Chapter 19 The Undead

"Damn it!" Zhang Yuanqing cursed inwardly. Without hesitation, he pried open the Cardinal's mouth, jammed a tube of Life Source Liquid into his oral cavity, and then took another tube of diluted Life Source Liquid, tossing it to Princess Yin Yao. "You save him. Communicate with him. If communication fails, release me from the coffin. The worst that can happen is I’ll kill him again."

Having said that, he cast Star Escape and disappeared into the hold.

Zhang Yuanqing had to leave. With his decisive nature and the aggressiveness brought on by the contamination,

if he saw the Cardinal not dead and Yin Yao had become a corrupted being, he would probably attack directly. Princess Yin Yao calmly picked up the Life Source Liquid, copied Yuan Shi Tianzun, pried open the Cardinal's mouth, and injected the diluted Life Source Liquid. Then she withdrew the Mountain God Scepter and waited for the potion to take effect.

"Crack..." A crisp sound of ice cracking came from the Cardinal's body. Before long, the sleeping Cardinal opened his eyes, his pupils somewhat dilated. He sat up and looked around blankly. When he saw the knights in battle and the red-eyed, demonic woman beside him, he immediately recalled the details before his "death." His pupils constricted violently, and he unhesitatingly condensed a lightning spear crackling with electric arcs.

"If I were you, I'd be wondering why I could be resurrected..." Princess Yin Yao raised her small loudspeaker, staring at the Cardinal expressionlessly. The Cardinal was stunned for a moment, and reason gradually returned. He didn't dissipate the lightning spear in his hand but didn't launch an attack immediately.

"You saved me?"

"My master's spirit was contaminated. His cognition was distorted. After almost being blown up by you, he regained his senses." Princess Yin Yao explained plainly.

"He was unwilling to become a puppet and wanted to find a solution, so he asked me to save you. That's how it is. I think, with your wisdom, you can tell the truth from the false."

The Cardinal glanced at the two knights being suppressed and pondered for a few seconds. "You indeed didn't need to save me." He put away the lightning spear.

"What can be done to save him?" Princess Yin Yao asked hastily.

"The only salvation is to go to Heaven and pray for forgiveness from the good Lord. God will accept all lost sheep who return to the fold." A look of piety appeared on the Cardinal's charred face as he made the sign of the cross on his chest.

Princess Yin Yao almost wanted to send him to see God. After thinking about it, she said, "What can be done to alleviate the contamination?"

The Cardinal looked at the damaged circular array on the ground. "The purification ritual can remove the aura of the Demon Seed. After Lieutenant Stephen's last corruption, he briefly regained his senses in the ritual!"

Princess Yin Yao said quickly, "Please set up the ritual again."

"You want to undergo the purification ritual?" The Cardinal's face was solemn, and he remained silent.

"Is there a problem?" Princess Yin Yao asked in return.

"I just feel that they died for me in vain." The Cardinal glanced at the fallen Isabella and Captain James, and silently made the sign of the cross on his chest.

"Can you make them stop?" The Cardinal looked at the two knights who were struggling to hold on.

"They are beyond my control!" Princess Yin Yao shook her head. Hearing this, the Cardinal's palm flashed, and bright blue electric arcs condensed into a long whip. He took two steps forward and lashed out with the whip.

"Zzzzzzz~" The Cardinal unleashed a set of lightning whips, striking the Greed General and Hundred-Man Slayer one after another. The lightning attribute spiritual power was extremely overbearing, destroying the spiritual seal arrays within the Yin corpses, like breaking the internal circuits of an appliance. The Greed General and Hundred-Man Slayer froze. The two knights breathed a sigh of relief. Their knees weakened, and they leaned on their swords, gasping for breath.

They didn't take the opportunity to counterattack the two Yin corpses because they saw that the two enemies had revived the Cardinal. The two heavily injured knights and the Cardinal placed the corpses of Isabella and James together and prayed silently. After the prayer, one knight used a water-soaked mop to wash away the incomplete six-pointed star circular array, while the other knight fetched the corresponding materials to help the Cardinal inscribe the array.

Princess Yin Yao watched from the side, holding up her small loudspeaker, and said, "This isn't a purification spiritual seal. I just thought about it. The First District doesn't have professions with purification abilities."

