A silent atmosphere permeated the street. A gust of wind swept through, kicking up dust from the ground and forming a small whirlwind.

"This place feels eerie. Something's strange," said the Great Fierce Bear gruffly.

"Boss, do you think there's any danger?" Porcupine asked nervously.

Just as Chen Pingchuan was about to respond, Lu Jiaojiao, who was standing beside him, suddenly exclaimed with excitement.

"Look!"

Everyone followed Lu Jiaojiao's pointing finger. Inside a shop at the end of the street, two mannequins clad in luxurious clothing stood behind a glass window.

"It's a clothing store!"

"I'm going first!"

After speaking, Lu Jiaojiao's figure vanished in an instant. Lilia also took to the air, following close behind at lightning speed.

Seeing the two girls take off, the others deliberately slowed their pace. All except for Porcupine.

"Ah! Boss, why are you pulling me?"

Porcupine's dopey voice suddenly echoed through the street. He clearly didn't understand why Chen Pingchuan had tugged on him.

Chen Pingchuan didn't answer Porcupine's question and simply continued to walk slowly forward.

Porcupine scratched his head, not quite understanding Chen Pingchuan's actions. But then again, I'm used to my boss acting like some mysterious, unfathomable master.

「Inside the clothing store.」

A satisfied smile spread across Lu Jiaojiao's face as she muttered to herself, "Finally, I can change out of these torn clothes!"

With that, she walked into a small fitting room to change.

Lilia followed closely behind her, but after glancing around, she couldn't find a suitable youthful, frilly outfit. A look of disappointment flashed across her face. In the end, she could only pick out a small-sized garment and find her own small room to change into her new clothes.

Ten minutes later, everyone had selected new outfits. After tidying themselves up a bit, the whole group felt their spirits lift.

"Let's keep moving. Find a place closest to the Divine Mountain. We'll set up camp there for the night."

After Chen Pingchuan made his decision, the group continued their trek down the silent street.

Soon, they arrived at the central square of the steel city.

At the center of the square stood a magnificent metal statue. It depicted a Mechanical Warrior clad in majestic armor, holding a giant scepter that pointed toward the sky as if to pierce the heavens. The statue was covered in intricate patterns. Each line seemed to be a mark woven from time and mysterious forces, shimmering with an ancient and mystical luster in the dim light. The statue appeared so vividly lifelike that it was awe-inspiring.

Huh, these patterns...

Chen Pingchuan's pupils constricted sharply, his eyes filled with shock and doubt. He clearly saw that the patterns on the statue's external armor were identical to those on the Divine Tree. The two seemed to share a mysterious and inseparable connection, as if they were twin embodiments of the same origin.

Chen Pingchuan's gaze was glued to the patterns. His body began to move uncontrollably toward the statue, drawn by an invisible force. His eyes gradually lost their luster, becoming hollow and unfocused as if he had fallen into a trance. Right now, my mind is filled with a single, intense urge: to touch the statue, to uncover the secrets hidden behind these patterns.

The moment Chen Pingchuan's fingertip touched the metal sculpture, a bone-chilling coldness surged from his finger and through his entire body.

Immediately after, a faint, ghostly light erupted from within the statue. It instantly transformed into a ghostly shadow and shot into his body before he could even react. Chen Pingchuan's body went rigid, his eyes flying wide open as his face contorted in agony and struggle.

[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for retrieving a lost memory fragment: Arrogance!]

[Arrogance: The desire to be worshipped by other life forms. Possessing unparalleled abilities, you see yourself as a god and look down upon all other beings.]

[As the leader of the Seven Deadly Sins, your arrogance is your source of power.]

[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for acquiring the Profound Heaven-Class Armor (Main Armor) - Arrogance!]

[Note: Collect all Profound Heaven-Class Armors to unlock and combine them into a higher-level Divine Armor. You must first collect the other six pieces.]

In that instant, Chen Pingchuan's entire demeanor changed drastically.

His originally calm and determined gaze was replaced by pure arrogance. The corners of his lips curled upward into a strange, wild smile.

"Haha, power! My power has finally returned!"

Chen Pingchuan threw his head back and laughed, his voice echoing across the vast square with a chilling madness.

Chen Pingchuan knew how strange he must look, but a part of him simply wanted to act this way. If he had to describe it in one word, it would be... exhilarating!

"Boss, what's wrong with you?"

Porcupine and the others noticed the change in Chen Pingchuan. They gathered around with faces full of fear, their hands instinctively gripping their weapons as they watched him warily.

"Hmph, all of you, get away from me!"

Chen Pingchuan's icy gaze swept over them. With a fierce wave of his hands, a powerful force erupted, sending Porcupine and the others staggering backward.

"Equip!"

As Chen Pingchuan uttered the command, the grand metal statue in the center of the square began to tremble violently, emitting a dull, rumbling roar. The metal on its surface seemed to come to life, flowing and transforming as it surged toward Chen Pingchuan's body.

The massive armor components gradually enveloped him. Every piece of metal fit precisely against his skin, radiating a cold, dazzling light. The helmet enveloped his head completely, revealing only a pair of eyes that emanated an arrogant glow. They seemed to burn with an eerie blue fire, scorning everything around them. The mysterious patterns carved into the chestplate now looked alive, swirling with a peculiar energy that provided him with immense protection.

In the blink of an eye, the towering metal statue had completely transformed into the imposing suit of armor that now encased Chen Pingchuan.

Subsequently, the armor began to shrink, fitting itself to his body as if it were sentient. It finally settled into the form of a seemingly ordinary set of clothes, but the powerful aura it exuded and the faint, shimmering light revealed its extraordinary nature.

"Damn! That's so cool!"

Lilia and Lu Jiaojiao stared at Chen Pingchuan's new form, their eyes shining as if they were gazing upon a deity revealing its true self. Could the Boss really be a Divine Envoy? No, maybe he's the True God Himself!

The others might have been too intimidated by Chen Pingchuan's imposing presence to say anything, but Porcupine didn't care about that.

"Boss, wake up! There's something strange about this statue! Is it controlling you?!" he yelled. "I'll smash it right now and get you out of there!"

After shouting, Porcupine raised his axe to shatter Chen Pingchuan's armor.

However, Chen Pingchuan was completely immersed in the power of arrogance, deaf to Porcupine's cries.

BANG!

Porcupine's strike not only failed to harm Chen Pingchuan, but the rebound sent him flying backward, where he crashed heavily to the ground.

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