The town's bell was tolling; it was the ring for worship and also a welcome sound for the Venerable's return.
A sea of town residents, all dressed in white, converged from all directions upon the square of the Venerable Garden.
Each clasped their hands together.
With devout smiles, they knelt on the ground.
The two protectors also smiled, "It seems they've noticed our return and have made preparations in advance."
"Venerable... we should go out too."
The Venerable softly said, "Then let's go."
The liquid on his body called Chaotic, which fed on sin, was very violent and frenzied. If sin was insufficient to merge with the Chaotic, it would convulse, suppressing the host, taking the initiative, and gradually devouring into a Monster.
With the help of the Abyss Evil God Sect, he had established this town—home to nothing but evildoers... Each one would undergo baptism, be parasitized by Chaotic, and then continuously provide sin for the Chaotic. Once stabilized, he would collect it himself.
Commonly known as curing illness.
But even these containers could break, for every single one proclaimed themselves a Great Evil Man. Yet in reality, compared to these cultists, what they did were just... some small unspeakable incidents.
The deaths they caused and the skins they peeled on just this one excursion already exceeded the sin of these so-called evildoers.
Jimmy Dale could only follow powerlessly.
They were leaving from the deepest part and could also feel the breath of the crowd outside, each one praying.
The sound gradually carried over.
The protector softly said, "It looks like worship has already started..."
"But so early?" The protector beside him pondered lightly, "Didn't it used to start only after the Venerable arrived?"
The Venerable furrowed his brows slightly as he looked toward the light outside the corridor, softly saying,
"Something's not right."
"I've not been able to contact the others, and they haven't given me any messages."
"And... listen to what they are chanting."
The protectors were slightly startled.
They heard the multitude of town residents chanting four words.
'Venerable above all!'
The protector's expression stiffened.
"Who are they calling??"
The worshiping had started without the Venerable's presence yet?
The figure before them adjusted their mask and softly said, "Who knows."
His calm tone seemed indifferent to everything.
A faint killing intent had already started to seep out from him, and the Chaotic Liquid was flowing.
Their silhouettes were appearing behind the crowd.
Jimmy Dale was involuntarily caught in the midst, staring blankly... at everything here: the perfectly constructed town garden, the beautiful sunlight bathing the square, and in the midst... a dense crowd of thousands.
Every resident knelt on the ground, looking frantically towards the center of the square, where a noble throne sat... and on it was a Venerable wearing a mask.
"Why...." The protector murmured, "There's another Venerable..."
"What a coincidence."
The Venerable... his voice hoarse, with an abnormal smile, "I'd like to ask the same question..."
He looked interested through the pupils of his mask, watching the masked figure under the distant statue's throne.
That should have been his place, which now was occupied by someone else.
Watching the scene before him, he was in no hurry.
The other side nodded slightly towards him.
Both of their gazes met at that moment, the Venerable raising an eyebrow, and the other seemed also to be smiling, a smile that somewhat irked him.
"...Who are you?" the Venerable softly began.
"Wearing a mask that doesn't belong to you, sitting on a throne that isn't yours."
"Who I am..." the voice came with a hint of laughter, "Haven't they... already said it?"
"Tell him loudly, who I am."
The multitude of residents, hands clasped devoutly, proclaimed, "The great Venerable!"
"And them?" the figure propped his head with one hand and pointed at the three of them with the other.
The crowd, as if having rehearsed in advance, spoke unanimously, "They are the sinful incarnations impersonating the Venerable."
"So... what should you do?"
"Eliminate all who dare to offend the Venerable!"
The multitude of town residents simultaneously turned their heads, a smile on their faces, but their eyes looked so cruel, their gaze filled with murderous intent, as if they intended to flay the few alive.
Jimmy Dale... shuddered throughout his body, he couldn't understand how the town's residents, who had just a moment ago seemed so benign, could suddenly become so ferocious.
He had also come to understand the situation at hand.
The figure seated on the throne seemed to be an imposter, but somehow, he had convinced all the residents of the town, and every single one of them seemed utterly convinced, without a doubt, even as the genuine Venerable... appeared, they unhesitatingly stared fixated at him.
And the Venerable in front of them smiled as well:
"It seems... a lot has happened, I'm sure you've also entered that garden, and obtained quite a bit."
The figure on the throne did not respond, just staring at him.
"To tell the truth, this is the second time such an event has occurred."
The Venerable chuckled lightly: "Someone had once... in my absence, broken into the garden, discovered the secrets, that person was very smart, and quite daring, using the identity of the Venerable, spent a whole week, from the bottom up, nearly seducing everyone."
He looked towards all the town's residents: "Under the influence of the Totem's Strength, these people really don't have much of a brain."
"I've never worried about this sort of situation arising."
The Venerable's eyes turned towards the figure before him, and beside him, the protector chuckled weirdly as if looking at a fool:
The figure laughed: "Tell me."
"Because... I only need to simply snap my fingers." The Venerable extended his hand, "And they will... know who the genuine object of their worship is."
True power always comes with a strong controlling nature.
This group of town's Great Evil Men, although individually not so powerful, were numerous, and had also assimilated a great deal of Chaotic, once they turned into Chaotic Monsters, they too posed a danger to him.
How could there not be a contingency plan.
"In my view, your actions are undoubtedly laughable." The Venerable gently watched the silent figure, a smile appearing on his face:
"Now, it should come to an end, but rest assured, you're just lost and yet to return, I will treat you well."
He gently snapped his fingers.
Upon every town resident's body, the patterns began to rapidly change, as if they were being engulfed by a dark liquid!
At this very moment, they all turned into Chaotic Monsters!
Each one was howling! The Chaotic Liquid was clinging to every part of their bodies!
They also had some differences.
After turning into this state, their totems began to manifest, as if some power held absolute control over them.
The Venerable gently waved his hand!
Every ghostly monster began to lower their heads towards the true Venerable.
"...Not everything is written on that..."
His voice paused slightly, as the howls of the Chaotic Monsters around him became even more frenzied and painful!
The Venerable frowned, noticing something was amiss.
Every Chaotic being had a strange ghostly face clinging tightly to them, baring teeth and seemingly tearing at the Chaotic Liquid on their bodies.
A massive amount of Chaotic Liquid actually began to abandon their original hosts, rushing towards those ghostly faces as if they had encountered some supremely delicious food.
The two protectors looked astonished at the scene!
"What on earth are those ghostly faces!"
"Why are they absorbing the Chaotic!"
The Venerable's facial expression was unreadable, but some changes were evident.
"According to your information..."
The figure also watched the scene lightly: "First, the Chaotic can merge with almost anything, not just living beings, but also various ghosts, Soul Bodies, and so on."
"Second, sin and retribution are key to the Chaotic, they are their nourishment, and they will choose for themselves hosts who bear greater sin."
The figure slowly brought his hands together.
"Isn't it much more interesting?"