Could I possibly meet a god?! Zhang Yuanqing felt his heart sink, instinctively assuming that Catherine was preparing a "welcoming ceremony" for him—just as they had done for Emma. After all, given his recent negative energy and his status as a sorcerer specializing in illusions, why would such a ceremony be necessary? It simply didn't make sense. Zhang Yuanqing felt both bewildered and concerned, masking his curiosity and skepticism with a composed tone: "Meet a god? If you wish to pollute me, to control me with such a high-status presence, then I shall refuse." Even evil professions fear pollution and madness; their strong convictions may warp their personalities, but they typically preserve their intelligence. However, intense pollution can lead to a decline in cognitive function. By saying this, Zhang Yuanqing was testing Catherine's intentions. If her goal was to have him undergo the ceremony, she would need to offer a compelling reason for refusal—or, if she were relying solely on her own power, she might be forced to risk it, enduring what could be a form of mental reprogramming. "You don't need to!" "Katharine smiled gently,"Your malice is like a deep, unfathomable mud pit—calm on the surface, yet capable of polluting an entire lake." After her light-hearted remark, she grew serious, "The battle tomorrow night may involve the attention of high-tier dominants, even semi-divine warriors. We need to secure a safety net for ourselves." "A safety net?" Zhang Yuanqing allowed his usually stern expression to soften slightly, conveying a touch of anticipation. Yet within, he felt increasingly weighty, for he had no choice in the matter—how could anyone refuse a life-saving backup? To refuse would be to raise questions. Katharine smiled mysteriously, "More precisely, it's protection. Don't underestimate our Hunter's Guild—our foundations are far deeper than those of the Lawful organizations." Divine protection... Zhang Yuanqing felt a sense of gravity settle in his heart. The Celestial Judgment had dared to go to war, clearly with thorough preparations and unwavering confidence. Yet the forces of evil were no mere amateurs. Two opposing camps clash, with neither side possessing a decisive advantage in strength or intelligence—whether one wins or loses will ultimately depend on what happens, as much as on what is done. He also remains uncertain whether the so-called "divine beings" will perceive his disguise and fully replicate the original owner's essence, though only down to the level of sovereigns. At higher levels, specific techniques and core attributes cannot be duplicated—for instance, the replica lacks a black heart. Functions such as modifying the spiritual realm ID and absorbing character cards cannot be replicated either. Should the divine beings mentioned by Catherine detect that he is merely a replica, then the identity of "Master of the Heavenly Teachings" would become invalid, and the president's plan would collapse. Yet, if the original self were to arrive, he would hesitate to take risks. He finds himself somewhat troubled. Zhang Yuanqing quickly formulates a strategy. After a few seconds, he comes up with a solution, and looking at Catherine, dressed in a flowing black gown, radiant and charming, he calmly asks: "How exactly do you mean 'protection'? In what way, and when does it begin?" Catherine glanced at the clock. "Half an hour from now." Zhang Yuanqing nodded calmly, saying, "I'll be gone for a moment." Catherine looked at him, "What do you need to do?" Zhang exhaled, "Just make some preparations—I don't want to go mad." With that, the deep brown pupils reflected the surreal dreamscape, and his form vanished into the room. Catherine did not stop him. "We've lost the bet—our perfect human skin is gone. But if we don't bet, the entire Long's plan collapses." Zhang Yuanqing spoke to himself, as if talking to a mirror, laying out the logic: "Katharine said that gods cannot descend into the mortal world, which means you fail to face the divine. If we exclude one-on-one service, then the chances that causal items go undetected are extremely high." The duplicate raised his thumb proudly, "No surprise—your core is truly outstanding. I, the duplicate, am just average!" After saying this, the duplicate donned the perfect human skin, restored his original appearance, then brushed his face again, transforming once more into the Master of Heaven and Earth. Yet his core had now fully become Zhang Yuanqing—the very person—bearing all the causal connections of the original. Thus, he was no longer a mere duplicate, but a living, breathing person. "Off we go!" he waved his hand and dissolved into starlight. ... Fifteen minutes later, Zhang Yuanqing returned to No. 69 Hamburg Street, pushing open the door to the private room once again. "If there's actually any pollution at all, do you think, with your mastery of illusion magic, you could stabilize your own temperament and state?" Katharine lounged lazily against the sofa, her smile enigmatic. I knew you'd think that—smart people love to imagine, and once they've imagined something, they're absolutely certain about it... Zhang Yuanqing said calmly, "Let's cut to the chase!" He sat in the single sofa across from Katharine, waiting for the moment to arrive. The Celestial Master had only recently joined the Hunter's Guild and therefore couldn't yet trust the organization completely. Moreover, he carried a fragment of a Sacred Disc, reportedly requiring protection from the guardianship of high-tier masters—so being cautious was entirely reasonable. In this state, taking time to prepare defensive measures was perfectly logical. Seeing that he remained silent, Katharine grew more convinced that she had indeed touched upon the Celestial Master's true thoughts. She smiled gently, rose gracefully, and from the wooden cabinet by the wall, retrieved a canvas, a dark, oil-slicked bowl, and a purple