Damn it! Let's smash the darkness together!

Containment Seal?

Xu Shu cast an inquiring glance.

Gu Qian explained, "Yes, use your body to contain it, use your body to merge with it, and obtain the curse power within. This is the 'Cursing Seal Cultivation Method'. All Transcendents gain their power by containing the Curse Seal.

"Use your body, to merge with it?"

Xu Shu lowered his head, his gaze landing on the mysterious Curse Seal that flowed with golden-red runes, and then he glanced at the palm of his hand.

The red burn that appeared in the morning had already vanished.

Could it be that the burning pain he felt was because as soon as his skin made contact with it, it would... begin to merge?

This thought surfaced in his mind.

Whereas Gu Qian continued, "Correct, merge! The Curse Seal will independently integrate into all living entities it can reach. You must have discovered this when you feel an intense pain as soon as you touch the Curse Seal with your hand, prompting you to subconsciously throw it away, right?"

"Uh..." Xu Shu did not deny.

"That's actually your body's self-protection mechanism because if you're invaded by the Curse Seal without going through the Promotion Drive, there's only one outcome for you - to become a monster that has lost all reason, and even death would be a luxury," Gu Qian said gravely.

"Promotion Drive? What is that?" Xu Shu's gaze sharpened suddenly.

Gu Qian nodded, "The Promotion Drive is the necessary condition for advancing to Transcendent status.

"We can liken the Curse Seal to a treasure mountain, but there is a deep Abyss between you and the mountain. You are on this side, and the treasure mountain is on the other.

"And the Promotion Drive is the only bridge that can take you to the other side!

"Without it, even if a treasure mountain lies before you, you can only sigh in vain.

"If you attempt to force your way through, there's only one outcome waiting for you, which is to fall into the Abyss, never to recover."

"I see."

Xu Shu listened to his severe warnings and gained clarity, then asked with some eagerness, "So where can I get this Promotion Drive? Would those monsters have it?"

At this point, a hint of pity suddenly appeared in Gu Qian's eyes.

He sighed deeply, "Actually, people like you are quite pitiable. You've completely severed any hope of advancing to Transcendent, yet the authorities won't tell you the truth.

"Even to stabilize the situation, they would fabricate stories, claiming ordinary people also have a chance, like some Scavenger returning from the Wasteland and advancing to Transcendent in a single leap, achieving greatness overnight, haha, how ludicrous.

"In truth, if by the time you reach the age of eighteen, you haven't passed the first round of selection by the Supervision Bureau, it's been declared that you'll never have a connection to becoming a Transcendent in this life.

"People like you, no matter how much you struggle, it's useless. You're destined to remain a mere mortal!

"Not like me, I passed the selection at the age of 10 and was directly granted the Promotion Drive. If it weren't for wanting a better future and unwilling to follow my family's arrangements, I would have become a Transcendent already..."

He spoke and seemed to sink into some memories, then his expression gradually turned to confusion:

"Strange, why am I telling you all this? I shouldn't have told you..."

As he spoke, Gu Qian's expression grew puzzled.

And Xu Shu's heart tightened.

This is bad, it seemed that out of being too touched, he had revealed some secrets he wasn't supposed to, and was becoming wary, almost breaking free from the influence of the prop ["Self-Sacrifice"]!

Xu Shu quickly took the opportunity to ask, "You mentioned that there are three key elements to becoming a Transcendent; the Curse Seal and the Promotion Drive, what's the third one?"

Gu Qian was momentarily stunned, and it took quite a while before he spoke, furrowing his brows, "I shouldn't be telling you this, and after knowing, you mustn't spread it around, okay?"

"Uh-huh!" Xu Shu nodded hurriedly.

"The third element is your own aptitude!

"The Supervision Bureau regularly selects candidates from those under eighteen, providing them with drugs and the Body Refining Method to enhance their physical fitness.

"Among these, the vast majority will still fail to make the cut, but even so, their physical fitness will be much stronger than that of ordinary people, and they may end up joining the Guardian Army or Patrol Corps.

"Only a handful are ultimately capable of meeting the minimum requirements to contain the Curse Seal and are then granted the Promotion Drive - like me!

"However, there are rules within the Supervision Bureau that forbid revealing this information to any non-candidates; it could cause tremendous turmoil in existing human society...

"Ah? What, what am I saying?

"Damn, I've disclosed all these confidentiality clauses to you.

"I'm really sorry, knowing this will only make you feel worse.

"But you must keep it a secret for me, you can't talk about it, or it'll be the end of me, it's a serious crime!

"If the Judgement Department finds out, I'll be sent to a special prison or even banished to the coldest front-line troops at the edge of the world..."

Gu Qian was filled with regret, rambling on and on.

Apparently, because he had been induced to divulge content he had sworn to keep absolutely confidential, he was gradually breaking free from the effect of ["Self-Sacrifice"].

At this point, his regret was in vain. He could only negotiate with Xu Shu and get him to promise to keep it to himself.

But.

When Gu Qian looked outside, he just caught sight of Xu Shu gingerly picking up the mysterious Curse Seal, mumbling, "May the Gods and Buddhas bless me; let me transcend--"

Saying so, he tore open his chest and pressed the "Curse Seal" firmly against his heart.

Hiss!

The skin on his chest visibly swelled red.

Then, Xu Shu let out a painful scream, lying on the ground leaning against the door, continually wailing in agony.

"Ah?" Gu Qian was momentarily baffled.

Although he couldn't see the situation on the ground, the pig-slaughtering-like screams that pierced his ears like a curse were enough to prove how much pain he was in.

Gu Qian stood staring blankly for a long time, his eyes growing wider and wider.

"What??"

No, what was he doing?

He wasn't actually trying to become a Transcendent this way, was he?

