An angel's wish?
Having already gained a modest impression of the upright moral character of the Weaver's divine faction, Yaxiu and Diya showed no sign of joy at the Bell-Listening Angel's kindness. Instead, they took a step back in unison and shook their heads. "No—"
"Very well. Your wish has indeed reached my ears."
By the time she finished her sentence, Bell had already appeared behind Diya. As Diya stepped backward, her head bumped right into Bell's bare navel. A single bell chime rang out, instantly freezing both Yaxiu and Diya in place. Helpless to move, they could only watch wide-eyed as the Bell-Listening Angel removed her exquisitely luxurious obsidian headphones, gently slipped them over Diya's head, and even thoughtfully adjusted the headband for a snug fit.
Then, she flicked the bell.
The bell swayed once, letting out the sound of raging flames searing the air.
Above Diya's head, an orb condensed to the size of a fist materialized, as golden and dazzling as a miniature sun... or rather, it was a sun!
A miniature sun!
The bell swayed twice, releasing the sound of moisture freezing into frost.
Beneath Diya's feet, a glacier ten thousand li wide instantly crystallized across the spiderweb. Pitch-black frost flooded their vision; glancing down revealed a bottomless ocean of ice, filling their hearts with a suffocating, oppressive terror just looking at it!
The bell swayed thrice, producing the whisper of a blowing breeze.
The airflow in the entire space seemed to plummet downward. A gentle breeze pierced every inch of their skin and every single cell from top to bottom, as if intending to scatter and dissolve them entirely!
The bell swayed four times, giving off the sound of falling petals.
Across the boundless glacier, endless blue roses burst into bloom. Their translucent petals, fresh and vivid as ice crystals, swayed gently, bending and skewing the very light around them!
The bell ceased its chimes, but those four rings were enough for Yaxiu and Diya to glimpse the tip of the iceberg of this Bell-Listening Angel's might—she was using the sound faction to play the myriad laws!
By reproducing the sounds of miracles and divine miracles, she recreated the miracles themselves!
Perhaps she had memorized them directly, or perhaps she had "stored" their sounds while witnessing the divine miracles of others. In any case, releasing the sound allowed her to manifest the corresponding divine miracle!
Sorcerers were already convinced that existences like angels and gods, even if not mastered in all factions, could project every law through a single discipline, leaving them without any exploitable weaknesses. Now, the Bell-Listening Angel gave the two a vivid demonstration of the chasm between an angel and a sorcerer—the vast gulf between "omnipotence" and "proficiency"!
And this was merely the Bell-Listening Angel serving beneath the Weaver. What kind of majesty did that great existence known as the All-Knowing Weaver possess?
At that moment, Bell drew out an object resembling a conductor's baton, and her aura shifted drastically. Describing an angel as "confident" felt like an understatement; if Igola were here, he could certainly have conjured far more ornate words to depict the scene—she was as confident as a maestro facing a world-class orchestra, proudly and freely waving her baton to guide the world in performing a magnificent symphony!
In an instant, Yaxiu and Diya heard the blazing sun singing aloud, the sinking wind murmuring, the blooming flowers providing backing vocals, and the deep sea plucking its strings!
Then Bell pointed toward Diya. Everything condensed proportionally and merged directly into Diya's soul!
Divine Miracle: World Fusion!
A miniature world suddenly manifested within Diya's soul, enfolding both the Gospel god and the Soul Summoning sorcery spirit inside. Within this pocket world lay a garden, a sun, gentle air currents, and a frozen glacier realm. Both Gospel and Soul Summoning rested peacefully inside. At the same time, Diya's other sorcery spirits seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. No longer cowering against the outer rim of her soul, they resumed chasing and tumbling after one another as usual.
In Diya's perception, the Gospel god and the Soul Summoning sorcery spirit seemed to have vanished, leaving behind only an unfamiliar three-winged sorcery spirit.
"World Fusion temporarily merges your multiple sorcery spirits into one, preventing them from leaking their aura or being detected while still allowing their effects to function."
Bell's voice came through the headphones: "If they were ordinary sorcery spirits, they would gradually fuse into a brand-new spirit. But Gospel obviously won't be assimilated. To it, this is merely moving into a more comfortable residence."
