This time I chose Paladin.

Chapter 305 Change
"All gods who wander among the stars in search of a final resting place... ultimately yearn for this kind of peace."

These words struck Nie Weiyang like a bolt of lightning. His heart tightened suddenly, and although his gentle expression remained, his gaze swept over the infiltrator.

His reaction wasn't due to the mystical theories of the Mother Goddess cult, but rather because that sentence acted like a key, unlocking a tightly locked box in his mind—

Transcendent Demon!
Those ghostly things from beyond the stars, bringing destruction and suffering, aren't they coveting the power of the soul?

And the state of their souls...

Nie Weiyang was an old friend of those ghostly creatures, so he could clearly sense that the souls of those monsters seemed to be in a state of endless torment and thirst.

They seem to be bound by some shadow from the past, unable to find peace.

So, do they want to rest in peace?

Is the Void-Crossing Demon's obsession with invading, corrupting, and devouring the souls of Homo sapiens not merely for plundering resources, but also to seize this potential resting place and end their eternal suffering?

This thought made Nie Weiyang slowly frown.

To Nie Weiyang, the 'objective laws of the universe' spoken of by the Tide Divers sounded more like a carefully crafted lie. It might be part of a larger cycle and reincarnation, and a certain intuition told him that this seemingly objective and natural principle might hide a more complex operating mechanism behind it, and might even be... not so 'objective' after all.

So……

From any perspective, these are extinct products of the "recycling of planetary and civilizational resources," so what is their relationship to this cycle?
Nie Weiyang remained silent, suppressing all his turbulent thoughts deep within his heart.

The messages from the Mother Goddess Cult may seem absurd, but they could lead to a darker truth behind it all.

Modern humans, these visitors to Earth, and even the second administrator, or rather, Nie Weiyang himself, have long been drawn into this vortex concerning race, future, soul, and rest.

This vortex spans the Milky Way, and now, the roaring corals within it resemble a millstone, destined to grind people to ashes.

The verbal exchanges at the negotiating table continued, but only Nie Weiyang truly knew that the real undercurrents were far more turbulent than what was visible on the surface.

……

While Nie Weiyang and his group were negotiating with the divers in a shack in Kushui Town, dozens of miles away, in an abandoned mountain village hidden in a desolate valley, another dialogue was taking place.

Bai Yu, as if blending into the shadows, silently clung to the dilapidated eaves of the wooden house, his breath almost stagnant.

His unfocused white eyes, clear and bright, peered through the cracks in the wooden planks, firmly locking onto the figures inside the room.

Those were several people dressed in black robes.

They wore silver ornaments from the Returning Church hanging on their chests, and no lights were lit. Only a purple crystal floating in mid-air emitted a faint light, reflecting off the masks under their hoods.

"The 'sample' required by the Lord has been collected and can be sent back," a hoarse cultist whispered, his voice carrying the relief of completing a task and a hint of barely perceptible fear.

He carefully took out an object wrapped in black cloth and lifted a corner of the cloth.

It was a white crystal, about the size of a palm. It was pure and emitted a gentle, steady glow, which was completely out of place with the atmosphere of the Returning to the Church.

What made Bai Yu's pupils shrink even more was the system icon floating above the crystal—
-
[Heart Crystallization - Type 7]
The latest type of heart-phase crystal.

• Can be transformed into [heart-shaped crystals].

• It can be transformed into [Netherworld Crystal] through rituals.

• It can be used as a power source for CSSS security agencies and ceremonial machinery.

Applicable ritual machinery: [Communication with the Heart] ritual machinery, [Contact Administrator] ritual machinery.

Usage suggestion: Do not bring it near Administrator #2.
-
From the moment life is born, it is transformed by power.
“I never thought I could actually find it…” Another cultist leaned closer, looking greedily at the crystal, his voice filled with unbelievable excitement: “Most of the life crystals that were purified by the energy impact of Administrator Number Two have dissipated and returned to the world. I never expected that there would still be a very small amount left, and… it really transformed into this kind of thing.”

The first cultist to speak seemed to be in charge here. He carefully covered the black cloth again and said in a deep voice, "The power of Administrator Number Two is indeed extraordinary. Even things destroyed by him can give rise to new 'derivatives'..."

"This is an important discovery, but it doesn't seem to have exceeded the Lord's expectations."

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the others from under his hood, and said in a commanding tone: "You will continue to lie low here, strictly follow the previous instructions, stay absolutely away from Nie Weiyang and the second administrator's activity area, and avoid attracting any attention."

