"Damn it!" Zhang Yuanqing muttered under his breath, immediately deciding to act. He pried open the cardinal's mouth and forcefully injected a tube of life-source liquid into his oral cavity. Then, he retrieved a second, diluted tube of life-source liquid, handed it to Princess Yin Yao, and said urgently, "You take over now. Communicate with him. If that fails, release me from the coffin—worse comes to worse, I'll have to die again!" With that, he vanished from the cabin floor, employing the Star-Flight technique. Zhang Yuanqing had to go. With his decisive, combative nature and the heightened aggression resulting from the contamination, seeing the cardinal still alive and Princess Yin Yao transformed into a畸变者 (abnormal being) would likely prompt him to act immediately. Princess Yin Yao calmly picked up the diluted life-source liquid and, following Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn's example, pried open the cardinal's mouth to inject the liquid. Then she withdrew the mountain deity's staff and began waiting for the medicine to take effect. "Crack... crack... crack..." a clear, crisp sound of charcoal splitting resonated through the cardinal's body. Not long after, the dying bishop opened his eyes, his pupils slightly blurred. He sat up, gazing around in confusion, only to regain clarity upon recognizing the knights engaged in battle and the woman beside him with her striking crimson eyes. Instantly, he recalled the details of his final moments before death. His pupils constricted sharply as he swiftly summoned a lightning-encrusted spear. "If I were you," said Lady Yin Yao, holding her small horn aloft, her expression impassive as she fixed her gaze on the red-robed bishop. The bishop paused, his mind gradually returning to focus. He did not release his spear, nor did he immediately launch an attack. "You saved me?" asked Lady Yin Yao. "His spirit was corrupted, his perception distorted. It was only after you nearly destroyed him that he regained his sense of self," she explained plainly. "He was unwilling to remain a mere puppet and sought a solution. That's why he asked me to save you. I believe, with your wisdom, you will be able to discern what is true from what is false." The Cardinal glanced at the two knights whose efforts had been suppressed, paused for several seconds, and said, "You truly didn't need to save me." He set down his thunder spear. "What can be done to save him?" Princess Yin Yao asked hurriedly. "The only salvation lies in going to heaven and asking God for forgiveness—He will accept every sheep that has found its way back from wandering." The Cardinal's charred face revealed deep devotion as he made the sign of the cross over his chest. Princess Yin Yao almost wanted to send him off to see God. After a moment's thought, she asked, "Is there anything that can alleviate the pollution?" The Cardinal looked toward the damaged circular array on the ground. "The purification ritual can remove the essence of the magical seeds. When Lieutenant Stephen underwent his first distortion, he briefly regained his sense of self during the ritual." Princess Yin Yao quickly replied, "Could you please arrange the ritual once again?" "Do you wish to undergo the purification ritual?" the Cardinal's expression grew serious, and he remained silent. "Is there any issue?" Princess Yin Yao asked in return. Yet they seemed to die most unjustly… The Cardinal gazed at the fallen Isabella and Captain James, silently drawing the cross on his chest. "Can we make them stop?" he asked, turning to the two knights struggling to hold on. "They are beyond my control," Princess Yinyao shook her head. Upon hearing this, the Cardinal flashed a light in his palm, forming a long whip from a bright blue arc of electricity. He stepped forward two paces and swung his arm. "Zzzz-zzzz-zzzz-zzzz-zzzz—" With a series of five lightning whips, he struck the Greedy Divine General and the Hundred-Blade Warrior in quick succession. The powerful spiritual energy of lightning shattered the spiritual scroll array within their undead bodies. It was as if the internal circuits of an electrical appliance had been damaged—both the Greedy Divine General and the Hundred-Blade Warrior instantly went rigid. The two knights exhaled in relief, their knees buckling as they leaned on their swords and collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. They had not seized the opportunity to strike down the two undead foes, having witnessed how the two had saved the Cardinal. Two seriously wounded knights and the cardinal laid Isabella and James's bodies