booktalesy Chapter 2049 - 2038: Vanished Like Smoke and Clouds
Chapter 2049 - 2038: Vanished Like Smoke and Clouds
Every believer sat cross-legged facing outward, densely packed across the entire square, forming a huge concentric circle, layer upon layer.Ning Fan roughly estimated that there were about a thousand believers,
A number that surpassed the total of the believers below and along the way.
"Could these believers have fallen asleep?"
Although he knew it was unlikely, seeing the scene before him, Ning Fan couldn't help but ponder the thought.
Each believer sat with firm and powerful posture, eyes closed, faces smiling and rosy, looking just like people in a deep sleep.
Ning Fan didn't detect the slightest hint of death, which was part of why he assumed they were asleep.
Everything here seemed like a world apart from the tragedies along the way.
At this moment, Vivian softly remarked, "Poor lambs, as dead as can be."
Ning Fan frowned, "What's going on?"
"I'm not sure what spell the Church of Light used, but they definitely lacked Magic Power, and that's why the believers had to burn their souls to turn into power."
"No wonder the expressions on their faces are so bizarre, they willingly chose death."
The technique of burning souls into power wasn't unfamiliar to Ning Fan; he had seen it several times but still had some doubts.
"What do you mean by 'as dead as can be'?"
"In your words, it means they're so dead not even scraps remain."
As she spoke, Vivian reached out toward a believer.
"Be careful."
The lingering Holy Power here was the densest in the entire Demon Domain, and Ning Fan feared triggering some chain reaction.
"Don't worry, nothing will happen. These Holy Powers merely maintain their shells."
With that said, Vivian placed her fingers on one believer's head.
Then, under Ning Fan's astonished gaze, the believer vanished without a trace, leaving not even a puff of smoke except for the white robe left on the ground.
Vivian explained, "They sacrificed not just their souls, but all their flesh and blood. Any external force, if it disrupts the balance, would cause them to completely dissipate."
Ning Fan fell silent, and a phrase suddenly flashed in his mind, "Weakness itself is an original sin."
"Such a sacrifice is utterly meaningless."
"Why?"
Just after asking, Ning Fan realized.
These believers willingly sacrificed everything about themselves to obliterate those Demon Beasts,
Yet the scene at the foot of the mountain undoubtedly proved their failure.
"Even if the Demon Beasts are in poor condition, after all, they are a race created by the hands of the gods, stubborn as they are..."
At this point, Vivian paused for a moment before continuing, "Humans must transform their life's level, otherwise it's utterly futile, no matter the sacrifice."
"In other words, it's about the hierarchy of power levels."
Ning Fan thoroughly agreed with this statement, recalling when he was still at the True Qi Stage, getting effortlessly defeated by those at the Heavenly Gang Realm without any chance of fighting back.
This vast disparity was a difference in power levels.
It's no exaggeration to say that a master of Heavenly Gang Realm, if they choose not to fight back, allowing attacks from the Aerial Mastery Realm.
The one ultimately suffering a tragic defeat would undoubtedly be the Aerial Mastery Realm's elite; True Qi's power simply couldn't shake Spiritual Energy.
The automatic counterattack of a Spiritual Qi Shield from a Heavenly Gang Realm powerhouse cannot be withstood by the Aerial Mastery Realm.
Of course, if a Heavenly Gang Realm retracts its shield to bear with their body, it'd be courting death.
"Exactly. Without a fundamental transformation, no matter how numerous, it remains just the strength of mortals."
Upon finishing, Vivian sighed, "What a pity!"
"What are you pitying?"
"If the number of believers were a bit more, it's conceivable they could have dealt with these Demon Beasts, as it was their weakest moment. But unfortunately, such an attack can only occur once."
Ning Fan suspiciously asked, "How do you know there's only one chance?"
Vivian looked at Ning Fan as if he were an idiot, "If you were backed into a corner, would you have withheld anything?"
"This..."
Ning Fan's embarrassed look fleetingly appeared before he angrily remarked, "Speak properly, who'd you learn that sarcastic tone from?"
"That woman named Tang Xiaodie."
"Aha, it really does resemble her."
Ning Fan put on a serious face and admonished, "Never learn such rubbish again."
"I can, but..."
"No problem."
Ning Fan held his forehead, looking pained.
Usually, Vivian's demeanor was that of an impeccable high and cold princess.
But when it comes to jewelry, that petty visage could provoke an urge to punch her.
"What about these people?"
"Dust returns to dust, earth to earth."
Ning Fan mobilized his spiritual power, creating a spiritual storm.
A gentle invisible breeze swept through, and all the believers present vanished without a trace,
Only the white robes left on the ground testified to the last vestige of their existence.
With complex feelings, Ning Fan angrily asked, "Where are those high-ranking Holy Church members? Have they all died?"
Like below, the believers who had just disappeared were also donned in white robes.
It's known that the Church of Light was by no means weak; the officially ordained Priest of Light and Knight of Light were all genuine cultivators.
The strength of the Holy Church's high-ranking officials could be said to be at the peak of the world.
Besides that, there were all kinds of unparalleled Holy Artifacts.
The background of the Church of Light was evidently extraordinary. Otherwise, how could they suppress the entire Dark Faction, nearly exterminating the Alien Clan?
Moreover, the Holy Church also had a Divine Item like the Angel Projection, and although a mere projection, it was indeed the power of a Divine Spirit.
Ning Fan absolutely couldn't believe that the Angel Projection summoned by Hilde last time was the last reserve of the Holy Church.
But now the Demon Beasts had already rampaged the Holy Church's gates, and those high-ranking temple officials seemed to have vanished without a trace.
Gazing at the tall stone gates, Ning Fan called out, "Vivian, let's go."
The palace, built entirely of Shining Stone, was grand and simple, with its interior supported by pillars as thick as a grown man's waist and reaching ten meters high.
This magnificent palace reminded Ning Fan of the Sun Temple in the Ancient Sky City.
The architectural style of both could be said to be identical.
"This is the real appearance a temple should have."
Only in such an environment would humans feel their insignificance, and their faith would grow ever more pious.
Whereas those secular temples, with their lavish gilded jade decorations, appeared more like entertainment venues, lacking even a hint of otherworldly atmosphere.
Under the hazy white glow of the Shining Stone, Ning Fan could clearly see every wall inside the palace, along with the bloodstains on the walls.
It was evident from this that the Demon Beasts charged out of the palace and met resistance here.
But Ning Fan discovered another problem, traces of blood were visible on the pillars and walls, yet not a single body remained, even the white-robed believers left no bodies behind.