone?" Wang Wu asked, turning his gaze again to the obelisk.

"You seem to have many questions. What do you want to know? I can answer you."

The voice sounded again, surprising Wang Wu; he hadn't expected the thing to be so pleasant.

The eyes on the obelisk were typical of a demon queen's, but unlike those demons, they held reason and even conveyed a compassionate, world‑sorrowful aura that Wang Wu could feel.

"So, what are you?" Wang Wu asked curiously. "I've never seen anything like you. What exactly are you—a person or a stone?"

The obelisk didn't answer Wang Wu immediately; it remained silent for a moment, then finally spoke:

"I am a divine general of the Heavenly Court, one of the Six Heavens of the Desire Realm among the Thirty‑Six Heavens, born of the Star Clan—what you call Star People in the past."

Wang Wu wasn't surprised, because such a level of power was beyond what the natives of Da Zhou could achieve.

"But hasn't the Heavenly Court already…" Wang Wu glanced at the other, "already fallen?"

"Yes."

The other let out a sigh, and a wave of intense pain and sorrow rose with its words.

Immediately, the sky began to pour blood rain, and massive bolts of lightning cracked in succession, as if trying to tear the heavens apart.

The emotion emanating was enough to affect the material world; its intensity was indeed frightening.

"The Heavenly Court has fallen, and the countless peoples of this Star River have lost their protection."

"The place you were previously in was the spot I protected with my last ounce of strength."

"But… that place can't hold out much longer. Even though I still protect it, it's already riddled with holes. You must have already seen those things hidden in the darkness before."

"Are you about to die?" After phrasing his words, Wang Wu asked more gently.

"Yes," the obelisk answered. "I can't sustain myself much longer; like my fellow comrades, I'll soon become like them."

"So how much longer can you hold on?"

"Perhaps five hundred thousand years, or even less."

The figure didn't surprise Wang Wu at all; after all, ever since the Great Shang Dynasty first encountered the Heavenly Court, it had always been that ghostly, so clearly these beings have extremely long lifespans.

A pile of corpses can give the Great Shang a ten‑thousand‑year thrill, let alone one that's still alive.

"That's not short," Wang Wu nodded.

"Indeed."

Most insects don't survive the winter, but no one laments the summer insects that cannot speak ice.

Because for a bug, a month is already sufficiently long.

Similarly, for humans, five hundred thousand years is already an immense span.

"So you seem fairly decent. Can you send us all back? The batch you brought over before?"

Having learned the other's identity, Wang Wu asked again.

"Why do you want to go back?" the obelisk asked, a bit puzzled. "I can send you back, but you must know that Tongtian City is no longer a safe place."

"The reason I brought you here is that only by bringing you here do you have a chance to survive."

"I am saving you," the obelisk said:

"I no longer have the power to intervene with another star; bringing you here is the only thing I can do."

"Then why didn't you send us out and instead brought us here?" Wang Wu didn't understand, and still didn't.

From his perspective, since this creature could move a group from one planet to another, sending them all outside Si Hun Shan should be equally easy.

"Because I can't, I can only affect the people inside Tongtian City."

"Why?" Wang Wu was even more curious.

"You saw it too," the stone beneath Wang Wu suddenly rose, carrying him toward the location of Tongtian City on this planet.

Accompanied by the obelisk's voice, the Tongtian City, whose colors differed completely from those of Si Hun Shan, appeared before Wang Wu.

"Tongtian City is linked to the star beneath your feet, so I could bring you here."

"But isn't this another planet…" Wang Wu paused, then turned to the obelisk: "So I'm still on the planet you teleported us to."

"Yes," the obelisk said. "This is the far side of the star; now only this side remains habitable."

"Huge…" After hearing the obelisk, Wang Wu silently marveled, thinking the planet must be enormous, perhaps nearly twice the size of his home's two Earths.

"Although you truly mean well, wanting to keep us here and protect us," Wang Wu said after his sigh:

"But we still want to return; the few people with me also want to go back."

The obelisk remained silent for over a minute.

