Promotion and Shock

The High Priest reminded him, "The deal is done. No backing out allowed." Old Hoffen shot the High Priest a sour look. "What, do you want to draw up a contract too?" "I don't mind." The High Priest produced a dark gold seal from his cuff. "Care to draft the terms?" Old Hoffen stepped right up to the High Priest, stared into his eyes, and said, "Do you know what I see in your eyes? Undisguised greed and overbearing arrogance." The High Priest pointed back at Diss, who stood behind them, and smiled. "Since you two are longtime partners, you shouldn't find that feeling unfamiliar." "So it seems. That's standard for you Order faithful." "True believers of Order are simply like this. It isn't greed or arrogance; we merely believe those things shouldn't exist in the first place." "Is that the exclusive nature of a monotheistic faith?" "Perhaps it goes beyond that." "No need for a contract, but my promise holds. When all's said and done, you're hardly putting anything on the line here. Judging by Karen's age, it'd be stranger if he didn't become High Priest in the future." "Very well, agreed." The High Priest looked toward Diss. "Is there anything else you need me to arrange?" In truth, there was no need for the High Priest to adopt such a humble attitude toward Diss. Though Diss had shown immense power, entering the Temple was easy while leaving was hard—it was effectively a cage. If the High Priest ordered Daan's knight order into action, Diss's fate would be sealed. No matter how powerful a single individual was, they could not rival a full knight order. Not even a god was an exception. Moreover, the High Priest suspected that after forcibly taking the Oracle's heart to reach this inner sanctum, Diss was likely injured or in a weakened state, and had no wish to fight on either. Diss reached out and grasped the Scythe of War. "I'm taking this with me." If left here, the scythe would surely yield clues leading back to the one holding supreme authority. The High Priest smiled wryly. "That is a divine artifact of the Temple." Diss did not let go. The High Priest added, "Fortunately, I call the shots in the Temple from now on. You may take it, but please do not erase the various restrictions and connections bound to it. Many departments within the church still need to draw upon its power." "Done." "Then I must trouble you to keep it safe." "You're welcome." The High Priest sighed. "Since you have no other requests, I have a personal favor to ask. I would like you to teach me how to suppress my realm." The High Priest opened his hand. In his palm, a hazy crystal was spinning—it had not coalesced, yet it already generated its own atmospheric phenomena. "If I become an elder, though I could still control the church through other means, it wouldn't be as convenient as it is now. Besides..." The High Priest gestured around. "This place is a mess now, and I have no intention of allocating resources to repair it. So, I don't want to move in here either." Diss asked, "Have you been constantly trying to seal and dissolve yourself?" "Yes, precisely. I frequently kill myself." "Heh... haha..." Old Hoffen burst out laughing, then slowly stopped and stared at the High Priest. "You're truly a ruthless man." Diss said, "Skip this stage." "Hm?" "Don't handle it through suppression. Skip the stage of consolidating godhead fragments, and proactively attempt to condense a complete godhead." Hearing this, a gleam flashed in the High Priest's eyes. He understood. Skipping steps meant certain failure. Especially in the present era, attaining godhood was utterly impossible. Yet such a failure would serve as a deliberate vent. Rather than struggling to suppress it, it was better to proactively invite defeat. "I understand. Thank you, that helps immensely. Shall we head out now?" "Yes." The High Priest walked ahead, with Diss and Old Hoffen walking side by side behind him. When they stepped out of the hall, the surrounding Temple Elders looked at Diss with deeply conflicted expressions. Many of their companions and friends had had their dharma bodies shattered by Diss, but those were merely severe injuries that could be repaired given sufficient resources. Consequently, almost none of them held such bottomless hatred that they clamored for revenge. Yet this grand, majestic Temple had been thrown into chaos by a single man, and with so many of them present, they had been powerless to stop it. They had utterly lost face. Diss said to the High Priest, "I need to retrieve a file from the archives." "I can have someone bring it to you," the High Priest replied. "Don't bother. I'll get it myself." "You just said you had no further requests." "Because I don't need to ask your permission for this." "Very well. Please, go ahead." Diss glanced at the Oracle, then tossed the heart skewered on the Scythe of War onto the ground. Instantly, he and Old Hoffen vanished from the spot. The Oracle stepped forward, scooped up his heart, blew off the dirt, patted it clean, and placed it back into his chest cavity. Soon, color returned to his pale face. With a touch of worry, he asked, "High Priest, do you need me to dispatch someone to assist his search? The restrictions inside the archives are quite intricate." "No need. In this world, there aren't many arrays that can stop the artifact spirit by his side." The Oracle began to pray. "I believe this is a warning granted by our Lord. The Lord must feel that the few of us can no longer properly manage the Temple for the church." The High Priest remained silent. The Oracle bowed solemnly to the High Priest. "Please instruct us on the Temple's future affairs." The High Priest nodded and said, "The Holy See will allocate a budget to clean up the surface first. It is the Temple, after all; we can't let it look too unsightly." *Just repairing the surface?