Bieta knew that betraying the ancestors was intolerable, but he could not fathom who had leaked the secret.
Only his closest confidants and a handful of individuals knew of this.
Still, since the Federation's New Church had accepted him, they had provided him with certain safeguards precisely to weather such occasions. Even so, he could tell something was amiss today, and fearing unexpected turns, he had to secure an escape route.
Amaru gave a very brief acknowledgment.
Bieta steadied his nerves and stepped forward under the gaze of the crowd. Placing a hand over his chest, he declared, "I, Bieta, descendant of Lasukayin, swear here that I have not betrayed our ancestors, betrayed the All Spirits, or betrayed Kawatua."
His voice was loud and firm. After speaking, no abnormality manifested upon him, and relief instantly washed over his heart.
It seemed nothing had gone wrong.
Yet at that very moment, he noticed the strange looks the crowd was casting his way. He glanced down at himself, but found nothing out of the ordinary.
Standing to the side, however, Amaru could clearly see wisps of black smoke rising from his back. His hair was withering and falling out strand by strand, held back only by an underlying force that kept the corruption from seeping into his flesh.
Though Bieta could not see it, he gradually sensed that something was terribly wrong. Quick on his feet, he immediately hissed, "Get me out of here!"
"Understood!"
Amaru reached out to support his back, looking as though he were about to carry him away. But then his fingers snapped shut—*crack*—instantly breaking Bieta's spine.
Bieta's body went limp, and he slumped to the ground.
A chorus of gasps rippled through the surroundings, quickly giving rise to a commotion that was swiftly quelled by the guards. The surrounding guards were equally stunned, yet not a single one dared step forward; all froze in place.
Chen Chuan witnessed the scene and glanced at Deputy Delegation Leader Lu. The latter shook his head slightly, clearly unaware of this development beforehand.
Amaru walked around to the front of Bieta and crouched down, staring at him expressionlessly.
Struggling to prop up his upper body, Bieta stared at the face leaning close to him, demanding in disbelief and fury, "Why?"
He could not understand why Amaru would do this. His first thought was that the man had switched allegiances, but that was impossible. Amaru had renounced the ancestors alongside him and joined the New Church; that could not be faked, or else Bieta would never have placed such trust in him.
"Why?"
Amaru said, "Do you remember? The High Priest's son was originally meant to be sent to Great Shun to study. Yet you sent him alongside your own son to the Federation as hostages. How did the High Priest treat you before? Is this how you repay his trust?"
The High Priest he referred to was not the woman standing on the platform above, but her grandson. That young man had been generous and kind-hearted, yet lacked conviction of his own. Later, he had fallen ill with a strange disease, allowing noble factions to divide and manipulate the priesthood, plunging them into severe internal strife for a long time afterward.
"So what?"
Bieta still did not understand. What did any of that have to do with Amaru?
Amaru said coldly, "He was my son."
Bieta froze completely. He had never imagined such an answer. At the same time, another thought struck him, and his expression changed. "So you planned this from the very beginning?"
Amaru made no attempt to conceal it. "Yes. Because you are the descendant of a hero, a high noble of Kawatua. Bound by ritual, there was nothing I could do to you. So I had no choice but to take this path. And now, I have finally found my chance."
He let out a low sneer. "Now you have lost the ancestors' final shelter and acknowledgment. No one can protect you anymore."
"Wait! I know where your son is!" Bieta blurted out frantically.
Amaru's gaze remained indifferent.
Alarm struck Bieta. "What? Has something happened to him?"
Amaru said nothing. According to the news he had received, shortly after his child arrived at the foot of the mountain, the boy had contracted an illness and died. Those Federation guests had cared nothing for his life; they had simply buried his body haphazardly.
In their eyes, he was merely a playmate procured for Bieta's son. A child of a fallen High Priest was hardly worth their consideration.
Amaru glanced up at the High Priestess, then placed a hand atop Bieta's head. "My path of atonement begins with you."
Sensing his intent, horror flooded Bieta's eyes. He wanted to speak, but with a sharp *crack*, his head split open like a watermelon.
The High Priestess saw it, yet not a ripple of emotion showed on her face.
Amaru looked up at the platform, then turned his gaze upon the nobles gathered below. He bore certain rituals granted by the Federation that allowed him to circumvent the native rites for a brief time. He could have struck down Bieta long ago, but doing so would have been meaningless.
As a Divine Guard of Kawatua, he owed Kawatua far greater contributions. He leaped forward violently, hurtling in an instant toward the nobles who leaned toward the Federation and held vile reputations. As his figure flickered past, bodies burst apart one after another.
