BOOM — !!!
With a thunderous explosion and a violent impact, Lin Hong took the brunt of the blast.
He was sent flying, his back slamming heavily into a toppled shelf with the piercing sound of splintering wood.
However, he was completely unharmed.
In that split second, the spiritual energy at the ancestral aperture between his brows instinctively poured out, transforming into an invisible barrier that firmly protected his body.
A foul-smelling blood mist filled the air.
It was highly corrosive and even capable of polluting the soul, but it could not touch him, as it was entirely blocked by the barrier.
Lin Hong slapped the wall with his palm to offset the momentum and stood up nimbly.
Frowning slightly, he immediately expanded his spiritual perception to conduct a careful screening.
The blood mist actually contained fragments of soul imprints, emanating thick negative emotions such as resentment, fear, and madness.
Lin Hong focused his senses, trying to identify which lineage the evil god worshipped by this priest belonged to.
He would never mistake that aura. Its essence had not changed; it definitely shared the same source as the world’s enemies he had fought since childhood in his home universe.
However, there was a slight difference.
This aura carried a layer of strange fluctuations, giving it a sense of blurring.
Buzz —
At that moment, the surrounding space trembled violently for an instant.
Then, the entire shop began to twist and distort!
The walls on both sides, the shelves, and everything else became like reflections on a water surface disturbed by a stone, rippling in circles.
Then, all outlines blurred, completely losing their original forms.
Within one or two breaths, the originally narrow shop space vanished, replaced by a chaotic realm filled with dark red tones.
The boundaries were invisible.
Pressure permeated every inch of the air, acting directly on the spirit and will of any intruder to suppress them.
“I see, no wonder it exploded so cleanly,” Lin Hong muttered to himself, understanding the situation instantly.
The person in the dark red robe had not detonated his physical body at all.
It was merely a shell used to carry his soul.
All his methods and power were contained within the soul itself.
This barrier was unusual.
Originally, it was just a magic circle used for concealment, but now it had come to life, merging with the soul of the dark-robed priest.
One could say that this place had become his home field, where his will was extended and manifested.
Another two or three breaths passed.
The dark red space stopped flowing disordered and began to collapse and take shape.
Soon, a complete scene grew out of the void.
It was a courtyard with an elegant design, yet it exuded a sense of eeriness.
Everything was shrouded in dark red tones, and the ceiling looked like thick plasma, bringing with it a sense of oppression.
“The evil god of the ‘Court of Feasting.'”
“Agnes… what was it again? Names are so hard to remember.”
Lin Hong spoke to himself, recalling the title Lovilla had mentioned earlier.
This was the name of the evil god the priest served.
“I can’t recognize it. I can’t recognize it at all. Which branch of the evil race does this belong to?”
Lin Hong sensed carefully but was ultimately disappointed, shaking his head.
He had remained motionless just now, even deliberately restraining his spiritual energy to allow the space to manifest fully.
He wanted to identify the origin of this evil god and see if he could recognize which branch of the evil race it came from.
“It seems that your kind in this world has evolved — or perhaps mutated. You’ve been stained with the colors of this world and no longer resemble your original form. You could almost start a new lineage.”
Lin Hong grumbled.
“Cough…”
Just then, a sudden cough sounded from not far away, echoing in the silent courtyard.
It was actually the voice of a young woman, her tone crisp and ethereal, quite pleasant to the ear.
Lin Hong turned his gaze.
It was the black-robed shop owner.
The dark red magic chains that had previously bound her had dissipated on their own.
At the moment, she was leaning against a dark red plant, barely managing to sit up.
Her oversized black robe was a bit messy, but it still concealed her face and figure.
Lin Hong walked toward her.
He did not spread his perception, but his spiritual energy was on high alert, his expression somewhat strange.
In the memories of the young Evan, this shop owner had always appeared as an old man with a hoarse voice and a hunched figure.
Even the hand reached out to take money was covered in wrinkles and age spots.
“Guest… you really shouldn’t have come in,” the ethereal voice of the girl rang out again, sounding weak.
So, what was the situation now?
Was a girl pretending to be an old man?
Or was an old man making the voice of a girl?
