86: Blue Crystal in hand

That hand pushed open the coffin lid, red light seeping through the cracks, instantly illuminating the entire hall. Shen Xiaochuan stood still, his right hand still resting on his saber hilt, his eyes locked onto the opening crack.

One eye slowly opened.

Then, the other one followed.

The girl sat up. Her face was pale, and her wet black hair clung to her cheeks; her breathing was weak but steady. She looked around, her gaze finally landing on the youth kneeling in the corner.

"Brother...?"

Her voice was so soft it seemed to come from a distant place.

Jack's eyes instantly turned red. He crawled forward a few steps but didn't dare get too close. "Vera! Is it you? Can you speak? Can you see me?"

The girl nodded gently. She tried to step onto the ground but couldn't stand steadily. Shen Xiaochuan waved his hand, and a streak of golden light wrapped around her, firmly supporting her body. A System prompt then appeared:

[Target: Vera (Human · Semi-Awakened Body)]

Soul Purity: 91%

No residue of evil thoughts

Vital signs stable]

He withdrew his hand and said to the people behind him, "She's not a monster; she's a living person."

Huang Lu breathed a sigh of relief and held the Formation Plate in her hands tightly. White Snow Princess put away her bow and arrow, Zhang Heng wiped the sweat from his forehead, and Chen Zhanbei sheathed his saber back at his waist.

Shen Xiaochuan walked toward the altar, watching the siblings embrace and weep. After a moment, he spoke: "Are you willing to sign a Master-Servant Contract? I can protect you and give you status and position."

Jack nodded immediately: "I am willing! Vera is willing too! We will listen to you!"

Vera leaned against her brother's shoulder and weakly raised her hand. A faint red pattern appeared on her palm—it was the mark of the contract.

Shen Xiaochuan reached out and pressed down on it. In an instant, golden light exploded!

[Rank B Mission "Blood Coffin Ritual" Completed]

[Rewards Obtained: Legendary Materials ×1, faith points +5,000]

[Master-Servant Contract signed successfully. Jack and Vera have officially become Godly Servants]

The battle outside was still continuing.

Shen Xiaochuan turned and left, his pace rapid. The others hurried to keep up. As they stepped out of the hall, they saw flames soaring in the distance; the team Huang Lu brought was engaged in a fierce battle with a group of demon soldiers.

He raised his hand and fired a bolt of lightning that exploded high in the sky. Golden text appeared by his side as he soared into the air.

"Everyone, listen up!" His voice echoed across the battlefield. "Cease fire immediately! This base belongs to me. I repeat—stop at once!"

The vibrations gradually subsided, both sides stopped their movements and looked up.

Shen Xiaochuan landed, standing atop a broken stone, and pointed at Jack: "He is my servant. This base is now under the jurisdiction of Skydome City. Any act of attacking him will be considered an act of hostility."

Huang Lu put away her weapon and stepped forward quickly: "Is it really settled? Is that girl okay?"

"She's a living person, and her Soul is clean," Shen Xiaochuan said indifferently. "Now, I'm the one in charge."

Huang Lu smiled: "You're amazing, you can even save the dead."

"Cut the chatter." He spread out a map. "blue crystals will refresh in three minutes at the back mountain hollow. Those who want to go, follow me."

The group passed through the ruins and arrived at a low-lying area. Several cracks had opened in the ground, and a faint blue glow emanated from within.

Shen Xiaochuan was the first to step in. A System prompt popped up:

[Legendary Materials · blue crystal core]

[10 pieces can be collected per refresh]

[Bound, Non-tradable]

He reached out and grabbed; ten crystal-clear blue crystals floated up and were stored in his storage space. He then took two steps back.

"One chance per person, enter in order," he said. "Exit as soon as you're done collecting; no greed allowed."

Huang Lu was the first to rush in. She came out five seconds later, her hands full of blue crystals, grinning ear to ear: "I feel like I can fly!" She shook her head and shouted with exaggerated drama: "I am a controlled Puppet—gaaaah—"

Zhang Heng slapped the back of her head: "Have you acted enough?"

