Deep within the crypt came chaotic sounds, like the raspy murmurs in the throat of a hungover drunkard, heralding an imminent awakening.
The five tombstones that had originally hovered in the air began descending one after another. Each one landed with a tremendous boom.
Such behavior gave no impression of worrying about waking the entity below. No—they feared she would keep playing possum!
Every tombstone within the Temple of Order was a long-standing legacy and part of the church’s deepest foundation. In truth, their mode of existence closely resembled that of the ice phoenix, Panrol, who was currently awakening on the ice plain.
They were in agony, tormented by their state, longing for swift release. Yet they were bound by their sense of duty and the mission of their inheritance; they could not simply shut their eyes, steel their hearts, and squander themselves without finding a fitting reason and opportunity.
The last time Diss had wreaked havoc in the temple, he had provided a fairly suitable opening. But Diss was a believer of Order, and in the end, they held back.
The Oracle had once begged them bitterly to step forward and uphold the majesty of the temple. Their refusal back then made their current stance even more remarkable.
Kevin did not transform into human form. Instead, he silently carried Purr a little farther away.
He knew very well that if the entity deep inside the crypt truly awoke, what followed would be an extraordinarily brutal battle.
Even he had to watch such excitement from a safe distance, lest his dog fur actually catch fire.
If nothing else, the nature of each tombstone rivaled that of a sub-divine artifact. Divine artifacts certainly weren't cheap, nor could they be mass-produced, but the prerequisite of these tombstones was... they were single-use.
Once this bunch crawled out of their graves, they had no intention of ever lying back down in one piece!
Purr stood up and poked her cat head out, her amber eyes shimmering with inquisitive light. What an explorer cared about first was never life or death, but whether something was novel and alluring enough.
The Temple Guard Captain flew over to Diss’s side. Even though he could feel Diss ignoring him, he still spoke up to remind him:
"It’s best to leave this place to the elders."
Diss finally looked at him and asked, "Go where?"
Faced with a response from Diss, the Temple Guard Captain felt a flicker of pleasant surprise. He offered a wry smile. "To a safe place."
"And then?"
"The elders said to line up and wait for death." The Temple Guard Captain frowned slightly, correcting himself: "To line up and march toward death."
Diss nodded, indicating he understood, but he remained standing right where he was, not moving an inch.
Seeing this, the Temple Guard Captain urged him no further. A streak of starlight appeared before him, and he stepped into it, vanishing on the spot.
With no outsiders remaining, Hoffen's voice drifted out from the book in Diss’s hand: "Old friend, I’ve noticed you’ve been a bit downcast ever since returning from the Garden of Life."
Diss did not speak.
Hoffen sighed and said wistfully, "Humans are creatures of contradiction. Open any book, and what’s written between the lines is nothing but contradictions. Sometimes we don’t need to think so complicatedly. It only adds to our troubles. We just need to know what we have to do."
Diss tapped the book cover lightly with his fingers, sensing slight unevenness on the surface. He asked:
"What happened?"
"I scraped off a bit of material and gave it to my student. A student, not a grandson. That aberrant demon, haha... he plans to write a copy of *Light of the New Order*."
"How generous."
"Not really. Just thinking that *Light of the New Order* begins its writing using scrapings from Principles makes me feel amused. I can’t help feeling delighted."
"What is used for a book’s cover isn't important. Those who truly read won't care either. Only after finishing the read, turning from the final page to the back cover, will they perceive and touch it with their heart."
"So you've thought it through? Then, do you still blame her?"
"I still do. She should have explained it earlier in the doctrines."
"If our grandson were here right now and said to you, 'When the crucial moment arrives, true believers of Order will naturally understand their mission,' how would you respond?"
"My grandson would be right."
Inside and outside the crypt, an invisible confrontation had long since begun—a clash of courage and conviction.
In the end, however, the murmurs deep in the crypt gradually receded. Surrounding sand, rocks, and dust were even sucked over on a massive scale to backfill the opening.
