Chapter Forty: The Cultist of the Evil God

In less than three minutes, the three of them landed one after another on the northern edge of the African continent, near the mouth of the Nile River.

Yin Seventeen, boasting a speed a hundred thousand times the speed of sound, naturally arrived first; Ruolan, the weakest of the three, had to borrow strength from the sea a few more times before finally arriving. Camian was the last to land, his whole body drenched.

Perhaps Ruolan’s “curse” had come true—while flying, Camian collided with a seagull and fell into the sea, thus arriving last.

“We should first visit the local governing authorities. They’re the real powers here—if anything strange has happened along the Nile, it won’t have escaped their notice!” Camian said, his face dark with displeasure.

He didn’t want his misfortune to continue and could only choose to forget everything that had just happened, pretending nothing was amiss. Otherwise, if Ruolan were to “curse” him again, who knew what else might befall him.

“That’s a good idea! We might even be able to rely on them to find the whereabouts of Cetus and Lupus!” Yin Seventeen agreed with a nod.

As Saints from the Sanctuary—a force dedicated to protecting peace on earth—they were the focus of attention wherever they went. The two missing Saints would surely have left some trace within the intelligence networks of the local authorities.

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s hurry!” Ruolan said cheerfully. It was rare for her to be out on a mission, and she wanted to finish quickly so she could enjoy herself for a few days.

“Wait!”

Yin Seventeen stopped the two just as they were about to set off.

“What now?” Ruolan asked impatiently.

Rubbing his chin, Yin Seventeen said, “What if the local authorities have already been infiltrated by followers of the Evil God? If we go directly to gather information, we’ll only be exposing ourselves.”

“I suggest we split into two groups. One will approach the authorities openly, while the other will stay hidden and be ready to assist at a moment’s notice.”

“This way, even if we run into trouble, we won’t be caught off guard.”

Hearing this, Camian gave him a long, searching look.

“This kid doesn’t seem like some clueless brat at all—he’s more like a steady, level-headed adult!” Camian marveled inwardly.

“Anything to add, Senior Camian?” Yin Seventeen asked, surprised, seeing the man lost in thought.

“Uh, no, nothing!” Camian snapped out of it and waved his hands. “Your suggestion is excellent. I agree completely!”

“How about this: you and Ruolan form one group, and I’ll go alone!”

He had no intention of being alone with that Lunar Hare girl—she was too unlucky to be around. If he accidentally offended her again, who knew what disaster would follow.

Ruolan, though simple-minded, was not stupid. She could easily sense Camian’s aversion. She glared at him fiercely and retorted, “Hmph, you don’t want to team up with me? I find you an eyesore!”

Even when clad in his Sacred Cloth, Camian looked a bit hunchbacked. Now, without the armor’s support, his stoop was even more pronounced.

Combined with his sinister face, he didn’t look like a good person at all—he was difficult to warm up to. If given the choice, Ruolan would much rather partner with Yin Seventeen. Though a few years younger, he seemed steady and reliable—a good teammate. Sharing the same Eastern origin was another bonus; there could be no better option.

Being mocked so openly, Camian could barely keep his composure.

“You—”

Just as they were about to argue again, Yin Seventeen hurriedly intervened, “Enough, stop it!”

“Senior Camian, you conduct the investigation openly. Ruolan and I will follow in secret and cover you.”

“Fine!” Camian nodded, then turned and left. He had no wish to stay another moment with that “rabbit.” If he lost his temper and things got physical, it would be a real mess.

“Let’s go!” Yin Seventeen said, and, watching Camian’s receding figure, motioned for Ruolan to follow quietly.

With the help of a flock of crows and the extraordinary mobility of a Saint, Camian quickly located the nearest government authority to the mouth of the Nile—a palace.

He did not hesitate, but simply “walked” in.

To Yin Seventeen and Ruolan, Camian looked as though he were just walking in normally, but the guards couldn’t see him at all. The speed of a Silver Saint had long surpassed the speed of sound. Even their slowest steps were far beyond the perception of ordinary people. If they wished to remain unseen, no one would be able to see them.

Camian proceeded directly to the inner chambers.

The palace was resplendent, filled with music, dancing, and revelry—a scene of extravagant merrymaking.

“It seems I won’t need to question anyone else,” Camian murmured, fixing his gaze on a richly dressed man.

From a distance, he had noticed nothing, but the moment he entered the grand hall, he immediately sensed the man’s small universe radiating outward—a signature of an Evil God’s follower.

Because the Evil Gods were opposed by all the gods, it was difficult for them to cultivate power slowly among mortals. They often forcibly ignited the small universe within their followers, rapidly expanding their influence.

But this method left hidden dangers. Since the power was not gained through personal effort, those who were artificially empowered could not control it; their cosmos would leak uncontrollably. Without the Evil God’s protection, they would die the instant their cosmos was ignited.

For this reason, these followers could never betray the Evil God; they were bound to him completely.

Moreover, having skipped the process of cultivation, such followers had no hope of progressing on their own. All they could do was serve the Evil God faithfully, hoping for his favor once more.

Without a doubt, the richly dressed man was a follower of the Evil God—in fact, a warrior in his service.

At that moment, the sudden appearance of a stranger and his cold voice shocked the revelers into silence. The entire hall fell still; one could have heard a pin drop.

“Who are you?” the man demanded.

“Under the banner of Athena—the Crow, Silver Saint!” Camian replied with a cold sneer, unleashing his cosmos and activating the key-shaped Cloth box in his pocket.

In a flash, a silver light shot from his pocket, transforming into a large silver crow before him. The crow then split into countless pieces, which attached themselves to his body. In the blink of an eye, the Sacred Cloth was donned.

“Silver Saint?”

Hearing this, the man’s pupils contracted. He flung his wine cup aside and shouted, “Guards! Stop him!”

Although he had been granted the power of the Evil God, his strength was nowhere near the level of a Silver Saint. Fighting one would mean certain death.

He had to escape!

At his cry, five warriors radiating small universe energy rushed forth to intercept. Taking advantage of the chaos, the man slipped away, opened a hidden passage, and vanished into the underground.

“You think you can stop me? What a joke!” Camian laughed coldly, swinging his fist.

These five were no more than mid-tier Bronze class at best. Even if Camian was considered weak among the Silver Saints, he was still far beyond such unarmored foes.

“Night Raid of Crows!”

He struck, and his cosmos transformed into countless black crows, swarming toward the five.

Hundreds of meters away, Yin Seventeen and Ruolan watched the battle unfold with their spiritual senses.

As long as Camian could handle it, they would not intervene.

Seeing Camian defeat the five in one move and prepare to take down the fleeing man, Yin Seventeen quickly sent a telepathic message: “Let him go and follow him—he’ll lead us exactly where we want to go!”

Although he wasn’t skilled at using cosmos-powered telepathy, this minor feat was still within his ability.