Diya had never expected an angel's wish to be something like this—yet it was truly what she needed. Since Yaxiu possessed the ability to inspect an operator's sorcery spirits, with the Bell-Listening Angel concealing the Gospel god, the Soul Summoning sorcery spirit, and the Secret Incarnation, she no longer had a fatal opening that would expose her identity.
However...
Since you've already done all this, why didn't you just raise my mental resistance and divine compatibility to one hundred percent so I wouldn't have to keep secrets anymore? Are you intentionally teasing me for fun?
"Fascinating. This is the first time I've seen a sorcerer eager to hand their soul over to an angel to knead."
Bell's voice was laced with amusement. "The authority of a conceptual incarnation isn't something an ordinary divine miracle can replace. Wanting your soul to be strong enough to house a god is hardly any different from wishing to become an angel—you'd have to burn the spiderweb to ashes before that could happen. The Bronze Dragon's blessing only granted a thirteen percent boost not because it was picking on you, but because it rewarded you to the absolute limits of its power. A mere Bronze Dragon of Time could originally only improve your compatibility with time faction gods."
Diya froze, recalling how the Bronze Dragon had rapidly dissipated after bestowing its blessing.
"That being said, I was indeed teasing you on purpose. By the way, give your new sorcery spirit a name."
A name?
Almost instinctively, a thought popped into Diya's mind: "Fairy Tale."
"The all-knowing Gospel Princess, imprisoned in a secret garden... It truly is a fairy tale. Still, I wonder whether you will become the witch unable to get what she desires, or the happily ever after princess? I look forward to seeing it."
With Bell's words, the miniature world sheltering Gospel and Soul Summoning gained a new name—the Fairy Tale sorcery spirit!
The Bell-Listening Angel retrieved her headphones, adjusted the headband, placed them back onto her own head, and smiled. "All right, you may thank me now."
The instant control over their bodies returned, Yaxiu took a step to his left to shield Diya. However, the white-haired girl gave his hand a gentle tug and took the initiative to nod toward the Bell-Listening Angel. "Thank you."
Bell accepted the gratitude without hesitation and said, "You may return now. Though... you still have a chance to change your mind. While I cannot remove the Gospel god from your soul—after all, the First Gospel must reside in reality—you could wish to extract your personas and consciousness, leaving your physical bodies in reality while your minds remain in the All-Knowing Heaven to enjoy eternal bliss. You could even reunite with the unconnected you once knew."
For a moment, Diya felt a flicker of temptation—never needing to guard secrets, never needing to worry about anything else, and keeping Yaxiu bound by her side forever, basking in carefree happiness within heaven.
Yet she soon shook her head and said firmly, "Send us back."
Since she herself wanted to escape from the illusory high tower, there was no way she would drag Yaxiu in as a fellow prisoner. Life within the tower was indeed blissfully happy, but only outside the tower lay the future she truly desired.
At this thought, Diya glanced at Yaxiu, only to find him still glaring warily at Bell. As a corporate drone who had worked for years and had anti-fraud campaigns hammered into him, Yaxiu had long stopped believing any empty promises from superiors.
Every time Yaxiu received a scam text, he would ask himself three questions: "A gorgeous woman throwing herself at you? Look in the mirror first, would you?" "A guaranteed-profit business? Why would anyone seek you out?" "Randomly picked lucky winner? Are you worthy?"
Of course, there was no need for the Bell-Listening Angel to trick him. The power gap between them was immense; if she wanted to squash him flat, would he even dare bare his teeth? If they stayed in the All-Knowing Heaven, they truly would reach the shores of bliss.
But the real question was: was this happiness truly what Yaxiu wanted? Or rather, would the All-Knowing Weaver provide whatever Yaxiu desired?
Don't forget that the people of Fanmula, Mengfeila, the Nabistin underground, and indeed all citizens of Gospel believed they were living in bliss.
For Yaxiu, who constantly tried to slack off and lie flat, staying in heaven was undeniably an alluring choice. At the very least, he wouldn't have to figure out how to make his substitute learn to work on its own. Yet the All-Knowing Heaven could never satisfy Yaxiu's appetite—as a greedy mudblood sorcerer, beyond his own happiness, Yaxiu wanted to bring happiness to others.
Ultimately, happiness was like a video game. You couldn't clear it just because someone handed you a maxed-out account with a perfect save file; you had to play through it yourself to know what ending you truly wanted. Even though reality was a grindy, pay-to-win tower-climbing game, Yaxiu still had no intention of quitting—because he had companions fighting alongside him.