glass bottle. She unfurled the canvas, securing the corners with heavy weights, then removed the wooden stopper from the glass bottle and poured the deep green liquid into the dark bowl. Zhang Yuanqing sat by the side, watching curiously. Katharine extended a clear, translucent finger, swiftly stirring the liquid in the bowl, dipping it into the green hue, and using her finger as a brush to sketch out a series of tadpole-like characters on the canvas. These characters were twisted and somewhat awkward at first glance, appearing haphazard when viewed individually, yet together they formed an unexpected harmony—unified as one, resonating with a coherent, celestial rhythm. Like countless interlocking joints. When Katharine completed the final character, the canvas suddenly surged with a luminous green glow, coalescing into a luminous gate two meters tall. "Enter," Katharine smiled, stepping through the gate herself. Green ripples rippled outward as she passed through, vanishing into the room. The divine being Katharine spoke of was not in the spiritual realm—Zhang Yuanqing took a deep breath and followed her, stepping through the gate. A shimmering glow flashed, and then Zhang Yuanqing found himself in a vast open space, beneath a gray-white sky devoid of sun or moon. Diffuse,混沌 light filtered through the gray clouds, casting the realm in a half-light, half-shadow state. Before him lay a vast expanse of crimson lake, like a ruby set into the earth. A blood lake? A blood lake! Zhang Yuanqing’s eyes narrowed as he suddenly recalled the statements of the A-rank fugitive, "Pluto," who had confessed: the first members of the Free Covenant had taken an oath at the edge of the blood lake to overthrow the Church’s autocratic rule. And the blood lake was located within the divine realm! Was this the very divine realm spoken of by the Free Covenant? Zhang Yuanqing’s heart pounded wildly, his emotions nearly overwhelming him. Was the god he had come to meet—really—the very deity who had founded the Free Covenant? Katharine approached him, with a reverent and respectful demeanor, and whispered: "This is where the elders of the Free Covenant once made their solemn vows to overthrow the Church's tyrannical rule." Indeed... Zhang Yuanqing lowered his voice: "What exactly is God, as seen in the Blood Lake?" Katharine nodded: "The Blood Lake is where He rests." As she spoke, she knelt and bowed deeply toward the lake, her smooth forehead pressing reverently against the ground. This place should not be the spiritual realm, nor the ordinary world—rather, it must be the legendary sanctuary? A sanctuary independently established by high-ranking champions, existing beyond the realm of reality! Zhang Yuanqing silently pondered this. When Katharine rose to her feet, he asked: "You said God cannot descend upon Earth, correct?" "Who told you that it was God's true form?" Katharine's pale head was now dusted with soil, and she chuckled lightly. "What sleeps in the Blood Lake is His earthly manifestation." The earthly manifestation... Zhang Yuanqing inquired further: "What does the manifestation of God look like?" Katherine smiled mysteriously, "You'll find out soon enough." Under Zhang Yuanqing's gaze, she walked to the blood lake, pricked her wrist with her fingertip, and let the blood flow gently into the lake. Then, she bent down, cupped a handful of the blood water, and drank it deeply. The crimson water cascaded down her pale neck, creating a hauntingly beautiful, ethereal grace. "The high-level strong ones I'm referring to are peak Dominators or half-gods. Attacks from Dominators at levels seven or eight are simply out of the gods' sight—this is primarily done to give us an extra safety net. Will drinking the gods' bathing water make me instantly lose my wits?... Zhang Yuanqing glanced at Katharine and found her quite composed, not at all out of her depth, which gave him a slight sense of relief. Moreover, he felt a bit more at ease knowing that this form of protection is being granted this way, since he no longer has to face the gods directly or be personally attended to by them, significantly reducing the chances of his true identity being exposed. He walked to the edge of the Blood Lake, where Katharine reminded him: 'The divine water carries the essence of the gods. If consumed in excess, there are only two outcomes: either the body collapses and the person returns directly to the spiritual realm, or the body transforms into a terrifying beast-mage, possessing immense destructive power but losing all spiritual intelligence—effectively experiencing a death of consciousness, with no possibility of recovery.' " "That is also why we only insure ourselves, rather than harness the divine spring's power to gain divine strength." "Could a deformed creature become a terrifying monster? Is the deity itself a master of fatal poisons?" Zhang Yuanqing asked. "How much should I drink?" Katharina replied. "You are at the peak of the Saintly rank, yet your physical constitution is frail—your intake must not exceed five milliliters." Zhang Yuanqing nodded, gathering a small amount in his palm. It wasn't very hygienic—shouldn't he boil it first, to sterilize it? He hesitated in his mind, but then recalling that he was only a duplicate, he bit his lip and took it in one smooth sip. Instantly, the liquid felt as though it were molten rock—its intense heat exploded on his tongue, surged down his throat, and settled in his stomach. Zhang Yuanqing felt as though his five organs and six viscera had been reduced to charcoal. More devastating still, he heard a dreadful murmuring, like whispers from a dream, like an incomprehensible ancient tongue. Just as Katharina had done earlier, he clutched his ears, screaming with Yet at this very moment, the physical and spiritual pains could no longer conceal the profound shock within. Magic seed! The magic seed at the very bottom of the ship!