Rohan was working tirelessly to repair the array. Without any design schematics or reference materials, he had to reconstruct a basic mental outline of the Pangxi family's sealed grounds from scratch. But that presented a dilemma—how was he supposed to understand a sealed ground he could not even enter?
Left with no alternative, he could only resort to the clumsiest method, piecing the array back together like a broken toy and reconnecting the internal pathways based entirely on his own experience.
The longer he worked, the more irritated he became.
Had Xiti's punch back then simply obliterated the array cleanly, restoring it would actually have been far easier. Instead, her fist had struck like someone punching soft potter's clay, warping and twisting the array at the entrance. As a result, while the internal array patterns had not suffered catastrophic destruction, massive sections of them had become hopelessly tangled together.
Not only did he have to patch up what was missing and untangle the severed threads, but he also had to double-check and deduce whether the parts that currently looked normal were truly correct.
Even Karen's instructor, Piro, would have to address Rohan respectfully as "Teacher." Within the Church of Order, very few people could surpass Rohan in array mastery.
Yet now, such an exalted array master was forced to sit here resolving a problem that was fundamentally low-level, yet thoroughly convoluted by practical reality.
His violent emotional fluctuations produced shifting, multicolored rainbows that bloomed not only within the hall, but rippled through the skies outside as well.
As night fell, many members of the Pangxi clan stepped outside specifically to admire the breathtaking spectacle.
Because the news had been tightly suppressed, hardly anyone knew that this was the telltale sign of a temple elder on the verge of losing his temper.
Degunar led a group of people outside the hall and knocked on the door himself.
"Elder, all the array masters in the manor have been assembled. Please give us your orders."
"Get lost!"
"Yes, Elder."
Degunar smiled, turned around, and waved to his kin. The group bowed in unison and dispersed in silence.
***
When Xiti returned to her designated star within the Temple of Order, an urgent document was already resting on the Whip-Wielder's desk.
And when Xiti departed to head toward the star where Ukonga slept, Foden, carrying that very document, arrived at the administrative temple.
The Temple of Order was not the only place riddled with leaks. Or rather, if even the Temple of Order—the symbol of supreme sanctity—was penetrated to such an extent, how could the internal affairs of the Church's great families fare any better?
Without an advance announcement, Foden walked in, coming to a halt halfway across the chamber. Though the High Priest at the desk was reviewing documents that were continuously brought to him, Foden was not there for "him."
Soon, ripples parted the air before Foden. He stepped through and found himself in an elegant sitting area encircled by flowing water, where Norton sat reading a book while puffing on a cigar.
Norton asked directly, "What happened?"
For the Whip-Wielder under his command to rush here in such a hurry, something monumental must have occurred.
Foden placed the document on the coffee table and reported, "With Regional Guardian Puyuesen of Yorktown Region acting as an intermediary, Karen, the Disciplinary Minister of our system, accepted Elder Xiti's invitation to meet at Pangxi Manor. Elder Xiti likely intended to take Karen on as her student. Karen reported this to me beforehand and obtained my permission.
"Now, an urgent dispatch from Pangxi Manor indicates that Karen may have met with an accident."
Norton set down his book and looked at Foden. "Meaning..."
Evidently, even with the High Priest's wisdom, it was difficult to comprehend what kind of accident could possibly have occurred here. If such a thing had truly happened, it would be utterly inconceivable.
"High Priest, though I find it difficult to understand as well, all the intelligence we have received points to a single conclusion. Furthermore, Karen is completely out of contact. He has not returned to Yorktown, nor do any other regional teleportation arrays show records of his entry."
The High Priest blew a ring of smoke and asked, "Are you saying that our temple elder murdered the Disciplinary Minister of the Whip of Order within her own family's estate?
"I have never minded labeling the elders in our temple as arrogant and pedantic to the extreme, but if you are telling me they could be foolish to this extent, I still find it rather hard to accept."
"Your subordinate finds it hard to accept as well."
