The study of the manor was a place filled with cultural atmosphere. Numerous mahogany bookshelves were tightly packed with books, resembling small mountains. Together with the vintage chandeliers, surrounding cedarwood furniture, and oil paintings, it formed a space brimming with charm.
But now, the books were scattered all over the floor. The chandelier had crashed onto the marble tiles, shattering into sparkling fragments. The oil paintings and mahogany furniture were utterly destroyed.
This once peaceful study had suddenly transformed into a battlefield.
“What happened? Did the enemy have an entire company?”
The leader of the Special Investigation Unit exclaimed as soon as he arrived.
“What exactly occurred? Schmidt?”
He turned to a trembling member beside him, who nearly fired his weapon accidentally.
“M-Monster… in the tunnel!”
The man seemed completely terrified, muttering incoherently.
“Assault team, get ready!”
The leader glanced at the bloodstains on the floor and the dark hole in the center of the study wall, then suddenly waved his hand.
Click! Click!
Several special agents, wearing riot gear, carrying steel shields in one hand and shotguns for cover, rushed in immediately.
“No matter how many they are, can they possibly match the army?”
The leader sneered, “Charge in! Open fire on any resistance. Who cares what kind of beast it is—just shoot it to pieces first.”
“Charge!”
One team immediately rushed into the secret passage.
“Roar! Roar!”
Bang! Bang!
Instantly, a series of beastly roars accompanied by gunfire echoed, mixed with a few human screams, causing the leader’s face to darken.
He stared at the gradually quiet dark tunnel, feeling as if he were looking into the gaping maw of a life-devouring monster.
“Chief, we’ve extracted the information!”
Everyone in the study had their hairs standing on end when a team member burst in and shouted loudly, “This tunnel has only one exit, and the monster Makur is inside too!”
“Roar! Roar!”
Just as he finished speaking, a gust of bloody wind blew from the dark tunnel, followed by a beast’s roar. A massive black shadow lunged out at lightning speed!
Bang… Bang! Bang!
Gunshots from revolvers echoed continuously within the manor, accompanied by beastly roars and human screams.
“Tsk tsk…”
Wu Ming slowly retreated outside the manor, concealing his figure, while clicking his tongue in astonishment.
“Didn’t expect… there would still be such mutated monsters nowadays. Could it be Makur?”
Originally, he had intended to intervene. Although the opponent’s aura was strong, it was still within his current capabilities. However, outside the manor, he sensed a gathering of dangerous energy, so naturally, he couldn’t stay any longer.
“Roar! Roar!”
The manor gates flew open. The previous members of the Special Investigation Unit fled in complete disarray, many covered in blood, with expressions of utmost terror: “Watch out! There’s a beast!”
Roaring, a massive golden lion leapt from the manor. Its snow-white, razor-sharp teeth were smeared with bone and flesh remnants, appearing extremely terrifying.
“What a huge lion!”
The supporting personnel outside were momentarily startled, then quickly drew their firearms to shoot.
This monstrous lion had a golden-yellow body, blood-red eyes, a red line in the center of its forehead, and fur resembling steel needles, shimmering under the light.
Bullets striking its body were blocked by its hide. Those that pierced the skin were immediately expelled by its muscles.
“Quick! Retreat! Retreat! Call for Arrow Unit reinforcements!”
The squad leader, missing half his right arm and bleeding profusely, was still trying to command.
In the next moment, the same pressure that had made Wu Ming tense earlier reappeared.
He abruptly turned his head, staring intently at a high point nearby, his eyes shining with sharpness.
His psychic detection revealed a sniper hiding there, holding a uniquely shaped massive rifle. Its metallic components gleamed, and the hand gripping the weapon was incredibly steady, without the slightest tremor.
Bang!
With a loud noise, the golden lion roared in pain, a large bloodied hole appearing on its neck.
All the Special Investigation Unit members immediately burst into cheers.
“What tremendous power! Anti-material rifle? Or perhaps something even more advanced?”
A faint smile appeared on Wu Ming’s lips: “But this monster isn’t so easily finished off…”
Through aura sensing, he clearly felt the opponent’s life field. Although severely injured, it was still far from death.
“Chief, look! What a huge lion! If we exhibit it in a zoo, we’ll surely get rich!”
A member of the Special Investigation Unit joked, approaching the lion’s blood-soaked corpse: “Jack! What are you waiting for? Hurry up and take a photo for me!”
“Roar! Roar!”
In the next instant, the lion’s eyes suddenly flew open. Opening its enormous blood-red mouth, it swallowed half of the unfortunate man in one bite.
Crunch! Crunch!
