The battle of the narrow valley came to an end in a way beyond everyone's imagination.

Sun Chuanting's troops annihilated Liu Zongmin's five hundred vanguard soldiers without any casualties. In any military history, this would be an incredible victory worthy of being recorded.


But at this moment, no one was cheering for it.

All the soldiers were quietly cleaning up the battlefield, their gazes involuntarily glancing toward that lonely figure standing in the center of the canyon.

Awe had replaced fear.


They witnessed with their own eyes the descent of "God." A "guardian deity" representing "death" and "end" that belonged to their great Ming dynasty...

I understand that from this moment on, the faith of this army has begun to waver. Their loyalty may no longer be to the ethereal concept of "Great Ming," or even to "Master" Sun Chuanting, but rather... to that "living calamity" who could give them absolute security.


Sun Chuanting clearly realized this as well. He walked to my side, his expression grave.

"Mr. Li, this battle... though victorious, will bring endless troubles," he said in a low voice. "The hearts of the soldiers... are in disarray."

"In chaotic times, people seek stability," I looked at him and replied calmly. "When the 'way of man' cannot bring them peace, they will naturally seek protection from the 'way of gods.' This is human nature, beyond right or wrong."

Sun Chuanting fell silent. He could not refute.

"Let's go," I said. "Let's take a look at our... spoils of war."

Liu Zongmin's army, apart from those "Abyssal Walkers" that were "annihilated" by Emperor Chongzhen, left behind a large amount of supplies and... prisoners.

About two hundred rebel soldiers, after witnessing that battle which resembled gods fighting, very decisively chose to surrender.

Sun Chuanting had them gathered and placed under guard.

And I, accompanied by several personal guards, walked toward Liu Zongmin's command carriage.

On the carriage, there were no gold or jewels, only some... more "interesting" things.

A box made of black iron, containing more than a dozen still slightly squirming, bloody and mangled "seeds."

[Item Identification: "Seeds of Madness"]

[Effect: When implanted into a living person, can transform them into a basic "Abyssal Walker" within twelve hours]

In another box was a stack of... "maps" made from tanned human skin, depicting bizarre star charts and runes.

[Item Identification: "Abyssal Chart" (fragment)]

[Function: Marks the locations of several important strongholds of the "New God" forces and "contamination sources" within Shanxi territory]

And what interested me most was the... ancient bronze mirror that Liu Zongmin left in the car... now dim and lusterless, even showing a slight crack.

[Item Identification: "Heaven-Bearing Mirror" (damaged)]

[Status: Massive loss of core "human faith", unable to be actively triggered]

[Repair Method: ???]

I picked up that bronze mirror. It felt cold to the touch, but I could sense that in its deepest part, there still remained a faint, pure power of "faith".

This is a good item. In the game, this would be top-tier equipment that only the protagonist could possess.

"These are the 'tools' our enemies use to corrupt this land," I showed the "Seeds of Madness" and the "Abyss Map" to Sun Chuanting.

Sun Chuanting looked at those items, his eyes filled with disgust and anger.

"Demonic objects!" he said hatefully, "They should all be burned!"

"No." I shook my head, "We can't burn them. These things are... very useful to us."

Sun Chuanting looked at me in confusion.

"Mr. Sun," I picked up a "Seed of Madness," "Would you like to know how much your soldiers' combat effectiveness could improve when facing these 'monsters'?"

Sun Chuanting's pupils contracted.

"Would you like to know where the weaknesses of these 'monsters' truly lie?" I continued, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. This saying applies to dealing with humans, and it applies equally to dealing with demons."

"We need a 'laboratory'." I looked at him, emphasizing each word, "A place specifically for studying these 'supernatural' phenomena."

"We need to 'screen' those prisoners. See how many of them are under mind control, and how many have willingly fallen. We need living 'samples'."

My words sent a chilling sensation through Sun Chuanting's bones.

He looked at me as if I were a... monster even more terrifying than Liu Zongmin.

"You... want to experiment on them?"

"What else?" I retorted, "Kill them all? How would that make us any different from Liu Zongmin? Or perhaps release them, so they can continue to serve as accomplices to tyrants?"

"Mr. Sun, times have changed," I sighed. "We can no longer fight this war with the old 'benevolence and righteousness' approach. Our enemies don't practice benevolence; they only understand power. We must be smarter than them, colder than them, more ruthless than them."

"We must use 'science'... no, the method of 'investigation of things to gain knowledge' to deconstruct them, analyze them, and ultimately... defeat them."

Sun Chuanting's lips moved, but he couldn't say anything.

He discovered that my "twisted logic," as he might see it, was actually... irrefutable.

Because I was right.

Just then, Emperor Chongzhen slowly walked over.

He glanced at those "seeds of madness," a flash of disdain crossing the dark hollows of his eyes.

Then, his gaze fell upon the... damaged bronze mirror in my hand.

He reached out his hand.

I hesitated for a moment, but still handed the bronze mirror to him.

Chongzhen took the bronze mirror, and with his withered fingers, gently caressed the fine crack on its surface.

Then, he made a gesture that left me, and everyone present, completely stunned.

He placed the bronze mirror... against his chest.

That sacred object representing the "faith in humanity," upon touching his body that had been thoroughly contaminated by the power of "Termination," not only didn't show any rejection but instead...

Like melting butter, slowly merged into his body.

[Warning: Unknown fusion occurring]

["Black Dragon's Curse" is devouring the remaining core of "Heaven-Accepting Mirror"]

[Reconstructing at the level of fundamental laws...]

[The power of "Annihilation" and the power of "Humanity" are beginning to resonate mysteriously...]

Chongzhen's body began to emit a faint, milky white light.

That light was sacred, magnificent, filled with hope and order.

But at the core of this light, there still remained that... abyss... symbolizing absolute silence and finality.

The dragon robe on his body began to flutter without wind.

He slowly raised his head, looking in the direction of Taiyuan, Shanxi.

"We... have sensed it," he spoke slowly in a tone devoid of emotion, yet seemingly imbued with the ultimate principles of heaven and earth.

"A... massive 'sacrifice' is there... waiting for Us."

My heart trembled with apprehension.

I knew who he was talking about.

Prince Jin, Zhu Qiugui. The wealthiest prince of the late Ming Dynasty, and also... the most foolish and miserly of misers.

In history, as well as in the game, he possessed mountains of gold and silver, yet was unwilling to spend even a fraction to reward his troops. Eventually, Li Zicheng broke through Taiyuan, and all his wealth was seized.

And now...

This enormous "moving treasury" had been prematurely... "locked onto" by the upgraded Chongzhen.

I stared at the strange entity before me, half demon and half "god," and suddenly understood the... final puzzle piece of my insane plan.

Perhaps, I don't need to "control" him.

I only need to... craft for him, and for ourselves, a... "divine vessel"... worthy of his power.

Using "humanity" as bones, and "conquest" as blood.

To thoroughly package this walking "calamity" into... a "deity" who saves the world.