Winter nights arrived exceptionally early in Creti.
The setting sun's brief visit soon slipped quietly away.
As if brushed with a wash of pale ink, the horizon gave way to a night sky hung with stardust and a silver moon.
After spending the afternoon on the second floor of the Brierda Opera House discussing serious business with friends, Lanqi returned to Saint Creti Monastery with Talia and Sigrid.
And, of course, the *little sister* who had tagged along.
"Whoa, wow..."
No matter what caught her eye outside the carriage window, Iphatia looked thoroughly thrilled and delighted.
The main grounds of Saint Creti Monastery were threaded by verdant, tree-lined avenues, clear brooks babbling past, with marble towers and flying buttresses visible at every turn.
Having spent so long without leaving the Brierda Mafia's underground palace in the port district, she had not experienced such a normal, free life in ages.
The carriage came to a stop before a distinctive residence.
Without hesitation, Iphatia pushed open the door and hopped down, gazing around at her new dwelling.
What met her eyes was a classical two-story building. Its milky-white walls cast a soft glow under the streetlamps, while azure-tiled eaves and somewhat dark-brown window lattices gave it the look of decades of architectural history.
The residence assigned to Landry by Saint Creti Monastery was actually a two-story villa.
Though not as lavish as her ducal manor in Hutton, staying here for a month or so would be wonderful.
Right now, Iphatia wished upon every star and moon for the whole family to reunite and return to Ikerite with their friends and loved ones. Word was that Antanas, Sinora, Pranay, and Almis were all in Ikerite—their loving demon family was practically going to be assembled in full!
"Is there anything we need to buy?" Sigrid asked Lanqi after stepping down from the carriage.
With more people in the house now, they might run short on ingredients.
"No need. I order plenty of ingredients every time; the two of you can eat your fill."
Lanqi considered it and figured that he, Sigrid, Iphatia, and Boss Cat wouldn't make much of a difference anyway.
Even if a few more people joined, it would be the same.
Adding one to a hundred only made a hundred and one—essentially negligible compared to the original hundred.
"What do you mean by that?"
Talia was already glaring at Lanqi.
"I said they shouldn't hold back," Lanqi said, picking up his pace toward the residence.
"Really? Then why were you doing math in your head?" Talia pressed on, following right behind him.
Lanqi's spoken words were polite, but his inner thoughts were utterly condemnable.
"Cross my heart."
Following the courtyard path, they arrived at the front door.
Lanqi pushed open the heavy entrance and stepped into the villa that belonged to him in the Creti Empire.
"Am I staying in the first-floor guest room?"
Iphatia scampered through the foyer, eager to reach the living room.
She had long been curious about what her sister's home looked like.
On the coffee table beside an off-white sofa sat freshly replaced moth orchids from that afternoon. Outside the French windows lay a meticulously tended garden, while the pathway they had just walked was illuminated by warm yellow footlights.
"Yes. I'll tidy up the room for you, so you can settle right in. For pajamas, you'll probably have to wear mine for now; they might be a little big on you, but we'll buy you some tomorrow," Talia explained as she gave Iphatia a quick tour of the guest room along the first-floor hallway.
A large bed in the bedroom was made up with plush bedding, robes hung neatly inside the wardrobe, and a bathtub sat by the window. When Iphatia twisted the faucet, hot water gushed forth.
"Okay, okay!"
Iphatia nodded repeatedly and followed her sister back out.
Ever since she was little, this unrelated elder sister had looked after her like a mother, leading her to abandon all thoughts of vengeance and seamlessly assimilate into the Demon King's Palace as a pampered, do-nothing princess.
Having a big sister was truly wonderful.
"Boss Cat, I might have to trouble you with dinner tonight. I'm afraid Lanqi will blow himself up while engraving his tier."
Talia looked down at the shadow beneath Lanqi's feet in the living room.
Though she had no idea how Lanqi had suddenly procured the engraving materials, assisting him with the engraving was no problem.
"Oh, right. Tata needs to help me engrave my tier."
Lanqi gave an understanding nod.
Generally speaking, in addition to engraving materials with Link or Mechanical attributes, one also needed the assistance of a magic artisan.