Horrifying bone-cracking sounds followed as the lion chewed, then dashed off swiftly, breaking through the encirclement.
Bang! Bang!
The Special Investigation Unit members all drew their guns and opened fire wildly. Amidst the chaos, the hidden Arrow sniper also fired repeatedly, not even from the same direction, letting Wu Ming know that this area had become a deadly sniper zone.
Yet even so, the golden lion only paid the price of a wounded thigh and charged through the encirclement with brute force.
“Pursue! Hurry and pursue!”
The Special Investigation Unit members stood stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized and shouted loudly.
“Now it’s my turn to step in!”
Watching most of the Special Investigation Unit members chase after the lion and even the snipers in the distance begin to move, Wu Ming’s lips curved into a faint smile.
Wearing a golden mask and a black robe, he stealthily re-entered the manor.
The manor was now in complete disarray, limbs and blood splattered everywhere—on walls, floors, and corners—clearly the work of the beast’s earlier rampage.
Seizing the opportunity during this brief interval, Wu Ming stepped into the study. After scanning the passage from which the beast had emerged with his psychic senses, he descended without hesitation.
The entire tunnel was dark and dry, filled with a pungent, foul smell identical to that of the lion.
At the end of the passage lay a vast underground chamber, resembling a church. All the altars and rituals bore a formal and meticulous craftsmanship.
“So intense and fervent a will…”
Wu Ming arrived at the altar’s center, gazing at a statue much larger and older than the previously seized one, his heart brimming with joy beyond words.
“Come with me!”
With a wave of his hand, the Celestial Realm roared, opening its maw in the void and instantly swallowing the statue inside.
[Assimilating psychic energy reserves. Total psychic energy stock increased!]
A prompt from the Celestial Realm automatically appeared. Previously, just a branch of faith had brought significant gains to the Celestial Realm. Now, this authentic divine statue was even more extraordinary.
“Good. With this, the Celestial Realm’s psychic energy deficit has at least reached the minimum standard…”
Wu Ming had originally established a religion to gather psychic energy, powering the Celestial Realm, then activating the Illusory Paradise, selecting Reincarnators, building a network of forces, and helping him explore the mysteries of the entire world.
Now, the reserves accumulated in the Celestial Realm had barely met the requirements for the first selection of Reincarnators, greatly satisfying Wu Ming.
“With such an ancient underground chamber and this meticulously crafted altar, this must have taken generations to build, right, Councilman Bamon?”
Wu Ming turned around, staring at a certain corner.
“You’re correct!”
After a long pause, a middle-aged man stepped out with a bitter smile, staring at Wu Ming’s golden mask with a mixture of shock and uncertainty on his face: “How did you find me?”
“That’s not important…”
Wu Ming said, “I’m quite curious, though. What did the Three-Eyed Cult use to recruit you, turning you from a promising city councilman into their hound?”
“Recruit?”
Councilman Bamon shook his head: “My father, my grandfather—they were all members of the Three-Eyed Cult. Even this manor, our ancestral home, was originally the site of their church. I was born into the Three-Eyed Cult. What recruitment was needed?”
“So that lion outside, is it the evil god you worship?”
Wu Ming felt somewhat disheartened. Originally, he had intended to invest in a few councilmen, but now a cult had outdone him—not only infiltrating but even cultivating their own political figures.
It seemed that if not for the Three-Eyed Cult’s notoriously bad reputation, whitewashing and rising to the surface was merely a matter of time.
“Talking about Makur?”
Bamon’s face bore a mysterious smile: “He is an incarnation chosen by our Lord in the mortal world, albeit a failed vessel! Our Lord’s greatness is beyond your comprehension!”
“You forgot… just now, even His statue was taken by me. If your god truly exists, why hasn’t He come to punish me?”
Wu Ming shrugged, causing Bamon’s smile to freeze instantly, his face resembling one struck by a blade.
In truth, if not for the previous scene being too shocking, he wouldn’t have exposed himself so easily.
“Alright, I’ve asked everything. Now, you can die.”
Wu Ming stepped forward calmly, his tone as casual as if sending Bamon home for dinner.
“No! Wait!”
The powerful figure of Falcon City was terrified. His face turned pale as he staggered backward: “I have a lot of money—give it to you! And our church members—you’ll never know the network and power we possess! Also… there’s power! The Three-Eyed Holy Scripture, containing all our secrets. Want to see it? Just spare me, and all of this is yours!”
“Too many tricks!”
Wu Ming flashed forward, decisively pointing a finger at Bamon’s forehead. The latter immediately collapsed limply.
“And besides… I can just take them myself, can’t I?”
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