For if Karen had truly met with an accident, it was not merely a case of a temple elder killing a high-ranking church official—it was an elder from their own Church murdering their Church's Child of God!
Even with those Children of God throughout history who had lost their way and wreaked catastrophic havoc, the Church had always prioritized sealing and imprisoning them whenever possible. Throughout the entire history of the ecclesiastical world, no church had ever possessed the heart to bring down the blade and simply execute one.
Who would—no, who would dare do something so treasonous?
Thus, when Foden first received this report, his shock had far surpassed what the High Priest was displaying now.
"Let us wait a little longer," Norton said, reopening his book. "Wait for a definitive outcome."
"Yes, High Priest."
"If the matter is confirmed, I will wait for them to give me an explanation. And if they do not, I will go to them and demand one myself."
***
"...That is what happened. Therefore, Senior, I implore your assistance."
Xiti stood before a crystal coffin, making her plea. She had not concealed or embellished anything, giving an unvarnished, direct account.
Just as her voice faded, the figure within the coffin slowly sat up.
This caught Xiti off guard. She had not expected this senior to be so accommodating—rising from his slumber the moment she finished speaking.
"I am simply more surprised than you are as to why such a ludicrous thing could happen."
What had prompted Ukonga to sit up was not Xiti's sincerity, but sheer incredulity.
For a moment, Xiti did not know how to respond.
Ukonga stepped out of the crystal coffin, fixed his gaze on Xiti, and asked, "You are a descendant of Remowen Pangxi?"
"He was indeed my ancestor."
Remowen Pangxi had been the Pangxi family's previous temple elder.
"How could Remowen produce a descendant as foolish as you?"
Xiti bowed her head, not daring to talk back.
Although their statuses were nominally equal—and this senior's prestige had even diminished somewhat due to his fusion with a divine artifact spirit—the man had invoked her ancestor right out of the gate.
Moreover, Xiti had read the journals that ancestor had left behind. They clearly recorded how, in his youth, her ancestor had considered it a great honor to associate with the man standing before her.
The fact that her ancestor had successfully condensed a godhead fragment back then was inseparable from this senior's guidance.
Ukonga asked again, "And how did you manage to condense a godhead fragment?"
Xiti kept her head lowered, remaining silent.
Ukonga reached out and pressed his palm against Xiti's forehead. Soon, the shimmering phantom of a crystal emerged from her chest. Its luster was neither blinding nor overwhelming, yet it was exceptionally smooth and rounded.
This indicated that the bearer possessed astonishing natural talent; the degree of compatibility between her condensed godhead fragment and the laws of Order could be described as flawless.
This was not something achieved through bitter, agonizing cultivation, barely condensed before the body and soul withered away. It carried a clear sense of effortless, methodical progression.
Ukonga frowned. The last time he had seen such a rounded godhead fragment had been when he condensed his own.
This meant the woman before him possessed talent not a whit inferior to his own in his prime.
Yet he had only been reduced to lingering in slumber until now because of successive upheavals and choices forbidden by the temple. But she... she had never been held back by anything.
Ukonga smiled, for he understood.
Her aptitude was indeed terrifyingly high; otherwise, she could never have been pushed into the seat of a temple elder.
"Senior, please lend your aid. If an accident befalls Karen there, it is very likely to trigger a confrontation between the Holy See and the temple."
"Are you worried that Tyrannus's successor will fly into a rage? Heheheh."
The smile on Ukonga's face deepened.
"First, that fellow capable of condensing three godhead fragments refused the God of Order's summons and blew up the temple. Then, before any of you even knew it, Tyrannus's successor took the seat of High Priest.
"Alas, our Temple of Order has truly fallen on hard times these past two years."
"Senior..."
"Let us go. We might as well make the trip. At this point, I can only take care of things one by one as they come. Oh, by the way..."
"Do you have any other instructions, Senior?"
Ukonga pointed at Xiti. "For the upcoming mission to deal with that fellow, you aren't on the descent roster as well, are you?"
"Senior, I am very familiar with that place. If you require my assistance, you may ask the Prophet to include me on the descent roster."
