Chapter 255: Three-Eyed God's Gaze (5K)

"You actually aren't dead?"

When Ta Ke appeared on the 70th floor of the Xing Hai Lan Si Huan Gao Ta.

Shadow Steam Mage Bei Wei Si·Tu Wen scrutinized Ta Ke, somewhat losing his voice.

Bei Wei Si·Tu Wen, in shadow form, had a pair of shadow eyes, accompanied by shadow ripples, constantly flickering open and closed, as if trying desperately to discern whether Ta Ke was truly existent.

After all, just now even Archbishop Li Gen·Qiao speculated that the God-defier Ta Ke might be severely injured and lost, possibly even fallen.

He felt a bit gloomy in his heart, still regretting that such a good person could just disappear.

As a result!

In the blink of an eye, Ta Ke actually appeared here.

For a moment, he couldn't tell whether this 'Ta Ke' before him was alive or dead.

Or perhaps.

It might be a special spiritual shadow form coming to deliver its own 'last words'.

Ta Ke glanced around, speaking indifferently.

"Hearing your tone, it seems I ought to die, right!"

As soon as Ta Ke spoke.

This unique flat tone with a hint of cold humor mockery let Bei Wei Si·Tu Wen instantly recognize that this guy was Ta Ke; normal people wouldn't use such a tone.

The God-defier Ta Ke had not only not been lost, but had come back alive and well.

Seeing Bei Wei Si·Tu Wen's reaction being so great.

At this moment, several fourth- and fifth-rank Transcendents, the powerful Transcendents, looked at Ta Ke with doubtful gazes.

Although they didn't know this half-shadow Transcendent before them, they could roughly guess.

They were the top Steam-sequence experts inside Sheng Lan De Gao Ta, the pillar-level existences for Sheng Lan De's future.

Today, a major accident occurred at the top floor of the Xing Hai Lan Si Huan Gao Ta; they came to support because of this.

And this person before us is very likely the master of the Xing Hai Lan Si Huan Gao Ta.

Wasn't it said that this master most likely died?

After all, that was a strike from an 80th-level Supreme powerhouse.

Supreme, that represents the potential to advance to Chao Shen Da Shi.

Ta Ke hadn't yet had time to communicate more with Bei Wei Si·Tu Wen and learn more about the situation.

Ta Ke only felt the world before him sway slightly.

The surrounding light instantly dimmed, light was drawn away, sound was squeezed out.

Bei Wei Si·Tu Wen's figure not far from Ta Ke was also blocked off.

The vast space instantly became crowded.

Then, within Ta Ke's sensory world.

Seven or eight extremely powerful auras, like towering mountain ranges, stood silently around Ta Ke.

Even if Ta Ke wanted to raise his head, he could hardly move.

Ta Ke also did not struggle.

After all, Ta Ke came back this time to seek help.

"I'm not only affected, but severely affected; with so many powerhouses upstairs, I actually felt nothing."

"Is this... the power of a divine curse?"

Feeling these top-tier powerhouses of each Transcendent sequence appearing around, Ta Ke's eye twitched incessantly.

The Archbishop 'Li Gen·Qiao', wearing a wide, thick red sacred robe woven of silk, silently scrutinized Ta Ke.

After a moment, Li Gen·Qiao finally spoke slowly, his voice full of divine pardon and majesty.

"Everyone, today's events are truly unexpected; I didn't expect the Dark Sun Church's Supreme Archbishop to actually wield the power of the Dark Sun God."

"Currently, the Dark Sun Church is mobilizing the Dark Sun ecological force deep within Sheng Lan De, fighting desperately to counterattack."

"Ecological war has already fully erupted."

"This ecological war is crucial; everyone, first go preside over Sheng Lan De's Steam Ecological High Tower to counter the Dark Sun Church's ecological assault on Sheng Lan De."

"I can handle things here."

As Archbishop Li Gen·Qiao's words fell.

Those towering mountains that had suppressed and protected Ta Ke were withdrawn one by one.

Ta Ke's self, soul consciousness, gained some relief and release.

When Ta Ke finally came to.

He then discovered that only Archbishop Li Gen·Qiao and Bishop Ma Sha remained around him.

Even Bei Wei Si·Tu Wen, the future bishop, was dispatched to stand guard in a corner here.

"Follow me!"

Archbishop Li Gen·Qiao, turning and walking upstairs, spoke softly.

Ta Ke focused his mind and followed.

…………

Xing Hai Lan Gao Ta, 72nd floor.

