Having Seen the High Priest, Why Do You Not Bow?

"Success!" The instant he slashed out with all his might, Bai Zhou knew he had not failed without even looking at the wall before him. Panting heavily, the exhausted Bai Zhou broke into a sweat across his forehead. This strike layered upon itself; as the three slashes linked together, they birthed three times nine—twenty-seven bursts of follow-through momentum. Like waves crashing one after another, each stronger than the last, their layered synergy was endlessly profound. No wonder it could shatter any defense, and no wonder it unleashed a 4.5-fold amplification over the wielder's normal full power! Bai Zhou had never seen nor heard of such a secret technique. Other secret techniques merely provided a channel to vent internal spirituality—like everyone carrying water guns, just with some nozzles larger and others smaller. Extravagant techniques might use showerheads, or dump buckets of water directly... differing only in output power. But a technique that multiplied power outright? That was simply cheating! It was like taking a bottle of water and burning it directly as gasoline; the resulting explosive force was naturally unstoppable. It was like a lunatic bursting into a water-splashing festival armed with a Molotov cocktail... At this moment, Bai Zhou was truly reborn compared to when he first arrived. A combat-oriented peak Level 3 Destined [Adventurer]. A 4.5-fold full-power burst! Now, not to mention someone like [Van Gogh]—even if [Anguissola] were brought before him again, only an outright clash would tell who was stronger! Yet within an assassination syndicate as vast and secretive as the [Fine Arts Society], Anguissola was already a pillar of the middle ranks, having half-stepped into the upper echelons. Even across all of Tinghai, she was a figure of prominence. ...Yet when calculating the time, how long had it been since Bai Zhou walked out of Wancheng? By the most generous estimate, not even a month had passed. The youth had barely stepped into the world, yet his treasured blade was already prepared. From now on, even without an explosion ritual, he was no longer that weak fugitive anyone could casually push around... Thinking this, Bai Zhou slowly narrowed his eyes, deep in thought. Between predator and prey, there was often only a paper-thin line! *Buzz!* A beam of golden radiance descended from the heavens, enveloping Bai Zhou before vanishing just as swiftly. Yet the fatigue across Bai Zhou's body vanished instantly, and even the spirituality within him was rapidly replenishing. The effect of this golden light seemed somewhat similar to his crude application of *Tears of the Moon Goddess*, though he had no idea what principle governed it. "Commencing settlement... Time taken: 9 hours, 10 minutes." The cold mechanical voice echoed once more from nowhere. "Congratulations, pilgrim. You have passed the elite assessment!" The voice paused slightly here, carrying an almost imperceptible tremor of unrest: "In addition, you have broken the temple's assessment record for the first three stances of the *Nine Basic Slashes*." "You have proven your talent." *Talent?* With his saber in hand, standing in the center surrounded by clustered skeletons, Bai Zhou blinked twice. In truth, not necessarily. He turned to look around him. The writhing last words across the ground seemed to leap with joy, their crimson glow shining like lost, forgotten starlight. Bai Zhou felt that he was merely a humble thief who had stolen this starlight, standing on the shoulders of giants to harvest the fruit. If he had contributed anything at all, it was merely that he had taken this shattered starlight lost to the currents of history— And stitched it together to patch a new moon. Nothing more. "The credit belongs to them," Bai Zhou said softly, as if offering thanks to people he could not see. Just then, the cold mechanical voice rang out once more: "Now, please proceed along the passage before you to collect your reward at the end." "—Remember! Do not turn back! Do not lose your way!" The instant the words fell, the shattered wall vanished. *Rumble...* The floor seemed to elevate. A long, winding corridor appeared before Bai Zhou like a coiled dragon. It climbed slowly upward, its deep, dark expanse leading toward an unknown end. *A reward?* Bai Zhou kept his expression calm, but his heart could not help fluttering with excitement. Though he had already gained a thoroughly satisfying harvest here, had he not endured all this hardship precisely for this moment? Didn't all adventure stories have such plotlines? The adventurer who passed the trial would receive a sacred sword or meet a slumbering female sage—either pulling the holy blade to become the hero, or winning the beauty's heart to soar off together. ...Or perhaps the slumbering sage was sealed inside the sword, allowing him to have both the blade and the sage. "Phew..." Bai Zhou knew he was finally leaving this place that had trapped him for so long to set out once again. "Thank you, everyone." Before departing, Bai Zhou bowed one last time in gratitude to all the last words and withered bones around him. "..." Naturally, no one answered. The crimson last words squirmed gently, like spider lilies swaying as they bore their seeds. Some skeletons gazed up at the ceiling with hollow eye sockets, contemplating life, while others sat cross-legged, leaned against walls, reclined, or lay on their sides. Everyone was busy with their