Dark green, foul-smelling blood gushed out like a fountain. The massive serpent body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The battle was over.
Before long, reinforcements from other Night Watchman squads arrived and began securing the scene. They quickly moved to clear the area and recover the serpent monster's remains for follow-up research and processing.
However, when they attempted to collect the most important prize—the corpse of the Nanda Serpent Mother—they discovered something alarming.
The giant serpent head that Lin Qiye had severed was gone.
Only a pool of congealed dark green blood and the massive headless body remained.
Wu Xiangnan's expression grew grim.
"Activate 'Dream Whisper' immediately," he ordered through the communication channel. "Cover the entire school grounds. Perform memory suppression and psychological suggestion on all civilians. Erase every trace of this incident."
---
Deep beneath the city, inside the sewer system, the air was dark, humid, and foul.
An Qingyu walked slowly through the narrow tunnels while sewage flowed along the pipes beside him. In his arms he carried the severed head of the Serpent Mother, which still retained a faint warmth.
A fanatical smile stretched across his face, utterly out of place in the filthy environment.
At that moment, invisible ripples from the Night Watchmen's "Dream Whisper" swept across the city like a silent tide.
A faint and strange energy seemed to be drawn toward him.
It flowed quietly into An Qingyu's body.
He shuddered slightly.
It felt as if a sealed door inside his brain had suddenly opened.
An entirely new ability began awakening within him—the power to "dialyze" the essence of all things.
He lowered his head and looked at the serpent head in his arms. His eyes gleamed with manic concentration.
---
Meanwhile, the Night Watchman squads were still searching for the missing serpent head.
For Lin Qiye, however, the incident had finally come to an end.
Dragging his exhausted body back to Hong Ying's house, he collapsed onto the bed the moment he arrived.
The battle had drained his mind far more than his body.
He fell asleep almost instantly.
---
As he slept, his consciousness was once again drawn into the Asylum for the Gods.
But the scene before him left him momentarily stunned.
The space had expanded.
There was now an ocean.
And a beach.
Bright sunlight shone overhead while a gentle sea breeze drifted through the air.
Yang Yi was lounging on a beach chair wearing flashy beach shorts. Beside him, Nyx reclined in oversized sunglasses, enjoying the warm sunlight.
Nearby, another familiar figure stood beside a charcoal grill, sweating heavily as he worked.
Lin Qiye looked closer.
It was Li Yifei.
He was carefully turning skewers of meat over the grill, his movements both clumsy and intensely focused. After finishing each skewer, he placed it neatly on a tray before respectfully offering it to Yang Yi, then serving the rest to Nyx.
His submissive behavior was completely different from the savage monster he had been during the battle.
Seeing Lin Qiye appear, Yang Yi grinned.
He casually picked up a sizzling skewer of grilled meat and tossed it toward him.
"Here. Try it. Fresh off the grill."
Lin Qiye caught it instinctively.
The rich aroma of grilled meat immediately stimulated his appetite. Without thinking, he took a bite.
The moment the meat touched his tongue—
A surge of pure, overwhelming energy exploded within his body.
The energy was both gentle and domineering, rushing through his limbs and nourishing his spirit. His mind became instantly clear, as if every trace of fatigue had been washed away.
His mental power began rising violently.
It surged upward like a runaway horse.
In the blink of an eye, it shattered an invisible barrier.
Lin Qiye's cultivation advanced directly into the Pool Realm.
But the surge didn't stop there.
His power continued rising until it reached the peak of the Pool Realm. Only a thin barrier remained between him and the River Realm.
Lin Qiye stared at the skewer in his hand in shock, then slowly looked at Yang Yi.
"This... what kind of meat is this?"
His voice trembled slightly.
A single skewer of grilled meat had produced such an absurd transformation in his mental power.
It was unbelievable.
Yang Yi grabbed another skewer and took a casual bite.
"Oh, this?" he said vaguely. "Nothing special. Just a snake I ran into while taking a walk."
He paused for a moment, trying to remember the name.
"I think it was called... Jormungandr? Yeah, that was it. Looked pretty tasty, so I grabbed it and grilled it."
He spoke as if he were describing something completely ordinary.
Lin Qiye's mouth twitched.
Jormungandr.
The World Serpent of Norse mythology—the creature said to encircle the entire Earth.
And Yang Yi had casually grabbed it and turned it into barbecue.
Lin Qiye suddenly felt that his understanding of Yang Yi's strength had been far too shallow.
Yang Yi didn't seem to notice his shock.
Instead, he smiled.
"Not bad, Qiye. Your mental power improved quite a bit. Looks like the barbecue worked."
He wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth.
"Oh, right. Since your mental power has increased, you now have permission to enter the Second Psychiatric Ward."
He leaned forward slightly.
"And at the same time..."
Yang Yi's eyes gleamed mysteriously.
"The second door of the Evil God Prison has opened for you."
He winked.
"There's a surprise waiting inside."
Lin Qiye immediately remembered his last visit to the Evil God Prison and felt a lingering chill.
His gaze unconsciously drifted toward Li Yifei, who was still diligently grilling skewers.
Maybe...
He could send Li Yifei in first?
Li Yifei seemed to sense the look.
His body stiffened.
He slowly turned his head and forced out an awkward smile filled with both flattery and deep fear.
Lin Qiye looked away.
Forget it.
It wasn't easy to find employees. Better not get him killed.
His thoughts shifted.
The Second Psychiatric Ward stirred his curiosity intensely.
Every corner of the Asylum for the Gods was filled with mystery.
Yet Yang Yi's mention of the "surprise inside" scratched at his curiosity like an invisible hand.
And then there was the Evil God Prison.
The first imprisoned god, Slaanesh, had granted him the ability [Transcendent Charm], which was still playing a major role in his battles.
What kind of entity would be sealed behind the second door?
What kind of "surprise" awaited him?
After a moment of thought, Lin Qiye made his choice.
He would explore the Evil God Prison first.
---
Sensing his decision, Yang Yi casually flicked his consciousness.
The beach, the ocean, and the barbecue stall dissolved instantly.
In the next moment, Lin Qiye stood once again in the dark corridor leading to the Evil God Prison.
The air was heavy with the same suffocating pressure as before.
He walked deeper into the corridor.
The luxurious door imprisoning Slaanesh remained tightly sealed, faintly radiating its seductive aura.
A short distance away stood another door.
The second door.
Unlike Slaanesh's extravagant style, this door was ancient and solemn.
Its surface was dark metal, devoid of intricate carvings or seductive patterns.
Instead, countless tiny points of light shimmered across it like distant stars, slowly drifting across the surface.
It looked as though the entire universe had been engraved into the door.
Simply staring at it created the illusion that one's soul might be drawn into an endless sea of stars.
Vast.
Profound.
And filled with unfathomable power.
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