Chapter 686: Elevating Matters to a Principle

Chapter 686: Elevating to the Level of Principle

A low hum resonated.

Karen’s figure returned to the rooftop, sending a sudden gust of wind whipping through the surroundings as he landed. The teacups originally placed here were all shattered silently by the shockwave, yet the force was noticeably restrained and did not fully disperse; for instance, the small wooden tea table holding the cups remained entirely undamaged.

This was Thousand Charms deliberately flaunting its new capability, signifying that it now possessed offensive attributes as well.

Naturally, the amplification its original defensive and speed attributes received was even more exaggerated.

Karen had already sensed this when he flew back earlier.

After all, the role of an angel in the Abyssal Religion was to serve as a messenger between heaven and the abyss, and their wings manifested the ultimate aesthetic of speed and defense.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..." Neo, who had returned a step ahead, let out a string of praises. "The evolution speed of this Thousand Charms of yours is truly fast."

With a slight twist of his neck, the dual wings behind Karen quickly retracted as he replied:

"It was the pet of the Reincarnation Gatekeeper inside the gate, after all."

Those existences with truly exalted status and formidable personal strength often chose pets not for their current power, but for their upper limits, because they possessed an abundance of resources for feeding and nurturing.

However, ever since Thousand Charms began following Karen, aside from being frequently frightened, it had not been mistreated. Several times, when Karen forced himself to suppress his hunger pangs and refrained from eating certain things, they ultimately benefited the creature.

Though it felt a bit like serving as a kitchen waste bin... only the creature itself knew whether it tasted good.

Yet this time, Karen's perception was also very clear: Thousand Charms' absorption and conversion rate of that spiritual power was astonishingly high; it could actually directly evolve the exclusive ability of a six-winged angel.

Karen had already belonged to the category of a well-rounded hex-warrior, capable of holding multiple roles alone. From now on, he would also gain an even more exaggerated boost in speed, which, paired with the Bone Dragon's Dragon God Armor...

It truly meant that if he could not win a fight, he could endure it, and if he could not endure it, he could run.

Alternatively, you could not break through my defense, nor could you withstand my multiple forms of attack, and most fatally of all, you could not outrun me.

He was becoming more and more like his grandfather.

In terms of realm, it could not be called "spectacular," but the horizontally developed abilities and the combat power they formed meant his true strength could no longer be measured by realm or position.

"By the way, can that coil of mosquito incense be borrowed for a while?" Neo rubbed his hands together.

"What did you say?"

"I mean, just like how my car can be lent to you to drive, can your mosquito-incense wings be lent to me for a bit?"

"No."

"Why?" Neo spread his hands. "Hey, you're actually this stingy?"

"I'm afraid you'll pull the mosquito incense into a meeting."

"Hehehehahahaha!" Neo bent over with laughter, nearly losing his breath.

Imagining the scene in the library reading room, a coil of mosquito incense would be placed right in the middle of the Bloodthirsty Demon Ancestor, the last Mad Pope, and Philias.

"Where is that Goddess's Child? Miliven." Karen asked.

"According to your request, I pointed out a flaw in the perimeter and let her leave. She should be able to escape alive. But do you know? This kindergarten kid actually wanted to turn on us at the last moment. She wanted to seduce your mosquito incense away all by herself to follow her in search of heaven, haha."

"It would be strange if she didn't have her own calculations, but she overestimated her abilities and chose the wrong partner to cooperate with."

Miliven had not expected that the external help she selected would possess such a wild appetite; she didn't even get a chance to sip the soup.

Neo lamented, "Who told her she was facing a hunting hound and a young hound? Leaving even a shred of bone residue for her would be our failure!"

Immediately after, Neo lamented again, "It's just a pity. What a massive contribution this was, yet there's no way to record the merit for a promotion."

"As long as we can grasp the actual benefits, that's enough."

Neo spoke with implied meaning, "The return of the gods means the original rules and frameworks face the risk of being shattered. This is our opportunity, Karen."

"I haven't thought that far ahead yet, because I believe Rasma will return before the gods do."

