Beneath the sea, in Mirror City.
"Damn it! How did Duan Chen find that place?!"
"Heh heh... even 05 has defected to Duan Chen. It seems among the Apostles, only a few old geezers like us are left." Gu Sang sneered.
Apostle 07 glared at him.
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting..."
"Enough!"
Apostle 01 suddenly walked out from the side, followed by a young man with a pale face. He was gaunt, his cheekbones protruding, with dark circles under his eyes and a look of nervous apprehension as he glanced around.
"Who is he?"
Apostle 07's booming voice startled the youth, causing him to stumble back a step.
01 remained unfazed and said calmly, "The new Apostle 04, codenamed Moon Devourer."
"Pfft—"
Gu Sang let out a scoff.
"Even if you're short on people, you don't have to be so perfunctory. Look at him, does he look like an Apostle at all?"
"Exactly, 01, you're just desperate."
Apostle 07 also chuckled.
It seemed neither of these Apostles acknowledged the youth's identity.
01 wasn't angered. He took out a bronze mask from his chest and placed it in the youth's hand. The latter trembled as he took it, sweat pouring down his face.
This display only made Gu Sang and 07's expressions of mockery grow stronger.
"Tell me, what do you want? What do you wish to obtain from Lord Evil God?"
The youth lowered his head, his voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
"I... I want to become stronger. I don't want to be bullied anymore."
01 nodded in approval, patted his shoulder, and chuckled, "Then you know what you need to do, right?"
The youth's eyes immediately became resolute. He nodded vigorously. Such a simple movement, coupled with his skeletal frame, made Gu Sang fear he might shake his head off.
"Very good. Then put it on. From now on, you are its master."
"Mhm..."
Without any hesitation, the youth directly placed the mask on his face.
"Buzz!"
Instantly, black and white light intertwined. The youth knelt on the ground in agony, feeling as though a giant hand was squeezing his internal organs, making it impossible to breathe normally.
"Ugh..."
01 watched indifferently from the side, unmoved.
After a while.
The youth slowly stood up. Gu Sang and 07 noticed a change in his eyes; they were no longer fearful or trembling, but indifferent.
Immediately after, the youth frowned. One of his eyes turned completely black, while the other erupted with pure white light.
From the center of his forehead down to his groin, a line like the boundary between the Chu and Han realms formed. The youth's left half was pure white, and his right half was a devouring abyss of black, appearing incredibly divine.
"He actually put it on?"
Gu Sang raised an eyebrow.
The youth grinned, his lips practically splitting from ear to ear. He sensed the change in his body, feeling as though he could now shatter mountains and was invincible!
01 smiled with satisfaction.
Suddenly, the youth stepped forward, appearing directly in front of Gu Sang and throwing a punch!
"He's gone mad?"
Gu Sang frowned and raised his hand to block.
But soon, he felt a terrifying energy entwining his arm like a water snake, consuming his strength.
"Tsk!"
Gu Sang, helpless, retreated a few steps and unleashed his four ultimate moves.
"Nightfall!"
"Starshine!"
"Moon Descent!"
"Sunrise!"
The youth faced them fearlessly, a mocking smile on his face as he watched his four ultimate moves descend upon him!
"Mirror Image!"
As he heard these words, Gu Sang's expression changed, sensing something was not quite right.
Indeed, in the next second, the entire scene began to mirror itself. The moves that should have struck the youth were now aimed at him?!
"Damn it!"
At the critical moment, it was Apostle 07 who intervened, blocking the attacks. Otherwise, Gu Sang would have been seriously injured by his own moves.
"Useless." 07's expression turned grim.
Gu Sang gritted his teeth, staring intently at the youth.
Seeing this, 01 stepped forward and explained, "Moon Devourer's obsession is stronger than yours, thus he gained more power from the Evil God. Gu Sang, don't feel unbalanced. Lord Evil God treats all believers equally."
"Hmph!"
Gu Sang snorted coldly and remained silent.
Moon Devourer looked at Apostle 01, gratitude evident in his eyes.
Apostle 01 waved his hand, and the images of Duan Chen and his party appeared before them.
"Do not kill this man. For the rest, you are free to act as you please."
Moon Devourer deeply imprinted the faces and postures of these individuals into his mind.
"Yes!"
"Very good."
01 nodded and patted his shoulder.
"Go forth. The mountain altar is yours to handle."
"Yes!"
After he left, Apostle 01's gaze gradually turned cold.
Gu Sang then spoke, "The power you gave him burns life, doesn't it?"
07 also gave a cold chuckle, "You're truly ruthless, turning Apostles into disposable items."
To this, 01 merely smiled.
"It's a done deal. Duan Chen has definitely noticed the connection between the altar and the real estate company. We can no longer avoid confrontation. I found this person temporarily, and he's not bad. He's barely usable."
"You intend to use his life to disrupt Duan Chen?"
01 shook his head.
"Not exactly. Given Moon Devourer's rate of life consumption, he might even defeat Duan Chen directly."
"You think too highly of him." Gu Sang shook his hand. He had to admit, Moon Devourer was indeed strong, but Duan Chen was no pushover. Defeating him would be difficult.
"Right now, I'm not concerned about Duan Chen."
"Then who?"
01 sat down, his eyes narrowed.
"I'm concerned about that Mi Xue'er."
"Why would you care about a little girl?" Gu Sang asked, confused.
He smiled.
"You don't understand the value of the sword techniques she wields. Those are Mi Buwei's sword techniques. Didn't you witness them last time? That was only the fifth style. If she masters all ten styles, it's no exaggeration to say that even I would be wary."
"That terrifying? Is that Mi person so powerful?"
"More than just powerful. At Mi Buwei's peak, he could have destroyed our eight altars single-handedly!"
01's eyes flickered.
Hearing this, Gu Sang also knitted his brows.
"Therefore, to prevent a second Mi Buwei from appearing, Mi Xue'er must not be allowed to live! Nor can she be allowed to become Duan Chen's pawn; the future consequences would be endless!"
By the end of his statement, his tone was filled with murderous intent.
...
After killing Ma Mao, Duan Chen explained the situation to the nearby police station, instructing them to cordon off the real estate company. He had originally planned to leave immediately after killing the sea monster, but the appearance of the altar forced Duan Chen to abandon his original plan and thoroughly investigate the altar's location. He estimated that the Apostles would also be making their move soon.