I, Lord of Prayer

The afternoon of the festival day.

Zhou Chen unexpectedly received a message from Li Xiaoxiao, who invited him to a social party.

The location is Blue Diamond Manor on the outskirts of Jinzhu. There are no restrictions on identity; anyone who can be introduced can participate.

It's obvious that Eternal Flame intends to disguise the festival as a party, which will effectively conceal the purpose of people from different classes and professions gathering together—many young people enjoy this kind of socializing, so it won't attract any special attention.

As for the members attending the social party, they must all be believers in the Eternal Flame.

"At this critical juncture, they're actually thinking of holding a festival? Aren't they being a bit too audacious?"

In the office, Zhou Chen was sprawled on the sofa with an orange cat on his head, typing to accept Li Xiaoxiao's invitation while simultaneously wondering about Eternal Flame's actions.

"For believers, one of the purposes of the festival is to seek divine protection. When their actions encounter setbacks, they naturally want help from above. Moreover, face-to-face communication is much more convenient than secret correspondence and is more conducive to making plans."

Jiang Che glanced at Zhou Chen, who was sprawled on the sofa like a salted fish, and then at the orange cat idly wagging its tail on his head. He sighed helplessly, hoping that Zhou Chen would perform well and not mess things up.

"By the way, what about the gentleman and the lover? Still nowhere to be found?" Zhou Chen thought of these two members of Paradise Lost, who had disappeared without a trace long ago after a brief appearance.

"The intelligence department found several puppets controlled by lovers, but there is no trace of the real person. As for the gentleman, you know he is good at hiding. He is basically difficult to find unless he shows up on his own initiative."

Jiang Che said, "However, what is certain is that the source energy fluctuations you encountered at Li Xiaoxiao's house earlier were indeed deliberately emitted by the gentleman to test you."

"So, does that mean he's really hiding around Li Xiaoxiao?"

"Well, after all, Li Xiaoxiao is one of the few cultists who can contact the 'Blue Whale,' but the gentleman hasn't dared to make a move for so long, so Li Xiaoxiao is probably not simple either."

"Since he's been hiding by Li Xiaoxiao's side all along, then this festival..."

Jiang Che nodded: "He will definitely show up at the crucial moment. The suppression forces are already prepared to target him and his lover."

·

night.

Before taking action, Zhou Chen conducted a final check.

He could only carry a limited amount of things; conspicuous weapons like the Bloodthirsty Chainsaw and the Concussive Hammer were not allowed. Fortunately, he also had a number of easily portable pieces of equipment.

The equipment includes a pyrite flint pistol, a pyrite round shield, C-027 blind man's sunglasses, C-093 terrifying bronze whistle, Helandi defensive single-soldier armor 0, and an implanted conversion matrix.

This set of equipment is already considered quite luxurious among first-tier Ascended beings. Even if they encounter second-tier Ascended beings, they can temporarily save their lives with the defensive single-soldier armor and buy time to escape with the terrifying bronze whistle.

The appointed time arrived.

Zhou Chen met Li Xiaoxiao, who was carrying a small shoulder bag, at the entrance of Jinzhu University. She naturally took his arm and then showed him a set of car keys: "Ta-da! I even have a car! Didn't expect that, did you? Senior, can you drive?"

"Yes." Zhou Chen nodded and took the car keys.

Whether it's driving or being driven, he's extremely skilled at it.

Half an hour later, they arrived at Blue Diamond Manor.

The moonlight was bright, and the night sky was filled with clusters of clouds. Some areas twinkled with stars, while others were obscured by dark clouds. The clouds were blown by the wind and moved slowly, as if vying for territory with the stars.

As the night deepened, a vast private luxury estate gradually came into view. The estate included a horse farm, a golf course, an outdoor swimming pool, and other facilities. From a distance, the buildings were brightly lit, resembling a magnificent aristocratic castle.

  

Driving along the road leading to the manor parking lot, with other vehicles arriving for the party in front and behind, and meticulously manicured gardens and landscapes on both sides of the road, beauty and freshness immediately greet you.

"I remember this manor belongs to the Wei Group, a Fortune 500 company." Zhou Chen observed the manor, recalling the information he had seen.

"It's a pity that the heir to the Wei Group is a good-for-nothing. Once his father dies, the entire Wei Group will collapse completely in a few years... However, most of our operating funds are provided by him, so that good-for-nothing is still somewhat useful. Maybe he can help stabilize the Wei Group in the future," said Li Xiaoxiao in the passenger seat.

Zhou Chen, gripping the steering wheel, asked, "The good-for-nothing you're talking about is... Wei Zifang, the son of the chairman of Wei's Enterprises?"

"Hmm, a spoiled brat who only knows how to indulge in debauchery and womanizing all day long is not even as good as one of your fingers."

At this point, Li Xiaoxiao smiled brightly: "Speaking of which, the festival ended very late. Do you have time to come to my house for a visit? I bought a very sexy swimsuit..."

