Purr's Divine Kingdom

The fierce force was neutralized by Rasma's physical defense, and he quickly returned to his original spot. Yet the sequence of being slapped away had already taken place. The damage was minimal, but the humiliation was dialed to the absolute maximum—especially for this former High Priest, who had only just condensed a godhead fragment and was at the very start of a new chapter of life, a moment when he should have been at his most triumphant. His coming alone to the front gate to "persuade Diss to surrender" had also been an attempt to prove himself before his old rival. Pity that this attempt yielded an outcome even worse than his past challenges: before he could even catch a glimpse of Diss, he had suffered a humiliating setback. Rasma raised his head and looked toward the roof. Standing upon the roof was a woman in a long black dress, wearing a hood, holding a wand in her hand, with a faint smile playing at the corners of her mouth. Right beside her appeared a demon beast resembling a warhorse. Its golden fur blazed like burning flames, exuding immense oppressive pressure. Rasma asked, "Who are you?" He had not expected Diss to actually call in outside help; that was hardly Diss's style. More importantly, if he was going to call in help, why had he not done so last time, instead saving it for this occasion when the situation was far more suffocating? "You don't recognize me, but I certainly know you, little Rasma. You're already this old, so how is it you haven't changed one bit? Still so impatient, still so eager to prove yourself." Purr flipped over and seated herself astride Kevin's demon beast back. Since she had already transformed from a cat into human form, it felt rather improper for Kevin to remain in his original golden retriever shape. After all, the noble and sacred Miss Purr could hardly ride into battle atop an actual dog. Purr reached out and gently ruffled the mane at the back of Kevin's neck, murmuring somewhat helplessly in an undertone, "It's mainly because the Radio Goblin is here this time too. He's probably watching nearby and might have already set up his easel. Stupid dog, remember to freeze your pose at the right moments later so it's easier for the Radio Goblin to capture." Women always loved beauty. Although Purr did not care all that much about appearing on a mural, she cared deeply about how she looked upon one. "Woof... Roar!" Only after letting out a bark did Kevin realize he needed to switch sounds. Rasma asked, "Which church do you belong to?" Covering her mouth, Purr chuckled and replied, "Hehehe, I belong to Order." Rasma shook his head. "I don't recall anyone like you in our church—especially not this demon beast." When that strike appeared earlier, it had directly dissolved all his outer defenses, startling him immensely. At the same time, Rasma now sensed the aura of a godhead fragment within this demon beast! There were indeed demon beasts possessed of powerful racial talents capable of contending with temple elders, but demon beasts that could condense a godhead fragment... were exceedingly rare. Because the transmission of faith among demon beasts was far more arduous than even human family faith systems, let alone church systems. Particularly in this era, even among descendants of guardian divine beasts of orthodox churches, records over the long ages showed virtually no examples of any condensing a godhead fragment. Moreover, his greatest puzzlement was that this demon beast's physical traits were a little too diverse: dog-paw-like hooves, the body of a warhorse, the mane of a lion... Its very existence seemed forcibly stitched together; one could not deduce its bloodline from any single feature. If Rasma had known the truth, he probably would have spat blood in sheer depression, because this appearance had merely been improvised by Kevin on the spot. He had originally wanted to turn into a unicorn, but Purr disliked such mundane, cliché things. Yet this eldest young lady of the Allen family excelled at adventure, not painting, and was somewhat lacking when it came to compositional design. In the end, at her request, Kevin became this form—one that looked gorgeous and imposing at first glance or from afar, but upon closer inspection was riddled with contradictions and incongruities. It was only because Kevin truly indulged this cat who loved riding on his back that he was willing to grant her wish unconditionally, letting her have her way completely. As for the aura of a "godhead fragment," Kevin had deliberately leaked it to deceive Rasma. From being sealed at the end of the previous era until now, nearly an