Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The lofty, majestic Holy Mountain of Light was as pure and sacred as ever as it gave off a gentle, holy glow.
However, the whole mountain was on red alert on this day. From every Knight of Light to Pope Hayes himself, everyone was watching the scene unfolding in the sky.
Everyone on the mountain knew—the battle on this day would determine the Light Church’s continuity.
Should they win, they would continue to reign over Light Continent.
But should they lose, they would be completely wiped out.
Everything hinged on the outcome.
“Suppress him, Angel’s Battle Formation!”
A great force crushed down toward Meng Lei, sweeping toward him like torrential waves. The void was instantly locked down with Meng Lei in the very center.
“That’s a pretty good containment tactic. It’s likely that you’ll be able to suppress most lesser deities out there. What a shame… That it’s useless against me!”
Meng Lei formed a sword with his fingers and lightly drew a line across the air that had been locked down. A formless sword glint shot forth and instantly cleaved against the air that had solidified.
Slash!
The void was instantly cleaved into two. The suppression force triggered by Angel Battle Formation also dissolved in this instant, causing the nine true gods’ expressions to change dramatically.
He has destroyed Angel Battle Formation just like that?
“Do you think you can trap me when I’m the master of this existential plane? How childish!”
An invisible spear manifested from Power of Existential Plane shot out forcefully with a flick of Meng Lei’s fingers and pierced right through one of the true gods’ head.
“Ugh!”
Thunderstruck, the true god froze up at once. A bloody hole formed in between his brows, and then golden divine blood began to trickle from the wound.
“I… I’ve died just like that?”
Disbelief was written all over the true god’s countenance. He was one of the church’s ascetic cultivators. During the last 50,000 years, he had painstakingly and diligently cultivated. At last, he broke free of the shackles and stepped into the realm of true gods 28,760 years ago and became one of the few true gods that had broken through by their own efforts in the church.
Yet, he was actually going to die. His years of painstaking cultivation would go up in smoke. He couldn’t accept it! He couldn’t!
“Lord Conant!”
The Light Church masses’ expressions couldn’t help but change greatly as shock and disbelief filled them.
That was Lord Conant, one of the church’s strongest ascetic cultivators! Yet he had died just like that?
“Why is this happening?”
“How did Lord Conant die?”
None of them could accept such an outcome.
“Sir, that’s exactly the kind of attack he had used!”
The Holy Maiden of Light had an awful look on her face. She said, “It’s neither a physical nor a power of divinity attack. Nor is it a divine spirit attack, yet its power is on the level of a true god. It’s extremely bizarre!”
Pope Hayes nodded slightly, his brows drawing together into a frown. Meng Lei was stronger than he had expected. Things would be tough for them today.
“Has Conant died just like that?”
The remaining eight true gods looked fearful. As they gazed at Meng Lei, their eyes were full of shock, horror, and wariness.
The Angel Battle Formation jointly formed by the nine of them was capable of trapping the vast majority of lesser deities.
But Meng Lei?
He had actually destroyed their Angel Battle Formation and killed Conant so casually. How strong must he be?
“A pinnacle-level lesser deity!”
“He’s definitely a pinnacle-level lesser deity!”
The eight true gods exchanged looks with one another, communicating swiftly with one another via their divine cognition.
“Everyone, the other party is too powerful. His strength far surpasses what we had expected. What should we do?”
“There’s only that one move left if we hope to defeat him. Otherwise, we won’t be his match at all!”
“That move? Is there no other way?”
“Yes, do we absolutely have to use that move?”
“Unless we flee, that move is the only one we can use. Otherwise, we won’t be a match for him at all!”
“Flee?”
One must admit that thoughts of fleeing had indeed occurred to the few true gods. They were true gods; as long as they focused solely on fleeing, they would definitely be able to get away.
But the problem was—if they fled, then what about the church?
The Light Church had groomed them ever since they were young. The church was their origin. Even if they must die or be killed, they couldn’t just abandon the church and make a getaway on their own!
“One down, eight to go.”
Meng Lei gazed at the remaining eight true gods and said, “I will kill all of you, flatten the Holy Mountain of Light, and completely erase the Light Church now. All of you… Are you ready?”
The eight true gods shuddered the moment the words left his mouth. Looks of hesitation and internal struggle flashed across their eyes. Unless they absolutely had to, they really didn’t want to resort to that move!
“The first one!”
Meng Lei locked on to one of the true gods and slowly reached out his right index finger. He said, “I pick you!”
“Damn!”
The true god’s expression changed drastically, and he instinctively wanted to dodge. To his horror, however, he discovered in this instant that he actually couldn’t move!
“Damn! Move! Hurry, mov—”
He bellowed madly inwardly. However, he felt an intense, piercing pain in the middle of his brows at this moment. It instantly swept through his nerves and his brain…
Then, he stiffened and crashed straight onto the ground. His eyes were widened big and round—evidently, he hadn’t died in peace.
“The second one!”
Meng Lei turned to the remaining seven true gods. His gaze swept to and fro among them, frightening the seven true gods out of their wits.
Six of them were still caught in their internal struggles and hesitating, but one of them actually began to flee into the distance without even so much as a look behind him. He moved extremely swiftly, crossing ten miles in a breath. In the blink of an eye, he had vanished into the horizon…
The six remaining true gods’ eyes widened big and round as they stared in stunned silence at the other true god’s back. Torrential waves churned in their hearts—they really felt like breaking into expletives at this moment!
“Jarpet!”
“That bastard!”
