78: Chapter 78 The Holy Son of the Secret Order

Tentacles intertwined with Tentacles, scales scraped against scales, emitting a harsh, grating sound like fingernails dragging across sheet metal.

Huge membranous wings flapped violently, a gale whipping up salty, fishy seawater and smashing it against the domed stone walls, splashing water dozens of feet high.

The seabed trembled violently, countless whirlpools swirling and tearing beneath the stone platform. Even the thousand-year-old stone pillars were swaying, and the ancient runes on their surfaces lit up one by one, flowing with dark red light like boiling blood.

The bronze scepter in Dagon's hand clattered into the water.

He had followed Cthulhu since the very first time Rlyeh was established, and had witnessed the Deep Ones' breeding ritual three hundred and seventy-two times. But he had never seen a scene like this—it was not the union of two Deep Ones, but the fusion of two supreme Bloodlines.

On the stone platform, Wu Xi's body was undergoing a terrifying metamorphosis.

His spine protruded joint by joint, piercing his skin and turning into bone spurs covered in black scales. His arms transformed into thick, sturdy Tentacles, each as thick as a water barrel and covered in suckers that shimmered with a ghostly green light. Behind him, two pairs of massive membranous wings unfurled, blotting out the sky, the wing membranes flowing with patterns of Chaos.

And Cthylla, beside him, had also transformed into a half-human, half-octopus form. Countless soft Tentacles wrapped around Wu Xi's body, their scales rubbing against each other, creating a teeth-gritting sound.

This was no ordinary breeding; this was a resonance of Bloodlines, a fusion of divinity.

Dagon's lips trembled, and for the first time, his murky eyes revealed genuine fear and fanaticism.

He had seen Lord Cthulhu when he awakened—that heaven-destroying, earth-shattering pressure, that form transcending the mundane—and now, it was being recreated in a human.

"The Lord's physical form..." he muttered to himself, his voice shaking uncontrollably. "Aside from the Lord's direct Bloodline, there is actually someone else who can trigger this form... This is impossible... This is absolutely impossible..."

All the Deep Ones froze.

The previously deafening cheers came to an abrupt halt, and the entire domed hall was left with only the sound of seawater slapping against the stone walls and heavy breathing.

Thousands of Deep Ones looked up, staring blankly at the two figures on the stone platform. Their gazes shifted from initial shock to awe, and finally, into near-maniacal worship.

It was unclear who knelt first.

"Saint!"

A hoarse cry pierced the silence.

Immediately after, like falling dominoes, all the Deep Ones knelt on one knee, burying their foreheads deep into the cold seawater.

Their bodies were trembling—not from fear, but from excitement.

"He is the Saint! The Saint sent by the Lord!" "Long live the Saint! Long live the little princess!"

"The Saint will lead us back to the land! Rule the Dreamlands!"

Cheers swept through the entire domed hall like a tsunami, shaking loose gravel from the stone walls.

The Deep Ones struck the water surface with their foreheads, making a "thump-thump" sound, expressing their most pious respect.

Dagon also slowly knelt down.

His knees slammed into the water, splashing up a spray. All his previous doubts, unwillingness, and jealousy vanished into thin air at this moment.

He had lived for thousands of years, and his only faith was Lord Cthulhu. And now, a human capable of manifesting the Lord's physical form had appeared before him; this was the Lord's will.

He raised his hands high, his voice ringing like a great bell, echoing throughout the seabed. "From this day forward, Wu Xi is the only Saint of our Order! All members must obey the Saint's commands! The Saint will lead us, wait for the Lord to awaken, trample the land, and make the entire world prostrate itself at the Lord's feet!"

"Long live the Saint!" "Long live the Saint!"

The ritual lasted the entire night.

When the first ray of sunlight pierced through the cracks in the dome, casting dappled light and shadows on the water surface, Wu Xi finally opened his eyes.

He lay on the cold stone platform, his bones feeling as if they had been dismantled and reassembled, every inch of his muscles aching.

He looked down at his hands; they had returned to their human appearance, skin pale, dark black blood flowing through his veins.