* The Oracle wanted to say more, but the High Priest cut him off. "The elders injured here and over on Mink Street all need recovery as well. That will require pulling the finest priest teams from the knight orders. It is bound to consume massive medical resources—resources meant for war reserves, originally prepared for conflict." Having no choice, the Oracle could only nod. "Thank you, High Priest." The High Priest walked over to the Oracle's side, leaned in close to his ear, and whispered, "Why do I feel like you know something?" The Oracle offered a wry smile. "The situation has already come to this. I can only do my best to preserve the Temple's dignity." The High Priest patted the Oracle's chest gently. "You can't say?" The Oracle continued to smile bitterly. "Fine, suit yourself. People like you live on secrets anyway—if there aren't any, you invent them." The Oracle replied, "As you say." "Is it about that one?" The Oracle's gaze tightened. "You don't want to tell me?" "High Priest, please do not press further. Even if you were to take my heart again, I would not tell you. In fact, I would not tell anyone." The Oracle was in charge of the bottomless pit within this sanctum, responsible for its daily offerings. His heart was a heirloom artifact, said to be capable of sensing the pulse of the gods. Having stood overlooking the pit's edge year after year, combined with the frequent upheavals of late, he might truly have 'seen' some extraordinary vision. Considering how he had characterized the event—if one ruled out that he was merely making excuses to save face—he seemed utterly certain, framing this calamity around the pleasure and wrath of the 'Lord.' He was certain that an invisible hand was orchestrating all of this. The High Priest leaned his head back. A boundary materialized beneath his feet, enclosing him and the Oracle within. Seeing this, the surrounding elders took their leave one after another. The Oracle sighed, sounding helpless. "Did you sense... the return of our Lord?" "That is common knowledge, and even more so, our faith, High Priest." "Not a prophecy, not a formality, not a prayer—but truly, tangibly, our Lord has already appeared in this world." "High Priest, please press no further." "Are you certain? He is truly in this world?" "I don't know." "You can't even say that much?" "High Priest, I know what you wish to do, and I know your lifelong aspiration. I have no intention of making it public, but I refuse to cooperate." "Heh heh heh..." The High Priest nodded. "Fine, then I won't ask." The High Priest returned to his palanquin. Daan's legion had not withdrawn, nor were they in a hurry to pitch camp; instead, they remained on guard duty. The knight order hadn't come to 'fight,' but to break up the fight. They needed to ensure the troublemaker could leave safely without causing any further ripples. The High Priest sat by the tea table. A pool of bright red blood appeared at his feet, splitting into two streams that gradually shaped into two Nortons. One Norton said, "Karen definitely has an even more unusual relationship with those two old fellows." The other Norton said, "He's just lucky, blessed by destiny. His fortune has always been remarkably good." "Do you truly think so?" "Because that is the only way we can think. Otherwise, do you want to start another investigation right after finally pacifying them?" "You're right. What the truth actually is no longer matters." The High Priest turned a page in his book, signaling a change of topic. One Norton said, "The Oracle might have 'seen' a vision of our Lord's return." The other Norton said, "But he definitely doesn't know our Lord's location." "The deity that just appeared shouldn't be the first returning god." "Meaning our Lord is currently very weak, still in the process of recovery?" "Why hasn't our Lord contacted the church?" When this question was posed, both Nortons looked toward the High Priest sitting with the book in hand. Then, both Nortons smiled and spoke in unison: "Could our Lord already know what we intend to do?" Silence. Heavy silence... Norton: "Because we suppressed Tyrannus. That was practically an open declaration." Norton: "The footsteps of the returning gods are drawing nearer. Is it because our Lord is reclaiming his power?" The High Priest laid down his book, looked at the two versions of himself before him, and said calmly, "My devotion to our Lord is absolute. Therefore, I shall send my devout Lord to the place where he most belongs." Norton: "I have a proposal." Norton: "I guessed it. You want Karen to handle tracking down our Lord's whereabouts in this world." Norton: "Exactly. Doesn't he have good fortune? He managed to complete such a perilous mission flawlessly this time; perhaps he can produce