Through the window, the outside scene was clearly imprinted on Ta Ke's vision.

Steam cloud sea, like huge waves, surged violently.

The roaring sound waves of the steam were even higher wave after wave.

Ta Ke, who should have been able to sense the ecological force of the entire world, was completely unmoved.

I'm really numb; my supernatural perception is totally numb and insensible.

In his thoughts, Ta Ke slowly withdrew his gaze.

Archbishop Masha Clarke stood quietly by the wall not far away.

Archbishop Li Gen Qiao and Ta Ke sat cross-legged on the ground.

The white‑haired, stern‑looking Archbishop Li Gen Qiao, his face etched with deep lines, surveyed Ta Ke and asked in a low voice.

"How... did you manage to survive?"

"Me?"

Ta Ke raised his eyebrows slightly, then spoke truthfully.

"Actually... I didn't feel any attack from the enemy."

"I was just at the Dwarf Long Street..."

As he spoke, Ta Ke explained what he had been doing there, forging equipment.

After listening to Ta Ke's explanation, Archbishop Li Gen Qiao pondered for a moment and then said.

"In other words, you did not endure a direct assault from the enemy."

"Instead, under the dim sun of the spirit realm, you underwent a certain degree of adaptation to supernatural equipment, and then, without realizing it, your perception of the outside world seemed to vanish outright."

"Soon after, you received a letter from Beviss Tufen."

"Yes!"

Ta Ke nodded.

"That's right!"

Archbishop Li Gen Qiao drew a deep breath and said with some certainty.

"I think the curse you bear has two aspects."

"First, you have been afflicted with the curse of the Dim Sun God's Radiance, a very ancient forbidden curse."

"Without a doubt, the Supreme Archbishop of the Dim Sun used divine power to personally place this curse on you."

"When I sensed that the Supreme Archbishop of the Dim Sun had invaded this 76‑story tower,"

"he had already been here for a while."

"He had plenty of time, through your soul veil, to lay the curse upon you."

"The Dim Sun God's Radiance will pour the god's divine power straight into the depths of your soul, twisting your faith and making you a devoted follower of the Dim Sun God!"

"Hmm... but that Supreme Archbishop of the Dim Sun clearly knows you well; he knows that twisting your faith won't work on you."

"This method of planting faith deep in your soul might even backfire on him."

"I think he transformed the Dim Sun God's Radiance into a distortion barrier."

"Since he can't twist your faith, he twists your perception of the world instead."

"And that... is why you feel unable to exchange perception with the outside world."

"When the external resonance, response, and feedback are all distorted,"

"you cannot touch the world at the supernatural level, and thus appear like an ordinary person."

Archbishop Li Gen Qiao's explanation fit Ta Ke's current state perfectly.

"Is it some kind of barrier distorting my perception of the outside world?"

Ta Ke raised his palm and examined it carefully; within about five or six meters around him, he could still perceive clear worldly trajectories and contexts.

Once he left that area, the outside world gave him no feedback at all.

"So... is that how it is?"

Gradually grasping his situation, Ta Ke instead grew gradually reassured.

After sizing Ta Ke up, Archbishop Li Gen Qiao continued.

"Second, there is the second layer of the curse you face."

"You may not feel it, but we can perceive it clearly."

"Your body carries a very strong power of a forbidden seal, and it is of death‑grade forbidden seal power."

"Death‑grade forbidden seal?"

The hand beneath the blood‑shadow witch's robe rubbed slightly; Ta Ke turned his head to look at Archbishop Masha Clarke not far away.

The response was that Archbishop Masha Clarke silently nodded.

"I'm not entirely clear what kind of forbidden seal power this is, nor what its forbidden traits and rules are."

"But it is obvious that the Dim Sun Church is now using some powerful forbidden seal to set a killing trap for you."

"This time, the Dim Sun Church's preparations are thorough; they are clearly intent on surely killing you."

"First step: a Supreme Archbishop‑level expert personally carries out the sniper killing."

"I suspect that before acting they also performed many large‑scale divination rituals, prophecies and the like, to confirm that you are on this tower."

"Without a doubt, their first wave of attack failed."

"Your soul veil blocked a certain amount of calamity for you, but at the same time it became the medium through which they cursed you."

Archbishop Li Gen Qiao's explanation stirred Ta Ke's heart slightly.

"Fortunately Ta Ke utilized the four‑star soul veil's trait, feigning the construction of his own soul meridians and life meridians."

"Otherwise, this wave of blows would have struck not the soul veil but his true body."

"But... if it were Ta Ke's true body here."