He could manage on his own, but with a master artisan like Tata helping, success would be far more assured.
"Meow?"
A black cat head popped out from the shadow and floated up into the air.
The household seemed unexpectedly harmonious; none of the things it had worried about had occurred.
Even if Talia and Sigrid might still get jealous of each other from time to time or squabble over Lanqi, for the sake of innocent little sister Iphatia, neither would allow discord in this home.
"No problem, meow," Boss Cat agreed.
It had thought it was on the verge of being phased out, yet here it was, seemingly indispensable once again.
"Oh! Kitty, you're Tier 6 now?"
Iphatia swept the little black loaf floating in midair into her arms, exclaiming in pleasant surprise.
Boss Cat had been especially fond of hiding in shadows today, so Iphatia hadn't caught sight of it earlier on the second floor of the Brierda Opera House.
The last time she had seen it, it was still Tier 5.
Who would have thought it had advanced an entire tier so quickly!
"..."
Lanqi and Talia fell silent for a moment, at a loss for how to explain that this was actually a Tier 9 divine beast.
"Just destroy it all. Hurry it up."
Boss Cat had no desire to explain anything anymore.
It couldn't even be bothered to say "meow."
"This house is full of daily quests. Everyone is doing their dailies," Sigrid muttered to herself, resting her chin on her hand from where she sat on the sofa.
All she had to do was wait for dinner. There didn't seem to be anything she needed to do around the house, and she was sharing a room with Tata, which Tata had already sorted out. It was obvious at a glance that Tata was very good at keeping house.
"Then I'll head upstairs to the study to help Lanqi engrave his tier. If all goes smoothly, it should take half an hour to an hour. I'll leave dinner to you, Boss Cat."
Talia was Lanqi's best assistant; they had been collaborating on card crafting from the very start.
"To be honest, I'm really curious about your cooking, Tata."
Sigrid was originally supposed to taste it at noon today, but due to certain accidents, Boss Cat had ended up as head chef.
She could only lean back on the sofa and grumble.
"Plus one!"
Iphatia also raised her hand high.
She had never seen her sister cook back in the Demon Realm.
Hearing that her sister could cook now, Iphatia dreamed of witnessing her culinary skills.
"I'll cook for you tomorrow," Talia said helplessly.
The house had truly become lively.
At first, it had just been Lanqi, her, and Boss Cat.
Abigail and Toliado were locals and might drop by to discuss important matters.
It practically felt like a gathering.
Aside from that, even if there were a few empty guest rooms left, there shouldn't be any more visitors.
"We'll wait for you."
"Let's eat dinner together!"
Sigrid and Iphatia waved to them.
Lanqi and Talia gave brief nods and climbed the stairs.
They reached the second floor.
Compared to the first, the second floor featured a smaller entryway living room and had a cozier, more lived-in atmosphere.
Of course, their primary destination was the study.
Opening the door, bookshelves lined all four walls. Reinforced and arranged by Talia, the space doubled as a magic engineering workshop.
This was where Lanqi usually used communication magic or crafted cards.
The bright winter moon cast its light through the French windows; outside, fallen leaves were faintly visible in the night.
Lanqi flicked on the light. The once-tidy workshop now had blueprints pinned all across its walls.
"Lanqi, where are your materials?"
Talia had been puzzled all along about where Lanqi had conjured engraving materials out of thin air.
After all, she and Lanqi had barely been apart the entire way.
Of course...
Could it be that Lanqi just wanted an excuse to be alone with her in the study for a while?
If there was no engraving result, he could just head downstairs and claim it failed.
He could even reuse that excuse again and again to get her alone in a room.
The more Talia thought about it, the more likely the latter seemed.
It was obvious.
She could see right through her disciple's little schemes.
Sure enough.
Lanqi drew closer.
Talia took a step back with feigned aloofness, crossing one arm over her chest to clasp her elbow, and perched on the edge of the desk, turning her face away from him.
Yet her heartbeat quickened slightly, unsure of what Lanqi wanted to say or do.
"Look."