entire era had elapsed before finally arriving at this chance to fight properly today. Kevin cherished it, and Purr, having shared a similar experience, cherished it just as much. They wished to prolong this joy as much as possible, savoring this stick of sugar cane bit by bit. After all, their justification was sound: to buy as much time as possible for Karen and Diss's reunion. Purr looked down at Rasma, then pointed at the Gate of Order in the sky blocked by his dharma body. "Call back your dharma body. Otherwise, you won't be able to bring out your full power, and I won't have enough fun." Rasma said, "Do you think I would fall for such an obvious trick?" "Pfft..." Purr laughed at Rasma's reply. "Don't worry, we won't go bomb the Temple again this time. It won't come to that—really." Rasma spread his palm, and a tiny stone tablet emerged. Purr said, "The Stele of Aisikeqin." A relic of Aisikeqin, one of the Twelve Order Knights. Originally sealed away in the Temple of Order, it had resonated with Rasma and willingly left that small world to come into the young Rasma's hands. "You actually recognize it?" Very few people knew of it, because Aisikeqin was one of the most low-profile subordinate gods of Order, leaving behind the scantiest records. He enjoyed sculpting and crafting artworks, yet disliked preserving them, often destroying them casually after finishing them and admiring them alone or with a few divine friends. "Of course I recognize it. Not only do I recognize it, but I also know that an entire set of war-implement imprints is sealed within." "Just who are you to Diss?" Rasma rarely used this stele in front of others, as it was the highest-grade sacred relic he possessed—not quite a divine artifact, yet not in the least inferior to ordinary divine artifacts. Only when issuing a challenge to Diss would he deploy its power; at all other times, there was no need. Yet embarrassingly enough, every time he challenged Diss, Diss had already stepped into a new realm ahead of him, relying on that superior realm to suppress him. So even with such a sacred relic in hand, he had almost never unleashed its full efficacy in a hearty, unrestrained battle. "Who am I to Diss? I watched Diss grow up." "You're that cat?" "Impudent! Is that how you speak to an elder?" Purr raised the wand in her hand, swung it in a circle through the air, and chanted: "Divine Kingdom of Fire, open." A cavern of flame appeared out of thin air, revealing a world of churning lava within. As Purr cast her spell, Kevin's power could be seen flowing into her body. Purr could unleash it to her heart's content, venting it however she pleased; after all, a god was constantly supplying her. Some of her once wild and unrestrained imaginings finally had a chance to be put into practice—feats that even at her peak she could never have accomplished. "Little Rasma, you've lived here for so long, so I imagine you wouldn't want the aftershocks of our battle to destroy this place either. Come into my divine kingdom, and we can fight without restraint. How about it?" "My mission is to block the Gate of Order and await their arrival. They are almost here." The twelve pillars of light were drawing ever closer and growing increasingly distinct. Rasma took two steps back and planted the stone tablet on the ground. The stele enlarged, and the phantom of a suit of black armor appeared, shielding Rasma within. He would not go in. He would rather forego avenging that slap; he would simply stand right here and wait for the temple elders' formal descent. The smile on Purr's lips gradually faded, and her gaze cooled. She said, "Little Rasma, you aren't as cute as you used to be." ... Far away, on the rooftop of the Luojia City Radio Building, Alfred had already set up his easel, his brush sketching swiftly. Dikenuo's figure materialized. Walking up behind Alfred, he looked at the canvas and spoke: "I truly didn't expect the creation of murals to be so simple." "Did you never witness murals being made in the previous era?" "In my era, the mural system was already very mature. The murals I saw growing up were no different from what this generation of Order believers sees." "How does it compare to the Light of Order and the Code of Order?" "Text is relatively easy to revise, but murals are much harder to alter—especially murals on special structures of the Holy See and the Temple, which involve internal formations and cannot be modified at all." "I see. That truly is the wisdom of the ancients." Alfred rested his brush and looked ahead, shaking his head with a touch of disappointment. "It seems our former High Priest has no intention