"Fascinating. A mortal who actually refuses this invitation." Bell smiled faintly and lightly drew her right hand across the air, carving a rift in space. "In that case, go on back."
"Return to that vivid, cunning reality woven of joy and sorrow."
In the next instant, the rift swallowed the two Gospellers.
Bell watched the spot where they vanished and sank into thought.
Right then, another figure appeared hanging upside down from the web above.
She wore an aluminum-alloy metal mask, kept both hands shoved into her jacket pockets, and had her hair tied into a sickle-weasel ponytail. Tall and slender, she did not utter a single sound.
"You arrived just in time, Yan," Bell said. "You made that Distortion Mask, right?"
Yan nodded.
"A Distortion Mask couldn't possibly block my listening, could it? Within five meters, mind you."
Yan shook her head.
"Fascinating. How come I couldn't hear his voice at all..." Bell rested her chin in thought. "Same with the First Gospel. Though I could hear her, it was only a tiny bit, and that voice was vastly different from her own. While she does possess other personas, that voice sounded as if it knew I was listening and deliberately tossed out a few bones for me to bite on..."
"Still, hearing nothing is already a form of hearing in itself. The Four Pillar Gods? The Dramatic Poet? Just who is composing the score for them?"
At that moment, Yan waved her hand as if issuing a warning.
Bell immediately shook her head. "Of course I wouldn't do that. One of them is not for sale, and the other is merchandise. I wouldn't dare disrupt the Weaver's business."
* * *
In the blink of an eye, Yaxiu and Diya found themselves back in the banquet hall of the Nabistin Imperial Palace. The difference was that the hall was now crowded with quite a few people.
They stared at the suddenly appearing pair, their faces brimming with awe and excitement.
"Why are you all here?" Yaxiu was bewildered. In addition to the Funeral crew, Qinna and her sister were present, as were Evalin and hers—in short, everyone who had attempted to cause trouble the previous night was gathered here.
Qinna held her crossed hands before her chest and glanced at Diya, who was being held by the hand, a subtle glint flickering in her eyes. "Her Majesty Diyin had us come over to bid you farewell."
"Same here." Evalin planted her hands on her hips, followed by her sister Anfeier, who stood a full head taller than her. "Word is you're leaving the Gospel Country today and might never return. So... did you two just go to meet the All-Knowing Weaver?"
"Yaxiu."
Igola strode over, grabbed Yaxiu by the collar, and glared at him with a sharp interrogation: "Where did you hit me the first time we met? Answer within three seconds, speak!"
Yaxiu froze. "Huh? Uh, hey, your nose! But I didn't actually hit it, because Shattered Lake Prison restricted my intent to attack!"
"What else do you owe me?"
"A wish! I still owe you a wish!"
"Between a framed idiot and a genuine cult leader, which one are you?"
"The framed... I'm not an idiot!"
Igola shoved him away and explained to the crowd, "The inside hasn't been swapped. It's still Yaxiu, 'neglecting sleep and forgetting meals.'"
"Did you have to be so harsh?" Yaxiu clicked his tongue. "Once my soul recovers, I won't sleep in anymore!"
"How did you know I was calling you useless, lethargic, forgetful, and gluttonous?"
"Bullshit. Aside from right before you die or right before you scam me, when have you ever said a good word about me?"
"Hold on, both of you." The purple moth stepped between them, gesturing for them to stop bickering, before looking toward the cult leader. "Yaxiu."
"Yeah." Yaxiu looked at Annan. In truth, they had only been separated for a single night—Annan and the others had followed the Secret Guard deep into the palace, while he had gone with Lisi to the high tower—yet meeting again carried the weight of a reunion after a lifetime apart.
Annan suddenly embraced him and drew a deep breath, as though feeling his body heat.
Diya's eyes narrowed slightly.
After a moment, Annan released Yaxiu and asked, "Did you go to make a wish in the All-Knowing Heaven just now? We saw that you hadn't come out, and when we came inside, the place was completely empty. Then we tried asking the Gospel Book, and Gospel said you were inside the All-Knowing Heaven."
"A wish..." Yaxiu exchanged a glance with Diya and shrugged. "If you want to put it that way, we did indeed make a wish."
"What did you wish for?" Annan asked curiously, and the others pricked up their ears.
"World peace and happiness for all living beings."
Chapter 508