While spreading red powder, the Cardinal replied, "I don't understand your words. This is a magical rune, also known as the Runic alphabet from ancient legends."

Whether it was purification spiritual seals or "First District," he didn't understand.

"What are Runic alphabets?" Princess Yin Yao asked when she didn't understand.

The Cardinal explained patiently, "Runic alphabets are the supreme power in Norse mythology. It is said that the god-king Odin comprehended the wisdom from the World Tree. They are the source of all magic in the world. The magic used by witches is derived from the Runic alphabets."

"There are twenty-four Runic alphabets in total, each with different powers. What I am currently inscribing is the Runic alphabet that symbolizes purity and light, which has the power and effect of purifying evil."

Princess Yin Yao listened with partial understanding, silently memorizing it, intending to ask Yuan Shi Tianzun about it later.

She didn't speak again. The Cardinal finished drawing the six-pointed star circular array and then breathed a sigh of relief. Immediately, he transformed into starlight and dissipated from the captain's room. As the starlight rose, Princess Yin Yao walked to the coffin and knocked on the lid, tentatively saying, "Yuan Shi Tianzun."

No one responded. Princess Yin Yao pushed open the coffin lid, quickly retreating a few steps, while having the Cat King Speaker emit a mind-suppressing drumbeat, standing ready. Zhang Yuanqing sat up from the coffin lid, his expression cold, but under the shock of the drumbeat, his self-awareness quickly recovered, revealing a look of pain.

"It's settled!" Princess Yin Yao said quickly.

"Good job." Zhang Yuanqing didn't waste any words, getting up and leaving the coffin. The coffin could weaken the Demon Seed's whispers and reduce contamination, but it couldn't completely isolate it. Lying in the coffin was a temporary measure. Accepting purification was the right way.

Taking advantage of his clear mind, he cast Star Escape, arriving from the captain's room to the hold. Zhang Yuanqing quickly scanned the scene, seeing the two fallen Yin corpses. He didn't care. Moonlight fell on the circular array. Then, he looked at the Cardinal. The Cardinal pointed to the circular array.

"You should stand inside."

Zhang Yuanqing calmly stepped into the circular array. The Cardinal clasped his hands together at his chest, his lips pressed against his fists, and began to chant incantations. After more than ten breaths, the dark red circular array lit up with pure white light. Zhang Yuanqing felt angry roars coming from his body. Streaks of black smoke rose and left him. As the black smoke departed, their reason was completely restored. Their thoughts were clear, and there were no more cognitive distortions or hallucinations.

But Zhang Yuanqing was very clear that this was only temporary. The Demon Seed would continue to contaminate him, this Lingjing Xingzhe, because this was the "gift" that the dungeon gave him.

The contamination tomorrow and the day after tomorrow would be several times stronger than today. At that time, whether the purification array would still be effective was unknown. So, what Zhang Yuanqing needed to do now was to cultivate the Pure Yang Body Cleansing Record, to restore the power of the Sun God to its peak, and increase his own resistance until the end of the dungeon. As long as he didn't completely fall, and it was only mild contamination, he could use the power of the Sun God himself to eliminate it after leaving the dungeon.

As thoughts flashed through his mind, he noticed the Cardinal's hostile and vigilant gaze. "Do you still remember your name?" the Cardinal asked.

"Stephen Simpson," Zhang Yuanqing said. The Cardinal was overjoyed. "The purification effect is even better than last time!"

Looking at the delighted Cardinal, Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself that Lingjing was the most terrifying when it came to distorting cognition. In the dungeon, no matter how much abnormality the Lingjing Xingzhe showed, the NPCs automatically accepted it without any doubts. And these NPCs were living beings, flesh and blood, carbon-based organisms with independent souls, no different from humans in the real world. Zhang Yuanqing suspected that if Lingjing didn't reset the dungeon, the NPCs inside could even get pregnant and have children.

"Your Excellency, please monitor my condition. The Demon Seed will contaminate a target every day. If I die, then the contaminated target will be you and your companions," Zhang Yuanqing said.