of making a move." Dikenuo said, "Few of those who can attain the seat of High Priest are fools. For him to direct his energy toward administrative affairs while still managing to condense a godhead fragment is already remarkable." In the Church's history, those who served as High Priest and were subsequently guided into the Temple were few and far between, for a person's energy in a single lifetime was finite. "I imagine our Eldest Young Lady Purr must be quite angry right now." "There is a matter I would like to consult you on, Mr. Alfred." "Commander, please ask." "What on earth is this all for?" Dikenuo looked around. "Given that we possess the Sole Deity, why are we keeping the pace of events so slow? What is the goal?" "You wonder why we don't utilize our ability to break the deadlock quickly, is that it?" "Yes. Even if the Young Master doesn't make a move, Raniedal and the Young Master's grandfather alone should be enough to handle the present situation." "First, the Young Master needs to reach a consensus with Master Diss. While there is hardly any worry of failure, the process must still be completed smoothly and securely, because Master Diss's attitude toward the God of Order... is somewhat extreme. "Of course, from Master Diss's perspective, his attitude is entirely natural. "Furthermore, I believe the Young Master also hopes to use this opportunity to seek a chance to fully assimilate the Hunger Addiction Sculpture, achieving his breakthrough in the God's Shepherd realm." "Breakthrough?" "Yes. The Young Master is cultivating anew, and his next realm is Inquisitor. "The Inmeles family has always been an Inquisitor family within the Church, and throughout the history of the Church of Order, one would be hard-pressed to find another Inquisitor quite like Master Diss. "I believe Master Diss is willing to guide him... or rather, the Young Master can seize this chance to learn from Master Diss how to be a proper Inquisitor." "I understand. Both of these matters indeed require time." "And one more thing: the Temple is a rival, but not an enemy. "I think neither the Young Master nor Master Diss wants to completely tear away all pretenses with the Temple and escalate the conflict into a civil war within our Church. If that happens, the only loss will be the strength of our own Church of Order—especially against the backdrop of the Return of the Gods, where every bit of high-tier power is worth treasuring. "Of course, compromise is impossible. "Necessary bloodshed and prices must still be paid; otherwise, they won't learn their lesson. "I remember Lord Tyrannus once likened the Temple of Order to a dog kennel. Looking back now, the metaphor is remarkably apt: no matter how well-behaved a dog is, it needs a beating from time to time, or else it will try to rise above its master's will. "The High Priest did not agree to this affair, but in order to look at the bigger picture, he could not forcefully stop it." Dikenuo said, "So all the cards must be played first, allowing the conflict and confrontation to be fully vented, so that in the end, the objective can be achieved at the smallest possible cost, correct?" "Yes, precisely." Alfred pulled out a cigarette pack and offered one to Dikenuo. Dikenuo waved his hand in refusal. "Harmful to health." Alfred put one between his lips and chuckled. "You've been dead for so long, yet you're still looking after your health? Actually, you didn't live all that long in your past life either, did you?" "Couldn't stop using my brain. It's an addiction." "The time will come when your mind is needed. Don't be in a rush." Dikenuo lightly rolled his neck and said, "It seems the key to the final outcome still lies with the Young Master's grandfather. I am very much looking forward to seeing just how much power a person who managed to condense three godhead fragments in this era can unleash." "I originally thought a commander like you would despise personal heroism." "In every era, there are always exceptional beings who become monuments of their time. I may dislike personal heroism, yet I have no choice but to hold my nose and acknowledge their objective existence. "For instance... in order to live a little longer, I once intended to stop once I successfully simulated a victory one last time. "Yet I never succeeded. I kept increasing the stakes, the conditions, the resources, even integrating some deities into the army and treating them as individuals whose sacrifice didn't matter. "And yet, I failed every time. "Do you know the reason why I kept failing?" "Because she was too powerful." "No. Because I... did not want her to lose." ... The twelve