393: Damn it, the renovation plan!

Shang Wan Ning was completely buried in the cloud brocade quilt, her legs gripping the corner of the blanket, a muffled groan escaping her throat. Her eyelids were too heavy to lift, and her limbs felt as leaden as if filled with concrete.

"Your Majesty."

Ling Qi's demanding voice pierced the sleeping chamber, coldly hitting her eardrums, "The six-month deadline is almost here."

Shang Wan Ning abruptly opened her eyes.

The haze instantly retreated. She stared at the complex pattern of the Calanthe flowers on the canopy, her mind slow to process.

What six months?

Oh, the deadline for Sabrina to hand over the Divine Blood.

Damn it!

What kind of life has she been living these past two months?

That little scoundrel Princess Shang Wugou was frighteningly efficient at clearing the Wangchuan River. Most of the ten-thousand-year-old Netherworld silt at the bottom had been removed, and the river water was visibly becoming clear.

As soon as the riverbed was exposed, the restless folks at the Research Institute immediately came to Ling Qi, clutching something called the “Wangchuan River Ecological Optimization and Spiritual Energy Circulation System Construction Plan.”

The name was long enough to give Shang Wan Ning a headache.

The result was that the Empress and Olexia were forcibly drafted by the Secretary-General.

A full two months!!!

This Netherworld Empress, and that Goddess of Desire, were like two tired donkeys, tirelessly pouring Divine Power into the riverbed.

They had to outline the basic array patterns of “Yin-Yang Harmony,” lay the foundation piles of “Nine Nether Stabilization,” install “Spiritual Conduit Pipes” that automatically absorbed stray Spiritual Energy... and finally, cultivate the delicate “Soul Cleansing Nether Orchids” and “Grudge Devouring Moss.”

Her Divine Power had been completely drained. Now, just seeing Ling Qi made her legs weak. Olexia was even worse; when they met yesterday, the look she gave the Secretary-General was sinister, as if she wanted to crawl over and bite him.

"Wuwu, I can't get up."

Shang Wan Ning buried her face in the pillow, her voice muffled and hoarse, "My Divine Power hasn't recovered even 30 percent. Let Tudor handle it first."

Ling Qi stood by the bed, her gold-rimmed glasses chain hanging by her neck, holding the latest intelligence jade slip from the Ativi Continent. "Sabrina's Clone, carrying the Divine Blood, has already arrived at the Crimson Wasteland."

"Judge Tudor sent a message. The other party demands that the 'Abyssal Sovereign' or one of its core Subordinates personally appear to inspect the goods."

She paused, then added, "Their attitude is very strong."

Shang Wan Ning irritably grabbed a handful of her long hair and abruptly sat up. The quilt slid down, revealing the graceful lines of her shoulders and neck, where faint illusory traces of Divine Power depletion still lingered.

"Is this a death summons?"

She threw off the covers and got out of bed, stepping barefoot onto the floor tiles. The sharp coldness helped to clear her Sea of Consciousness slightly.

"Where is Olexia?"

"Her Excellency the Goddess of Desire..." Ling Qi's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. "Her Excellency claims her Divine Power is exhausted and she is drinking the worry-dispelling brew at the Succubus Bar, temporarily unable to fulfill the duties of the 'Abyssal Sovereign'."

Shang Wan Ning ground her molars.

Drinking soup?

I don't believe her for a second! That trash woman is definitely taking the opportunity to slack off.

"Prepare the carriage." She walked to the clothes rack, took down the Phoenix Robe, and put it on. "I will personally go and meet Sabrina's Clone."

"Your Majesty, your condition..." Ling Qi frowned.

"I won't die." Shang Wan Ning fastened her belt, feeling the empty meridians within her body, her brow tightly furrowed.

"We can't let the benefits that are right in front of us slip away."

She needed the Divine Blood from Sabrina's Clone to complete the analysis of the mother of flesh and blood's Origin. This concerned the entire subsequent plan to deal with that crazy goddess.

A quarter of an hour later, at the entrance to the hidden passage between the Netherworld and the Ativi Continent.

Shang Wan Ning had changed into the Evil God Set, her body enveloped in pure Abyssal Filth, exactly like her previous disguise as Shadow Fierce.

