513: The progress bar is stuck at 98.7%.

"You know best yourselves which kind of pain you can endure."

The warm pavilion was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Bai Xuan was surrounded by gloomy Yin energy. After a long while, he gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "This Subordinate chooses the Soul Refining Cave."

Hei Jing: "Brother Xuan???"

"Continuous pain is better than mindless, excruciating pain. A dull knife cutting flesh is at least something one can slowly adapt to. Fifty years is long, but the dual-mode can reduce the pain. With our soul power resonating, we will definitely be able to hold on." Bai Xuan's expression was firm. "Besides, once the foundation is firmly established, we can go further on the path of cultivation in the future."

Hei Jing opened his mouth. "Fine! If Brother Xuan says Soul Refining Cave, then it's the Soul Refining Cave. It's just fifty years of ice and fire, this young master will accompany you."

He turned to Shang Wan Ning, his rivet boots clicked together as he stood at attention, giving a bizarre military salute: "Your Majesty, we have chosen. We'll take the Nine Nether Soul Refining Cave dual package!"

Shang Wan Ning looked at this pair of jokers, a hint of a smile flashing in her eyes.

She tapped the void with her finger, and the other two items on the light screen disappeared, leaving only the detailed page for "Nine Nether Soul Refining Cave (Dual Package)." Her finger hovered over the purchase button for a moment before pressing it.

"Purchase successful. The item has been stored in the Host's storage space. The matching teleportation talisman has been generated. Usage method: Both people must activate it simultaneously to teleport to the Soul Refining Cave plane."

Two dark purple talismans floated down, the flow of netherfire patterns on the paper feeling ice-cold to the touch.

Shang Wan Ning handed the talismans to the two of them separately: "Go back and prepare. At the hour of the Dragon in three days, let Mengmeng send you into the cave personally."

Black and White Impermanence solemnly took the talismans.

Hei Jing pinched the talisman paper, his fingertips rubbing over the netherfire patterns, his dark green curly hair drooping down: "Your Majesty, before going in... can this Subordinate go to that newly opened hot pot restaurant on Yin Street one more time? Just one meal, the last one."

Bai Xuan poked him with his elbow, but the afro didn't budge: "Be serious."

"I am very serious!" Hei Jing felt wronged. "Not being able to eat hot pot for fifty years, just thinking about it is desperate..."

Shang Wan Ning rubbed her forehead: "Granted. Put the bill on my tab."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!!!" Hei Jing cheered, dragging Bai Xuan as he ran out, his voice loud enough to shake people: "Brother Xuan, hurry, let's go now and order the nine-grid extra spicy pot."

Bai Xuan stumbled as he was dragged, the light board on his neck flashing wildly, but he still steadied himself and bowed to Shang Wan Ning: "This Subordinate takes their leave."

The two of them rushed out of the warm pavilion one after the other, the "click-clack" sound of the rivet boots on the floor and the flickering fluorescent light of the light boards quickly fading into the distance.

Shang Wan Ning leaned back on the soft couch, closing her eyes to regulate her breathing for a few moments, then suddenly spoke: "Little Four."

"I'm here." The electronic voice popped up immediately, and the light orb circled in the System Space, "That scene just now, tsk tsk, the styling of Black and White Impermanence is truly unchanging for a thousand years; their aesthetic consistency is touchingly stable."

"Stop with the snark." Shang Wan Ning opened her eyes, "How is the progress on Main Quest Three?"

"The Host finally remembered to ask about this?" Little Four chirped, "I thought you were immersed in the honey pot and had forgotten all about business."

"Speak."

"Alright then." Little Four brought up the mission panel, and the light screen unfolded in Shang Wan Ning's Sea of Consciousness.

[Mission Name: Ativi Continent · Path of Faith]

[Core Objective: Complete actual control over more than 60% of the Ativi Continent, Abyss Church faith coverage exceeds 50%, and successfully establish a stable reincarnation sub-channel in this plane.]

[Mission Deadline: One hundred years]

[Mission Reward: Character Card: Yama (Eighth-order peak complete form), remaining Law of Reincarnation fragments x3.]

[Failure Penalty: Shorten each of the ten fingers by 8cm (Forcefully effective on divine bodies below the tenth order, non-exemptible, irreversible).]

The progress bar hung there clearly — 98.7%.

Shang Wan Ning stared at the number, her brows furrowing bit by bit.

"98.7%?" She sat up straight, "How long has it been stuck?"

"About... half a month?" Little Four recalled, "Ever since Olexia sent back the briefing last time saying the basic foundation of the Dwarf City-States had been taken, the progress has been stuck at 98.7%."

Shang Wan Ning rubbed her wrists, her grip gradually increasing; she had indeed been hanging out with Sister Meng for too long, her hands were becoming a bit lazy.

Yama card.

She felt like a cat was clawing at her heart.

What did an Eighth-order peak complete form Yama mean? It meant that the Underworld's pile of tedious government affairs, the bickering between departments, the balance of Yin and Yang, the scheduling of reincarnation... could all be dumped on him!

It meant that she, this Empress, could immediately go into seclusion to break through to the Ninth-order.

It meant never having to read piles of memorials every day, never having to listen to the endless requests from department heads, never having to worry about the prices in the Underworld Market rising again, or which ghost messenger was throwing a tantrum...

Freedom, liberation, a leap in cultivation.

But now, the progress bar was stuck at 98.7%.

Just missing that little bit.

A little bit!

Shang Wan Ning slowly fell back onto the soft couch, her arm draped over her forehead, her long hair spread out in disarray. She stared at the carved patterns on the ceiling of the warm pavilion, her eyes gradually losing focus.

After a while, she turned over and buried her face in the cushion, letting out a suppressed, near-collapse moan.

"Ah!!!"

The sound was muffled in the cushion, distorted and twisted, crawling in the darkness.

Little Four was startled in the System Space, the light orb shrinking abruptly: "Ho-Host? Are you okay?"

Shang Wan Ning ignored her, continuing to bury her face in the cushion, her body trembling slightly.

That number scrolled repeatedly in her mind: 98.7%... 98.7%... 98.7%...

How could it be stuck here?

The faith foundation of the Ativi Continent had clearly been deployed, the spread of the Abyss Church faith was going smoothly, and the cornerstone of the reincarnation sub-channel had been buried.

[Where exactly is the difference?]

That trash woman Olexia!

Isn't she supposed to be "Desire"? Can't she even clean up this last little bit of a tail?

Shang Wan Ning raised her head, her long hair messily sticking to her cheeks, the corners of her eyes slightly red from the pressure just now. She stared into the void, her eyes fierce as if she wanted to pierce through the plane barrier and drag Olexia out to beat her up.

"Little Four." Her voice was hoarse, "Connect me to Olexia's communication."

"Now?" Little Four looked at the system time, "Host, it's three in the morning over there."

"Do gods need to rest?"

"Connect!"

"Alright, alright." Little Four muttered as she began to operate.

A few moments later, the communication connected.

The light screen unfolded in the warm pavilion, the image shaking a few times before stabilizing.

Olexia appeared in the screen.

The image of this Goddess of Desire at this moment... really couldn't be called "divinely majestic."

She was wearing a wrinkled silk bathrobe, her blonde hair as messy as a bird's nest, and there were even pillow marks on her face. The background was a luxurious bedroom, but the quilt was piled at the foot of the bed, and several open magazines were scattered on the floor.