Chapter 283: Chapter 283: Bottled Prisoner (Part 7)_1
So this is what the Goddess of Sin and Punishment looks like?
Fu Qian examined the “living goddess” before him.
On the outside, except for being somewhat taller, the Goddess of Sin and Punishment was completely in the form of a young human female.
Her figure was voluptuous, her eyebrows and eyes gentle, as if she had stepped right out of a painting of the Madonna of Sistina.
At this moment, she sat silently in the midst of these broken ruins, which gave off an even more unusual sense of sanctity.
It really was the full essence of a goddess.
The only problem, perhaps, was that she was alive.
Fu Qian glanced around; it wasn’t hard to imagine the shock Ailina and Cross must have received upon witnessing this scene.
Their emotions at the moment were probably like when someone is paying respects to Lord Guan, and the pages of the Spring and Autumn Annals in his hands suddenly turn, right?
Phew!
After a long while, of the two, it was Ailina who first snapped back to reality.
She frowned at Fu Qian, shaking her head subconsciously.
“This is the first time I’ve heard of such a thing, but this is indeed what the Goddess of Sin and Punishment looks like; I would never mistake her.”
“How does the real Goddess of Sin and Punishment purify the Sinflame?”
Fu Qian thought for a moment before asking.
“It’s quite simple; just perform a specific action in front of the Goddess Statue, and contact can be established to receive a response, which then purifies the sins from your body.”
Ailina answered subconsciously, only to then realize what Fu Qian meant.
By then, Cross had also finally come around and looked back at her with an inquiring gaze.
“You just happen to have Sinflame on you, give it a try!”
Ailina grimaced and pointed to the “living goddess” in front of them.
Cross quickly caught on and, after a slight hesitation, he still stepped forward and made his way in front of the Goddess of Sin and Punishment.
Fu Qian and Ailina followed him closely.
As the three approached, the living goddess still did not react.
Cross did not hesitate; once he stood in place, he spread his arms wide, raised his right hand above his head, forming a special angle at his crown.
Then, the angles between his arms unchanged, he turned his hands at a right angle and held still.
A few seconds later, the living goddess finally responded.
It was as if she had been roused from a deep dream, slowly lifting her head and looking down at Cross at her feet.
A few seconds later, she leaned forward slightly and stretched out a hand towards Cross.
From the tightly furrowed brows of Ailina nearby, Fu Qian knew that this scene was different from what was expected.
Cross himself seemed odd too, as if he was in some special state.
In response to the living goddess’ gesture, he did not show any strangeness but extended his hand very obediently.
Ailina, who witnessed this scene, looked hesitant as if she was considering whether to intervene.
However, before she could make up her mind, Fu Qian stepped forward, making a move that left her speechless.
This man, ahead of Cross, grasped the extended hand.
Fu Qian’s motion was so smooth and natural, as if greeting an honored guest, even giving it a shake after the grasp.
In the eerie silence, the living goddess turned her head to Fu Qian, seemingly noticing him for the first time.
The scene in the room froze.
The next moment, Cross’s body jolted fiercely, his head lifting in befuddlement as if he had been released from a peculiar mental state.
However, what entered his vision was a scene that paused his thoughts for several seconds, causing him to doubt he was still trapped in an illusion.
“What just happened?”
Ailina asked quickly while looking at Fu Qian.
“After I finished the gesture, I seemed to hear a voice calling me,” Cross recalled unconsciously.
“The voice was very gentle, irresistibly inviting one to embrace her. I… accepted subconsciously, completely unable to control my body. Wait a second—”
His voice suddenly rose, and he instinctively stepped back.
“She’s in trouble!”
Before Cross could finish speaking, the situation took a sudden turn.
The hand that Fu Qian was holding became soft like a fluid, with each fingertip spreading out to form a thin layer of webbed membrane.
The membrane extended forward, swiftly enveloping Fu Qian’s entire forearm.
Visibly, Fu Qian’s right hand withered away.
And within the semi-transparent membrane, one could see the vibrant red veins trembling.
“Save me!”
Ailina hesitated for a moment before quickly saying to Cross.
At this point, the Goddess’s entire body was transforming into that soft, fluid state, with waves undulating on the surface of her body.
Faced with this eerie scene, Cross gritted his teeth and aimed for the already deformed head, bringing his hammer down in a swing.
Ah!
Confronting his attack, the living Goddess Statue finally opened her mouth, emitting a piercing scream.
Cross’s body shook, and blood streamed from both his mouth and nose.
Seizing the chance, the living Goddess Statue dodged the blow and her body became even more contorted.
Layers of webbed membranes coiled up Fu Qian’s arm, attempting to wrap around his entire being.
Snap!
The next moment, a whip made purely of shadows struck her body; Ailina had made her move.
However, when the whip made contact, it only left a faint trace; the membrane’s motion was unaffected.
This thing was much tougher than imagined.
At this time, Cross also regained his focus and immediately followed up.
By now, the living Goddess Statue had completely lost its human form, displaying an immense greed as it desperately pulled on Fu Qian’s arm.
But in the next moment, enveloped by layers of webbed membrane, a lone arm looked foolishly stuck in place.
Seemingly confused about what had just happened, the mass then rose into the air on its own and met Cross’s heavy hammer head-on.
Puff!
This time the living Goddess Statue finally felt the full force of the blow, its body trembling violently.
The next moment, a dazzling White Ring flew from Ailina’s hand, ensnaring the creature within.
Under the spinning and tearing of the White Ring, the membrane let out shrill cries, twisting and struggling fiercely.
Whirl!
Seeing this, Cross did not hesitate and kept bringing down his hammer relentlessly.
Finally, with a prolonged mournful wail, the membrane came to a complete stop, turning into a cluster of leaf-like material.
At the same time, Ailina uttered a muffled groan, as a dark red glow of Sinflame ignited on her body.
The color of Sinflame was visible; she clearly had claimed the kill on the monster.
And at that moment, the Sinflame on Ailina’s body seemed much more intense than Cross’s, to the point that drops of Blood Bead were seeping out of her skin.
This living Goddess Statue had abundant experience.
With a contorted face, struggling to suppress the pain she felt, Ailina immediately glanced at the withered arm on the ground, then instinctively looked towards where Fu Qian was standing.
He stood there, an image of calm, both arms intact.
Was the arm he used for the handshake fake?
“How did you know there was something wrong with it?”
In pain, Ailina’s voice turned somewhat hoarse.
Of course I knew, the mission hadn’t even been triggered yet!
Fu Qian thought to himself, not answering her question, but instead shook his head looking at her.
“You look a bit exaggerated, won’t the Sin Seekers come over?”