Chapter 132: Rod of Judgment

Led by the white-robed nun, the group soon arrived at the holy and magnificent Saintess Hall.

Like other Monasteries, the walls of the Saintess Hall were carved with Angels praying devoutly or suffering various hardships. There were no guards at the entrance, only two veiled nuns bowing to welcome the group. Everything seemed normal. Randolph and the others were in high spirits, but Hu Feng felt his brow twitch, sensing an indistinct danger. The closer they got to the Saintess Hall, the stronger the feeling of danger became.

“My Lords, please!”

The guiding white-robed nun stepped aside, bowed, and spoke in a pleasant voice, revealing only a pair of clear, bright eyes. Her figure was slightly inferior to Nun Bella’s, lacking that bone-deep charm and allure; but against the backdrop of the Saintess Hall, her expression was serene, giving off an inviolable feeling that was a different kind of delight to behold.

“I’d like to see just how powerful this so-called Great Divine Official really is!”

After pondering for a moment, Hu Feng followed Randolph and the others inside without showing any emotion, trying his best to suppress the Death Aura in his body and restrain the surging energy fluctuations within.

The ambush on Redelson had given him great confidence!

Demi-god Stronger stood high above, each possessing vast powers. They could crush a Grand Swordsman or a Great Magician like an ant with a mere move of a finger, effortlessly. But after condensing the eight Demon God Phantoms, his strength was far beyond that of an ordinary Great Magician. The battle with Redelson proved that while strength was important, one’s state of mind was even more indispensable.

Impulsivity leads to mistakes, while calmness keeps one clear-headed. The more dangerous the situation, the more calmness was required.

Having reached the entrance of the Saintess Hall, turning around and leaving would not only waste all previous efforts but would likely arouse suspicion immediately, giving them a real handle to grasp. Calmly venturing in might actually lead to safety!

Inside the Saintess Hall, a group of important figures had been waiting for a long time.

Several wrinkled Monastery Elders stood with their heads bowed in the depths of the hall; a group of tall nuns stood in two rows on either side of the aisle, looking straight ahead with respectful expressions. Seated high on a large chair was a thin young man. He wore a bright red Divine Official robe, and the emblem of eight Crystal High Towers on his chest symbolized his status as an Eighth Step Great Divine Official. He wore a large hood on his head, with a hazy veil hanging from the rim, swaying gently in the breeze, revealing only a pair of narrow eyes.

“Is this the so-called Great Divine Official Moss?”

Hu Feng bowed along with Randolph and the others, secretly observing the young man seated above from the corner of his eye. He sent out a thread of Divine Sense but couldn’t sense a single trace of aura on the Great Divine Official. No Magic Power fluctuations, no life breath; it was as if the person sitting above was just a void.

Impressive!

Hu Feng was startled and decisively withdrew his Divine Sense, remaining motionless. After condensing the mysterious Demon God Phantom, even the power fluctuations of a Demi-god Stronger like Redelson couldn’t hide from his detection. Now, sensing no power from Divine Official Moss at all, what did that mean?

It meant that the power of this mysterious Great Divine Official Moss was nearly ten times, or even a hundred times, stronger than Redelson’s. He had truly cultivated to the Demi-god Peak!

“Seize them all!”

Looking at Hu Feng and the others prostrate on the ground, the high-and-mighty Divine Official Moss suddenly gave a cold command. His voice was hoarse. His figure looked even more slender than a beautiful nun’s, and his fingers were pale and slender; but his voice was clearly that of a man, which greatly surprised Hu Feng. With his command, eight icy Golden Armored Warriors suddenly appeared from the Void. With a single sword thrust, Randolph and the others went numb and collapsed weakly to the ground.

Clang…

Randolph and the others were unprepared and were subdued by the suddenly appearing Golden Armored Warriors in one move, but Hu Feng, who had been vigilant all along, reacted quickly. A cold light flashed in his right hand, and the sharp Death Oak suddenly appeared. In an instant, he thrust eight times with a whoosh, each strike hitting the knee joints of the Golden Armored Warriors squarely. With a ‘thud’, the eight powerful Golden Armored Warriors almost simultaneously fell to the ground. The wounds were small, but the blood flowed ceaselessly. Several wrinkled Nun Elders took turns casting restoration spells, but it was all in vain.

“Lord Moss, please give me a reasonable explanation!”

Hu Feng coldly stared at the androgynous Great Divine Official Moss seated above. Having struck successfully, he displayed powerful strength but didn’t leak a single trace of the evil Death Aura.

His powerful strength, calmness at the critical moment, and neither humble nor arrogant attitude in front of Great Divine Official Moss surprised the nuns. Randolph, who had fallen to the ground, was no exception. Although he hadn’t said it explicitly along the way, he had guessed that Hu Feng was no simple Divine Official. But he hadn’t expected him to be this formidable!

The Golden Armored Guards beside Lord Moss; almost every one of them had reached the strength of a Sword Saint, leaving ordinary Glory Knights far behind. Unexpectedly, in front of Hu Feng, a mere Divine Official, they were vulnerable!

“The aura of fate?”

The veiled Divine Official Moss’s eyes lit up. He flicked his finger, and a faint silver light seeped into the bodies of the Golden Armored Guards. Their wounds healed rapidly, and with a flash of golden light, they vanished without a trace. He nodded, looked at Hu Feng, and said indifferently, “Good, very good. I didn’t expect such a powerful Divine Official to appear in the Wasteland. Very good. Young man, do you know why I ordered you to be arrested? Do you know what capital crime you have committed?”

