Chapter 145: Let You See the True Order!

Chapter 145: Let You Behold Real Order!

Within the recess, the corpses that had been floating on the surface opened their eyes; at this moment, they seemed imbued with a sudden spirituality, struggling to crawl up one by one.

Those already floating near the edge immediately scrambled toward the shore, but their advance was swiftly blocked by an invisible barrier, yet undeterred, they tore and bit at the air ahead, waving their arms, clawing with raw fingernails, and slamming their palms violently against it.

After the corpses in the center thrashed in the water for a time, skeletal remains extended hands and heads from beneath, forming floating bridges of bone that allowed the corpses above to trample over them, rush to the shore, and join the assault on the barrier.

Finally, the bones from the deepest depths of the recess crawled out from the bottom onto the shore, white light flickering within the empty sockets of their skulls as they too began charging the barrier ahead.

The barrier here was likely a counterpart to the triple seal the Inquisitor was currently employing above, resting over the area like a massive pot lid.

Thus, the corpses inside bit and clawed from the lower edges, and slowly, those behind climbed over the bodies of those in front to scratch at higher ground, resembling a swarm of ants until even the upper sections of the recess were covered in bone, everyone exhausting their strength to frantically strike every corner of the barrier.

Karen stood right there; though he had awakened so many in a single breath this time, he had not depleted much of his strength, an expenditure that did not even match using the Spear of Judgment once more.

For these corpses required no infusion of spiritual power from him; they had originally lain within this swamp saturated with generations of resentment, already possessing the conditions to awaken.

What Karen had done was merely toss a lit match into a barrel filled with oil.

Yet no one could deny the role of that initial spark simply because of the raging inferno before them now.

Breaking this barrier from the outside would have been exceedingly difficult, just as Karen could no longer attack the Inquisitor to disrupt his spellcasting once the Inquisitor established his Shield of Law; the barrier within the recess was equally hard to breach, or at least, something the current Karen and his companions could not accomplish.

Nonetheless, it proved the old adage that the sturdiest fortresses are often broken from within.

Crisp sounds of cracking had already begun to echo, and though one could not tell exactly where it was breaking, it was unmistakably giving way.

First in a few spots, then across a whole section, and finally, the aura of pollution seemed to boil over, shattering the shackles that had suppressed generations of them!

The moment the barrier shattered,

Whole corpses, broken corpses, rotting corpses, skeletal remains,

Everyone,

Knelt prostrate upon the ground,

They lifted their heads,

And began to weep bitterly!

A plume of black smoke, several times larger than before, formed in an instant and surged toward the sky!

Tiers was struck with terror; upon witnessing this scene, he instinctively wanted to flee, knowing full well that once the events here were exposed, he would have no choice but to defect from the Church of Order and flee for his life, but if he did not leave now, he could not possibly sustain the operation of these two high-level spells!

Yet Qi He moved faster than Tiers; in fact, as the corpses crawled out from the recess, the mirror that had previously deflected Alfred had already reappeared in his palm;

Before Tiers could flee, Qi He slammed his palm directly onto Tiers's head, the mirror embedding itself into Tiers's forehead like a branding iron;

Instantly, chains snaked out from within the mirror, covering Tiers's entire body and locking him to the spot.

"In the name of the Law, apprehend the transgressor who violates Order!"

This was an internal spell of the Church of Order, typically used by superiors against disobedient subordinates, capable of maximizing the neutralization of an opponent's resistance within the same belief system.

Qi He, hailing from the Whip of Order, possessed far more extensive experience in this regard than Tiers.

"My Lord!"

Tiers cried out in terror.

"Hold it up for me a little longer, I still have a way!"

"My Lord!!!"

Tiers watched in horror as the massive black cloud soared into the sky and collided with the Purification Barrier and the Triple Seal above, the pressure of the formation transferring onto its maintainer; Tiers's body instantly began to twitch violently, mists of blood spraying from the pores of his skin.

The physical pressure at this moment was not the primary concern; the most terrifying aspect was the tearing of his soul, Tiers even hearing the distinct ripping sound of his own soul like tearing cloth.

"Old man, he didn't turn into a pool of pus, look, he's still standing there, and my, he's still so handsome, so good-looking, as if even from afar, a deep breath would bring the full scent of his body.

Tell me, have I fallen for him? It seems a bit too fast.

But perhaps it's because of the contrast with an old thing like you; looking at you and then at him, his charm instantly multiplies."

Luo Ya's voice continued to echo.

Yet there was no fury or panic on Qi He's face; instead, he appeared quite calm, saying,

"I have found a second treasure; the secrets on this young man entice me tremendously, and once this matter is resolved, I will collect him, squeezing his secrets dry, bit by bit."

"Old man, what else can you do?" Luo Ya mocked.

"Heh."

Qi He chuckled, and shouted,

"Order—Flames of Judgment!"

