Chapter 54: Oh, The gap

"Pagan Religion?" 

Xue Jing shook his head, unfamiliar with the term.

Wu Youqing thought for a moment before explaining, "After the New Era began, major intersections started appearing around the world. As we humans explored these intersections, we discovered many things, including traces of gods from other worlds."

"Among these discoveries were signs of what we call 'alien gods'—deities from other realms."

"So, the Pagan Religion is a religion that worships these alien gods?" Xue Jing asked.

Wu Youqing nodded, her lavender eyes revealing a depth of understanding that Xue Jing couldn't quite grasp.

"Some individuals who found traces of these alien gods in the borderlands translated ancient records and, after countless attempts, developed unique rituals. Through these rituals, they managed to contact the alien gods and even receive their blessings."

Xue Jing frowned. "So these alien gods are still active? I thought the borderlands were formed by the collision of worlds that had lost the influence of their gods."

Wu Youqing replied with a serious tone, "You're correct, but consider this: is death truly the end for a god? If 'God' can leave behind divine relics, then a 'dead alien god' might still have the ability to interact with mortals and grant them power. It's not beyond belief."

Xue Jing's worldview was shaken as he absorbed this information.

"In short, the followers of these alien gods can contact them through specific rituals and receive blessings in return."

"And those who successfully perform the rituals and receive the god's blessing are called 'recipients.'"

Wu Youqing sighed, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "You don't need to concern yourself with recipients just yet. What we need to focus on is GOD-1391."

She composed herself before continuing.

"About a hundred years ago, a foreign religion known as the 'Lion Saint Religion' worshipped an alien god called 'Bastet.' After deciphering the ritual, they performed countless ceremonies. Although they managed to establish contact with Bastet, no one could gain her favor."

"That is, until a believer took a different approach. He theorized that since Bastet was the goddess of cats, she might prefer cats over humans. So, he changed his strategy."

"He found GOD-1391, transformed into a cat, and performed the ceremony again... He succeeded, and yet, he failed."

Wu Youqing elaborated, "The ritual worked, but the recipient wasn't him—it was GOD-1391, the Cat Tail Ring."

"Since then, GOD-1391 has acquired even more mysterious powers."

"If the wearer is highly compatible with it, when they experience intense emotions, they will fuse with GOD-1391, and their appearance will start to take on cat-like characteristics."

Hearing this, Xue Jing couldn't help but think of Ning Fengwan's appearance after she had transformed back into a human in the bathroom: cat ears, cat tail, sharp teeth... and that soft, delicate skin...

He quickly shook off the thought.

[Visualization]—one downside of it was an overactive imagination, making everything in his mind too vivid.

"——As the fusion deepens, the wearer will begin to possess the power of Bastet, eventually becoming Bastet herself."

Xue Jing narrowed his eyes. "Does that mean... possession?"

Wu Youqing shook her head with a slight smile. "Not exactly. Remember, the borderlands were formed by worlds that had lost their gods—Bastet died long ago."

"The Lion Saint Church calls it the incarnation of Bastet. They believe that someone who fully inherits the power of GOD-1391 becomes the human incarnation of Bastet, with a status akin to that of Jesus in Christianity."

"And fusion isn't easy. The wearer must continuously stimulate the same emotion that triggered the fusion to deepen the process."

Xue Jing's expression turned odd. So, to deepen the fusion, Ning Fengwan would need to... repeat what happened in the bathroom?

After a moment of thought, he asked, "So, GOD-1391 only enhances the wearer's power. Are there no drawbacks?"

"In theory, yes... At least in the past hundred years, no incarnation of Bastet has faced any issues."

Wu Youqing spoke softly.

"The only complication is that this item is a sacred artifact of the Lion Saint Cult."

"Even if it changes hands, the Lion Saint Church will stop at nothing to retrieve it. It's rare for it to be lost."

Wu Youqing's reminder was implicit but clear.

Xue Jing nodded thoughtfully, indicating that he understood.

…

After chatting with Wu Youqing a while longer, Xue Jing left the library.

He boarded a bus heading for Canglong Dojo. Practicing martial arts required consistency and dedication.

As he sat on the bus, scrolling through his phone, a text message popped up on the screen.

[…231,511.31 Yuan of Zhuxia currency was transferred into the savings card ending in 3166. The current balance is 235,212.25 Yuan…]

Xue Jing was stunned.

His salary had been deposited!

No, this must be the bonus subsidy for the containment mission.

He recalled the details of his employment agreement. The bonus for completing a C-level containment mission ranged from 50,000 to 500,000, depending on the difficulty.

Given that the containment of the [Crown of the Villain] was likely on the simpler side for a C-class mission, the large bonus was probably due to the unexpected incident and the compensation that followed.

Xue Jing looked at the balance on his bank card with satisfaction.

He couldn't resist scrolling through his phone faster, occasionally returning to the text message just to read it again.

This was the first time in his life he had seen so much money. He wasn't even sure how to spend it.

Maybe he'd buy some expensive ingredients tonight and cook a special meal for the cat.

…

In the training room of Canglong Dojo.

Bang bang bang bang...

Xue Jing and Meng Qingjiao sparred fiercely in the ring, their punches and kicks slicing through the air with sharp, powerful force.

Li Qi and Chen Fuguang, who were watching nearby, stared intently, momentarily speechless.

Li Qi was somewhat accustomed to Xue Jing's rapid progress, though he was still surprised today.

Chen Fuguang, however, was utterly bewildered.

This junior had only been here for a few days, yet he could already spar with Senior Sister Meng at this level?

Ten minutes later, Xue Jing made a mistake, leaving an opening. Meng Qingjiao exploited it, using her soft force to send him flying backward.

Slowly getting up from the ground, Xue Jing sighed.

"Senior Sister Meng, you're really strong."

Meng Qingjiao shook her head, walked up to him, and patted his head, as if praising him.

Xue Jing had grown used to her way of communicating and smiled.

Being doted on by an older sister figure was actually quite enjoyable.

Li Qi, standing nearby, scratched his bald head and glanced at Chen Fuguang.

"Old Five, how long did it take you to qualify for practicing the Armor-shaking Technique?"

Chen Fuguang's mouth twitched.

"…It took me about eight months, Master."

Li Qi sneered, "Eight months? More like nine months and seventeen days."

Chen Fuguang: "…"

Why ask if you remember it so clearly?

Li Qi looked back at Xue Jing and sighed. "What a difference compared to you."

Chen Fuguang "…" (TN - EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!!!!)