The Black Book: Seven Deadly Sins
Chapter 351: Nurgle’s True Torment

Chapter 351: Chapter 351: Nurgle’s True Torment

Roar!

An agonizing howl, unlike any human voice, echoed through the massive, empty cavern. Zhu Haomiao stood at the edge of a pit resembling a Gu Basin, watching the hundreds of shadowy figures below in a frenzy of slaughter.

The utterly uncontrollable emotion of anger dominated their souls, and people, like beasts, used the most primitive claws and fangs to kill one another, tearing enemies into shreds with the most brutal and bloody methods.

The boy’s dark retinas reflected a blood-red glow unseen in the real world. Under the pollution of the light of his spirit, reason was reduced to ashes by the fire of rage, turning the entire valley floor into something akin to the Abyss Purgatory, where everyone abandoned everything for killing, destruction, and annihilation...

It was as if they were venting their soul’s agony, or perhaps performing some kind of sacrificial ritual, using the blood and lives of their enemies and themselves to appease a great presence in the shadows.

"Blood sacrifice to the Blood God, a skull offering to the Skull Throne... what is this terror, true terror..."

"I am a sunny, cheerful, harmless person of great virtue..."

"You bunch of miscreants always think of strange ways to frame me!"

In a soft murmur, Zhu Haomiao frowned, watching the last lucky one stand atop a small mountain of piled-up corpses, steam rising from his entire body, transforming into an evil yet beautiful crimson blood flame that ’ignited’ the entire hill of corpses.

The over ten-meter-high blood flame burned furiously, gathering endless crimson particles that finally solidified into a single drop emitting high-temperature red light, like a droplet of liquid metal.

Shua~

With a thought, the blood drop that hovered mid-air transformed into a glaring red line and poured into Zhu Haomiao’s heart in an instant.

Thump thump thump~

Intense pain and pleasure exploded deep within his soul, making his heart beat at an impossibly high frequency for a human, his body rapidly swelling out of control, as a dazzling high-energy red light seeped from his chest.

Blue veins bulged all over his body, and the bloodshot strands in the boy’s pupils spread at a speed visible to the naked eye, eventually covering the entire eyeball.

The eyes that were once deep and dark vanished completely, replaced by a pair of eyes emitting a terrifying high-temperature red light from hollow sockets.

The supernatural, violent gaze distorted reality, and wherever it looked, even rocks melted. In just a few dozen seconds, the entire pit bottom began to bubble, forming a thick, boiling Magma Fire Lake.

After a long time, the heart’s rapid beating gradually slowed down, the blood-red flames in Zhu Haomiao’s eyes cooled down and dissipated, the enlarged knotty body quickly diminished, returning to its normal appearance.

Hu~

Exhaling a breath of high-energy flame, the last trace of red light in Zhu Haomiao’s chest completely vanished, his gaze returning to clarity.

Almost at the same time, a mysterious sensation touched his soul, and the boy subconsciously gazed into the distance.

His sight pierced the rock layers and barriers of space-time, seeing at the top of a pyramid of twisted corpses a small gold mountain suspended mid-air, releasing an enchanting divine light, forming an evil yet sacred bizarre picture together with the skeletal base below.

"Chaos propels my exalted creator."

"I am the crystallization of Divine Authority, Divine Wisdom, and Divine Love."

"Before me, there was no eternal creation."

...

Eerie whispers from the void echoed in his ears as Zhu Haomiao sensed that the other secret ceremony was also completed. He instinctively glanced at the [Book of Black].

[Anger]: LV.4→LV.7

[Greed]: LV.4→LV.7

[Strength] +29

[Body] +26 (13×200%)

[God] +31

[Qi] +11

After a careful perception, Zhu Haomiao vaguely gained an understanding that compared to the First Layer Heaven’s Original Sin Level, in the later stages of the Second Layer Heaven, upgrading became more difficult, but also more powerful and bizarre...

Extrapolating from this, the higher the Heavenly Position, the more the difficulty of upgrading Original Sin will probably gradually align with reality!

With thoughtful nods, Zhu Haomiao took one last glance at the gradually cooling Magma Fire Lake, ensuring there was nothing left that might damage his reputation, and turned away without a second thought.

Exiting the cave, Yan Yunsheng, who was standing at the entrance, wiped the sweat from his forehead and hurriedly followed closely behind the boy.

"What’s wrong? Is it very hot?"

Seeing Yan Yunsheng drenched in sweat, Zhu Haomiao blinked in confusion.

It’s the dead of winter now, the entire land draped in white snow.

Hearing this, Yan Yunsheng glanced at the cave still blowing hot wind outside, momentarily unsure of how to respond.

Did you not notice that the snow around the cave had melted?

Secretly complaining in his heart, Yan Yunsheng still shook his head tactfully.

"Maybe I’m wearing too much..."

"Oh."

Not giving this small matter much thought, Zhu Haomiao shifted the conversation to more serious topics.

"Is there anything important to report today?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Yunsheng’s expression became serious, nodding solemnly.

"Yes, it seems the fugitive Duke Ning isn’t dead, there’s information suggesting his sighting in a southern province, boarding a ship to sea."

"Hmm..."

After pondering for a moment, Zhu Haomiao nonchalantly waved his hand.

"Just a stray dog, deal with him on the spot when found and give me the result."

"Understood! Additionally, there’s progress on the matter you previously ordered me to investigate, regarding the [Transportation Pavilion] seizing your family assets."

"Oh? Which miscreant is plotting against me?!"

His eyes lit up, Zhu Haomiao grinned and rubbed his hands together.

"It’s Duke Ning."

"What?"

A bit taken aback, Zhu Haomiao frowned in confusion.

"That doesn’t make sense, I had no conflict with him at the time..."

"Uh, Duke Ning probably doesn’t even know about it; it was a decision made independently by a white glove under him, aiming to raise funds to buy favors for the Third Prince."

"You were just one of the many victims."

Zhu Haomiao: "..."

If he hadn’t replaced the deceased Li Lin, the [Pingyang Marquis Mansion] would have probably been quietly eradicated by now.

With a long sigh, the boy shook his head listlessly.

"Fated calamity..."

Returning to the Imperial City, Zhu Haomiao routinely visited the [Yanhuang Armory] for inspection, only to run into an unexpected figure.

"Bai Linglong?"

"Uh..."

Having avoided him for quite some time, Bai Linglong was awkwardly and anxiously nodding upon being caught.

"Zhu..."

Almost speaking his name, Bai Linglong suddenly remembered to address him by his official title during work and awkwardly corrected herself.

"Commander."

"When did you arrive in the Imperial City?"

As someone qualified to enter the Illusion Realm jointly, Zhu Haomiao knew this guy’s potential.

After all, she’s a high-rank [God’s Destiny], bound to reach the pinnacle of dominance in the future!

Compared to Huai Xu and others on an away "business trip," who would eventually return to their ’home ground Illusion Realm,’ she was a dependable tool... no, reliable partner!

Thinking of this, Zhu Haomiao couldn’t help but ask.

"How is your cultivation? What energy level have you reached?"