Lanqi gently raised his hand, and a holy crest emerged in his palm.
"Uh..."
Talia blinked as orange light flashed across her vision. Turning her head slowly, she saw that an actual crest truly rested in Lanqi's palm.
The holy crest was a dazzling sun radiating blistering radiance, golden flames extending outward into a corona. At the tip of each ray was set a brilliant gemstone that shimmered with varied hues under the light, as if embodying the diverse emotions and powers awakened by love in people's hearts.
These arcs of light intertwined, both finite and boundless.
[Proof of Cardinal - Passionate Love]
[Type: Equipment Card]
[Rarity: Orange Epic]
[Attributes: Link / Seal]
[Tier: 0]
[Effect: Identification proof of the Cardinal of Passionate Love; can also be used by the Overbearing Cardinal. Capable of crafting Proofs of Resurrection of various grades for the Passionate Love Branch; inflicts special attack and intimidation effects on holders of lower-grade Proofs of Resurrection; can locate the approximate positions of clerics within the same branch; can discern the authenticity of Proofs of Resurrection displayed by other branches. Can open the Cardinal Council Chamber, Arena of Fatal Combat, and bishop election ritual.]
[Remark: Holder: Lanqi Wilfort.]
"Proof of Cardinal... Passionate Love?"
Talia stared at it in confusion.
"And isn't 'Passionate Love' the name of my Demon King form?"
In an instant, her astonishment eclipsed any embarrassment from her earlier wild thoughts.
"You became that Demon King by fusing after borrowing six of my seals. Logically, my share was the majority, so 'Passionate Love' should actually be my title," Lanqi explained.
"That's true..."
Talia realized.
If Lanqi were truly a demon and manifested a Great Demon true name, it would likely be the Lord of Passionate Love. In that case, there was nothing wrong with the Proof of Cardinal bearing the title Cardinal of Passionate Love.
"Still, after I fused with Lanfu to become the Demon King, the title ended up being yours... It just feels a bit strange..." Talia mumbled, recalling the feeling.
It was almost as if Lanqi had inscribed his name on her.
"What on earth are you thinking, Master?"
Even without the Poet of Great Love, Lanqi could occasionally follow Talia's erratic train of thought now.
"Right, where did you get this holy crest?"
Talia looked back and forth between Lanqi's face and the radiant corona.
Lanqi became a cardinal?!
Talia still found it somewhat surreal, yet because it was so utterly absurd in every aspect, she actually began to accept it.
"This is the final power Old Sang left me," Lanqi said gratified, curling his fingers slightly as he looked down at his hand.
"To hell with your Old Sang! Did he pass down literally everything to you?"
Ever since Talia found out who Old Sang was, she refused to buy Lanqi's emotionally charged remarks.
It was bad enough that the kid took Old Sang's magic cards and Original Slate: Seal.
Now he'd even swiped his Proof of Cardinal.
Turns out Old Sang was just your personal loot package!
"Alright, time to get down to business, Master," Lanqi said, his tone growing serious.
Under the workshop lights, Lanqi could clearly see the light flowing within the radiant corona crest, miraculous ancient magic shimmering within.
This was a divine-era relic of the Resurrection Church.
"Mm."
Talia and Lanqi walked unhurriedly over to the workbench, which was covered in calculations and proportions Talia had previously prepared for him, along with pre-arranged auxiliary materials.
The Proof of Cardinal was inherently versatile with exceptional compatibility, making it suitable to substitute for nearly any type of engraving material.
There was no need to change what Talia had prepared for him.
"Let's begin."
Talia stopped staring at the holy crest and refocused on the workbench.
All the equipment in the study workshop had been replaced with top-of-the-line models purchased from the Creti Empire Magic Artisans Association.
After clearing out ample space on the bench, Talia took three partitioned trays filled with Link-attribute materials from a three-tiered cart beside her, rechecking the proportions she had determined beforehand.
Placing them beside the workbench and with Lanqi assisting her, Talia processed the materials with calm focus and practiced skill.
The clock in the study ticked away.
Several minutes passed before they knew it.
"Lanqi, are you ready?"
