I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

Chapter 852 A Bitter Future

The skull was yellowish in color, as if it had weathered countless storms, and its surface was covered with a layer of viscous glaze. Inside the skull, golden flames were burning quietly.

The golden flames created an illusion of order and chaos coexisting, making it impossible to look away.

Flames seeped from the skull and dripped into Lu Ban's hand. The flames were not scorching, but only gave a warm feeling. As they flowed through his fingertips, they slid over like fine sand.

Lu Ban did not hesitate and crushed it directly.

Flames, like sand and dust, quickly covered Lu Ban's body and spread across his melting flesh. Suddenly, Lu Ban became a human torch.

The flames brought intense pain, and instead of spreading outwards, they burned calmly on Lu Ban's body.

Amidst the blazing flames, Lu Ban heard countless layers of illusory murmurs.

"...We made a mistake once, and we can't afford to make the same mistake again. I'd rather choose nothing than make the wrong choice..."

"...Only by going out can we see more. We have been trapped in this wasteland for too long, and we have lost our thirst for the real world..."

"...But you have no idea what else exists in this world. I don't think the other city-states will agree. We are no longer what we used to be..."

"...Many city-states are eyeing us covetously; we shouldn't tell them this..."

"...A storm is brewing, and as change is about to begin, some wicked people are stirring; they're getting impatient..."

"...Once everyone focuses on the future, then we can control the present..."

As these murmurs echoed, Lu Ban also saw some hazy and blurry images.

In front of a massive building imbued with classical aesthetics, a man resembling an ancient Greek sculpture overlooks the crowd. Beside him, various extraordinary individuals whisper among themselves, while behind them, different forces are secretly vying for power.

In the city's dark corners, hooded figures whispered amongst themselves, holding distorted idols and worshipping gods not of this world. They murmured the names of certain beings, their voices secretive and eerie.

In the wilderness, amidst raging winds and torrential rain, a dark army arrived, silent and solemn, weapons in hand, all for the age-old question of humanity—mutual slaughter.

And in that star-studded night sky, countless eyes were cast upon this place, coveting and spying, hoping to become the night here again after the shadow that had lingered here dissipated.

Lu Ban's entire body turned into a boiling broth, churning on the ground, the flames seemingly never going out, continuing to devour Lu Ban's flesh and blood.

Soon, Lu Ban's flesh and blood evaporated, rose, and turned into gas, filling the entire room.

The hunting dog, Laika, was still sleeping in the room and did not notice Lu Ban's change.

Three days later, Lu Ban gradually took shape.

Although it was still in a semi-solid state, Lu Ban was finally able to continue thinking.

"Although this mission will mostly involve dealing with humans, it will involve quite a few things."

He roughly understood the noteworthy aspects of this mission.

First, the city called Utopia should be ruled by a saint who is about to abdicate and be succeeded by another saint or extraordinary person.

Furthermore, there are serious conflicts among these successors. The source of these conflicts may be the direction of the city's development and the future direction of the civilization. Behind them are different forces with different demands.

Subsequently, in addition to these inheritors, there were other forces in the city, perhaps those who worshipped some indescribable great being, or perhaps the kin of some evil god, who were eyeing the city covetously, wanting to overthrow utopia.

Furthermore, people from other city-states also attempted to invade this city-state during the approaching storm.

Finally, some evil gods from distant stars are also eyeing this place. After the swarm disappeared, the influence of the sealed Great Old One also ceased to exist, and some Great Old Ones who crave civilization and resources want to rule this place.

This is precisely why Lu Ban, as a chosen one, needs to help a certain force obtain the position of a saint.

The wasteland at this moment is at a crossroads of fate; one wrong step will lead to an abyss of no return.

"It seems that brute force has indeed been blocked."

Lu Ban realized that other forces also had saint-level superhumans, and the original saint who controlled Utopia certainly wouldn't stand idly by while his subordinates killed each other, not to mention the threat of external enemies. Being able to inherit the throne peacefully was definitely the most important thing.

"However, I can still rewrite these people's thoughts, let him..."

They automatically gave up.

Lu Ban thought to himself.

He was about to stand up and clean his body, which had melted and then reformed, when he suddenly heard a knock on the door.

Looking through the peephole, I saw it was Feng Yu.

"...Do you dress like this at home?"

Feng Yu looked Lu Ban up and down as he opened the door and saw his exposed body.

Although they were all made by myself, after so many melting and recombinations, they look quite fresh.

"I just changed back, and I'm still a little unaccustomed to it."