“I immediately took it and returned to the Lord’s Message Mountain to present it to the Lord in person.”

“Mount Sun, the Sun…” the others repeated the place name in hushed tones, their voices filled with awe.

Bai Yu: "?" He knew the name "Sun Lord." Wasn't that one of Nie Weiyang's former enemies? Shouldn't that guy be dead by now?

Bai Yu seemed to be deep in thought.

Heart Crystallization… a product of the purification power of Administrator Number Two… the Returning Church is secretly collecting it… that 'Lord' foresaw this phenomenon long ago… Mount Master's Message, it seems, is the true core hub of the Returning Church…

The value of the intelligence far exceeded expectations.

The white feathers did not linger.

Just as he had come, his figure, like melting ink, silently slid down from the eaves and disappeared into the deep shadows of the mountain village, leaving no trace.

His goal was clear—he had to immediately deliver this crucial message to Nie Weiyang.

The Returning Church is probably drooling over the power of the Second Administrator and has studied it in depth, which could be dangerous.

In the darkness of night, Bai Yu transformed into a silent gust of wind, speeding towards the direction of Bitter Water Town.

In the town of Kushui, beneath the surface of calm, undercurrents surged within the simple shacks.

The discussion about Anxi, the Celestials, and the reincarnation theory of the Mother Goddess Cult has temporarily come to an end, but the Tide Diver has clearly not given up on her core objective.

She rose, her deep blue robes billowing like water. Her gaze swept over everyone present once more, finally settling on Nie Weiyang with a determined look: "I hope you will all carefully consider our request to have an audience with the Second Administrator, to honor him as the King of the Gods, and to seek guidance on 'Rest.' Please convey this message on our behalf."

"I believe this is crucial for both of us, and for the future of this land."

Several Chinese officials exchanged glances, and the eldest one stepped forward, his tone still polite and impeccable: "We have recorded your proposal and request in detail."

"But matters involving the 'Second Administrator' are far beyond our authority and capabilities, and must be decided by our superiors."

The diver seemed unsurprised by the answer; she nodded slightly, a mask-like smile on her face: "That's how it should be."

"Then I will await good news."

After the meeting, the diver, accompanied by her two attendants, left Bitterwater Town with the same mysterious demeanor as when she arrived, her figure gradually disappearing at the end of the dirt road.

Only Nie Weiyang and the others remained in the shed for the time being.

Nie Weiyang sat silently, his fingers tapping the table unconsciously, his mind rapidly processing the information he had just acquired: the Mother Goddess Cult's erroneous understanding of the human mind, their strange reverence for the Second Administrator's identity, and the cosmic laws that might point to the Crossing-the-Sky Demon's motives...

A decision gradually became clearer and firmer in his mind.

He needs to have a formal meeting with the people of Heito as the second administrator.

He can no longer allow people to piece together their understanding solely through battles and rumors. He needs to control the narrative of this identity to a certain extent, clarifying his stance and boundaries, especially after the Mother Goddess Cult put forward absurd statements such as "King of Gods."

But how exactly should I appear? What should I say?
He had to maintain the dignity and distance befitting the second administrator, but he couldn't completely sever ties with the human camp, nor could he stand idly by while various cults distorted his image... This required careful planning.

Just then, Russell slipped in like a nimble, large cat, the leaves on his body rustling, his face bearing his usual somewhat carefree smile. He leaned close to Nie Weiyang and whispered:

“Boss, the Mother Goddess Cult that woman mentioned earlier… it sounds familiar. I think I’ve vaguely heard of it before. A few months ago, the Mother Goddess Cult caused quite a bit of trouble in the old city. They were supposedly doing some kind of ritual… and then it quietly subsided.”

He blinked, staring at Nie Weiyang's profile, and chuckled knowingly, "I was thinking, that matter... could it be that you happened to be passing by and 'resolved' it?"

Nie Weiyang remained calm and gentle, saying, "That's not important."

Russell's smile froze for a moment, then widened, and he wisely refrained from asking any more questions. He simply patted the leaves off his body and turned back to his own business.

Silence returned to the shed. Nie Weiyang slowly stood up, walked to the door, and looked towards the distant horizon.

it's time.

Some identities require a formal 'debut'. Some boundaries must be drawn by him personally.

But before that...

Nie Weiyang turned around, glanced at Gloria and the others who were discussing something in the distance, and frowned.

Faced with humanity's knowing yet blind deliberate wrongdoing, he unusually wanted to sigh.

(End of this chapter)