Talia set down the last processed material, ready for immediate use, and asked Lanqi, who was waiting nearby.
The upcoming process would be akin to treating Lanqi as a vessel to craft a Tier 7 magic artifact; he might endure pain, immense pressure, or danger.
Yet Talia believed that with Lanqi's state of mind and her own skill, she could definitely guide him through on the first attempt.
"Yes," Lanqi replied.
"Wait, Master, could you be a bit colder? I feel like that would help me focus better," he added as if suddenly remembering something.
"I'm not cold enough?" Talia asked, a flicker of distraction passing through her golden eyes.
"Just bring back that original flavor—like I owe you money. Give me that feeling of having a strict master glaring down my neck. You're completely different now..."
"Like this?"
Talia's gaze gradually turned frigid, as though thinking Lanqi didn't know what was good for him.
That familiar, icy stare instantly ratcheted up Lanqi's pressure.
"That's the stuff," Lanqi praised, giving her a thumbs-up.
"Idiot."
Talia gave Lanqi a light rap on the head, catching him off guard, while her aura reverted back to her usual demeanor at home.
"What was that for?" Lanqi asked, rubbing his head in confusion.
"You need to relax, that's what. There's no need to be as tense as when crafting cards. Just leave your body to me; I'll guide you," Talia said softly. Gone was the aloofness from their early days in South Vantina Territory; she was already the ash-haired girl who had shared life and death with Lanqi.
"Is that so?" Lanqi asked, dazed.
"Yes. A good mindset has always been your strength, so keep it up," Talia acknowledged gently.
Lanqi nodded.
Without lingering, Talia dipped her fingertips into the magic ink—mixed from finely ground Seal-attribute magic crystal powder and Link-specialized magic core fluid—and lightly touched Lanqi's forehead, spine, and temples.
The moment he came into contact with the harmonized magic ink, the mana within Lanqi resonated and synchronized with it, as though the ink Talia concocted actively catered to Lanqi's mana.
Without needing inspection or measurement, Lanqi was certain Talia had formulated the perfect ratio for him.
He closed his eyes, feeling the flow of mana. Talia's mana began seeping along the resonance into his mana pathways, rewriting an expanded structure capable of bearing greater power.
As the light of Talia's manifested mana gradually gleamed beneath Lanqi's closed eyelids, the engraving process entered its most crucial step: modifying and enchanting the core material, using it as a cornerstone to endow his body with extended connections for his magic circuits.
The entire process demanded absolute focus from the engraver and total relaxation of body and mind from the recipient, achieving a profound synchronization of two bodies and one heart.
As Talia steadily inscribed the spell runes woven from both their manas into every calculated pathway, the translated and adapted hybrid script of human and Demon Magic Script writhed densely like a hive within Lanqi's body, intricate and complex.
The two poured their whole hearts into the engraving; no matter how great a commotion the outside world might make, it had nothing to do with the space inside this study.
Gradually, the concept of time slipped away.
The second hand of the study clock turned circle after circle.
Until the night over Brierda deepened and darkness swallowed the world beyond the second-floor curtains, only the warm, soft light remained within the room.
Lanqi sat before the workbench, transparent arcs of mana radiating outward from his body with a palpable sense of danger. Even his own mana fluctuations could not stabilize, twisting ceaselessly under the high pressure.
At this moment, he resembled a magic card on the verge of exploding.
Yet Lanqi felt no fear, placing absolute trust in Talia. Even if Talia were to kill him, he would still yield to her whole-heartedly without the slightest resistance.
"Lanqi, don't be afraid. It's almost done."
Talia stood before him, her eyes fixed intently on his face as she linked together the magic imprints engraved around [Proof of Cardinal - Passionate Love] within his body, establishing a complete circulation pathway for his mana that would allow him to sustain himself once his mana recovered.
Lanqi had undoubtedly been enduring severe pain for some time.
"I trust you, Master."
Yet Lanqi's eyes remained closed and his expression calm throughout, as though this had long been anticipated.
Compared to his previous experience in the Mirror of Tyberius, this was nothing.
"Heh heh. Seems you really are willing to entrust your life to me. Not bad—a good disciple."
