Chapter 479: Will of the God of Order!

Chapter 479: The Will of the God of Order!

The sky above the Fiery Island was now a blood-red, while the ground below was stained far deeper still.

The raging Abyssal Sinful Three-Headed Hound was slaughtering the living beings on the island, the tears continuously dripping from the corners of its eyes quickly evaporating upon hitting the ground due to the intense heat, forming a thin, bitter mist.

Terrifying lava, despairing tremors—life at this moment was reduced to the cheapest of withered grass, ruthlessly harvested by the raging fire.

Above the array hall, the hunchbacked youth watched all of this with excitement.

Beside him, Blazte, the progenitor of the alluring alien demons appearing in the form of a ghost face, smiled grimly:

"I love a scene like this. Truly, I absolutely adore the current scent! Blood, chaos, screams—oh, heavens, it is truly intoxicating and addictive."

The hunchbacked youth laughed along, but as he did, his facial expression began to twitch slightly, looking somewhat painful as strands of radiant aura seeped from within his body, forcing him to block them with his hands.

Blazte looked at him and said, "What, is the rejection phenomenon beginning to appear again?"

"Ye... yes... my soul... is somewhat overburdened."

"You were the one who wanted to bear so much containment. We merely granted your request, but to be honest, it is indeed a bit much."

"Yes, that's right." The hunchbacked youth nodded vigorously. "To revive the Radiant Sacred Church, I can do anything. I firmly believe that radiance will surely reappear. After blood and fire, all obstacles blocking the return of radiance will be overturned, including... Order."

"Of course, believe me, the God of Order will fall, and the Sacred Church of Order passed down by the God of Order will eventually be annihilated. From the ashes of the Sacred Church of Order, a new radiance will be born."

Blazte could never forget the appearance of that man when he stepped into the Land of Divine Burial back then;

Facing a group of slumbering gods who reasonably requested the continuation of their covenant with the God of Radiance, that man had simply replied:

"Apologies, the era belonging to radiance has already ended."

...

The old captain sat on the lookout, staring blankly at the tragic and shocking scene ahead. On the deck, his sailors were doing the exact same thing.

Promptly, the old captain shuddered;

He saw that at the distant pier, many ships were beginning to move swiftly toward the open sea, wanting to distance themselves from the current fiery island, while the old captain began to worry whether those "lords" needed to be evacuated and received right now?

With such an event occurring, those lords should still be on the island with no way to leave, right?

Yet, sailing toward the fiery island to pick people up now made him feel deep dread—that was truly jumping into a fiery pit of one's own accord.

For a moment, the old captain fell into a deep conflict. However, after lowering his head to look at the notebook in his hand, he finally made up his mind. He slid directly down the pillar from the lookout, and upon landing, immediately ordered:

"Start the ship at once, go to the fiery island pier to pick up the people!"

However, the old captain's command was not executed.

"Are you crazy, Captain? Going to the fiery island now?"

"Isn't that just going to our deaths, Captain? No, we refuse to go!"

"Yes, Father, how can we go back now!"

The old captain found that not only were the crew members disobeying his orders at this moment, but even his own sons were starting to oppose him, causing the old captain to sigh in his heart:

"Alas, if only we could be hijacked like last time."

...

In the outer sea area, a ship was swiftly sailing toward this location.

This was a very small boat, so small that it made the old captain's Golden Row pirate ship look somewhat like a behemoth in comparison.

A small stool was placed on the deck of the boat, which was already small in area. A white-haired elder sat upon it, a handful of peanuts in his hand.

They were the boiled kind of peanuts, soft and glutinous, requiring no peeling; a gentle squeeze, a toss into the mouth, two sucks, and the tender peanut meat was in the mouth, exceptionally convenient.

Behind the small boat, a man was kneeling there with his rear thrust into the air, holding a small knife to carve an acceleration array. While carving, he was grumbling:

"I say, how great would it have been to just hijack a large ship? Right now, this single acceleration array can be used for a day at most. After a day, I'll have to carve it again. Don't you open your eyes and look? This stern has already been completely ruined by my carving."

The elder scattered all the peanut shells in his hand into the sea and scolded, "Vik, have you forgotten your own faith? According to the Regulations of Order, using the power of faith against ordinary people is a grave sin!"

