Chapter 230: Looking Up

Chapter 230: Looking Up

Amidst the awe and astonishment of the crowd, a wisp of gray smoke, like a spirit snake, spiraled up from the base of the tower. As it climbed, the snake grew thicker and heavier, turning into a rolling mist that enveloped the entire High Tower. Lightning flashed and thunder roared within the mist, with wind and rain surging. Darkness rose from the fog, gradually swallowing the lightning, wind, and rain, transforming into a heaven-reaching Giant that looked down upon All Living Beings.

The Shadow spread from the Giant, slowly covering Northland City and spreading outward. Countless birds were startled, crying and wailing under the sky, within the Shadow, turning into the darkest ink spots within it.

The people went from looking up to lowering their heads, eventually trembling and prostrating themselves on the ground. The Giant seemed satisfied with their display. The Shadow gradually receded, the sounds of thunder, wind, and rain rose again, and it transformed back into the spirit snake, slowly disappearing into the base of the tower.

Sunlight poured down onto the people, but it could not soothe the fear brought by the Darkness. Northland City fell silent, until a faint voice spoke, “Get up…”

That day, Northland City gained a bit more tranquility and lost much of its noise. People no longer hurried; everyone moved carefully. People wore more stiff smiles, and men and women who happened to sit together instinctively held each other’s hands.

By the time the White-robed Ones got up, Bran had already left. One observation, one fright, made them completely lower their heads. Their dignity and pride vanished cleanly the moment they prostrated themselves.

Pachu twisted his stiff neck and slowly looked over his companions, saying in a hoarse voice, “Let’s go back.” He truly hoped this was just a dream, even wishing he had not witnessed this miracle.

“What was that?” someone couldn’t help but whisper.

“A Deity?” someone said, somewhat uncertain.

“Yes, a Deity,” Baz confirmed the answer with certainty.

Pachu sighed. “From now on, this kind of work should be done by us. We shouldn’t trouble the old master to take action…”

…

The people in the City Manor were not much affected at first. They sat under the Ancient Tree, admiring the spectacle and asking him for detailed accounts of the scene.

Only when the heavens and earth changed color and the Shadow descended did their expressions change one by one.

The Ancient Tree, however, grumbled softly nearby, “Why isn’t it dark? It would be better if it were completely dark.” Danny gently patted him, signaling him to be quiet.

Mary, being blunt, said, “This is our own home; we can’t wreck it.”

Then she couldn’t help asking, “Did he cause such a scene in Lava City too?”

The Ancient Tree’s tone was full of regret. “No. Huahua said you couldn’t even see your feet with a torch.”

Mary also began to regret. “It really would be better if it were all dark. How about you lend a hand too? I’ll go get a torch and light it first.”

She was then slapped on the forehead by Danny, which ended all her actions.

When Bran returned, the people in the manor were still gathered under the tree and had not dispersed. Mary looked at him with shining eyes, which confused Bran.

“They say you are a Deity.”

Bran’s tone was wary. “What do you mean?”

“I’m thinking… if you are a Deity but you fix my house, then what am I?”

Bran really wanted to slap her to death, but in the end, he just sighed and said, “You are my family.”

This answer satisfied Mary very much. She walked over and imitated Danny by giving Bran a hug.

One display thoroughly frightened outsiders, but excitement ran high within the City Manor. Everyone wanted to see true Darkness. Pestered beyond patience, Bran released the Mist and handed it over to the Ancient Tree.

After repeatedly warning him not to take it outside the manor, the Ancient Tree began a spirited performance on Bran’s behalf. Thus, the manor became bizarre and fantastic, with thick smoke billowing one moment and light mist swirling the next…

As they played with it, everyone gradually discovered that this mass of Mist could respond not only to the Ancient Tree but also to them. This made the atmosphere even more lively, and they began all sorts of experiments.

