Chapter 14

Twice a month on average, she would wonder why the [Association] had sent her to be an assistant to a world-class superman like Qi Xing. Was she really enough on her own? Once or twice a month on average, she couldn't help but question the arrangements of both her superiors and God.

So now, Elaine chose to pray for Qi Xing.

"O Lord, Your loving-kindness endures forever, and Your grace is infinite. I praise Your name and implore You to let Your gaze linger here for a moment, granting him the opportunity to witness Your radiance."

The gap in power was too great; there was nothing left in this world that could allow Qi Xing to overcome Satan. Unless a miracle occurred, for a miracle meant that all things were possible. The dead could rise again, the weak could defeat the strong, and the cunning devil could stumble in a place she least expected.

"Your children are saved by his struggle and preserved by his efforts. As the haze of darkness descends, I implore You, Heavenly Father! Do not let him fall into the throat of the Great Serpent! I beg You! Please do not let him be devoured, do not let the Dark Adversary win this noble soul from Your hands… I beg You!"

Battling other evils only risked one's life, for the souls of the dead could still stand in Heaven. However, falling into the hands of a demon risked being corrupted through indoctrination. At that point, his soul might be bound in Hell to suffer eternal torment.

For a hero who had bravely stepped forward, sacrificing himself to fight evil for ten years, what justice was there in such an ending? Could such a thing really be allowed?

Thus, Elaine prayed for him with the heaviest of hearts and the most desperate of hopes. As long as Qi Xing could win and return safely, she would pay any price and do anything.

But then again, in this goddamn cesspool of a world, was there really any justice and hope to be found?

Doubts like these often tormented her. Who could remain unshaken in such a terrifying environment?

Heat surged up from the deepest layer of the [Inner Realm], condensing into dark clouds that blanketed the sky. Accompanied by the aftershocks of the intense battle, it transformed into drops of black rain that fell down.

Elaine was drenched by the raindrops, and her nun's habit was stained, but she continued to pray.

She simply hoped that there could be justice and redemption in the world.

Although she did not know who this redemption was intended for, nor could she imagine in what form it would arrive.

Would the Lord listen to her prayer of earnest desire?

Would a miracle really appear?

— The miracle seemed to have appeared.

Qi Xing's entire body was quietly glowing, emitting a warm, pure white radiance.

"Ha." But Samael laughed. She covered her mouth and chuckled craftily, looking unimpressed,

"That is merely the insignificant power of that little nun's faith. You can't be serious, right? You don't actually think that shouting about 'justice' or 'bonds' will let you defeat me, do you?"

Having said that, she casually flung a giant beast at Qi Xing from the void.

It was a sixty-six-meter-long black giant snake, looking down on Qi Xing from above just like its master. As it opened its mouth and flicked its tongue, dense mist flowed out. The mist gradually filled and shrouded the surroundings.

This thing was originally a giant divine serpent from ancient Egypt. The thick mist it exhaled could block vision and even spiritual perception, hiding its already agile, massive body. At the same time, it carried snake venom that would paralyze anyone who inhaled it, making it a very troublesome monster.

Moreover, they also enjoyed the bizarre practice of swallowing prey whole.

Generally speaking, if an evil summoner were to call forth such a divine beast to paralyze heroines and prepare to do all sorts of terrible things, exorcists would first have to burn away the poisonous mist with intense flames, and then use quite advanced prayers and healing magic to detoxify. This operation alone required many people.

To deal with such a divine beast, it generally required at least twenty expert exorcists.

But— Qi Xing did nothing, just standing there on the spot.

Had he already been paralyzed?

The poison was ineffective against the divine serpent itself. It hid its body within the dense mist, circled Qi Xing a few times, and then launched a probing move, slamming its massive tail down with a heavy blow.

Boom! A sixty-meter-long, supersonic tail slam! This was absolutely a blow comparable to a monster from an Ultraman special effects show!

But Qi Xing simply reached out, grabbing the fat tail that had swept before his eyes with one hand.

"Huh?"

A faint white light flickered on his body as his internal energy coursed through his meridians.

He bulged with veins and muscles, his bones and sinews stretching as every part of his body expanded like erectile tissue. In an instant, he went from a well-proportioned man of about 1.8 meters to a two-meter-tall tough guy, his entire body dark blue, muscles bulging and veins popping! He gripped the giant snake with one hand and gave it a forceful swing!