"Can I do it without using the power of faith? I'll just take a rifle and a knife. I think I could hijack a ship that way too."

"You can, on the premise that I destroy your pool of spiritual power, purify your physical attributes, and then you go."

"You are truly harsh. Alas, I thought coming out with you would allow me to have a good trip and enjoy a luxurious life of being enshrined. I never expected to be reduced to being a carving laborer every day, and having to eat fish for every meal.

Lord Thyssen, look closely, are gills growing behind my ears?"

"You talk too much. I didn't ask you to follow when we departed; it was you who begged me with a shameless face, so I had no choice but to bring you along."

"Sigh..."

Vik simply lay down on the deck and said:

"Because I knew you resigned, and I wanted to accompany you out to clear your mind. But I really didn't expect that you truly came to investigate, and even shook off the investigation team to drift at sea alone."

"What can be found out within the investigation team? Everything you see is arranged, devoid of any meaning. They could even arrange residents for me to tell me they were completely unaffected by the war, and then organize a ball to warmly welcome the Cycle Sacred Church's salvation of the Mipos Archipelago."

"Then where is the meaning in you personally acting to see the truth? Even if you write down the truth of the Mipos Archipelago tragedy in your report and submit it to the Roundtable Council for review, will it pass?

Will the Grand Priest truly follow your recommendation to launch the most direct accountability against the Cycle Sacred Church?"

Thyssen replied very calmly, "No."

"Exactly, so what is the meaning?"

"Vik, you have confused the concepts of meaning and benefit."

"I haven't." Vik said with a face full of defiance, "I just don't want to do meaningless things, and I especially don't want to see you do meaningless things."

"But everyone does what they ought to do under a ring of order; that is the essence of the smooth operation of order, is it not?"

"You don't need to answer me with the doctrines. The words in the doctrines have been repeatedly polished by countless sages over endless ages; I have no way to refute them."

At this moment, Mavalio walked out of the cabin, holding a portion of fried fish, which he presented to Thyssen.

Thyssen picked up a small fried fish with his hand, raised his head, placed the fish into his mouth, chewed with satisfaction, and then continued to scold:

"Look at Mavalio over here. Isn't his status more noble than yours, higher than yours?

He can endure the loneliness to serve as my chef and take care of my daily life along the way, yet just having you carve a simple array brings about so much complaining from you."

Vik, however, remained indifferent and smiled, "His status is definitely higher than mine. The successor of the great Lord Marchetini, one of the Twelve Knights of Order. No matter how the winds and clouds change within the church, he will always belong to that group of people with detached status.

As for me?

The student of the former Grand Priest, Lasma. The label of the conservative dereliction-of-duty faction is practically stamped directly on my forehead.

To be fair, my teacher is truly something else—resigning just like that. Since you wanted to resign, why did you have to accept me as a student a week in advance?

Lo and behold, not long after the new Grand Priest came up, Teacher was defined as the conservative dereliction-of-duty faction, and I was marginalized along with him. When allocating jobs upon graduation, they directly arranged for me to be an assistant teacher at the church university.

Do you know how embarrassed I was? I just happened to confess to my female director of instruction on the eve of graduation, thinking that even if I was rejected, I would graduate and enter a church department anyway and never see her again, so there wouldn't be any embarrassment."

Hearing this, Thyssen immediately asked, "Did it succeed?"

"It failed."

"Hehe." Thyssen smiled, "I was really worried you would tell me it succeeded."

"You are truly merciful."

"Is it because of this that you resigned?"

"What else? Wait around to attend their engagement party as a colleague?"

"Do you blame your teacher?"

"Of course I do, because he was irresponsible."

"Yes, quite right, you should blame him; he was far too selfish."

"Eh?" Vick instantly performed a rapid succession of rolls across the deck, tumbling right to Thessin's feet, looking up at him from where he sat in his chair. "You know where he is now, and the reason why he left?"

Thessin pinched his index finger and thumb close together. "Just this tiny bit."

"Then hurry up and tell me."

Thessin immediately shook his head. "No, I cannot say. Even High Priest Norton might not know of this matter; within the Temple of Order, it is considered a forbidden topic.