Black flames laced with purple veins erupted from Qi He's mouth, instantly engulfing Luo Ya; wrapped in the fire, she suffered immensely, yet she did not cry out, instead staring at Qi He with a cold gaze.

"Are you preparing to use it, Qi He?"

"Yes."

"Without me as a medium, using it will plunge you into eternal degradation.

Oh, that's right, when you first laid eyes on it and touched it, you were already lost, Lord Inquisitor."

"After using it this time, I will seal it away again until I cultivate a second you; consider this time a piece of experience, a lesson, and the second time will surely succeed.

After all, wanting to master the Source of Sin is indeed no easy task."

"It is not the Source of Sin; it is the purest thing in the world, nor were you corrupted by it; it is simply because it is too clean that the evil and greed already present in your heart involuntarily spread outward."

"Oh, is that so? Fine, I understand, but it matters not."

Qi He's gaze turned downward,

"Tonight's harvest is truly immense, I am well satisfied; now, it is time to put everything back in order."

Qi He clenched his teeth fiercely,

The flames began to rapidly bore into Luo Ya's body, her form fracturing, and finally, completely annihilating!

Seeing the vessel spirit he had painstakingly cultivated for so many years dissipate just like that, a sudden wave of loss washed over Qi He, but swiftly, he rallied his confidence and fighting spirit once more.

Behind him, the mist of blood on Tiers grew thicker, his eyes rolling back as his body shriveled at a visible pace; his four subordinates looked on in terror, instinctively beginning to retreat.

Qi He released the nearly completed spell of Backcurrent, drawing a scroll from his robes and holding it aloft with one hand;

The scroll opened automatically, revealing a tiny array; this was a highly valuable space scroll, exceedingly expensive and requiring a vast amount of coupons to exchange, yet it was also rather useless, as the space it could store was incredibly small, less than that of a shoebox.

In the next moment,

An ancient bronze coin appeared atop the scroll.

Qi He reached out and grasped the bronze coin,

His expression shifted rapidly, the corners of his eyes turning upward and his lips curling into an arc, his entire face entering a state of frenzied excitement, like a clown.

For a Lord Inquisitor to exhibit such a countenance was proof enough of how violently his inner emotions were churning.

When this bronze coin appeared, the agonizingly suffering Tiers behind him actually let a smile surface on his face, as if all current pain and the fear of death had become trivial, so long as he could gaze upon it, no sacrifice was too great.

The expressions of the four members of the Order squad also turned greedy and yearning, their bodies trembling incessantly as if they wished to rush forward and seize it by force; they had actually conceived the audacity to snatch something from the hands of an Inquisitor!

Qi He's eyes turned green,

He began to chant:

"O copper coin left by the great and true god Raks, commune with the will of the true god Raks;

Erase all the pollution before us, and restore all within sight to peace and purity!"

The power of the divine artifact began to manifest as a golden ripple rippled out from the copper coin, forming a terrifying barrier above that then began to press downward.

Whatever touched it began to perish.

The first to perish were the two advanced spells that had originally covered the space above, the Purifying Barrier and the Triple Seal; the two spells were instantly crushed, lacking the slightest room to offer any resistance.

Golden flames erupted upon Tyrs's body, and at the final moment, he regained his lucity, yet it was already utterly too late.

With the annihilation of the spells, his end was also foreordained.

This moment was brief, but to him, it felt like enduring an eternity of purgatorial torture.

Tyrs began to wail,

And amidst his wailing, his body gradually turned into a puddle of black powder.

At the moment just before his soul was about to perish,

He seemed to see a vision of his younger self undergoing purification,

He had shouted excitedly:

"I feel the God of Order, I feel the God of Order!"

At that time, his gaze had been so pure and clear.

He seemed to see himself again when he had just become a member of the Whip of Order squad, holding a copy of the Regulations of Order in his hand, slaying a ferocious aberrant demon that had caused the deaths of several families, while he himself lay in the corner of a wall, severely wounded;

At that time, no matter how excruciating the pain, he did not wail, much less regret, but only placed his one liftable hand upon his chest with deep contentment:

"Praise Order."

When did I begin to become the way I am now?

Tyrs could no longer obtain an answer, for his soul had completely annihilated.

As the golden barrier continued to press downward, the aura of pollution below was continuously erased, and even the earth-shattering weeping of the girls inside the groove was gradually suppressed by the will belonging to a god.

The golden hair looked up: "Woof!"

Purr spoke up: "The aura of Raks?"

The golden hair drooped its ears, somewhat helpless.

Purr stepped forward and delivered a cat paw strike right to its dog head,

Scolding:

"Didn't you leave behind any divine artifact for us to dig out and use?"

"Woof!"

"None? How can you be so stupid, it serves you right that you turned into a dog!"