Hearing that, Talia said no more, pouring all her concentration into the final coordination.
Perhaps because both were so thoroughly engrossed, the drastic surge in Lanqi's mana reserves no longer registered in their minds; right up until the final instant when the circuit settled, neither wavered in the slightest.
His mana began to multiply exponentially.
Amidst a surging ocean, it gradually stabilized, settling into calm...
"Phew."
Talia lifted her hand from Lanqi's head and exhaled in relief.
No one understood the characteristics of Lanqi's mana better than she did.
They were partners who had co-crafted the Tier 8 Epic magic card [Overflowing Land of Gentle Slumber]; having her assist Lanqi in engraving his tier was simply the perfect match.
"Tier 7 really is completely different."
Lanqi sensed his own strength, estimating that even if Talia wanted to do him in now, it would take her quite some effort.
Already boasting remarkable spirit and physical endurance, upon reaching Tier 7 he had fully transformed into a magic tank with immense spell resistance and vitality.
Yet reaching Tier 7, the most important matter was that he could finally use that magic card of his.
Lanqi raised his hand as usual, and a red sphere of light manifested.
The magic card gradually awakened in his grasp.
The card face was entirely pitch-black, a deep, devouring darkness resembling condensed gloom from an endless abyss, yet seemingly alive.
[Decree of Eternal Punishment: Black Sun Tyrant]
[Type: Spell Card]
[Rarity: Red Legendary]
[Attribute: Seal]
[Tier: 7]
[Effect: Upon activation, continuously expends mana to lock the vital state of a single target.]
[Remark: Roll the die and choose your steps forward. A single misstep plunges one into the abyss of Naraka; though the road stretches without end, one can only grow accustomed to regret until all dissolves into memory.]
In an instant, Lanqi completed the soul-binding; the card fused into one with his soul the moment it touched it.
The sharpening card surface became a doorway leading to an unknown domain, dense alchemical patterns coiling and winding over the red light, looking as if they might burst free at any second and transform into terrifying monstrosities.
The red light shattered and dispersed completely like glass.
The magic card calmed down as well, turning into a translucent card engraved with a black blazing sun.
"Want to test its effect?"
Talia observed this wondrous Red Legendary card from the side.
Although she had been terrified of Lanqi using [Immortal Eternal Punishment] in the Shadow World, this sublimated version, [Decree of Eternal Punishment: Black Sun Tyrant], no longer carried negative side effects.
"This spell feels remarkably familiar," Lanqi smiled contentedly.
He finally knew a proper spell.
Immediately, he cast Decree of Eternal Punishment: Black Sun Tyrant.
In an instant, a surging black mist of mana began flooding the study before their eyes.
The barrier magic stabilizing the wall bookshelves began to fluctuate as if pulled along.
The lights suddenly dimmed.
Lanqi and Talia saw colossal mana gathering in midair, radiating fluctuations akin to the black sun yet far more dread-inducing, like the supreme might of the Demon Realm.
The black mist of mana coalesced and wove together, causing the very air to tremble, until it finally enveloped Lanqi. It formed a black serpent around him, and at last, the swirling mist snapped inward, rushing into his face.
Throughout the entire process, he was guarded by an invisible force that prevented anything from coming within half an inch of him.
When the curse script etched by the black mist settled onto Lanqi's right cheek, the surrounding mana fluctuations subsided, the light faded, and everything returned to normal.
"..."
Lanqi stared quietly at his reflection on the tabletop.
It felt just about as he had imagined.
It was essentially Immortal Eternal Punishment, but it could be dismissed and recast at any time.
"Lanqi, your face..."
Talia reached out and touched his cheek.
She had long wanted to try wiping away that black brand, but back in the Mirror of Tyberius she lacked a physical form and couldn't lay hands on Lanqi.
The actual test confirmed that the mana brand wouldn't budge in the slightest.
"Wait, are you a mom? Seeing dirt on a kid's face and wanting to wipe it off?"
Speechless, Lanqi leaned back to dodge her hand.
He truly hadn't expected Talia to try wiping his face.
