Sea Turtle Soup

The sky was no longer obscured by that layer of mist.

The mysterious space was not spiritual in nature, but a physical existence in the actual universe.

This was the Far Side of the Moon.

The authority of 「Extreme Evil」 was not merely about simple violence or chaos; it was the subversion of all virtuous order.

Moral standards and the value of life would be corroded, and everything would descend into an inherent depravity.

It awakened, amplified, and twisted the malice that already existed within the heart.

Even a saint would find their lifelong convictions shaken, falling into the madness of self-negation.

「Extreme Evil」 created a distorted environment conducive to the breeding of sin and the punishment of virtuous deeds.

Betrayal would bring luck, lies would become difficult to see through, and atrocities would bring pleasure.

Compassion would invite weakness, honesty would bring disaster, and devotion and sacrifice would lead to no good end.

The doer of good would encounter misfortune, while the doer of evil would find their heart's desires fulfilled.

「Absolute Evil」: Independent of any reason and ignoring all interests, it aimed purely for destruction and pain.

Causing complete strangers to erupt into blood feuds—this kind of evil could not be measured by common sense because it was an end in itself.

「All Evil Convergence」: As the incarnation of 「Extreme Evil」, all evil deeds in the world would invisibly strengthen the authority.

「Evil Immortality」: As long as evil is not extinguished, I am immortal.

Deep within the Dragon Palace, Yue Shi reopened his eyes.

This dragon had lost its mind, influenced by the authority on one hand and external pressure on the other.

By swallowing him whole, it had instead become the prey that bit the bait.

Wisps of black energy spread through the sea.

The entire Phantom Sea was gradually being dyed black, losing its original azure hue.

On the outskirts of the sea, several floating islands covered in strange plants withered and receded.

The supernatural creatures in the ocean underwent malignant mutations in silence.

The crab-claw girl still stood guard outside, seemingly oblivious to everything.

However, the patterns on the Old Turtle's shell glowed faintly, forming a layer of armor.

Taking advantage of the crab-claw girl's inattention, the Old Turtle tried to flee.

‘Something definitely happened to the dragon.’

‘Unreliable, stupid thing.’

‘I’m not running away; this is a tactical relocation.’

The Old Turtle swam outward stealthily.

A vortex appeared behind it, sucking it in instantly.

The deep sea remained quiet.

The crab-claw girl remained indifferent, as if she had seen nothing, though her pincers tightened slightly.

‘A shrewd old turtle showing off his cleverness... who exactly is the fool here?’

A sigh quickly dissipated in the seawater.

...

When the Ghost was released from the extra-dimensional space, the anxiety on his face had not yet fully faded.

Earlier, when Yue Shi was chasing Boss Plankton, he had moved too fast and unconsciously pulled the Ghost into the space.

He had waited and waited, waiting for a long time.

So long that his sense of time had blurred, yet Yue Shi never appeared.

He was worried that something had happened to Yue Shi.

He was even more worried that he would be trapped in that space forever, forced to read that shitty book over and over until his consciousness faded away.

Now that he was finally seeing the light of day again, the first person the Ghost saw was Yue Shi.

The surroundings were a stretch of turbid water, dark in color and shimmering with an ominous light.

Yue Shi was sitting on the rooftop of an abandoned building, with a large turtle shell covered in strange patterns placed under his rear as a cushion.

A small pot was set up in front of him, with a steady flame burning in a simple stove beneath it.

The soup in the pot was bubbling and boiling, emitting an aroma that made one's mouth water.

The Ghost instinctively felt that something was not quite right with Yue Shi.

But looking closely, he still had the same long hair, the same black clothes, and a profile so perfect it didn't look real—no different from before.

Yet that subtle sense of dissonance lingered.

"Where have you been all this time?" the Ghost asked as he floated closer, his heart still fluttering with lingering fear.

Yue Shi was using a sharpened metal rod to skewer a piece of meat from the pot. He didn't even look up at the question.

"Ran into a bit of trouble."

"Looks like you solved it smoothly?"

Seeing him leisurely boiling soup, the Ghost's tense emotions relaxed.

If he could sit here and eat, the problem shouldn't be too big.

Sure enough, the good die young while the wicked live for a thousand years.

After relaxing, the Ghost finally had the chance to examine the surroundings.

Many broken building tops protruded from the water's surface, looking somewhat familiar.

Wait, looking closer...

"Is this... Chijing City?" the Ghost asked in surprise.

He had a deep impression of this submerged city; after all, he had been a participant in its destruction.

The place where Yue Shi was currently sitting was the top of the Chijing Tower, which used to be the city's landmark building.

"What are you doing here?"

"Is the killer returning to the crime scene to reminisce about the past?" the Ghost wondered.

Yue Shi stuffed a piece of cooled meat into his mouth, his cheeks bulging slightly as he chewed vigorously, offering no answer.

This was the erosion point of the Phantom Sea into the real world, and also the place where the Sea God descended.

Seeing that he didn't answer, the Ghost didn't take it to heart, having long since grown used to it.

Yue Shi often had sudden whims and bouts of madness; his behavior was unpredictable, so nothing he did was considered strange.

"What are you eating?" the Ghost changed the question.

"Sea turtle soup. The taste is quite good, though it's a pity you can't eat it."

Yue Shi swallowed the food and fished out another piece of meat, his tone cheerful.

The Ghost looked at the thick white soup and the faintly visible chunks of meat in the pot, falling silent for a moment.

"You fished it out of this water?!"

"Is it a normal turtle?"

"It's not a supernatural creature, is it?"

Yue Shi finally turned his head and glanced at him, his gaze calm.

"Who cares what it is, as long as it tastes good."

With that, he sped up, finishing the meat in the pot in a few bites until not even a scrap was left.

After a full meal, Yue Shi casually put the pot and stove back into his space, then picked up the turtle shell and stuffed it in as well.

Next, he walked naturally to the edge of the rooftop and tilted his wrist, tossing all the kitchen waste into the water.

The Ghost expressed silent disdain for Yue Shi's uncivilized behavior of polluting the environment.

Though the environment itself wasn't much better.

Just then, Yue Shi turned toward a certain direction in the distance, raised his arm, and waved casually as if greeting someone.

The Ghost followed his gaze and could vaguely see the outline of a small building established on higher ground.

That was the observation station set up by the Bureau on the outskirts of Chijing City.

...

"I did it! I finally did it!"

"Hahahaha!"

Bureau headquarters.

In an unknown space.

A figure laughed maniacally, surrounded by countless books and papers while emitting a strong yellow light.

A moment later, several projections with blurred faces suddenly appeared, standing in a circle around this person.

Incredible disbelief showed in all of their eyes simultaneously.

"How is this possible? You were actually the first to break through to Rank 5!"

"Wow, what's that supposed to mean? You looking down on me?"

"No, no, no, we all thought the Minister would be the first."

"This is what they call the fickleness of the world. When luck comes, it can't be stopped. By the way, shouldn't the Minister automatically abdicate to me now? I'm the strongest!"

"Stop joking. Are you sure you want to fight for power at a time like this?"

"Besides, your ability is so embarrassing I'd be ashamed to even mention it. It's not dignified at all."

"Enough nonsense. Hurry up and tell us how you broke through to Rank 5. Give us some experience."

The person cleared their throat and said slowly, "In my personal viewpoint, your thoughts and behaviors should try to..."