However, what I can tell you is that your teacher likely went to guard this secret, and incidentally... he is preparing to change into a different robe.

But at the end of the day, he truly was a bit selfish.

Though according to the unspoken consensus within the Church, the next High Priest was always meant to be Norton, your teacher should have remained in the position for another decade so we could have made arrangements in advance.

With his sudden departure, the one who was supposed to temporarily assume the role actually chose to refuse, which directly allowed Norton to take power. We had no time to make any arrangements whatsoever, and for the past half year, we have been thrust into complete passivity, thoroughly purged as he swiftly consolidated total authority."

"Actually, setting aside how I was dragged down by my teacher, I truly feel the new High Priest is exceptional—even more exceptional than my teacher."

"Is that so? You all think that way." Thessin smiled faintly. "Then why don't you ask the dense masses of resentful spirits hovering above the Mipos Archipelago if they share that sentiment?"

Vick fell silent.

Thessin took another bite of fish and spoke again. "Radical reforms can yield visible, short-term results, but what bleeds away is our very foundation."

"I cannot possibly comment on that statement of yours."

"Indeed, there is no commenting on it."

"It might be for the best that you stepped down, to get some rest and free your mind from mundane affairs. Perhaps you might even make a push to condense a divine fragment; when the time comes, my grandson's grandson could still go to you asking for pocket money."

"Bullshit. I lack that potential and talent; my body and soul entered a state of decay long ago. Besides, I even feel that condensing a divine fragment is harder now than it used to be. Only that fellow who has left everyone speechless from his youth until now..."

"Who?"

"You lack the clearance to know."

"I am truly curious. Who could have kept you speechless ever since your youth?"

"That person could keep your teacher weeping continuously."

"Pfft... Hahaha!" Vick slapped his thigh in delight; he harbored a deep resentment for Lasma.

Mavaryo suddenly let out a sigh. "It is just a pity about the observation group this time."

Vick turned to Mavaryo and asked, "I heard you once gave lectures to the members of that observation group?"

Mavaryo nodded and replied, "It was before they went to the Gate of Samsara for their trials. I would hardly call myself their teacher, but I did converse with most of them. It is simply a pity."

"A pity my foot!" Thessin swore once again. "A pack of young opportunists—it is better that they died. Otherwise, if they were allowed to grow and continue climbing to high positions within the Divine Church, Heaven only knows where they would lead us!"

Mavaryo interjected, "Lord Thessin, I am merely mourning talent for talent's sake. There were several inside with truly remarkable natural gifts. Especially one named Karen; he left a very deep impression on me."

"Is that the captain of the Whip of Order squad?"

"Yes, exactly."

Thessin blinked, sighing first, but still continued to mutter stubbornly, "Good riddance!"

After speaking, he sighed once more.

Vick and Mavaryo exchanged a glance, both shaking their heads helplessly.

Right at that moment, terrifying fluctuations of energy suddenly surged from up ahead.

Thessin immediately asked, "The Fire Island is ahead, correct?"

"Yes, it is our projected teleportation array point," Mavaryo answered.

Vick scratched his head and said, "Looks like something has happened. It feels like the aura of a ferocious beast."

Mavaryo replied, "It should be the Three-Headed Hound of the Abyss—Giragon. There are mentions of him within my memory fragments; back then, Lord Marchettini also wished to subdue it to forge it into a war beast, but the God of Fire beat him to it. However, the God of Fire did not manage to tame it either, and in the end could only choose to seal it here."

"And then?" Vick pressed further. "I want to know what happened next."

"After that, there is nothing left in my memory fragments." Mavaryo sighed, appearing quite regretful, though no one could tell if he was speaking the truth.

However, Mavaryo added, "But the seal of the God of Fire is not so easily broken. Factions that wish to break it lack the ability, while factions with the ability would deem it unnecessary."

"Then let me first take a look at exactly what is happening on this island."

Thessin closed his eyes and lightly tapped his own forehead.

In the next instant,

A mass of dark clouds materialized above. Out of the dark clouds, an eye slowly opened, radiating a majestic and intensely piercing gaze. This was a true high-level spell positioned just beneath the forbidden curses within the internal sequence of the Divine Church of Order.

