Chapter 306

Of course it's to kill you—what else could it be?

Glancing at the emerald forest before the Serpent Spirit, Li Ang guessed Emma had been trapped there, then carefully suppressed the malice in his soul and bowed his head humbly:

"Great Serpent Spirit, some cleaner must have infiltrated *** and is spending a pile of untraceable currency to buy up everything. I fear his intentions are sinister, so I came to the Dream Realm to report to you."

After delivering the information—partly true, partly false—as agreed with Senior Tang Mu, Li Ang tried opening his system panel and saw the Holy Spirit Badge, its silver glow faded, now radiating brilliant gold.

In cooperation with Level One Cleaner Tang Mu of the *** Branch, you completed the assassination of the Chief of the Scale Gold Sect. Relying on the Scale Gold Divine Chosen status granted by the Serpent Spirit, you were directly promoted to one of the Chief Clerics of the Scale Gold Sect's Greed Line.

Having met the advancement criteria, your Silver-level Badge "Practitioner" has successfully advanced to the Gold-level Badge "Vicar."

Vicar, Gold: The highest-ranking divine official who acts on behalf of the god, possessing profound understanding of the doctrine and the martial strength to expel heretics; holds status equal to most sects' Chief Clerics.

Effect: When in contact with an anomaly marked "Sacred," you, as Vicar, gain direct authority to use it, greatly enhancing its effects and reducing its cost.

Advancement Path: If your Corruption Value reaches 60 points and you acquire a True God-tier Power, this badge will automatically upgrade to the Chromatic Badge "Order True God."

If you did not gain the Power through enlightenment but instead defeated a True God and forcibly seized their Power, this badge will automatically upgrade to the Chromatic Badge "Chaos Demigod."

Since you did not obtain the Vicar status through orthodox means, a special advancement path is provided: if you kill a True God before reaching 60 Corruption Value and without mastering any Power, this badge will automatically upgrade to the Hidden Chromatic Badge "Godslayer."

Hidden Trait: No need to wear. As the highest-ranking divine official acting on behalf of the god, your devotion and resolve have purified your soul, naturally earning the favor of Order entities.

…

Has someone from the Cleaner Bureau infiltrated?

After hearing his Chief Cleric's report, the Serpent Spirit, massive as a statue, trembled slightly and hurriedly asked:

"That suspected cleaner—male or female? What color is their hair? Is it red?"

"..."

This Serpent Spirit's brain doesn't seem very sharp. If it were some red-haired woman, would she even bother to "infiltrate"? She'd just storm in!

"No, it's a man. His hair isn't red."

Shaking his head slightly, Li Ang answered as honestly as he could:

"That man always looks half-asleep, not very alert. He doesn't seem dangerous."

"Not dangerous? If he's not dangerous, then the Cleaner Bureau has almost no dangerous people at all!"

Hearing his Chief Cleric's absurd judgment, the Serpent Spirit glanced at the small snake and sneered:

"If I'm not mistaken, the man you call 'not dangerous' is the Bad Luck Dice King of the *** Branch of the Cleaner Bureau—he has a record of single-handedly expelling True Gods, and his methods are utterly unpredictable, impossible to defend against!"

With so few personnel, the *** Branch still holds its place among the Twelve Zodiac Branches—besides that red-haired woman—it's thanks to him and the woman locked in the Emerald Forest.

Both these Level One Cleaners are elite among elites, their skill matching that of the Directors of non-Zodiac Cleaner Bureau branches. If that 'not dangerous' man truly wants to deal with you, you'd be dead before you even knew how!"

After mocking Li Ang's stupidity, the giant serpent with black body and white spots pondered, then narrowed its eyes and asked:

"What has the Dice King been doing? Just buying things outside the *** Station?"

"He's bought a lot of things."

Li

Ang's eyes flickered, then he spoke with visible anguish:

"Great Serpent Spirit, that man somehow has endless money—he's emptied nearly half a street! Don't we need to stop him?"

"Let him be."

The Serpent Spirit winced but flicked its tail, eyes full of helplessness:

"He's probably here to snatch bargains. Last time, during the Saio Kingdom incident, he sneaked in and bought up a huge haul with money from who-knows-where. This time… hmm… let me think."

Turning to look at the emerald forest stretching dozens of miles ahead, and the blood bursts within it, the Serpent Spirit hesitated slightly, then spoke thoughtfully:

"The person sent by the Water Bearer Director of the Cleaner Bureau said the red-haired woman from the *** Branch won't come bothering me. Judging by this, he wasn't lying.

But things aren't clear—if the Dice King isn't here for bargains but for the trapped woman, that's trouble… By the way, how's the Secret Shrine?"

"The Secret Shrine is normal."

Li Ang, having switched to the "Master of Performance" Badge, lied without blinking:

"Upon hearing they might have a chance to worship your true form, the faithful have been fighting over the three slots. Before I came to report, the final choice was confirmed—all offerings are piled up in the Secret Shrine."

"I see…"

The Serpent Spirit hesitated, then sighed:

"Go back. I still don't know what the Dice King's up to. For safety, I can't leave. Return the offerings, tell them the worship is canceled."

"This…"

"What 'this'?"

With a pained sigh, the Serpent Spirit glared angrily:

"Do you think I don't want the offerings? But right now, the priority is dealing with this trapped Level One Cleaner!

Once I wear down her immortality, my strength will be nearly spent. If that damned man has ulterior motives, I may not be his match!

No more nonsense—go do it now!"

"Yes, I'm going right away!"

Glancing at the Serpent Spirit with reluctant frustration, Li Ang knew further insistence would expose him. Having failed to lure it, he bowed deeply and withdrew, deliberately loosening his tail from the statue, vanishing from the Serpent Spirit's tail.

Once his soul "disconnected," the Serpent Spirit, moments ago visibly pained, instantly grew grim.

…

It returned the offerings… He's not my Chief Cleric!

If I'm right, no matter whether the infiltrator is the Dice King or not, the Secret Shrine is already destroyed—the intruder likely set a trap, trying to lure me back and kill me outright!

For safety, even here is no longer safe.

After a dark, calculating gaze, the Serpent Spirit looked at the emerald forest ahead, flicked its tongue, then extended its black-and-white tail, twisting it twice through the air before the forest.

With a strange cry, the dozens-of-miles-long emerald forest shrank rapidly into a transparent emerald bead. Inside, a woman bound by vine manacles suddenly opened her eyes and glared furiously through the crystal.

"Stop glaring. The Dream of Emerald Green was granted by my god specifically to contain you—even the Dice King can't get you out."

After mocking the woman in the bead, the hundred-meter-tall black serpent opened its mouth and swallowed the "Dream of Emerald Green" bead whole, then found a rift between reality and the Dream Realm, slipping through it to flee before the Dice King could react.

But before it had gone far, a massive apple core, composed entirely of mist and seventy to eighty meters tall, appeared eerily ahead, shimmering faintly, real yet illusory.

Then, seventeen or eighteen enormous chicken beaks inexplicably pierced through the barrier between dream and reality, pecking down upon its head, accompanied by excited, shrill clucks—

"Cluck, cluck, cluck-cluck-cluck!"

Its beak inexplicably pierced the barrier between dream and reality, pecking down upon its head, accompanied by the excited clucking of chickens at the sudden appearance of a meal.

"Cluck-cluck, cluck-cluck, cluck-cluck-cluck!"