"Uh, I just thought a tattoo-like brand didn't really suit you. You look better clean and tidy. Still..."
Talia studied Lanqi, trailing off midway.
Those ferocious curse runes crawling and carved into Lanqi's cheek like a centipede, paired with his perpetually placid, indifferent expression—in this moment, it felt as though the invincible Pope from the Mirror of Tyberius had returned.
"Tata, try hitting me," Lanqi told Talia.
He had wanted to test this for a while.
Talia hesitated for a moment, clenched her fist, controlled her strength, and gave Lanqi's cheek a gentle punch.
Zero reaction, like hitting cotton.
Then she began putting force into it, landing several blows on Lanqi.
*Thud, thud, thud.*
Not a shred of damage, exactly as if he had activated an immunity field.
"Good heavens... I'm starting to suspect you're Tier 9," Talia said, staring at her fist in shock.
Even when fighting the Lord of Blasphemy Melogas, she hadn't felt that Melogas was this tanky.
At least in her Demon King of Passionate Love form she could chip away at Melogas's health bar, but hitting Lanqi in his Decree of Eternal Punishment: Black Sun Tyrant state provided literally zero feedback.
Talia finally empathized with the despair the Lord of Blasphemy Melogas had felt that day in the Shadow World when watching the Pope face-tank her ultimate.
Above all, it was Lanqi's unshakeable, towering Pope aura.
He was the genuine, indisputable Holy Polant Pope!
"Though this spell burns through mana fast," Lanqi noted with a nod, satisfied with the results.
He wasn't entirely sure whether Talia hitting harder and harder and looking thoroughly pleased afterward was a serious test or just an excuse to vent past grievances.
Based on his understanding of Immortal Eternal Punishment, locking the vital state of a lower-tier target consumed less mana, while locking a stronger target consumed significantly more.
As for locking his own Tier 7 state, he could already feel a distinct mana burn.
"How about you use me more instead?" Talia suggested.
The Demon King of Passionate Love was, after all, a genuine Tier 8 innate summon; when it came to fighting, the Demon King was much better at throwing down.
Besides, she didn't want Lanqi's mana drained dry by Decree of Eternal Punishment: Black Sun Tyrant—she needed to feed on Lanqi's mana herself!
"No, no, no. Master, you're the heavy-duty, high-power magic card; you shouldn't sell yourself short," Lanqi told her earnestly.
"I'm not heavy at all!" Talia protested indignantly on the spot.
"This Tier 7 spell card is household magic appliance wattage at best. When you take action, it's military-grade at the very least," Lanqi explained by way of analogy, hoping to give Talia an intuitive sense of the difference.
"Shut up, you little brat, drop your loot!"
Talia grabbed Lanqi by the neck and shook him. Since Lanqi couldn't die right now anyway, she could mess with him however she pleased!
She was married to Lanqi, so by law she was entitled to inherit his estate!
"Haha, stop it, that tickles!"
Lanqi couldn't feel pain or get hurt right now, so he only felt Talia tickling him.
The two began bickering and fooling around as usual.
Only after quite a while, when Talia grew tired from messing with him, did she let go.
"He really is sturdy. Total waste of energy," Talia sighed, shaking her head.
She didn't want to wrestle with this zero-attack, all-resistance boss monster anymore. Unless his mana ran out, there was no dealing with him.
Even if she disregarded the barriers in the study and unleashed her full might, she couldn't break Lanqi's defense.
Lanqi still had zero attack power, but his defensive power had reached Lancross's level.
Come to think of it, Lanqi was starting to feel like her endgame boss monster. There was no need to worry about the guy dying; just standing on the board, he would disgust the opponent.
"Are you going to use this spell on yourself most of the time?" Talia asked Lanqi.
In her view, Lanqi rarely needed this spell to seal others; using it to preserve his own life yielded the highest benefit.
"Of course," Lanqi nodded.
"Heh, just wait till I prepare a transformation spell with a white robe and silver mask. I'm going to Blood Moon City to tell Rasheal that I'm not dead—I won my revival match."
Lanqi glanced at the workbench, plotting ahead.
Chapter 816