At this moment, the Whip of Order squad had begun entering the mansion from all sides. However, they did not slaughter the remaining people inside, but merely delivered finishing blows to those slippery fish who could be identified as priests, while the guests and attendants were evacuated.

The most conspicuous was Madame Baulifa, who was carried out naked by two members of the Whip of Order.

Originally, she had been showcasing her rhythmic and dramatic operatic singing inside the room, intensely playing poker with three boxers;

As a result, she witnessed the scene outside the window that looked almost like hell descending.

By now, she no longer cared that she was currently naked, repeatedly muttering to herself:

"My god, my god, my god!"

Unsurprisingly, after this incident, many artists in the mansion would concurrently turn their future creative directions toward theology.

"Brother Karen!"

Loya's figure arrived on the rooftop. In front of her, two copper coins were floating, but the phantom image of a chain had already emerged upon her body, meaning her time out to "breathe fresh air" was nearing its end.

The forbidden space, to the divine artifacts possessed by the Orthodox Church of Order, was essentially a cage.

Those that could be used by Order or were deemed worthy by Order were mostly enshrined within the stars above the temple, while the rest were confined to prevent them from causing harm.

"I got it." Karen took out the sealed pouch. After just this short while, the sealed pouch had already begun to grow hot.

Loya leaned forward, blew a breath onto it, and then her hands crossed repeatedly as rays of light were cast into it.

"Alright, Brother Karen, you can now hold it in your hand and play with it like an ordinary copper coin. If you want to trigger its power, you can stimulate it just as you would other holy artifacts.

Then, you can arrange a communication array, a summoning ritual array, and a sacrificial array, and by holding it, you will be able to call upon me.

And if you put on that mysterious mask of yours, Brother Karen, I can bring your soul consciousness into the forbidden space to play, though because of that fellow's eye, it can't be for very long each time..."

Neo curled his lip and said, "It's fine. Although your Brother Karen doesn't last long each time, he can do it in small amounts many times."

Hearing this, Loya turned her face, looked at Neo very solemnly, and then replied earnestly:

"You're the one who is impotent!"

Neo: "No, are even artifact spirits this precocious nowadays?"

"There are too many very old older brothers, older sisters, uncles, and aunts in the forbidden space. Did you think I understand nothing?"

"Alright, alright, it seems the Forbidden Space Department has neglected your education in the doctrines of Order."

Loya stepped forward and hugged Karen.

"Brother Karen, you will summon me very soon, right?"

"Of course, definitely."

"Mhm, I believe you, Brother Karen!"

Neo could not help but tease again, "His fiancée said the exact same thing."

Loya frowned.

Neo continued, "Do you know where his fiancée appears most frequently now? She can only be active in our chats, hahaha!"

Loya pointed her finger at Neo:

"The source of sin..."

"Damn!"

At this instant, Loya wanted to kill. Although she knew Neo was very powerful, she could better perceive Neo's current problem; for a person like him, she actually found him easier to deal with now.

And Neo also sensed the killing intent originating from the artifact spirit, a pure killing intent without the slightest trace of impurity.

Karen reached out, grasping Loya's small hand and pressing it down.

Loya offered no resistance, instantly severing her spellcasting upon Neo.

"Can you call upon me through this?" Karen asked.

"I can, but I'm afraid of bothering you, Brother Karen. After all, you're so busy and have so much on your plate."

"It's fine. If you truly miss me, or if there is anything you wish to say, you can use this to summon me."

"Really, Brother Karen? You are far too good to me."

Loya planted a kiss on Karen's profile.

Neo rolled his eyes from the sidelines, thinking to himself: *Isn't this just a perfunctory excuse because he's afraid he'll forget you and never reach out, so he's making you take the initiative?*

"Brother Karen, I must head back now."

"Alright, goodbye."

"Goodbye, Brother Karen."

"Goodbye, my lovely little niece," Neo added, waving his farewell.

Loya glared coldly at Neo as she retreated backward into the vortex forming behind her. "You are fast losing yourself."