Then its voice sounded again, slowly:

"But if you go back, you'll die; that place has become a demon's paradise, with demon generals roaming and even shadows of demon gods."

"What is a demon general?" Wang Wu asked curiously. "Your divine general turned demonic?"

"No. When a divine general becomes demonic, it's what you call a 'demon god.' As for demon generals, they are the successive great kings of your Great Shang Dynasty after it ascended to demonic power."

At that point, the obelisk sighed again.

"The Heavenly Court fell long ago; what remains are merely corpses turned into undead bodies."

"Those past sacrifices have long been twisted. After all, the Heavenly Court protects the starry heavens; how could it allow its protected peoples to be offered as the flesh and blood of others?"

"The Heavenly Court never needed their sacrifices or offerings; whether they worshiped or not, protecting the starry heavens and defending all living beings is its duty."

The obelisk kept rambling, but Wang Wu had lost interest in listening further.

Although this thing still seemed rational, Wang Wu felt it was already a bit off.

It only has five hundred thousand years of lifespan left, a figure that is certainly extremely brief for it. Thus, this also means it is already in the late stage of some condition.

And this condition should be demonic transformation.

"I want to go back."

Wang Wu said.

"It seems you all made the same choice."

After Wang Wu uttered that, the Obelisk paused again, but this time it did not remain silent for long; a few seconds later it spoke.

"Since that's the case…"

A voice sounded, and the world before Wang Wu changed once more.

It stretched, twisted, spun; everything was drawn into the rotating singularity ahead.

"Then may it be as you wish."

The Divine General let out a light sigh, and at the same time Wang Wu finally returned to that familiar place.

Heaven-Reaching City.

Wang Wu looked around and found that there were still twelve people nearby, and even Wu Geng was still alive.

"You all came back?"

Now Wang Wu could no longer mind the rule of speaking sparingly inside Heaven-Reaching City, and directly addressed the dazed Si Tu Jin ahead.

At that moment, Si Tu Jin on the opposite side turned her head, but her face made Wang Wu pause.

Because blood was everywhere on her, and she seemed to be in a very strange state: a blank expression, lifeless eyes.

It wasn't demonic essence entering her body, but a mental daze, as if her spirit had suffered a massive shock.

In an instant, Wang Wu recalled that he had also suffered a huge mental shock when he first communicated with that Divine General.

For ordinary mortals, such a shock would undoubtedly cause massive damage.

The Obelisk certainly did not intend to harm them, but compared to it, Si Tu Jin and the others were still far too weak.

"Wake up!!"

Facing this situation, Wang Wu did not hesitate and gave a sharp rebuke.

Unlike before, this time the effect was indeed outstanding. With that shout, everyone was jolted awake by Wang Wu's rebuke.

Si Tu Jin was actually alright; Yao Qing beside her was in a worse condition. She looked like a shattered piece of porcelain, full of cracks, her clothes stained bright red.

As for those in the Delusion-Breaking Realm and the Cavern-Empty Realm, their condition was fine; after Wang Wu's rebuke, they all quickly awoke.

He stepped forward, seized Yao Qing's hand and then Si Tu Jin's, and with Yin Extreme True Qi applied doubly, swiftly infused both bodies, providing basic treatment.

Both were fine; Yao Qing's was slightly more severe, but after the Yin Extreme True Qi infusion, she was improving at a rapid pace.

For some reason, recalling the Divine General's words, he felt something was off.

It's not that he has any thoughts about the Divine General; he just thinks that the creature's own reason may already be muddled.

Because some of its statements always made Wang Wu sense a hint of falsehood, or even malice.

Yet at the same time, the compassion in its speech was genuine.

This inevitably reminded Wang Wu of ordinary people who had been demonicized; no matter how kind they once were, after demonic transformation they became the most ferocious villains.

Wang Wu did not find that thing's words entirely trustworthy, and on the planet it protected there were already many things that felt off to him.

While infusing the two women with Yin Extreme True Qi, Wang Wu also did not forget to immediately begin seeking help in his mind.

Previously, when Wang Wu was on that planet, he did not seek help; he tried once but cancelled it shortly after.