"No need. The Prophet has already made a truly prophetic arrangement."
***
*Boom!*
The swiftly flying little bone dragon slammed headfirst into the mountain ahead, triggering a rockslide that quickly buried the entrance under falling boulders.
Little Kanna reverted to her human form and sat on the ground. She rolled up her sleeve to inspect the bloody scrapes below her elbow, pouting as she blew on them.
"Order—Despair Confinement!"
Only after establishing a fresh isolating barrier did Karen turn to Little Kanna and ask, "How are your injuries?"
Little Kanna immediately pulled down her sleeve, shook her head, and said, "Superficial scrapes are nothing to me. I don't even have skin anyway."
"Cast a healing spell on yourself."
"Mm!"
Little Kanna began channeling a spell to heal herself. She had long since mastered basic Draconic spells. Once the casting was finished, she produced a pill from her pocket and nibbled on it bite by bite, holding it in her hands as if chewing on a steamed bun.
She insisted on wearing the old clothes Karen had altered for her, which were generally on the loose side, making it very convenient to stash things in her pockets.
Karen closed his eyes and called out to Qianmei in his heart.
Soon, Qianmei responded to his summons. Because the distance was too great, it could not transmit detailed information, but they could perceive each other's emotional fluctuations. Karen sensed that Qianmei's emotional state was very stable; it had likely slipped out of danger and would soon make its way toward him.
"Are you worried about Qianmei?" Little Kanna asked, habitually balling her left hand into a fist and extending her right index finger to tap it.
Karen frowned slightly, caught her index finger, and said, "Don't resort to divination every time something happens. Break that bad habit."
"But I think... it's just really convenient."
"If you dare make that gesture again without my permission..."
Little Kanna's eyes darted around. She was afraid of Purr, but not particularly afraid of Karen, because Karen doted on her.
"...I'll stop eating and starve myself on purpose."
Little Kanna: "..."
"If you rely too much on divination, you will lose your true self."
Little Kanna hung her head dejectedly. "All right, I understand."
At that moment, Karen noticed that the surrounding rock walls were somewhat loose. He rubbed his finger against the surface, easily scraping off a shower of fine powder to reveal the dark red patterns beneath.
The mountain's exterior was rock-solid, but the interior was as soft as a spongy cake.
"Kanna, there might be something inside here. Stay on your guard."
"Understood!"
Little Kanna promptly stuffed the rest of the pill into her mouth, tilted her head back, swallowed it with an effort, and stood up to walk in front of Karen.
Karen placed a hand on her head and gently nudged her behind him.
After advancing a short distance inward, waves of scorching heat began to permeate the air, evoking the sensation of approaching a volcanic crater.
Little Kanna asked curiously, "Sister Purr taught me that in dangerous, unknown environments, curiosity is the last thing you should have. So shouldn't we head back the way we came?"
"I'm not doing this to satisfy my curiosity."
"Then what for?"
"I sensed the aura of an array."
This was the Pangxi family's dungeon. Before those rampaging ferocious beasts, monster beasts, and bizarre entities had been cast into this place, they had already been beaten within an inch of their lives. The giant eye, the angel, and the siren they had encountered earlier were merely the products of those residual husks fermenting over centuries.
Such creatures could never have set up an array here. Thus, Karen suspected this place might hold a second entrance or exit.
Before long, the path ahead was blocked. Unlike the crumbly rock of the previous section, the stone here had become crystallized, resembling the texture of cooled magma.
"Kanna, clear it out."
"On it."
Little Kanna stepped forward, held out both hands, blew on her palms, rubbed them together, and began raking her claws against the crystal.
*Crunch... crunch... crunch...*
The claws of a little bone dragon were no less hard than a high-grade holy relic. Using them here was like a mole burrowing through dirt—exceptionally efficient.
After forcefully pushing forward a short distance, the crystallized section finally came to an end, revealing clear firelight beyond.
The core of the mountain had been hollowed out. Standing at the edge, one could look down upon churning magma. Yet the magma seemed suppressed, forced to circulate along fixed pathways around the perimeter like blood flowing through vessels.