"Ta Ke estimated that he could at least struggle a bit, but how long he could hold out is uncertain."

"After all, this is a counterattack that the Dim Sun Church has long plotted."

"The soul veil having blocked this great disaster has already earned considerable merit."

Then, this is the curse from the Dark Sun Deity that you are currently bearing.

Grand Archbishop Regen Jo continued his exposition.

Your perception of the outside world has been twisted and shielded.

Fortunately, your talent is high enough, your ecology strong enough, and you have opened a certain area, which prevents you from losing even the most basic sense of direction, ability usage, and self‑awareness.

Also… you possess the World trait, right!

Taku nodded in acknowledgment without denying.

Yes! I have drawn a portion of Saint Land's World Origin Trait.

But this was all done by Saint Land itself; it actively poured the World Origin Trait into me, and I cannot reject it, only reluctantly absorbing it.

Taku's words caused Grand Archbishop Regen Jo and Bishop Masha Clark, who was not far away, to pause slightly.

Can the World Origin Trait be backflowed?

Grand Archbishop Regen Jo's eyes narrowed slightly, and an unusual light flickered deep within his pupils.

Even though he has traveled many transcendent worlds and is well‑versed, he has never heard that the World Origin Trait can be back‑applied.

Indeed, one learns as long as one lives.

But after considering Taku's many baffling past actions, his mind gradually cleared, and he said softly.

"Saint Land has many World Origin Traits; since you can absorb them, you may take in a bit more, which will be greatly beneficial to you."

"This time, your ability to pry open the twisted barrier of the Dark Sun God's curse is closely tied to your World trait."

"Without these World traits, opening even a small world might cause you to truly lose yourself."

"Then…"

Grand Archbishop Regen Jo continued.

"This is the third‑level method: after shielding your perception, they used a death‑grade powerful seal to anchor you, pulling you into the Forbidden Rule curse."

"If your perception is completely suppressed, you won't even be able to find the way back."

"Your ultimate fate will be to sink into death within this death‑grade Forbidden Rule curse."

"You should know that even I cannot contend with the death power of the Forbidden Rules."

"The deity's curse is indeed tricky, but the most troublesome right now is not the deity's curse, but the forbidden curse of this death‑grade seal."

"Understanding the rule traits of this death‑grade forbidden curse before you is the most crucial matter now."

"Otherwise, when they unleash the curse power, you will have no way to respond, leaving you extremely passive."

"It could even directly cause your death."

"You possess the Forbidden Steam Revolver, so you should be aware of how potent the Forbidden Rule traits are."

As Grand Archbishop Regen Jo elaborated, he finally understood what was happening to himself.

A Crown‑ranked elite above level 80 personally carried out the targeted kill.

A terrifying curse from the Dark Sun God.

The death‑grade Forbidden Seal's death‑anchoring of Taku.

"The Dark Sun Evil God Church… they… really hold me in high regard!"

"If they didn't act, that would be it; once they act, it's at this high intensity."

Taku took a deep breath, massaged his brow, and tried to soothe his nerves as much as possible.

When Taku first took part in the war against the Dark Sun Evil God Church at this level.

Taku already had the mental preparation for this.

He desecrated the Dark Sun faith, assassinated bishops, and even invaded the sacred Saint Land faith ecosystem of the Dark Sun God, dealing a massive blow to the Dark Sun Church.

And this time, the Dark Sun Church struck with lethal intent, giving Taku no respite.

"What should we do now?"

Taku looked at Grand Archbishop Regen Jo.

"Wait!"

Grand Archbishop Regen Jo slowly spoke.

"Wait for what?"

Taku was taken aback.

"It can't be… waiting for death, can it?"

"I think… we can still rescue it!"

Grand Archbishop Regen Jo smiled.

"If your perception and external feedback aren't twisted, you should sense that when we entered, Bishop Masha Clark was continuously offering a great divine prayer, beseeching the deity's will and the arrival of miracles."

"You! As the Divine Attendant of the Three‑Eyed God Church."

"The God will gaze upon you!"

The two were close enough that Taku could feel the vast divine awe in Grand Archbishop Regen Jo's words.

Grand Archbishop Regen Jo's words eased Taku's mind.

After all, he is still the Three‑Eyed God Church's "Divine Attendant".

The Three‑Eyed God Church would naturally not stand by idly.

Although Taku does not worship the Three‑Eyed God, he firmly believes in the great power of the Three‑Eyed God.

In the transcendent worlds, over long ages, through endless battles, duels, cultivation, attaining the Master Crown rank, forging immortal legends, finally igniting divine fire, and becoming an eternal deity.