"Cardinal, you don't want your companions to be contaminated, so please protect me and be ready to purify me at any time." Although he said that, Zhang Yuanqing wasn't in a hurry to cultivate the Pure Yang Body Cleansing Record. Nighttime was when his Taiyin power was at its peak, so it wasn't suitable for cultivating the Pure Yang Body Cleansing Record.

Zhang Yuanqing circulated his cultivation technique, allowing the power of the Sun God to slowly circulate within his meridians to protect his body and resist the Demon Seed's contamination. At the same time, he secretly guided the Cardinal's emotions, asking casually, "Your Excellency, do you know the origin of that Demon Seed?"

He turned his gaze towards the low wall made of flour bags. The Demon Seed was behind the wall. The Cardinal shook his head.

"Could it be a Master-level item? Perhaps a certain rule-type item?" Zhang Yuanqing probed, manipulating the Cardinal's emotions to guide him to be candid.

He believed that it was rare to encounter a 1900s dungeon and come into contact with the Holy See's Lingjing Xingzhe. He couldn't let go of the opportunity to gather information. This Cardinal was seriously injured and not yet healed, and was still in a weak state, so he could be easily swayed.

The Cardinal was silent for a few seconds, his tone extremely heavy. "I don't know what it is, nor do I know its origin. According to the Light Compass's prophecy, the extraterrestrial object that sank into the sea possesses a terrible power to destroy the world. His Holiness the Pope attaches great importance to this. That's why he assigned me to handle it."

"Light Compass? You just mentioned the Light Compass?" Zhang Yuanqing exclaimed.

The Cardinal was stunned by his reaction, not understanding why he was so surprised. "The Light Compass is the Holy See's sacred artifact, ranking alongside the Holy Spring Pool and the Holy Grail as the three great sacred artifacts!"

The Light Compass was actually the Holy See's sacred artifact? The Guild Leader had said that the Light Compass was thrown out by the Free Federation to promote the process of factional conflict.

The destruction of the Holy See was the work of the Free Federation. So, that's how the Free Federation got the Light Compass...

But I remember the Guild Leader also said that the Light Compass was brought out of a dungeon by a Lingjing Xingzhe unintentionally...

At that time, the Guild Leader's relationship with me was still very ordinary, so what he said might not be true. Zhang Yuanqing no longer dwelled on the origin of the Light Compass, but focused on the prophecy in the Cardinal's words.

"Since the Light Compass prophesied that the Demon Seed could destroy the world, why did the Holy See only send Your Excellency to Sea City?"

Even if the Pope didn't come in person, he should have sent a Master, right? In addition, the Thriller Cruise dungeon really had hidden storylines, and the Demon Seed was indeed not that simple.

It should be known that the Light Compass was a rule-type item with an extremely high position. The Cardinal frowned, hearing the contempt in Lieutenant Stephen's words.

"My level and position are only below the Pope and the Holy Knight. Even in the entire Lingjing, I can rank in the top five. What's wrong with sending me to handle the extraterrestrial meteorite?"

I almost forgot. In 1900, the First District had only been open for 16 years. At that time, there were no complete dungeon guides, Lingjing Xingzhe leveled up slowly, and the mortality rate was high. It was normal for a peak Saint to become the Holy See's third in command. However, I remember that the Holy See was destroyed during World War I, which means that in another 18 years, the Holy See would have a Demigod. It developed very quickly.

This rapid development of the Holy See was understandable, after all, it was a large organization with a heritage. But why did the evil factions, especially the Free Federation, develop so quickly?

A large organization with three Demigods ah, and it was only thirty years after Lingjing opened. How did they achieve such explosive growth?

In an instant, Zhang Yuanqing thought of many things. "What level are the Pope and the Holy Knight?" Zhang Yuanqing asked.

"The Pope is the world's number one Level Nine, and the Holy Knight is Level Eight," the Cardinal said, his tone filled with respect.

"The Light Compass was obtained by the Pope in Lingjing?" Zhang Yuanqing asked.

The Cardinal shook his head. "The Light Compass's prophetic ability does not belong to any known profession. It is a treasure passed down from ancient times and has always been kept in the Holy See's vault."

"Where is the Holy See's vault?" Zhang Yuanqing's spirits lifted.

The Cardinal looked at him with a strange gaze. "Revealing the location of the treasure will prevent you from entering Heaven after death. Do you think I would tell you?"

