That Crown of Thorns! Return to the Present World!

"God, aid me—!" Visibly panicking, the crimson skeleton frantically called upon his patron. Yet this time, the surrounding air remained dead silent. Only the javelins, trailing stabilization fins and eerie blue plumes of exhaust, shrieked toward him one after another. "..." Heaven and earth were hushed. The Senate gazed down upon him with solemn detachment, while countless dragon knights looked on with cold indifference. —The god gave no further answer to the crimson skeleton's plea. "What is happening?" Unable to maintain his composure, the crimson skeleton scrambled in disarray beneath the Senate's aloof, imposing gaze, desperately countering the bombardment of javelins. "A god?" A derisive sneer drifted from the depths of the Senate's ancient palace, dripping with contempt: "—The Roman Empire does not permit unlicensed, illegal apotheosis!" As the words fell, the Senate shifted its arm. In an instant, heaven and earth convulsed. Countless unhealable fissures tore across the sky, and streaks of golden lightning materialized as cold, fierce divine eagles plunging from the heavens. *Riiip—* The golden eagles swooped through the air, savaging the crimson skeleton in vicious dives, tearing out his ribs one by one and squabbling to carry them off in their beaks. "No—Rome!!!" An agonizing shriek reverberated across the firmament, shaking the four quarters: "O god, have you abandoned us as well?" Seeing their leader tormented, the miner skeletons grew agitated and panicked, scattering in all directions under the bombardment of javelins. At this moment, watching from afar in secret, Bai Zhou felt his worldview undergo an earth-shattering upheaval. His exploration and comprehension of this world had reached an entirely new dimension. An omnipotent supercivilization capable of soaring through the heavens and plunging into the earth—immensely prosperous and unfathomably deep—lay unveiled before his eyes. Rome? Hardly—at least, not the Rome Bai Zhou knew from *Eight Thousand Questions of Naughty Black Cat*! This Rome was not that Rome! If Blue Star had possessed technology of this caliber thousands of years ago, the Tinghai he knew would never look the way it did now. If the Extraordinary had coexisted with ordinary mortals to such an extent millennia ago, it wouldn't be as Crow had described, with the Extraordinary preferring to stay behind the scenes. If the current civilizational era of Blue Star had already reached such flourishing heights among the Extraordinary, they wouldn't need to excavate the ruins of predecessor civilizations to propel modern development... —Evidently, the civilization beneath Bai Zhou's feet was precisely the kind of lost civilization excavated by later generations! Taking just that ceramite power armor as an example—it represented a level of technology that the human civilization of the present world could not yet surpass! Even the races of humanity on either side might not be the same; where in the later era would you find a human race with an average height of three meters...? Bai Zhou now felt that there had likely been more than two "Romes" throughout history: one was the Roman Empire on Blue Star from thousands of years ago, but the other had flourished in a vastly earlier primeval antiquity. This place might truly be the Jurassic! A primordial age millions of years ago, an ultra-ancient lost civilization unrecorded by history and unknown to posterity. Only this could explain all of Bai Zhou's previous questions. Yet perhaps millions of years later, they had left behind a few cultural remnants, which were inherited by the Greece and Rome of the new civilizational era when their ruins were unearthed. Just as Laia of the Trojan civilization had, by sheer accident, become a deity in later Greek mythology... Whether "Troy" or "Rome," amid the shifts of history and civilization, perhaps only hollow shell names remained to be inherited by later Extraordinaries. This reminded Bai Zhou of the Fine Arts Society; they inherited the names of predecessor Extraordinaries, believing that doing so would allow them to usurp the original Extraordinaries' fortune and fragmented legacies. If individuals did this, how much more so for the destiny of nations? What has been will be again. The so-called turnover of civilizations and the cycles of eras were nothing more than everything that had once happened replaying across the surface of Blue Star in specious forms. Certain clues buried deep in history were vaguely pieced together by Bai Zhou as he witnessed these unbelievable wonders with his own eyes. But... The Xiluo Empire? Bai Zhou remained bewildered by this. He recalled the mechanical voice from the depths of the vortex mentioning: [Xiluo Empire, Sector 47, Senate Itinerant Branch and Imperial Guards under Count Saxon]. Among "remnants" like the Trojan civilization and the Bone Tribe, they uniformly referred to it as the "Roman Empire." Why did Rome itself insist on calling itself the "Xiluo Empire"? If the term Roman Empire still left traces in the history of Blue Star, then... Xiluo Empire... was a term completely unheard of on modern Blue Star. Yet this very name might symbolize the ultimate, peak form of this ultra-ancient Roman Empire that existed nowhere in recorded antiquity! While these myriad mysteries stirred Bai Zhou's curiosity and desire to explore, they also put him on high alert. Everything unknown before him demanded utmost caution. *Rumble!