Wen Wen was unaware of the immense changes the world had undergone. He felt a summons from the figure in the black robe, so he entered the containment facility and immersed his consciousness in the black stone palace.
To Wen Wen's surprise, upon entering this time, the black stone palace felt slightly different. It no longer exuded the same heavy solemnity as before.
Walking into the palace, Wen Wen saw the figure in the black robe seated on a high platform. Upon observing his condition, Wen Wen's brow furrowed.
The black robe's body was not as solid as before. The hem of his long robe was faintly transparent, and he appeared somewhat weak.
"What's wrong with you?"
Wen Wen asked with concern. By this point, Wen Wen was no longer as suspicious as he was at the beginning.
Frankly speaking, from the moment the black robe appeared until now, he had never once betrayed him. Instead, he had bestowed countless benefits and assistance. Without the black robe, Wen Wen might have died several times over.
Therefore, although Wen Wen's demeanor towards the black robe lacked respect, he had actually come to regard the black robe as one of his own.
The black robe smiled upon seeing Wen Wen. "You've grown stronger, which is good... but you're not yet capable of standing on your own."
"Never mind me for now, what's wrong with you?" Wen Wen pressed.
"I was never complete to begin with, so it's only natural that I've reached this state."
"Your superpower, 'Black Body'—pfft, what an unpleasant name—is ultimately derived from my power. As you grow stronger, I naturally weaken."
"When you can stand on your own, I will likely disappear. This is an outcome I set in motion a thousand years ago, so you needn't have any second thoughts."
Wen Wen was taken aback. He had, in fact, grown accustomed to the black robe's presence.
"What if I don't want you to disappear?"
The black robe smiled and shook his head. "This cannot be changed. When I truly disappear one day, do not slacken. Strive to become stronger and do not be content with the power you possess."
"Star Realm Gods, Spirit Realm Gods, even Heaven Realm Gods... are not your ultimate destination. You must ascend to higher planes."
"Because one day, an enemy more terrifying than a Heaven Realm God will find you. At that time... do not show any mercy. Destroy him completely!"
Before Wen Wen could fully process his words, the figure in the black robe continued, "I summoned you this time because there is something you need to be aware of."
"As your strength grows, this world will also change. The outer layers of this world have several defenses against intrusions from the inner world, three of which were set by me."
"As you grow stronger, these three barriers will gradually disappear, and one of them should have already collapsed."
Wen Wen immediately inquired, "What will happen after the barriers disappear?"
"The invasion from the inner world will intensify, and the total amount of superpower in this world will increase, making advancements and the awakening of superpowers easier."
"Originally, there was a limit to the number of Cataclysm-level powerhouses that could naturally emerge in this world. Once saturation was reached, even if other True Sequence powerhouses met the conditions for advancement, they could not become the next Cataclysm-level."
"But now, this restriction has been lifted. From today onwards, this world will begin to change, so you must be prepared..."
As he spoke, the black robe's figure became increasingly ethereal, eventually vanishing completely.
Wen Wen gazed at the empty seat, falling into a long silence before turning to leave.
He knew the black robe would not truly disappear, but this method of departure meant the black robe had indeed grown significantly weaker.
...
Although he knew chaos was about to erupt, Wen Wen was not in the mood to go out yet.
He needed to sort out the residual issues from the ritual. Some of the ritual's materials could be salvaged. Wen Wen was not some sycophantic follower of Bidiya, so these items could not simply be discarded.
Next, he had to deal with the seven monsters that served as ritual sacrifices.
They had not died, merely lost an emotion.
Among the seven monsters, the one in the most miserable state was the Beast of Revelry.
Its entire body was sustained by its twisted emotion of pursuing happiness. Without its joyful emotions, it lost the power supporting its form and dissolved into a pool of highly contaminating pus and blood, a truly disgusting sight.
The Fiery Monkey was no longer irritable; it had become incredibly Zen, perhaps now to be called the Zen Monkey.
This was because it had draped a containment facility bedsheet over itself as a kasaya, performed its own tonsure, and even burned a monastic scar onto its head.
With its head now bald, the once handsome large monkey looked utterly pathetic.
Wen Wen found looking at it painful, so he summoned Wu Liu Gen and instructed him to take the monkey to a Buddhist temple to serve as an auspicious mascot. Such an unsightly creature didn't belong in the containment facility.
The old white bear had become much more cheerful, and its ability to influence others' emotions remained. Wen Wen now understood that this ability wasn't about making others melancholic, but rather about sharing the old white bear's own emotions.
The Ghost Dragon had lost the emotion of 'fear,' transforming into a berserk dragon that feared no one and dared to challenge the heavens.
The good news was that the Ghost Dragon would definitely not back down in a fight now; it was an incredibly ferocious mount.
The bad news was... this creature no longer feared Wen Wen either!
Threats, intimidation, displays of power, and even direct beatings could not subdue it.