When he encountered the Obelisk, Wang Wu was constantly ready to seek help, but he did not expect that the Obelisk's Divine General could communicate, so he still did not ask for help.

But now, back in Heaven-Reaching City, Wang Wu did not hesitate at all and immediately sent a message to his master:

【Mountain Top Cave Monster: Master, master, quick! Master! I really need you now! Master!!!】

【Your sent red packet (500 Cloud Light Coins) has been received by Bo Sheng Gui Bi Ni Ma Si Le (*image)】

【Bo Sheng Gui Bi Ni Ma Si Le: Good disciple! Don't be afraid! Master is coming right away! Hold on a bit!】

【Mountain Top Cave Monster: Ah? Master, how long will it take?】

【Bo Sheng Gui Bi Ni Ma Si Le: Still forty kilometers away; once Master finishes this ride-hailing order, he'll instantly merge with you; just hold out until then.】

【Bo Sheng Gui Bi Ni Ma Si Le: Don't be afraid, disciple, I've already floored the accelerator; it won't be long.】

【Mountain Top Cave Monster: Alright then, Master (sweat emoji)(sweat emoji)】

Returning to reality, he released Si Tu Jin's hand but kept holding his sworn sister Yao Qing's hand, as her injuries were heavier and required more treatment.

Because she was covered in blood and her clothes stained red, Wang Wu could not discern any change in her facial color.

He looked up; the flying shuttle that had been above everyone's heads was no longer there.

Obviously, that thing had either crashed or was forever left there by the Divine General.

However, Wang Wu's all-terrain motorcycle was still on him; the device has a long-range automatic retrieval function, and after being pulled to the planet's far side by the Divine General, it automatically returned.

Meanwhile, in a distant other universe.

The Fourth Patriarch Qin Xiang of the Extreme Heaven Vajra Sect stared impatiently at the traffic light before him, frantically honking.

"Damn it, can you go faster!???"

As he said, he is currently driving a ride-hailing car.

Of course, this is not because he is unemployed; as the sect leader of the Extreme Heaven Vajra Sect, Qin Xiang has plenty of free time, allowing him to earn extra side income while serving as patriarch.

Before becoming the sect leader, Qin Xiang was already driving; he started with taxis, then ride-hailing. Even after becoming patriarch, the job—or hobby—remained unchanged.

From the 1960s to now, that's about seventy years. Qin Xiang never attended university, dropped out of high school... ah no, he started working after graduation, just like a certain hitman brother.

But the hitman brother is still a bit taller than Qin Xiang, because the hitman has a high school diploma.

Qin Xiang, now 86 years old, male, high school education, occupation is sect patriarch, workplace is the Extreme Heaven Vajra Sect, address is…

"Damn it! Are you honking the Niu Mo horn here? Did you fucking run the red light or what!??"

At this moment, the car window on the adjacent lane rolled down, and a man sitting in his driver's seat launched a string of curses at Qin Xiang.

"Grass mud horse!" Faced with the man's insult, Qin Xiang naturally didn't hold back, firing at full force: "Who the hell are you to tell me whether I press it or not? Can you even control it? You beastly thing."

"Look at your damn face, it looks like poop, keep pretending and I'll make you fly, you mother‑fucker!"

"Grass mud horse, you're asking for death!!!"

Their insults grew louder, spittle flew, and it seemed the verbal duel would turn into a full‑blown fight. But then the traffic light ahead turned yellow, then green.

"I'll damn your horse!!!" Qin Xiang floored the accelerator, gave the driver of the car next to him a middle finger, spat, and sped away.

Racing at top speed on the Yunguang City highway, Qin Xiang had the gas pedal to the floor. He needed to get the client to the destination as fast as possible, then help his disciple solve the problem.

This was his most cherished disciple; although his strength was a bit lacking, Qin Xiang still loved his disciple dearly.

Inside Tongtian City.

The group kept moving forward, but Wang Wu kept watching Wu Geng, because ever since Wu Geng returned, he felt something was off about the guy.

He couldn't pinpoint what, and the fellow still acted the same clueless, dazed way, showing no apparent change.

