During the promotion process, various fragments of knowledge merged into Luo Shu's soul as the ritual progressed.
Under normal circumstances, only a Hero Rank's promotion to Demigod required the assistance of a ritual to better grasp the power of concepts. However, there were exceptions to this rule.
Those who already possessed a composite Class before reaching Demigod would come into contact with conceptual power early when promoting to Hero Rank, thus requiring ritual assistance to advance.
Hero Ranks with composite Classes were often regarded as reserve forces for the gods, seeds of divinity.
Rituals were not an absolute necessity for promotion. If someone had already mastered the ability to manipulate concepts, they could bypass the ritual and advance directly—though at great cost.
Beyond the Demigod Rank, promotion to Apostle did not require a ritual.
However, for an Apostle to ascend to Angel, they needed to grasp a fragment of divine authority and, with the aid of a ritual, shed their mortal form entirely, becoming the closest existence to the gods.
As a Hero Rank with the composite Class of Calamity Priest, Luo Shu possessed a formidable body capable of containing countless calamities, wielding offensive power unmatched below the Demigod Rank—a walking incarnation of disaster upon the earth!
After this series of interconnected revelations, a jumble of miscellaneous knowledge also flooded Luo Shu's mind.
Post-nut clarity is a physical debuff—I think it's a form of misfortune or calamity, so it can be absorbed to return to peak condition.
How bread is made.
Peach blossom luck is a type of calamity, so one could attempt to bestow it upon oneself to engineer a series of romantic encounters.
Which foods are rich in zinc?
Calamity is not chaos, but an inevitable pathology within the functioning of order—a necessary complement to natural law.
What sauce pairs best with oysters, and what flavours do they bring?
The so-called 'heroine' is just someone my subconscious finds attractive and wants to bed, so while points can be obtained from anyone, it's still better to get them from women.
Useful and useless, chaotic fragments of knowledge surged into Luo Shu's brain.
But what flooded in even more was the aura of calamity.
The concept of calamity, encompassing all misfortune, violently poured into Luo Shu's body, overwhelming his every thought.
During this process, the unconscious state of nearly a million ordinary citizens amplified the manifestation of calamity, causing Luo Shu's consciousness to gradually slip away, his mind consumed by suffering and terror.
Just as Luo Shu was on the verge of losing his sanity, the unconscious masses slowly began to awaken.
In that instant, suffering and calamity dissipated, replaced by pure emptiness—utterly devoid of thought.
Seizing this moment of mental blankness, Luo Shu abruptly snapped out of calamity's grasp and instinctively began to control the Authority of Calamity he had touched.
This control rapidly intensified as Luo Shu regained his senses, reaching its peak in moments.
Once the calamitous concepts flooding his body were fully mastered, Luo Shu finally grasped this power, becoming a Calamity Priest!
Luo Shu slowly opened his eyes. What greeted him was a black-and-red earth billowing with white smoke, the flickering patterns of the Gates of Hell, and Nue—his entire body cracked, blood seeping from his features.
At that moment, Nue suddenly threw his head back and laughed wildly:
"So this is it?!"
"So this is how it is!!"
"The ritual isn't necessary at all! As long as one grasps the corresponding concept, they can step into that realm—the realm bordering on divinity!"
"The timing is wrong. The world is rejecting me, rejecting the existence of a Demigod!"
"There's no hope... No, there is hope, because my ritual has been disrupted!"
"I understand now. I know what to do!"
"Hmph!! Hahaha~~~"
Amidst his laughter, Nue opened his eyes—black sclera with golden irises.
He glanced at the Kusanagi Sword embedded in the ground before Luo Shu, then raised his head to flash a mocking smile:
"You shouldn't have stopped me!"
"That sword you planted is an Abyss Artefact of Demigod level, possessing the ability to nullify powers."
"Admittedly, within its effective range, the ritual's power would dissipate, forcibly interrupting my ascension."
"However!"
Nue shook his head, gazing calmly at Luo Shu:
"This ascension was originally a death sentence for me!"
"This world cannot yet sustain the existence of a Demigod—at most, at the very most, it can accommodate beings like my current self, who rival Demigods in certain aspects or possess fragments of their power."
At this point, Nue curled his lips slightly, casting a pitying look at Luo Shu:
"Thanks to you, I—who was fated to die—have survived. Not only that, my power now infinitely approaches that of a Demigod, touching upon concepts and brushing against the threshold of Divine Authority."
"I should be grateful to you."
With a slight lift of his right hand, the black spheres swirling in the sky instantly twisted and morphed into an obsidian greatsword.
During this process, the Kusanagi Sword flickered unsteadily, its jade-like blade continuously emitting golden light.
Upon seeing this, Nue merely glanced at the Kusanagi Sword indifferently and said:
"If your master were wielding you with your full power, I might have been somewhat wary."
"But your true master isn't here. Now, you possess the essence and power of a Demigod, yet lack any means to unleash it."
"Quiet down now, before I lose my temper and shatter you completely."
The flickering Kusanagi Sword trembled slightly before gradually settling into stillness.
At that moment, Nue slowly turned his gaze towards Luo Shu, who had closed his eyes, and remarked approvingly:
"So, you've calmly accepted your fate of death?"
"Impressive courage!"
"Though your character leaves much to be desired, resorting to underhanded tactics, I, Abe no Seimei, shall grant you an intact corpse out of respect for this backbone!"
With those words, Nue strode forward, slightly raised his head, and thrust his blade forcefully towards Luo Shu's chest.
"Farewell, Luo Shu!"
"You were a worthy opponent!"
Nue's right hand pushed forward, the tip of the blade piercing Luo Shu's clothing and driving straight for his heart.
Yet the next moment, Nue froze, staring at the blade tip halted against Luo Shu's skin.
Just then, Luo Shu slowly opened his bright eyes, his face alight with joy as he exclaimed:
"So this is the Concept, this is the Calamity!"
"Is this how it is?!"
"This is how it is!!"
Hearing these familiar words, Nue's eyes widened in shock.
At that instant, Luo Shu clenched his fist, black-red lightning coiling around his knuckles.
The Concept of Calamity converged in Luo Shu's hand at that very moment.
Then.
Like a falling meteor, the fist struck Nue's head through the void.
BOOM!
Several black thunderbolts exploded across the sky.
The previously overcast heavens were blasted open, leaving a kilometre-wide hole.
The roar echoed through the clouds!
"What is this?!"
Before losing consciousness, Nue realised the true nature of the attack he'd suffered.
'A Demigod's... Concept Entanglement?!'
Nue, who hadn't even had time to rage, collapsed.