As they continued their chant, various supernatural phenomena were being manifested.
At first, it was a towering steeple that stood among the clouds, then it was hundreds of thousands of gloomy beings, both humanoid and monstrous in shape.
——some of them were monsters that Gu Qing Shan hadn’t even seen before!
Suddenly, all the supernatural phenomena vanished together with the world around him.
A gigantic tree with ashen grey bark appeared in front of Gu Qing Shan’s vision, so grand that it eclipsed the sky while continuously radiating a miraculous power.
Aside from this tree, there was nothing else.
As Gu Qing Shan looked at the tree, lines of bloody red text manifested in front of his vision:
[Tree of Holy Wishes]
[Basic Corruption-type Holy Artifact]
[It will sign a certain kind of covenant of an undetermined level with you, after which it will help you become more powerful]
[But first…]
[It wants to estimate your strength]
Gu Qing Shan’s vision briefly blurred right as the scenery in front of him vanished.
At the very next moment.
The world had been reduced to ruins.
Lines of bloody red text continuously appeared to give him an explanation:
[Corruption Quest: Prove your worth]
[The greater the talent you display, the higher the Tree of Holy Wishes will regard you]
[Attention: If your evaluation is too low, it will forcefully convert you into a low-level corrupted creature]
[There is nothing else worthy of note, let yourself loose and put your worth on display]
Gu Qing Shan felt speechless, then suddenly asked: “So at the moment, it isn’t just Samsara and you, but the corrupted holy tree is also observing me?”
[Correct, the only difference is that the corrupted holy tree doesn’t know that we are here observing everything] the Sequence replied.
“What exactly is this test about?” Gu Qing Shan asked.
[Most likely it’ll have you fight some sort of Sequence, from the level of innate talents you’ve displayed so far, it will most likely be an Apocalypse Sequence] the Sequence answered.
“Having me fight an Apocalypse? These things are quite boorish” Gu Qing Shan sighed.
[No, it will most likely grant you a certain power of Corruption, using that to lure you into the path of Corruption] the Sequence added.
“Power of Corruption? What’s what?” Gu Qing Shan asked curiously.
[An advice: don’t immerse in it] the Sequence replied.
It then went quiet.
The scenery around him gradually became clearer and clearer.
A sea of fire.
A city in ruins.
Gu Qing Shan looked down at himself——- still the body of a 12-year-old boy.
In that case, the only thing I can reveal is my post-evolution mental strength.
Walking through the devastated streets, Gu Qing Shan saw mostly corpses, some locust-like monsters that were around 2-3 meters in length were openly feasting over the bloodied corpses that were strewn across the ground, splashing themselves red.
Gu Qing Shan simply stood and observed from one side.
——while these monsters looked like locusts, they were a lot smarter than normal insects, as they were using a unique language to communicate between one another, and their actions also suggested a sense of order.
Suddenly, a large yellow locust noticed Gu Qing Shan.
Its wings rapidly vibrated as it lightly leapt towards Gu Qing Shan.
The large locust raised its razor-sharp forearms——
Pi—shu!
Its head suddenly exploded, its body swiftly collapsing to the ground.
Gu Qing Shan retracted his mental force and muttered: “Doing this would waste too much energy, I need to come up with something else”
More locusts started noticing the commotion that had occurred.
They gradually stopped eating and began leaping at Gu Qing Shan.
Gu Qing Shan turned his gaze towards one of the burning buildings.
Instantly, pieces of burning debris began to fly and crash against the locusts.
The large locusts didn’t expect something like that to happen at all, so they immediately went chaotic.
A shrill insect noise suddenly echoed from the distance.
——-a more powerful insect is coming!
Without hesitation, Gu Qing Shan began to fly backwards and swiftly left the battle zone.
Clusters of gloomy light suddenly started to manifest around his body.
A voice whispered into his ears:
「 Such immense mental strength, how rare, let the forces of Corruption aid you… 」
The clusters of gloomy light gradually manifested a proper form, transforming into armored female knights.
The female knights all knelt in front of Gu Qing Shan and spoke in a harrowing voice: 『 Following the summons of your power, we have come to be your venerable one’s servant and fight by your side 』
Gu Qing Shan took a glance at the female knights.
All of them were wearing grey suits of armor, their faces fixated with an expression mixed between dejection and madness along with eyes filled with desires.
Murderous, insanity, death, as well as——
The most exceptional among the female knights approached Gu Qing Shan and whispered: 『 A-ny-thing you wish 』
Gu Qing Shan felt a sense of realization.
Ah.
So it was this kind of script.
No wonder the Sequence told me not to immerse myself in it.
He opened his eyes wide, then naively asked the female knight: “Big sister, what are you talking about?”
The female knight observed him from top to bottom and chuckled: 『 So you were still a child, but this sister can teach you how to fight——- any form of combat you wish, do you want to learn?” 』
Insect noises began to resound.
A large number of locusts had already arrived at the street where Gu Qing Shan was.
Gu Qing Shan pointed behind himself: “Time to fight, everyone”
The female knight stood up and brandished the sword in her hand——
A grey warhorse manifested out of thin air, which the female knight mounted.
『 READY——- ATTACK——– 』
The female knights uttered a chaotic battle cry as they charged towards the horde of large locusts.
They each transformed into a grey cluster of fog that nimbly weaved back and forth between the large locusts.
