Excessive ferocity due to caution

After pushing open the door, Zhao Yi left the torture tower.

Back in the town, the evil spirits that had surrounded them had vanished along with the power of the light at the top of the execution tower.

"Young Brother Zhao, I knew I hadn't misjudged you."

An elderly man strolled over from a short distance away.

It was Jiang Muming.

After being rescued, the old man gradually regained his strength.

He looks much better.

"Senior Jiang, how much do you know about the history of the Skull Church?"

When Zhao Yi asked him about the Skull Church, Jiang Muming didn't try to hide anything. In the capital, the Skull Church was notorious, like a rat crossing the street.

Despite their powerful strength, they were still blocked from entering the capital by the Fifth Federation through various means.

"The history of the Skull Church dates back tens of thousands of years."

"They were born earlier than the capital."

"At that time, there was no capital city, let alone the so-called Fifth Federation."

"Human civilization faces various trials. The earth is dark, and terrifying beings from ancient times lurk everywhere, treating humans as lowly food and toys, devoid of any humanity..."

"For humanity, that was the darkest era in the chaotic world..."

When the old days were mentioned, Jiang Muming's tone became much heavier, clearly showing that the old man was very involved.

"But back then, human conflict was not nearly as severe as it is now."

"Countless powerful warriors shed their blood in the sky, dying outside the fragile city walls, while wave after wave of veterans rushed out like moths."

"Countless people died trying to hold onto the few remaining human strongholds..."

"Before the high and thick city walls of the capital were built, women basically did not live past fifty years old. Their lives were like birthing machines, constantly providing fresh blood for the group."

"Healthy men typically leave their mothers and families after their coming-of-age ceremony at age sixteen to undergo intensive military training, and are deployed to the battlefield one year and three months later!"

"At that time, in addition to the bizarre, cults were everywhere."

"The wicked are not satisfied with the status quo. They recruit many insane people who have lost their minds and transformed them into their followers."

"And the Skull Church is a prime example of a cult."

The old man's gaze fell on the execution tower, his expression complex.

However, everything has its pros and cons.

"Later, cults proliferated, and these evil forces, vying for power, began fighting amongst themselves, giving the precarious Human Federation a much-needed respite!"

"Finally, the evil forces were severely weakened, while humanity secretly accumulated strength over a mere century. Ultimately, seventeen powerful individuals stepped forward to lead the Human Federation in a counterattack!"

"After a long and brutal war, humanity finally drove the weakened and treacherous creatures from its land and established its first city—the Imperial Capital."

"And most of those seventeen powerful warriors also perished in battle."

"Because of their outstanding military achievements, their descendants held a high position in human society, and gradually developed into the families they later became..."

"As time went by, the people of the capital forgot the tragic fate of their ancestors, began to indulge in a life of luxury and decadence, and started fighting amongst themselves for power..."

"It was during this process that the once dying Church of the Skull miraculously revived and began to grow..."

At this point, the old man gave a self-deprecating smile.

History always repeats itself... doesn't it?

Zhao Yi stroked his chin and smiled:

"Yes."

"This applies not only to humans, but to almost all intelligent beings in the fourth domain."

"The only lesson they can learn from history is that they never learn."

"That is why the people of the church say...what has been will be again, what has been done will be done again."

Jiang Muming let out a long sigh.

He felt genuinely helpless and powerless.

Since the capital city experienced a long period of peace, each generation has become worse than the last. These old guards want to work hard, but the improper distribution of internal resources and power has left many ordinary young people exhausted and ultimately choosing to give up.

Those who get on the boat first won't help those who haven't gotten on yet.

"They will try every means to prevent the people behind them from boarding the ship, and if necessary, they will even push them overboard."

"certainly……"

Zhao lit a cigarette, his smile quite sarcastic.

"They'll soon find that constantly pushing people down is too much trouble."

"Because people are an endless source."

"There's always someone stronger than him who he can't push down."

"So, in the end, they will simply cut off the 'path to boarding the ship'."

Jiang Muming remained silent.

He actually felt a little embarrassed.

Because the Jiang family are now on the ship.

Moreover, those who are still able to sit on the boat now have all done bad things in the past, more or less.

Clearing his throat, Jiang Muming changed the subject:

"Later, the people of the capital became obsessed with internal power struggles, while the church continued to gather strength outside and grew stronger. Although the external forces were weak, they could not stop the accumulation of small gains."

"By the time the church had been targeted by the people of the capital, it had become a behemoth."

At this point, the old man suddenly remembered something important, and his eyes flashed:

"However, what truly enabled the church to grow rapidly was that they found the site of the former xxx Foundation."

"The Foundation's forced research into the blood of corpses floating in the depths of space led to a horrific tragedy: everyone on board suffered indescribable and bizarre experiences, and none survived!"

"Later, the Foundation collapsed and disbanded, leaving behind a wealth of valuable research data and incomplete containment artifacts. These materials enabled the Church to rapidly develop into a behemoth, possessing the ability to rival the Imperial Capital!"

When the foundation was mentioned, Zhao Yi added another comment.

But Jiang Muming said that the foundation is a vast civilization wandering in the universe, which they do not understand.

They only know how the foundation died out, but know very little about the foundation itself.

"It doesn't matter anymore... does it?"

Jiang Muming sighed.

"What good is even the most prosperous civilization?"

"Didn't it eventually become ruins too?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Bai walked out of the torture tower.

The moment Zhao Yi saw him, he knew that Qin Bai's mental state had deteriorated significantly.

Masochism is triggered by extreme pain.

Qin Bai had already proven his self-control by pushing open that door despite his instinctive desires.

"You have ten minutes to calm yourself down, and then we'll be getting ready to leave."

Jiang Muming said to Qin Bai.

Qin Bai, who was leaning on his knees and panting heavily, raised his head:

"Are you leaving now?"

"Aren't we waiting for them?"

Zhao Yi smiled and said:

"You've really lost your mind."

"What do we care about their lives?"

PS: First update.