"..." Zhou Chen refused without changing his expression: "Sorry, I don't have time."

"Don't be so cold, senior. I'll give you a Star Mango later. Although we can't set up the accompanying advanced matrix, at least you've completely repaired your soul. Isn't that something to celebrate?"

Li Xiaoxiao stretched out her index finger and gently stroked the back of Zhou Chen's right hand, which was holding the gear shift lever, bringing a tingling sensation that was full of teasing.

"...What exactly do you see in me?" Zhou Chen asked abruptly.

"Hmm..." Li Xiaoxiao thought about it carefully: "Maybe it's lust at first sight. After all, you're handsome, young, and very capable. Anyway, I really like your aloof type."

Unbelievable! This traitor has managed to seduce a high-ranking fanatic... Zhou Chen was at a loss for words. After a long pause, he could only refuse again: "I have no such thoughts."

Li Xiaoxiao shrugged nonchalantly: "As long as I have it, that's fine."

"?"

Zhou Chen looked at her with some surprise. What do you mean by this? Are you trying to force me into this?

Li Xiaoxiao didn't explain, and turned to look at the scenery outside the window.

Zhou Chen felt a sudden toothache and inexplicably began to worry about her innocence. Fortunately, the operation was about to conclude tonight, so there shouldn't be any major problems, and she wouldn't have the chance to force herself on him...

Five minutes later, after parking the car, the two put on ball masks and went into the villa.

To Zhou Chen's surprise, there were quite a few people attending the party, roughly over two hundred, and new members were still joining.

How come there are so many followers of the Eternal Flame in Jinzhu?

However, when he thought about the Abyss Church's style, he felt relieved. These fanatical believers who embraced the abyss lurked in all walks of life in human society, indistinguishable from normal people in ordinary times. They might not reveal themselves for decades, until the church needed them, at which point they would tear off their disguise and show their true fangs.

While remaining hidden, they also continuously select suitable targets to seduce and win over.

—All the churches of the Abyss are adept at uncovering people's inner desires and needs.

If desire wins in the battle against reason, even just once, it will snowball and lead to an irreversible descent into depravity, eventually joining the Abyss Church and becoming a faithful follower of the Abyss creatures.

Over the years, the Eternal Flame has been secretly developing in Jinzhu, and has probably already reached an extremely terrifying scale.

"Come with me."

Li Xiaoxiao took Zhou Chen's arm and led him towards the stairs inside the villa:

"These are all peripheral members. The real core believers are in another place. The festival will start very late. I'll take you to a meeting first."

"Am I considered a core follower?" Zhou Chen asked, sounding somewhat puzzled.

"Of course, you are an Ascended One, and you have passed all the tests we set, and witnessed the glory of our Lord." Li Xiaoxiao said with a smile, "So Birdman and I suggested that you be promoted to Deacon, and everyone agreed."

He was promoted to steward... promoted to steward... steward... Zhou Chen was almost stunned.

So, he managed to get the position of Eternal Flame Steward?

Deacons are considered core members of the Abyss Church, wielding immense power. They can command ordinary members at will, build their own small factions, and even have the opportunity to contact the church's archbishop.

For example, Wei Zifang, the current owner of this manor and the successor of the Wei Group, has to be respectful and try his best to please him.

You have to understand that although that guy is the good-for-nothing Li Xiaoxiao calls him, his family is, after all, one of the world's top 500 companies, making them an absolute upper-class elite...

"Are you also a deacon?" Zhou Chen suddenly asked.

"Of course."

Li Xiaoxiao is also a deacon... but the interrogation documents of Fina Blanche only say that she is a high-ranking believer... Zhou Chen was puzzled, but before he could continue to think about it, Li Xiaoxiao led him to a conference room on the third floor.

The conference room was exquisitely and luxuriously decorated, with a soft carpet and a conference table in the center. The table was covered with fruit platters, desserts, expensive imported red wine, and a small box of unknown purpose.

Four deacons were already seated at the table.

The first person Zhou Chen saw was a birdman wearing a golden bird mask, while the other two men and one woman all wore pure white masks that covered their entire faces.

"They've finally arrived, ladies and gentlemen, a warm welcome to our newest member!" Birdman clapped his hands with great enthusiasm, but no one joined in.

Li Xiaoxiao closed the conference room door, took her seat, and removed her mask: "Take it off, everyone. There's a barrier matrix set up here."

Everyone, including Zhou Chen, took off their masks.

He discreetly observed everyone; he had already seen the birdman's true appearance in the wish bubble, so he quickly skipped over it.

To the left of the birdman was a young man with sharp features and eyes like a wolf, full of fierce aggression that made people afraid to meet his gaze.

Opposite the birdman was a sexy and beautiful woman with a well-maintained, fair face and a voluptuous, alluring figure. After removing her mask, she put on a pair of thin-rimmed glasses, instantly becoming dignified and exuding a mature and intellectual charm.