"Lieutenant Stephen's spirit is still not quite normal. How could he ask such a confidential question so righteously?"

"You won't enter Heaven after death, you will only enter Lingjing, like now," Zhang Yuanqing retorted. But the Cardinal, whose cognition was distorted, automatically ignored the shocking secret revealed in his words.

The Cardinal believed that Lieutenant Stephen still had hidden dangers of mental disorder, so he ignored him. Zhang Yuanqing didn't speak again, silently strengthening his emotional guidance.

After a few minutes, the Cardinal sighed. "It's okay to tell you. No one knows the location of the Holy See's vault because it is only recorded on a map. Where the map shows it is, that's where it is."

"What does that mean?" Neither Zhang Yuanqing nor Princess Yin Yao understood.

"According to the Pope, the location of the vault changes every so often. Only by following the guidance of the map can you find the vault," the Cardinal explained.

"Where is the map?" Zhang Yuanqing asked, following the trend, silently strengthening his emotional guidance.

"It is kept by the Holy Knight of each generation!" the Cardinal said.

"Kept by the Holy Knight of each generation? The Knights have already turned to dust..." Zhang Yuanqing felt a burst of disappointment in his heart, but soon, he thought of that detestable single-lineage knight. The treasure map was kept by the Holy Knight of each generation...

I seem to know why that knight who survived by chance wanted to continue the knight lineage!

The treasure map is in the hands of the single-lineage knight, or he knows where the treasure map is.

"After leaving the dungeon, I have to find a chance to contact the single-lineage knight again," Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself. In addition, he was also curious about one thing. According to the Lingjing dungeon introduction, the HMS Albatross in 1900 mysteriously disappeared while on a mission, and there was no news of it ever since. If the HMS Albatross disappearance incident really happened in history, then where did the Demon Seed go? What happened to it afterward? He was very curious about the Demon Seed's whereabouts, because in the Light Compass's prophecy, the Demon Seed possessed the power to destroy the world.

"After leaving the dungeon, I have to use the Heavenly Punishment channels to investigate," Zhang Yuanqing said to himself.

In the following time, Zhang Yuanqing, who was quietly circulating the Pure Yang Body Cleansing Record, was no longer contaminated by the Demon Seed and did not hear any terrible whispers. After dawn, he immediately cultivated the Pure Yang Body Cleansing Record, cooperating with the six-pointed star circular array to thoroughly purify the effect, and passed a small day without any danger.

During this period, he kept chatting with the Cardinal, probing for information about the Holy See, but as the Cardinal's condition got better and better, the difficulty of emotional guidance became greater and greater.

On the third day, the Cardinal had already refused to chat with him. On the fourth day, the Cardinal simply stopped talking to him and guarded the array with the two knights, preventing Lieutenant Stephen from losing control. On the fifth day, Zhang Yuanqing's Pure Yang Body Cleansing Record had returned to its peak, and the Demon Seed's whispers had turned into annoying and noisy babble, no longer able to distort his cognition. Late at night, less than an hour before leaving Lingjing, Zhang Yuanqing returned to the bedroom to retrieve the coffin, and then returned to the hold, leading to the back of the "flour wall," and saw the true face of the Demon Seed for the first time. As written in Stephen's diary, it was a five-meter-tall giant egg. The dark brown surface was covered with holes and protruding blood vessels, slowly pulsating. It stood quietly under the huge six-pointed star circular array, continuously enduring the purification of the runic power. I wonder if this thing can be taken away. Is the Demon Seed a genuine product, or a counterfeit copied by Lingjing? If it is a genuine product, if I bring it back to the real world, would it just fulfill the Light Compass's prophecy and bring a huge disaster to reality?

Zhang Yuanqing thought for a long time and decided not to seek death. He decided to wait until the task was completed and see what rewards the S-level dungeon would give. Anyway, the main task was to survive for five days, not to unlock the Demon Seed's seal, nor to kill the orderly professions on the cruise ship.

Time passed by, and just after twelve o'clock, Zhang Yuanqing heard the Lingjing notification sound in his ear. "Ding, congratulations on completing the solo Lingjing task, Thriller Cruise, difficulty level S. The reward is being calculated..."