From within the five tombstones came immediate, irritated curses:
"Dammit!"
"Fuck!"
"Coward!"
"Utterly contemptible!"
"And this thing was once worthy of being a chief god?"
It was hard to imagine such foul language coming from a group of people with status and seniority surpassing even the temple elders.
Perhaps the God of the Crypt felt the timing was not yet ripe; perhaps she believed that even if she personally took action, she could hardly coordinate with the situation on the ice plain; perhaps she judged that awakening now would only result in being traded away by the Church of Order's hidden legacy...
In short, she chickened out.
A lofty chief god had bowed her head before humans who dared to march toward death.
Naturally, this left the entities beneath the eager tombstones extremely dissatisfied. It meant they had to continue carrying the torment of their mission and responsibility, dragging out their existence.
Hoffen chuckled. "Hehehe. Diss, this really is laughable, isn't it?"
Diss replied:
"Perhaps that is why Order could tolerate her remaining here in the first place."
***
On the Panrol Ice Plain, the feast was nearing its end.
The God of Netherflame ate the slowest, causing many Storm Legion clerics to be snatched away by the other two chief gods.
The scene was very much like three children squabbling over tasty snacks.
Fortunately, there was a tacit understanding among them; they knew this bit of replenishment was nothing substantial, so they did not strike at one another.
Sitting in his wheelchair, the High Priest frowned slightly. "A bit disappointing."
Karen asked, "Are those entities too afraid to come out?"
"Their tails crept timidly out of their dormant caverns, but catching even a slight chill scared them right back inside."
"That’s troublesome."
"Indeed. Having to keep an eye cracked open at all times to watch them prevents you from focusing entirely on what lies beyond the door."
"Can we dig them out ahead of time?" Karen asked. "I mean proactively."
"Not cost-effective, and even less worthwhile." The High Priest waved his hand, then leaned forward as though intending to rise from the wheelchair. Halfway through the movement, he sat back down with a smile and chuckled. "Hehehe..."
"What are you smiling at?"
"A rather interesting idea just crossed my mind. But doing this might be a bit unfair to Augurev. If she were revived, she’d probably yell, 'This isn't fair!'"
"High Priest, this subordinate doesn't understand."
The High Priest pointed to the distant sky. "If I offered you the most precious opportunity for tempering in this world, would you take it?"
"Yes."
Karen did not hesitate for a second, giving an immediate affirmative answer.
"Very good." The High Priest opened his right hand. "Your hand."
Karen placed his left hand over the High Priest's right. It was neither warm nor fleshy, but rather cold and boney, pressing firmly against his skin.
The High Priest slowly closed his eyes, and Karen closed his as well.
At this moment, their souls connected.
However, the High Priest's soul did not proactively intrude; instead, he lowered his defenses, allowing Karen to approach proactively.
At first, Mobiten did not think much of it. But when he sensed the dense soul aura radiating from the two of them, a thought struck him like thunder: the High Priest was the inheritor of Tyrannus, yet Karen's soul could actually resonate and merge with him?
The guard captain's perception—no, his imagination—was truly limited. Now, only one thought resonated in his mind: *Just how terrifying is this young man's soul power?*
The High Priest's voice rang from the depths of the soul, simultaneously echoing across the heavens.
The ethereal silhouette of a cross flickered faintly in the air.
Ice-Sealing Knight Sigman said, "Tyrannus, even if they just ate a little, there won't be any surprises if we want to drag them down to die with us."
Undying Knight Milogar said, "You already helped Augurev once. There’s no need for you to step in this time. Save it for the next."
Radiant Light Knight Leftina chuckled. "Although I'd love to see you up close again, it still feels like a loss."
Tyrannus said, "I had no intention of intervening this time. I trust your strength. I only helped Augurev because she was facing two Gods of Life.
"However, I do need to ask a favor of you. There is a young man in our church with decent talent. Take him along to experience the atmosphere of a divine battle. It will be of great help to his growth."
Leftina asked, "Is he the child of your inheritor?"
