Lord of Mysteries: The Cultivator - Chapter 21
Evening, Bikini Beach
The crimson moonlight gradually covered the land. The sounds of the port workers’ chants became fainter as the ships decreased.
Beside the rugged road, a short figure stood quietly under a streetlamp, holding a deep brown leather suitcase.
What should I say when I go in later…? Nervous thoughts gradually filled Quinn’s mind. He was still hesitating about how to face Snow.
After a long while, he took a deep breath and walked forward as if resigned to death, heading toward the church with the golden spire.
As the perspective zoomed in and the distance shortened, the magnificent, unlit building came into view.
Quinn pushed open the door and said, “Snow, I’m back!”
“…” In the pitch-black hall, a pair of bl00d-like eyes emerged from the darkness.
Snow, wearing a clean white priest’s robe, looked expressionlessly at Quinn at the door.
He was sitting on a long bench in the church, with a red-painted wooden box placed at his feet, looking as if he had been sitting there for a long time.
He silently stared at Quinn for two seconds. Only when cold sweat was about to break out on Quinn did he relax his gaze.
He lowered his head and whispered: “I almost thought you weren’t coming back…”
“Ha, haha…” Quinn gave a few dry laughs. The knowledge transmitted to him by the Fallen Mother Goddess did not include how to handle this kind of scene.
However, the current situation was not too bad. Based on Quinn’s understanding of Snow, as long as Snow didn’t splash a bottle of Potion of Corruption on him upon meeting, it meant he was likely not too angry.
Quinn walked over to the bench where Snow was sitting, sat down, and said: “I was targeted by a Deity-level existence.”
Hearing this, Snow did not react much. He sighed as if he had expected it: “Bishop Utravsky told us that you chanted the honorific name of an Evil God, and then fell into madness.”
“At first, we all couldn’t believe it. I, Old Bob, and many Beyonders at Bikini Beach were constantly looking for you.”
“It wasn’t until later that we heard that the most insane adventurer at sea, Gehrman Sparrow, had a beautiful girl with green hair and a Mother Goddess of Earth bishop’s robe appear by his side.
People said that her speech was sometimes refined and sometimes crude, her behavior was sometimes normal and sometimes crazy, and her strength was terrifying—a figure even more frightening than Gehrman Sparrow.”
“We thought about it, and except for the gender, their description seemed exactly like you. Coupled with your telegram, we realized you hadn’t died.”
Snow’s crimson eyes glanced at the box at his feet and said to Quinn: “Inside this is the Crimson Nain Root sent by the Church. The Mother Goddess issued a divine revelation, instructing us to cooperate with your actions.”
Sure enough, the Mother Goddess of Earth doesn’t want to see the Fallen Mother Goddess grow stronger… Quinn had anticipated this. He leaned forward and reached for the red-painted wooden box.
As he reached out for the wooden box, his profile was completely exposed to Snow’s eyes.
“Tsk tsk tsk…”
Snow suddenly spoke in a strange tone.
“Quinn, looking at your face after being corrupted, I suddenly feel that people mistaking you for a woman is not unfounded.”
“Hey, hey, hey…” Veins popped out on Quinn’s head. “After being invaded by ‘that thing of all the feminine power in the universe,’ it’s a blessing that I didn’t turn into a woman directly!”
After suffering once, he no longer dared to speak the Fallen Mother Goddess’s honorific name. Even just a phrase could potentially lead to Her descent.
“Damn it, I’m not saying any more. I’m going to advance right now.” Quinn stood up and handed Snow a stack of paper: “These are some formulas I managed to snatch from that Evil God. They’re for you. Just in case I lose control, these things might be lost.”
Snow didn’t even look at the stack of paper, casually tucking it into his pocket.
He gazed at Quinn and sincerely said: “Please be sure to remember the things you cherish.”
“Got it.” Quinn pretended he understood, picked up the two suitcases, and walked toward the basement of the Church of Harvest.
…
Above the gray fog, Klein, who had prepared in advance, sat upright in the high-backed chair.
He waited quietly until the layers of illusory prayers arrived.
