Chapter 23

Three people slowly walked into the valley and saw the altar once again.

Just as Lai Si had anticipated, the avatar of the true god was indeed still on the altar. Seeing Ji Ran and the others approach, the avatar of the true god showed no sign of panic but instead revealed a vague smile on its face.

"You have come. The light of the true god has guided you, leading you along the path shown by the god's servants. Lost lamb, come and embrace the true god!"

Ji Ran was taken aback. He had originally thought that upon arriving here, the true god would be furious, angrily rebuking him for killing his servants and cursing him to the deepest hell, never to rise again—of course, the hell in this world might not have eighteen levels, but the meaning was similar. Who knew that the avatar of the true god would actually consider him one of its lambs!

Lamb, my ass! Lambs are raised to be eaten by others; I have no interest in that!

"Sorry, I don't believe in gods. If I want something, I prefer to strive for it myself. If gods were truly omnipotent, why don't they give their believers powers that others cannot match?" Ji Ran's lips curled into a mocking smile. In modern society, although he hadn't studied theology, he had heard of some paradoxes. He wondered if they would work to deceive this true god.

"Things that come easily are not cherished. Only when one pays a great price will they strive for it, isn't that so?" The avatar of the true god actually engaged in a discussion with Ji Ran.

"If gods were truly omnipotent, they could make everyone, even intelligent beings, believe in them. Why make things so complicated and bloody? For example, those people..." Ji Ran glanced at the bodies of the adventurers in the corner. "Wouldn't it be more useful to turn them into your believers rather than kill them?"

The avatar of the true god seemed to laugh, its body shaking, and the vague expression on its face constantly changing.

"No one says that gods are absolutely omnipotent. They are just more powerful than ordinary intelligent beings. In fact, believing in a god is a transaction. You give me faith and various offerings, and I give you power and spiritual support. Everyone benefits, so why not do it?"

Ji Ran was startled by these words. This true god was really being sincere with him! This transaction theory was something he had read in novels in his original world, and it was a theory he could accept. Otherwise, why would gods, who are already gods, bother with mortals? They must want something in return. But if they only take and give nothing, mortals wouldn't be so foolish as to help for nothing. Why would I believe in you if you don't give me anything?

This transaction theory perfectly explained everything. Gods need faith to enhance their power, and mortals need the divine powers and magic bestowed by gods. Both sides get what they want...

"But why did you kill those people? There are many ways to gain faith, right?" Ji Ran was still concerned about the pile of adventurer corpses.

Those true god believers were one thing; if they wanted to kill, they should be prepared to be killed. But those adventurers were innocent. They were just caught by the true god believers because the avatar needed a blood sacrifice...

"Ha ha, each god has their own preferences, just like each person has different interests. I, for example, have a preference for blood sacrifices. As a god, my level is far above humans, and I see you humans as you see monsters. Humans and other intelligent beings control monsters to help them kill other monsters. Why can't I, as a god, do the same?"

This theory was so powerful that Ji Ran couldn't refute it. After all, his team had an elf ranger who used a falcon named Hualuo to help hunt monsters...

"So, gods are just another kind of being, much higher in level than ordinary intelligent beings. They are not omnipotent, but they are nearly so compared to you. Worshipping them won't make you lose anything; you just need to offer some faith. In return, you will gain immense power, far exceeding what you can achieve through your own cultivation. All intelligent beings like taking shortcuts, don't they? Those who claim not to take shortcuts are just afraid of losing something else. Now, a shortcut is right in front of you, with no side effects. Why not take it? You killed my priest, which means you are stronger than him. If you help me, I will grant you power far greater than his..."

The avatar's words became increasingly vague, but each word drilled into Ji Ran's ears. In a daze, Ji Ran suddenly felt that what this guy was saying wasn't entirely wrong...

In a hazy state, Ji Ran suddenly felt that this avatar of the true god was actually quite nice. The avatar had been so sincere with him, even revealing that gods were just beings slightly higher in level than humans. If he continued to be confrontational, it would be unwise. Maybe he should let the avatar complete its form? Being a priest for the true god wasn't entirely out of the question...

A faint voice seemed to call his name. Who was calling him? He didn't know... Why would they call him? He was so comfortable in his current state... What about Lai Si, Ailin, Lidia, Ban, and Beck? He didn't need to worry about them...