White Snow Princess was the second to enter, her movements efficient. When she came out, her expression was calm, but her fingertips were trembling slightly. Resources like these were enough to support the upgrade of three sets of long-range weapons.

Chen Zhanbei was the last to go in. He came out panting heavily, clearly having exhausted himself to save time.

"All done," Shen Xiaochuan nodded. "Did everyone get them?"

Everyone responded in affirmation.

He was about to speak when he suddenly raised his hand for silence. Footsteps came from the distance; several low-level demons were moving corpses.

"Wait," he said to White Snow Princess. "You stay."

The others glanced at each other and quietly retreated. Huang Lu didn't forget to look back and make a face as she left.

Only the two of them remained in the clearing.

Shen Xiaochuan lowered his voice: "Ji Boduan has been acting strangely lately. Within three days, he contacted seven god accounts through an encrypted channel. The calls involved 'resource transfer' and 'permission opening'."

White Snow Princess's eyes changed instantly: "Are you saying... he might be committing treason?"

"It's not yet certain. But I've checked his movements; he disappeared twice for over six hours, with his location at the border of the No-Man's Land." He paused. "Go check the three bases under his name, especially that mine in the southeast corner. Don't alert him."

White Snow Princess's gaze turned cold, and she nodded through gritted teeth: "I've got it."

"This matter must not be leaked."

"I know what to do."

With those words, White Snow Princess turned and left, her pace much more hurried than when she arrived.

Shen Xiaochuan stood in place for a few seconds before heading toward the main hall.

Jack was waiting at the door, his face full of anxiety: "Lord, my sister needs rest. Can you arrange a place for her to stay?"

"I can," Shen Xiaochuan stepped into the hall. "But do something for me first."

"Please say it."

"Dismantle this altar."

Jack was startled: "What? But... will it affect Vera?"

"No," Shen Xiaochuan pointed at the blood pool. "Now that the resurrection is complete, the energy here has changed. The black mist has dissipated, and the runes have gone out, indicating that the pollution has been cleared. Keeping it will only attract people with ulterior motives."

He walked to the side of the altar and stepped on a pile of bones: "You are now my Godly Servant; you only need to follow orders."

Jack gritted his teeth: "Alright. I'll get to it right away."

He turned and ran out to gather people. A few minutes later, over a dozen remaining demon soldiers filed in and began dismantling under Jack's command. Some moved skeletons, some filled the blood pool, and some scraped off the runes on the walls.

Shen Xiaochuan stood on high ground, watching quietly.

faith points continued to grow. With every part dismantled, they increased. He could already sense the tremors of his Divine Kingdom, as if he were just one step away from a Breakthrough.

"Only one last step left," he murmured softly.

A faint light appeared on the horizon, the mist in the dense forest gradually dispersed, and sunlight fell upon this wasteland for the first time.

He touched the scale in his pocket. It was no longer hot, but a new marker had appeared on the route map on its surface, pointing northwest.

He didn't look closely.

At this moment, Jack hurried over to report: "Lord, the blood coffin has been sealed and is ready to be transported to your designated location. All beast skeletons will be cleared within two hours."

"Very good," Shen Xiaochuan nodded. "Speed up the progress."

He took one last look at the main hall. It used to be suffocating, but now that sense of oppression had completely vanished.

As he turned, the copper gear at his cuff swayed slightly.

He walked out of the hall door, stood on the steps, and waited quietly.

The wind brushed against his face, carrying a hint of fresh air.

He knew the battle was far from over.

But he had already seized the initiative.

Suddenly, his terminal vibrated.

A new message popped up:

[Abnormal signal source detected at the deep coordinates of the Southeast Mine]

[Matching Subject: Ji Boduan]

[Activity Time: 3:17 AM]

[Behavior Record: Activated teleportation array, connected to unknown network]

Shen Xiaochuan stared at the screen, his gaze suddenly sharpening, his fingers tightly gripping the terminal: "Ji Boduan, you've finally shown a weakness!"