own matters; who had the leisure to bother with a passerby like Bai Zhou? Then, Bai Zhou embarked on his way. And then, the last words ceased their swaying. It was as if all the bones and last words held their breath, silently watching Bai Zhou's receding figure, watching him step onto the deep, dark corridor. No one knew where this corridor ended; perhaps every step led toward a miracle or an abyss. Perhaps the end would be a vast and mysterious world, where an angelic maiden rode atop a silver dragon, and golden giants whose voices boomed like thunder rode warhorses through the breathing mountains. Yet regardless of what awaited him, Bai Zhou strode resolutely into the depths of darkness. Whether bright or dark, every vista would become a witness to his "adventure." And no matter what story unfolded, so long as he was present, it would be difficult to stay detached; he was destined to become part of the epic. —This was the destiny of an [Adventurer]. —Just as Bai Zhou would forever walk the path to the unknown, even without knowing where life's road ahead lay. Those who could lie in the secret chamber studying the *Nine Basic Slashes* were undoubtedly all [Adventurers]. And so, carrying their hopes for "adventure" and the "future," Bai Zhou would not stop. *Tap, tap...* As the footsteps receded into the distance, Bai Zhou's figure vanished into the dark depths of the corridor. The last words seemed to still be watching something, until a new wall slowly condensed out of thin air, patching the collapsed void. A new secret chamber took shape, completely cutting off their view. Everything returned to its former tranquil state. Waiting for a newcomer to arrive. Or perhaps, never again. ... *Whoosh! Whoosh!* As Bai Zhou ventured deeper into the winding corridor, a sapphire embedded in the wall ignited. Immediately following it was a second, a third... The sapphires along both sides of the corridor lit up in succession, meandering into the depths as though an entire tribe of fireflies had been awakened by Bai Zhou, holding a silent, grand sacrificial ceremony for him. The cold azure light illuminated the murals on the walls. "This is..." Bai Zhou focused his gaze. Rich ochre red, fertile earthen yellow, vivid ultramarine, bronze emerald green, and more... The striking colors seemed to have been painted with ancient minerals, achieving the utmost brilliance and splendor, though the linework was slightly coarse. With chaotic brushstrokes on the black stone walls, they vaguely recorded many tales that seemed like epics, yet resembled myths even more. ...At the beginning of the murals—the start of the story—twisted and blurred figures first descended upon the world. With neither a solar chariot pulling them nor any bizarre omens, the gods simply stood upon the earth. One possessed a colossal stature like magnificent mountains; one wore a robe, their entire form like surging wind; one was bountiful in figure, the ends of their hair bearing heavy ears of grain; one was clad in armor from head to toe, their eyes like blazing flames. The one shaped like mountains guided people toward goodness, bestowing all living spirits with life and virtue. The one like a gale taught magic, truth, wisdom, and covenants. The one with grain at their hair's ends granted bountiful wheat fields and encouraged reproduction. The one armored from head to toe taught the crafting of weapons and farming tools, protecting kinsfolk and homeland. ...Thus, gradually, the murals' colors grew intricate and ardent, and their contents became increasingly dense and glorious. City walls were erected, calendars were carved onto animal bones, and sacrificial hymns were sung beside bonfires. Having completed their guidance and creation, the figures of the gods gradually ceased to occupy the center of the paintings. They retreated into the clouds and mountaintops, becoming the backdrop watching over the world, handing this thriving realm back to humanity itself. Consequently, in the subsequent murals, the figures of "humans" grew larger and clearer. The murals began to depict human emotions and development more frequently, growing increasingly distinct. Ultimately, a prosperous, bustling, thriving world was created by humanity itself... "Gods, civilization..." Judging by the "Laia" Bai Zhou had met, those gods might once have had real archetypes, or perhaps they were merely human imagination and fabrication. Yet one thing was certain. The history of an unknown ancient civilization's birth and rise lay right here. Through these murals engraved in the temple corridor, Bai Zhou learned a fragment of this civilization's past for the first time. As he grew engrossed in the sight, Bai Zhou vaguely heard singing by his ear. The singing was ethereal and distant, sacred and solemn, as if drifting from the choir of a Church of Light, swirling around his ears. Though he could not comprehend the words, listening closely revealed that the song carried a faint sorrow, swaying one's emotions and inducing an inexplicable sadness. "Where is that singing coming from?" Bai Zhou's heart tightened as he glanced around. "Am I hallucinating again?" —*Is there something wrong with the murals?