With a casual taunt, Lust seemed to think it was just an offhand remark, and paid it no mind.
Even though he recognized this as a contingency left behind by that Lust, he didn’t give it an ounce of respect and simply kept firing at the people below.
It was like he was buying time for the other side to build up power.
And indeed, that was the plan: he said he would give them time, and he didn’t intend to react until that time elapsed.
“Hurry up, what’s with this poison? Show me what it does.”
He said it without looking away, and his words were meant for Lust’s Chosen.
But right now, the Lust’s Chosen didn’t have time to trade barbs;
most of their attention was forced onto Zhong Li Rui.
Originally, He planned to let Zhong Li Rui go up, to merely observe within the body.
At the crucial moment He would enhance the host, boosting their strength by a full tier to unexpectedly injure Sin.
But if Sin kept restraining himself, as soon as he was touched, the power He held within him could fully manifest and transfer into Zhong Li Rui as a vessel.
Then He could unleash all His power, attack at will, while the other party would have no right to strike back...
That would be the ultimate reversal!
This was the escape route He left for Himself, and one of two poisons laid before Sin.
Either choice He accepted, both would be excellent strikes against Sin.
It also minimized His own expenditure.
However, something unexpected happened: Zhong Li Rui suddenly went mad, forcing Him to act early and possess her first, granting her power directly.
It wasn’t fatal—just a bit wasteful, and it irritated Him somewhat.
“This... is my power!?”
Zhong Li Rui stared at her hands in astonishment, watched herself flying, and looked down to see that when she erupted with force she could instantly destroy the strength of an entire shop.
Through this day, her emotions had risen and fallen countless times, her nerves stretched tight.
Now at last there was a small window for release.
Seeing her pitiful display, and remembering how that person had just shouted at her, Lust felt a little offended.
But this was the situation now, and whether he accepted it or not, he had to make use of her—so he spoke:
I said I would give you power.
Right now, you can ignore the rules and strike freely. You can hurt people and be hit by laser beams without being eliminated.
For the next half hour, you are invincible!
Zhong Li Rui’s pupils trembled with excitement as she looked up.
But on her first glance she did not see Lust;
instead she met Xie Antong’s deep gaze.
She froze, startled, briefly hesitating and instinctively fearful.
After all, this person had previously been the one who left her with enormous psychological shadows and pressure.
Even now, looking at her brought lingering dread.
Xie Antong noticed the exchange and gave a small, amused smile, making a hand gesture at her.
A “two,” and a “seven.”
Then, silently, she mouthed:
“Also, three minutes...”
She followed with a throat-slitting motion.
Zhong Li Rui’s neck chilled immediately;
she raised her hand and touched the spot where she had been injected with the drug.
Three minutes...
Only three minutes left until the half-hour mark the other party had warned would be fatal.
But...
What do you mean, “but”!? Lust’s voice roared loudly in her mind.
I said I’ve removed all your negative effects;
you don’t need to worry about anything else.
Watching this host be so pathetic, He could only nag and push her forward.
“I—I ignore all the rules!”
Zhong Li Rui’s eyes instantly turned bloodshot. She snapped her head toward a distant player and slapped out with a palm.
The energy in her hand roared like a tidal wave, surging and smashing into the distant person, instantly overwhelming them.
Boom!
With no defense or mental preparation, that area was instantly turned into ruins;
the people there were obliterated.
Zhong Li Rui felt her power again and trembled with excitement. The pink membrane across her body insulated her from any rules, so even outright murder produced none of the punishments previously warned about.
Xie Antong and Jiang Yuan frowned in the sky. Neither had expected her to start killing people simply to test her ability.
Jiang Yuan even prepared to draw his sword.
“Heh heh heh.” Lust’s laughter rang out the next moment, finally enticed to look back by the other’s outrageous actions.
“Knowing you were looking for something low-tier, I didn’t expect it to be this low. Do you actually have any poison?”
As he spoke, he extended one finger and fired a beam of Lust’s laser straight at Zhong Li Rui.
His motion was swift. Zhong Li Rui had no time to dodge and was struck. She herself was aligned with Narcissus, but after being hit the pink membrane only fluttered once and then became inert again.
“Sin! Watch closely!”
Zhong Li Rui snapped her head up and, once satisfied it was safe, roared at Lust.
“I will now wield the power of the divine and be the one to slay you!”
Lust seemed puzzled by her fervor, propping his chin on his hand and replying speechlessly:
“Ah—let’s not waste time on those useless words. What are these two poisons you keep talking about anyway?”
Don’t waste words on him, strike! Time is short;
remember, find a way to touch him!
Lust’s voice in her head reminded her like an overbearing grandfather mod, urging her to act immediately.
Lust himself knew that even with this power, he couldn’t truly match Sin, but if he could get close enough to let his spirit transfer out, everything would be manageable.
“Hahahahaha! I’m not bound by any rules!”
Zhong Li Rui laughed and surged upward, her eyes glowing with excited pink, energy rolling as she ascended.
“I...”
In a blink, she arrived before Lust. As she prepared to speak, her vision blurred.
A golden giant axe suddenly appeared, splitting the world as if Pangu cleaved open the heavens, roaring straight at her.
Of course, she could not truly comprehend it.
The overwhelming awe of the divine weapon suppressed Lust’s fragmented power, and Zhong Li Rui’s head was launched skyward, spinning like a top in the air.
“What are you babbling about?”
“What do you mean by an ability that ignores the rules? I’ve always ignored them.”