Bran, however, sat beside Little Tree, his mind immersed in the ocean of Mana. He completely failed to notice that his own people were courting death in all sorts of ways.

Huahua guarded beside Bran, swishing her tail now and then. This meant the surroundings were safe, calm, and peaceful…

…

Whispers circulated in Northland City, and some paid homage and saluted towards the High Tower. But compared to the camp outside Yong’an City on the Bloody Plains, such reverence seemed too shallow.

Nowadays, the rituals of worship grew increasingly ceremonial. Nicole led the people, paying respects to Lily’s Divine Statue in the morning and to Bran’s in the evening. Light and Darkness, day and night, would all have Deities to protect them. Prayers chanted the power and majesty of the Deities, carrying solemnity and dignity, clearly carrying into Yong’an City.

Reinforcements had already arrived here, and their numbers gradually gained the upper hand. Yong’an City tentatively launched one attack, after which they completely abandoned any thought of counter-attacking outside the city walls.

This counter-attack caused heavy losses on both sides.

After the battle, the prayers outside the city grew deeper. A stern power gathered there, unshakable and inviolable.

In contrast, inside the city, people were panicked. They had witnessed true fearlessness for the first time. They clearly had the upper hand; they clearly should have won. Yet, in the end, it was they who retreated in defeat.

After the fighting ended, prayers gradually rose outside the city. They thanked the Deities for granting them strength and courage, allowing them to achieve victory. They thanked the Deities for giving them a resting place after death…

The people on the city walls looked at each other, because they had only seen the enemy’s courage and their strength. From beginning to end, they never saw any trace of the Deities. But the concluded battle left them shaken…

Nicole looked around. There were far fewer people in the camp. She would not retreat, because the Deity told her to guard outside the city, so she would definitely stay here. One battle seemed only to have killed many people; nothing much seemed to have changed. But she noticed that the tall Divine Statues in the camp were gradually gaining a glow, a bloody hue.

These two Divine Statues were gifts from the Deities. However, such gifts were no longer seen now; the Deities only bestowed this grace upon those who first believed in them.

She touched between her chest, where she secretly hid a Statue of night. Compared to Light, she held more Reverence for Darkness. Because she understood the Northlands speech, she had inadvertently heard the Deities’ conversation. The projection of the Divine Kingdom in the mortal world was actually a gift from night to day.

She had seen the sinister cunning of night but had never witnessed the righteous openness of light. So, in a secluded place, when she prepared to carve a Divine Statue with a small piece of jade she had secretly kept, the image of that young man filled her mind. She believed this was guidance from the Deity, so she carved it without hesitation.

Only, her craftsmanship was terrible, and that piece of jade became a mess. This did not affect her subsequent prayers. During her prayers, that Statue gradually changed in her hands, turning into a pendant, and the Deity resided within the pendant.

Her father wrote saying he could now freely enter and leave Twinwing City and hoped she could also strive for this honor. She had no such plans. She heard that Nightfall had already left there, whereabouts unknown. Although she served Light, she considered herself an Apostle of nightfall and should follow in his footsteps.

The setting sun once again dyed the horizon red. Nicole led the soldiers in the camp to begin their prayers. As the prayers rose, the Night grew deeper. A beam of Light fell beside the night’s Divine Statue, illuminating the area as if it were day.

After a moment of shock, the people’s voices grew fervent, but the prayers turned into praises for Light. This made Nicole’s voice stand out, as she was one of the very few who continued the unfinished night prayer. And her voice was firm and clear.

Light enveloped her; it was the gaze of the Deity. Sweat seeped from her forehead, and her voice gradually weakened, but she still finished the prayer in a whisper.

When the prayer ended, her voice gradually grew strong again, beginning the praise for Light…

Light came on the wings of the Night, falling into Yong’an City amidst the people’s prayers. A pillar of Light connected heaven and earth, with radiance shining through the city walls. Shortly after, the Light departed, Night fell, and Yong’an City was completely silent.