together, silently praying. Afterward, one knight wiped away the fragmented hexagonal circle array with a damp mop. Another knight brought the necessary materials to assist the cardinal in carving out the array. Princess Yin Yao watched from the side, holding a small horn trumpet and said, "This isn't a purification scroll. I just thought—there's no profession in the First District capable of purification." While sprinkling the crimson powder, the cardinal replied, "I don't understand you. These are magical runes—ancient Luun runes, as per the legendary traditions." He didn't grasp either "purification scroll" or "First District." "What are Luun runes?" Princess Yin Yao asked, not knowing. The cardinal patiently explained: "The Runes are the supreme power in Nordic mythology, said to be wisdom gained by the god Odin from the World Tree—considered the origin of all magic. The spells used by witches evolved from these Runes, forming one of their branches. There are twenty-four distinct Runes, each possessing unique powers. The one I am currently inscribing symbolizes holiness and light, and it has the effect of purifying evil forces." Lady Yin Yao listened with only partial understanding, quietly taking notes, intending to return and ask the Prime Heavenly Sovereign later. She remained silent until the cardinal completed the drawing of the six-pointed star circle, at which point she exhaled in relief and then dissolved into starlight. In the captain's cabin, starlight rose. Lady Yin Yao walked to the coffin, tapped on the lid, and gently inquired, "Prime Heavenly Sovereign?" There was no response. She pushed open the coffin lid, stepped back several paces, and immediately activated the cat king speaker to emit a steady, spirit-suppressing drumbeat, preparing herself for what might come. Zhang Yuanqing sat up from the coffin lid, his expression cold; yet under the impact of the drumbeats, his awareness rapidly returned, and he showed signs of pain. "Agreed!" Princess Yin Yao quickly said. "Well done," Zhang Yuanqing replied without further words, rising and stepping out of the coffin. The coffin could dampen the murmurs of the magical seed, reduce contamination, but could not completely isolate it. Lying in the coffin was merely a temporary measure—accepting purification was the true path. Seizing the moment when his consciousness was clear, he activated the Star-Flight technique and moved from the captain's cabin to the lower deck. Zhang Yuanqing quickly scanned the area, noting the two lifeless shadow corpses without concern, then turned his gaze to the circular array, before shifting his attention to the red-robed bishop. The bishop pointed to the array: "You should enter it." Zhang Yuanqing calmly stepped into the circle. The bishop clasped his hands over his chest, pressed his lips against his fists, and began silently reciting a spell. After several breaths, the dark red array glowed with a pure, clean light. Zhang Yuanqing felt a furious roar surge through his body, black smoke rising and drifting away from him. As the smoke receded, his senses fully returned—his thoughts became clear and coherent, free from confusion or hallucinations. Yet Zhang Yuanqing knew clearly that this was only temporary. The magical seed would continue to pollute and enhance him as a Lingjing cultivator, since this was precisely the "gift" bestowed upon him by the quest. The pollution on the following days and nights would be several times stronger than today, and it remained uncertain whether the purification techniques would still be effective then. Therefore, what Zhang Yuanqing needed to do now was to practice the *Pure Yang Washing Record*, restoring the peak power of the Sun Deity and enhancing his resistance until the quest concluded. As long as he did not completely collapse, and only experienced mild pollution, he could rely on the Sun Deity's power once outside the quest to fully eliminate the effects. In the flicker of his thoughts, he noticed the Red Cardinal's expression of hostility and cautious vigilance. "Do you still remember your own name?" the Cardinal asked. "Stephen Simpson." "Zhang Yuanqing said. The Cardinal was filled with delight, "The purification effect is better than last time." Watching the Cardinal's joyful expression, Zhang Yuanqing thought that, when it came to distorting perception, the Spiritual Realm was truly the most terrifying. Within the quest realm, no matter how unusually the Spiritual Realm travelers manifested, NPCs automatically accepted these changes without any hesitation. These NPCs were living beings—solid, flesh-and-blood, carbon-based