"Huh?"
I looked back at the God of the Shepherd, confused by his meaning.
I removed the third obsidian stone, breaking the last seal on the God of the Shepherd. Logically, the High Priest should have appeared to stop me. Why was the sealed one so anxious now?
"Batu, quickly kill the one who dares to steal my power."
The God of the Shepherd didn't explain, but instead, he sternly ordered me to kill the High Priest first.
Did the order of these two matters really make such a difference?
I looked at the God of the Shepherd suspiciously, sensing something was amiss.
"Batu, don't you understand?! The specter possessing the Son of Man is not the God of the Shepherd, but the Mother of All Creation!"
Before I could ponder, the High Priest shouted from behind me, his voice filled with urgency.
What the heck?!
I was completely bewildered by the High Priest's words, a swarm of question marks appearing out of nowhere above my head.
Had this old man, the High Priest, suddenly developed dementia? Why was he speaking so enigmatically!
The God of the Shepherd is not the God of the Shepherd, but the Mother of All Creation?!
"Batu, have you never wondered why this God of the Shepherd can so easily remove the brand of the Mother of All Creation on you?"
"You must know that His downfall was caused by the erosion of the Mother of All Creation's power. Now, even before His resurrection, He can remove the brand for you. Doesn't that strike you as strange?"
The High Priest's voice echoed in my ears, attempting to brainwash me.
"Don't listen to him, kill him quickly!"
The voices of the God of the Shepherd and the High Priest incessantly urged me on, like dozens of mosquitoes buzzing around my ears, filling me with vexation.
The entire situation had unfolded into a monumental Rashomon. Regarding the reason for the God of the Shepherd's demise, or the true story of the High Priest, I was utterly incapable of obtaining the real answers.
My trust in these two old geezers was practically zero. I believed that no matter what decision I made, or which side I helped, the outcome would ultimately be disastrous.
Faced with their incessant urging, I gritted my teeth and made a decision.
Facing a wolf ahead and a tiger behind, a gamble of life for glory!
My ultimate goal now was to return to Shangguan Yao and the others alive and escort them back to the outside world. What had been hindering me, preventing my departure, was precisely the brand of the Mother of All Creation on my body.
Regardless of whether the entity possessing the Son of Man was the God of the Shepherd or the Mother of All Creation, the brand on me had ultimately been removed. The only shackles binding me had been broken. I no longer needed to agonize over which side to help!
With a single thought, the world broadened.
"Alright, wait for me!"
I smiled at the Son of Man seated on the throne, then took the pistol from Mr. A's hand, turned, and fired!
Bang!
"Batu, you..."
The High Priest looked at me in disbelief. He probably never imagined that the one who had hesitated for a moment due to his words would so decisively turn and shoot him the next second!
The High Priest attempted to cover the bleeding hole in his chest with his left hand, his body slowly collapsing to the ground.
It was quite ironic. An ancient monster who had lived for an unknown number of years, having weathered countless storms, ultimately died at the hands of his most proud substitute just moments before his plan was to succeed.
Pan Lili, whom he had been holding, also fell to the ground like a sack of rags as the High Priest collapsed.
Watching the wisps of white smoke curling from the muzzle, I smiled faintly.
Old man, if you were still operating under your previous illusion, I probably wouldn't have found a way to break through. But who told you to reveal your true form in your haste!
With the High Priest, who had been incessantly babbling, gone, I felt a wave of relief.
"Batu, well done! Now, bring me the vessel that carries my consciousness, and I shall grant you eternal life and invincible power!"
I nodded at the Son of Man, handed him over to Mr. A, gave him a look, and walked off the high platform, heading towards the main hall.
Tsk, tsk, tsk, the High Priest died miserably!
As I approached Pan Lili, the first thing that caught my eye was the High Priest's unseeing gaze.
Poor fellow, if you had chosen to cooperate with me from the start instead of attempting to possess my body, your ending would likely not have been this way.
I felt no pity for this cunning old schemer who sought to possess my body. It was my final act of mercy not to spit on the High Priest.
I bent down and lifted Pan Lili. It was strange, though Pan Lili's appearance was still human, her body was exceptionally light, as if it had been hollowed out, leaving only an empty shell.
"Yes, quickly give it to me!"
Hearing the Son of Man's anxious voice in my ear, I turned to him and smiled.
Then, I raised the gun in my hand.
Bang!