real results." Norton: "In what capacity should he investigate? Clues regarding our Lord are likely tied to certain covert systems and high-ranking figures within the church. His current position isn't comprehensive enough. Besides, having completed this mission with flying colors, he deserves a reward." Norton: "We could establish a deputy position beneath the Whip-Wielder. Given Foden's attitude toward him, he shouldn't mind." Norton: "It's not Foden you need to consider, but whether Creed and the others will object. Furthermore, a single deputy post isn't enough; Karen was already publicly declared by Foden as his successor. If we want him to spearhead this investigation, we must keep him close to us." Norton: "Are there any vacancies in our Administrative Temple?" Norton: "We've never had a secretary. Transfer him to the Administrative Temple as Secretary-General?" Norton: "A Secretary-General without a single secretary under him?" Norton: "He keeps his post in the Whip of Order." Norton: "Acceptable. At the same time, announce to the public that Karen has received the recognition of the God of Principles' private notebook. Both matters can be pushed forward together." Norton: "What if Xifusi comes demanding the notebook?" Norton: "Tell the Church of Principles to send someone to Mink Street to retrieve it themselves." The High Priest stood up and said: "Let it be done, then. Have Karen take on the concurrent title of Secretary-General of the Administrative Temple, while secretly heading the investigation into our Lord's traces. "I can make him my successor; "However, my successor must share my stance toward our Lord." *** "Broken through. It's right here." The archives were protected by layers upon layers of seals, but to Old Hoffen, these were trivial. Before long, he helped Diss retrieve the desired file. Diss began to read through the document scroll. Old Hoffen asked curiously, "Is this information useful to you?" Diss shook his head. "It's merely more detailed and systematic. Everything that matters, I already investigated on my own long ago." "Which main god is that place actually tied to?" "I suspect Eternity. When I went to rescue them back then, I thought I wouldn't make it in time, yet I still brought them out. Karen's mother's bloodline had a unique effect on that place, allowing her and Karen's father to hold out a little longer until I arrived." "The Alt bloodline—the blessing of the God of Eternity?" "Yes." "Then what do you plan to do? Don't tell me you're heading straight..." "Yes. Straight there." "Hey, I still wanted to go back to Mink Street to have tea and chat with my grandson! You're just not going back?" "I'll go back after visiting that place." "It's freezing cold over there! Can't you at least let me go home and grab a sweater?" "You are currently a book." "Even books need book covers!" "No delays. This time, I intend to take a look over there. Cough..." Diss began to cough. "You're injured, aren't you? So taking that heart to reach the inner sanctum was because you couldn't fight anymore?" "I wanted to save my strength for the divine palace in that frozen land. It's something I've wanted to do all along, and I don't want to wait any longer." "Fine, I understand you. But I just sold out the Church of Principles, and you won't even let me see my grandson one last time? What if you die in the Divine Palace of Eternity? If you die, that's on you, but I'll be left stranded in that snowstorm, who knows how many years before anyone finds me." "Rest assured. Before long, Karen will come to retrieve you." "It's not enough that you get into an accident yourself, but you have to force Karen to come collect our corpses and get into an accident too? That's the sole remnant left behind by the God of Eternity, the hegemon deity of two eras ago!" "My grandson is no lesser than him." "Our grandson is exceptional, sure, but Diss, isn't your encouraging parenting style taking it a bit too far? No lesser than him? Heh, do you think our grandson is the God of Order?" "Which is why you shouldn't have said so much in front of that High Priest." "What? What did I do wrong now? I was negotiating good benefits for my grandson! I was actually curious—such a golden opportunity, why didn't you just tell the High Priest that Karen is your grandson? If he didn't promote my grandson, I'd go back to the Holy See and reenact today's performance." "Karen's identity is special." "You're already awake, what's so special about it? You really don't need to worry about that. That High Priest of yours is sharp; even if he noticed anomalies and harbored suspicions, he wouldn't investigate. The truth means nothing to him." "Hoffen, do you remember that transcendent divine descent ritual we performed together?" "Of course I remember. What about it?" "I told you before that the God of Order did not demand any sacrifice from me. Do you know why?" "Why?" "Because the God of Order descended Himself." Old Hoffen was struck dumb. Diss looked at Old Hoffen. "Do you understand now?" Old Hoffen pointed outside. "So Karen... he was... raised by a whore..." "He was raised by me." Old Hoffen then pointed at himself. "So Order... he calls me... grandpa?! *Hiss—!