organisms with independent souls, indistinguishable from humans in the real world. Zhang Yuanqing suspected that if the Spiritual Realm didn't reset the quest realm, its NPCs might even conceive and give birth. "Cardinal, please oversee my condition," Zhang Yuanqing said. "Each day, the magical seed will contaminate one target. Should I perish, then you and your companions will be the ones affected." He added, "Cardinal, wouldn't you also wish to protect your companions from contamination? Therefore, kindly offer your protection and be ready to purify at all times." Though he said this, Zhang Yuanqing did not immediately begin practicing the Pure Yang Washing Scroll. Night is the peak of the Moon's power, unsuitable for practicing the Pure Yang Washing Record. Zhang Yuanqing activated his technique, allowing the divine energy of the Sun to flow slowly through his meridians, thus protecting himself and warding off contamination from the magical seed. At the same time, he subtly guided the emotions of the Cardinal, casually inquiring, "Your Grace, do you know the origin of this magical seed?" He directed his gaze toward the short wall built of stacked flour, behind which the seed lay. The Cardinal shook his head. "Could it be a master-level item? Perhaps a piece of equipment?" Zhang Yuanqing, while manipulating the Cardinal's emotions to encourage openness, gently probed. He believed it was a rare opportunity to encounter the 1900-year-old quest and interact with the spiritual travelers of the Church, and thus could not afford to miss the chance to gather intelligence. The Cardinal, still recovering from his severe injury and remaining weak, was perfectly suited to be "manipulated." The archbishop remained silent for several seconds, his tone especially grave. "I don't know what it is, nor do I know its origin. According to the Prophecy of the Compass of Light, the celestial object that sank into Hainan possesses a terrifying power capable of destroying the world. The Most Holy Pope has placed great importance on this matter, and thus has entrusted me with handling it." "The Compass of Light? You just mentioned the Compass of Light?" Zhang Yuanqing exclaimed. The red-robed archbishop was momentarily taken aback by his reaction, puzzled as to why he seemed so surprised. "The Compass of Light is one of the Holy Palaces of the Church, standing alongside the Pool of Immersion and the Holy Plate as one of the Three Sacred Treasures." So the Compass of Light is indeed a sacred treasure of the Church? The chairman once said that the Compass of Light was introduced by the Free Alliance to advance the rivalry between the factions, and it was precisely the Free Alliance that ultimately overthrew the Church. Then, how did the Free Alliance end up with the Compass of Light? I remember the chairman also mentioned that the Compass of Light was accidentally carried out of the副本 by a spiritual traveler, wasn Well, at that time, our relationship wasn't very close—what I said might not have been entirely true. Zhang Yuanqing stopped dwelling on the origin of the Light Compass and began focusing instead on the prophecy spoken by the Cardinal: "If the Light Compass predicted that the magical seed could destroy the world, why did the Papal Court send only you, the Bishop, to sea?" Even if the Pope didn't personally come, he should have sent someone of greater stature. Moreover, the 'Terrifying Cruise' scenario indeed had an underlying plot—the magical seed wasn't as simple as it first appeared. After all, the Light Compass is a high-tier rule-based artifact. The Cardinal sensed the Lieutenant's subtle dismissal and furrowed his brow: "My rank and status are only below the Pope and the Holy Knights. Even across the entire spiritual realm, I rank among the top five. To send me to handle an extraterrestrial meteorite—what could possibly be wrong with that?" "...I almost forgot—when the First Region launched in 1900, it had only been 16 years since then. Back then, there were no well-established副本 guides, and the Journeyers upgraded slowly with high mortality rates. It was quite normal for a Peak Saint to become one of the top three figures in the Church. However, I recall the Church fell during the First World War, meaning that within 14 to 18 years, three half-gods would emerge—indicating rapid development. The Church's swift growth makes sense as it's a well-established, tradition-rich organization. But why has the evil faction, especially the Free Alliance, developed so quickly as well? With three half-gods, and considering the Journey realm has only been running for thirty years, how have they managed this? Zhang Yuanqing suddenly had many thoughts. 