It was the badger of the dragon world, the fearless Li Kui of the ghosts.
However, Wen Wen later changed his approach, and the unyielding Ghost Dragon finally relented.
This was because every time the Ghost Dragon was needed for action, it had to be fed a Resentment Soul Orb, and Wen Wen possessed many of these.
The Mosquito Maiden, having lost her love, was initially grief-stricken but later veered to another extreme.
Much like Hu Youling before, she pursued a different kind of forbidden desire.
Wen Wen found this acceptable, but unfortunately, Wen Wen detested mosquitoes, so he couldn't help the Mosquito Maiden with her problem himself.
The True Sequence Demon, Broccoli Head, Brookly, had now lost its urge to do evil and had transformed into a compassionate benefactor.
From the bottom of its heart, it wished to benefit humanity and make society a better place.
Therefore, it applied to Wen Wen to establish a new biological laboratory, aiming to eradicate a long-standing human affliction.
It intended to completely exterminate the three types of blood-sucking mosquitoes: Aedes, Culex, and Anopheles!
Perhaps in the future, other insects would occupy this ecological niche, and then Brookly would exterminate them again!
Finally, there was Hu Youling, who represented desire. At this moment, Hu Youling sat demurely in her cell, a stark contrast to her previous appearance.
If not for the swaying tail behind her, Wen Wen might not have recognized her as Hu Youling.
Hu Youling was already unnaturally beautiful, with flawless features and figure, possessing a unique aesthetic charm. She was a beauty with no dead angles; even a single toe was exquisite.
Without that desire, Wen Wen found her much more agreeable. If Hu Youling had been like this when she was first captured, there was no way Wen Wen would have doted solely on Tao Qingqing.
Wen Wen's personality was rather peculiar.
When a peerlessly beautiful woman flirted and constantly sought to "devour" him, Wen Wen would certainly retreat. At most, he would appreciate her from a distance.
However, if she was indifferent to him or even gave him attitude, Wen Wen might be tempted to tease her.
Some might think this was mere perversity.
Precisely, Wen Wen was perverse.
Now that Hu Youling's state had changed, and she had no interest in romantic matters, Wen Wen's attitude towards her had shifted.
"You are one of the earliest monsters I captured. I am willing to give you a chance."
"Do you want to become my assistant (indentured servant)? Once you have atoned for your sins, I can grant you freedom (until death through labor)."
Next to Hu Youling's cell, Qin Shuang's ears perked up. He quickly scurried to the edge of his cell and said to Wen Wen languidly, "I was the second one captured, and I want a chance too."
"Shut up, this world favors looks. What are you, a hideous ghoul, doing here?" Wen Wen snapped back, his face contorted in displeasure.
Upon hearing this, Qin Shuang quietly shuffled to a corner and crouched down. Tears of blood streamed from his eyes. He would protest this unjust world and curse this damned containment facility...
Hu Youling hesitated for a moment. "I... I think I'll stay here. It's quite good here."
She had longed to go outside in her dreams, but that was to find robust young men. Now that she had no interest in them, she had lost the motivation to leave.
"Heh, whether you agree or not, I don't care."
Wen Wen smirked sinisterly and directly pulled Hu Youling out of her cell. If he wanted Hu Youling as a maid, who was she to refuse?
However, Hu Youling's status would certainly not compare to Tao Qingqing's, as Wen Wen had some degree of germophobia.
But having Hu Youling as a minor maid, to massage his legs and shoulders occasionally, or perhaps dance to entertain him, was perfectly acceptable.
As Hu Youling emerged from her cell, before she could express any gratitude, Wen Wen tossed her a small bag. "Here's some money and fake identification. You should go back to Wuxian Pond first. Your father has been waiting for you for a long time."
Upon hearing Wen Wen's words, tears welled up in Hu Youling's eyes, but she still shook her head at Wen Wen. "No, I don't have any feelings for them. I..."
"Stop talking nonsense and get out of here!"
Ultimately, Hu Youling was forcefully sent by Wen Wen to the Foundation headquarters in Qianhe City. She would be accompanying a Foundation envoy to Wuxian Pond.
Previously, during his travels, Wen Wen had signed a cooperation contract with Old Man Hu of Wuxian Pond under the Foundation's name. One of the conditions was to allow Old Man Hu to see his daughter.
If Hu Youling didn't want to go, how would Wen Wen's business proceed?
After sending Hu Youling away, Wen Wen had no immediate tasks in the containment facility. After briefly teasing the Pure Sin Angel, Wen Wen exited the facility.
The moment he stepped out of the containment facility, Wen Wen heard sounds of fierce combat.
The monsters he had dispatched had formed a defensive perimeter at the location where the ritual had taken place.
Outside the defensive perimeter, hundreds of desert monsters roamed through the sand.
The Desert Dragon, which had been lying there, seemingly on its last breath, was now fully revived, its strength even further enhanced, as it swaggered menacingly towards Wen Wen's monsters.