Chapter 271: Sequence Six – Minotaur, The Union

Sain had just breathed a sigh of relief when he heard those words. In an instant, cold sweat covered his forehead, and his legs gave out beneath him. He collapsed on his knees before Lu Yan.

“M-My Lord… what did you say?” Sain stammered, his rough fingers unconsciously drawing a strange symbol across his chest, as if seeking divine protection.

Lu Yan raised an eyebrow slightly, but still repeated himself.

“I’m planning to establish a church. Are you interested in joining?”

The moment Sain received a definitive answer, he panicked.

He glanced around the parlor, confirming there were no others present, then leaned forward and lowered his voice in a strained whisper. “My Lord, I didn’t hear anything. I know nothing, absolutely nothing!”

His voice, once rough and bold, now trembled with pleading. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead.

“I’m just a small-time gang boss. Whether you want to kill me or skin me, it’s up to you. Even if you want me to assassinate a noble, I’d do it…”

“But this kind of thing—must never be spoken of!” That last sentence was barely audible, whispered with eyes full of desperation, as if Lu Yan’s proposal was far more terrifying than murder or treason.

And indeed, it was.

In the Seven Great Kingdoms, as long as you were strong enough, you could form gangs, commit arson and murder, or even rob nobles.

In a society ruled by supernatural power, strength was everything.

If one reached Sequence Four and became a Saint who walked among mortals, even a king would have to treat you as an honored guest.

But there was one line that none dared cross.

Faith.

The Seven Churches of the True Gods valued faith more than anything. Anyone who dared to touch faith would become the enemy of all seven.

According to ancient legends, the world once held far more gods than the seven known today. There were Hidden Gods and Evil Gods, dwelling in darkness.

But those deities were all defeated in the divine wars, and only the Seven True Gods were permitted to enjoy the faith basking under the sun.

Hidden Gods and Evil Gods could only hide in shadows, stealing heretical belief where the True Churches did not tread.

Even the kingdom’s nobles and emerging industrial capitalists only aimed to seize power from the churches, never faith.

That was why the churches tolerated nobles and tycoons pushing the Industrial Revolution.

If even they didn’t dare encroach upon faith, how could someone like Sain, a mere gang leader?

As a supernatural being, Sain knew that offending a noble might cost him his life. But offending the church…

With their endless, terrifying means, death might be a mercy.

That was why Sain trembled with such fear.

But Lu Yan merely cast a glance at him and said blandly, “I’m not panicking. Why are you?”

Sain froze.

Then he suddenly realized—this was a man suspected to be Sequence Five! Surely, someone of his level would know far more about faith and the supernatural than Sain himself.

If Lu Yan had brought this up on his own, perhaps Sain had simply misunderstood the intent.

Hesitantly, he asked, “My Lord… when you say ‘church,’ do you mean… just a kind of name? Like a merchant union or something?”

Lu Yan shook his head. “I mean a church like the ones you know—akin to the Seven Churches.”

Sain’s heart, which had just floated up, sank again.

“But… our church has one small difference from the Seven,” Lu Yan said, a mysterious smile curling on his lips. “The True Gods of the Seven Churches have already fallen asleep. But behind our church… stands a True God in the present world.”

The moment Lu Yan spoke, the parlor seemed to freeze. Space warped as if an invisible hand stretched the room outward, transforming the narrow space into a miniature realm.

Sain could only feel everything around him change. The ceiling turned into a vast chaos, and far above that chaos, a towering divine presence cast a single glance downward.

In that instant, the supernatural essence within Sain roared to life.

The path he walked was the incomplete Monster Path, said to originate from powerful dark beings whose spiritual essence forged a crude sequence.

From the Sequence Nine Ghoul, to the Sequence Eight Vampire, and the Sequence Seven Werewolf—each represented a different dark creature.

Yet their divine rank was too low to support a complete path. Thus, the Monster Path stopped at Sequence Seven. Its essence was chaotic and unstable, always on the brink of losing control.

But under that divine gaze, his spiritual essence was ignited.

He could feel his essence being purified, and the beastly instincts left by Ghoul and Vampire sequences were quietly being erased.

And this blessing wasn’t the end.

Even more astonishingly, where the Monster Path should have ended at Sequence Seven, he now sensed that an entirely new level had been created—a new step built by divine power.

Sequence Six: Minotaur.

In ancient myths, Minotaurs were bull-headed humanoids with great strength, command over totemic magic and the power of the earth.

Sain even felt that this Sequence Six had gained new powers beyond legend, reshaped by the divine touch.

Though he had not yet stepped into that realm, he could faintly sense its call.

Thus, Sain was immersed in divine grace for what felt like eternity.

When he finally digested the new supernatural knowledge in his mind, he came to.

Looking around, he found his condition had never been better. The dangers lurking in his body from ascending sequences had all been erased.

With the proper potion and ceremony, he could step into Sequence Six immediately.

Looking once again at Lu Yan seated before him, all fear and panic had vanished from Sain’s eyes—replaced by burning devotion.

“The True God you speak of… was that the being who just looked down on us?”

Lu Yan narrowed his eyes and teased, “Not afraid of the churches anymore?”

Sain immediately squeezed out a smile. “My Lord jests. It was my ignorance and fear that caused misunderstanding.”

The Seven Churches ruled over the Seven Kingdoms only because the Seven True Gods stood behind them.

Originally, Lu Yan’s words sounded suicidal—unless he truly did serve a god.

But now, with a real True God appearing before him, everything changed.

Even the Hidden God and Evil God cults, with gods behind them, still managed to survive. The main churches suppressed them, but dared not destroy them outright without divine command.

That was the awe-inspiring power of True Gods.