* Upon the Sea of Ignorance, the glyph for [Soothe] activated immediately. At the same time, Bai Zhou hastily pulled his gaze away from the murals, not daring to look any longer. Yet the singing did not change in the slightest. It wasn't the murals! After listening intently, Bai Zhou finally realized... The solemn, sacred, distant hymn, carrying a kind of call and sorrow, seemed to originate from... —The depths of the temple, at the end of the corridor! It was as if someone, or some entity... was waiting for him there?! Was it the master of the mechanical voice he had heard before? "..." After hesitating for a moment, having no alternative, Bai Zhou could only choose to press forward. The start of the corridor was that secret chamber. He did not even know where he was; there was simply no way back. Fortunately, though the singing had come abruptly and strangely, it was at least situated in the center of this sealed temple and sung with such purity and solemnity. It shouldn't have been uttered by some vicious monster. Moreover, while singing could easily sway one's emotions—and beautiful singing was especially captivating—it actually harbored remarkably little harm. At the very least, Bai Zhou felt no discomfort whatsoever after hearing it. It was merely a pity for such an ethereal, airy voice. If placed in Tinghai City, it would undoubtedly belong to an undisputed top diva... Though he pondered this internally, Bai Zhou still instinctively tightened his grip on the saber behind his waist with one hand, while the other clenched the short rod gifted by Laia at his side. Not only that, but he also dallied along the corridor for quite a while, mulling over many possibilities. Yet every path had an end. As the light before him shifted abruptly, Bai Zhou stepped out of the long, winding, dim corridor. "This is..." Vigilant, Bai Zhou kept half his body concealed within the corridor, cautiously inspecting his surroundings: "The place to collect the reward?" What met his eyes was a circular plaza. With the passage of time, everything here had fallen into ruin, yet faint traces of its former glory remained. The circular plaza, situated at the center of the temple, was not covered by a sealed dome; instead, it opened wide to the sky above. In the dead center stood a circular sacrificial altar, its candles entirely extinguished. Behind the massive altar stood statues of the several gods Bai Zhou had seen on the murals, their features identical to the paintings. The largest statue standing in the middle was none other than that god holding a book, robed, and resembling a surging gale. Bai Zhou guessed that in this civilization's faith, this god likely symbolized "truth," "magic," and "covenants." *Hum...* The sacred singing swirling around his ears reached its highest pitch and climax at this very moment. Yet Bai Zhou saw no creature or object producing the sound. Inexplicably, he felt a viscous intuition of being watched. "What is that...?" With a mix of confusion and vigilance, following the grand hymn to trace its source, Bai Zhou finally tilted his head back slowly, looking far toward the ceiling above. Then, a sudden shiver ran through his entire body. Bai Zhou saw it... At the edge of the open skylight overhead, He saw a hand. A colossal, gaunt, skeletal hand was clutching tightly to the edge of the skylight atop the temple. Its five fingers, like twisted vines, dug deeply into the building's outer rim. Tracing backward from the withered hand, one could faintly make out an enormous, desiccated arm, resembling a dead ancient tree. Yet in the next instant— Right beside that arm, an eye suddenly poked out. Rather than an eye, it was more like a pale moon rising from a gloomy marsh. The ghastly white of the eye was covered in bloodshot veins, and its sickly pupil twirled and rolled erratically— Locking eyes with Bai Zhou. Peeping... Or rather, it was clinging to the top of the temple, peering down at Bai Zhou like this! As if saying: *"I see you!"* And that sorrowful, sacred, beautiful, ethereal hymn heard earlier— Was clearly pouring from the mouth of this gigantic monster! The open skylight overhead happened to act as a megaphone at the giant's mouth, allowing its singing to reverberate throughout the entire temple! "..." In this instant, Bai Zhou turned ice-cold, feeling as if plunged into an icy cavern, unable to move under an appalling pressure. From just a single glance, Bai Zhou's sanity was rapidly slipping away. Countless chaotic, useless pieces of information battered his brain like a torrential downpour, rendering him incapable of thought. Once, standing upon the shattered wasteland, Bai Zhou had looked up at this colossal city suspended upside down in the sky, wondering whether a sleeping beauty might rest within. Now, Bai Zhou knew. There was no sleeping beauty here—only a massive "siren." The very monster from fairy tales that lured sailors with its song, only to open its bloody maw and devour them all! —On this day, Bai Zhou recalled the terror of being dominated by sirens from the stories he had read in his childhood. *What do I do?* *What should I do?!* The muscles across his body roared as the ripples stirred by the glyph for [Soothe] washed over him. While his mind briefly regained clarity, Bai Zhou struggled with all his might to regain his freedom of movement. Then— The familiar, cold mechanical voice rang out once more, echoing across the circular plaza. The instant it sounded, Bai Zhou inexplicably regained his mobility, his entire body relaxing. Whether an illusion or not, Bai Zhou felt this mechanical voice carried a flavor of solemnity and majesty, resembling a chant, yet seemingly tinged with a hint of bewilderment directed at him: It said: "Having seen the High Priest—" "Why do you not bow?"