He moved too swiftly for even the nearby Sacred Land Warriors to react. By the time he came to a halt, nothing remained on the ground but severed limbs and shattered flesh.
Only then did the others notice the carnage, erupting into shrill screams and wails.
Chen Chuan saw it clearly. In that fleeting instant, Amaru had slaughtered eighty-seven nobles of various ranks, all of whom appeared to stand with the Federation.
As for the man himself—
The mutated tissue within his body was already collapsing. Under the backlash of the ritual powers, he was rapidly succumbing to death. In truth, that fate had been sealed the moment he struck, held at bay only because another power was delaying its onset, allowing him to remain on his feet until now.
At that moment, Amaru glanced ahead and threw himself forward, leaping toward the Great Temple of Hatikan. His trajectory pointed straight at the spot where the High Priestess and Chen Chuan stood.
Yet this time, his movements were so deliberate that everyone below could see him clearly, drawing gasps of terror from the crowd.
Up above, Ikus made no move, and the High Priestess watched in silence.
Chen Chuan saw Amaru's fist coming toward him, the man's eyes carrying a flicker of persistence and longing.
Chen Chuan raised his hand to meet the incoming strike, blocking the fist head-on. Amaru was halted dead in mid-air as orange-red flames erupted from his body.
Yet no matter how fiercely those flames flared, they could not drive him forward by even an inch.
Amaru saw a gleam of platinum light shimmer across Chen Chuan's palm, squarely holding his fist in place. Amazement and admiration surfaced in his eyes, accompanied by serene relief.
Countless cracks fractured across his face and body, cleaving the spiritual fire into fragmented shards. He dissolved into a brilliant mass of orange-red blaze in mid-air, which then burst apart with a resounding roar.
To the onlookers, it appeared that the maddened Amaru had launched a desperate assault against the High Priestess, only to be shattered by Chen Chuan with a single strike.
"A demigod..."
Amidst their lingering terror, the people looked on with unreserved awe and reverence.
Chen Chuan slowly drew back his fist, letting the spiritual fire on his hand dissipate. In the end, he had granted the man a taste of the power he had sought, fulfilling his final wish.
Two Sacred Land Warriors stepped forward nervously, but the High Priestess waved a hand to signal that all was well. How could she fail to perceive Amaru's purpose? He had used a purge to carve out the festering rot of Kawatua, allowing their land to be reborn.
Off to the side, Xin Hongtu stared blankly for a second before pure exhilaration welled up within him.
Though he did not know the full story, he was a sharp man and could tell that the Divine Guard had stood in opposition to Bieta all along.
Not only had Amaru killed Bieta, but he had also wiped out the appeasement faction and a number of disreputable high nobles. Nothing could have been better.
Xin Hongtu had been racking his brains over how to deal with Bieta and his cohort, yet Amaru's rampage had resolved the dilemma in one fell swoop while easing countless internal grievances.
He quietly noted this contribution. It was impossible to do so now, but he resolved to restore Amaru's name in the future.
The High Priestess bowed slightly toward Chen Chuan. "Mr. Chen, thank you for your rescue."
Chen Chuan said, "High Priestess, the rest is your internal affair. If there is anything you require, you may discuss it directly with Deputy Delegation Leader Lu."
"Thank you, Mr. Chen," the High Priestess said. "We will handle it properly."
Without further words, Chen Chuan stepped down the stairs and rejoined the Great Shun Delegation. Turning to Deputy Delegation Leader Lu, he said, "Deputy Delegation Leader Lu, I leave the follow-up matters in your hands."
Deputy Delegation Leader Lu said solemnly, "Rest assured, Section Chief Chen. Leave everything to me."
Chen Chuan nodded, boarded the carriage, and departed amidst the reverent gazes of the First People.
Seeing the situation brought under control so swiftly, Deputy Delegation Leader Lu felt a surge of excitement. This was the true significance of a martial artist. In today's world, force was everything. They had expended so much effort and executed countless maneuvers, yet none could match the directness and efficacy of absolute strength.
By assisting Section Chief Chen in resolving this crisis, the merit on his record upon returning would undoubtedly secure him another step upward.
At his age, missing this window would leave him with no further chances. But if he could take this step forward, reaching even greater heights was not out of the question.
***
Leaving the plaza behind, Chen Chuan returned directly to the manor where he was staying.
After washing up and changing into casual attire, he sat upon the couch and retrieved the items gifted to him by Ikus.
First was the red round stone.
He weighed it in his hand. If he was not mistaken, it was an essence of blood carrying the condensed life energy of the Feathered Serpent God.
He had thought from the beginning that if given to Chaoming, it might help the creature attain the beyond-limit level and become a beyond-limit beast. However, there was a problem that had to be addressed first.
Chapter 1237