Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Ruins.
The assassin's body was quickly taken away. The people around were talking about it, with resentment written all over their faces.
"It's their own fault—"
"See what he said? 'That's because we didn't break the law'? Huh? Of course we didn't break the law!"
"It's ridiculous. My cousin's house was half burned down by a neighbor's child who was learning magic. That family bribed the judge at the time, and in the end, there was no compensation at all..."
"If judges don't follow the law, what's the point of having judges? If they commit crimes themselves, they blame others. When my mother was sick, I worked four jobs and didn't go out to rob..."
They obviously disliked the assassin's remarks and expressed their condolences to the Chief Justice before leaving.
Su Cheng watched the guards carry away the wreckage.
Kurt was talking to a couple of other officers, who looked like they were responsible for keeping the neighborhood safe, and they were apologizing profusely.
A gorgeous carriage had already passed through the avenue and stopped in front of everyone.
"Sir," Kurt said, shaking off the officials with grim expressions and turning to look at Su Cheng, "We can leave now."
The car drove out of the bustling neighborhood and soon arrived at the manor.
The castle is surrounded by snow-white stone walls, crystal floor-to-ceiling windows and jade columns, all reflecting the sunlight. The lawns are neatly trimmed and the water columns of the marble fountains are completely consistent.
The entire manor is symmetrical along the central axis, and looks full of restraint and orderly beauty.
Kurt led her through the hallway, their figures reflected on the pleasantly bright floor. There were no murals on the tall dome, only pure white.
At regular intervals, huge hourglasses appeared in the corridor. In the clear crystal shell, white sand slowly flowed through the tightened neck, making a tiny rustling sound.
Su Cheng took a serious look and asked, "Are you a follower of the Lord of Time?"
Kurt shook his head slightly. "I just want to remind myself that the law of the passage of time is the most unshakable—"
Su Cheng blinked. "If you were His favored one, you would be able to waver, you know that, right?"
Kurt: “…”
He looked like he wanted to punch her.
Kurt: "I know, but I'm not. After all, I don't have anything to redeem."
Su Cheng was a little surprised. "Recover?" "I know some members of the Sand Oath Society, and among them are those favored by the God of Time. Those people often have a strong obsession with a certain past, and they long to go back to a certain moment and make changes -"
He stopped and seemed not to intend to accompany her. After saying goodbye politely, he went straight into a study next door and closed the door.
Su Cheng stood in the hall with many paths leading in all directions, thought for a few seconds, and decided to go north.
She walked to the end of the corridor, pushed open the glass door, and a warm breath hit her face. Outside was a greenhouse made of black iron frames and crystal wall blocks.
The smell of damp soil, flowers, and rotting fallen leaves mixed together. Giant umbrella-like ferns stretched out their emerald green leaves, orchids clung around dead trees, and clear water gurgled from the top of the rockery made of volcanic rocks, merging into a shallow pool below with gorgeous aquatic plants.
Su Cheng stood in this vibrant greenhouse, feeling the wildness and vitality emanating from those magical plants. However, they were confined within the framework of crystal and steel. No matter how freely they grew, they would not cross the boundaries.
She reached out and touched a plant that looked like a mimosa. The curled leaves gently wrapped around her fingers, holding them reluctantly.
Su Cheng: "...Your Excellency the Chief Justice is a follower of the God of Plenty?"
These magical plants grow so well, especially some of the varieties that have extremely demanding environmental requirements, which cannot be solved by a greenhouse.
And they are still so active.
“It’s hard to imagine, isn’t it?”
A chuckle came from behind.
It was that familiar yet unfamiliar voice again.
"Mr. Kurt pursues order, but this cruel world can hardly satisfy his desire—"
The soft and pleasant voice was getting closer. "So he chose the closest thing to order that mortals could touch: law. Through coercion, universality, and logic, he tried to build a controllable framework within the chaos..."
"So," Su Cheng sighed, "the mortal enemy of the God of Plenty is the God of Plague, right? That assassin today wasn't trying to stand up for anyone; it was all just an internal struggle among the God's favored ones."
There was a high-five nearby.
"My dear, you are so perceptive—" Someone approached from the side and put his arm around her shoulders affectionately, "So are you interested in actually joining this game?"
Su Cheng turned his head to look at him.
The young man with black hair and purple eyes tilted his head with a smile and looked at her tenderly.
That handsome and enchanting face was placed among the flowers, among the dreamy blue Phalaenopsis orchids that were like nebulae, appearing even more dreamlike and illusory.
He now seemed to be a male incarnation, and was dressed like a domestic aristocrat, with his white shirt open at the collar, revealing a flat, lean chest.
