American variety show world begins with subduing Jason

"The plan was quite successful; I now know what those hidden cards are..."

A bewildered, newly born deity!

It chuckled softly, its voice like the wind whistling through an ancient forest, both distant and carrying an indescribable cunning, as well as a strong yearning:

"It must be the trump card that the Federation cultivated using the remains of that Olympian giant as nourishment."

On the surface of the red amber-like stone pebble, a young snake with greedy eyes emerged, slowly coiling its tail, seemingly enjoying the pleasure of its new discovery.

"A new god who has little self-awareness and allows the outside world to take whatever it wants and give its power, that is really, that is really... amazing."

It spoke in an aria-like tone, its tiny, dark red vertical pupils brimming with an almost overflowing drooling desire.

"Send me to that so-called base, I can't wait to feast!"

Chapter 427 Classroom

The plain white plaster ceiling is carved with simple cross patterns, and a three-bladed ceiling fan hangs below, turning gently and stirring up wisps of cool air. Chalk slides across the blackboard, and fine dust falls like snowflakes.

The light brown wall tiles, the beige wooden desks, and the light gray cement floor together create a warm and tranquil atmosphere in the classroom, bringing back memories of one's youthful school days.

But not everyone has the leisure to reminisce about the glorious past.

"...In my entire life, I never imagined that I would one day return to the classroom and have to outwit and outmaneuver my teacher."

Zhu Mingyao sat in a corner of the back row of the room. His eyes were so complex that they could be displayed as a pie chart, a subtle mix of helplessness, self-deprecation, embarrassment, wariness, and so on.

He sat upright in the chair for a while, then felt his legs go numb. He shifted his position slightly, and his elbow bumped against the corner of the table, making a soft sound.

The chalk stopped abruptly, and a figure in a business suit on the podium turned around. A woman's voice, cold and hard as cast iron, was devoid of any emotion.

"You dared to make a sound while listening to the Lord's teachings! After class, you must copy today's hadith ten times!"

For a man worthy of being called an engineer of the human soul, to speak so fervently about religious doctrines in the classroom with such undeniable fanaticism is, even in a federation with a deep-rooted related culture, quite outrageous.

However, considering that the walls were now adorned with religious proverbs instead of the famous quotes of scientists, Zhu Mingyao was not surprised by this:

Church schools are so obsessed; even in the 21st century, there are still quite a few that teach creationism.

Moreover, compared to her bizarre, even terrifying, appearance, this incongruity is nothing.

—His dark blue features gleamed with a cold metallic luster, and his surface was even covered with unpolished burrs and rough edges. His entire face, and even half of his head, was clearly a piece of rough steel.

As she rebuked them, rows of students turned around, their equally simple and cold faces staring straight at her.

This scene, reminiscent of a horror movie, was enough to stop a child from crying at night. However, to the young man who was used to seeing demons and monsters, it was nothing special. He just stared at the two familiar little heads mixed in with the others and clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"What's the point of creating such a disgusting situation? Puzzle games are the worst thing for me."

He meant it sincerely. If the time and place were different, Zhu Mingyao would definitely use all his supernatural powers, magic weapons, and summoned beasts to flatten your place, no matter what tricks you played!

But now it's different...

He silently circulated his profound energy, and the Three Primal Palaces within his body, along with his magical power, trembled lazily a few times before falling silent again.

As expected, it still didn't work. Ever since he was unwittingly drawn into this space, almost all of his extraordinary abilities were firmly suppressed by some unknown force. Even after calming his mind for half a day, he could only release a few crude little spells at most, which were really not of great use.

However, compared to Madison and Zoe, who were clearly controlled, Zhu Mingyao felt somewhat troubled by his current situation but not much fear.

Because in his perception, the aura of the instigator was only on par with his own, which could explain why the enemy had to take a roundabout approach... If they were to fight head-on, the outcome would be uncertain.

Seeing that he showed no intention of answering, the teacher-like figure slowly approached. Her steps were heavy and stiff, her movements methodical, like a machine.

"Didn't you hear me, kid? Children who break the rules will be punished..."

She bent down, her ugly, iron face getting closer and closer. Just from her sharp tone, the image of a rigid and heartless old spinster was vividly portrayed.

A soft sigh cut in front of her, interrupting her threatening words.