Hadn't I made myself clear enough?

"Hey, let go quickly! Take it off!

"You can't succeed; you'll die, you'll die, understand?

"You might even turn into a monster directly!

"Hey, hey, hey, you'll die like this. Are you stupid? What, what's your name? Let go quickly!"

Gu Qian was banging on the door, shouting incoherently.

However, all that responded to him were the increasingly horrifying screams of Xu Shu!

"..."

I'm numbed.

Really numbed.

Right now, he was full of regret, Gu Qian really wanted to slap himself.

Why on earth had he talked about that matter with these mortals!

Look, there you have it. For that sliver of hope, he's ready to do anything, even when he knows he's bound to fail.

Are you satisfied now? Why do you think the Supervision Bureau made this an absolutely confidential sealed message? Do you think no one else could foresee this outcome?

Damn it, why did you have to run your mouth!

"Bang bang bang!" The iron door was repeatedly struck, emitting loud clangs.

Even without seeing, one could involuntarily imagine the other person lying on the ground, veins bulging, eyes popping out, and horrifying growths or boils appearing all over their body, struggling desperately in pain.

"Damn it, damn it, he seems to have lost consciousness!"

Gu Qian was extremely anxious.

No matter what, the other person absolutely could not die!

If he died, I would really starve to death or die of thirst in here!

As the deep growling "uhh ahh uhh ahh" started from outside, like the last wails of a person drowning, Gu Qian knew he couldn't wait any longer.

If he waited any more, even if the best-case scenario of "the other person dying on the spot" happened, he would be buried with him!

"Really... did I owe you in my last life or something?"

Gu Qian sighed helplessly and reached out to break the thin strap around his neck, taking out a metal disc that he had kept close like a family heirloom.

He gazed down at it lovingly for several moments before finally decisively pushing it through the crack in the door and shouted loudly,

"Hurry! This is the Promotion Drive! Cover the Curse Seal with it, press it into your skin, and activate it with blood."

"Quick, if the Curse Seal fully fuses into your body, it'll be too late!"

"Hurry up, you can't die, what would I do if you died?"

Gu Qian was truly desperate.

This was his last resort; he was literally gambling his life's fortune!

Even so, he didn't have much hope.

But he was out of options and could only gamble on that last fleeting hope.

You have to survive!

Just then, the frenzied struggling and terrifying screams outside suddenly stopped.

Silence.

"He's not already dead, is he?" Gu Qian felt despair.

Just as he faced this grim prospect,

a calm and composed voice suddenly came from the outside, "Hey, so you actually did bring the Promotion Drive."

"..."

Gu Qian's face froze, and he stared dumbfounded through the small window as Xu Shu stood up, holding the Curse Seal in one hand and examining his Promotion Drive in the other.

"You..."

Gu Qian's brain froze for a moment.

"How come this thing looks like a graphics card?" Xu Shu muttered to himself.

"Graphics card? What graphics card? Never mind..."

At this moment, Gu Qian couldn't be bothered to think anymore, and incredulously asked through clenched teeth, "Were you, just now, faking it?"

"Yeah," Xu Shu replied indifferently. "You told me that directly absorbing the Curse Seal would kill me; of course, I wouldn't be so stupid as to seek death. I just wanted to see if you'd really bring the Promotion Drive, and I can't believe you actually did."

"Try it? Try it??"

Gu Qian collapsed onto the iron bed, utterly dejected.

Outside, Xu Shu shamelessly inquired, "Tell me, with this and this, can I become a Transcendent while standing?"

Anything's fine just lie down, stand upside down, just don't bother me anymore!

"Tai Chu!"

In the end, Gu Qian ground his teeth, turned away, and buried his head in his knees, refusing to speak any further.

He shut down.

"Heh."

Xu Shu, having gained an advantage, was in good spirits and not annoyed.

He looked at the Curse Seal in his hand and the Promotion Drive, which resembled a mini tire with a graphics card fan design and was engraved with many runes.

Ambition surged within him.

"In the Tai Chu Scroll, I could only get the Mystical Chapter, titles, and some miscellaneous items—it all seemed to be in service of the Curse Seal!

"And now, I have both the Curse Seal and the Promotion Drive!

"Only as a Transcendent will I have a chance to survive in this world.

"But to be absolutely sure, I can foresee the future and simulate it once in the journey before doing it in reality.

"The path to transcendence also starts after the sun rises."

Xu Shu chuckled and made a decision.

By this time, Gu Qian seemed to have recovered from his gloom, or perhaps he had resigned himself.

As he turned around, he said,

"I admit, you're really cunning, but I still have to advise you: you better not try to contain the Curse Seal.

"Even with the Promotion Drive, you're just an ordinary person without the qualifications. You can't even withstand the pollution from the medicinal baths or the Body Refining Method, let alone directly use the Curse Seal?

"You won't be able to contain it successfully. Your chances are so small they're negligible, understand?

"I hope you'll take my advice. The Promotion Drive can prevent you from mutating, but if you fail to contain it, you'll die for sure. You're young; there's no need to be so reckless.

Click—

"What's that noise? Hey, are you listening?"

Gu Qian turned around and saw Xu Shu looking blankly at him.

"Huh, what is it?" Gu Qian showed confusion.

"What?"

Xu Shu pointed to the circle of red on his chest where the Promotion Drive had been completely inserted into his skin as if grown there.

As for the spell, it had already fully merged into his body.

"You..." Gu Qian gasped.

You used it?!

Before he could say more, a thick dark red blood gushed from Xu Shu's nostrils, the corners of his eyes, eardrums, mouth, and other places like a gushing oil well!

The only sound left was Xu Shu's serious question as he collapsed to the ground,

"Explain to me, why would it just burrow in like that?"

Gu Qian: "Huh?"