The locusts couldn’t even touch them, but each time they attacked, a locust would die without exception.
Without taking too much time, all the locusts had already been slain.
The leading female knight dismounted her horse and slowly approached Gu Qing Shan while carrying a sharp black insect forearm in her hand.
『 Among all these insects, the strongest article is this forearm, I will help you convert it into a corrupted item 』
After saying so, the female knight began to recite a prayer as she squeezed the sharp forearm with considerable force.
The forearm was immediately turned into a puff of grey fog that entered Gu Qing Shan’s body.
Lines of bloody red text swiftly appeared in front of his vision:
[You’ve obtained power of Corruption: sharp insect forearm]
[You can utilize it in conjunction with one of your abilities]
Reading the description, Gu Qing Shan felt a bit surprised.
The female knight smiled at him, then knelt down so that her gaze was levelled with his.
The female knight then said: 『 Young brother, try to display your excellence as much as you can during the upcoming battle, only then would you be worthy of obtaining even more power 』
All the knights then vanished with a puff of smoke.
Bam——
A giant beetle then arrived from the distant sky, crushing an entire building as it landed on it.
It was a beetle with a considerably colorful shell whose entire body was covered in sharp spikes.
It stared closely at Gu Qing Shan, its compound eyes continuously shifting as if trying to estimate his strength.
Gu Qing Shan looked up to face the beetle.
Without waiting for the beetle to act, he took the initiative——-
Immense mental strength manifested into an ethereal sharp insect forearm, which struck at the beetle’s back with full force.
Clang!
A single dull noise.
Only faint cracks appeared on the beetle’s hard shell, but the insect forearm manifested from mental power had shattered.
“It’s tough as expected, but how about this?” Gu Qing Shan said.
He mobilized his mental strength again.
Several sharp insect forearms were manifested from thin air.
Clang clang clang clang clang clang———
The sound of continuous strikes resounded throughout the air, followed by a furious insect buzz.
Feeling pain, the beetle leapt at him with rapidly vibrating wings.
Gu Qing Shan just looked straight at it indifferently.
Over 10 sharp insect forearms appeared at the same time as they swung downwards at full force!
The beetle was instantly sliced into several pieces, which fell all over the ground.
Taking a step forward, Gu Qing Shan crushed the beetle’s head beneath his feet.
Lines of bloody red text immediately popped up:
[You are exceptional, both your combat instincts and mental strength]
[Thanks to this battle, your insect forearm will obtain even more profound power of Corruption]
Once again, several insect forearms appeared from behind Gu Qing Shan and scattered themselves to both sides.
These insect forearms had become jet-black, grown considerably sharper, as well as appeared much heavier.
Gu Qing Shan felt a sense of understanding.
——-the more enemies he killed, the stronger the enemy, the stronger the insect forearms would evolve to be.
He turned towards the inner city.
There are countless insects there.
Seemingly receiving news of the beetle’s death, more insects started to rush towards Gu Qing Shan like a tidal wave.
“Then let’s kill them all” Gu Qing Shan muttered.
He also approached the tide of insects.
The distance between both sides was growing increasingly shorter——–
Over 10 black insect forearms suddenly manifested around Gu Qing Shan as they began slicing their way into the tide of insect like flying blades.
Just like that, he continuously moved deeper and deeper into the tide of insects.
As the killing spree continued, the insect forearms gradually took a more radiant color while also growing in number.
He continued to walk straight through the tide of insects until he suddenly noticed that his surroundings had become silent and empty.
Gu Qing Shan trembled slightly.
——-so all the insects have already been killed.
“This kind of killing…”
Gu Qing Shan stood still and slightly controlled his mental strength.
In an instant, numerous insect forearms manifested out of thin air, continuously slashing like a layered carapace, causing the air to sound like it was being ripped apart.
“I see, this type of killing would indeed cause people to easily feel immersed in it”
Gu Qing Shan commented with a sigh.
Being able to directly obtain the enemy’s most powerful ability.
And the more you kill, the more powerful you become.
——-until eventually your rationale is completely overtaken by murderous desires and you become corrupted.
The ground broke apart.
A beetle that was a few dozen meters in length was lying at his feet.
The beetle spoke in human language:
「 With your unparalleled desire to kill, I shall act as you wish and eliminate all of your enemies 」
Gu Qing Shan looked at the beetle.
Lines of bloody red text silently appeared:
[This Apocalyptic beetle has recognized you, attracted by your power of Corruption, it is willingly offering to become your steed]
Gu Qing Shan chuckled and shook his head.
“This is already considered unparalleled desire to kill? This Sequence sure knows how to stimulate the emotions of living beings…”
——-conscripting Apocalyptic creatures for itself.
—–as well as tempting living beings of the Samsara to convert them into corrupted beings.
This Sequence truly is extraordinary.
If left to its own devices, the ultimate weapon of living beings – the Samsara – will eventually be converted into a weapon of Corruption.
That’s why the Samsara wanted me to eliminate the Corruption Sequence that is attached to the living beings of this era.
Gu Qing Shan slowly understood the situation.
His eyebrows twitched.
Hundreds, thousands of sharp insect forearms flickered in and out of existence behind him, a terrifying sight to behold.
All the insect forearms moved forward together and sliced the kneeling beetle on the ground into numerous pieces with just a single slash.