Without the flyer, the only hope now was the space vessel parked in the Divine Palace District.

The deeper they went, the more Wang Wu felt the atmosphere around them growing increasingly strange.

Clearly many things had set their sights on them, but there was nothing they could do; without the flyer they could only press on.

"Are you sure that once we reach the space vessel, we can get that thing running?"

Holding Yao Qing's hand, Wang Wu walked over to Si Tu Jin and asked.

At this point he could no longer worry about the restriction on speaking here, and asked directly.

"Yes." Si Tu Jin's previously serene expression had vanished; she nodded, glanced at Wu Geng beside her, "We can do it with his help."

"But that space vessel—wasn't it built by the great witches of the Shang Dynasty? Shouldn't only the great witches be able to operate it?" Wang Wu glanced at Wu Geng, puzzled.

"The ones who befriended the Starfolk were the Yin‑Shang royal family, not the Shang Dynasty witches," Si Tu Jin explained. "Although the Starfolk also taught the witches how to build space vessels, they left some backdoors in the technology."

"Relying on the blood of the Yin‑Shang royal line, one can command this space vessel." Si Tu Jin continued, "That's why I brought Wu Geng's flesh being here."

"This Wu Geng, I sense something wrong with him."

After Si Tu Jin mentioned Wu Geng, Wang Wu looked again at the flesh being over there. He was still the same clueless, dazed figure, being constantly pushed forward by Si Tu Jin.

"Where's the problem?" Si Tu Jin kept walking, but her eyes suddenly grew heavy.

"I don't know, but he feels very abnormal," Wang Wu shook his head.

"Abnormal as it is, there's nothing we can do; he's our only hope now. I just need him to hold out until we get into the vessel, activate it, and leave this place." She sighed; she was no longer as arrogant as before, which made Wang Wu feel relieved.

"You don't plan to take any other things?"

"What else?" Si Tu Jin gave a wry smile, "If we can get out alive, that's already good enough."

Their speed wasn't slow; the place where the vessel lingered was about twenty kilometers from the group, and in the time they spoke, they had already crossed street after street, arriving at the massive airfield in the Divine Palace District.

It was as dead‑silent as the other places outside, yet different, as if someone regularly tended the area.

"We've arrived."

When they stood before the huge warship, a flash of heat flickered in Si Tu Jin's eyes.

Perhaps to others the space vessel wasn't what they wanted, but to Si Tu Jin and her Si Tu family, its importance was far greater.

It was the "witch vessel" built by the great witches of the ancient Shang Dynasty according to the specifications of a royal vessel; it may not match a true royal vessel, but it is certainly among the best‑performing locally produced space vessels.

"Let's board it!!"

Without hesitation, Si Tu Jin immediately grabbed Wu Geng, preparing to use his blood to open the warship's main doors.

But at that moment, Wu Geng let out an extremely bizarre, shrill laugh:

"Hee hee, hee hee hee!! Hahaha hahaha!!"

Si Tu Jin's hand reached out, but grasped only empty air. Wu Geng had already vanished from his spot, sprinting ahead of the group.

He moved in an extremely odd posture, at a speed far faster than even Si Tu Jin, a late‑stage true‑realm practitioner, could manage.

"As expected…"

Seeing Wu Geng's increasingly twisted and grotesque face, laughing at them, Wang Wu felt a chill in his heart.

"Hahaha, hahahaha…"

Wu Geng opened his mouth wide and laughed, the stretch tearing his mouth corners, yet he seemed unfazed, continuing his maniacal cackle:

"Hahaha, hahahaha hahahaha…"

"Hee, hee hee, heh heh, heh heh heh…"

As he laughed, his two eyeballs popped out of their sockets, followed by his jaw, then the flesh of his body.

"Hahaha, hahahaha…"

The more body parts fell away, the more his laughter grew crazier:

"You… you bunch… hahaha, hahaha…"

Even at the end, he managed to utter a full sentence:

"You bunch of treasonous traitors, treasonous traitors… hahaha, hahahaha…"

"I want you to die, die here, die in this holy city; I want you to become me, become…"

"Puff—"

The last piece of flesh and blood peeled from Wu Geng's skeleton, and his whole body collapsed with a thunderous crash.

