Facing an Ancient God for a Year

Chapter 1251: Chapter 1249: Excessively Extreme

This is just too spot-on!

Although Reginald and the other person hadn’t said a word, their faintly out-of-control expressions tipped Fu Qian off and made him naturally deliver that comment.

Hmph, let me give you a little taste of professional shock.

With a proud expression, Fu Qian touched the wound left by the leech with his finger and then showed it off to the two.

“Want to take a closer look?”

…

Staring at the drop of Blood Bead on Fu Qian’s hand, Reginald’s face turned unsightly. He looked completely unwilling to speak.

“Why would you do this?”

Ultimately, it was Amila who asked the soul-wrenching question. Her voice was hoarse and dry.

And to some extent, that question was almost an acknowledgment of Fu Qian’s earlier statements.

Isn’t it because you guys are not cutting it?

To this, Fu Qian snorted inwardly.

From his first contact with the Celestial Sphere Sect until now, the most gratifying thing was undoubtedly confirming that their goals aligned perfectly with his own—finding a way to enter the World Within the Painting.

In fact, the reason his deductions had gone so smoothly earlier was precisely that everything he wanted to do just so happened to present itself in front of him.

It truly was a meeting of minds.

And considering the Sect’s position, their motives were entirely logical.

The only problem was their lack of urgency, necessitating a little stimulation.

“You seem to lack confidence in me.”

The next moment, Fu Qian gestured toward the opened abdominal cavity next to them as he responded to Amila’s question.

“Do you really think, in a place like this, I wouldn’t even have the curiosity to cut open someone’s belly?”

…

From any dimension or priority level, selecting volunteers as the first candidates for disembowelment clearly seemed unreasonable.

The only explanation was that Reginald and the other person must have sensed something.

In other words, the moment they walked in, they had likely realized that this person was already compromised.

That’s why they asked if a hand could be lent.

Their purpose matched what removing the mask was meant to achieve—to let Fu Qian get close to contamination and observe its effects.

Unfortunately, even with all his cooperation and the subsequent maneuvers, Reginald still failed to detect anything.

Out of disappointment came the personal jab: “Are you all right?”

I…

With that bizarre response from Fu Qian, Amila looked as if she was on the brink of a mental breakdown.

But ultimately, as the Sect’s elite managing society’s affairs, her vast experience ensured her mental adjustment skills remained robust.

She quickly pieced together why Mr. Anke was behaving so recklessly—he simply didn’t fear death or contamination.

Because in his eyes, whether it was inside or outside, it was all part of the Nightmare; only the cold world within the painting was real.

And that left him in a completely uninhibited, playful state.

His words and actions along the way had repeatedly proven this point.

Earlier, not only did he see through the baiting attempt, but he even thought their requests were insufficient, directly taking it one step further himself.

Under his obsessive mania, his behavior had become entirely beyond reason.

“Apologies, we did hold back information earlier, but since Mr. Anke puts it this way… Yes, we’re indeed highly focused on the World Within the Painting. Unfortunately, we’ve had no means of gaining entry. Given that you’re the only newly appeared, uniquely presenting case, we decided to bring you in.”

After glancing at Reginald, and seeing no objection from him, Amila finally admitted Fu Qian’s suspicions.

“Our goal is exactly as you said—to lead you into another Nightmare, see what comes of the contact, and determine if there are any new discoveries.”

“Now that’s more like it; we have a shared objective, so open communication is better. You could save yourselves so much time fretting along the way!”

Fu Qian seemed rather satisfied with this response.

Shared goals? Your goal isn’t finding entertainment, is it?

“Besides the fun, you want to go to that place, and I want to return to that ‘reality.’ Isn’t that perfectly aligned?”

Feeling his two companions still didn’t truly understand his earnest commitment, Fu Qian further elaborated and flashed his wound again.

“The ‘extra’ you were fretting about earlier—whether to push boundaries further, right? Seeing you struggling so much, I went ahead and acted on it myself.”

“Wouldn’t that show some sincerity?”

Isn’t this sincerity a bit excessive…? If I remember correctly, you let that thing bite you even before we started arguing?

Despite repeated shocks, Amila’s logic remained intact, steering clear of Fu Qian’s peculiar reasoning.

But this only made things more terrifying. His earlier remarks seemed eerily truthful now.

From the moment he stepped in, he had figured out their actual intent… and he didn’t mind at all.

“It’s just a shame that, judging by the current situation, we haven’t yielded any meaningful results.”

Deeply rattled, Amila inhaled hard.

“I’m very certain that the Nightmare hasn’t shown any changes due to your entry, including even after being bitten. Your state remains perfectly normal, without even symptoms of boiling blood syndrome.”

“It seems our approach was mistaken, but we were desperate enough to give it a shot. In any case, thank you for your cooperation.”

Amila’s words carried heartfelt sincerity, and her final thanks were genuine.

Reginald merely turned his head away, evidently having lost interest in speaking.

“There’s no need to be so polite. At least I didn’t leave empty-handed—I got to enjoy myself, didn’t I?”

Fu Qian let his sleeve drop, his grin unwavering.

“But isn’t it a bit premature to draw conclusions? It was just a bite, after all; we could still do more, couldn’t we?”

“Why not take those pants over there and let me wear them, for example?”

“…Firstly, that’s highly unlikely to work. At present, all Nightmare-related mediums, just like the painting you touched, have turned into ordinary objects.”

While the suggestion was provocative, Amila’s response was measured yet firm.

“Secondly, even if it were effective, we absolutely couldn’t proceed with that. It could cause irreparable damage to you.”

After concentrating the source of the Nightmare, all its Magic Power dissipated… This explains why the gallery remains functional, doesn’t it?

The new visitors can still be used to test the Nightmare while initial assessments show minimal disturbances.

Silently verifying this hypothesis, Fu Qian glanced toward Reginald, who was markedly more ruthless in comparison.

“Since it’s just as ordinary as a painting, wearing it is no different than visiting the gallery. If you have rules in place, I’m willing to sign an informed consent agreement.”

You’re a bit too extreme!

Unfortunately, even someone as strong as Reginald betrayed this thought through his rigid expression.

“His condition is deteriorating. Immediate treatment is required.”

Yet, he didn’t even voice this concern, and in the next moment, pointed to the side and abruptly spoke.