And Lu Yan claimed that the Seven had fallen asleep, while his god remained awake—the only True God left in this world.

If true, this would change everything.

Sain was so excited, he trembled.

Lu Yan lounged casually on the sofa and said lazily, “That being who just blessed you wasn’t the True God. Merely one of His Ten Yama Kings.”

“You’re still far from worthy to receive grace from the True God Himself.”

Sain didn’t look discouraged. If anything, his eyes shone brighter.

That brief glimpse had already shaken his worldview. If such power was only from a subordinate, how great must the True God be?

The stronger the church, the greater the protection it offered. Naturally, he was thrilled.

Lu Yan saw all this and smiled faintly.

Ten Yama Kings? All made up.

The so-called blessing was merely Lu Yan using his Divine Manipulation to extend the Monster Path using his understanding of sequences.

Sequence Seven and Sequence Six corresponded to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

To create a Sequence Six from the Monster Path was child’s play for someone like Lu Yan.

His real goal in coming to the Mystery Version was to develop a new supernatural system for the Heavenly Court and Underworld.

This blessing to Sain was just a test run.

But to create a new sequence system, this was far from enough. He needed more supernatural knowledge and test subjects.

Once he calmed his excitement, Sain asked respectfully, “My Lord, what do you need me to do?”

Lu Yan leaned back, fingers steepled.

Creating a church wasn’t a whim. It was the result of long contemplation.

The Mystery Version was complex. The shrouding mist, fallen Old Ones, and slumbering gods hinted at a deep horror.

The obsession of the Seven Churches with faith likely stemmed from that same secret.

Lu Yan’s cultivation followed a Xianxia path, separate from the sequence system, so the mist didn’t affect him.

But a sequence system rooted in the Underworld would inevitably connect with the world’s hidden history.

He couldn’t wait until trouble emerged to start researching faith and churches. He had to prepare now.

Moreover, this church would allow him to spread the name of the Heavenly Court and Underworld in another dimension.

The prestige of the Divine Court must be constantly reinforced; otherwise, it would slowly erode.

The church would act as a conceptual anchor across worlds.

And Lu Yan didn’t have the time to build the organization slowly. He needed a functioning framework fast so he could scale it through future interventions.

He had a plan.

“What do you think of this era?” Lu Yan asked, tilting his head.

Sain looked confused but replied, “This era? It’s a great time!”

“With the King and nobles pushing industrialization, the Victoria Kingdom has moved beyond its ignorant past and entered an era of rapid growth.”

He sounded like he was quoting a textbook.

“Trains, railways, steamships—these inventions changed everyone’s lives.” He waved his arms as if painting a grand vision.

“Tea, sugar, tobacco from the colonies are now everywhere. Even the poor can enjoy cheap goods. In the old days, peasants wouldn’t even dream of tasting such things.”

But as he spoke, a strange look flickered in his eyes—as if repeating lines he’d heard from someone else.

Lu Yan didn’t comment, but his voice cooled. “Is that all?”

That simple question pierced through like a blade. Sain froze, expression stiffening.

Then his brows furrowed deeply.

He heard the grinding of machines outside, the clamor of workers in the factories.

After a long pause, he asked softly, “You mean… the workers?”

“Yes.”

Lu Yan spoke calmly. “Those souls who toil day and night. Replaced by machines, then fused into them. Living in smoke-choked slums, drinking poisoned water, breathing blackened air. Yet the wealth they generate is never theirs.”

“Their children work dangerous jobs by age two. Disease haunts every worker. In these districts, average lifespan barely reaches ten.”

Sain’s frown deepened.

He sensed something was wrong, but lacked the education to explain it. All he could do was mutter, “But… but it’s always been like this since the revolution started.”

The Industrial Revolution had taken centuries. Nobles tested church limits for generations before it was fully implemented.

What was a generational shift to the poor was nothing to high-ranking supernaturals.

The entire world moved to the will of churches and nobles. The commoners were denied even the ability to think.

“Because it’s always been that way… that makes it right?”

Sain stood in a daze, lost in thought.

Lu Yan slowly rose from the sofa and walked to the window. His black tailcoat fluttered in the misty morning wind.

He looked out at the smokestacks and the massive red-brick factories beyond. Machines roared. Overseers cursed.

Fog blurred everything.

“Progress is good,” he said. “But there’s always exploitation behind it.”

“If they’d just give a little more… take a little less… the workers wouldn’t be in this hell.”

Sain’s confusion gave way to introspection.

He remembered little Wood, cheated out of his wages by a factory boss. His sick sister, lying in a damp basement with no money for a doctor.

Those images swirled through his mind.

He couldn’t help but ask, “Then… what should we do?”

Lu Yan turned and looked down at him, a faint smile on his lips.

“Before we go public with the church, your job is to teach the workers how to reclaim what’s theirs. They will be the foundation.”

“From today on, the Blackclothes Gang will abandon all operations that exploit workers. Purge those thugs who prey on the helpless.”

“Learn to unite the workers. Use your strength the right way.”

Sain froze.

Everything Lu Yan just said was unimaginable in the past.

Standing up for workers’ rights against nobles and capitalists? That was suicide.

But now… now he had Lu Yan—a rising True God behind him. What were mere capitalists in comparison?

“Your command will be carried out!”

Sain saluted with conviction and turned to carry out the purge.

But just before stepping out, he paused, then turned back and asked sheepishly, “My Lord… should we still call ourselves the Blackclothes Gang? Or should we change the name?”

But Lu Yan was already gone.

Only the cold, misty wind drifted in through the open window.

Sain stood there disappointed, until a faint, ethereal voice whispered into his ear—

“Since it’s about uniting the workers… call it the Union.”

(End of Chapter)