Eldritch Horror Theatre

Eldest Miss Wen certainly lived a life of leisure!

Though he had to admit, her craftsmanship was excellent.

His gaze sweeping over the table, Fu Qian silently critiqued Wen Li’s handiwork piece by piece. A few of the masks already possessed a striking charm.

”After you left, I looked at your sketches and found them so commanding that I couldn’t resist trying my hand at them. But rest assured, I’ll put them away safely. They absolutely won’t be leaked.”

Wen Li smiled a little sheepishly, making sure to emphasize that last point.

”It’s fine. Dayun Mingwang’s name has shaken the world this time; these masks might just become a massive hit in a few days.”

To her surprise, Fu Qian merely waved a hand, signaling that she could do whatever she liked with them.

”His name truly has shaken the world.”

Getting over her initial shock and confirming that he wasn’t joking, Wen Li instantly relaxed.

Setting her brush aside, she gave a solemn nod, revealing a slightly uncanny smile.”Over the past two days, Shangjing has seen winds rise and clouds surge. Dayun Mingwang appeared out of nowhere, battling the two young talents Taylor and Jiang En in succession before ultimately paying a visit to the Jiang Family Ancestral Residence. He struck fear into the assembled experts, and no one dared cross his path.”

Wen Li grew more impassioned the more she spoke, though it was a pity her voice remained overly gentle, lacking the necessary commanding presence.

”I was so captivated by the tales that I decided to paint these masks.”

Trying to mimic my style? You’re getting awfully bold, girl.

Fu Qian stared at her expressionlessly. Her act broke in a second; dropping her smile, Wen Li immediately corrected her posture.

”I’m sorry, but that really is the tone of the rumors going around...”

Eldest Miss Wen’s expression management had reached the absolute pinnacle. Fu Qian sized up her instantly innocent look, and his own expression swiftly shifted.

”What are you apologizing for? Keep promoting it exactly like that.”

He let out a cold snort, his demeanor turning haughty.

”Though this seat is indifferent to fame and fortune, I refuse to stand by while the world is overrun by those who fish for unearned praise!”

”Alright...”

Seeing that Fu Qian wasn’t the least bit upset, Wen Li nodded with a cheerful grin.

”The Serana you mentioned earlier—is she that demigod from the Gulade Household?”

Suddenly, another thought struck her.

”Are your injuries because of her? She wouldn’t step forward just to avenge Taylor, would she?”

Even Wen Li felt a jolt of alarm as she spoke. A battle between two demigods? Shangjing really had been hit by an endless wave of turmoil lately.

She even knows about Serana’s attitude toward Taylor? Eldest Miss Wen’s talent for gossip is astonishing as expected.

Fu Qian made no effort to hide his admiration.

”It’s related, but not in the way you think. We were engaged in a joint exploration. But tell me, how did you know she wouldn’t make a move over Taylor?”

”Rumor has it that Demigod Serana has always been an outlier within Gulade and even the entire Blood Clan. She is one of the rare demigods who doesn’t view her race as inherently superior to others.”

Learning that Serana was a friend rather than a foe, Wen Li’s tone immediately turned much more respectful.

”Judging by her usual style, she likely wouldn’t take any drastic action until Taylor’s situation is fully investigated.”

”I see.”

Fu Qian nodded. Thinking back on his own interactions with Serana, she really did give off that impression.

Furthermore, after this recent battle, her ideology had probably gained even more validation. After all, the Progenitor himself had just been an ordinary human who transformed.

”Have you eaten dinner yet? Should I have someone prepare something?”

As they chatted, Wen Li finished tidying up the items in front of her. True to her word, she didn’t put away the painted masks.

”No rush.”

Despite his usual enthusiasm for good food, Fu Qian waved her off and directly pulled out the Crystallized Teardrop.

”Want to try leveling up first?”

...

”You’re really letting me use this?”

After Fu Qian gave a brief rundown of the Crystallized Teardrop’s effects, even Wen Li didn’t dare reach out to take it right away, asking her question in absolute disbelief.

Mister Fu made it sound so casual, but having truly stepped into the world of transcendents, she knew exactly how precious it was.

A ritual offering enlightenment. Even if it was restricted to those beneath Mid Tier, there were countless transcendents in the world, yet how many actually surpassed Mid Tier? That was already a realm tethered to a God.

Just look at Jiang En. As a transcendent with the potential to reach Mid Tier, his family refused to give up on him even after all these years of stagnation.

An item like this could easily fetch a sky-high price—an astronomical sum in any circle.

”Of course, though I’m mostly just using you as a test subject.”

While Wen Li felt completely overwhelmed by the favor, Fu Qian was being brutally honest.

”I’m very curious about what you’ll see after using it, so I wanted to see if you were interested in volunteering.”

”Because in my judgment, this thing actually doesn’t mean much to you. Even if you just lay around doing nothing, hitting Tier 4 would only be a matter of time.”

Mister Fu is praising my talent... I can even be of help to him.

Fu Qian’s words were shockingly blunt, but Wen Li, endowed with a naturally optimistic disposition, automatically extracted the most flattering parts. Her mood instantly brightened.

”I would be honored. I can cooperate at any time.”

She agreed without a second thought.

”Shouldn’t you consult your family first?”

”No need.”

Wen Li answered decisively, her expression resolute.

”It would only add unnecessary worry.”

She was quite perceptive. Old Man Wen was experienced and wise, but they now lived in two completely different worlds. It was difficult for him to personally gauge the nuances of supernatural matters anymore. Asking him to weigh in would indeed just cause needless anxiety.

”Alright, then let’s get started.”

Fu Qian didn’t waste any more words. With a light flick, the clear, crystalline teardrop traced an arc through the air and landed in Wen Li’s hand.

”Just crush it.”

...

Wen Li executed Fu Qian’s instructions without a hint of hesitation.

Putting aside the fact that receiving enlightenment was risk-free in itself, she even had a demigod serving as her protector right now. How many people in the entire world could enjoy such treatment?

If anything, her hesitation stemmed more from a reluctance to destroy the teardrop stone simply because it was so dazzlingly beautiful.

As she squeezed her hand, the seemingly indestructible teardrop reacted. It was quickly covered in fine spiderweb cracks before shattering into countless crystalline fragments.

A radiant brilliance bloomed from within, enveloping Wen Li in the blink of an eye.

...

As expected, only the user can see it.

At the same time, gazing at the deeply entranced Wen Li, Fu Qian sighed in mild disappointment.

His earlier words hadn’t been spoken just to ease her conscience about taking it.

As the only person who understood the true nature of Wen Li’s advancement, Fu Qian had always been optimistic about her progression before the demigod level. He treated her as a precious case study.

He still remembered that when she had advanced to Mid Tier, a mysterious entity known as Eve had appeared.

Fu Qian was immensely curious to find out what she would see during this final step beneath the realm of demigods.

...

”Mister Fang.”

It didn’t take long. A few breaths later, the radiance faded, and Wen Li opened her eyes.

After calling out softly, her expression looked distinctly complicated.

”Did you see something?”

Fu Qian gave a small nod.

”I did.”