Unlike Shirley Quinn's arm-thick, menacing black centipede, Ruru Rosa's Crimson Thread Goldwing Centipede was a delicate, finger-sized creature, its sleek body traced with a vivid scarlet thread and adorned with four shimmering golden wings. The centipede emerged from her storage pouch and fluttered to her, nuzzling her fingertips with gentle affection, its golden wings humming like plucked harp strings.
Ruru whispered soft commands, pointing toward the pearl-bead curtain veiling the shrine's altar. The centipede's wings hummed, and it darted forward, golden streaks slicing the air. The squad watched, breath held, as it neared the curtain. But at three meters from the altar, the centipede faltered, circling aimlessly, its movements growing sluggish, as if the curtain had vanished from its perception entirely, unable to approach the altar.
"How come? This shrine defies logic," Ruru Rosa muttered, frowning. "The altar's hiding something... Unnatural." She glanced at Garrick Blackthorn, who nodded, his eyes glinting with suspicion. She recalled the centipede, its wings buzzing as it returned to her hand, and asked. "Captain, what's next?"
Garrick's eyes narrowed, his mind weighing the risks. After a brief pause, he said, "I'll check it myself."
As a peak Ninth Layer Qi Refinement cultivator, half a step from Foundation Establishment, Garrick trusted his strength. Even if the altar concealed a trap, he was confident he could face it and retreat swiftly if needed. He signalled Thorn Squad to stay vigilant and hold position, then he stepped forward alone.
The squad watched, tension coiling, as he approached the spot where the centipede had stalled. To their relief, Garrick Blackthorn crossed the invisible barrier unharmed, reaching the pearl curtain without incident. Up close, he saw the curtain was woven from dozen strands of pearls, spaced two fingers apart. Beyond it, the altar appeared as a blurred, ink-washed haze, like a painting dissolved by tides. Even the deity statue's outline was indistinct, as if reality itself shimmered and warped, concealing its secrets.
Garrick Blackthorn paused, his eyes narrowing as he studied the pearl-bead curtain. Hesitated for only a breath, he raised his black spear cautiously, using the weapon's tip to gently nudge the pearl curtain aside, hoping to glimpse what lay beyond the altar's murky haze.
To Lordi Payne's shock, the moment the curtain parted, a clear chime rang in his ears from the AllFullOS system.
~ Ding! *System Notification Chime*
[AllFullOS: Version 1.0.0]
> Detected external data.
> Pattern identified: [Unknown Cosmic Path Establishment Technique]
> Technique Recording initiated...
Lordi's heart raced at the unexpected boon, but before he could process it, a bone-pale, gaunt skeletal hand shot from the curtain's depths, seizing Garrick's wrist with unnatural strength. Before anyone could react, it yanked him inside, the pearl strands snapping shut behind him. The two-finger gaps revealed only the same blurred, ink-washed haze and nothingness. But Garrick Blackthorn was gone.
As if he had never been there at all.
Simultaneously, the system chimed again.
[AllFullOS: Version 1.0.0]
> Data Error. (Error: 1909)
- External Data disappeared. [Unknown Cosmic Path Establishment Technique]
> Technique Recording status: TERMINATED
> Thank you for using the All-Smart Full-Host Cultivation System™ (AllFullOS v1.0.0)
> One-click-cultivation, worry-free-ascension!
- We value your opinion! (No, really, we do.)
- If you are satisfied with our service, please give us a five-star rating.
> Tap to Rate: [☆☆☆☆☆]
Lordi Payne, still reeling, mentally slammed it with a one-star negative review.
[AllFullOS: Version 1.0.0]
> Submitted. Thanks for your feedback.
"Senior Brother Blackthorn!"
Thorn Squad gasped, reeling in shock.
The squad members recoiled in unison, weapons flashing out.
Carl Murphy's barked, his voice sharp but trembling. "Stay calm! Do NOT—"
Before he could say more, the shrine's gates crashed shut in rapid succession, their thunderous echoes shaking dust from the rafters. The candlelit lanterns flickered out in unison, plunging the hall into pitch-black suffocating darkness.
Valley of Twin Peaks — Hanz Stronghold Main Hall
Jorge Blue flung the shattered remains of a battle Dao puppet to the ground, its fragments skittering across the polished wood floor. Around him, his Thirst Bull Squad scoured the hall, overturning furniture and probing walls for hidden compartments.
His sharp eyes scanning the untouched hall, brow creased with doubt.
"No signs of a fierce cultivator battle here," he muttered. "Hughie Wing was a peak Eighth Layer Qi Refinement stage cultivator. If he had to flee this mountain estate using the Blood-Burning Technique, how could there be zero traces of the treasury house's defense mechanisms?"
A dry, measured voice answered from the shadows.
"Traces can be erased."
The speaker was a sallow-faced man, his skin sun-weathered like a peasant's, his features unremarkable save for the sharpness in his eyes. Yet Jorge's posture straightened subtly—respect, even wariness, in the gesture.
Rodney Luther stepped forward, his tone calm but edged. "The Hanz Clan's extinction—how they were wiped out? Irrelevant. The cause? Meaningless. Our priority is the treasury house, nothing else. So Senior Brother Blue, focus."
Despite the man's ordinary appearance, Jorge Blue addressed him with deference. Jorge exhaled, nodding. "You're right, Rodney. We heard the explosions from the Royal Study Library earlier. Donovan Valdez and his Dominator Squad's run into trouble. Let's hold back and observe."