Artificially created environments were the most fragile, and the most susceptible to outside influence.
The reproductive power amplified by the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents, combined with the
Most importantly, this was entirely the power of another rule-level existence. Lei Lin hadn't lifted a finger, meaning he could extricate himself completely from the affair.
Even the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents would likely assume it was the Gluttony Sovereign from another plane invading, and shift her attention accordingly.
What kind of sparks would ignite between two rule-level existences?
At the thought of this, a faint smile tugged at the corners of Lei Lin's lips.
After casting one final glance at the swamp writhing with chaos and appetite, Lei Lin turned and left without looking back.
The seeds had been planted. What they grew into was no longer his concern.
By the next morning, Lei Lin had grabbed
"What's wrong, Nick? Did you sense some kind of danger?"
Belinda was growing faintly puzzled by Lei Lin's behavior.
"I have a bad feeling — it's as if something enormous is unfolding behind us." Lei Lin's expression was grave, his eyes filled with worry.
"Mm… Sophia felt it too. That evil intent brimming with chaos and devouring…" Belinda was still somewhat skeptical, but to Lei Lin's surprise, Sophia nodded in agreement beside them, a look of undisguised terror in her eyes.
"That terrifying evil intent has even formed a vortex, right behind us, and it's still spreading. Sister, can we leave right now?"
Sophia's eyes were wide, her shoulders trembling faintly.
"Alright, we'll leave immediately." Belinda pulled Sophia into an embrace and began speaking to her in soft, soothing tones, no longer raising the slightest objection to Lei Lin's suggestion. As for Lei Lin, he studied Sophia with considerable interest.
"I honestly hadn't expected it. Her bloodline power isn't particularly strong, but this kind of innate sensitivity… is it a perception rooted in the soul?"
Though Sophia possessed this keen awareness, she was facing an old hand like Lei Lin. Over the course of his long existence, he had long since buried his deepest emotions in the very bottom of his heart, cutting off any sensing or prying.
So, from Sophia's perspective, what she saw was Brother Nick's face wearing a warm, reassuring smile — she detected not the slightest trace of the probing hidden within it.
"This kind of innate spiritual perception. There's still room for growth, but it's far too weak for now." Seeing this, Lei Lin could only shake his head and urge the earth lizard back onto the road.
……
Thanks to Lei Lin's careful calculations and the faint but terrifying aura he emanated, the creatures affected by the Devouring Desire did not dare to approach, gradually retreating from the area. Sophia, in turn, grew quieter and quieter, eventually reverting to her usual childlike demeanor.
Meanwhile, behind Lei Lin's party, the horrifying influence of the Devouring Desire continued to spread. Creatures reaching the fourth and even fifth level were constantly emerging, launching challenges against the intelligent Morning Star Serpent Clan.
By the time the other side finally took it seriously, it was already too late.
The vast resources of the Myriad Serpents Plain, the abundance of high-energy serpent species, and even the Mother of Myriad Serpents' careful arrangements — all had become a paradise for the ever-strengthening Devouring Power. A vague sense of chaos began to spread outward.
Of course, given the sheer vastness of the region, the Devouring calamity was occurring in only a very limited area. Coupled with Lei Lin's arrangements and the interference of the Power of Chaos, even though it was spreading at an alarming rate, it had not yet attracted much attention.
However, as time passed, the situation only continued to deepen, growing ever more terrifying…
As the one who had set it all in motion, Lei Lin paid no further heed to these developments. After more than ten days had passed and another long stretch of arduous travel, the center of the
"At our current pace, we should reach the Holy City's borders by tomorrow at the latest — noon at the latest."
Belinda said, studying the map in her hands with considerable certainty.
Lei Lin gave a slow nod. In truth, even today during their journey, he had already noticed subtle differences.
Small half-serpentfolk outposts were beginning to appear, along with cleared pastures and botanical gardens of sorts. Everything indicated that they had entered the territory of a considerably more civilized people.
"A close friend of mine, Agnes, holds a senior defensive position in the Holy City. I'm sure she'll be able to help us."
Belinda appeared somewhat excited, though Lei Lin knew exactly what she was thinking.
The Eye of Judgment's bounty was, at this point, a terrifying prospect for Belinda. If she couldn't resolve this matter, she would likely spend the rest of her life on the run with Sophia.
Still, this was the Hail Continent after all, and Belinda hadn't directly betrayed the Eye of Judgment — she had only resisted one of its subsidiary branches, albeit a bit too forcefully.