"The Purity Cult originated in France. Perhaps you miss the stories of the Man in the Iron Mask from your hometown, but this childish act of dragging everyone together to rehearse a school play is really hard to bear!" With a few complaints, a gust of wind suddenly rushed out.

"puff!"

A thick stack of books and textbooks flew from the side at incredible speed and struck the "teacher" precisely in the abdomen.

Amidst the fluttering of butterfly-like shredded paper, the bizarre monster suddenly stretched out its limbs and flew out in a comical posture, almost folding its body in half, smashing through several desks before crashing heavily into the wall.

The air in the classroom suddenly froze, as if time had been paused at that moment. Then, one after another, small figures wearing old blue and white cotton school uniforms and round-toed leather shoes rushed in.

"Discipline-breaking...disrespectful to teachers...everyone, don't play with him...he's such an annoying—freak!"

Zhu Mingyao's ears twitched slightly. From the childlike, innocent yet vicious curses, he caught a peculiar word. A thought flashed across his brow, and he struck a pose as if he were parting a wild horse's mane.

Suddenly, it was as if a gust of wind had risen from the flat ground, and shadows floated up in the air like light scarecrows, scattering everywhere in all directions.

Although he did not follow the path of dual cultivation of magic and martial arts, the Yellow Court True Scripture still had the wonderful use of forging inner visions of gods and refining the immortal body. Even without magic power for the time being, Zhu Mingyao's extraordinary physique was enough to easily defeat any melee-based enemy below the Innate Realm.

He unleashed a devastating attack, utterly defeating the child-like monsters. However, his brow furrowed subtly, as the feedback he received felt was truly strange.

It is neither entirely real nor entirely illusory; it is neither a living being nor a typical ghost or monster. If one had to describe it, it would be like a lump of mud with too much water added.

With a flick of his wrist, the ink bottle spilled onto the white paper of the exercise book, and the winding black marks flowed, instantly forming a talisman.

Even though the spells are restricted by the strange rules and cannot be cast at will, the use of paper as the material still allows the power of this [Hell-Breaking Curse] to remain within a certain limit.

As the clear, bright raindrops shone down, the group of "teachers and students" could no longer maintain their humanoid appearances and revealed their deeper, more sinister nature.

Thick black currents seeped from between the broken limbs, more like a tangible but intangible pool of inky blood than gas. They intertwined and swirled in the air, converging into twisted and grotesque phantom outlines.

"I thought it was something high-end, but it turns out it's just a resurrected demon summoned by binding pure resentment to the corpses of the dead."

Seeing the pieces of bluish-black bone fragments seeping out with the black flow, Zhu Mingyao suddenly sneered, his words seemingly disdainful, but in reality, he raised his vigilance by three points.

Just as the paper could carry Taoist spells and incantations, everything created in this space exhibits a duality of energy and materiality. The opponent's strength may not be as great as one's own right now, but their realm is far superior.

His eyes flashed, his chest suddenly bulged three inches, and then he exhaled and made a sound, his fist like thunder and lightning, stirring up a stream of air waves, striking towards a child monster in the corner.

The fierce wind dispersed the black mist, revealing a pale and delicate face.

"Lady Alessa, your child star-like world-weary temperament is just too obvious to hide!"

Practitioners who specialize in martial arts have fused their spiritual will into their bodies, and are said to be able to defeat ghosts and gods within three feet. Although Zhu Mingyao does not have this ability, he is confident that he can give the guy in front of him a good beating with a full-force attack.

However, just as the fist was about to make intimate contact with the face, the surrounding scenery suddenly cracked and shattered first.

Chapter 428 Les Miserables

On a silver candlestick engraved with lily patterns, a pure white candle burns softly, while essential oils carefully extracted from plants emit a delicate floral fragrance that lingers above the solemn altar where a cross stands.

A small, thin figure knelt on a cotton cushion in front of the platform, praying softly and devoutly.

All of this, through the clever recombination of light and shadow, slowly unfolds before our eyes.

"Ha, you killed so many people, do you think you can escape God's punishment by kneeling down and reciting a few scriptures?"

Zhu Mingyao scoffed at this. He had no interest in psychological counseling such as atonement and repentance. He just gave a mocking sneer, mechanically bent his arm, stretched out his hand, and threw out his fist, which was as fast as lightning.

However, the punch landed empty and indistinct, as if it had pierced through a phantom.