Su Cheng: "...Are you talking about becoming a god?"
He blinked, and a smile bloomed in his enchanting purple eyes, "So what do you think?"
Su Cheng hesitated to speak, "Be more specific, what should we do?"
"It's simple," he said with a smile. "Find the authority that has not yet been bound, understand it, merge with it, and I will help you."
Su Cheng looked at him thoughtfully.
If she had traveled back in time, then with her strength, it would not be surprising for the ancient gods to invite her to become a god.
But she always felt something was wrong.
Su Cheng: "If I want to become a dark god, do I have to snatch this power from the Chaos Dragon King—"
"No, my dear, Kykleus is darkness and chaos itself. You don't need to rob him, and you can't rob him—"
He said in a lighthearted tone, "Authorities can be connected, like Euphoria and her master, Garmoth and his teacher."
Su Cheng: "...If I want to become the God of Darkness, and I don't want the chaotic part, I want to control a power that can resist light and reversely destroy life."
He didn't seem surprised. "Then go and defeat Him. In the process, you will understand the rules you want from Him."
Su Cheng sighed softly.
It seems that this is the reason why Ailin is going to duel with the leader of version 1.0.
But considering this fight wasn't one-on-one, there were obviously other issues.
"How's it going?" The God of Illusion looked at her with a smile. "Did you get the answer you wanted?"
"...Actually," Su Cheng crossed his arms, "No. I once asked you for your name, but you didn't give it to me. You said we'd meet next time, and now we've met."
"Oh?" He raised his eyebrows slightly. "Ever?"
Su Cheng rolled his eyes and said, "Yes, that happened in my past, so for me, now is a reunion, it's the next time. As for the fact that you may not remember it, that's your business."
She said it with a confident tone.
The ancient god in front of her seemed amused by her. "Ah, dear, time does like to play with people's perceptions, but for me, every encounter is unique-"
Su Cheng puffed up his cheeks and said, "Don't try to trick me. You don't remember me at all. Or just tell me the truth. What exactly did you and Logos plan? Why are you promoting people to become gods everywhere?"
"They and I have different views on many issues," he thought for a moment. "Essentially, they want to complete the project, but I'm probably a little tired and want to change the playground."
Su Cheng: “?”
Su Cheng: "What do you mean? You want to pass the mess on to someone else?"
"That's not the case," he said calmly. "They crave power and authority, so let them have it. Then they'll know that not every stairway leads to heaven, and that those standing at the top see not eternal bliss, but the shadow of the end and the countdown to the return of all things. Isn't that interesting?"
"Oh," Su Cheng nodded in understanding, "Essentially, he still wants more people to share the mess."
The God of Illusion gave her an unfathomable smile, then disappeared into the warm greenhouse.
Su Cheng teleported without hesitation.
She wanted to land in the Southern Continent - theoretically, this was the longest teleportation, from the Silver Moon Empire to the Red Sun Empire, but it was surprisingly smooth.
Once again standing at the door of the Green Pine City library, the guards saw her appear out of nowhere, and they showed fear on their faces and saluted respectfully.
A group of magicians came out chatting and laughing. The ones leading them were very old, and their magic power was abundant and stable.
The blond boy was among them, with a handsome face and a gentle expression. He nodded and agreed with a few words from time to time, and it seemed that they got along very well with each other.
His long, pointed ears also disappeared, and he looked like an ordinary human, except for his overly beautiful face.
"...Su Cheng?"
Ian turned around and saw his old friend.
Su Cheng waved to him.
The magicians couldn't help but look at her. One of them stroked his beard and nodded, "Your friends are all very good too, Mr. Grommel."
The man had the emblem of a great wizard on his chest, as well as an extremely complex pine tree embroidery pattern, which seemed to symbolize a certain academy.
Yian walked out from among them, Su Cheng took him aside and looked him up and down.
The half-elf was still handsome and bright. He had changed out of his light hunting leather armor and into an ivory-white floor-length robe.
The satin of the dress was smooth and shiny, with pine tree patterns on the neckline and cuffs, and the slender waist was neatly outlined by a jeweled belt.
He also wore a gilded college badge on his chest, and his brand new leather boots, which were exposed between his clothes, were adorned with gold ornaments. He exuded luxury from head to toe.
"...You're back," the blond boy lowered his eyes and looked at her, "but I guess you won't stay."
Su Cheng raised his eyebrows, "We will meet again, believe me."
"Yes," his eyes moved slightly, then he looked at her seriously and smiled, "I have a plan--"
Ian gently raised his hand and held her shoulder, his movements were very slow, as if giving her enough time to step back.