The latter possibility sent a chill down Lin Hong’s spine, causing him to feel an instinctive wave of disgust.
His voice was stiff as he replied, “It was my own choice. I have a grudge against that thing, and I’m just here for revenge.”
A soft chuckle came from beneath the black robe.
“Regardless, I must thank you, guest, for sparing me from a bout of torture.”
Lin Hong gave a couple of dry laughs.
He had already reached the shop owner’s side and was about to lean over to pick her up when he suddenly froze.
He abruptly twisted his body, and a spatial ring flashed.
Scree!
A giant spear, entirely dark red, lunged silently!
The tip of the spear tore through the air, shrieking like a wailing ghost!
Clang —
Lin Hong took out an unremarkable small knife.
Controlling it with spiritual energy, he made it hover before him and spin at high speeds.
It then collided violently with the tip of the spear!
A deafening sound of clashing metal exploded!
A visible shockwave erupted in a ring, shattering the stone slabs beneath his feet and shredding the nearby plants.
The entire courtyard shook with the impact!
Lin Hong pointed two fingers like a sword with his left hand, controlling the small knife to contest the spear’s strength.
With his other hand, he grabbed the shop owner, quietly leaving a spiritual mark on her.
Then, he tossed her toward a soft patch of dark red grass.
“Ah — !” A startled cry followed her as she flew through the air.
“No need to thank me. Just overcharge me a bit less the next time I come by.”
In Evan’s memories, this owner was a complete profiteer.
The young Evan had been swindled many times and held a deep grudge.
Now, Lin Hong considered this a small bit of payback on his behalf.
Crack!
In that split second, the power on the dark red spear surged.
Supported by the surrounding space, the energy accumulated between the two weapons finally reached a critical point and exploded!
With a loud boom, a shockwave several times stronger than the previous one spread out, tearing apart a small section of the courtyard and leveling it to the ground.
“Whoo —”
Lin Hong was blown back.
He twisted in mid-air to shed the momentum, landing steadily while summoning the small knife back to his hand.
On the other side, the dark red giant spear was also sent flying.
It spun twice before thudding deeply into a stone slab, the shaft still vibrating incessantly.
A hideous, dark red hand reached out from the shadows and gripped the spear shaft.
Then, a massive and monstrous figure appeared!
It was about 5 to 6 zhang tall, retaining only a basic human silhouette.
Its entire body was covered in dark red scales and horny protrusions.
Its features were unrecognizable, and its torso was as thick as a mountain of flesh.
This was the evolved form of the dark-robed priest after sacrificing his soul.
Just by standing there, the entire courtyard resonated with him, radiating a suffocating pressure.
“You… are that little brat young master? If so, you’ve hidden yourself very deeply. You fooled everyone.”
A voice sounded, heavy and hoarse, like insects rubbing their shells together.
The voice did not come from the figure’s mouth but from all directions, vibrating through the entire courtyard with a terrifying power capable of twisting one’s mind.
“However, you shouldn’t have been so arrogant as to come find me alone. And you definitely shouldn’t have crushed my soul fragment here!”
The voice let out a long howl.
Lin Hong felt the entire courtyard resonate!
It exerted pressure on him, making the very air feel viscous!
In response, he spoke directly through his spirit.
Because the language of this world lacked a certain punch in the profanity department, it wasn’t enough for him to deliver a truly aggressive verbal assault.
“Holy shit, what kind of freak is talking? Which hemorrhoid gained sentience and decided to crawl out and cause trouble?”
“Is this the form you got by sacrificing your humanity and merging with that god of yours?”
“I have to say, it’s perfect. You look just like the blood that splattered when your mother was conceiving you — assuming you even have a mother.”
“Do you want me to buy you a sanitary pad? If you stuff yourself inside, it’ll be like a homecoming for your soul.”
The entire courtyard fell silent.
The black-robed shop owner on the lawn was stunned, feeling her worldview being challenged.
In all her years, she had heard plenty of foul language, but this kind of opening that targeted one’s very bloodline was truly rare.
She considered herself mentally strong, but she felt that if she were the one being scolded like that, it would be difficult for her to remain calm.
As it turned out, language could actually have such formidable offensive power.