A person without a head can still wear a mask.

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Although the machines in this city had already formed a new civilization—perhaps even a new race—Chen Sheng had no intention of exploring it, for it was unrelated to humanity. Furthermore, no matter how advanced the mechanical technological civilization here became, it could not leave this city. This was because the essence of the sixth “It” recognized only humans.

Chen Sheng turned around. He did nothing, yet his figure vanished directly from this technological city of the machine race.

Before the stone gate shrouded in black light, Chen Sheng slowly closed the door. Then, he gently pressed his hand against it. Instantly, the entire stone gate dimmed—not disappearing, but merging completely with the darkness. From this moment on, the gate would never open again, meaning no one could accidentally enter that technological city.

Chen Sheng looked toward another path—a narrow trail resembling a field ridge. He wished to go there. Because Chen Sheng willed it, the next moment his figure appeared on that narrow path.

This was “It.”

Chen Sheng took a step forward, and his figure had already reached the end of the field ridge path. Then he saw a sea. The surface was still, without waves, and as far as the eye could see, countless fragmented pieces of land dotted the horizon. Each fragment was about the size of a single village.

Though there were mountains and water on them, every fragment contained all that was necessary for living creatures to survive.

And on each of these fragments, people lived.

This discovery brought Chen Sheng a slight, pleasant surprise. He had thought that this failed perfect world, like the previously encountered technological civilization’s perfect world, would have no living people at all.

At this moment, Chen Sheng began to understand why the six gods had cared so deeply about the living, even to the extent of unleashing the calamity of ten thousand ghosts for their sake.

Chen Sheng gazed at one of the larger land fragments, upon which sat a city. The city bore an ancient artistic style, and its inhabitants were peculiar: some spoke, while others remained silent.

“I want to know,” Chen Sheng said.

Immediately, all the information of this failed perfect world flooded into his mind.

When living people exist, “Its” power is infinitely enhanced. For example, when Chen Sheng entered the technological city earlier, because no living people remained there, he had to first enter and make the mechanical city aware of his presence.

Here, with just a thought, Chen Sheng instantly comprehended all the information of this failed perfect world.

As he had guessed, this place was indeed left behind by the fifth god.

This world had rules governing everything, and within it, all actions had to follow these regulations.

For example, some people were chattering incessantly while others stayed silent—that was because a rule forbade those lacking sufficient moral status from speaking.

Only those with sufficient moral status could open their mouths.

When someone with sufficient moral status spoke, everyone else had to stop whatever they were doing and listen.

If someone failed to listen when a morally qualified person spoke, it was considered a crime here—a grave offense punishable by severe penalty.

This was a regulation set by the supreme moral saint here.

In this place, whatever the moral saint did was right. If it seemed wrong, it meant they had yet to comprehend the true meaning of the moral saint and needed to deeply reflect on themselves.

At this moment, someone was being publicly tried for violating such regulations.

Though Chen Sheng already understood the process and outcome, he still wished to watch. Because he wished it, he suddenly appeared among the crowd of onlookers.

Loving spectacle is human nature; even in this failed perfect world created by a god in this strange path realm, it remained so.

However, the way people here enjoyed spectacle differed completely from those in other worlds or human cities outside.

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The people here hurried to watch but maintained expressionless faces. They appeared unmoved, emotionless. Yet, in their eyes, Chen Sheng saw a variety of emotions: anger, schadenfreude, sneers, disdain, pity, unwillingness, fear... a myriad of demonic expressions revealing the suffering of all beings.

The one under their gaze was a delicate, handsome youth.

This youth, who under normal circumstances would easily attract the opposite sex’s attention with just a casual appearance, was now disheveled, forced to kneel on the ground.

Before him stood a man with a long face, thick lips, heavy eyebrows, and large eyes, radiating a strong sense of righteousness.

The righteous-looking man spoke: “I permit you to speak. Tell me, do you now acknowledge your guilt?”

“I... I acknowledge my guilt,” the handsome youth replied, fearful yet stubborn, finally lowering his head.

“Since you acknowledge your guilt, why did you still commit the offense?” The righteous man furrowed his brow and rebuked sternly.

An uninformed observer might have thought this man was interrogating a heinous criminal who had taken lives.

Yet the youth responded: “Because I was saving someone; that person was close to death...”

“What was that person’s status?” The righteous man interrupted angrily.

“A woodcutter who came to the city to sell...” The youth was startled and answered instinctively.

“A mere commoner, only fit for manual labor, if he dies, he dies. You delayed attending the moral elder’s lecture on virtue to save such a lowly commoner. You have scorned morality, the moral saint, and our way of morality. This is an unforgivable crime. Do you understand?” The righteous man’s anger flared as he stood and shouted at the youth.

