The hall of the Rat God's palace was vast and filled with many objects. Beside four golden pillars stood dragon-shaped golden sculptures, providing cover for Lu Zhi and Qin Huai.
A ripple suddenly appeared in the void where the two had been standing, and then a man entered the Rat God's palace, dragging a furry orange rat in a waistcoat with one hand.
It was the foreign apostle who had captured the Rat Emperor at the concert!
He had actually managed to force his way through the labyrinth and enter the true Rat God's palace.
“Let me go, you detestable human, I’ll kill you!” The Rat Emperor, subdued by some method used by the foreign apostle, was limp. Though his face was contorted with anger, and his aura remained strong, his limbs dangled uselessly as he was dragged along, a pathetic sight.
Suddenly, the foreign apostle stepped on the Rat Emperor's tail.
Squeak—
The Rat Emperor cried out in pain.
The foreign apostle's emerald green eyes spoke in English, then, realizing the Rat Emperor wouldn't understand, repeated himself in Mandarin, “Shut up, you stinking rat, you’re too noisy.”
A rat's tail is fragile. Crushed under such pressure, the Rat Emperor’s eyes welled up with tears. He continued to curse and squeak, utterly incapable of resisting.
This only further convinced Lu Zhi that the Rat Emperor was not a deity.
Suddenly, the foreign apostle took out a piece of paper from his pocket, unfolded it, and surveyed his surroundings.
The Rat Emperor’s eyes widened, and he squeaked, “It’s you! You’re the painting thief, you’re the one who blew up my beloved gallery!”
The foreign apostle ignored the Rat Emperor and suddenly looked towards the golden seat at the innermost part of the palace. The architectural design of the palace strongly resembled an emperor's throne hall from ancient times. That glittering golden seat, carved with elaborate reliefs, looked much like the emperor’s dragon throne.
Lu Zhi was eager to know what that painting depicted. Could it be a map of the Rat God's palace? What was the foreign apostle looking for in the Rat God’s palace?
What puzzled Lu Zhi most was that despite having been in the palace for so long, there was no sign of the Rat God. It was unlike the trials given by BaBiQ in the Holy Island God Tower; it was as if this Rat God's palace was merely an empty shell.
The foreign apostle dragged the Rat Emperor towards the golden dragon throne and suddenly threw the Rat Emperor onto it. The next moment, the Rat Emperor let out an enraged squeak and tried to struggle, but the foreign apostle stomped firmly on its stomach, pinning it to the seat.
Lu Zhi watched, frowning repeatedly. The Rat Emperor’s pained squeaks ignited his anger.
Suddenly, the foreign apostle cursed, demanding, “Where is what I’m looking for?”
The Rat Emperor squeaked twice, refusing to answer.
The foreign apostle’s gaze turned increasingly sinister. He suddenly reached out and grabbed the Rat Emperor by the neck, tightening his grip. A cold smile twisted his lips as a small knife slid from his sleeve. He held it, pointing it at the Rat Emperor’s eyes, his voice chilling, “I have little patience. Let’s start with your eyes…”
Squeak—
“Manluo—”
“Bing Ren—”
Lu Zhi and Qin Huai attacked simultaneously, unable to bear watching the foreign apostle abuse the Rat Emperor before their eyes.
Golden-green vines coiled around the foreign apostle’s wrist, while Qin Huai’s paper-folded soldiers grew in size and charged at the foreign apostle, wielding their swords.
“So there are two more rats.” The foreign apostle chuckled, shaking his wrist. The expected shattering effect did not occur, causing a flicker of surprise in his eyes. Then, the paper-folded soldiers suddenly grew larger, their slashes so sharp that the foreign apostle was forced to block with his small knife.
Lu Zhi seized the opportunity, commanding Manluo to tighten its grip. The moment the foreign apostle’s fingers loosened, he sent out countless vines to snatch the Rat Emperor away.
