The gods departed, leaving without a single word. Even the light of their wings had dimmed, and the hands holding their swords hung limp.
Like dogs.
Hainowei simply watched them leave. From beginning to end, she never asked for their help, and they acted as if they hadn't even seen her.
The gates of light closed.
The world plunged into darkness once more, and this time, it was an eternal darkness.
This world was dead again.
Only a fractured continent remained, floating in the void.
At the center of the continent was the mysterious pyramid ruins, and at its edge was Hainowei's Misty Forest.
Hainowei knew that this was Jormungandr's punishment for her.
She wanted her to feel the darkness and loneliness that person had once experienced.
Hainowei suddenly burst into laughter, her laugh filled with self-deprecation and a similar pity for the gods.
“Perhaps... this is why I do not wish to become a god again...”
“My memories are incomplete... but I can feel it...”
“Jormungandr, you are right. I sealed myself...”
“Ye... who on earth are you?”
“I want so badly to know... but I am so afraid...”
“I don't know what I am afraid of...”
“I am so scared...”
“Come quickly...”
Hainowei's body slowly curled up, eventually encased in a sphere of water.
The water sphere seemed to pulse, sending out a wave of energy in all directions at regular intervals.
She wanted to use this method to make Zhang Ye come find her sooner.
Even if this might attract other entities, she no longer cared...
The shackles deep within her soul had loosened; she was beginning to feel it...
She only wanted to see Zhang Ye again.
“Come quickly...” she called out silently.
All one hundred and eight of her clones curled up as well.
And even her main body, imprisoned in the forbidden area, curled up as well.
At that exact moment, they all emitted the same pulse.
Come quickly...
...
In the Holy Light Empire, within the Temple of Light.
The being seated upon the dark gold throne suddenly opened her eyes.
She felt that in several places across this continent, there were pulses radiating the energy she anticipated.
Thirty-two places... she murmured to herself. These were the pulses she could perceive within the West Continent.
She knew there had to be more, but they were either too far away or in other worlds.
“Your Holiness! We have discovered traces of the Water Spirit!” a gold-armored knight reported, entering the hall and kneeling respectfully.
He kept his gaze fixed on the floor, not daring to steal even a glance at the hem of the Pope's skirt.
“Bring them to me,” the Pope spoke slowly.
The gold-armored knight immediately nodded in assent, then rose and withdrew.
The grand hall fell empty once more.
Gazing at the empty hall, a flash of loneliness flickered in the Pope's beautiful golden eyes, only to quickly vanish.
She rose and, with a flash of her figure, arrived in the underground forbidden area.
Looking at the Ancient Water Spirit curled up inside the water sphere before her, she spoke slowly.
“Have you come to your senses?”
The Water Spirit opened her eyes, looked at her, and gently shook her head.
“Then why?” the Pope asked in confusion. “Do you not know that this will allow this Empress to track down your clones?”
She was not only the Pope but also the Empress of the Holy Light Empire, so referring to herself as "this Empress" was entirely fitting.
“I know,” the Ancient Water Spirit nodded. “But I don't care anymore...”
With that, she curled up once again.
The Pope watched her, the confusion in her eyes growing stronger. She tried her best to perceive the pulse Hainowei was emitting, wanting to decipher something from it, but to her senses, it was merely a normal vibration—like a heartbeat, devoid of any hidden meaning.
She knew the Ancient Water Spirit would not do such a thing for no reason.
And so, she expanded her Divine Sense, her voice echoing in the minds of the countless knights who were about to set out.
“Pay close attention to the movements of the Water Spirit's clones. Do not let a single detail slip by!”
“Yes, Your Holiness!” the knight legion roared in unison, then set off one after another, flying in all directions.
Among them, even the weakest was a Two-star Saint-tier!
Afterward, the Pope flashed again and appeared inside another temple. It was vast and pristine, with only white and gold greeting the eye.
In the center of the hall was a small pool filled with a deep blue liquid that radiated a dense, vibrant life force. In the middle of the liquid stood a small golden tree.
There was another person in the hall—an elderly woman clad in a white robe. Her silver hair shimmered slightly in the light of the temple, and her kind face made it impossible to guess her true age.
She held a platinum crystal ball in her hands. The moment she saw the Pope, she immediately stepped forward to greet her.
“Your Holiness,” she bowed to the Pope.
The Pope nodded slightly, walked over to the small golden tree, and asked, “Prophet, are there any anomalies with the All-Knowing Divine Tree?”
Though called the All-Knowing Divine Tree, the small tree was actually just a short stump, barely over a meter tall with two or three branches, and only a single platinum leaf remained on it.
“Reporting to Your Holiness, there are no anomalies,” the elderly Prophet replied.
Looking at the All-Knowing Divine Tree, the Pope felt slightly tempted, but she shook her head nonetheless.
The All-Knowing Divine Tree was capable of performing 【All-Knowing Divine Manifestation】, which would allow her to learn anything she wished to know. However, the tree only had one leaf left, meaning she had only one chance.
She should not waste it on something so completely without leads.
The Pope nodded, turned to leave, and said slowly before departing, “Report to me immediately if any anomaly occurs with the Divine Tree.”
“Understood,” the elderly Prophet nodded, then respectfully saw the Pope off.
...
Having just stepped out of the Secret Realm Gate, Zhang Ye suddenly felt a sudden urge sprouting within him.
He suddenly felt a strong urge to go to Claude Canyon to find Hainowei.
But then, he shook his head.
He had just returned from the secret realm and had many things to attend to. Furthermore, the magic research institute's review would take place within three days. He had to pass the review to become the mentor for Lina and the others.
Tsk tsk... He had been enrolled for less than two months, yet he was already about to go from student to mentor. Seriously, who else could pull that off?
As soon as they emerged from the Secret Realm Gate, they were greeted by a warm welcome from the academy.
“Look, little ones, our heroes have returned!” Dean Betula laughed in his amiable voice. Instantly, the students gathered in the square erupted into cheers, and some even came forward to offer flowers.
Most of them were female students.
Among everyone, Zhang Ye and Leona received the most flowers.
In less than two minutes, the flowers in Zhang Ye's arms practically blocked his field of vision.
Zhang Ye gladly accepted everyone's enthusiasm and announced that he would hold a concert this afternoon—for free!
This caused the entire student body to cheer wildly.
“Ahhh! The God of Song is so handsome!”
“I think I'm going to faint...”
Looking at the starstruck female students, everyone was both speechless and amused.
“Brother Ye's popularity is truly unmatched,” Renomon said with a wry laugh.
Samanra nodded in deep agreement. He had only received a few bouquets, whereas the flowers in Zhang Ye's and Leona's arms were enough to open a flower shop.
Seeing this, Talia, who was standing nearby, took the initiative to act as Zhang Ye's bodyguard.
“Alright, alright, that's enough! Don't keep stuffing flowers into my junior's arms. Bring them over here, I'll hold them for him... Hey, you there, the stone-man carrying a stone flower! Yes, you!”
“Are you trying to crush my junior to death?!”
Watching this play out, Zhang Ye nearly snorted with laughter.
There was no helping it; he was just that charming.
Rate on N.U.
