Chapter 2961: Precise Navigation

Once placed over a face, the Bane of Those Denied Godhood automatically initiated a divine ascension ritual.

As the reward for killing a quasi-higher entity, this seemingly ordinary mask possessed an effect capable of driving transcendents mad.

Of course, in Fu Qian's view, this madness likely carried two meanings: the frantic desire to pursue it, and the consequence of doing so.

After its tempering in the Inverted Lake, it had grown even more tightly bound to the fate of the Mechanical King of the Abandoned Prison—so much so that a navigation route actually appeared upon wearing it.

It was also his only theoretical clue to advancing further.

Long before setting out for this banquet, he had turned to Chief Yuan to confirm the general direction of the Night Watchers' headquarters.

The result aligned perfectly with the mask's navigation, making him look forward to the trip even more.

Now, the facts proved that this guidance from the "Redeemed One" was extraordinary indeed. The Birthday Party truly was the destination on the Divine Path.

The moment he put the mask on, Fu Qian found that the illusory line was gone.

In its place was a pitch-black expanse gleaming with an oily sheen.

Illusory yet viscous; heavy, yet flowing.

It was clearly a unified whole, yet it felt like a mixture of countless impurities. That surging, river-like substance looked like a single drop would rot a man to the bone—and it perfectly matched the discomfort that had been accumulating along the journey.

His body and spirit weren't mutating; they were undergoing a thorough "scouring."

How did the saying go? "I struggled for eighteen years just to sit here and eat beef with you"?

The current situation carried exactly that sentiment.

For Chief Yuan beside him, holding the Playing Card was enough to remain relaxed and elegant the whole way, enjoying the trip at her leisure.

But for him, sitting at the same table, every single cell was bearing the immense gravity of reality.

Even having overcome that force to sit here, he could still be torn beyond recognition at any moment.

His tongue earlier and his face now were both manifestations of this tearing force.

In short, the Divine Path navigation of the Mask of the Destined God was remarkably precise.

Not only did it point straight to the destination, but upon arrival, the "godhood tempering" began without another word.

As for the principle that a single piece of evidence does not make a case—wasn't it a bit too hasty to consider this an opportunity for godhood based on this alone?

Not a problem at all. As an academic worker, cross-verification was basic operational procedure for Professor Fu.

Who said it was an isolated piece of evidence?

Fu Qian had seen this exact scene before.

In a place called Loss, a miraculous creature named Huo had displayed it before his eyes on its deathbed.

...

Representing the elderly's fear of decline and death, it existed in the dreams of anyone over the age of fifty-nine.

That endearingly goofy Tier 2 creature had left a deep impression on him.

After a fierce battle, the dying creature had burned itself away in its final moments, helping Professor Fu catch a glimpse of an opportunity on the Divine Path.

And that scene was so similar to the one before him that it was impossible to ignore.

What was that? Through Professor Fu being perceptive down to the smallest detail, it was later successfully proven to be a conspiracy belonging to the Blasphemy Monarch?

After His attempt to develop a Covenanter was ruined, He had simply taken advantage of Huo at the end—Turning Waste into Treasure—to lay a trap on his path to ascension?

If he actually followed it, it might turn into His possession ritual, allowing that disgusting character to reap the fruits of victory?

This wasn't actually a problem either.

To reap the fruits of victory, one had to achieve victory first.

The Blasphemy Monarch's misdirection might be pervasive and eerily difficult to guard against.

Whether it was reincarnation or the Divine Path, both scenes He had shown him were highly deceptive, even capable of earning an endorsement that felt like it came from the depths of the soul.

But during their brief interaction, he had managed to probe some characteristics of this authority: the price for successfully deceiving the target was that even the deceiver didn't know how the deception worked.

Those scenes could only be seen by the victim.

Just like the Calamity that automatically chose its method of outbreak, the Blasphemy Monarch's pollution also proceeded automatically after an initial push was applied.

That meant the scenes of the Divine Path he saw weren't directed and staged by Him, but rather automatically calculated by that blasphemous authority.

Therefore, while the ultimate goal might have been malicious, it wasn't impossible for it to reflect certain genuine components of the Divine Path.

An enemy is the one who understands you best. A true expert needed to be able to squeeze oil even from the malice of others.

In short, with the two reflecting each other, the show had directly begun—even though the host of this Hongmen banquet, Excellency Stoss, hadn't yet appeared.

As for what to do now that it had started?

He clearly remembered the scene displayed by the Blasphemy Monarch: under this scouring, his body would continuously rot and be reborn, until a Skin representing the King of the Abandoned Prison was torn from him...

In all fairness, it did have a strong sense of progression.

Drape on the Divine Skin, ascend to Tier 2.

Take off the Divine Skin, returning to simplicity and true nature.

But if that pointed to a trap, did he have to do the exact opposite?

Not just drape on the Skin, but drape on even more Skins?

Or perhaps discard his sense of self entirely and refine the fake Skin into reality?

His imagination could run wild, but it lacked any real foundation.

This was the grand path to godhood, not to mention the Blasphemy Monarch glaring like a tiger watching its prey. Any slight mistake could mean eternal damnation.

What he had to do next was evidently grope his way forward while undergoing Tribulation Transcending, embarking on an unprecedentedly difficult research topic.

"...What are you trying to do now?"

It was a pity. Chief Yuan clearly couldn't appreciate the profound gravity of an academic worker.

Faced with Fu Qian's sudden action and staring at that wicked mask, her willpower was being put to the test.

"Can't you tell?"

Fortunately, and somewhat comfortingly, the voice coming from under the mask was quite normal, not sounding like a bloodthirsty Butcher preparing to take the stage—

Chief Yuan's sliver of comfort was ruthlessly shattered just a breath later.

Professor Fu had already abandoned her and stood up, turning to plop himself down at the three-person table over there.

Tap, tap!

Tapping lightly with his index finger, he casually introduced himself.

"Actually, I'm the mole."

...

This was exactly why having the right icebreaker was so important. The three people, who had been hunting for the mole so fiercely that they didn't even notice the two cobras slithering nearby, finally spared a glance for someone else.

That attention even included a .38 caliber barrel.

"Look, I'm even wearing a mask."

Facing three pairs of eyes and one gun barrel, Fu Qian's icebreaking activity continued as he raised a finger to point at his own face.

As a mere spectator listening to the play, he naturally had no idea what specific masks this gang wore while committing their crimes.

But there was actually no need to worry too much about such things. Judging by Yuan Shan's description of them being a "complete mess," they probably didn't know anymore either—

Bang!

A crisp gunshot announced the complete success of the icebreaking ceremony.