*" "Let us depart." "No, Diss, I beg you, let's go home first! I want to hear it one more time! Just once, just once! I was so lavish before, I didn't savor it properly!" "You can savor it when we return." "No, no, no, don't do this! You're truly too cruel, truly, you can't... wait..." Old Hoffen suddenly caught onto another crucial point. "I gave the legal claim of the Church of Principles... to the God of Order?! In the entire history of the Church of Principles, has anyone ever sold out the church more thoroughly than me?!" "Regretting the deal?" "He has to call me grandpa at least a thousand times!" *** Outside the Temple gates, the High Priest personally escorted Diss out. Both the Temple personnel and the knights kept their distance. "Are you returning now?" "Yes." "Before long, a true war of gods will likely erupt within the Garden of Life. At least three beings of main god caliber will return." "Oh." "I hope you will come to assist when the time comes. Just like this time, I will dispatch Karen to notify you." "I will come." "Next time, there will be no need to hold back. The other side won't hold back either." "In fact, I hadn't planned to hold back this time either." "There are still a few old relics in the Temple." "They didn't awaken today. Can you be certain they'll be willing to awaken when the time comes?" "When that day comes, if they refuse to awaken, they will be enemies of the church." The High Priest smiled. "When purging traitors within the church, I never hold back." "Karen was right. You are a High Priest worthy of respect. Under your leadership, we might not win, but at least we won't lose disgracefully." "Thank you for the compliment. Take this with you. Safe travels, and return soon." Diss looked at the scroll the High Priest handed him and asked with mild surprise, "You knew I was heading out?" "Yes. I can even guess where you are going. Some records are written down, but some knowledge is passed down only through memory." The High Priest tapped his temple. "The secret of Eternity has always fascinated and lured people... no, even gods." "Unfortunately, I'm not going there to explore secrets." "In any case, the church needs your strength." Diss said nothing more and departed directly. The High Priest stood in place for a long time, murmuring to himself, "Not going there to explore? Could he be going for revenge?" *** "Losing to him was only natural. He is Tyrannus." "I'm sorry to inform you that the Boss isn't him. Moreover, the Boss doesn't care for that identity; in fact, he is quite averse to it." "Heh, he *is* Tyrannus." "If thinking so makes you feel better, by all means, suit yourself." "Very well. Seal me up in here and cast me into the Black Sea. My symbiosis contract beast will project what I see." "Do you know, I cannot understand why the Boss agreed to your condition." "Trading one's life to scout ahead for the church—what is so hard to agree to?" "Heh, I suspect you're going there to file a complaint, or perhaps seeking a way to return and contest that seat again. After all, with divine power, unraveling a symbiosis contract isn't difficult." "To complain to the returning branch gods? Foden, I am not that stupid. Branch gods will naturally stand together on the same side." "You won't mislead me." "Is it possible that neither of us is mistaken?" *** Foden kept his eyes closed, his brow furrowed. He had personally sealed that man away and cast him into the Black Sea of the Garden of Life, yet the parting words continued to echo in his ears. In the depths of his mind, Foden felt as though he had grasped something, yet looking closely into his palm, there was nothing. *Let it be the final bitter monologue of a failed contender from years past.* Foden didn't intend to probe further. He had originally thought he could enjoy some leisure after stepping away from the High Priest and the Young Priest, but who would have thought that during these past days beside that man, he would be subjected to so much mystical nonsense. Ever since losing the contention for the seat of High Priest, that man had been exiled until now. Who knew what the Boss was thinking, choosing such a convoluted method to silence him. "Whip-Wielder, we've arrived." Vigulin softly woke Foden. Opening his eyes, Foden looked out the window. Rain was still pouring down, and up ahead lay the boundary of Luojia City. Vigulin was trembling slightly. Foden asked, "Are you afraid?" "Whip-Wielder, I'm sorry, I... I can't control myself." Foden had received an emergency directive from the High Priest while on his return journey after completing his mission, rushing straight here. En route, he had received an intelligence dispatch whose contents were shocking beyond measure, stating unequivocally: a deity had appeared. Vigulin had seen the report as well. At the thought of witnessing a living god with her own eyes, she could not help but feel nervous and terrified. "What is there to be nervous about?" Foden seemed far more composed. After all, having served as the filling in a sandwich between two Children of God for so long, he had developed a degree of desensitization toward divinity. The carriage came to a halt. Standing outside was Dena. Foden stepped down and walked inward while listening to Dena's further briefing. "When that deity struck the Temple Elders, Karen wasn't at the command post and sent word to you via crow, correct?" "Yes, Uncle Foden." "And only after that deity ceased attacking did Karen arrive at the command post riding a bone dragon to drive away the Temple Elder who escaped?" "Yes, that's right, Uncle Foden. Why are you asking all this?" "Nothing, just asking. The legions are all stationed on the perimeter now. Who is left inside?" "Apart from the heavily injured Temple Elders lying within, a new boundary restriction has already been set up." "Mm. Where is Karen?" "The Commander... I don't know." "Gone missing again?" "The Commander probably has matters to attend to. Thankfully, he gave the order to pull back ahead of time, otherwise our losses would have been catastrophic. Everyone is deeply grateful to him." *Heh, he knew all along a deity would descend and cleared the field in advance.