Capital crime?

Hu Feng shivered inwardly and took a deep breath. Inside his Prime Realm, the eight Demon God Phantoms that had been cultivating stood up simultaneously, ready to strike. Beside him, Randolph and the others, who had fallen to the ground, felt their hearts sink and their limbs go cold. Divine Official Moss was the most powerful and prestigious Divine Official of the Divine Court in the Wasteland. If he said they were guilty, they would certainly not escape death!

“Saliel told me everything. An upright, powerful, and brave Glory Knight was tortured into a cripple by you, chained to a warhorse and dragged back. What kind of crime is this?”

Divine Official Moss’s tone was icy. Being glanced at coldly by him, every Knight couldn’t help but tremble with fear.

The spacious Saintess Hall was filled with a murderous atmosphere—powerful, oppressive, and stifling any thought of resistance. Hearing his words, the Knights finally realized the truth. Their eyes went wide with anger, regretting that they hadn’t killed that despicable Saliel with a single sword strike. They hadn’t expected that after being escorted back to Glory Castle, that guy wouldn’t reflect on his own mistakes but would instead accuse them first and slander their group.

“Lord Moss, Saliel is lying! The holy Nun Cinia can testify for us!”

Before Hu Feng could answer, Randolph nervously defended them. Every Candidate Saintess had undergone rigorous selection and was pure and holy. People might not believe a Knight, but they would never doubt the words of a Candidate Saintess.

“There is no need!”

The high-and-mighty Divine Official Moss spoke in an icy tone, making everyone’s heart sink as he slowly looked over the group. After a long while, his tone changed. “Not long after you set out from Cold Moon City, I received a Magic Message personally sent by a Monastery Elder from Cold Moon City, explaining Lord Hu Feng’s identity and strength. I know Ophelia. How could the missionary she personally brought back from the Wasteland be an evil Heretic? Saliel mentioned many suspicious points, but unfortunately, they were all just his own personal guesses. Suspecting and resenting a noble Divine Official is itself a grave sin. However, there is no need for the Monastery to deal with him; he has already received God’s punishment and become a useless cripple!”

As he spoke, Divine Official Moss reached out and pressed down lightly. A majestic and pure Holy Energy surged into the bodies of the Knights. In an instant, not only did the injuries of Randolph and the others heal rapidly, but their strength even increased further. Especially Randolph, the leader, felt the energy in his body surge. With a loud shout in front of everyone, he broke through his bottleneck and stepped into the Saint Domain, becoming a powerful Sword Saint. Overjoyed, he placed his right hand on his chest and prostrated himself respectfully.

Brilliant!

Watching Divine Official Moss’s manipulative skills, Hu Feng couldn’t help but admire him. Being able to sit in the position of City Lord of Glory Castle, this androgynous fellow was indeed not simple. While remaining vigilant, he also secretly let out a sigh of relief, and the Demon God Phantoms that were ready to strike sat back down. Hearing the name Ophelia suddenly, he was surprised but also a bit puzzled. He couldn’t understand how a high-and-mighty Eighth Step Great Divine Official could know a lowly White-robed Priestess.

“In recent years, missionary work in the Wasteland has become increasingly difficult, and the Judgment Divine Official has become more and more dissatisfied with our efforts. Why? Is it because we are not working hard enough? We have already sacrificed many great Missionaries and brave Faith-guarding Knights, so why is this still happening?” Looking at the respectful Randolph and the others, Divine Official Moss nodded and waved his hand for them to stand up. After a pause, he continued, “Talent. This is because we lack true talent. Outstanding Divine Officials like Lord Hu Feng are becoming rarer. Hu Feng, speak. What kind of reward do you require?”

“Successfully escorting Cinia to Glory Castle this time was entirely the merit of the Knights. I am already very satisfied to have arrived here safely!” Hu Feng’s expression was calm. He understood in his heart that a big shot like Moss, high above others, had deep meaning in every move. How to punish or reward had long been decided in his mind.

“Good, very good. From today onwards, you are the Judgment Divine Official of the Divine Court and the Monastery. Take this Rod of Judgment!”

Divine Official Moss nodded and clapped his hands lightly. The Golden Armored Guards carried a huge wooden box in front of Hu Feng. Opening the box, a staff carved with Angel Statues appeared in front of everyone, emitting a vast, holy, and majestic aura, as if the Grand Divine Official of Judgment from Bright Summit had arrived in person. In the face of this majestic aura, every nun and Knight prostrated themselves involuntarily, and even the high-ranking Monastery Elders were no exception.

The Knights had a strict hierarchy, and Divine Officials were no exception. A Judgment Divine Official, even if just newly joined to the Divine Court with a low rank, possessed power that ordinary Divine Officials could only look up to, shouldering the heavy responsibility of inspection and judgment. When preaching or inspecting outside, upon encountering Divine Officials, Knights, or Nuns who violated the laws, he could execute them on the spot and report afterward, holding the power of life and death.

A Judgment Divine Official!

Looking at Hu Feng holding the Rod of Judgment, the eyes of the Knights and nuns were filled with respect!

“Randolph, from today onwards, you are Lord Hu Feng’s Follower. Remember, ensuring Lord Hu Feng’s safety is your mission!”

Lord Moss stood up as he spoke and turned to leave under the escort of the nuns. His figure was slender, but his voice was hoarse and old. He looked androgynous, but no one dared to disobey his orders. After a long while, the people prostrate on the ground raised their heads and stepped forward one after another to pay their respects to Hu Feng, the Judgment Divine Official.