Thud-boom— The sixty-six-meter-long giant snake was swung up by him with one hand like a rag. It was whipped around in mid-air ten times before being smashed onto the ground. In an instant, the entire snake's head and fangs were smashed to pulp.

Even Samael couldn't help but stare in a daze.

(That's not right. Was this kid this strong just a moment ago?)

She couldn't help but turn her head and glance toward the shallow layer. She knew the little nun was on the deck praying for Qi Xing. She knew that the tradition of Christianity using prayers and sacraments to resist dark forces had existed since ancient times. After all, she herself was a part of this historical tradition.

However, the holy arts of Christianity were not equivalent to the great power directly from higher dimensions. Their various secret rituals and ceremonies were actually not much different from the sacred magic of other religious sects; they were merely adding a buff to the blessed, not true [miracles] at all.

She was very clear that the souls of this world could not possibly trigger true miracles.

(Although this level of strength is nothing at all… but to be safe, I'd better stop playing around. I should hurry up, beat this little guy to his knees, and subdue him to get it over with.)

Although Qi Xing couldn't defeat her even if he were ten times stronger, what if some miracle really popped out and slapped her in the face? That would be embarrassing. So, it was better to be careful.

That said, if she were truly careful enough, she should have just given up on subduing him and simply beaten Qi Xing to death. It was just a pity that if a devil wasn't greedy, it wouldn't be a devil.

Furthermore, don't let Samael's tough talk fool you; in reality, she was truly all alone and very much in need of subordinates.

"Haaa—" The Loli Evil God feigned a yawn, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Do you have any other tricks? If you have any trump cards hidden up your sleeve, you'd better bring them out quickly."

Qi Xing actually felt that Elaine and the others should have just about finished evacuating. It was time. He would reveal his trump card and see how the battle would turn out.

He raised his hand, and the Golden Scales appeared. One of the pans held a white feather representing justice.

"Samael, Satan, Evil Dragon, wicked Devil King, I am now going to judge your sins."

Qi Xing began to chant, pouring all his will into the scales, "I am the resurrected Osiris, I am the Sun of the Night (Ra), the Underworld King who presides over judgment! [Scales of Judgment for Sinful Souls], judge the sinner before me!"

This was the mythological authority he had seized from the sky-hanging of Osiris. If Elaine's theory and speculation were correct, Qi Xing should be able to play the role of the Underworld King Osiris in this [Inner Realm] and judge all evil. Even if the opponent was a fallen angel or the Devil King Satan, it would be no exception. Because everyone needed to adhere to the role-playing of the [Inner Realm].

One end of the Golden Scales would hold the sinner's heart, representing their soul; the other end would hold the feather representing justice as a weight. If the heart was lighter than or equal to the feather, it meant they were innocent; otherwise, it meant they were guilty, and the sinner would be devoured by monsters.

Precisely because she was Satan, she should be afraid of this kind of authority that judged evil, right?

However, Samael, sitting on her throne, couldn't help but laugh when she saw the scales: "Heh, so this is your only trump card?"

The Golden Scales began to glow. A white ball of light floated out from Samael's chest and landed gently on the other end of the scales.

The scales didn't move at all, not even a wobble. Samael's sins were lighter than the feather.

"This is too absurd!" Although he was mentally prepared for the possibility of losing the bet, Qi Xing couldn't help but be shocked when he saw this scene. Wasn't she Satan? If the authority was ineffective, he would accept it, but how could there be absolutely no sins weighable on Satan? Where was the justice in the world?! Was this scale fake?

"You want to use the Scales of Osiris to judge me? Who do you think I am? Who do you think I am right now? Who do you think I am playing in this [Inner Realm]?"

Samael bloomed with a smug smile, and absolutely overwhelming power surged out from her body. There was no need to worry anymore! She had this in the bag!

"You are one move behind, Monk! In this [Inner Realm], I am the true judge!"

"On this stage, I am Isis, who resurrects the dead and decides who can ascend to the throne of the human world!"

018: That woman beat herself to her knees!

Damn it. Playing Isis? The arbiter of the throne? Qi Xing never expected this twist.

Elaine had previously told Qi Xing that, to some extent, the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis was very similar to the Virgin Mary of Christianity. Because in the beliefs of the ancient Egyptians, Isis was also a perfect mother to her son, Horus.