No, it should be said that he had become a phantom! He tried punching and kicking again, only to find that his home and this space seemed to be in two parallel worlds, and no matter how he moved, he could not touch anything.

"You think you can't get away with a direct confrontation, so you've changed your strategy? I'd like to see what you're up to." Zhu Mingyao reacted quickly and let out a cold laugh.

As if confirming his guess, angry footsteps sounded, and then a middle-aged woman dressed in a simple cotton dress with an unhappy expression walked over quickly.

Although she was past her prime, her appearance still retained some charm, but her high cheekbones and thin lips somewhat detracted from her overall aura, making her appear somewhat aloof.

"Alessa! Daisy got splashed with ink. You used the power of the Stigmata to play pranks on your classmate again."

The girl's long eyelashes trembled slightly. She murmured with her tender red lips, "Aunt Chrisbella, they always gang up on me. I... I only did something slightly wrong, and I'm already reflecting on it."

The woman shook her head with exasperation, "Blessed by God, you have been fortunate enough to awaken the [Pure] Holy Mark. You are the hope of the sect. I have taught you many times that you must be reserved and maintain a pure mind so that you can master it as soon as possible."

After scolding her a few times, looking at the timid girl, Chrisbella seemed to have made up her mind. She stretched out her hand, and a small feather floated in her palm.

The feathers were as dark and mysterious as the night sky, exuding a scent that caused everything to decay and wither, and even the flowers placed in front of the altar gradually withered.

"This is a fallen holy artifact passed down through the sect—the Feather of Samael. I will temporarily use it to seal the power of the Holy Mark until you learn to live with the normal mindset of an ordinary person."

Feeling a sharp, needle-like pain on her skin, the girl shrank back in fear. "But, but..."

“There are no ‘buts’! This is my decision as the patriarch of the sect!” The woman’s words were stern at first, then softened. “My dear, it’s for your own good. Your aunt would never harm you…”

The girl hesitated for a moment, then slowly lowered her head, allowing the other party to use a secret technique to merge the black feathers into her body.

However, perhaps due to the angle, the naive girl did not notice that a deep sense of jealousy was flickering like wildfire in the eyes of this respected elder.

The young man, a detached observer, was experienced enough to discern the malicious intent behind the act. He spun his tongue sarcastically and said, "Is this the same old trick of being jealous of talent? How utterly boring."

As if provoked by his sarcastic remark, the scene suddenly changed again.

……

……

"Damn it! Did they replace the old public toilets this time?"

Before Zhu Mingyao could even get a clear look at his surroundings, a pungent, indescribable odor forced its way into his nostrils.

If one had to describe it, it was like countless piles of excrement mixed with rotting animal protein, fermented and aged for hundreds of days, with a stench mixed with the pungent smell of chemicals. Even though his physique was far superior to that of ordinary people, he almost suffocated on the spot.

Zhu Mingyao covered his mouth and nose in disgust and quickly looked around.

Well, it seems that the words really did come true.

What you see is like a forgotten underground world, with dim yellow light barely penetrating the thick dust to illuminate a dilapidated and dirty scene.

A moldy, dilapidated door separates this place from the outside world. A row of wooden partitions hangs loosely against the wall, with dark brown and yellowish stains dried into clumps, almost changing their color. Considering that there are several indoor sinks opposite, the meaning of this classic layout is self-evident: it is a standard example of smearing excrement on the walls!

Looking around, all was quiet, and it seemed that he was all alone. Just as Zhu Mingyao was about to go and look for the two girls who had also been trapped, he suddenly caught a sound.

Behind the mold-covered door, a faint but clear creaking sound came from the rotting floorboards, groaning under the strain.

The door suddenly swung open, and several figures rushed in.

"Why should a bastard without a father be pursued by those boys? We'll slash that seductive face of hers sooner or later!"

Although her words were harsh, they were merely the ramblings of a young girl in a fit of anger. New to relationships, they were still unfamiliar with this hazy understanding, and aside from venting their frustrations at the surrounding figures, they didn't dare do anything truly outrageous.

Bearing the inexplicable rage of a teenage girl, Alessa, temporarily powerless to resist, dared not speak out and could only silently endure it.

After a long while, when the bullies turned and left the restroom, she dared to reach for the doorknob, only to be met with the creaking of the doorknob and the triumphant laughter of the doorbell ringing out.

Time ticked by, and even long after the school bell had rung, no one came.