And in the very center of the magma stood a colossal statue, sculpted entirely from the same crystalline material.
The statue depicted a woman. Beneath her feet, the pedestal was strewn with shattered handcuffs, shackles, and chains. She wore a long gown, held a book in her left hand, wore a crown upon her head, and raised her right arm high, gripping a torch in her fist.
Little Kanna furrowed her brow and said, "This statue... why does it look familiar?"
Immediately following that, Little Kanna pointed at the book in the statue's left hand and asked, "Is she holding an exercise workbook?"
Karen said, "She has been here."
For the figure depicted by this statue was none other than Poer Allen.
The book in the statue's hand was naturally not an exercise book, but the *Light of Order*.
To erect a statue of herself in such an image within the dungeon belonging to a family under the Church of Order—she certainly hadn't done it to preach the doctrine of Order, but purely out of sheer rebellion.
Purr harbored an immense grudge against Xiti. It had started with Xiti targeting her. In Purr's words, Xiti had never treated her as a person to begin with. In the eyes of a lofty Church genius, those hailing from family-based faith systems simply weren't worthy of respect.
An ordinary person subjected to such treatment would have swallowed the bitter pill and accepted it. After all, behind the other party stood the Temple of Order and the Church of Order. But Purr had refused to yield; she had locked horns with Xiti.
Constrained by the limits of her own family's faith system, Purr was no match for Xiti in an open confrontation, but she could seek vengeance through indirect means.
"She actually took her revenge right into their home..."
Karen found it somewhat absurd. When others went out on journeys, they encountered the legendary traces left behind by their ancestors; yet here he was, stumbling across the "relics" left by his own cat and dog.
"Oh!" Little Kanna finally confirmed it. "It's Sister Purr!"
Karen nodded and began carefully examining the statue's inner workings.
Little Kanna grumbled in dissatisfaction, "Why didn't she carve Kanna on it too?"
"Because back then, neither you nor I existed... in fact, even Diss didn't exist yet."
The era when Purr and Xiti had fought was quite far in the past.
In the end, Purr had suffered the loss.
Yet later, Diss—whom Purr had "watched grow up"—had gone and settled the score on her behalf.
Before entering his slumber, Diss had even made a point of telling Purr that he had vented that anger for her.
"Oh, so that's how it is." Little Kanna scratched her head and gave an embarrassed smile. "I really didn't recognize her at first. I just thought she looked familiar."
"It's so obvious, and you still didn't recognize her?"
"Well, I just didn't expect Sister Purr to have been so thin back then."
"When we get out, don't mention that to her, or your homework will be doubled."
Little Kanna instantly clamped her hands over her mouth and shook her head vigorously.
A Rubik's Cube materialized in Karen's palm as he began calculating the statue's structure. He was hoping Purr might have left a separate backdoor teleportation array here.
However, he found no teleportation array. Instead, he deduced the statue's internal connection to the surrounding environment.
The resentment from the outside was being drawn and gathered here, channeled through the statue, and pooled below. That magma... was the physical manifestation of concentrated resentment.
From this alone, one could see just what a terrifying level the accumulated resentment had reached.
Karen realized that the "monsters" outside had remained peaceful and avoided killing one another not because they were reasonable creatures pursuing harmony, but because all their volatile impulses had been drawn away by the statue. It was equivalent to having their "blood" continuously drained into this place, leaving them utterly listless.
Judging by the state of things beneath the statue, another few years of accumulation would bring it to a critical boiling point. When that happened, the power of resentment erupting from here would tear straight through the barrier of the seal.
And directly above this was Pangxi Manor.
Karen did not know whether to laugh or cry. He had originally thought Purr had suffered a raw deal and been wronged, and Diss had thought so as well.
Who would have guessed that his cat's thirst for vengeance ran so deep?
She had laid a bonfire here all those years ago:
Just waiting for two hundred years to pass, so she could burn Xiti's ancestral home to the ground.
Chapter 841