Upon hearing Patricia's words, Enzo's gaze turned frigid.
He slightly lifted his eyes to regard Patricia, causing her body to instinctively tense, as an overwhelming pressure enveloped her, gradually erasing the smile from her face.
"If you desire death, I shall oblige you!"
Enzo stated coldly.
A sardonic smile curled at the corners of Patricia's lips as she retorted, "Then come!"
With that declaration, Patricia initiated the attack.
The long sword danced in her grip, radiating a dazzling brilliance, before slicing towards Enzo. The silvery sword light traversed the air, seemingly shattering the very space it crossed, its formidable power leaving Enzo momentarily astonished, compelling him to evade rather than confront it head-on.
Enzo deftly sidestepped the onslaught.
The sword light maintained its relentless momentum, cleaving through stout ancient trees, which instantly splintered into two, their cross-sections astonishingly smooth.
"Impressive!"
Patricia complimented.
Though haughty, she retained a respect for those who possessed formidable strength and talent.
In this moment, Enzo had earned her admiration.
The sword light she wielded was not something just anyone could evade. It was the culmination of considerable points spent at the Rage Temple on a tome of Elemental Law known as "Slash of Sword Light" a technique that enabled the long sword to unleash invisible sword energies with tremendous destructive power, making it one of the most potent spells within the Rage Temple.
Enzo disregarded Patricia's acknowledgment.
After deftly dodging the sword light, he swiftly advanced, and as he closed the distance to Patricia, he unleashed a powerful kick.
Patricia raised her hand to defend, her expression darkening abruptly.
Enzo's kick was delivered with such force that it felt as though Patricia had been struck by a colossal Fierce Beast, leaving her momentarily unprepared. She lost her balance and was sent flying, crashing heavily against the ancient trees.
However, she emerged unscathed.
The silver armor adorning Patricia was no ordinary attire. It was the standard issue from the temple. Though it was the most basic grade, in the realm of Starry Sky, it was still a remarkable treasure, significantly mitigating the impact of force.
"Come again!"
Patricia's gaze turned fervent.
She sheathed her longsword, opting for a fair combat with Enzo.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In the next moment, the forest echoed with the deep sounds of their relentless clashes. Enzo and Patricia's fists pounded against each other, yet neither could inflict true harm upon the other.
Now, it was a contest of endurance.
In this regard, both were exceptionally formidable. For three consecutive days, the cacophony of their battle only intensified, rather than waned.
"Stop!"
At last, Patricia was the first to call for an end to the hostilities. Enzo halted, his gaze tranquil, studying Patricia without uttering a word.
Patricia, undeterred, continued, "You have earned my respect, and I apologize for my earlier arrogance. By the way, which temple do you belong to?"
Another mention of the temple?
Enzo pondered in confusion.
However, he discerned that Patricia merely reveled in the thrill of battle and was not of a brooding disposition. Thus, Enzo chose not to conceal his origins, stating, "I am not of the Temple. I arrived in the Fierce Beast world due to unforeseen circumstances and am currently seeking a way to depart."
Patricia inquired further, "Are you unaware of the Temple of the Seven Gods in the Starry Sky?"
Enzo solemnly shook his head.
Upon hearing this, a look of delight graced Patricia's features. With a casual gesture, her silvery armor vanished, revealing a form-fitting training suit that accentuated her exquisite figure. She approached Enzo once more, asking with renewed intensity, "You truly do not know of the Temple of the Seven Gods?"
"Is the Temple of the Seven Gods so formidable that I must be aware of it?"
Enzo countered, finding Patricia's question rather perplexing.
In response, Patricia erupted into laughter.
Her merriment lingered for quite some time before she finally ceased, then declared with unwavering certainty, "Now, I can confirm that you indeed know nothing of the Temple of the Seven Gods in the Starry Sky."
She elaborated, "The Temple of the Seven Gods in the Starry Sky represents the forces of Pride, Envy, Rage, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony, and Lust. These seven temples constitute the most powerful entities within the Underground-River Starfield, serving as its rulers.
Each temple is home to at least a hundred immortal deities, with countless lower-level deities beneath them, let alone the supernatural beings that lie further down the hierarchy."
"I am but a humble member of the Rage Temple."
"By my own estimation, my strength ranks only in the upper-middle tier among my peers within the Rage Temple. Breaking into the top thousand is an exceedingly daunting task."
The top thousand?
Enzo's expression shifted slightly.
He acknowledged Patricia's prowess, recognizing that while her remarkable silver armor provided significant support, possessing such a treasure also reflected one's strength.
Yet now, Patricia claimed that her abilities could not even secure a place in the top thousand among her peers.
Instinctively, Enzo inquired, "How many individuals are there in Rage Temple?"