But he could clearly feel a brand new power within him.

This power was cold, dark, and violent, as if it came from the Chaos before the birth of the Universe.

It did not belong to this world and was not bound by any rules.

"Sss—" A tiny black fissure appeared before him.

Inside the fissure was pure darkness; no light, no sound, no time, only endless nothingness. A heart-palpitating aura emanated from the fissure, causing even the surrounding seawater to begin to twist and evaporate.

"Dimensional Stripping."

A cold, emotionless voice rang deep within his mind.

[Dimensional Stripping]: Locks onto the target's existence coordinates, completely erasing them from the reality dimension and banishing them to the Void Realm of Chaos. Unless one possesses power that transcends dimensions, there is no return for eternity.

Wu Xi's pupils contracted violently, and the fissure at his fingertips vanished instantly.

This was definitely an unsolvable skill.

No matter how strong the opponent was, as long as they were touched by this fissure, they would be thrown directly into the Void Realm of Chaos. Time and space did not exist there; even an immortal who entered would only drift forever until their consciousness dissipated.

Wu Xi clenched his fists, feeling the surging power within him, a surge of ecstasy rising in his heart.

Just then, a slight movement came from beside him; Cthylla had awakened.

She curled up in Wu Xi's arms, her long eyelashes fluttering gently.

"You're awake." She looked up at Wu Xi, a satisfied smile curving the corners of her lips; her eyes were a pure, deep blue.

"Mm." Wu Xi nodded, his voice slightly hoarse. "Is the ritual over?"

"It's over." Cthylla smiled and snuggled closer into Wu Xi's arms. "They all like you very much. Dagon has already announced that you are the Saint; now the entire Secret Order of the Deep Ones belongs to you."

Wu Xi smiled bitterly; he had never imagined that he, a human who hunted Demon Ghosts, would actually become the Saint of the Cthulhu cult. This world was truly becoming more and more absurd.

"Dagon has gone to prepare for the celebration." Cthylla continued, her fingers drawing circles on Wu Xi's chest. "He said he wants to hold the grandest coronation ceremony for you, inviting all the Deep One tribes from every sea area to attend, so that the entire ocean will know of your existence."

"Forget about the coronation ceremony." Wu Xi shook his head, gently pushing Cthylla away and sitting up. "I cannot stay here long; there are matters in the Demon Ghost World, and I must return immediately."

Cthylla sat up, looking at Wu Xi, her deep blue eyes quickly misting over with a layer of tears.

She bit her lip, saying nothing, just looking at him quietly, her eyes filled with grievance and reluctance to part.

Wu Xi's heart softened instantly, and he reached out to gently stroke Cthylla's soft hair.

"I will come back." He said softly. "After I finish handling the affairs in the Demon Ghost World, I will come back to find you."

"Really?" Cthylla looked up, her eyes sparkling as if stars were flickering inside.

"Really." Wu Xi nodded seriously. "I promise you."

"Then you must come back early." She buried her face in Wu Xi's shoulder, her voice choked with a hint of sobs. "Next time you come, I will take you to meet my father."

"Meet Cthulhu?" Wu Xi's body stiffened instantly.

"Mm." Cthylla nodded, looking up at Wu Xi, her eyes filled with anticipation. "He has always been sleeping, but I can feel his consciousness. He knows of your existence, and he wants to see you too. I think he will definitely like you."

Wu Xi looked at Cthylla's expectant gaze, and the refusal that had reached his lips could not be spoken. He took a deep breath and nodded.

"Okay." He said. "When I return, I will go with you to see him."

Cthylla laughed happily. She stood on tiptoe and gave Wu Xi a heavy kiss on the cheek, leaving a cold lip print.

"I'll see you out." The two walked hand in hand toward the exit of the domed hall.

Dagon, along with a group of Deep Ones, was already waiting at the entrance. Seeing Wu Xi come out, they immediately bowed respectfully, their movements uniform and synchronized, without a sound.

"Saint." Dagon lowered his head, his voice immensely respectful.