The next moment, a silhouette emerged above his corpse.

Its form was swollen, covered in pustules, and it wore an extremely ornate priestly robe.

"That is Great Witch Sheng."

At this time, Wang Wu, whose connection with the spherical fortress had been restored, heard the voice of Zi Yuan in his mind.

"I recall Si Tu Jin once said that the name of this witch vessel is 'Sheng'?"

Grand Shamans are the highest‑rank clergy in the theocratic system of the Yin‑Shang Dynasty; they not only wield enormous power, but also represent the peak combat strength of the dynasty's individuals.

The Shang King may not be the strongest in the realm, but the Grand Shamans are unquestionably the top masters.

The True Dao arose in the Zhou lands at the end of the Yin‑Shang period, a little over two thousand years ago. By contrast, the demonic cultivation power system of the Grand Shamans had been developing for ten thousand years by the end of the Shang.

The True Dao indeed shows a ceiling beyond that of the Demonic Dao, but that requires time; a mere two thousand years is insufficient for the True Dao to achieve comprehensive domination over the Demonic system.

Even the strongest practitioner of the True Dao today would still not surpass a Grand Shaman from the Yin‑Shang era in sheer strength.

Each Grand Shaman's attire is unique, and Sheng is no exception; this is why Zi Yuan can recognize him at a glance.

"Wu Lang, come back quickly! You definitely can't match it!!"

Zi Yuan, watching the grotesque figure on the camera, called anxiously toward Wang Wu.

"I know," Wang Wu replied to the Zi Yuan in his mind, yet took no concrete action, remaining where he was and staring at the Yin‑Shang Grand Shaman ahead.

Or perhaps a Demon General?

As the highest‑rank priests in the theocratic system, Grand Shamans naturally possess the qualification to "Ascend to Demon."

The Shang King can ascend to become a Demon General, and so can a Grand Shaman.

"Ah…"

A strong wave of demonic qi spread, corroding everyone's bodies, yet for some reason no one moved.

Until the Grand Shaman stepped over Wu Geng's skeletal frame and approached Si Tu Jin at the front of the formation, a blinding flash erupted from Si Tu Jin, instantly engulfing everyone present.

The next moment, everyone except Wang Wu finally broke free from that strange trance.

This caused Wang Wu, who was about to rebuke them again, to immediately hold his tongue.

The instant it appeared, everyone present had already suffered the Grand Shaman's mental assault. Only Wang Wu was immune; the others were immobilized, their thoughts even frozen.

It wasn't until a certain artifact on Si Tu Jin activated that everyone's consciousness recovered.

"Brother Wang."

At that moment, Si Tu Jin's voice rang out, startling Wang Wu, who had been frantically sending messages to his master.

"What?" Wang Wu asked, looking at him.

"Does this count as saving your life?" Si Tu Jin turned and smiled at Wang Wu.

"Nerve." Wang Wu rolled his eyes, released Yao Qing's hand, and stepped forward.

"You didn't save me, and I don't need you to. Don't think you can use this to owe me any favor."

Speaking that, he took another step, positioning himself fully in front of Si Tu Jin.

"It's merely a civilization that can't even escape its own galaxy; what talk of a world destroyed, hope nonexistent? It's just a failure among failures."

Suddenly, Wang Wu's voice took on a strange tone.

Besides that, there were some incomprehensible words that made Si Tu Jin pause.

Immediately after, an extremely terrifying aura spread from Wang Wu.

"How laughable."

As the words fell, Wang Wu's feet left the ground, and he rose into the air.

Though his voice remained the same, his tone, intonation, and word choice were now completely different from before.

It was as if he had become another person.

At the moment the Grand Shaman appeared, Qin Xiang had just finished his ride‑hailing order.

Then, he instantly activated the master‑support skill reserved for Direct Transmission Disciples: One Heart Unity.

"I am Qin Xiang, Sect Leader of the Supreme Heaven Vajra Sect."

(End of chapter.)