The Great Sage’s arrangement looked like concern for a subordinate, but Lin Xun could taste a hint of suspicion hidden within.

If he obediently stayed here to recuperate and did not dare go to the Multivision Branch Association, that would undoubtedly confirm the Great Sage’s doubts.

The Great Sage might very well subdue him on the spot.

In the Great Sage’s way of thinking, even if this Sage Osborn really were the True God’s Envoy in disguise, he would not be able to display strength surpassing that of the original sage.

Right now there were still four other sages besides Sage Osborn, and together with the Direct Vision Great Sage himself, it would be easy to suppress and control the True God’s Envoy.

If Osborn volunteered to join the operation to intercept the True God’s Envoy, that would be even better.

Whether Osborn was actually the True God’s Envoy in disguise or not, he would still be under the Great Sage’s control and unable to stir up any real waves.

Lin Xun let out a cold snort. While riding the carriage with the other sages into the fog, he opened the Shell Panel to check the attributes.

[Shell: Knowledge-Seeking Direct Vision Branch Association Sage]

[True Name: Osborn]

[Compatibility: 126% (+65%)]

[Shell Quality: Mythic+ grade (Compatibility surpasses critical threshold, Shell Quality increased).]

[Shell Level: 130]

[Shell Equipment: Direct Vision Sage Robe (Mythic armor): …]

[Shell Equipment: Staff of Pursuing Knowledge (Mythic weapon): …]

[Shell Skill: Surge of Knowledge (Legendary+ skill): …]

[Shell Skill: Knowledge Dragon Lance (Legendary+ skill): …]

[Shell Skill: Knowledge Barrier (Mythic skill): …]

[Shell Skill: Character Law (Mythic skill): From the powerful eye of the mythic creature Deep-Sea Cyclops. After multiple rounds of Eyeball synthesis and transplantation, this shell has obtained a strong special skill called Character Law.]

[The power of this special skill is inferior to the ultimate secret spell Endless Flood of Knowledge, but it has the advantage of instant activation without the need for long spell chanting.]

[Casting this skill consumes a massive amount of mana. Please use with caution.]

[Shell Skill: Endless Flood of Knowledge (Mythic skill): …]

Unlike that washed-out Star Spirit Envoy from before whose respec had ruined him, Sage Osborn not only possessed Shell Level 130, but his Shell Quality had finally reached Mythic+ grade under the boost of Compatibility.

The special skill called Character Law, just like Weak Point Insight and similar skills, also originated from a special eyeball.

That desperate final strike before Sage Osborn’s death should have been Character Law, whose power had been strengthened by some kind of spell scroll, thus producing such devastating destructive force.

Lin Xun could not help sighing. It had not been easy, but after working so hard for so long, he had finally gotten his hands on a top demigod spellcaster shell.

Shell Quality was the most important factor in measuring a shell’s strength.

When Shell Levels were not too far apart, if one shell’s quality was one grade higher, then even if its other attribute stats were slightly inferior, it could still defeat the enemy by relying on the advantage in Shell Quality.

However, if Lin Xun used Osborn’s shell to fight the Direct Vision Great Sage head-on, his chances of victory were not high.

The reason was that Compatibility only raised Shell Quality; the stat values of skills, level, and equipment were still stuck at the Sage stage of Mythic grade.

The Great Sage’s skills and equipment should all be Mythic+ grade, and his Shell Level would definitely be a tier higher than the sages.

Lin Xun did not know whether his own Knowledge stat, after huge amplification, was higher or lower than the Great Sage’s.

All he knew was that his only advantage compared to the Great Sage was the increase in shell toughness from the Relics.

But the amplification from Relics was rather watery and inconsistent, so he estimated that his odds of victory were not great.

[…]

[The carriage slowly came to a halt. The carriage door opened, and thick fog poured into the cabin.]

[You get off the carriage with the sages and can faintly make out the outline of a huge building standing in the distant mist.]

[You understand that this is the Multivision School’s Branch Association stationed in the auxiliary capital.]

[The Great Sage signals for you sages to start drawing character magic formations here, while he closes his eyes to meditate. Powerful mental power radiates outward, covering all directions. As soon as anyone steps into the sensing range, he will immediately know.]

[You follow the other sages in arranging magical materials and drawing the binding magic formation…]

[You know that the Great Sage is doomed to never find the True God’s Envoy. When he fails to find his target for a long time, the level of suspicion directed at you will soar, and he is very likely to turn his spearhead toward you.]

