Chapter 398: Earth Turned Upside Down

"It's ridiculous, utterly absurd. The subconscious of 1.7 billion city-state citizens. No, judging by the defense attorney's statement, she's probably trying to express the combined will of all generations of city-state citizens, the collective subconscious of the 'city-state.'"

Parriman laughed out loud.

"Unreal. Irrational. Absurd. Pure delusion!

According to her, it was the citizens of the city-state who saved me 20 years ago, it was the citizens of the city-state who supported me during these 20 years, and it was the citizens of the city-state who have supported me until now!

Answer me, Judge Benintic. Do you think this is possible?"

"How is this possible?" the civilians murmured to themselves at home.

"That's ridiculous," the politicians said in bewilderment.

"Pure speculation." The soldiers' eyes were dull.

It was like this everywhere, in every household. Self-denial. Self-convincing. Riko pinched her fingertips desperately, using the pain to stimulate her spirit. Otherwise, even she would utter words of self-denial. The pervasive pressure almost imprisoned her thoughts. Under that power, she would no longer be herself.

Not to mention Rico at Sephiroth 4, even Chu Hengkong and Velvet froze under the pressure. The two were on a completely different level of power. The power Parriman unleashed at that moment was enough to reach the level of a demigod. That was the true might of Sephiroth 6!

Only one person could maintain his willpower in this situation. Benintic recovered from his momentary trance and, before speaking, restrained his mind with the rules.

"This court will not comment on this opinion."

Word by word, speaking out under heavy pressure.

"Because this court represents the laws of the land, it only respects objective reality and has absolutely no room for intervening in its own opinions. Since the defense has put forward a reasonable speculation... this court needs to verify its authenticity. This is the judge's obligation!"

"Now, this court formally grants the defense's request for an inspection. I summon the representative of Wuchen Land, Velvet Velus, the representative of Huilong City, Chu Hengkong, and several other experts from outside the city-state to the court to conduct inspections on Parriman simultaneously with the Thorns Sacred Tree!"

"--veto."

The judge's opinion was not implemented because the Speaker gave a higher-level judgment. His voice gradually became muddy, like a thousand people speaking and a chorus of ten thousand people.

"Testing request denied."

"This trial is denied."

"The retrial of the 'Jas Trek case' from 20 years ago has never been held. The independence of the city-state will proceed reasonably under the guidance of established laws."

Parriman stood alone in the center of the courtroom, the sole conscious victor. Those who remained conscious were overwhelmed by the power of that voice. Even Trek was pinned to the table. Throughout the courtroom, only Benintic managed to hold on. Benintic sternly declared, "Zan van Parriman, please cease your actions immediately. You are deliberately using brute force to disrupt the trial and delay its outcome. This is a clear violation of the Jingsha Constitution!"

"Oh, a crime? You're truly a dedicated prosecutor, still using the law you firmly believe in as a weapon. It's a pity..."

Parriman raised his hand and took off his mask.

Under the mask was a terrifying face without eyes or nose.

"I speak for the people of the city-state. The laws of Jingsha have no right to judge me!"

Pressure explodes.

The formless, bodyless, and faceless being finally took shape at this moment. Countless pure white vines shot out from behind Perriman, binding everyone within the courtroom, every noble of Mansa Star Fortress, and the 1.7 billion citizens of the Thornsha City-State.

The true nature of the vine is countless tiny words, a "plant" formed from the opinions of all beings. At the start of the wanted campaign, Parriman used it to restrict the captains' movements. Now, he single-handedly controls the entire Jingsha city-state. Even the Jingsha sacred tree itself is being relentlessly restrained by the other face behind it!

Parriman coughed loudly, nearly coughing up his own internal organs. A clear liquid gushed out of his mouth, and his face, now free of the mask, was covered in wrinkles like an old man. Behind the thorny robe, another face was in a state of even greater aging. This was the price of forcing his power against the rules.

Yet, he laughed wildly, as if he had finally released the frustration in his heart and could finally speak out the words that had been suppressed in his heart. He threw the mask into the air and roared almost hysterically.

"Fulfill the contract, Dark Kingship!"

"—with great pleasure."

Across the city, far from the courtroom, another "Parriman" nodded gracefully. A perfect disguise, a flawless alternate identity, and now, the secret key, the "trigger," granted by Parriman himself. The king had been granted the conditions to infiltrate the divine tree, and Parriman had spared no effort to create this opportunity for him.

Wang Quan held his chest in the ruins and said solemnly, "Currently, all 1.7 billion citizens of the city-state are under threat from external forces, and the city-state is in a critical situation. To protect the lives and property of the citizens of the city-state, I issue an order in the name of Zan Van Parriman, Speaker of the Senate of Jingsha City-State. From this moment on, the Jingsha Sacred Tree officially begins the process of independence!"

Its consciousness flowed into the divine power center and pulled the final trigger.

Thus, an irreversible process began.

·

At that moment, the first phenomenon conveyed was "vibration".