Suddenly, the true qi in Ji Ran's body began to flow rapidly. Countless streams of true qi surged from his dantian, spreading throughout his body in an instant. The most significant amount of true qi rushed to his head, making it swell and causing excruciating pain.

"Ah!" Ji Ran screamed in pain. It wasn't that he couldn't endure the pain, but it came too suddenly. He had just been in a hypnotic state, letting his guard down. The sudden pain immediately made him cry out.

But this also instantly cleared his mind.

He had fallen for it! In the conversation with the avatar, he had been completely led astray. The true god had understood his character and gradually hypnotized him with words—possibly with some other means. If he had remained in that state, he might have been forced to become a priest of the true god!

The shout just now was probably Ban and Beck trying to warn him when they noticed something was wrong. But he had ignored it... Fortunately, the true qi had suddenly surged, restoring his clarity!

Since he knew this, it must be the effect of the Four Seasons Sword Technique. Heart Sword, where the heart moves with the sword, but the sword also follows the heart. Without a firm heart, how could one cultivate the Heart Sword technique to a high level?

The Heart Sword technique must have been triggered, instinctively controlling the true qi to expel the mental force that had invaded his brain. However, his Heart Sword technique was still too low in level; otherwise, the avatar's hypnosis wouldn't have worked in the first place!

Of course, this was also because the true god was just an avatar. Otherwise, his fate would have been uncertain...

In the future, he must find a magical treasure that can resist mental effects to carry with him! Ji Ran made up his mind.

Then, he intended to raise the bone blade sword in his hand to destroy the avatar. The avatar had no physical form and could only use mental power to control others. Destroying it wouldn't be difficult.

However, Ji Ran found that he couldn't move.

He seemed to be bound by a massive mental force, making even moving a finger extremely difficult. Looking at the avatar, Ji Ran gritted his teeth, his eyes blazing with fury.

"What true god, just a false god! I won't let you descend upon this world!" Struggling to speak, Ji Ran tried to raise the bone blade sword. But the mental force was too powerful, not just for him but also for Ban and Beck, who were also immobilized!

"I didn't expect you to resist my influence... But it doesn't matter, we have all the time in the world, hahaha..." Although the avatar's plan had been exposed, it didn't seem to care. It was just a projection and could only use a portion of its mental power, which required a long time to prepare. Now that the three were under its control, it could slowly erode their minds and eventually turn them into believers...

Its target was Ji Ran, not because it had no interest in the other two, but because its mental power could only support this much. Since it could only erode one person, it chose the strongest.

Ji Ran also understood the situation. Although Lai Si and the others would likely come to their rescue after dealing with the patrolling true god believers, how long would that take? What if he couldn't hold out? What if Ban and Beck were eroded?

He had to find a way to destroy the avatar in front of him! But he couldn't move, clearly controlled by the mental force. His system, a mix of martial arts and fantasy, had already struggled to resist the mental attack, let alone break it...

Unfortunately, he was just a casual player in the fantasy game, focusing on refining treasures and cooking. If only he had a spell to dispel mental illusions! What should he do now? How could he break free from this mental restraint? With his cultivation technique? Or with the magical treasure in his hand?

Thinking of the magical treasure, Ji Ran suddenly felt a warmth in his palm. The bone blade sword in his hand became scorching hot, and a strange sensation flowed from the sword into his body.

This feeling was familiar to Ji Ran. Each magical treasure he had personally refined gave him this sensation once. Initially, it came after the refinement was complete, but later, it would appear during the process. However, each time, the sensation was fleeting, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't trigger it again.

Each time, it felt as if the magical treasure was connected to his blood. Later, he even had the illusion that the treasure was merging with his body... but it quickly disappeared. He didn't know how this feeling came, but he guessed that it was due to some unknown changes in his true qi and magical power. The laws of this world had caused the energies from the two games to undergo strange transformations...

He didn't expect this feeling to return in such a critical moment. And this time, the sensation grew stronger, as if the bone blade sword had turned into a stream of water, desperately trying to penetrate his body through his palm...

The sensation grew more intense, and the true qi and magical power in his body began to boil. It felt as if his body couldn't contain the energy. In his mind, his body had swollen like a balloon, ready to burst at any moment...

And at that moment, his head exploded with a loud bang.

A beam of light shone from his head, quickly filling his vision. A strange sensation filled his body, telling him that something was different.

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