413: Rule Initiation, Attribute: Netherworld

The tavern owner, a shrewd old dwarf, quickly stepped in to smooth things over: "Alright, alright, guests from afar are our friends."

"Deacon lords, this way please. I'll treat you to a glass of our finest ale."

"Whatever it is, we can talk about it slowly, talk about it slowly."

Greystone nodded slightly and led his Subordinates composedly toward an empty table in the corner of the tavern.

He knew that the first step had already been taken.

When the dwarven higher-ups began to weigh the pros and cons, and when the low-level miners felt gratitude because of the medicine, the seeds of the Abyss were planted.

[And the Church has plenty of time to slowly infiltrate the entire continent.]

...Jiaotai Palace, Inner Chamber.

Shang Wan Ning stretched her arms, her muscles and bones making subtle cracking sounds, her brow showing a hint of relaxation.

She reclined on the phoenix couch, one hand casually fiddling with the tassels hanging from the side.

"The expansion of the operations on the Ativi Continent has been very smooth this time; the people below have put in a lot of effort. Ling Qi, go and convey my will: at the Finance Department, Tudor, You Yu, and those who were running around for this matter, quintuple their bonuses for this year."

Ling Qi stood by the couch and bowed slightly upon hearing this. "This Subordinate thanks Your Majesty for the reward on their behalf."

She paused, her voice lowering slightly, "Your Majesty has put in so much thought and effort this time; you are the one who has truly worked hard."

Shang Wan Ning waved her hand, about to say something, but Ling Qi suddenly knelt on one knee, took her right hand resting on the cushion, lowered her head, and placed a kiss light as a feather on her fingertip.

The movement was very light, a touch and then gone.

Shang Wan Ning's fingertip curled slightly as a strange numbness spread through her meridians, making her earlobes flush hot. "Suddenly doing this, it's quite sentimental."

(〃∀〃）

Ling Qi looked up, her fox-like eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses clear and frank. "This Subordinate is merely telling the truth." She did not let go of the hand; instead, maintaining the position, she leaned forward.

As the distance closed, they could clearly see their own reflections in each other's eyes.

Shang Wan Ning did not dodge.

Their breaths intertwined, carrying the cool scent of Ning Shen incense and a hint of the elegant fragrance unique to Ling Qi.

The touch of their lips was warm and soft, starting as a gentle contact, testing and tracing.

Soon, this bit of restraint was replaced by a deeper intensity, deepening further... Shang Wan Ning closed her eyes.

She allowed herself to drown in this moment of tenderness.

Until the air in their lungs grew thin, the two finally separated slightly, foreheads touching, their breathing somewhat ragged.

"The Abyss Church has now gained a firm foothold," Ling Qi's voice was slightly husky, her breath brushing against Shang Wan Ning's ear.

"As the Pope of the Abyss Church, the Magistrate represents the prestige of the Abyssal Sovereign. Therefore, his strength must at least be able to suppress those Seventh-Order Subordinate Gods on the continent to avoid unnecessary trouble and disputes."

Shang Wan Ning calmed her heartbeat and gave an 'mm' in agreement.

The Abyss had forcefully inserted itself into the continent's power structure; the waters had been muddied, and the things hidden beneath would naturally surface.

Neither the Ancient God faction nor the Evil God faction would sit idly by.

Tudor's strength must be increased as soon as possible; conventional seclusion was too slow.

The only shortcut was the "System Mall."

Thinking of that money-swallowing beast, the bit of romance in Shang Wan Ning's heart vanished instantly, replaced only by a genuine heartache for the little money that was about to leave her.

The massive amount of incense points earned from Audition 101 had long been allocated by her with a grand gesture to the Research Institute, fully invested in the research of Sabrina's divine blood and Avila's origin.

The progress on the Institute Director's side wasn't slow; they had initially decoded several core rule runes contained within the divine blood: 'Flesh Proliferation,' 'Decay,' and 'Life Siphon.'

They were attempting reverse engineering to see if these could be applied to the manufacturing of the Underworld and the development of wound medicines.

Avila's natural origin was even more highly regarded as a treasure; the Research Institute hoped to crack the conversion code for high-level life energy from it to optimize the nourishment efficiency of the Reincarnation Channel for soul bodies... Sigh :-(!

The money in the public account couldn't be touched, so she could only use her private treasury.

Shang Wan Ning sighed in resignation, her consciousness sinking into the System Space.

The dazzling list of products flashed with white light as she filtered and located "Strength Enhancement (Non-Cultivation Type)."

[Option 1: Heart-Burning Zenith Pill]

Description: A divine object that seizes the creation of heaven and earth, containing extremely domineering medicinal power. After consumption, the medicinal power dissolves, forcefully reshaping the foundation and infusing cultivation, achieving the peak of the Seventh-Order on the spot.

Suitability: For those with a will as tough as iron, a determination to face death, and who have been stuck at the peak of the Sixth-Order bottleneck for a long time without breaking through.

Success Rate Increase: Approximately 85%-90% (Though the success rate is high, the subsequent trials are even more lethal).

Side Effects: Must endure eighty-one days of 'Bone-Eroding Heart-Burning' agony consecutively; the pain increases daily and strikes directly at the origin of the soul. If the will falters even slightly, the soul will instantly dissipate.

Price: 550 billion incense points

[Option 2: Rule Empowerment (Specified Attribute: Netherworld)]

Description: The system directly triggers the origin of the Netherworld laws, forming a one-time flood of rule comprehension to be forcefully infused into the target.

Suitability: Cultivators who have already touched the threshold of the Netherworld laws and are at the peak of the Sixth-Order.

Success Rate Increase: Approximately 75%-80% (Depending on the target's soul compatibility with the Netherworld laws and their resilience).

Side Effects: During the empowerment process, there is a risk of being assimilated by the Netherworld and becoming an unconscious law puppet. After success, cultivation will stagnate for a hundred years, making it difficult to progress even an inch.

Price: 680 billion incense points

[Option 3: Bloodline Sublimation Potion (Divinity Compatibility Version)]

Description: Extracts the origin essence of various high-level divine creatures and refines it into a potion using secret methods. After consumption, it forcefully activates and purifies the latent bloodline within the body to elevate the life level.

Suitability: Individuals who indeed contain a trace of divine bloodline or whose constitution has extremely high compatibility with divine power.

Success Rate Increase: Approximately 55%-60% (High risk of bloodline conflict).

Side Effects: Failure leads to bloodline collapse and total loss of cultivation. After success, specific divine blood must be consumed monthly to maintain stability; otherwise, the bloodline will gradually degenerate and the realm will drop.

Price: 530 billion incense points

[Option 4: Chaos Dao Seed]

Description: A strange seed containing the origin of Chaos. Once implanted in the body, it can automatically absorb the Qi of Chaos from the void to grow slowly, feeding back to the Host.

Suitability: For those who pursue steady promotion, do not mind a long period of time, and possess long-lasting personal luck.

Success Rate Increase: Nearly 100% (But the growth cycle is extremely long).

Side Effects: During the growth of the Dao Seed, it continuously drains the Host's energy and personal luck, causing the Host to remain in a weakened state for a long time. Meanwhile, the aura of Chaos easily attracts the covetous eyes of extra-dimensional demons and ominous existences.

Price: 999.9 billion incense points

[Option 5: Heavenly Demon Blood-Burning Secret Technique (One-time Scroll)]

Description: A scroll recording an ancient forbidden secret technique. Once activated, it will grant brief supreme power at the cost of burning a thousand years of future lifespan and a portion of the life origin.