"You..."
The Azure Dragon's voice sounded, carrying a sense of grave seriousness for the first time.
"Do you know what you're saying? This is no field trip."
"On the contrary."
Lin Qingyue took the talismans, which felt ice-cold to the touch as if containing an entire ocean, and turned to face the three Celestial Gods with their varied expressions.
"We are clearer than ever before. Moreover, we believe that now is the best time."
She brandished the talismans in her hand, her gaze sweeping over the Celestial Gods of the Four Directions.
"The Four Gods have returned to their positions, their minds clear. This is the golden period when the Ancient God Shadow is suppressed to its weakest state."
"Is it not so?"
With a single sentence, the Azure Dragon's eyes narrowed.
As expected of the teacher who could guide this Celestial God in writing, her insight was this sharp.
Indeed, their arrival acted like four keys, unlocking the minds of the four Celestial Gods that had been twisted by the "Seven Sins."
Now, although their personality issues still existed, their Origin Authority had returned to clarity, and the suppression of the World Heart had reached its peak in ten thousand years.
This was indeed an opportunity that came once in a thousand years.
A final battle that would decide the world's fate was thus hastily yet inevitably put on the agenda, following this game test session that felt like a mix of a divine brawl and a wet market argument.
"Hmph, a bunch of arrogant brats who don't know their place."
It was the White Tiger who spoke.
He crossed his arms, turned his head away, and left everyone with the back of his head in a classic tsundere pose, but the slightly reddened tips of his ears betrayed his true feelings.
"However, since you're so eager to go to your deaths, this God cannot appear too stingy."
He flicked his finger.
A golden divine light, condensed to its absolute limit, shot from his fingertip, instantly splitting into four beams that sank into the foreheads of Lin Qingyue and her three companions.
A sharp, decisive aura that saw through all falsehoods flashed through the four of them.
They felt their understanding of the rules instantly elevated by an entire dimension.
[System Notification: You have received the Blessing of Celestial God: White Tiger!]
[Your resistance to the negative effects of Dungeon Rule Two: Punishment of the Seven Sins has been permanently increased by 20%!]
"Tch, such a hypocrite."
The Vermilion Bird sneered, being much more straightforward.
She walked up to Lin Xiyue and extended a hand capable of crushing divine iron, yet it only tapped lightly on Lin Xiyue's runic plate armor, letting out a crisp "Clang."
"When you get inside, show me some real spirit in the fight! Don't dilly-dally, either burn the enemy to ashes, or go down fighting fiercely!"
A ball of blazing Divine Fire then merged into the bodies of the four, igniting the fighting spirit deep within their souls.
Next was the Azure Dragon.
"A mortal body, yet you dare to defy the heavens. As the 'Historian,' I hereby grant permission for this 'Pride.'"
A wisp of runes like a gentle breeze silently circled the group, bringing an unprecedented clarity of mind.
Finally, it was the Black Tortoise, who was still slumbering.
As if sensing the actions of the other three, he tossed over impatiently in his sleep.
A profound, calm, ink-black divine light that seemed able to devour all light and sound naturally radiated from his body, silently enveloping Lin Qingyue and her three companions.
The sensation was like plunging into the warm deep sea, where all noise and turmoil were shut out, leaving only absolute tranquility in the depths of their souls.
[System Notification: You have received the Blessing of the Celestial God, Black Tortoise!]
[Your resistance to the negative effects of Dungeon Rule Two: Punishment of the Seven Sins has been permanently increased by 30%!]
Gold, red, azure, and black.
Four completely different Blessings intertwined and merged within the bodies of the four young women.
The four-colored radiance flashed across their bodies before finally fading into silence.
In that instant, Lin Qingyue felt an invisible shackle on her body be completely shattered.
It was the Sword of Damocles regarding emotions that had been hanging over their heads ever since they entered this Dungeon: the Punishment of the Seven Sins.
[System Notification: You have collected the Blessings of the Celestial Gods of the Four Directions. Your existence has been recognized by the Origin Law of this world.]
