Chapter 1121: Archbishop

The wind whimpered, swirling in the silent night.

Jian Changsheng and his three companions stood isolated on the desolate land. The path they had taken was now utterly ravaged by the calamities of the Whispering Wilds, making it impossible to retrace their original direction. The surroundings were pitch black, as if they were in a completely alien world.

Diamond J wiped sweat from his forehead. Feeling the gaze of Jian Changsheng and the other two, he shrugged and said, “Don’t look at me; how would I know where this is? I’m not a native of the Gray Realm.”

Sun Bumian sighed softly. “We’re kilometers off our original route… the terrain has been trampled by the calamities, so finding our way back is probably impossible.”

“Why impossible?” Jian Changsheng gritted his teeth and spoke. “Isn’t it just that direction? We just keep walking back!”

“...Are you sure?”

Jian Changsheng’s gaze wavered slightly, but if they gave up now, they would be completely lost in the Gray Realm. Not only would finding the Integration Faction be out of the question, but they might not even be able to return to the human realm. He hardened his resolve and stated decisively, “Sure, it should be… probably that direction!”

Seeing this, Sun Bumian started to speak, wanting to persuade him otherwise, but seeing the determination in Jian Changsheng’s eyes, he nodded anyway: “Alright then, let’s try walking in that direction.”

Diamond J said nothing, simply following quietly behind Jian Changsheng.

The four of them trekked across the uneven land, following the direction Jian Changsheng pointed for a long time. Even as a faint white light began to appear on the horizon, their surroundings remained completely unfamiliar and desolate…

Jian Changsheng’s state of mind shifted from initial confidence to doubt, and then gradually into despair, his eyes bloodshot.

“This shouldn’t be… this *should* be the right direction…” Jian Changsheng murmured to himself.

“When we were escaping for our lives just now, we ran at least several hundred kilometers…” Sun Bumian finally spoke. “Over such a long distance, even a slight deviation in direction would result in an enormous error, let alone just ‘roughly that way with a finger point.’”

Jian Changsheng gazed at the unfamiliar terrain before him. A mix of unwillingness and anger surged within him, transforming into deep self-reproach. He let out a frustrated growl and punched the nearby hill.

Boom—!The terrifying immense force shattered the entire rocky hill into pieces!

“It’s all my fault… if it weren’t for my damned luck, we should have been close to the Integration Faction by now!!” Blood flowed from Jian Changsheng’s knuckles, but he seemed oblivious. He gritted his teeth and spoke, “As long as I’m here, I’ll only ever be a burden…”

Sun Bumian and Jiang Xiaohua exchanged a glance, their expressions complex. Jiang Xiaohua wanted to comfort Jian Changsheng but didn’t know how to start. She could only quietly step forward and hand him the half-empty bottle of whiskey she had carried for hundreds of kilometers, carefully asking: “...Drink?”

“...” Jian Changsheng’s eyes were red-rimmed. He stared at the whiskey for a moment, then spoke hoarsely, “I won’t drink.”

“Actually, you don’t have to be so pessimistic.” Sun Bumian slowly walked forward. “Even before you had the Sky-Connecting Star Position, while you were unlucky, there were occasional turns of fortune after your misfortunes… wasn’t that right?”

Jian Changsheng remained silent for a long time, then gave a bitter smile: “A turn of fortune? We’re lost in the Gray Realm; where would a turn of fortune come from??”

Jian Changsheng seemed to have lost all strength. He lay flat on his back on the ground, staring blankly at the sky like a corpse… Lead-gray clouds drifted across the sky, oppressive and dull.

Suddenly, Diamond J, who was nearby, narrowed his eyes. “Is there… someone over there?”

Hearing this, Jian Changsheng was startled at first. Then, as if realizing something, a look of joy appeared on his face: “Humans can’t walk in the Gray Realm… Is it someone from the Integration Faction?”

“...I don’t think so. That person… why are they not wearing clothes? It’s a bit of an eyesore.” Sun Bumian looked in the direction Diamond J pointed, his expression somewhat subtle.

Not wearing clothes?Jian Changsheng sat up. In the distant, desolate Gray Realm, he saw several figures walking slowly. The lead figure was tall and powerfully built, but as they walked, their back was hunched, and their arms hung down to their knees like an ape’s.

The person wore no clothing, only a skirt of leaves around their lower body. Dense fur covered their entire body, making them look exactly like an ape from a zoo. Behind them followed two figures draped in robes, but they too wore no clothes underneath. A gentle breeze swept past, exposing two naked but heavily furred bodies in the Gray Realm, an unusually jarring sight.

“...Is that the Crimson Sky Cult?” Seeing their bizarre appearance, Jian Changsheng immediately thought of the Crimson Sky Cultists from the Mortal Realm.

“That’s right, and judging by appearances, it’s a Grand Bishop-level one.” Diamond J nodded slightly.

“Grand Bishop? How can you tell?”

“It’s simple,” Diamond J patiently explained. “Crimson Sky Cultists derive energy from the Red Star, which affects all civilized products around them, even their language function. Those wearing red robes and capable of speech are ordinary cultists. Those wearing red robes but unable to speak are Bishops. And those who wear nothing but a leaf skirt around their waist are Grand Bishops… This is because Grand Bishops can cause any textile product that comes into contact with them to degrade, which is why they cannot wear human clothing.”

Jiang Xiaohua looked at the figures, then silently turned her head away. After a long pause, she finally managed to blurt out a single phrase: “...Exhibitionists.”

“...And you’re one to talk?” Sun Bumian glanced at Jiang Xiaohua, who was wrapped only in bandages and had her upper body exposed in the Gray Realm, and was somewhat speechless.

“How would a Grand Bishop of the Crimson Sky Cult appear here?” Diamond J frowned deeply. “...Where are they going?”

“Should we follow them and see?” Jian Changsheng, perhaps truly at a dead end, couldn’t help but suggest.

“Are you insane?” Diamond J shot him a glance. “The Crimson Sky Cult is a natural enemy to you Divine Path wielders, and what’s more, that’s a Grand Bishop. If a fight breaks out, anyone below Tier Seven is certain to die, and even Tier Eight would suffer… Following them would be suicide!”

“Aren’t you an Integrator? Are you afraid of him too?”

“I… while I won’t be affected by his abilities, a Grand Bishop’s methods are unusual and quite troublesome.”

Diamond J had completely abandoned the idea of tracking the Crimson Sky Cult. He only intended to get away from this troubled place as quickly as possible. But as soon as he turned his head to look in their direction again, he found the spot where they had been was now empty.

Diamond J’s heart sank! “Damn it!!”

Jian Changsheng and the other two reacted extremely quickly. They immediately activated their Divine Paths and darted towards the direction behind them. But just then, two towering, ape-like figures, draped in red robes, appeared eerily behind them.

Jian Changsheng and his companions felt a sudden blur before their eyes. All their Divine Path abilities instantly failed. A whistling whip kick swung out from beneath a red robe, slamming heavily into his face!