Such a strongman inevitably comes through a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, step by step.

Can such a great existence not be powerful?

The Dark Sun Church has the Dark Sun God.

The Three-Eyed God Church also has a mighty Three-Eyed God!

Just as Ta Ke was pondering.

There was no sign at all.

"Boom…"

A gaze that spanned time and space, infused with towering power, thundered down upon Shenglande like a flood.

When this unrivaled, vast gaze pierced Shenglande's clouds and poured into the Star Sea Blue Four‑Ring Tower,

a colossal, visible ripple spread outward in all directions.

The clouds above Shenglande were shattered with a thunderous blast.

All the steam source energy in the Shenglande Tower region instantly transformed into a vast nebula, swirling around the tower where the deity descended.

Even the ecological war that had just begun temporarily ceased.

The great deity's mere descending gaze, its stare, already altered Shenglande's ecological environment.

At the same time!

Accompanying the Star Sea Blue Four‑Ring Tower, the deity's powerfully focused stare.

Ta Ke clearly felt the twisted barrier of Anri rapidly melting, dissolving, and fading.

From soul, flesh, and transcendent state, a innate ability to perceive the world's threads and trajectories blossomed.

A marvelous sensation of perfect interaction with the surrounding world.

Listening to the rippling roar of Shenglande's steam tides.

From the depths of the world came the war horn of ecological distance surging.

The world's feedback to Ta Ke returned in an instant, fully.

The entire world cheered and rejoiced within Ta Ke's perception.

Meanwhile!

A sense of mortal peril that would keep Ta Ke at the edge of the abyss suddenly arose.

Ta Ke scanned his mind, following the dimension suffused with the intense sense of death.

Forbidden Seal Artifact!

This power is a bizarre force governed by incomprehensible new systemic rules.

They possess their own trait dimension.

And following the dimension of forbidden traits.

"Tick… tick… tick…"

The ticking, like the beat of time, resonated clearly within Ta Ke's perception.

"Is this the effect of that death‑grade Forbidden Seal Artifact?"

Ta Ke vaguely sensed the definite effect of this powerful death‑grade seal.

Deep within the Forbidden Power Veil.

Ta Ke felt a spying gaze in the shadows.

Raising his palm, Ta Ke reached forward.

He was just a hair's breadth away from touching the Forbidden Power Veil; his palm halted.

Then, Ta Ke displayed a blood‑stained, cruel smile with a hint of ferocity.

"I already feel you."

"You intend to use the rule of this death‑grade seal to drag me to death?"

"Very creative idea."

"So… in a moment, you will experience what true cruelty is!"

Immediately, Ta Ke slowly withdrew his gaze from the Forbidden Dimension.

At the same time, a vast curtain of stars descended around Ta Ke.

Deep within the stellar curtain, countless stars converged to form an upright—Divine Eye.

When the great Three‑Eyed God gazes, the Divine Eye phenomenon descends!

This is the transcendent world, the great—God!

Even Ta Ke bows in reverence, both to the great deity and to the supreme strong one!

"Behold truth, pierce illusion!"

"Supreme Three‑Eyed Sovereign!"

"Your Divine Eye is like a lighthouse!"

"Guiding your most devout follower to the other shore of the divine realm!"

"Your humble follower has seen the great Three‑Eyed God!"

Ta Ke swiftly retrieved the prayer for the great Three‑Eyed God from his memory and whispered it.

As a Divine Favored One of the Three‑Eyed God, forgetting the deity's prayer would be unforgivable.

Should the deity rebuke him,

If the curse upon him is not lifted, Ta Ke would be in big trouble!

"Great Three‑Eyed Sovereign, your most devout follower, the Divine Favored One under the god's grace, bears the curse from the God of Anri."

"We pray for your gaze to cleanse Anri's pollution."

"The power of the death‑grade Forbidden Seal stirs in the shadows."

"We pray for your guidance to lead the Divine Favored One across the river of death's calamity to the other shore."

As Archbishop Ligen Qiao expounded.

The god is staring!

Ta Ke waited for a long time, but nothing happened.

The god still stared.

Just as Ta Ke was puzzled.

Ta Ke felt the so‑called scorching heat of the staring gaze on his body.

Intense white light burst around him, and the light grew hotter.

Even Ta Ke, who possesses a flame heart, felt himself about to melt.

"One glance, and you'll melt!"

"It's true!"

Feeling the divine gaze, Ta Ke's spirit trembled!