"How many?" Patricia chuckled softly, shaking her head. "I cannot say for certain, but at my level—Level 9 supernatural beings—there should be over a million. This is a congregation of countless life planets from the entire Underground-River Starfield."
Over a million!
The revelation left Enzo in awe.
At that moment, he fully grasped the vastness of the Starry Sky. According to Patricia, the Underground-River Starfield was merely a minute fraction of the Starry Sky, hardly qualifying as a prosperous starfield. Yet, within this small region, one temple alone boasted over a million Level 9 powerhouses, not to mention the other temples...
Indeed, the Starry Sky was unimaginably vast.
Noticing Enzo's astonishment, Patricia smiled and remarked, "Is this truly surprising? The Underground-River Starfield comprises billions of life planets, yet the number of supernatural beings totals less than a hundred billion. In comparison to other starfields, the Underground-River Starfield is rather diminutive."
Enzo snapped back to reality, unable to disguise his astonishment.
He candidly confessed, "I must admit, I am indeed surprised. I never anticipated there would be so many supernatural beings across the entirety of the Starry Sky."
A fervent desire welled up within Enzo.
He yearned to witness these supernatural beings firsthand, and with so many formidable individuals in existence, perhaps someone could devise a solution to the issues posed by the Disaster World Elemental Tides.
At that moment, Patricia spoke again.
She extended an invitation and said, "Enzo, would you be interested in joining the Rage Temple? Given your abilities, if you can pass the certification, you might swiftly ascend to become an elite member of the Rage Temple and gain access to abundant resources."
"Could I truly join?" Enzo asked, his curiosity piqued.
Patricia nodded affirmatively. "The Temple of the Seven Gods does not reject the inclusion of supernatural beings, provided they are not from hostile factions. You, it seems, are not affiliated with any adversarial forces against the Temple of the Seven Gods."
Adversarial forces against the Temple of the Seven Gods?
The existence of hostile factions opposing the Temple of the Seven Gods was yet another crucial revelation. However, Enzo refrained from pressing further. He had already gleaned a considerable amount of information from Patricia and needed time to digest it all.
Moreover, there was still one matter he needed to clarify.
Enzo inquired, "Patricia, what brings you and your companions to the Fierce Beast world?"
To Patricia and her group, the Fierce Beast world was merely an undeveloped primitive realm, devoid of anything valuable.
Patricia produced several crystalline shards.
These were precisely the Elder Deity crystals Enzo had been seeking.
Then, Patricia remarked, "Although the Fierce Beast continent is primitive, it still possesses valuable treasures. These Elder Deity crystals can significantly enhance one's power, provided one possesses sufficient will to withstand the onslaught of the Elder Deity aura."
"For many who have yet to reach Level 9 in supernatural abilities, the Fierce Beast continent serves as an excellent trial ground."
"Particularly the Blood Ruins."
"This Blood Ruin, formed from the demise of an immortal deity, harbors some overlooked treasures that would greatly benefit Level 9 supernatural beings."
Upon hearing this, Enzo finally grasped the situation.
During their conversation, the rapport between the two began to ease considerably.
Patricia extended another invitation, saying, "So, what do you think about joining the Rage Temple? If you are willing, I could recommend you. Of course, there's no rush for an answer. I, along with Kitsch and Quinn, will remain in the Fierce Beast world for another year. Should you decide, feel free to reach out to me directly."
As she spoke, Patricia handed Enzo a peculiar rectangular crystal.
According to Patricia, this is the most common mobile phone in the Starry Sky, capable of long-distance communication.
Enzo accepted the mobile phone and nodded in acknowledgment.
Regarding Patricia's invitation and proposal, Enzo felt a strong allure.
After all, he had discovered a potential means to escape the Fierce Beast world.
Yet, the pressing issue remained: he had not yet unraveled the true reason for his presence in the Fierce Beast world. He needed to investigate and understand Maude's intentions.
Regardless of past assistance, Maude had been quite helpful to him.
Thus, Enzo refrained from giving an immediate response.
After Patricia's departure, Enzo resumed his search within the forest, hunting down formidable Fierce Beasts to acquire Elder Deity crystals.
Time flowed continuously.
Another three months passed—an incredibly brief period in the Fierce Beast realm.
Yet for Enzo, though it wasn't long, it felt substantial.
At this moment, Enzo sat beneath a colossal boulder in the wilderness. He had carved out a niche in the stone to serve as his resting place. Now, he laid before him a substantial collection of Elder Deity crystals.
Among them, the largest was the green Telekinetic Crystal, followed by the blue Psychic Crystal.
As for the black Blood Energy Crystals, only two remained, representing the entirety of Enzo's harvest during this time.
Gazing at the crystals, determination filled Enzo's eyes. He let several drops of Fierce Beast blood fall upon these crystals, murmuring softly, "It is time…"