Lu Ban grabbed a piece of clothing and put it on. He was more used to his usual melted state than his human form. After all, the human body had too many restrictions, while a lump of rotten flesh was obviously more free.

"You're becoming less and less like a human being."

When Feng Yu said this, perhaps it was Lu Ban's imagination, but he felt a sense of melancholy.

"What's the matter?"

Lu Ban changed his clothes and asked.

"It's about time you went to another exotic land."

Feng Yu got straight to the point.

"Yes, I'm going to the wasteland. It seems like that's where civilization is at a turning point."

Lu Ban didn't try to hide it; there was no need for him to conceal the fact that Feng Yu could travel to other realms.

"I'll come too."

Feng Yu suggested.

"Hmm? Is there a problem?"

Lu Ban quickly realized that something was wrong.

Feng Yu usually wouldn't go on Lu Ban's alien missions, and this time it's on [Glorious] difficulty, which could very likely involve facing the Old Ones or Outer Gods, making it extremely dangerous. So why would Feng Yu go?

"Just some premonitions."

Feng Yu did not say it directly.

Lu Ban wanted to ask further, but after thinking for a moment, he could understand why Feng Yu wanted the riddle master.

Who knows what will happen next? Even if Feng Yu has witnessed some things, he will keep it a secret from Lu Ban in order to prevent this part of fate from completely closing the loop.

Not to mention that Xia had mentioned before that Lu Ban was not in good condition when he went to the wasteland, and the subsequent results were not told to Lu Ban.

Is this trip really going to be fraught with danger?

Chapter 853 The Name Is Pollution

"Don't worry, as long as I'm here, it means you'll be fine."

Seeing that Lu Ban was deep in thought, Feng Yu spoke up.

Lu Ban had heard such words before, but he didn't know why at the time. Now, it seemed that Lu Ban's future and Feng Yu's past had some connection, so at least in Feng Yu's perception, Lu Ban was safe now.

"That's great, when do we leave?"

Lu Ban asked.

"Anytime is fine."

Feng Yu answered.

Lu Ban didn't keep Feng Yu waiting for long. After tidying up, he opened the Silent Land panel again.

[Enter the Silent Land?]

【whether】

Lu Ban glanced at Feng Yu beside him and chose "Yes".

Suddenly, a fierce wind swept through the house, and yellow sand filled the air, obscuring the view. The wind blew the entire house apart, causing walls to collapse and bricks to swirl in the tornado. This unprecedented frenzy struck Lu Ban as something quite unusual.

Just then, a hand grabbed him.

Lu Ban looked to the side and saw Feng Yu holding Lu Ban's hand, clearing a slightly secluded path through the deep purple lightning whipped up by the tornado.

At the same time, in Lu Ban's vision, the cold and indifferent words of the Silent Land appeared.

The time flow in this alternate world is different from that in the main world.

[Time ratio: 1:1]

[Heading to the wasteland]

The storm quickly obscured the view, but Feng Yu held Lu Ban firmly in his hand. When he felt the storm subside and the surroundings quiet down, Lu Ban found himself standing in a sandy area.

The sky was a clear, cloudless blue. Ahead, under the sunlight, a magnificent city rose from the ground, obscuring the horizon.

The city was mostly made of dark brick buildings, with no tall buildings, except for a pyramid-like structure standing in the center.

Around the city, caravans riding strange creatures came and went in an endless stream. The closer they got to the city, the denser the population became. It was like the last embers of human civilization in the desert, shining brightly in the scorching sun.

However, compared to when he first arrived in the wasteland, Lu Ban felt that this world was indeed much more prosperous.

"This is Utopia, the largest city-state in the wasteland."

Feng Yu pointed to the city.

She had changed into a desert-style dress at some point, and covered her hair with a cloth.

Lu Ban was still dressed in short sleeves.

The two moved toward the city, and Feng Yu spoke as they walked.

“The city-states in the wasteland are like countries, and each city-state has its own sage, or rather, the legacy of the sage is the foundation upon which they establish their city-state.”

What exactly is a sage?

Lu Ban asked, the gravel was quite soft underfoot, and his shoes, which he used for walking in the city, quickly sank into the sand.

“In this foreign land, saints are also called famous ones. Some say that because most people in the wasteland do not have names, famous ones become extraordinary. But actually, it is the opposite. The name of a saint is itself a kind of power.”

Feng Yu watched as Lu Ban took off his shoes, poured out a lot of sand, and put them back on. She continued.

"Since pollution is a form of knowledge, why can't a name also be considered pollution?"