But Isis also possessed another power that the Virgin Mary never had: Isis was not only the goddess who governed life, death, and resurrection, but also governed the royal power of the world.

She could create miracles, resurrect her dead husband, and make her husband, Osiris, the King of the Afterlife, the Sun of the Night.

She could also cast spells to allow her son, Horus, to obtain the divine power of Ra and ascend to the throne, becoming the Pharaoh of the present world, the Sun of the Morning.

Therefore, she herself became the guardian deity of the living and the dead, the arbiter of the throne.

What Samael needed now was precisely that last kind of power, the power to decide who could ascend to the throne. It was precisely because of this power to determine the throne that Samael had chosen to play Isis in this [Inner Realm].

Because she was a goddess of the mundane world, she needed to select a mortal king responsible for ruling on her behalf.

Royal power is divinely ordained, and she was the goddess who judged the throne. The judgment of a king was useless against her.

And that was not all.

"Little immortal, you attempted to judge me, and you failed."

"Now, it is my turn to judge you."

The Loli Evil God stood up from her throne and walked toward Qi Xing with light, brisk steps.

The Evil God's force of will was ineffective against Qi Xing, but when she walked directly in front of him and pressed her finger against his forehead—this great power, enough to move the Earth, ultimately crushed one of Qi Xing's legs, forcing him to half-kneel.

Damn it.

"You want to judge me?"

Qi Xing circulated all his internal energy and muscles, stretching his bones and sinews, exerting all his strength to resist, squeezing words out through his gritted teeth.

What crimes did he have that could be judged? In the ten years since his transmigration, Qi Xing had always been fighting against evil, doing his every bit of effort to save people from those lecherous demons and heretics.

The lecherous people of this world were endless and impossible to kill off completely. Every night, the city was filled with dirty transactions and many innocent men and women who fell victim. Even among the political and economic elites of various countries, there was no lack of hidden evil.

Qi Xing could have chosen to collude with them at any time and enjoy wealth and glory. But he had never chosen to fall, nor had he relied on his own power to mindlessly indulge in this eroge cesspool of a world. His heart and actions had not a single trace of haze; they were all righteous!

What crimes could he have that a devil could judge? None!

"That's not necessarily true." Seeming to see through Qi Xing's thoughts, the Loli Evil God poked his face with her finger, chuckling craftily, "You're actually quite famous. Long before today, I had heard your name and deeds—[Master Leipu]! What a resounding title!"

"So from the moment you boarded the cruise ship, I have been watching you. But I discovered that you are very different from what I imagined."

What does that mean?

"Tell me, little immortal," the Loli Evil God narrowed her golden eyes, the devil flashing a devilish smile, "Why is [Master Leipu] a virgin?"

Do you really have to bring up a sore subject?

For a moment, Qi Xing was truly speechless.

"What do you know, you devil? I am tempering my bones and sinews, refining my yang energy, so that I have enough power to fight against you evils. Therefore, matters of women are not very important."

"Eh? Really?" The bratty little evil god covered her mouth with an expression of surprise, though she was snickering at the corner of her mouth, "But looking at your meridians for energy cultivation, the Thunder Heart Method clearly should have been a balance of yin and yang, yet you only cultivated yang fire and lack yin energy. As a result, your essence is overflowing, but you cannot achieve the convergence of the dragon and tiger, which is why you are only a half-baked earth immortal and lack absolute, ultimate power."

"It's not like you're practicing a virgin technique, why do things in a way that yields half the result with twice the effort?"

This devil actually understands Eastern energy cultivation techniques?!

"Of course I understand." Samael scoffed, wrinkling her cute nose, "There is only one underlying truth of the world, and all different secret knowledge flows from the same source. I am the god of this world, how could I not understand?"

"So I am just curious—what do you actually want?"

She reached out and patted Qi Xing's muscles. Qi Xing's entire body of bones and sinews had been tempered to the human limit; his arms and legs were high-density, powerful muscles.

Once he channeled his energy, every part of his body expanded like erectile tissue, and the whole person hardened like a █ █, engorged and growing to two meters tall.

This could truly be called a [hard] man.

"If you really wanted powerful strength, you should have tempered the overly scorching yang fire with water. But you didn't, and it's not that you don't understand."