* Several claps of thunder rolled across the sky. The crimson skeleton fell from above, reduced to nothing more than a shriveled skull, the golden flame burning within completely extinguished. The God-Chosen Mark on his forehead dulled into lifelessness, showing not the slightest stir. From the moment the "Senate" appeared until the crimson skeleton perished, he had never managed to re-establish any contact with his god. Powerless to turn the tide! "God-Chosen of 'Dread' has been purged." A voice echoed once more from within the Senate: "Has the threat been eliminated?" "Next, respectfully inviting the divine statue of His Majesty the Emperor—" Following the Senate's reverent proclamation, the temple at the center of the city trembled gently, and an invisible ripple rippled outward from it. At that moment, the God-Chosen Mark on Bai Zhou's wrist seemed to suddenly vanish, its shape and color fading until barely visible. Even so, as the ripples passed through Bai Zhou, they hitched for a fraction of a second. *I'm done for!* Bai Zhou's heart clenched. But right at that moment— *Buzz!* The gold ring on Bai Zhou's left hand flared searingly hot at the very same time. In a daze, Bai Zhou saw a wisp of golden light bloom before his eyes. Immediately afterward, the ripple passed effortlessly through him and rolled onward into the distance. As if nothing had happened at all. *What was that...?* Deeply puzzled, Bai Zhou soon seemed to find an answer. For the Senate was turning around even as it addressed the sky. Accompanying the Senate's reverent invocation of the Emperor, an extraordinarily mysterious statue slowly rose from the center of the palace that served as its head. From a distance, Bai Zhou caught sight of the statue's form, and in a daze, a colossal divine image surged into the depths of his mind. Its material looked like jade yet also like metal, cloaked in an aura of golden-white radiance that seemed almost solid. Merely laying eyes on this statue gave Bai Zhou the sensation that his vision was being scorched by the sun, as if he were suspended upon an execution platform bristling with blades, needle-sharp pains stabbing through every muscle in his body. Its archetype was neither distinctly male nor female, the facial features blurred as though seen through a veil of flowing fire and liquid light, or as if assigning any definition of gender or appearance would be a sacrilege against it. It sat enthroned upon a grand seat, draped in magnificent imperial robes, a scepter upright beside it, radiating an indescribable sanctity and supreme majesty. This majesty even took on a physical presence, radiating outward like a gravitational field, serving as the source of that suffocating pressure emanating from the Senate. With just a single glance, Bai Zhou shivered uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face before he even realized it, as if gazing upon a great entity beyond comprehension, feeling as insignificant as a speck of dust. In a daze, Bai Zhou felt that what he beheld was not a statue, nor a living being, nor even a god... but the embodiment of some "Law" that governed the world and symbolized absolute truth! Supreme! Inviolate! "This is...?" Yet even with his eyes feeling scorched, even as his entire body trembled from the strain, Bai Zhou continued to peek at that statue of the "King." —Because atop that statue's head sat a crown! A crown of thorns! The crown was covered in intricate, ancient patterns of exquisite beauty, clustered with twelve sharp thorns. Every two thorns curved toward each other, their tips meeting to cradle six gems of distinct colors. *Thump-thump! Thump-thump!* At this moment, Bai Zhou's heart hammered faster than a rat that had spotted sesame oil. Because, aside from those six gems on top, the crown of thorns upon the head of this extraordinarily mysterious imperial statue— was identical in shape to the "ring" on Bai Zhou's hand! *Rumble...* Tremors echoed across the sky. Having completed the temple inspection, the Senate turned back. It spoke again: "To ensure no remnants survive, we shall further execute the 'Purge Protocol.'" "Respectfully requesting His Majesty the Emperor to bestow his mighty power, cleansing the taint of the evil god's remnants!" An arm resembling stacked boulders yet gleaming with metallic luster lifted slightly. The palace-shaped head indifferently surveyed the city teeming with fleeing Bone Tribe members. "This city..." "is defiled." The moment the words fell, heavenly retribution descended. Countless rays of golden light rippled outward from the Emperor's statue deep within the palace, reverently caught by the Senate's massive hands. Then, those gigantic hands slowly broke through the clouds, flipping over to swat down a deluge of golden radiance. *Boom!!!* The golden light crashed down from the ninth heaven, instantly turning into a golden ocean that surged forward in an irresistible torrent, like a deluge from above sent to cleanse all of the mortal realm. "No!!!" "What is this?!" Wails of despair swept across the entire city. Amid agonizing screams, countless Bone Tribe members were submerged, instantly decaying and perishing. *Not good!