"Thank you for your concern regarding your uncle's health. This uncle is deeply moved."

"I hope it won't be too painful when you finally lose your mind. Or, you could always choose to commit suicide beforehand."

The moment those words were uttered, Karen’s expression shifted slightly, for Loya had inadvertently spoken of the manner in which Neo's beloved, Miss Elisa, had died.

Noticing the shift in Karen's countenance, Loya instantly covered her mouth and leapt into the vortex, which vanished entirely.

"Children speak without boundaries. Don't take it to heart," Karen comforted him.

"Why would I be angry with her? She is just like you, her tongue practically dripping with honey."

Neo stretched his limbs and sighed, "It is finally over."

"Not quite over. We have only made the proper beginning. Stay here and watch over things for me, specifically overseeing the transport of that angel's corpse. I need to visit the District Chief."

"Alright, off you go." Neo yawned, drawing a small vial from his pocket filled with a thick, dark-purple liquid.

"What is that?"

"Blood I drew from the angel. He was nearly mummified, so extracting even this much was no easy feat. You won't blame me, will you?"

"No."

After all, Neo had only taken a bit of blood, whereas he himself had already run the angel into the ground.

Neo uncorked the vial.

Karen warned, "Are you certain you want to drink that?"

"At worst, there will just be one more person attending our mental meetings. Hahaha."

Neo downed the blood in a single gulp, his face turning thoroughly wretched a moment later as he cursed:

"Damn it, this is truly the foulest blood I have ever tasted in my life. No, this isn't even blood anymore; it tastes more like motor oil from a car!"

Seeing that Neo was unharmed, a pair of black wings erupted once more from Karen's back. Instead of flying off directly, he brought the wings forward, gripping each with his hands as he intoned:

"Orderize!"

The classic black of Order rapidly spread across them, wiping away all other traces of aura.

In this manner, no one would suspect the true nature of these wings; they would merely assume he had acquired a wing-type sacred artifact for mobility.

Neo mocked, "Heh, you really are cautious. I bet you keep anti-slip mats across your bathroom floor, terrified you might slip during a midnight trip."

"Perhaps because I am still young, I don't need to get up in the middle of the night."

"Oh, damn you!"

...

Karen returned to the headquarters building at maximum speed, heading straight for Suss's office. The secretary didn't even bother announcing him upon his arrival, opening the door for Karen directly—evidently having received prior instructions.

Inside the office, the communication array was active. Suss stood in place, while the projection from the formation revealed seven individuals, all seated in chairs.

These, presumably, were the leaders of the departments directly under the Whip of Order in the Dingle Region.

"Very well, now let our Enforcement Chief introduce the specific results of the operation."

Without a trace of stage fright, Karen stepped to Suss's side and began recounting the course of the mission.

When Karen reached the final spoils of war, he distinctly noticed the seven superiors seated in their chairs begin to adjust their postures.

His report finished, Karen took a step back and stood beside Suss.

"Regardless of the outcome, you should have coordinated with us prior to this operation."

"Indeed, I can understand your region's desire to claim all the credit internally, but this time the mission succeeded. What if it had failed?"

"A region has no right to decide the relationship between two orthodox churches. If your mission had failed and caused a total rupture between our church and the Abyss, that would be a grave sin."

"Enough. The mission succeeded in the end. This angel holds monumental significance for us, concerning the secrets of the Gods' return. Besides, they were breeding it within our church's traditional sphere of influence. The Abyss went too far."

"Exactly. Since when did our Church of Order act so secretively?"

"Heh, we merely reclaimed an angel that the Abyss stole from our territory. What is wrong with that?"

"You did well, Suss. I imagine I shall be bumping into you in the corridor outside my office very soon."

The communication array deactivated then, as those leaders on the other side would be busy reporting this matter to their own superiors.

Overall, however, the effect was undeniably positive. This was a magnificent achievement; for the church, nothing was more paramount than matters concerning divinity.

As for the rift with the Abyss... what of it? Would the Abyss truly dare to declare war on Order?

