The beautiful figure vanished, replaced by blood-red data.
Zu An withstood the terrifying pressure and hurriedly said “It may have only been a brief glimpse, but I am awe-inspired by Memory’s grandeur and divinity. It’s my utmost blessing and fortune to be a Memory envoy.”
“You have a glib tongue.” The data slowly reverted to green, and the pressure gradually receded. “Never be so brazen as to peer at a universal deity again. It’ll only bring destruction upon yourself.”
“Thank you for the lesson,” Zu An obediently replied.
“I need you to investigate a matter,” Meng said.
“It’s my honor to serve you.” Zu An wondered if he was going too far with the subservience, but then again, since he was dealing with a universal deity here, it likely wasn't excessive.
“I sense the Deity of Death’s aura at your side. There are many unrecorded details about the Deity of Death’s demise, and that violates the way of Memory. Thus, I want you to look into the matter.” Meng was displeased. She thought her Memory worshipers were good-for-nothings for failing to record such an important event.
Zu An took this chance to probe, “I heard the Deity of Death was killed by the Deity of Annihilation. Is that true?”
“It’s not that simple...” Meng suddenly paused and said, “That’s not something you should concern yourself with. Such secrets will only put you in greater danger.”
“I understand.”
“You may return now. Remember your mission.”
The scenery suddenly morphed, and Zu An found himself standing at the frigate’s bow once more. The sea breeze blew, and he belatedly realized he was soaked from head to toe.
Haa! No wonder everyone warns me against carelessly talking about universal deities. It’s fortunate I reacted fast, or else I could have died there. It was a close shave, but I obtained two special abilities from that encounter.
I'm now both Chaos and Enigma’s and Memory’s envoy. I wonder if I’ll be ripped apart if Mi Li learns about this... Hold on, Meng referred to Mi Li as a ‘bitch’ earlier. Is Mi Li a woman?
He had glimpsed Meng using the Eye of Truth, and the latter appeared to be a woman.
Are universal deities really genderless?
He shuddered and hurriedly shook off those wayward thoughts. I misspoke and summoned Meng earlier. I might not be as lucky if my thoughts wander and summon something else instead.
“Is that the Deity of Memory Meng’s gaze?”
“It does feel like Memory.”
“Brother Zu is truly Memory’s worshiper.”
“There are so many Memory worshipers in the world, but how many receive Memory’s gaze? Brother Zu is destined for great things. He might have a chance to become a Memory envoy in the future.”
...
The crowd’s attitude changed from their earlier nonchalance to amicableness.
I am already a Memory envoy.
Zu An chose not to reveal it, not because he didn’t want to brag but because he was afraid the news would reach Mi Li’s ears. He raised his head and looked around, and his expression soon tensed up.
“Big brother Zu, you saved big sister Yani earlier. Do you have a way to deal with Alati? Big sister Tingxue has scattered that bone dragon several times now, but she isn’t able to kill it,” Isabella said worriedly.
When it sensed the Deity of Memory’s divine power, Alati hadn’t dared to cause trouble, but when it realized that the Deity of Memory hadn’t descended, it quickly returned to whatever it was doing.
Had it retained its sanity, it would have retreated right away. However, it was completely driven by instinct right now, which was why it was obsessed with bringing down the people who hurt it.
Just like Yani, Tingxue could easily subdue Alati but not kill it. Even if she ground the latter’s bones to powder, it still regenerated. Is it due to the death energy, or because it was Death’s envoy?
“Let me give it a try.” Zu An flew over and looked at the ferocious bone dragon. He channeled his Primordial Origin Sutra and murmured an incantation. “Dust to dust, earth to earth. What should not remain should cease to exist...”
The roaring bone dragon suddenly became quiet. As it listened to the incantation, its twisted expression slowly became peaceful. A light breeze blew, and the grayish-white energy cloaking Alati gradually grew faint.
A middle-aged man’s silhouette manifested on Alati’s head. His fierce appearance suggested that he'd been a formidable figure back then. He cupped his hands toward Zu An and said, “Thank you, young man. I am finally free after so many years.”
“You are Death Envoy Alati?” Zu An asked curiously.
“It has been many years since I heard that name. I didn’t expect there to be someone who recognized me.” The middle-aged man sighed wistfully.
“How did you end up in... that state?” Zu An took this opportunity to gather more information.
“I was cursed.” As the middle-aged man recalled the past, a sliver of anger and fear flickered through his eyes. “Don’t ask who cursed me. Learning too much will only bring you misfortune.”
He passed a token over and said, “I have been waiting for a fated someone. Countless years have passed, and I even gave up hope. I didn’t expect to find you.”
“What is this?” Zu An examined the token. It was golden with a jade-like texture. A layer of pristine light gleamed on its surface. It was bizarrely shaped, reminiscent of a gear.
“It’s a key.”
“A key to what?”
“I can’t reveal too much. You’ll know in due time.”
Zu An wanted to curse. Argh, another riddler! But he came to terms with it when he thought about what he had just been through. It felt almost as if the universal deities and strong entities had some ‘keyword surveillance’ ability, in which uttering specific words drew their attention.
He wasn’t confident he could survive a repeat of the earlier situation.
After handing Zu An the token, the middle-aged man closed his eyes and said, “It’s finally over...”
Zu An had more questions to ask, but the silhouette began dissipating under the breeze. At the same time, the bone dragon, whom neither Yani nor Tingxue had been able to kill, disintegrated into ashes, vanishing without a trace.
The crowd rushed up to Zu An when he returned to the frigate. Yani asked, “Did he give you something?”
“He gave me a key,” Zu An replied honestly.
He figured since he had no idea what this key was for, perhaps revealing it to others could spark further intel about it.
The crowd fell into deep thought.