Below, the eyes-closed Thessin spoke. "I see angels and the eternally damned of the Abyss; I see the inheritors of a family belief system possessing a trace of the God of Fire's bloodline; I see a very high-level bewitching aberrant demon..."

Vick remarked with emotion, "Heh, what a rich blend of elements. People from the Abyss have actually involved themselves; haven't they always kept a low profile? Now they can no longer hold back? What on earth are the descendants of the God of Fire—have they declined to the point of only possessing a family belief system?

For you to evaluate a bewitching aberrant demon as high-level... just what kind of existence is it?

This island is truly lively right now."

"I see many people screaming in agony, wailing, dying miserable deaths, being incinerated and devoured."

Vick spoke up, "What are you trying to do? You aren't going to tell me you want to intervene, are you? Your health has always been poor. We can entirely contact the Divine Church and let them handle the situation here. Lord Mavaryo and I can just set up a communication array; though a teleportation array cannot be deployed on short notice, Lord Mavaryo can manage a communication array, right?"

"Yes," Mavaryo nodded. "I can rapidly establish a communication array through the 【Scythe of War】."

Thessin continued, "It is as if I am looking at a second Mipos Archipelago."

Vick continued to dissuade him, "You must control yourself, truly. If you were in your prime I would not stop you, but now... you really cannot beat that mad dog. Didn't you just say so yourself, that your soul and body have long since entered a period of decay?"

Thessin seemed to completely ignore Vick's words as he went on, "I see that this island has already lost its order."

"The Divine Church will come to restore order, believe me, My Lord. After all, this place is not as sensitive as the Mipos Archipelago, which involved a dispute between two orthodox Divine Churches; the Divine Church will handle this according to the 《Regulations of Order》."

The eye in the sky vanished;

Thessin opened his eyes, revealing a faint trace of exhaustion, yet he said through gritted teeth:

"Haha! In the past, they only dared to act stealthily; now, they dare to do so brazenly!"

"What exactly do you want to do?" Vick asked.

Thessin kicked Vick, sending him rolling across the deck once more, and scolded, "Why are you still asking? Go carve the array already!"

The new acceleration array was quickly carved to completion; the price of its rapid completion was that the small boat began to leak. Of course, the possibility that Vick had intentionally applied a bit too much force could not be ruled out.

...

On the waters surrounding the Fire Island, many ships were currently moored. Some had not dared to approach after arriving, while the majority had immediately sailed out after trouble erupted on the island.

Pirate ships and merchant vessels now sat side by side, yet they remained incredibly orderly and harmonious.

The small boat wove through them. Just as it was about to give out completely and sink, Mavaryo reached out and grabbed Thessin. In the next instant, the two of them transformed together into a black mist and flew onto a nearby pirate ship.

Mavaryo had deliberately chosen the smallest and most battered pirate ship; he knew Vick would understand his meaning.

Vick simply clutched the small stool Thessin had been sitting on earlier and leapt forward. While his feet completely forced the small boat down into the depths of the sea, he used the momentum to jump aboard. Upon arriving, Vick immediately shouted:

"You cannot violate the Regulations of Order and forcibly hijack a vessel using the power of faith, unless you destroy your own spiritual pool and purge your physical fortitude!"

Evidently, Vick intended to make one final, desperate stand.

Yet, before Vick and his two companions could stir, the veteran sailors upon the deck froze in momentary disbelief. They instantly retreated, falling into formation within the shadows of a corner—clearly, they were well-versed in such crises.

The novice sailors still reached for their weapons to strike at the intruders, but were met with a torrent of furious curses from the veterans. Obliged by necessity, they discarded their blades and merged with the ranks of the seasoned crew.

Witnessing this, the old captain promptly unbuckled his cutlass and cast it onto the deck.

Though bewildered by the display, Vick pressed forward with his inquiry: "Where is this ship bound?"

Only a fool would sail for the Isle of Fire at a time like this.

The old captain instantly bellowed his reply: "We are preparing to set sail for the Isle of Fire!"

Vick fell silent.

The response caught Taichisen off guard as well, causing him to pause before a sudden laughter escaped his lips. Folding his hands against his breast,

he spoke with profound devotion:

"This is the divine will of the God of Order!"