Ling Qi handed her a storage ring. "Inside are the Fallen God Blood Potion, and the 'little trinkets' the Research Institute just sent over."

Shang Wan Ning took the ring and put it on, her fingertip touching the surface of the ring. "Keep a close eye on the Jiaotai Palace and that little scoundrel."

"Subordinate understands."

Shang Wan Ning said nothing more, turned, and stepped into the spatial node... Ativi Continent, Crimson Wasteland.

Compared to half a year ago, it was even more desolate here.

Even the drought-resistant thorn bushes were completely withered. The wind swept up salty, bloody grit, beating against the broken foundation stones of the altar.

A constantly wriggling chunk of flesh, composed of eyeballs and tentacles, floated in the center of the altar. It was Sabrina's Clone.

The foul aura emanating from this chunk of flesh was significantly weaker than before, and the movement of the tentacles seemed somewhat unsteady.

"Your Excellency has finally arrived." A grating mental fluctuation slammed directly into Shang Wan Ning's Sea of Consciousness, revealing an unrestrained exhaustion. "We thought the God of the Abyss had backed out at the last minute."

Shang Wan Ning spoke hoarsely, "Your Excellency worries too much. Since our Lord has agreed, He naturally won't go back on His word."

Her Divine Sense swept over the crystal bottle floating next to the chunk of flesh.

Inside was a viscous, dark red liquid, filled with countless tiny pieces of flesh wriggling, emanating the ravings of ancient gods.

There was only one bottle.

"The goods have been brought."

The chunk of flesh's tentacles pointed to the crystal bottle, its mental fluctuation carrying a hint of distress. "Extracting this bottle of Divine Blood almost damaged the Clone's Origin. Fortunately, a few capable Followers sacrificed themselves in time to recover half of it."

Shang Wan Ning sneered inwardly, her expression unchanged: "Our God is also aware of the matters in the Veloria diocese. Your Excellency's Followers certainly have astonishing mobility."

The wriggling speed of the chunk of flesh paused. All the eyeballs turned toward Shadow Fierce, saying coldly, "That superior blood slave was indeed good. However, their soul has already returned to the embrace of the main body."

Shang Wan Ning timely displayed a suitable amount of "surprise": "Oh? Could it be that the Goddess of Light personally intervened?"

"Hmph!"

The chunk of flesh let out a cold snort filled with resentment. "We thought Astrea would abide by the rules and wouldn't personally interfere in the mortal realm."

"Even the main body couldn't find the soul fragments of those Followers. Besides Her, who else could have done it so cleanly?"

Shang Wan Ning let out a low, hoarse laugh, tinged with mockery: "Only losing a few million believers—is the Goddess of Light being a bit petty by overly protecting mere ants?"

Her words were pointed.

The Nature Pantheon is restricted by covenant; the true bodies of the gods cannot easily descend upon the main material plane, or it might trigger a shock to the Continent's origin, causing unpredictable disasters.

The chunk of flesh did not take the bait, clearly unwilling to discuss the possibility of the Goddess of Light breaking the rules.

It pushed the crystal bottle directly toward Shang Wan Ning. "The Divine Blood is here. Where is your Excellency's 'sincerity'?"

Shang Wan Ning spread her palm, and a bone tile imprinted with Abyssal Runes appeared. "This is the 'Abyssal Beacon,' personally refined by our Lord."

"Holding it, the Mother Goddess can transmit a single, one-way message to our Lord at any time."

The chunk of flesh extended a tentacle, wrapped it around the bone tile, and carefully examined it for a moment. A flicker of satisfaction appeared in its eyeballs. "Very well. Then, a pleasant cooperation."

"A pleasant cooperation."

Shang Wan Ning reached out and took the crystal bottle; the tentacles were moist.

She carefully inspected it, confirmed the Divine Blood was correct, and cautiously put it away.

With the transaction complete, the chunk of flesh was too lazy to talk further. Its wriggling body began to slowly fade, preparing to depart.

Shang Wan Ning also did not hesitate. The effect of the boots of the walkers of all realms activated, her figure leaving an afterimage as she instantly vanished from the Crimson Wasteland.