“He’s actually fled!”
“He’s actually abandoned his faith and deserted the Light Church and chickened out!”
“A disgrace! He’s a disgrace to the church!”
Pope Hayes had an extremely dark and sinister look on his face. Jarpet had always claimed that he wouldn’t hesitate to do anything and would go through the hardest of trials for the church, yet now, in the face of danger, he had actually fled so resolutely. This was an utter embarrassment to the church!
“Someone has actually fled?”
Ol’ Amos also looked taken aback. He said, “Every one of those quacks from the Light Church has always adopted an attitude as if they were full of compassion and pity for mankind, and acted as if they would sacrifice themselves for their faith anytime. I’d never have thought that they would actually make a run for it the moment trouble actually knocks on their door. What a jaw-dropping surprise!”
A smiling Meng Lei shook his head at Ol Amos’ comment. Then, he said, “It’s already remarkable that only one of them has fled. After all, which among those that could cultivate all the way to become a true god isn’t a person of determination and strong will? How would they possibly truly worship someone else?”
“That’s true.”
Ol’ Amos agreed with his statement. He said, “Be it half-deities or true gods, they are usually all selfish people that can bring themselves to abandon anything during moments of life and death.”
“The six of you are the only ones left now,” said Meng Lei as he turned to the six remaining true gods.
The six true gods shuddered all over upon noticing Meng Lei’s gaze. Then, they did something shocking—they took off at once without even so much as a look behind them and disappeared into the far horizon in the blink of an eye…
Meng Lei, “…”
Ol’ Amos, “…”
The Light Church masses, “…”
“All of them ran away, Ol’ President!” Meng Lei found this hilarious. “We were wrong—their faith in the Goddess of Light isn’t that pious after all!”
“Yeah, we were wrong!”
Ol’ Amos didn’t know what to say anymore. “As expected, humans are selfish. And the more powerful and the higher of a status a deity is, the more selfish they usually are, too.”
“Exactly!”
Meng Lei nodded slightly. Then, he turned to Pope Hayes and said, “Your Holiness, the talents that the Light Church has groomed sure are astonishing.”
“Bastards! Those seven selfish and mercenary bastards! They are all sinners! Sinners!”
Pope Hayes could no longer maintain his compassionate and merciful attitude. His whole face had become incredibly distorted, and even his eyes were red.
“They’ve abandoned their faith and betrayed our Lord, as well the church. They are even more abominable and deserve death even more than those wicked heretics!”
“What do we do now, sir?”
The Holy Maiden of Light also had an icy look on her face. She had never thought that things would reach such a point.
Two true gods had fallen in battle while the remaining seven had fled from battle and abandoned them!
The Light Church had landed itself into an incredibly embarrassing and perilous situation.
“We can only risk our lives and fight!”
Pope Hayes instructed, “Activate the light shield. Nothing must happen to the Shrine of Light!”
“Yes, sir!”
The Holy Maiden of Light nodded slightly and relayed his order.
Buzz…
A gentle milky-white glow formed around the Shrine of Light before swiftly spreading and turning into a milky-white shield that isolated the whole Shrine of Light from the outside world.
“The light shield is formed from power of faith that the Shrine of Light has accumulated over the years. It can endure several attacks from an intermediate deity.”
Pope Hayes let out a sigh of relief as he gazed at the light shield enveloping the Shrine of Light. He said, “With the light shield, the Shrine of Light should be safe and secure. Now, I can battle with peace of mind.”
“Sir, you—”
A huge jolt went through the Holy Maiden of Light.
“Altacia, blasphemy toward our Lord’s faith cannot be condoned. The Light Church will not stand for anyone challenging its authority. Keep this firmly in mind, and you’ll become a qualified pope.”
Pope Hayes gave Altacia a deep and meaningful look. Then, he took off the pope’s hat he was wearing and personally placed it atop the Holy Maiden of Light’s head.
“Sir, no! Don’t!”
The Holy Maiden of Light shook her head vehemently, choking up as tears welled up in her eyes.
“Altacia, do not grieve for me. It is my utmost honor to be able to sacrifice myself for our Lord.”
Then, Pope Hayes gave her a kind and benevolent smile and said, “Besides, your teacher won’t die so easily.”
Then, Pope Hayes slowly rose into the air. Without the pope’s hat restraining his hair, his head of white hair now fluttered in the breeze. His snowy-white robes were clean and spotless. Flames of fury burned within his small and skinny frame like a volcano that might erupt any moment.
“Your Holiness, you’re finally out.”
Meng Lei looked at the Pope of Light with a smile. He said, “You’re very brave. I’m even somewhat admiring you now!”
“For our Lord’s glory, what is there to fear about death?”
Pope Hayes’ voice turned cold and emotionless as he said, “Your Holiness, leave at once, and I’ll take it that nothing had ever happened. Otherwise—”
“Your Holiness, from start to finish, there’s something you actually still haven’t understood.”
Meng Lei flicked his fingers and said with a shake of his head, “This existential plane belongs to me. I will not permit other types of religious faith to exist here. Do you understand?”
“Let’s fight!”
Torrential power of divinity gushed into Pope Hayes’ pastoral staff as he brandished it. His voice thundered in the sky, “By Our Lord’s Decree—Let There Be Light!”
Buzz…
Dazzling golden divine light spilled from the sky, melting the void inch by inch and creating pitch-black fissures everywhere it passed through. The terrifying divine light had actually obliterated even the dimension itself!
Boom!
Divine light instantly enveloped Meng Lei.