"Mm." Wu Xi nodded. "I am leaving. I leave this place to you; take good care of the little princess."

Dagon suddenly knelt on one knee. "Rest assured, Saint; even if I have to be shattered to pieces, I will protect the little princess's safety!"

Wu Xi nodded, then turned to look at Cthylla. "I'm leaving."

"Mm." Cthylla nodded, her eyes red. "Remember to come back early. I will wait for you here; I will wait for you forever."

Wu Xi looked at her deeply, his physical body transforming as Tentacles spread across his entire body.

... ...

Wu Xi landed in the courtyard of the inn; the sky was already bright.

Under the grey, overcast sky, everything was the same as when he left, quiet to the point of being eerie.

It was too quiet; Wu Xi's brows furrowed instantly.

According to the agreement, Niu Fei and the others should have been waiting here for him to return. But now, the courtyard was empty, without a single sound.

Just then, he heard a slight trembling sound coming from the corner of the wall.

He turned his head to look.

He saw four tiny figures huddled under the offering table in the corner, shaking like chaff sieves. It was none other than the Bowl-Playing Ghost, the Clever Ghost, the Filthy Ghost, and the Begging Ghost.

When they saw Wu Xi, they were stunned for a moment, then, as if they had seen a savior, they burst into tears with a "waa."

"Lord Wu Xi! You've finally returned!" The Bowl-Playing Ghost scrambled out from under the offering table, threw himself at Wu Xi's feet, hugged his legs, and wailed, "Something happened! Something big happened!"

Wu Xi squatted down, held the Bowl-Playing Ghost, and said in a deep voice: "Don't panic, tell me slowly. What on earth happened? Where are Niu Fei and the others?"

The Bowl-Playing Ghost was crying too hard to speak, only shaking his head incessantly.

The Clever Ghost took a deep breath, wiped the tears from his face, and said with a trembling voice: "Last night, after you left, we were waiting here for you. Big Brother Niu Fei said you would be back soon. But when it reached midnight, a black wind suddenly blew up."

"After the wind dispersed, there was one more person in the main hall." "What person?" Wu Xi's voice turned cold.

"King Xianlian." The Filthy Ghost interjected, his teeth chattering incessantly. "It's that King Xianlian from Gualian Cave on Shameless Mountain."

"He said..." The Begging Ghost swallowed his saliva, his voice as small as a mosquito's buzzing. "He said that we destroyed Trap Alley and that this debt needs to be settled with us. He also said that this is the style of Shameless Mountain: to always seek revenge and to pay it back double."

"And then?"

"Then he made a move." The Bowl-Playing Ghost finally stopped crying and said with a sob, "Big Brother Niu Fei was the first to rush up, slashing head-on at King Xianlian. But King Xianlian just smiled, reached out, and slapped Big Brother Niu Fei away with one palm. Big Brother Niu Fei hit a pillar, spat out a mouthful of blood, and fainted on the spot."

"Seeing Big Brother Niu Fei get hit, Big Brother Qiu Chuanxing immediately drew his blade and snuck an attack on King Xianlian from behind. But King Xianlian, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, didn't even turn around, grabbing Big Brother Qiu Chuanxing's wrist with a backhand."

"Sister Ling Muxue released a blood mist, wanting to trap King Xianlian. But King Xianlian just took a breath and sucked all the blood mist into his stomach. He even said that Sister Ling Muxue's blood tasted pretty good, just a bit too fishy."

"Sister Jiang Jiye saw that the situation was wrong and wanted to take Sister Jiang Yuehong and leave first. But King Xianlian waved his hand, and countless red ropes appeared, tying them both up."

The Clever Ghost added, "Before he left, he left word that if we want to save them, we should go to Gualian Cave on Shameless Mountain ourselves to find him. He also said he would 'entertain' them well."

"King Xianlian..." Wu Xi gritted his teeth, reciting the name word by word.

"Gualian Cave on Shameless Mountain..." He looked up, gazing toward the direction of Shameless Mountain.

"Good, very good."

"Since you are so eager to seek death yourself, I will fulfill your wish."