The world turned upside down. The earth shook. The tremors were so intense that even thought was interrupted, leaving everything blurry and indistinct. Without words or movement, their frail minds, shaken by the world's shifting dynamics, were so stagnant it felt as if their very souls had been shaken out of their bodies.

The silence engendered by the overwhelming magnitude of the changes lasted for approximately 47 seconds. During this time, only instruments, unaffected by human consciousness, faithfully recorded the changes in the city-state.

The average altitude of the Jingsha city-state increased by 10 meters.

The computing center reached this conclusion, and the reconnaissance plants at the city-state's borders were activated simultaneously, searching for the cause of this illogical phenomenon. However, the devices within the city-state were unable to discern the truth amidst the chaotic world. Only the external observers trembled under the weight of reality.

The earth cracked.

Tens of millions of tons of land flew into the sky.

Forty-seven seconds ago, the roots of the sacred tree, buried deep beneath the earth for millennia, broke through the surface. The soil and rock clinging to the roots naturally followed them out of the earth. The scene resembled the eruption of an active volcano, but on a far greater scale. Emerging from the earth was the mountain itself, an entire land, a world vast enough to support 1.7 billion people.

A hollow, like a trench, was created, tilting the Senluo Secret Realm. A flood of seawater poured in, threatening to create a tsunami that would sweep across the Secret Realm. However, the wave vanished before it could even begin to surge. A flaming meteorite plummeted to the surface, its catastrophic impact vaporizing the seawater. It was merely "gravel" falling from the bottom of the thorny stalk, but for the Secret Realm, it was a torrential rain of rock and stone.

The soldiers on the front lines stared back. There was no "behind" anymore, only a relentless flood of despair. Just because a god moved for a moment, the known world was turned upside down.

This is what God is. Not the ever-present oppressive pressure, not the omnipotent absolute, but the life you've grown accustomed to, the world you've firmly believed in for millennia. Until one day, God makes a move, and everything you stubbornly believe in collapses in an instant. Only then do you suddenly realize that there's no such thing as reason in this world, and that the foundation of everything you know is God.

When the gods are no longer what they once were, the world changes.

At the forefront of the desperate battle line, the broken-hearted people knelt behind another god, almost speechless.

"Master Wu Zun, the city-state has become independent ahead of schedule. What should we do?!"

They were prepared to evacuate promptly if the situation became irreversible, preserving their remaining manpower. However, with 20 days remaining until the scheduled deadline, so much preparation remained unfinished that an immediate evacuation was simply impossible.

But if they don't leave now, they will only die, because Jingsha has already flown away, and behind them is the sea of ​​phantoms!

Another god, the Sword-Sacrificing Martial Master on duty at the front line, stroked his sword without any sadness or joy.

"The devil of greed is just ahead. If I go to the city-state, will the battle line fall into the devil's mouth?"

He drew his sword and stepped into the dust, speaking calmly.

"Fighting means death, fleeing also means death. It is better to be still and close your eyes."

"Listen to the prelude to destruction."

The giant tree, rising from the sky, was enveloped in a pale white glow. Translucent petals closed around it, forming a wall protecting the city. The scene was grand and solemn. Rising in the light, it detached itself from the filthy world, like a god ascending to heaven. From this moment on, the conflicts of the earth had no relevance to it, its connection with the secret realm officially severed.

At 03:24 on August 8, 3001 in the Candlelight Calendar, the Sephiroth 7 deity, the Jingsha Sacred Tree, officially emerged from the Senluo Secret Realm.

·

Mansa Star Fort, military court.

The glorious vines snapped one by one, and the inexplicable pressure dissipated. The power that bound all living things vanished at that moment. Parriman, his hair disheveled and his face bloodstained, still laughed contentedly.

He had severely damaged his foundation, destroying his own very existence. Yet, his goal had ultimately been achieved. He had chosen to go to court despite knowing the danger, precisely to confront Benintic from this distance. Only at such close range could he be confident of controlling Benintic, and only then could he ensure the city-state's safe departure from the secret realm!

Benintic discarded his judge's robe, revealing his prosecutor's uniform. He shouted, "The proceedings are suspended. The current Speaker, Zan van Parriman, is hereby arrested on 3,145 counts, including intentional threats to the safety of the sacred tree and threats to the personal freedom of citizens!"

Trick had already taken out his pointer: "Chu Hengkong will deal with Wang Quan, Velvet will support the sacred tree, and General Silan, you will take everyone else to support the front line. Notify all the divine guards to prepare, the war has begun!"

"Understood." "Got it!"

Instantly, everyone was transported out of the courtroom, leaving only the captain and the third captain. Two vines hadn't yet been broken, binding their wrists like dueling ropes. Parriman gripped the vines tightly, his separate mask glowing continuously in the air.

"Please stay, Captain, Commander." Pariman showed an ugly smile. "As long as I am still breathing, I will never allow you two to leave!"

(End of this chapter)