[Dungeon Rule Two: Punishment of the Seven Sins in the Shadow of the Ancient God will no longer take effect on you and your party.]
[You are now completely immune to all negative effects brought by this rule!]
This was a super buff that could be considered a BUG!
They could finally unleash one hundred percent, or even one hundred and twenty percent, of their power without any reservations.
"Don't go dying in there,"
White Tiger's voice echoed again, this time with less tsundere pride and more serious warning.
"This God's perfect game still needs you initial guinea pigs to conduct the final stress test."
Lin Qingyue turned back and gave the three (plus one sleeping) Celestial Gods with their vastly different personalities a bright smile.
"Don't worry, we're still waiting to play the public beta version."
Lin Qingyue and her three companions returned to the perfectly symmetrical Courtyard of Quiet Contemplation.
Facing the final battle, the best weapon was their own condition.
And right now, the condition they needed most was: sleep.
"I can't do it, I can't do it. I feel like my eyelids don't belong to me anymore."
Lin Xiyue was the first to collapse onto the soft bed, yawning.
"Woken up in the middle of the night by the noise from that white-haired lolita's renovations, I'm so sleepy I could punch a cow to death."
"That's called having the face of a child and the hair of a crane."
Although Su Wan was correcting her verbally, she also lay down elegantly, her closed eyes clearly showing she was at the end of her rope.
Xia Lian had already curled up to one side, her head nodding, ready to disconnect at any moment.
"Everyone, attention,"
Lin Qingyue cleared her throat and issued the highest directive,
"Dismissed on the spot, catch up on sleep! If the sky falls, we'll deal with it after we wake up!"
The night passed without a word, only the sound of even breathing and occasional sleep-talking.
Until the noon sunlight passed through the leaves of the courtyard, scattering the most blazing spots of light on the ground, the four girls woke up one after another, stretching.
Their physical strength, mental energy, and magic power had all returned to their peak state.
"I'm alive!"
Lin Xiyue did a stretching exercise on the spot, her bones and joints popping and cracking.
"I feel amazing! By the way, did you all feel that super buff from yesterday?"
"Immunity to the 'Seven Sins' rules..."
Su Wan pushed up non-existent glasses, the corners of her mouth curving upward uncontrollably.
"This is simply... a game-changing buff."
"More than just a buff!"
Lin Qingyue added, her eyes sparkling.
"This means a massive liberation of our tactics! Xiyue, you can taunt to your heart's content from now on, drawing all the 'Wrathful' enemies to yourself, since your stats won't be lowered anyway!"
"Su Wan, you can cast your most magnificent spells with the utmost arrogance; 'Pride' will only become part of your BGM! This is called the Emotional Output Method!"
"Then... what about me?" Xia Lian asked softly.
"You?"
Lin Qingyue patted her shoulder, speaking utter nonsense with a straight face.
"You can be 'Slothful' with a clear conscience! For example, find a good place to hide away. As long as you can win with a single strike, who cares how much you slacked off before?"
"This is called Strategic Dormancy, the victory philosophy passed down by the Celestial God Black Tortoise!"
"Why do I feel like you're bluffing me..." Xia Lian's face turned red again.
"Alright girls, the pre-battle pep talk is over."
Lin Qingyue took out the black talisman paper flowing with ink-wash runes from her robe.
"Slacking time is over. Time to punch in for work, send the final BOSS into retirement, and help Big Sister Black Tortoise achieve her dream of paid leave!"
She held the talisman paper high.
In the sunlight, the ink on the paper seemed to come alive, like a condensed starry sky.
Then, she closed her fingers and squeezed hard.
"Snap."
A soft sound.
The talisman paper turned into thousands of ink dots in her palm, forming a rapidly spinning pitch-black vortex.
Space twisted violently.
The courtyard beneath their feet, the temple in the distance, the sky overhead, everything lost its original shape, stretched into colorful patches, and was thrown into that pitch-black vortex.