'What level is the Pope as a Journeyer? And what about the Saint Knight?' Zhang Yuanqing asked. 'The Pope is currently the highest-ranked at level nine, and the Saint Knight is at level eight,' the Cardinal replied with deep reverence. 'Was the Light Compass obtained by the Pope during his time in the Journey realm?' Zhang Yuanqing inquired." The cardinal shook his head, "The prophetic ability of the Compass of Light is not one of the known professions. It is an ancient relic passed down through the centuries and preserved in the Vatican's treasury." "Where exactly is the Vatican's treasury?" Zhang Yuanqing perked up. The cardinal looked at him with a strange gaze, "Revealing the location of the treasury—after death, one will not enter heaven. Do you think I'd tell you that?" Major Stephen still seemed mentally unstable. Such a closely guarded secret, and he asked it so confidently. "You'll enter the realm of the afterlife, not heaven—something like this, right now," Zhang Yuanqing remarked with a side-eye. Yet, the cardinal, whose own perception had been distorted, automatically overlooked the profound secret hinted at in his words. Believing that Major Stephen still harbored signs of mental instability, the cardinal paid no further attention to him, and Zhang Yuanqing remained silent, quietly reinforcing the emotional connection. After a few minutes, the cardinal sighed, "I can tell you this—no one knows the exact location of the Papal Treasury, because it's only recorded on maps. The map shows where it is, and thus, it is there." "What does that mean?" both Zhang Yuanqing and Princess Yin Yao didn't quite catch it. "The Pope has explained that the location of the Treasury changes periodically. Only by following the map's directions can one find it," the cardinal clarified. "Where is the map?" Zhang Yuanqing asked naturally, subtly reinforcing his emotional momentum. "It has been preserved by successive Holy Knights," the cardinal replied. Preserved by successive Holy Knights? The Knight Order has already vanished in ashes... Zhang Yuanqing felt a wave of disappointment, yet soon he recalled that stubborn, brash only-heir knight. The map has been preserved by successive Holy Knights... I now understand why that surviving knight insisted on continuing the knightly lineage! The treasure map was in the hands of the single-legacy knight, or perhaps he knew where it was. "After we exit the instance, I should find an opportunity to speak with the single-legacy knight again," Zhang Yuanqing thought. During this time, he continuously sought out conversations with the cardinal, gathering intelligence on the papal court. However, as the cardinal's condition improved, it became increasingly difficult to guide his emotions. On the third day, the cardinal outright refused to speak with him. By the fourth day, he no longer engaged in dialogue at all, instead remaining with two knights stationed beside the battlefield to prevent Major Stephen from losing control. On the fifth day, Zhang Yuanqing's *Pure Yang Washing Body Record* returned to its peak state, and the murmurs of the magical seed transformed into restless, intrusive noise, no longer able to distort his perception. By nightfall, just under an hour before leaving the spiritual realm, Zhang returned to the captain's quarters to retrieve the coffin and then went back to the lower deck, moving to the back of the "short wall," where for the first time he saw the true form of the magical seed. As described in Stephen's journal, it was a massive egg, five meters high, with a dark brown hue, its surface covered in pores and raised blood vessels that pulsed slowly. It stood quietly beneath the great hexagonal circular array, continuously enduring the purifying power of the glyphs. I'm not sure if I can take this with me—is the magical seed an authentic original, or a replica made in the spiritual realm? If it's genuine, will bringing it back to the real world exactly fulfill the Light Compass's prophecy and bring about a major catastrophe there? Zhang Yuanqing thought it over for a while and decided not to risk things. He'd wait until after completing the mission and see what rewards this S-tier quest offered. After all, the main objective was simply to survive for five days—not to unseal the magical seed or to defeat the lawful-aligned characters aboard the cruise ship. Time passed steadily, and just after twelve o'clock, Zhang Yuanqing heard a notification sound from the spiritual realm: 【Ping!