Su Cheng stood there motionless.
This seemed to give him more confidence, so he put his arm around the back of her neck and gave her a gentle hug.
“…I will also become a god.”
He rested his chin on the top of her head, his eyes fixed on the clear sky outside the library. A golden sun hung high in the sky, casting a blazing light.
"...the strongest. Even dragons fear me. But humans love me, because they always find it difficult to see the truth."
"Okay." Su Cheng sighed, "I guess someone should show you the way. If I pour cold water on you, it might seem like I'm destroying your dream—"
"No," he hugged her, pressing his fingers on the back of the girl's neck with a little force, "I believe He has bad intentions."
"Um?"
"…Am I that stupid?"
Ian let go of her slightly and looked down at her, a smile in his golden eyes. "How could I completely trust the Lord of Illusion? I can see He has other intentions, but invisible despair is just an illusion. If you can't hold on to power, you will fall into the abyss. I will grab everything they have until they look up to me."
Su Cheng: “…”
Su Cheng: "Have you chosen your authority?"
Ian looked up at the sky in silence.
Su Cheng: “?”
It is known that the sun god always appears in female incarnation, which means that he was most likely a female before becoming a god.
So what is he looking at?
Su Cheng: "Fuck!"
Su Cheng grabbed the blond boy by the collar, "It's really you!"
Ian was completely stunned. "What?"
Just as Su Cheng was about to speak, the whole world suddenly shook violently, everything became dim and began to shatter.
Her eyes went dark.
Then came the burnt and hot dust, which poured fiercely into the nasal cavity, violently waking up the sleeping person.
“…”
Su Cheng opened his eyes among the broken bricks and stones, and saw the dust scattered all over the sky, illuminated by the bright light of the morning sun, floating in the air like a curtain.
The huge temple next to it, which was made of snow-white jade and inlaid with countless gold ornaments, had mostly collapsed, leaving only a broken wall and broken stone pillars, still standing in the dim skylight.
She looked around, and wherever she could see, there was a burning black flame.
And further away, from the temple area to the street outside, the white and smooth stone ground was pierced by a huge scar -
A terrifying cut that is tens of meters wide and bottomless!
It started from a gap in the city wall in the distance, tearing the earth apart savagely and straightly, cutting off the square and commercial street, and splitting countless magnificent palaces in two.
It finally extended to a place not far from her feet before stopping.
On the ground on both sides of the huge ditch, everything from building debris to statues of gods were burned clean by the black flames, leaving almost no residue.
Su Cheng heard screams in the distance, the sound of people running in panic, and more magical energy surging. The golden light of the sacred magic continued to light up among the ruins.
She stood at the end of the charred crack, looking at the ruins below and listening to the chaotic noises.
——This is the holy city of the Vatican.
Theoretically, she had been traveling here not long ago, but now thinking about it, it seemed like many years had passed, perhaps because she had stayed in the Echo Plane for too long.
Su Cheng was completely awake.
She recalled everything about the Divine Grace Trial, whether it was the first or the second time, and many clues had been connected in her mind.
For example, the God of Purity was once chosen by the God of Time.
So even though his magical talent was so poor, he was still able to become a top-notch master of both magic and martial arts - that kind of master for a human being.
And the past of those gods.
The ancient gods she met in the Echo Plane were probably just fragments of memory, so the God of Illusion could not recognize her and invited her to become a god.
A shadow fell from the side.
Su Cheng turned his head.
Ian stood by and watched her.
—Now he’s the fully mature version.
Her curly hair, like a golden river, fell behind her, and her overly beautiful face, even in the gray and hazy ruins, was still so exquisite that it made one's heart beat fast.
Su Cheng crossed his arms, "...I don't want to talk to you now, Your Majesty the God of Light."
He hesitated, "I just want to tell you—"
A stream of fire condensed from black flames shot towards him, interrupting the words that had not yet been uttered.
The power of the laws contained therein is unimaginable, even he has to retreat.
"Didn't you hear what she said?"
Someone walked out from the dust and smoke, his steps were steady and calm, and his agility was inconsistent with his huge stature, and he made almost no sound.
He stood in the ruins, his raven-black curly hair blown by the wind, revealing his handsome and deep face.
The figure, as tall as a Titan, was covered with muscles as tangled as steel, and every inch of the half-naked chest and abdomen was as perfect as a sculpture.
The black-haired man looked at them quietly, his cold golden eyes with black vertical pupils piercing through the floating dust and falling directly on her face.
Su Cheng rushed over without hesitation.
He opened his arms and hugged her.
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