[Apostle with a thief’s heart, what should you do?]

[1. Flee toward the Multivision Branch Association without looking back. As long as you manage to escape into the Multivision Branch Association, your identity as the True God’s Envoy will surely win you the Multivision School’s protection, allowing you to shake off the Direct Vision Great Sage.]

[2. Voluntarily confess to the Great Sage and reveal your identity as the True God’s Envoy. If what the Great Sage said is true, he will not kill you, only imprison you. And your fate at the Multivision Association might be even more tragic than at the Direct Vision Association.]

[3. Immediately stop drawing the magic formation. While the Direct Vision Great Sage is still meditating, decisively launch a sneak attack on him. If you wait until the binding magic formation is completed, you will only be able to sit around and wait for death.]

Lin Xun carefully read through the options and pondered them seriously.

Of these three options, the first was undoubtedly the most reliable.

After possessing Sage Osborn, his shell grade was now on par with the Great Sage. At most, his strength was a bit lacking, unable to take the advantage in a frontal clash, but if he focused entirely on running away, the Great Sage might not be able to stop him.

By comparison, the second option was like a joke. Surrender himself for imprisonment, how could that possibly happen?

Although the game currently did not offer a suicide option, Lin Xun had Flesh Authority and could forcibly control the shell to complete a suicide action in an instant, returning to town for free.

The reason he had not performed a ‘fake death escape’ right in front of the Great Sage was because he currently had only one respawn point. If that was accidentally exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable.

As for the third option…

Lin Xun narrowed his eyes. To be honest, his plan was not as simple as just running for his life.

With the Great Sage coming here near the Multivision Association, he was only leaving himself a backup escape route.

What he actually wanted was to kill the Great Sage and seize this powerful shell of the Direct Vision Branch Association President.

The Great Sage’s shell was a truly full-attribute top demigod shell, and it also came with the enormous authority of controlling the entire Direct Vision Branch Association.

If he could seize this shell, the benefits would be unimaginable.

“Back when I possessed Flanda’s shell, the Compatibility bonus had obviously surpassed the critical threshold, yet the game still blocked me at the stage of upgrading from Mythic+ to Immortal grade.”

“Is it that Compatibility can only raise Shell Quality up to the god realm, or is it because my talent rank was not high enough?”

“Now my talent rank has increased by another level compared to when I possessed Flanda. I wonder if possessing a Mythic+ shell this time will let me break through that limitation…”

As his thoughts churned, the options before his eyes, while not yet dyed in blood-red, began to faintly tremble.

This signified that the progress of the binding magic formation’s inscription was steadily advancing.

[…]

[The Great Sage suddenly opens his eyes and points toward a certain direction in the fog, saying that a Refined Copper Carriage is approaching. He will use a spell to guide it over here and tells you to get ready.]

[The sages quicken their inscription speed, and you also pretend to be busy, while in fact secretly slacking off…]

[As the sound of rolling wheels and pounding hooves draws closer, a carriage gradually takes shape in the mist.]

[Under the Great Sage’s spell control, the carriage stops by itself in front of you.]

[The person inside the carriage thinks they have arrived at their destination and opens the door to get off…]

[It is a Multivision Scholar whose face is studded with many eyes. From the pattern of its robe you can tell that its standing and strength are not high, just a grassroots Scholar of the Multivision Branch Association.]

[When the Multivision Scholar sees that it is people from the Direct Vision School blocking the road, it looks furious. But when it recognizes the President and Vice President of the Direct Vision Association among you, it can only suppress its anger and quietly ask why they are stopping it.]

[You turn your head, curious about what method the Direct Vision Great Sage will use to determine whether the other party is the True God’s Envoy…]

[Only to see the Knowledge Great Sage coldly flick his staff. Countless characters surge instantly into the Multivision Scholar’s head…]

[The Multivision Scholar’s face twists in utter terror, and then its head explodes with a boom.]

[The headless corpse collapses to the side, while the Direct Vision Great Sage does not even spare it a glance, saying coldly, too weak. Impossible to be the True God’s Envoy.]

[The other sages keep their eyes straight ahead and continue carving the magic formation, while you calmly wipe away a bead of cold sweat from your forehead…]

“Damn, what a simple and brutal test method.”

Lin Xun silently complained. If the one in the carriage had been the Multivision Association President, let us see if you would still dare to test like that.