After noticing Zhou Chen's appraising gaze, she threw him a seductive wink.

Zhou Chen remained unmoved.

Beside the beautiful woman was an elderly man with sparse white hair, messy eyebrows, sunken eyes, and a face full of wrinkles and age spots. He looked very kind and approachable.

But those who can rise to the position of deacon in the Abyss Cult are usually kind people.

Li Xiaoxiao introduced them one by one:

"This is the birdman, you're very familiar with him. This is the ghost wolf, this is the poison spider, and this is the ape demon."

The Ghost Wolf was the young man, the Poison Spider was the beautiful woman, and the Ape Demon was the old man.

"By the way, you don't have a butler code name yet. You should come up with one now," Li Xiaoxiao reminded her.

Zhou Chen forcefully swallowed back the words "Happy Saw Man" that he was about to blurt out, and after a long silence, he said coldly:

Call me the Butcher.

"Butcher?" The birdman raised an eyebrow and whistled. "That really suits your personality, Mr. Killer."

But isn't this codename the same as the American Chainsaw Killers Association? I remember they have a bunch of members with the codename "XX Butcher," and I heard they even wanted to register the codename as a copyright.

"It doesn't matter." Zhou Chen didn't seem to care about the code name.

"A butcher? That suits you quite well."

Li Xiaoxiao nodded slightly: "And me, my code name is 'Blue Whale'."

"..." After a moment of stunned silence, Zhou Chen finally came to his senses, and as if he had heard something unbelievable, he almost lost control of his expression.

Are you a blue whale?

Are you a blue whale?!

He was momentarily stunned. The Stars Society's interrogation method was to directly invade Fina's brain and view her memories, so the interrogation documents would not be wrong. In Fina's eyes, Li Xiaoxiao was one of the few high-ranking followers who had access to the "Blue Whale"...

But now she says she is the Blue Whale...

Is Li Xiaoxiao lying, or is Fina's perception wrong?

The barrier matrix failed to block the communication devices, and Jiang Che quickly made an analysis:

"It's possible that the image Li Xiaoxiao presents to the outside world is that of a high-ranking member of the 'Blue Whale' who can contact them. To ensure safety, many people have multiple identities; she only lets those she trusts know the truth, while everyone else sees only an illusion."

Fina Blanche had long since gone into hiding and had not interfered with the development of the Eternal Flame for a long time. The Blue Whale was secretly supported by a certain Grand Deacon, so it was reasonable that Fina Blanche was unaware of this.

I never expected that we would have already made contact with the target... Fortunately, everything is still under control.

Get ready, the raid will begin in ten minutes.

Ten minutes... I need to hurry and get the Star Mango... Zhou Chen calmed himself down and asked directly, "When can you give me the Star Mango?"

"Ah, I understand how you feel. It's like waiting for a package to arrive, with the item right in front of you but you can't get your hands on it. It's so frustrating..." The birdman laughed and pointed to the small box on the conference table.

"Here it is."

"This is it?" Zhou Chen reached out and grabbed the small box. After opening it, he saw a cluster of dazzling light, about the size of a lychee, shining continuously like a light bulb.

Having thought about it day and night for nearly a month, even dreaming about it countless times, Zhou Chen was already extremely familiar with the characteristics of the Star Mango. He could be absolutely certain that this was the genuine product!

"Speaking of which, how do you plan to explain the reason for the soul's restoration to the Stars?" the birdman asked.

"It's simple. Just find me another smuggling gang and kill them. I can then explain that I found something that can restore souls among their smuggled goods." Zhou Chen's voice trembled with excitement as he stared intently at Xing Mango.

Finally, finally, I can escape the torment of a fragmented soul and regain my complete soul...

However, he still had two choices in front of him.

Should we eat it directly, or wait until we get back to set up the alchemical ritual and use the Star Mango to advance to the second tier?

In comparison, the latter is clearly more profitable, and a huge one at that.

But this place is about to become a battlefield, and if he brings Star Mango, he will definitely be affected...

Just as Zhou Chen was briefly caught in a dilemma, Li Xiaoxiao and the others began to discuss another matter.

"The focus of this gathering is on figuring out how to get that thing out of there, so let's get down to business."

"Our Lord's divine decree clearly states that she needs that thing; we cannot let her down!"

"If we succeed, we will surely receive the Lord's favor and become true 'Divine Scroll Bearers'!"

At this moment, Zhou Chen was struck dumb, as if he had heard something extremely horrifying. Even the joy of harvesting the Star Mango was mostly shattered, replaced by shock and disbelief.

"The divine message from our Lord clearly states that she needs that thing."

Does the King of Chaos need something like that?

She even issued a divine decree indicating her need?

A king of the abyss, a terrifying being comparable to a god, would need such a thing?!

What exactly is it?!

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