The sound of laughter that followed startled everyone, causing them to instinctively look up towards the source of the sound—
The sky was bathed in rosy light, and the golden rays stretched slowly from the horizon like a bridge. The girl in the dark red lace dress still exuded that haughty and noble air.
Behind her, a tall man holding a golden longbow, clearly of equally high status, followed her steadily, his slender fingers resting on the bowstring, exuding a chilling killing intent.
The civilians on the ground were astonished.
"That's...that's Dolores Lancaster?!"
"Wasn't she dead? How could this be..."
The Lancaster family controls almost all of the industries and affairs of the Lycas Empire. Their influence is felt everywhere in the lives of ordinary people. In addition, with Dolores's reputation and talent, they are already "famous far and wide".
The thorn rose between the scepter and the sword, the sigil of the Lancaster family, is deeply ingrained in people's minds and known to all.
The moment she appeared, the oppressive aura reached its peak.
The once fervent believers suddenly felt as if they had been doused with cold water, and fell silent in fear.
—You can't be afraid!
Dolores is not someone to be trifled with. Not only is she unpredictable, but if you offend her, even over something trivial, you could face dire consequences. And let's not forget... she's clearly here to cause trouble. If you manage to get her attention, you're in real trouble.
Upon seeing this scene, the church members who had originally intended to maintain order looked at each other and stopped in their tracks.
"Oh no, isn't she dead?"
"...Who knows? This is probably a zombie coming back to life!"
"Are we just going to stand by and watch? Isn't Dolores just slapping the face of our Church of Light?"
Suddenly, one of the magicians asked a question.
In an instant, the church members who had been discussing the matter all turned to look at that person, and then all took a step back: "You're right, then go and stop her."
Magician: ? ? ?
—That's a big shot that even a cardinal couldn't beat!
Realizing this, the magician who had been speaking fell silent and took a step back, becoming a meek quail.
Just then, