In Sonia's impression, Sister Trozan was a swordplay professor at Sword Flower University and one of the Starry Kingdom's Ten Great Sword Saints. Relying on her slaughter miracle, "Blade of the Hidden Hand," she ranked at least among the top three in threat level even within the Starry Sanctuary—mind you, threat level, not raw combat power.
It was not that no one was stronger than Trozan. For instance, Professor Nidala, the Rhythm Sword Saint who also taught swordplay at Sword Flower University, was hardly any weaker than her. Yet if Sonia were forced to choose, she would rather fight Nidala to the death than risk testing Trozan's true depth.
Any sorcerer who knew of "Blade of the Hidden Hand" held profound awe toward Trozan. Not just Sanctuaries—even Legends could be slain in a single blow by her blade.
As a practitioner of "Blade of the Hidden Hand," the village girl understood her professor even better. Her own self-created "Meteor Calamity" might seem formidable, but it was merely a budget version of "Blade of the Hidden Hand," requiring a parry-counter just to lock on to a target's spatial coordinates. Professor Trozan, on the other hand, needed only a flick of her hand to noiselessly sever a head from a hundred paces away.
Rather than a swordswoman, Trozan was more akin to an assassin!
Yet despite possessing such a ferocious miracle, Trozan herself was exceedingly... bizarre.
Her interpersonal skills were atrocious, her emotional quotient abysmal, and her grasp of social etiquette on par with an infant that had just learned to crawl. She constantly wore a cold, dead-eyed glare beneath hair resembling a bird's nest that she scoffed at whenever Sonia offered to take her to a salon. Her attitude toward teaching was purely "I'm just here to slack off and get paid," and her tongue was as venomous as her manners were rude.
According to Senior Leonie, Nidala had grumbled in front of her multiple times: "If I weren't unable to beat her, I would have thrashed Trozan a long time ago."
Having heard Felix mention in the past that many high-society figures were members of the Four Pillar Cult, Sonia had suspected plenty of people, but never once had she imagined her own professor. Associating Trozan with the Four Pillar Cult felt like imagining a Lalafell reclassing as a Dark Knight.
"This is a special occasion where everyone addresses one another by code names. Isn't calling me by my real name ruining the atmosphere, Sword Seat?"
Trozan stood up and leaned against a nearby pillar. Glancing at the dumbstruck village girl, she raised an eyebrow. "I've always wanted to see that look on your face—hilarious."
"Sword Seat, this is the Four Pillar Cult's chief combatant—'Incessant Sword Princess.' For convenience, you may simply call her Incessant."
Daidalos introduced her, adding, "As for her other identity, I presume you know it all too well."
"Incessant Sword Princess?" Sonia was taken aback. "Sister Trozan is the one you mentioned..."
"That was one of her titles eight years ago when she claimed the championship of the Meteor Calamity," Daidalos said. "Before you arrived, she was the only Sword Princess in the cult."
"The way you say it makes it sound like I'm trying to act young," Trozan said. "I actually wanted to be called 'Incessant Sword Demon,' but the Songstress told me that all women in the cult must have code names ending in 'Princess'... I was swindled."
Though she had a million things to say, Sonia first had to get acquainted with the Four Pillar Cult's core members. After the initial kneeling greeting, the crowd had scattered casually across the room—some sitting, some leaning against pillars or walls, some lively, some silent. It was clear that under Daidalos's leadership, the Four Pillar Cult possessed a relaxed, laid-back atmosphere.
Yet as Felix wheeled Yaxiu to the head seat, Sonia noticed everyone watching him with reverent gazes. Not a single person showed the slightest disdain because of Yaxiu's comatose state, which immediately set her mind at ease.
The casual demeanor was merely superficial. Down to their bones, these believers truly worshipped the Four Pillar Cult. Since the divine oracle of the Four Pillar Gods decreed Yaxiu as their new leader, they obeyed unconditionally.
To ordinary people, an evil cult united from top to bottom like this was naturally an immense threat that had to be eradicated with an iron fist. But for Sonia, who was holding Yaxiu to command the Four Pillar Gods, the piety of these cultists could not have been better.
"Calamity Messenger," "Ambusher," "Newcomer," "Suspect," "Vase"... Some of their code names reflected their true personas, while others were utterly bizarre. The most notable was Felix's "Vicious Duke"; Sonia couldn't tell whether Felix was insulting herself or expressing an ambition.
Taking a sip of juice from her glass, the Reaching-Claw Sword Saint finally couldn't resist asking, "Since Professor... since you're also in the Four Pillar Cult, Sister Incessant, why was it the Duke who invited me back then instead of you? If it had been you..."
Trozan asked, "If it had been me, would you have agreed?"
"I would have hesitated," Sonia answered honestly. After all, Trozan had taken great care of her before she ever rose to prominence, so addressing her as "Sister" carried genuine affection alongside flattery. "But in the end, I still wouldn't have."
The village girl didn't actually care one way or the other about joining the Four Pillar Cult. In fact, if not for Yaxiu, she would have long succumbed to the perks Felix dangled and joined.
Yet without Yaxiu, she would never have met Felix or Trozan, let alone earned the Four Pillar Cult's high regard. And the thing Yaxiu had always despised, aside from extra-spicy boiled Lalafell, was this very Four Pillar Cult he couldn't seem to shake off across multiple kingdoms.
"I thought as much," Trozan said. "If you were willing to join, the Vicious Duke would be enough to persuade you. If you were unwilling, my coming forward wouldn't have made a difference."
"You are a sword sorcerer of resolute will and deep inner savagery, like a double-edged sword of thousand-tempered steel—hard and razor-sharp. You cannot be bent by emotion, which is why I—"
"Not necessarily," Felix suddenly interjected. "No matter how sharp a sword is, it has a scabbard. And no matter how hard steel is, it melts like ice cream."
Sonia stiffened instantly. It was one thing for people she already knew, like Daidalos and Felix, to know about it, but announcing her romance in front of so many strangers was another matter entirely!
That Felix—she would definitely discipline her once they got back...
"Alright, alright, Duke, stop showing off. Everyone here knows the Sword Seat is the Observer Seat's queen. Stop flaunting it as if you've stumbled upon some profound truth," Trozan muttered in annoyance. "I wasn't finished. I used to think the Sword Seat was a perfect fit for our cult precisely because of the hostility brimming inside her. But then, for some reason, that hostility was hidden away. I was quite puzzled back then, but now I finally know love replaced that hostility. Even so, her nature remains as fierce and sharp as a sword. If in the past she would have followed her inner savagery to bring ruin to heaven and earth, now she's willing to slaughter ruthlessly to protect the one she loves..."
"Alright, alright, Sister Incessant, please stop talking," Sonia pleaded, tugging at Trozan's sleeve, her voice carrying a tinge of desperation as her face burned red enough to bleed.
She could practically hear the chuckles—some good-natured, some just enjoying the spectacle. Even though she held the highest status here, she was also the youngest. Having a bunch of adults scrutinize how being in love had changed her left the village girl dying of mortification.
She was dead certain this memory would have the lowest density in her mind, bound to float to the surface from time to time to make her relive this shame.
"Time is almost up. Let's get straight to the point," Daidalos intervened to rescue her. "Tonight's gathering is not only to pay respects to our new leader, but also to formally launch the Sky Light Plan."
"What?" "Finally..." "We..."
"As expected!"
The crowd gasped, their eyes lighting up. Even an emotionless face like Trozan's couldn't suppress a look of excitement.
Daidalos curtsied gracefully toward Sonia. "Sword Seat, please permit me to make the announcement on your behalf."
Sonia nodded. Although she knew that supreme titles and authority should not be delegated, she had no intention of stealing Daidalos's thunder. This was a plan Daidalos had meticulously cultivated for years; it was only right for the Chaotic Songstress to inaugurate it.
Looking around at everyone, the deep-blue-haired girl proclaimed clearly, "I announce that from this moment forth, the Four Pillar Cult commences the execution of the Sky Light Plan to strip away the Starry Canopy and shatter the false starry sky!"
"We follow the footsteps of the Observer Seat and Sword Seat!" The assembly dropped to one knee and responded in unison.
"Under the millennia of cultivation by the Divine Lord of Stars, the canopy has become flawless. There are no flaws that can be 'damaged,'" Daidalos said slowly. "However, in order to digest the Source Angel in Ruby Mountain, the Divine Lord of Stars will inevitably overload both the Starry Canopy and the Canopy of Stars. The vulnerabilities exposed then will be our shortcut to ascend to the heavens."
"Yet before that, we can weaken the canopy's energy first."
She continued, "Every so often, meteorites fall to the ground in the Starry Kingdom. The Throne Room claims they are ordinary meteorites, but under the shield of the canopy, how could any meteorite penetrate into the Starry Kingdom? In reality, these meteorites are debris generated by the operation of the canopy."
"Though they are debris, they contain the 'golden apples' essential for the canopy's function. Typically, these meteorites are recovered by church sorcerers or nobles, because they possess the Astral Blessing link. Sorcerers who come into contact with a 'golden apple' can send it back to the canopy through the link, thereby preserving the golden apples required by the canopy without loss."
"Tonight, a meteorite will fall in the vicinity of Dewberry Stream. Our objective is to seize the golden apple before the church and nobles do. While the Divine Lord of Stars is occupied and unable to pay attention to domestic affairs, we will strive to weaken the canopy's energy to its limit!"
"If anyone has any questions, you may raise them now."
Felix raised her hand. "What is a golden apple? Why is it essential for the canopy's operation?"
"On the outside, it looks like a golden apple," Daidalos explained. "But in essence, it is 'divine knowledge.'"
Not only Felix, but even core members like Trozan showed bewilderment on their faces.
"In the mortal world, knowledge cannot be monopolized. For example, what I'm saying right now—the more people hear it, the more people know it." The deep-blue-haired girl unveiled a secret that even Legendary sorcerers would find hard to know. "Yet sorcerers who step into the divine domain are different."
"They can seal knowledge into golden apples, much like registering intellectual property. The Void Realm will only recognize the usage permissions of sorcerers who possess the golden apple. Even if others learn that knowledge, they cannot resonate with the Void Realm, and thus cannot summon the corresponding sorcery spirits."
"The so-called divine domain is also known as the monopoly domain."
"In the most extreme scenario, a divine sorcerer could seal all knowledge. If that happened, mortals would have no hope of resonating with the Void Realm for the rest of their lives unless they developed entirely new systems."
The sorcerers felt their skin crawl. "Knowledge cannot be monopolized" was a truth almost all sorcerers believed down to their marrow, and the source of confidence that allowed them to surpass the ancients. Yet now they suddenly learned this sense of security had never truly existed from the start—those who stepped into the divine domain first actually possessed the power to monopolize all knowledge and reduce latecomers to mortals?
"However, there is no need to be alarmed," Daidalos consoled them. "The generation of a golden apple is exceedingly stringent. According to the Four Pillar Gods, there are three prerequisite conditions: first, the sorcerer must possess a god of that corresponding knowledge; second, it must be guaranteed that no other sorcerers possess that knowledge at the time; and finally, an extremely rare resource is required."
Trozan asked, "The Divine Lord paid such a price to create golden apples—surely it wasn't just to monopolize knowledge?"
"Of course not. Monopolizing knowledge is merely a byproduct," Daidalos said. "Golden apples have many effects, the most important of which is that they can form new world secret realms!"
"Just like the Great Road of the Knowledge Sea, the Flowing Gold River of the Time Continent, the dream bubbles of the Distant Sky Realm, or the Lava Sea, Ice-Choked River, and Crying Sand of Ruby Mountain... As long as they are utilized properly, golden apples can transform into world secret realms, generating an endless stream of sorcery spirits!"
"World secret realms can both drive divine miracles and be used to operate Kingdoms of Heaven; the benefits are truly innumerable. If source crystals are the common currency of gods, then golden apples are gods' appreciating assets."
"And this canopy of ours is a world secret realm."
Daidalos pointed upward. "Inside it, there are at least five golden apples driving the canopy's divine miracle."
"Each golden apple taken away is equivalent to carving off a piece of the canopy's flesh and blood. However, there is a time lag in the transmission of golden apples; occupied with digesting the Source Angel, the Divine Lord cannot detect it immediately. But once He does, He will inevitably realize our existence. When that happens, He would rather let the stars fall and destroy the world than allow us to survive."
"Therefore, even though we uncovered this intelligence long ago, we never dared to act," Daidalos said. "Launching the Sky Light Plan is equivalent to declaring war on the Divine Lord of Stars."
She looked around the room. "I, the Chaotic Songstress, wish in this lifetime only to shatter the cage, soar beyond the stars, and spare no cost even if it means defying the gods. Everyone, are you ready to spread your wings toward the starry sky?"
Faced with Daidalos's question, everyone demonstrated their stance through action.
"Calamity Messenger, spreading wings."
"Suspect, spreading wings."
"Vase, spreading wings."
"Incessant Sword Princess, spreading wings."
Sonia stared blankly at the magnificent spectacle of sorcerers unfurling their wings in the hall. Turning her head toward Felix, who was tending to Yaxiu, she kept her voice low. "For freedom?"
"No."
Felix shook her head, then nodded. "You could say that... but it's much simpler."
"We sorcerers are born with wings. Escaping the cage is our instinct."
"Sword Seat, don't you want to see what the sky outside really looks like?" Felix unfurled her gold and silver void wings. "Vicious Duke, spreading wings."
The village girl looked at the religious fervor lighting up the Second Miss of the Voslodar family, and then at those intelligent, accomplished, and powerful sorcerers, each overcome with excitement. She finally realized deeply that she had indeed joined a cult gang comprised entirely of lunatics.
Even if the people of the Starry Kingdom had long grown accustomed to this starry sky; even if the Divine Lord of Stars had cared for the populace for a thousand years; even if the Throne Room treated sorcerers exceptionally well... None of these traditions, good intentions, or welfare could stop these sorcerers from wanting to shatter the starry sky.
They weren't even doing it for profit—shattering the starry sky brought them nothing but countless risks. The sole benefit was that they could escape the false starry sky and glimpse the real world.
Yet for that alone, they were willing to make an enemy of god.
"Chaotic Songstress, spreading wings."
As Daidalos spread her three void wings of gold, silver, and iridescent color, all the Four Pillar cultists spread their wings to declare their resolve. At a glance, they looked like beautiful birds trapped inside the cage of this villa, as if they would soar out in the very next second.
Under everyone's gaze, Sonia slowly stood up and calmly spread her void wings. In addition to the three complete wings of gold, silver, and iridescent color, behind her was a faint, ethereal wisp of a sword-colored void feather—merely displaying them without activation would not stir anomalous sorcery mana fluctuations.
Seeing the Reaching-Claw Sword Saint's fourth void wing, with the exception of Daidalos who had anticipated it, all the cultists were stunned. Trozan, in particular, had the corners of her mouth twitching wildly, muttering things like "I'll catch up soon," "You still can't beat me," and "What's the big deal."
Regardless, the fact that their new leader was already a Legendary sorcerer undoubtedly raised the morale of the Four Pillar Cult to another level.
Sonia raised her glass. "May everyone glimpse the light of the sky before the stars fall."
"Dead Frenzy Sword Princess, spreading wings."
Chapter 812