The foreign apostle stared blankly at the Rat Emperor, now rescued by Lu Zhi, then looked at Manluo on his wrist. He frowned, clenched his fist, and a burst of psychic power erupted, briefly forcing Manluo away. The foreign apostle quickly broke free from Manluo's restraint and, in the same motion, slapped the paper soldier.
Qin Huai’s brow twitched. In the next instant, the paper soldier was pulverized into pieces as if by a shredder, falling to the ground and reverting to small folded paper.
“Be careful not to let him touch you. His ability likely can shatter anything he touches,” Lu Zhi said, placing the terrified, trembling Rat Emperor aside.
Hearing this, Qin Huai became even more wary of the foreign apostle, “Then this is quite troublesome.”
Lu Zhi had initially thought that if the foreign apostle had been wind-elemental, he and Qin Huai could have fought head-on. But it turned out to be the most troublesome kind. Judging by the psychic energy burst just now, the opponent’s strength surpassed theirs.
Perhaps, even comparable to an S-class powerhouse.
Lu Zhi suddenly shouted, “Be careful!”
Qin Huai’s pupils contracted. Without a second thought, he flicked out a sheet of earth-colored paper, which transformed into a mud wall in front of him. The next moment, the mud wall instantly disintegrated upon contact with the foreign apostle.
Fortunately, Lu Zhi had already flung Manluo, which wrapped around Qin Huai’s waist and pulled him back forcefully. The foreign apostle’s hand missed Qin Huai’s body by a mere inch.
Qin Huai, having narrowly escaped, was covered in a cold sweat.
Although the foreign apostle was not wind-elemental, his speed was far greater than that of the two A-class powerhouses.
“It’s very troublesome. Both of us have solidification abilities. If he touches us, we’ll disintegrate. There’s no hope of winning,” Qin Huai quickly assessed the gap in their strength.
Lu Zhi understood perfectly.
If neither of them had intervened, they certainly wouldn't have been discovered by the foreign apostle, but the Rat Emperor would have been tortured to death.
“Follow me!” The Rat Emperor, now calm, said to the two and quickly ran towards a passage on the left.
Lu Zhi and Qin Huai exchanged glances and made their decision instantly.
The situation was unfavorable; it was best to flee.
The foreign apostle watched the two and a rat escape. The excitement of battle that had just risen in him was extinguished. His emerald green eyes suddenly flashed with a sinister rage. He sneered and pursued them.
The left side of the Rat God's palace was actually a labyrinth. The Rat Emperor, familiar with the area, led the two through the maze, dodging and weaving. Behind them, the sounds of walls being shattered echoed incessantly.
“What exactly is he looking for in the Rat God’s palace?” Lu Zhi couldn't help but ask the Rat Emperor.
Qin Huai panted, “The palace has been so damaged. Why hasn’t the Rat God appeared yet?”
The Rat Emperor stopped at a crossroad, sniffed in both directions, then turned left, replying, “He wants to destroy the artifact that awakens the Rat God.”
Lu Zhi was surprised, “The Rat God hasn’t awakened yet?”
No wonder he hadn’t expelled the foreign apostle when he invaded the Rat God’s palace.
One must know that foreign apostles all bear the mark of their own deities, and only deities can sense each other. How could the Rat God allow an apostle from another country to enter his own palace? It turned out he hadn't been awakened yet.
“How can the Rat God be awakened?” Lu Zhi glanced quickly behind them.
The foreign apostle was forcefully dismantling the maze walls and would soon catch up.
“Of course, the artifact is needed!” The Rat Emperor suddenly stopped.
Only then did Lu Zhi realize they had run out of the labyrinth and were facing another large golden door.
The Rat Emperor hesitated, “This is the Rat God’s treasure vault…”
Lu Zhi kicked the door open without a second thought, urging, “Who cares about the treasure vault? We need to escape first.”
The Rat Emperor: …!!!