"Woof~"

Purr sat on the ground while scolding Kevin, beginning to pull at its own tail;

Inside its tail, there was a finger of the God of Light, but the problem was that ever since it helped Karen complete the purification last time, this finger had fallen silent, as if it had been hollowed out, turning into an ordinary finger, so right now it was of no use at all.

Pavarotti raised his head, looking at the situation above; this was the power of a god, and though it was not the power of the God of Order, it was a true god after all.

A mocking smile appeared at the corner of Pavarotti's mouth:

So, even gods could be deceived.

Because at this moment, the power of the god was held in the hands of the adjudicator who had created this purgatory, and was currently helping him dismantle all traces of this place, burying the evidence of his crimes.

Alfred also raised his head, looking up, but the "performance" in his mouth did not stop, and even became more agitated;

Since who knew when,

The instinctive fear of "gods" in his heart had gradually faded away.

Was it because Lord Dis, back in the Oak Cemetery, had held up a barrier, his eyes flashing with a golden luster, condensing fragments of a divine persona the moment he said he would?

Was it because Mr. Hoffen, who just a moment ago had co-operated with him to dance on a grave, had the very next moment personally sealed an evil god into the body of a dog?

Was it that holy hymn sung by the young master, which he had heard upon the spiritual bridge connecting him to Lady Molly?

Was it the young master's purification, the young master's divine revelation?

Was it those golden characters the young master wrote in his notebook?

Therefore,

What a god truly was, Alfred did not care; he had never questioned a god, nor had he ever defamed a god.

But once he believed in a "god,"

Those other gods, even if they were true gods, or even chief gods, were in his eyes all false gods, all evil gods!

Tears flowed from little John's eyes; he was not crying for the despair of this moment, he was merely sorrowful, a strange yet truly existing emotion.

Inside the pigsty, the numb expressions on the faces of those lying women also began to turn into sorrow; they were grieving for a little younger sister who, under these painfully torturous circumstances, would chat with them in their dreams every night.

She was gone, she was no longer here.

Even though they were already incomparably wretched, deep within their hearts, they still retained the emotion of grief.

Little John began to sob, sniffing his nose; he thought of that day when he had secretly stepped down from his father's car, and after seeing the scene in the pigsty, had fled to a corner to hide there, trembling with fear;

Then, a little girl of the same age as him appeared before him; her eyes were so big, so beautiful, and her voice was so crisp, so pleasant to hear.

"What is your name?"

"My name is... John."

"You should ask me what my name is too."

"What is... your name?"

"I won't tell you, hehe."

The little girl ran away, and looking back to see him still squatting there, she shouted:

"I am going to hide, you come and find me; if you find me, I'll tell you my name."

…

"Has a divine artifact been deployed?"

Adjudicator Luke let out a long sigh of relief; it seemed the matter was completely resolved.

Tonight, Adjudicator Luke, who had already repeatedly rubbed against the cement ground outside the factory perimeter, advancing and retreating, then advancing and retreating again several times,

Once more stepped forward to walk inside.

Then,

He abruptly stopped his pace again,

This time, he saw nothing, but a strange hesitation suddenly rose within his heart;

"Should we wait a bit longer?"

…

The descending barrier above kept falling, and Cullen could no longer hear the weeping of the girls inside the groove, even though they were still crying.

In life, they had been a forgotten flock in this city, and when they vanished, few would even take notice of them, as if they were merely the dust swept away by the sanitation workers every morning—plentiful, yet never worth a second glance;

Sometimes, when it drifted before you, you would instinctively cover your nose and complain under your breath about how choking it was.

Now, they were dead, but even in death, it seemed their weeping was not deemed worthy of being heard.

Cullen raised his head and looked toward the high platform, where the Lord Inquisitor held the copper coin, looking back at him.

"Without an artifact spirit to act as a medium, every time I use this copper coin, it imposes a massive burden on me, drawing me one step deeper into the lost state; if I hadn't been pushed to such an extremity today, I wouldn't have been willing to bring it out;

But I believe you won't disappoint me. I've already begun to salivate over your secrets... hiss... I truly cannot wait any longer."

The Lord Inquisitor stuck out his tongue and licked his own lips.

Right now, whether in his inner thoughts or his outward expression, he appeared intensely excited and utterly frivolous.

Cullen sighed in his heart, though he felt no sense of despair.

Given the immense gap in strength between the two sides, it was already quite remarkable that his side could have brought the situation to this point.

He figured that the other man using this divine artifact must surely come with a tremendous price; otherwise, he absolutely would not have held it in reserve until now.

The continuously descending barrier above signaled the arrival of the end.

Cullen had no desire to feel anxious, nor could he be bothered to grow furious or panicked, and he certainly didn't think to instantly start spinning memories in his mind;

His gaze swept across everyone and every pet in the surroundings.

