"It is lifespan, beauty, strength, health, youth, wealth, power, pleasure..."
Casually toying with the [greed coin], Zhu Haomiao murmured, a faint voice seemed to come from beyond the heavens, yet also directly from the depths of the heart.
"It is the most fundamental desire of all things."
"It is also the root of all downfall..."
While speaking, Zhu Haomiao gently handed the [greed coin] to Abe Waka.
"Take it. When you encounter danger, you can ’borrow’ strength from me through it."
Upon hearing this, Abe Waka’s initial full face of resistance paused slightly, with struggle and hesitation surfacing between her brows. After a long battle between reason and emotions, she made up her mind and cautiously took the coin from the boy in black.
Seeing that she didn’t obsessively play with the coin, but rather wrapped it in a talisman paper, as if sealing some ghost, Zhu Haomiao couldn’t help but suppress a smile.
"Don’t be afraid, as long as your mind is steadfast, it won’t sway you..."
"Besides, given our relationship, I won’t charge you ’interest’, you don’t have to worry about being eroded or polluted."
Yet upon hearing this, Abe Waka looked with an indescribable expression at the lump of ’talisman paper’ in her hand.
"Using it could still lead to erosion and pollution?!"
"Of course, everything comes with a price. Out of the goodness of my heart, I ’lend’ to others to help them overcome difficulties, they only need to pay a little bit of ’interest’, which is very reasonable!"
"Many people want to borrow but find no way!"
Looking at Abe Waka with a false smile, Zhu Haomiao’s eyes were full of mischievous delight.
"So, don’t be ungrateful!"
"Aren’t you going to thank me?"
Clearly sensing the teasing in the young man’s words, Abe Waka couldn’t help but smile wryly, nodding her head to play along with his joke.
Jokingly patting Abe Waka’s head, Zhu Haomiao turned his gaze out the window, a hint of cold light flashed deep in his eyes from an angle the girl couldn’t see.
Resisting [Greed], [Dao Heart] +1
For a brief moment earlier, he really wanted to pollute and erode Abe Waka, transforming her into a puppet like Wilson.
In that case, the benefits would be countless, his will and power could descend into her body at any time, and the spell in her hand would no longer be able to restrain him...
Once Abe Waka became an extension of his body and soul, others would no longer be able to target this [Master] weakness...
The only cost would be erasing her self...
Slightly tilting his head, Zhu Haomiao cast a glance from the corner of his eye at the girl’s features, breathing a barely audible sigh.
"Alas... I’m just too kind-hearted!"
Hearing the seemingly out-of-place sigh, Abe Waka noticed the young man’s subtle emotion and looked at him quizzically.
"What’s the matter now?"
"Nothing, the grace I’ve bestowed, with interest compounding, you’ll never repay it in a lifetime!"
Ignoring the puzzled and endearing tilt of Abe Waka’s head, Zhu Haomiao averted his gaze, refocusing on himself.
[Dexterity]: 113→145[88]↑
[Strength]: 21→53[88]↑
[Essence]: 10→42 (28)↑
The nutrients Amon bestowed earlier had yet to be fully digested, and new stock had already come in.
Sigh... It’s impossible to fully digest it all...
Shaking his head, with a thought, Zhu Haomiao’s pupils glimmered with flickering specks of gold light, like a golden waterfall surging.
[Void Refining God and Returning to Truth Technique]: LV.0→LV.6 (Perfect)
[Dexterity] +40 (20×200%)
Previously he used the [Creation Jade Disk] and the [Pride] authority to complete this cultivation technique, but had no gold to materialize it.
Now, he finally had money...
Rubbing his chin contentedly, Zhu Haomiao felt that the remaining [greed coin] could still upgrade another cultivation technique to perfection, and couldn’t help but look expectantly at his chest.
Beneath the suit, the center of the [Dragon Emblem] emitted spirit light invisible to others, a mystical wave induced when the [Creation Jade Disk] absorbed and copied law fragments.
After he returned from this trip, the next cultivation technique should be nearly fully perfected...
While Zhu Haomiao was contemplating future plans, the car beneath him drove into a guarded, ancient small city, with a Heavenly Guardian Tower standing even in the center.
Though small, it was complete with everything, watching as the car passed through the miniature moat and into the ’city’, Zhu Haomiao felt as if passing through an invisible barrier, stepping into another world.
The air was saturated with rich magical energy, vibrant and tame, as if they could be controlled with just a thought to unleash devastating spells.
"This is the Yin Yang Pavilion, its underground connects to the leyline nodes, enveloped externally by thirty-six layers of national-level magic arrays, enough to sustain a barrier covering the entirety of Tokyo City..."
Getting off the car, Abe Waka softly introduced to Zhu Haomiao, suddenly noticing another black car approaching from afar.
Soon, the car stopped, and two familiar figures got out. The boy among them, upon seeing Abe Waka, eyes welled up with emotion, rushed over excitedly.
"Waka, are you alright? I heard the entire Abe Residence was blown sky high!"
"I’m fine, what about you?"
"I’m okay too, just lost an arm, but Amaterasu has nearly healed it."...
Watching the two engage in lively conversation, Zhu Haomiao quietly moved to Amaterasu’s side.
"Were you also attacked?"
"Yes, really a bunch of brazen ants."
"It should be safe here, shall we talk outside?"
Leaving Abe Waka and Yazaki Yu within the ’city’ of the Yin Yang Pavilion, Zhu Haomiao and Amaterasu strolled across the miniature moat, leisurely to the outside.
Gazing at the return to tranquil night sky, Zhu Haomiao squinted slightly.
"There’s no sign of Amon."
Hesitating for a moment, Amaterasu nodded slowly.
"Indeed, I haven’t sensed His presence for a while."
Just then, a light whisper brushed past both their ears.
"And Cain, He hasn’t shown up either."
Turning to look, a beautiful blonde girl stood not far away, obviously in the shadows but emanating a warm, gentle pure white holy light, inexplicably sublime and sacred.
Gabriel nodded slightly to the pair, then cast a puzzled glance toward the night sky, softly murmuring.
"Instead it was Thor and Athena whose divinity surged momentarily, only to calm again."
"With seven [Crown]s present... why weren’t They attacked? Could it be They’re not [Crown]s?"