He thought again. If the newcomer really were the Multivision President, it should also be impossible for the ‘weak’ True God’s Envoy to possess him…

As the inscription progress of the binding magic formation neared completion, the options before his eyes trembled more and more violently, yet he still had not found a good chance to act.

“I have to get rid of these sages first. Otherwise I will have to face the Great Sage and deal with these buzzing flies at the same time, which basically leaves me with no chance at all.”

“Only by killing the sages first will there be a sliver of hope for victory.”

[…]

[When the Direct Vision Great Sage opens his eyes again, you know that another lucky one is about to approach.]

[Sure enough, after only a short while, another Refined Copper Carriage rolls out of the fog and stops in front of you.]

[Judging by the style of this Refined Copper Carriage, it looks far more luxurious than the one the Multivision Scholar rode earlier.]

[Your heart stirs. You know that the person in this carriage must hold a high position and might even have strength on par with a sage.]

[You, in turn, can use the conflict between the two sides as cover to decisively launch a sneak attack and kill one or two sages beside you who are completely off guard.]

[The carriage stops, the door opens, and a very young female Scholar steps out.]

[The memories remaining in the shell let you recognize her identity. She seems to be a descendant of a sage in the Multivision Association, but her own strength is not high.]

[Before the female Scholar can say anything, the Direct Vision Great Sage sweeps his staff and her head explodes…]

Lin Xun’s heart sank. He had thought a powerful ally would appear, but the newcomer turned out to be weak as dirt.

Seeing the binding magic formation about to be completed, he took a deep breath and made up his mind. “There is no time to wait any longer…”

“Do or die.”

[You suddenly tear open your robe at the chest, revealing a huge eye…]

[Mythic special skill Character Law activated.]

[Countless characters erupt from the giant eye…]

[The characters burst into blinding light and devastating spell power explodes in an instant, rampaging in all directions.]

[The sages around you had all been secretly on guard. When they see you suddenly launch a sneak attack, they immediately raise Knowledge Barriers to protect themselves.]

[The Direct Vision Great Sage not far away sees you throw off your disguise and strike, finally confirming your identity and realizing that his loyal subordinate Sage Osborn has already died at the hands of you, the True God’s Envoy.]

[He roars in rage, as expected, it is you. Once I capture you this time, I will let you truly taste what pain means.]

[Of course he recognizes your signature spell Character Law and knows exactly how powerful it is. The Direct Vision Great Sage instantly raises a barrier in front of himself to block it.]

[But as the spell’s devastating force erupts, his expression changes abruptly.]

[The Character Law you cast this time is several times stronger than before, even more powerful than when the spell was boosted by a strengthening scroll.]

[An extreme light explodes within the fog, and amid a heaven-shaking roar, even the solid ground under your feet shivers in fear.]

[When the spell light fades, there is only one sage left kneeling on the ground in front of you, leaning on his staff. His defensive spell has already been shattered to pieces under the terrifying might of Character Law. His gorgeous robe is torn into ragged strips, exposing many terrible wounds on his torso.]

[As for the other three sages, under such horrifying spell power they did not even leave behind scraps of flesh or bone.]

[The only reason this sage survived was because he had far more hidden defensive spell items on him.]

[You have defeated Knowledge-Seeking Direct Vision Branch Association Sage. Shell experience increases greatly.]

[You have defeated Knowledge-Seeking Direct Vision Branch Association Sage…]

[You have defeated…]

[You have obtained…]

[…]

[The power within the shell begins to boil. The Shell Level of the Knowledge-Seeking Direct Vision Branch Association Sage increases. Current Shell Level: 131.]

[Yet the Light Barrier before the distant Direct Vision Great Sage still stands firm…]

[But his face is iron-blue, his expression uglier than if his own family had died.]

[He has no idea what method you used to amplify the power of Character Law to such a terrifying degree.]

[With one strike, you instantly killed three sages of the same level as you… Those were the core strength of the Direct Vision Branch Association, loyal subordinates he had painstakingly nurtured over many years.]

[A spell of this magnitude is simply not something a sage-level Scholar can cast or withstand.]

“How is there still one left?”

Lin Xun had no time to think further and immediately cast Character Law again.

[You glare with the giant eye of the Deep-Sea Cyclops embedded in your chest, and countless characters brimming with destructive power erupt once more.]

[As the character light blossoms in an intense flash, spell energy sweeps and ravages everything…]

[The Scholar kneeling in front of you lets out a desperate wail, while the furious roar of the Direct Vision Great Sage tears through the layers of fog and echoes for a long time…]