After finishing, the righteous man waved at the crowd: “You may all speak for fifteen minutes!”

Instantly, the onlookers erupted in cheers, shouting, howling, laughing and crying.

Chen Sheng could tell these people had been suppressed for too long without speaking.

But to the righteous man, this scene meant the crowd was agreeing with him. He smiled and waved, displaying his moral superiority.

Then he said: “Since everyone agrees, your crime is unforgivable. I hereby sentence you never to speak again!”

At these words, the handsome youth’s eyes flashed with resentment but he could only helplessly lower his head, silent.

By rule, he was no longer allowed to speak.

Living here meant abiding by the rules. Everyone here lived strictly according to regulations, without the slightest defiance.

The public trial concluded. Chen Sheng watched it from start to finish, revealing no trace or word. After the youth left, Chen Sheng followed quietly.

To remain unseen was natural; no one could see him.

He walked side by side with the youth.

Suddenly, several people rushed out, blocking the youth and gesturing.

The youth hesitated, then nodded.

Chen Sheng already understood the gestures: these people offered the youth a way to speak again, but at a great cost. If he was willing to bear it, he could leave with them.

The youth’s nod meant agreement.

Chen Sheng continued following.

Then an elderly man appeared before the youth.

Chen Sheng glanced and recognized him.

He was one of the moral elders here.

Moral elders held a high status here—far below the moral saint, but among the upper echelons.

The elder spoke: “I want your head. Give me your head, and I can absolve your previous crimes.”

The youth’s face changed drastically, but quickly he began gesturing.

He was asking: If he lost his head, wouldn’t he die? If not, he was willing to give it.

The elder laughed and showed two items: “A person without a head can still wear a mask! Look, here are some hair and a mask. Put them on your neck. No one will see you’re headless, and you can continue to live.”

He produced simple hair and an ordinary mask.

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The youth agreed.

Then his head was taken, and he could no longer be called the handsome youth. Now he was a headless man, disguised with a wig and mask.

The ordinary mask bore an expression neither sad nor joyful, resembling the typical look of an average person.

Unremarkable and unnoticeable.

Because ordinary people are never noticed.

The moral elder who took the youth’s head removed his own and replaced it with the youth’s.

Instantly, the elder appeared younger.

Though his body remained aged, his face was that of a young man.

When he declared, “You may speak,” those around him began praising his exceptional appearance.

Yet no one mentioned that this youthful visage was false, or the origin of this new face.

It was as if he had always looked this way, and the headless youth had never existed.

For the headless youth wore that mundane mask.

Ordinary people are simply overlooked.

Chen Sheng watched the headless youth walk away, growing smaller in the distance. The youth never removed the ordinary mask until his death.

But upon death, his eyes opened again. This time, he found himself alive—and reborn as an infant.

This brought the youth joy, for infants can speak freely. However, if the infant spoke wrongly, the parents would be punished.

Having a second chance, the youth knew what to say and do.

From then on, whenever a moral good person appeared, regardless of their words, he agreed wholeheartedly and loudly rebuked anyone who questioned the moral good person.

Thus, the youth was taken by the moral good person to meet the moral elder.

This was another moral elder.

The youth repeated his act, strictly following the rules. When the elder lectured on moral cultivation, even if someone starved or died before him, the youth remained unmoved, listening attentively and thereafter speaking only of moral cultivation.

“Moral cultivation hinges on three views. What are the three views? All the moral elder says is the three views!” The youth spoke grandly, standing on a shriveled little hand.

This was the hand of a poor girl who had starved to death roadside, bitten by some beast and tragically stepped upon by the youth.

But no one noticed.

Because those allowed to speak echoed the youth’s words.

Those who saw it could not speak, so effectively, no one saw.

“Look at that person, daring to doubt the moral elder’s words — this is a distorted view!” The youth stepped forward, and another withered foot appeared beneath him.

Whose it was, no one knew.

Though the foot twitched painfully, no one cared or knew.

That year, the youth grew from infant to adolescent, earning the moral identity of “moral good person.”

He wept with joy.

For the man who had publicly judged him before—the righteous man—held that same moral identity.

This was a cycle.

...

Chen Sheng withdrew his gaze.

He pondered slightly, then extended his hand.

Because he willed it, a sphere of light appeared in his palm: the last remnant of the fifth god’s essence.

Gazing upon it, Chen Sheng closed his fingers.

Instantly, the final essence left by the fifth god turned to flying ash and dispersed.

Also a god, yet the fifth god was ultimately dead. Though his essence could suppress malevolent spirits and punishments, it was powerless against Chen Sheng, the “Seventh Son.”