1312 Holy Light Forever
“May the Holy Light shine forever.”
Fang Heng bowed slightly and followed the Holy Paladin’s instructions. He stood beside the Holy Paladin.
Then, the other Holy Paladins raised their scepters and chose the followers who had the sacred study talent.
One by one, the followers walked out of the crowd and stood up, forming a row beside Fang Heng.
Slowly, Sanjay frowned.
He realized that the number of followers chosen this time was much higher than before.
All the chosen followers were pleasantly surprised.
When the selection phase was about to end, one of the judges pointed his scepter at Yimamu.
“You, step forward.”
Yimamu was startled. He looked around and found that there was no one else around.
“Me! It’s really me!”
After realizing that he had been chosen, Yimamu was very surprised. He quickly raised his arm and waved it fiercely. Then, he walked forward and stood at the back of the line.
In the past, only three followers would be chosen on God’s Choice Day. When it was rare, there would often be situations where no one passed the preliminary selection.
Today was different. The number of people who passed the preliminary selection was exceptionally large. A rough estimate was that more than 60 people were selected.
“Today’s God’s Choice Day’s ritual and pilgrimage have come to an end. The chosen ones will follow me to participate in the second round of trials. The rest of you can leave.”
Sanjay nodded to the Holy Paladins beside him, raised his scepter, and walked towards the cathedral.
The followers gathered in the square outside the cathedral ended their prayers, stood up, and slowly moved away along the exit at the foot of the mountain.
Mo Jiawei and Zhuo Lingfang were not chosen. The two of them hesitated for a moment. When they saw that the Holy Paladins in the square had already begun to clear the area, they had no choice but to follow the crowd and leave the square.
Fang Heng, Yimamu, and the other chosen followers followed the Holy Court’s judge into the cathedral.
Holy Light shone in the cathedral hall, and the atmosphere in the golden hall was gloomy. Even though it was already night, the Holy Light transformed into the sunlight and shone through the crystal glass at the top, illuminating the entire empty hall.
“Followers, please follow me.”
Sanjay led the group slowly forward along the hall’s passageway.
Fang Heng followed the team down the stairs and arrived at an empty circular hall at the end of the cathedral’s basement.
The hall was spacious and bright. There was a tall circular crystal stone pillar in the middle. The surrounding walls were uneven. If one looked carefully, one would see that some embossed were carved on the walls.
Along the wall, there were many wooden boxes.
Following the Holy Paladins into the hall, Fang Heng felt a sense of peace and quiet rise from the bottom of his heart.
The game notification appeared again.
[Hint: Player has entered a special area-Piety Hall. The player has been affected by a special effect-tranquility.]
The sacred study had its own special aspects, which could affect a person’s mind.
Sanjay stood in front of the crystal pillar in the center of the hall and slowly spread his hands forward with a devout expression. He said, “Followers, let go of your wariness and accept the trial that God has given you. Show your strength and wisdom, and then accept God’s gift.”
Trial?
Fang Heng’s heart skipped a beat. He looked at Yimamu, who was also standing among the crowd of followers, with a questioning gaze.
Yimamu was also stunned. It seemed that this was the first time he had encountered such a so-called trial.
While Fang Heng was thinking, Judge Sanjay had already led the Holy Paladins out of the hall.
For a moment, there were only 60 or so followers left in the hall.
“Boom!!”
The door was slammed shut, and a dark golden light barrier appeared above the door.
Just as Sanjay walked out of the hall, two members of the Holy Court hurried up and whispered into Sanjay’s ear.
“Judge, we’ve investigated. The follower you’re concerned about is an outsider who came to participate in the pilgrimage with Yimamu. We’re sure that we’ve never seen this person before. He just escaped to the Holy City today to take refuge. We’ve asked around. His name is Fang Shuo.”
“Yimamu…”
Sanjay muttered to himself.
He knew Yimamu.
“What about Fang Shuo’s strength level? Has it been certified by the Holy Court?”
“Judge, we haven’t found anything yet. We’re looking through the registration data of all the Holy Courts in recent years. We’re short of manpower, so it’ll take some time to check everything.” The Holy Paladin nodded and continued, “In addition, he has two companions with him. We have already sent people to follow them and monitor them. Do we need to detain them?”
“No need. Continue following them and wait for the follow-up investigation.”
“Yes, sir!”
The two Holy Paladins cupped their fists and hurried back.
Kadar, the other judge of the Holy Court, heard the conversation between the two and felt that Sanjay was making a mountain out of a molehill. He could not help but ask, “Sanjay, in the past, the investigation was carried out within a month after the end of the God’s Choice Ritual. This time, it’s so urgent. Are you very suspicious of him?”
Sanjay was still thinking about something and nodded. He said, “Yes…The investigation is necessary. Every chosen follower needs to undergo the necessary screening.”
Kadar frowned and continued, “You saw it just now, right? That followers’ holy affinity can only be described as ‘terrifying’. If he has not received any cultivation in the sacred study, wouldn’t it be too dangerous to let him take the advancement test directly? It’s not a good thing to pull up a seedling to help it grow.”
Sanjay narrowed his eyes and looked up. He said, “Kadar, I understand your concerns. However, the Holy City is currently in a chaotic state. Fang Shuo’s appearance is too coincidental. My intuition doesn’t feel good.”
“The Holy Court is already on the brink of danger. If we’re not careful, we’ll be the sinners who push the Holy Court into the abyss. I have to be extra careful.”
“Yes, I understand. You want to force him to see if he’s hiding anything,” Kadar nodded and replied.
“That’s right. Let’s go to the Prism Plane to see their performance,” Sanjay said and continued to walk forward. “I hope I’m just thinking too much.”
…
After the judges left, there were only 60 or so Holy Court followers who had just been selected.
It was the first time the followers had entered the cathedral, so they did not know what the so-called test was. They all looked around curiously.
Most of the followers were standing on the spot cautiously, not daring to move.
The entire hall was constructed in a huge circle, and the huge crystal pillar in the center of the room was particularly eye-catching.
Fang Heng took a few more glances at the stone pillar.
At this moment, Yimamu approached Fang Heng.
“Brother, this is my first time here as well. I heard from the judge that we might have to face the trial of the Holy Court later. Let’s form a team and help each other if we can.”
“Mm, alright. Do you have any clues about the trial?”
“I don’t know. By the way, those people are from a local gang. They’re not very famous, but they do things a little dirty. We still need to be vigilant and try not to get into conflict with them.”