He immediately looked at the crimson star of “Emperor,” which was rippling with deep red light like ocean waves.
Klein quickly threw out a paper figure. With his other hand gripping the “Black Emperor” Blasphemy Card, he mobilized the power above the gray fog, using the blessing of the paper figure “Angel,” to help Quinn shield against the Fallen Mother Goddess’s ravings.
The ordinary paper figure was quickly enveloped by the gray fog, transforming into a holy angel with twelve black wings on its back, rushing toward Quinn’s illusory spirit body, which was mixed with madness.
Gazing at the deep red star symbolizing “Emperor,” “The Fool” Klein felt a subtle worry emerge in his heart.
He whispered: “I wish you success…”
“My fellow transmigrator…”
On the other side, Quinn, who was praying in a low voice, suddenly saw his eyes brighten. He vaguely saw the figure of an “Angel.”
It landed on him and then melted into him, conveying a warm sense of security. The illusory ravings that had never ceased in his ear completely disappeared.
He happily whispered: “Praise The Fool!”
Taking advantage of the blessing’s effect not having worn off, he quickly began the refining of the “Philosopher’s Stone.”
He first pulled out a bottle of tranquilizing potion and cautiously drank a certain dosage. After feeling that there were no distracting thoughts in his mind, he threw the materials into the cauldron in front of him in a specific order.
“Enchanted Raw Stone.”
“Ten drops of purified Essence of Adamantine Grass.”
“Twenty grams of Elder Tree Root Powder.”
“Purified Heart of a Demon.”
“Golden Crystal of the ‘Fountain of Youth’”
…
Countless precious Beyonder materials were thrown into the pot. The temperature of the flame rose and fell more than ten times according to the requirements. The creation of high-level Beyonder items always requires a long process.
When Quinn arrived, it was still evening. By the final step, the crimson moon was about to set.
“The final step…”
Quinn’s eyes were calm, only seeing the constantly churning raw liquid of the Philosopher’s Stone.
“All the bl00d of the creator.”
He pulled out a sharp ritual silver dagger and, without hesitation, slashed fiercely across his wrist!
Sssshh! The tip of the dagger cut open the skin, cut open the flesh, causing bl00d to spurt out from the wound.
As the bl00d continuously flowed in, the raw liquid of the Philosopher’s Stone gradually became stained crimson and slowly solidified!
But Quinn’s consciousness also gradually fell into a daze, and his face slowly turned a sickly pale.
A crimson light gradually overflowed from the pot. The shape of the Philosopher’s Stone was almost formed!
Quinn felt the Earth Grandma in the Divine Kingdom waving at him. The world in front of him gradually faded away.
Death had already clutched Quinn’s neck, but the Philosopher’s Stone was still unformed. A strong survival instinct frantically stimulated his brain. But now, even the strength to activate his healing ability had left his body.
In the final moments before his life was about to end, the figures of individuals flashed through Quinn’s mind. They were brilliant lives, and they were gentle souls.
In the face of death, Quinn saw the things he cherished. A power, which came from an unknown source, urged him to reach out his hand.
No… No… I can’t… fall down like this!
At this moment, with all the bl00d injected, the Philosopher’s Stone was finally fully formed!
Quinn mobilized every conscious muscle in his body, straining with all his might to reach for that stone.
The moment his fingertip touched the smooth outer wall of the Philosopher’s Stone, a surging life force instantly pierced through Quinn’s body.
The feeling, like being resurrected from the dead, almost made Quinn lose his mind.
After a while, he recovered. He lowered his head, looking at the Philosopher’s Stone in his hand that surged with the breath of life as if it were breathing, and couldn’t help but chuckle softly: “Grandma’s, this is way more stimulating than the Fallen Mother Goddess!”
He wasted no more time. Beyonder materials like the Giant Core were sent into the pot by vines in order. A potion, entirely green like bitter gourd juice, was brewed.
Quinn reached out to pick up the ‘Ancient Alchemist’ potion. He suddenly recalled the fear of taking rural folk remedies when he was a child.
So he pinched his nose, closed his eyes, and gulped it down in one go.