* In the distance, seeing the deluge surging toward him, Bai Zhou's black cat figure spun around and bolted. At this very moment, atop the clock tower at the center of the city, the hands pointed to 35:59:45. Only fifteen seconds remained before reaching 36:00. Yet these fifteen seconds were a matter of life and death! The golden sea of light surged forward, briefly impeded by the buildings, before splitting into separate torrents that rushed through different streets. They inflicted no damage on the architecture, delivering lethal harm only to the fleeing Bone Tribe. Yet Bai Zhou dared not gamble on his own safety. Ring or no ring, his body still bore what these people called the "Mark of Dread"! Ten seconds. The sea of light surged into a towering wall blotting out the sky, only one street away from Bai Zhou. Eight seconds. The street behind him was swallowed. Bai Zhou sprinted with every ounce of strength he could muster. Five seconds. The sea of light was about to engulf Bai Zhou. *Jingle...* Behind the black cat, the bell on his ninth tail chimed softly, letting out a crisp ring that only Bai Zhou could hear. The final use of [Night Travel] available before the cooldown reset— Activate! *Crash!* The sea of light crashed down, engulfing where Bai Zhou had just stood. Yet Bai Zhou's figure had already vanished, reappearing at the far end of his vision, putting another street's distance between himself and the sea of light. Across the vast city, Bone Tribe members were submerged by the radiant ocean at every moment. Down one nondescript street, an unremarkable black cat was running for all he was worth. Along the flight, he watched with his own eyes as two passing Bone Tribe members were swallowed by the sea of light amid defiant roars. And then... there was no then. *I'll die! I'll die! I'll die!* *Survive! Survive! Survive—* Only this single thought remained in his mind, until even thoughts vanished, leaving only the rushing wind howling past his ears. Bai Zhou pushed himself to the absolute limit, sprinting as if he might cough up his very lungs. His body was already pushed beyond its limits. Igniting every drop of spirituality without reservation to accelerate, Bai Zhou squeezed every ounce of potential out of this physique. Three seconds. Two seconds. The sea of light caught up with Bai Zhou once more! This race against death reached its final sprint. Before it could drown Bai Zhou, the churning waves threw up droplets of light, splashing onto Bai Zhou's legs first. *Sizzle—* The sound of smoking corrosion hissed out. Bai Zhou let out a pained growl. As he leaped into midair, it felt as though he had been struck by lightning, breaking his running stride. Yet thanks to that leap, he managed to evade a direct crash of the wave! The final second! The clock tower chimed, waves of sound rippling through the air. *Dong!!!* Though not as magnificent as the thousand bells tolling in the inverted metropolis, the dull tolling nonetheless drowned out the roaring waves echoing across the city, becoming the sole protagonist of the entire city at that moment. *Hum!* Just as Bai Zhou hoped, the Gold Pass at his chest vibrated. It seemed to be asking Bai Zhou: Return to the present world? Did it even need to ask? "Return! Return, return, return!" Enduring the excruciating agony in his thighs and back as he ran at top speed, Bai Zhou responded without a second's hesitation. The next instant, the brilliant golden wave just a centimeter behind Bai Zhou froze in place. Time seemed to stand still. Bai Zhou's vision was engulfed in golden light, as though he had stepped once more onto that mysterious Golden Boulevard. When he opened his eyes again... Before him were no longer the dilapidated city and classical streets battered by war, nor was the death-dealing sea of purifying light behind him. He stood atop the rooftop, night cloaking the sky above, neon lights flickering in the distance. The neon sign reading "Tinghai Welcomes You" was reflected in Bai Zhou's eyes. A gentle breeze brushed his ears, and the comforting aroma of roasted coffee beans drifted into his nose. The familiar scent had practically become Bai Zhou's anchoring proof every time he returned to the present world. "..." Lifting his head beneath the silvery moonlight, he saw Crow studying him with a bewildered expression. After all, Bai Zhou was currently in a wretched state: the clothes on his back and thighs were gone, seemingly eaten away by some corrosive substance. And in Bai Zhou's hand, he was even clutching... a massive severed head?! Whose head was that?! "I'm... back!" He was alive! Patting his own cheeks and chest to confirm he had survived, Bai Zhou finally let out a long breath, vastly relieved. Yet right on the heels of relief came waves of savage agony surging from his thighs and back, as if something were tearing into his flesh and devouring it chunk by living chunk. These pains, unnoticed in the heat of escape, now rushed in like floodwaters bursting through a broken dam the moment tension relaxed, nearly knocking Bai Zhou unconscious. Worse still, rain began to fall from the sky. *...I'll have to find somewhere to tend to my wounds again.* Just as the thought crossed Bai Zhou's mind, a sudden shift occurred. *Buzz!* A few strands of pure white moonlight, as if drawn by some attraction, pierced through the dark storm clouds in the sky and shone down onto Bai Zhou. To be exact, onto his back! The silhouette of a pale giant wolf flickered faintly behind Bai Zhou, resonating with the totem tattoo across his back and accelerating the healing of his wounds. —Leaving Crow staring with blank confusion. Wait... Didn't you go scout Yuanmeng Middle School in the Reflected Ruin Realm? Since when does a middle school... give you tattoos? —Just what did you go and do?