Finally, he walked up to little John, knelt down, and asked:

"Are you crying because you're afraid to die?"

Little John shook his head and said, "She is dead."

"Who?"

"Her. I didn't find her, so she didn't tell me her name. I wanted to go play with her again, but Father wouldn't allow me to come here anymore."

Cullen realized who it was.

Was she dead?

Cullen raised his head and looked toward the high platform once more. By now, the height of the barrier had already dropped to halfway down this underground factory, and next, he and the others would likely be turned to dust under the crushing weight of this barrier.

The power of a divine artifact was just that terrifying, even if it possessed flaws.

But did the Lord Inquisitor have to obliterate that artifact spirit first before he could use the Copper Coin of Lachesis?

"Brother..."

Little John suddenly reached out and grabbed Cullen's cuff.

"Can you bring her back to life?"

"She didn't leave a corpse behind..."

Cullen suddenly realized something and looked around, discovering that it wasn't just little John who was crying, but also the other women in the pigsty.

…

"You see, they call them 'the swine in the pigsty,' and you refer to them as 'soil'; but in my eyes, they—the ones who come batch after batch and die batch after batch—are the family who raised me."

…

"But she never had a body to begin with."

Cullen closed his eyes and began to ponder:

The "Awakening" spell was meant to rouse the residual spiritual power within a corpse, because the person who had been "awakened" required this body to serve as a carrier, so the prerequisite for "Awakening" was the structural integrity of the corpse.

But if the person being "awakened" never needed a body to exist in the first place, would a corpse still be required?

Furthermore, spiritual power was not exclusively contained within a corpse; it was just that after a person died, their remaining spiritual power generally only lingered within the physical remains.

However,

What if her spiritual power was not preserved in a corpse?

For instance,

What if it was preserved within the dreams of little John and so many poor women inside the pigsty?

The sound of weeping carried a profound sorrow.

An image surfaced in Cullen's mind: a little girl who, every single night, would enter the dreams of these wretched women, listening to them tell stories and chatting with them;

She used her own power to provide a brief respite of comfort in their dreams amidst their miserable torture; she had intentionally accompanied them to chat and listen to their stories.

Cullen took a deep breath, suddenly feeling a pang of heartache for her—heartache for a "Source of Evil."

"Perhaps I can give it a try."

Cullen placed his hand upon little John's forehead:

"Now, recall her in your mind."

Little John immediately closed his eyes obediently.

Purr and the Golden Retriever looked at Cullen in utter astonishment, completely unsure of what he was trying to achieve at a time like this.

Cullen felt as though he had achieved a deeper understanding of the Order Religion's "Awakening."

It was not a simple "resurrection of a corpse," nor was it the mere igniting of spiritual power;

Its true essence:

Was to take a past existence that left traceable footprints and pull it back down along those tracks into the present.

From beneath Cullen's feet, a black chain manifested once more. It climbed onto little John's body and turned to white again. Simultaneously, at the center of little John's brow, that white chain of Order began to splinter, dividing into numerous slender white chains, just as it had done before against the grooved swamp;

The splintered white chains began to climb toward those women in the pigsty; viewed from above, it looked like the pattern of a white lotus gradually blooming.

"Whom is he awakening?" Purr asked.

"Woof? Woof!"

"What? Awakening an artifact spirit?"

Gradually,

The silhouette of the little girl surfaced in Cullen's mind.

He spoke:

"Order—Awaken!"

The white chains began to retract one after another, reconverging in front of Cullen. The thick white chain formed by the convergence began to spiral, and in its center, the figure of a girl manifested anew.

The moment she appeared,

The barrier above that was on the verge of crushing them instantly ground to a halt, no longer descending even a fraction of an inch.

On the high platform, Qihe stared at this scene in absolute disbelief:

"This... this... how is this possible... how can this be!"

The artifact spirit he had just utterly annihilated had somehow returned to life at this very moment?

Terrifyingly, his sole reliance for suppressing everything here was this divine copper coin.

Furthermore, the resurrected Loya would no longer bear the countless layers of seals he had previously imposed upon her; in other words, she was now a complete artifact spirit, however weak she might still be.

Even more terrifying,

now that the artifact spirit had emerged, this divine relic would no longer be controlled by him, Qi He, but would instead be commanded by "Loya," governed by its own spirit!

The Lord Adjudicator actually found the urge to flee sprouting within his heart, yet that copper coin seemed to deathly clamp onto his palm; not only that, it felt as though it had nailed his very soul to this spot, rendering him entirely unable to leave!

The divine artifact he had wielded moments before had now instantly transformed into the shackles that imprisoned him.

Loya stretched herself with unhurried grace,

And then,

She turned around,

Looking up at the Lord Adjudicator nailed upon the high platform,

And called out with a smile:

"Grandpa, I told you, didn't I? You really are going to die tonight."