* Arriving before the road marker, Dena cautioned, "Uncle Foden, going any further means entering the barrier. According to the scouts' senses, divine might remains dense within. That deity is still inside." "My assignment is to oversee the wrap-up. How can I not go in?" "But..." "It's fine. All of you stay here." Brushing aside their objections, Foden manifested his dharma body and stepped inside. This was a temporary barrier newly erected by the legion; one had to sustain a dharma body against the divine pressure to enter and exit. Only once everything was resolved would the barrier be dismantled, allowing the citizens of Luojia City to return to their normal lives. Though separated merely by a single road marker, the moment he stepped inside, he instantly felt the majestic divine might radiating from the central area. After a brief hesitation, a thick whirlwind materialized beneath Foden's feet, hoisting him high into the air. He saw a towering, materialized figure seated there, hands resting on his knees, leaning forward with his head bowed as if observing something. For some reason, having once enjoyed watching ants fight in his youth, Foden's immediate impression was that this posture looked remarkably like someone watching two ants brawl. And indeed, that was the case. Ranidal was looking down into his divine kingdom, watching the duel between Purr and Sidi. Though Purr had broken her shackles and regained much of her strength, the time had been too brief. Sidi, as a Temple Elder of Order, had made substantial progress over the past century. Even though Ranidal had 'bound' Sidi beforehand to suppress her realm, when they actually clashed, peril still loomed at every turn. To ensure Purr could fight her fill safely, Ranidal had to delicately intervene through his divine kingdom to balance the scales, taking care not to overdo it lest it become 'unfair.' Just then, Ranidal sensed an aura soaring upward. Until Diss returned or Karen came to take over, Ranidal's task was to safeguard Luojia City. After all, among the initial group of Temple Elders, a few had slipped through the net. Against any who dared to return, Ranidal swatted them half to death like moths, then tossed them behind him for others to vie over playing the savior. However, as Ranidal reached out his hand, looming above the figure, he suddenly realized the aura felt somewhat familiar. Fortunately, the deity had his head lowered, so Foden didn't have to look directly into his face. Yet even without seeing the face, that figure—and especially that bald head—instantly allowed Foden to recognize the other party's identity. Ranidal! Ranidal raised his head and looked over, recognizing the Whip-Wielder. Foden slowly closed his eyes to avoid looking directly into the divine might, yet a faint smile crept across the corners of his lips. Ranidal tilted his head slightly. He couldn't comprehend why this superior of Karen's was wearing that half-mocking, knowing smile at him. Still, if he 'accidentally' crippled him right now, wouldn't Karen smoothly succeed him as Whip-Wielder? No, if he were merely crippled, the Church of Order would find a way to heal him. Should he just slap him to death instead? Yet Karen had mentioned several times that this superior had always treated him quite well. If he 'sacrificed' him like this, Karen would definitely be furious. The god's palm shifted through various postures continuously above Foden's head. Yet Foden showed not the slightest hint of panic, his smile growing even more distinct: *I know it's you, Karen.* This left Ranidal feeling a measure of grudging admiration. Worthy of being the Whip-Wielder of Order, and even more worthy of being Karen's superior—this sheer composure alone far exceeded those Temple Elders. Ranidal lowered his hand, scooped Foden off the whirlwind, and brought him before his eyes, studying him closely. Not a trace of fluster showed on Foden's face. Instead, he gave an order with utter calm: "Get ready. In a moment, I will send people in to carry the injured elders back for treatment." Right at that moment, another dharma body propped open the barrier, followed by Karen flying in atop his bone dragon. "Whip-Wielder! Dena informed me of your arrival. I've come to assist with the wrap-up. The High Priest's latest decree just arrived, and I brought it along for you." Foden looked at Karen, then 'looked' back at the deity before him. The one flying in right now was definitely not a clone—a clone could never manifest a dharma body. Foden: "..."