Tyrannus said, "No."
"Heh, I have no interest in babysitting a kid I don't know, no matter how talented he is."
Milogar asked, "Aren't you worried about overdrawing his potential? If he truly has talent, there’s no need to rush right now. Once the era turns, he can achieve far better development."
"It won't."
Milogar averted her gaze. Clearly, she wasn't interested either.
According to the traditions of the last era, any mission issued by Tyrannus would inevitably be carried out and executed, because much of the time, Tyrannus represented the Lord's will.
It was just that everyone had the right to lack enthusiasm and initiative, and simply wait for Tyrannus to call on them by name.
Sigman shook her head. "We haven't seen each other for an entire era, yet you two are still so tactless. Never mind, no need to name anyone specifically. I'll do it."
Tyrannus responded, "Congratulations."
"Thank you for entrusting me with such a glorious task, Tyrannus. I really didn't expect that after enduring such a long, torturous seal, the first thing I’d do upon returning is babysit a kid."
On the cross, between Tyrannus's brows, a wisp of black radiance emerged. This was Karen's soul consciousness, and it was projected toward Sigman.
On the ice plain, the Order logistics supply base remained safe, housing quite a few clerics. Everyone gazed up toward the sky, like ants looking up at a dramatic theatrical performance on a human stage.
Therefore, even though communication and teleportation were currently severed, at least here, there were no secrets.
Diknuo said, "The High Priest wants the young master to experience what Mr. Diss felt when our Lord possessed him not long ago."
"Yes, exactly." Alfred opened *Light of the New Order* once more. "I will record this moment. Furthermore, once things wrap up here and we leave the ice plain, I will take charge of spreading the word. I want the entire church to know that the young master not only earned the High Priest's recognition, but also the recognition of the church's revered lords, and was personally fostered by them."
"What is the point of doing that?"
"To ensure that Acting High Priest Kred remains an acting one forever."
"No, what I mean is, if the young master reveals his true identity, Kred wouldn't even dare claim the title of 'acting.' Previously, we worried about High Priest Norton. Now, as you said, Tyrannus seems to know already."
"Then guess why the High Priest doesn't announce it? Wouldn't this be tremendously inspiring news?"
"Oh, I understand."
"A God of Order who has long returned, a God of Order who is fully prepared to take over—that is our Church of Order's most vital trump card up to this point. This card must be played last for maximum effect."
"You're right."
***
Karen opened his eyes. His physical body was still standing on the ice plain beside the High Priest's wheelchair, but his soul consciousness had already arrived in Sigman's ice-sealed divine kingdom.
This place was a domain of dead silence. Compared to this, the Whip-Wielder’s office looked like a miniature igloo built by a tundra savage.
A voice rang from above, filled with disdain and pride. Of course, the emotion was not directed at anyone in particular.
"Little friend, pick one."
Karen slowly raised his head to look upward. He instinctively sought resonance with the master of this divine kingdom, just as looking someone in the face when speaking to them was basic politeness.
"Huh?"
The disdain and pride vanished from the voice, replaced by Sigman's confusion. She seemed to notice something amiss.
A chilling wind blew through the divine kingdom, as if someone with blurred vision was breathing onto a windowpane and wiping it clean to see more clearly.
Amidst the howling wind and snow, the colossal figure of a sculpture appeared behind Karen, shielding his soul from any intrusion.
"Eh?"
The confusion deepened further.
The wind and snow suddenly surged, perhaps thinking it still hadn't looked closely enough—no, probably believing it was seeing things, desperately scrubbing away in refusal to accept it.
With this display, those who knew better would understand Karen had been sent in for a trial; those who didn't might think the High Priest was trying to murder Karen by another's hand, burying him inside this ice-sealed divine kingdom.
*Roar!*
The hunger addiction grew furious, feeling insulted. Chains of Order erupted from its form, attempting to bind this space and hold back the blizzard.
"Ah?!"
Sigman let out an incredulous gasp, meaning she was finally certain she wasn't seeing things.