If she could secure the protection of someone with real authority in the Holy City, it might be impossible to get the Eye of Judgment to formally rescind the bounty, but suppressing the matter and rendering the bounty hollow — allowing Belinda and Sophia to live openly under the sun — was still within the realm of possibility.
"To achieve that, the person's influence would have to be considerable. Given Belinda's previous standing, she likely wouldn't have had access to someone of that caliber — unless they're a direct scion of one of the major families…"
Lei Lin stroked his chin, having already pieced most of the matter together.
"Is Agnes a direct bloodline scion of some major family or faction in the Holy City?" he asked directly.
"You actually guessed it." Belinda was stunned for a moment, clearly surprised by Lei Lin's perceptiveness, but she didn't deny it. "Yes, the Stewart family that Agnes belongs to is one of the top ten powers in the Holy City. They inherited the most noble direct bloodline of the Mother Ruler and have controlled the Holy City's basic defenses for generations…"
"As long as we take shelter under the Stewart family, my former organization — the Eye of Judgment — absolutely wouldn't dare come after us again. Given enough time, we might even be able to negotiate with them and get the bounty lifted."
Belinda had clearly planned everything out. "And with their help, our settlement certificate will be absolutely no problem. Nick, you…"
Obviously, Belinda was somewhat worried that Lei Lin might be too proud to accept, but this was clearly unnecessary concern.
"Don't worry, I'm fine with it," Lei Lin said with a smile.
Would Lei Lin care about something like face? And wasn't his initial decision to help her — even his secret plan to read her heart — all for the sake of this?
Lei Lin had heard about the Holy City's strict inspections before. Without a guarantor or protector who held real power, someone like him — an outsider of uncertain identity — would find it nearly impossible to settle there.
Especially after he had set his hidden pieces in motion, the Holy City was sure to become increasingly chaotic. Without some foundation of support, he would likely face a great deal of harassment.
Compared to these concerns, something like saving face was simply not an issue.
Lei Lin had always cared only for practical benefit. Besides, his current identity was that of Nick, a half-breed wanderer of the devil white phosphorus snake — what did it matter to him if someone else lost face?
It had to be said, in certain respects, Lei Lin's sense of shame was appallingly low.
"That's good." A look of warmth and satisfaction appeared in Belinda's eyes.
Actually, she had been fairly confident about her own settlement, but if Lei Lin had refused to lower his head, given his unverifiable background, things would have been extremely problematic.
Now, seeing that he had agreed, she immediately felt half her worries melt away.
"I still have some savings, and with both our strengths, we can definitely take on some missions in the Holy City — the rewards will be more than enough for us to live well. Oh, and Sophia — we'll need to hire a tutor for her, or perhaps a governess, to teach her how to prepare for her future wedding…"
Belinda was clearly immersed in her plans for the future. In the end, she stole a glance at Lei Lin, and for reasons she couldn't explain, two faint blushes appeared on her cheeks before quickly fading away.
"It's… it's getting late. We should get some rest early…"
For some reason, Belinda seemed suddenly shy, dragging Sophia — who was still playing — into the tent. From inside came Sophia's occasional protests: "I don't want to!" "I don't want to!"
Lei Lin watched the direction in which Belinda had disappeared, stroked his chin, and a strange smile spread across his face.
……
"So… good night, ladies."
Lei Lin walked to the edge of their tent and spoke softly.
"Good night, Nick." Belinda's voice wavered slightly, and finally Sophia's voice came through: "Brother Nick… let me tell you something…"
"Ah—" Sophia's voice was cut off, followed by Belinda's exasperated scolding.
Watching the tent shake with the faint sounds of their play-fighting, Lei Lin chuckled and headed back to his own tent.
If not for the Curse Mark of Ten Thousand Serpents on his body, and the fact that he was drawing ever closer to the Holy City and the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents, he wouldn't have minded continuing this little game with them.
But now, the immense pressure left Lei Lin with virtually no mood for such things.
In truth, if not for his extraordinary willpower and acting ability, Belinda would have probably seen through his facade long ago.
After setting up the routine protective barrier for the day, Lei Lin's face was already solemn and grave.
"Tomorrow, we reach the Holy City — the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents' stronghold."
A deep, unfathomable look flickered through Lei Lin's eyes: "Everything, and the only hope of breaking free from the shackles of bloodline — it all comes down to this."