pillars of light were accelerating their approach, poised to complete this coordinated plan from inside and out. Purr watched Rasma standing protected beneath the stone tablet, and quietly pressed her wand down, pointing it at him. She wanted to take her time playing, but she had no desire to merely stand by foolishly waiting—that would be an outright desecration of the watermelons Dalivenro grew. Purr began to chant: "I invite you to enter my divine kingdom." The fiery cavity shifted from the air down to the ground, right beneath Rasma's feet. Yet when the cavity sought to engulf him, it met with resistance. Rasma smiled faintly. "Unless you wish to destroy this place, you cannot break through this Stele of Aisikeqin. It is Lord Aisikeqin's personal seal, the clearest anchor point in this world, and will not merge into any external barrier." Just then, Kevin raised his hoof. A halo of blue light radiated outward, engulfing the stele and the phantom armor. In the next moment, Rasma's eyes widened. The armor phantom released by the stele actually contracted back into the stone, and the stele standing before him began to shrink. What kind of spell was this? What kind of innate ability was this? Rasma glared fixedly at the chimera-like demon beast. Just what on earth was it?! Rasma's figure vanished in an instant as he tried to escape the cavity's reach, but Purr merely raised her wand, and the cavity drew Rasma straight inside. "Little Rasma, you dare threaten me with this street? I am furious! I've lived here far longer than you have!" Promptly, a cavity appeared before Purr as well. Kevin leaped up, then froze midair. Kevin blinked. Purr held her wand aloft, motionless. A gentle breeze stirred Kevin's fur, making it appear softer and more flowing, while also lifting Purr's hair and slightly adjusting the angle of her hood. Only after quite a while did Purr pat Kevin's head, whereupon Kevin completed the second half of his leap and plunged into the cavity. ... This was a world where the ground was entirely churning magma, suffused with an immensely thick aura of fire. After appearing here, Rasma was observing and assessing his surroundings when, suddenly, Purr—astride Kevin—appeared above his head. Her wand ignited with flames, transforming into a fiery sword that slashed straight down at him. Bang! Rasma was sent flying, a scorch mark left across his right arm. Yet the second wave of attack arrived almost immediately—another sword strike. Bang! Rasma was sent flying once more, this time with a horrific burn scar across his chest. Rasma prepared to counterattack. Beneath his feet, a hall of Order materialized; yet the moment the hall formed, it was completely swallowed and melted by the magma below. "What the fuck kind of barrier is this?!" Creating an environment in which one excelled to enhance one's combat power was originally a very common fighting technique—Rasma had even taught Karen this very principle before. Yet a barrier capable of completely swallowing his spells, suppressing all his abilities, and reducing him to nothing more than a lamb turned and roasted over charcoal was something Rasma had never experienced, nor even heard of. Because since the dawn of this era, he was the first person to enjoy such treatment. Purr flicked the sword of fire behind her, flourishing it into a blooming arc of sparks, and smiled: "I told you. This place is my divine kingdom." ... Boom! Boom! Boom! Purr astride Kevin and Rasma had both vanished from sight, but dull rolls of thunder could faintly be heard rumbling from various directions—doubtless the sound of Rasma being pummeled. The dharma body blocking the Gate of Order in the sky was constantly breaking out in flames, suffering terrible scorchings. In Alfred's painting, the scene of Purr and Kevin leaping through the air had already been depicted, yet compared to the composition of the whole canvas, it still felt somewhat sparse and lacking in detail. Dikenuo asked curiously, "How will you paint the rest? Leave such large areas of blank space?" Alfred shrugged. "It doesn't matter. It can be left blank for now; I can fill in the background later." "Can murals even be made like that?" "It's only after becoming a mural that it's difficult to alter. No one ever said it can't be revised at the draft stage." "That makes a lot of sense." Alfred removed the painting from the easel, carefully rolled it up, and put it away. "This is a major historical milestone. It will be recorded in the New Light of Order in the future." "Hmm?" [New Light of Order: The first battle in this era involving a deity was a civil war within the Church of Order.]