Suss handed Karen a glass of ice water, remarking, "That was just an internal briefing, so things were a bit casual."

"District Chief, it appears your promotion is truly imminent."

"Sigh, there is little joy in moving up. I would actually prefer to remain here as District Chief indefinitely."

"I, too, hope you can stay to guide my work."

"Haha, I know when to quit while I'm ahead. Though my tenure hasn't been particularly long, my political achievements are numerous. I will use this credit to maneuver a transfer away from here.

Right, have your secretary hurry up and bring me the personnel appointments and institutional reform proposals within the next few days. I will approve whatever I can for you now, ensuring that whoever comes down to take this seat next will be utterly powerless."

"Thank you for your cultivation."

"It is you who cultivated me. An angel, heavens above—such a massive, solemn affair, yet you and Berne barely showed any excitement... Oh, right, neither of you can rise any further. Ah, yes, those two groups from Dark Moon Island and the Church of the Moon God were originally supposed to arrive yesterday. I had someone delay them. Now that the mission is complete, you can notify them to arrive immediately.

Do you wish to receive them personally?

In any case, the clean-up work of the mission can be left to the subordinates. You don't have much expectation for receiving credit anyway."

"Alright, I will go personally."

"Mm, off you go."

Once Karen had left his office, Suss licked his lips, rubbed his face hard, and muttered to himself:

"Being his superior is so fucking thrilling!"

...

The teleportation matrix hall.

A hundred Dark Moon warriors stood in immaculate formation, waiting to pass through security inspection. Standing at the very front was Ophelia, the Princess of the Dark Moon Island.

According to the original plan, she should have led her team here yesterday, but York City seemed to be brewing something, and their itinerary had been temporarily delayed.

In a teleportation zone toward the rear, flashes of light burst forth in rapid succession. More than a hundred young priests clad in the divine robes of the Luna Cult emerged one after another. Naturally, the one leading them could not possibly be Salaina, the Holy Child of the Luna Cult.

As the Holy Child of an orthodox cult, Salaina certainly had no need to rush over here to "welcome the newcomers."

Yet the one leading the group was also a priestess; she was very young, bearing an aura so pure and clear that she resembled a friendly older sister next door.

Furthermore, her figure was remarkably fine; the divine robes, which were generally tailored to be quite loose and oversized, actually managed to trace the contours of her silhouette, though it had absolutely nothing to do with being plump.

Once the priests of the Luna Cult stepped out, they naturally and seamlessly crowded out the Dark Moon warriors, intending to clear security ahead of them.

They did not view this as cutting the line, nor did it even touch upon a moral dimension, for the tiny Dark Moon Island was utterly insignificant before an orthodox cult.

Had it not been for the intervention of the Order, the present-day Dark Moon Island would have long since been swallowed whole by the Luna Cult.

As they passed by the Dark Moon warriors, expressions of disdain flickered across the faces of many Luna Cult priests, and quite a few even covered their noses, as though they had caught a foul, fishy stench wafting off them.

The Dark Moon warriors yielded the path as a matter of course, and even Ophelia showed not the slightest intention of protesting.

This world was, and always would be, just that realistic.

The Order staff members responsible for the security checks expressed nothing toward this either, calmly continuing with their inspection work.

In the distance, Karen, who was currently sitting in the office of the teleportation hall director sipping tea, witnessed the unfolding situation through the translucent glass.

A disparity ought to be demonstrated right from the start, as it made it much easier to win people's hearts, but the kind of disparity playing out before his eyes was the exact opposite of what Karen desired.

However, having reached Karen's current level, there were times when he no longer needed to be so blunt to get his subordinates to act; he could afford to appear far more elegant, or rather, to elevate the matter to a higher principle.

Karen set down his teacup, and the single sentence he uttered next instantly drained the color from the face of Anrosi, the teleportation hall director who had been waiting upon him attentively ever since he walked in, nearly causing the man's knees to slam to the floor in a dead kneel:

"Alas, they do not even know how to form a proper queue; they truly show not a single shred of what Order should look like."