I am the Clone of a Death Row Inmate-Chapter 108: Blasphemer

Su Ze chuckled. He didn’t believe in gods.

Many people on the Lin Hua Continent often spoke of the God of Evolution, and even Zhao Lingxiao had named a skill "Divine Grace of Evolution," but that didn’t mean they all worshipped this god.

It was like in his past life, where many people would say, "Oh, my God!" without necessarily believing in God.

Phrases like "return to the embrace of the God of Evolution" or "receive the favor of the God of Evolution" had become common expressions for the people of Blue Star.

To many on Blue Star, the "God of Evolution" didn’t refer to a specific deity but was a symbol of some great power. According to reliable records, legends of the God of Evolution had existed among the common folk long before someone established the Evolution Divine Teachings.

In a sense, the Evolution Divine Teachings were just riding the coattails of the God of Evolution’s popularity.

Su Ze believed that a God of Evolution might truly exist in this world, but it was definitely not the Frankenstein’s Monster worshipped by the Evolution Divine Teachings.

"I might as well give it a try."

He took the god stone from the white-robed cleric’s hand. It was warm to the touch. When he looked up again at the towering statue of the God of Evolution, something had changed. He felt a sensation he’d never experienced before.

The half-man, half-beast statue before him seemed to come alive, gazing at him silently. Its eyes, majestic yet compassionate, gave Su Ze the distinct illusion of being watched by a deity.

’The god stone in my hand must be affecting me. It’s one of the Evolution Items, exerting some kind of mental influence...’ Su Ze wanted to put the stone down, but the statue of the God of Evolution suddenly moved. It took several steps forward and looked down on him from its great height.

Feelings of awe and submission involuntarily welled up inside Su Ze. The deity’s eyes seemed to constantly remind him of his own insignificance and the god’s greatness.

’The Evolution Divine Teachings really have a few tricks up their sleeve. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have attracted so many followers.’

Just as Su Ze was about to throw the god stone away, something inside him seemed to be triggered. A spectral image materialized behind him.

It was a luminous shadow so faint it was almost nonexistent, yet it radiated a domineering, majestic, and pure aura—more godlike than the God of Evolution itself.

Before this spectral image, the God of Evolution was as insignificant as an ant.

’This spectral image...’ Su Ze was shaken. ’Where did it come from? Why did it appear behind me?’

’Could it be the Evolution Divine Grace Skill?’

CRACK!

With a crisp shattering sound, Su Ze snapped out of his trance. The spectral image behind him vanished, and the statue of the God of Evolution returned to its original position.

However, a crack had appeared at the top of the statue’s head, running all the way down to its crotch and splitting it in two.

Su Ze was stunned. The white-robed cleric was stunned, too.

Su Ze shoved the god stone back into the cleric’s hands and said, "You saw it yourself! This has nothing to do with me. I didn’t even touch the statue. Don’t you dare try to pin this on me!"

The white-robed cleric stared blankly, seemingly unable to process what had just happened. He had only seen Su Ze stand there in a daze holding the god stone, and then the statue had cracked on its own. He couldn’t be sure if Su Ze was involved or not.

He had never encountered anything like this before.

The white-robed cleric forced himself to calm down. A statue suddenly cracking was no small matter. He said, "Please wait a moment, sir. Allow me to report this to the Bishop."

Normally, this would have been Su Ze’s cue to bolt. But he glanced around and, seeing no sign of Mr. Ya, knew his partner had already made his move.

So, he nodded in agreement, deciding to stay and draw more attention to himself for Mr. Ya’s sake.

Of the entire temple complex, this main hall was the deepest area accessible to ordinary followers. Beyond it, only internal members of the Evolution Divine Teachings were allowed. If there were any secrets, they were surely hidden back there.

...

Mr. Ya, taking advantage of the distraction, used his Escape Technique to slip into the rear of the temple.

This was generally the residential area for the clergy of the Temple of Evolution. The entrance was a large, locked gate.

The corridor behind the gate was lined with candles, making it dim but visible. Mr. Ya walked forward for a moment. Rooms were arranged neatly on both sides of the corridor, all of them eerily silent.

Mr. Ya mustered his courage and slipped inside one. They were all bedrooms, but most were empty, showing no signs of habitation.

Only about five or six rooms seemed to be occupied.

’The Temple of Evolution in Dongping City was always a quiet place, so it’s normal for it to have so few clergy members,’ Mr. Ya thought as he continued to explore. He searched the entire rear area but didn’t see a single soul.

He did, however, find a staircase leading underground. The entrance was blocked by a wooden door, locked from the other side.

Instead of going through the door, Mr. Ya used his Escape Technique to pass directly through the floor into the area below.

’It’s open space below...’ Mr. Ya was prepared. He immediately entered a stealthy state, moving his hands and feet in unison like a gecko without making a sound. He quickly found a corner and surveyed his surroundings.

The underground space was about the size of a basketball court. On one side stood a large iron cage, inside of which were fifteen or sixteen children. It was clear they were all sick.

Their clothes were filthy, their expressions dull, and the light had gone out of their eyes.

A corner of the cage was piled high with excrement, the stench overwhelming. Outside the cage stood another statue of the God of Evolution.

The dozen or so children clutched god stones, staring at the statue and muttering, "He is the King of Glory, the Supreme Master. He is the source of all life, and the end of all life..."

A woman with a cold expression stood beside the statue. "Only those who memorize the Divine Scripture can receive the god’s grace," she said, her voice devoid of emotion. "Whoever can recite it in its entirety now can leave the cage and will be granted the glorious opportunity to become a warrior of the god."

Hearing they could leave the cage, a faint glimmer of light appeared in the children’s vacant eyes.

But how could children so young possibly memorize the thick Divine Scripture?

No one stepped forward to recite. They just gripped their god stones tighter, staring at the statue before them as if hearing pious chanting in their ears.

At the other end of the room, a middle-aged man in a silver-trimmed white robe sat at a wooden table. With a knife and fork, he elegantly and skillfully cut a piece of bloody steak and put it in his mouth.

After chewing a couple of times, he revealed a satisfied expression, as if the stench of excrement from the cage couldn’t affect his appetite in the slightest.

Behind him stood a tall, powerfully built man with knotted muscles. He was clad in a suit of black armor and looked extraordinarily strong.

The man eating the steak suddenly paused. He looked toward the corner where Mr. Ya was hiding, his brow furrowing slightly.

Mr. Ya’s heart leaped into his throat. ’Have I been discovered?’ he wondered.

"My Lord Bishop, is something wrong?" the Black Armored Warrior behind him asked.

The Bishop in the silver-trimmed white robe stood up and started walking toward Mr. Ya’s position. But before he had taken two steps, the phone on his table suddenly rang.

He turned back to answer it.

"The statue cracked?

"Don’t let him leave. I’m on my way up!"

Hanging up the phone, he said to the Black Armored Warrior behind him, "Come upstairs with me. We’re going to grab someone."

"Grab who?"

"A blasphemer!"