*Rumble!*
The ice sheet beneath Karen's feet began rising rapidly. In the blink of an eye, he stood at the highest vantage point in the very center of the divine kingdom.
When Karen looked back, he also discovered an ice-sealed throne had appeared behind him.
Far below, Sigman's figure appeared upon the ice. Like an ordinary ascetic believer, she stepped out of the swirling snow, arriving before the supreme existence.
She crossed her arms over her chest, bowing deeply as she spoke with reverent sincerity:
"Praise be to the great God of Order."
She did not address him as "my Lord," meaning Sigman already knew Karen's identity and understood the distinction.
The one seated at the boundary of eras was the Lord they followed; the one before her was the next-generation God of Order, the inheritor personally appointed by the Lord.
Karen similarly crossed his arms in return:
"Praise be to great Order. I am not your god. Your god is still in the heavens. You belong to her, and to Order."
Sigman smiled. "No, great God. I suspect that was merely an excuse Tyrannus concocted because she didn't want to kneel and bow to you."
"I don't think that's the case."
"It definitely is. Tyrannus always likes to find ways others cannot manage, deliberately displaying her special relationship with the Lord to set herself apart from us."
This behavior and mindset struck Karen as oddly familiar.
"Great God, it is my utmost honor to have such an opportunity to experience a battle alongside you."
Sigman bowed once more.
Karen said, "The honor is mine."
"It is a pity that fighting alongside you must be limited to this single time."
"There is no need for regret. You have already followed her and seen all the scenery there is to see."
Sigman asked, "Great God, did you communicate with Tyrannus in this manner as well?"
"Yes."
Sigman said with a hint of indignation, "I bet she was thrilled to death."
"I feel we’ve delayed here a bit too long. I worry about changes outside."
"No, great God, you need not worry. Time can be frozen within this divine kingdom. The Rebel Dragon God once fetched the Apple of Time for our Lord, and we all shared a portion, which allowed us to assist our Lord in sealing off the eras.
"The moment I realized your uniqueness, I arranged the power of time within this divine kingdom."
"The expenditure must be immense, right?"
"We are already on the brink of decay. We have... no time left anyway.
"Yet being able to spend our final moments on you makes it all worthwhile.
"Great God, please choose your opponent. Though the outcome will inevitably be mutual destruction for her and me, I will display a complete process for you to the best of my ability."
"The God of Thunder."
"Thy will be done."
The next instant, Karen's perspective began to shift. His vision and perception gradually synchronized with Sigman's. He could even clearly experience the power residing above a godhead.
This feeling was difficult to describe in words. It carried a hint of terror, because one would fear being unable to face their true self after it ended.
"Panrol."
The ice phoenix soared over, transforming into a suit of battle armor that draped over Sigman's body.
Sigman raised her hand. Within the logistics supply base, a bronze chest opened, and a spear was summoned, flying forth and rapidly expanding until it landed in Sigman's grip. This was her exclusive divine artifact: the Polar Spear.
Clad in armor and bearing arms, Sigman turned toward the God of Thunder and spoke:
"I—one of the Twelve Knights beneath the great God of Order, Sigman the Ice-Sealer—challenge Thunder!"
Leftina asked in confusion, "Sigman, do you really need to be so formal?"
Milogar asked curiously, "Even if he's the bastard child of Tyrannus's inheritor, you don't need to give him this much face, do you?"
Sigman swept a cold gaze across Leftina and Milogar, like a warning, leaving the two even more bewildered.
The God of Thunder gave neither acceptance nor refusal. In this environment, she had no real choice, because these three Knights of Order clearly intended to drag them all down into oblivion. How the process unfolded was supposed to be meaningless.
Sigman raised her spear, her voice sweeping over the entire scene like the surrounding ice and snow:
"Ice-Sealing Knight Sigman is universally recognized as the strongest among the Twelve Knights."
Sitting in his wheelchair with his eyes closed, the High Priest curved his lips into a smile and cursed softly:
"Shameless."
Chapter 924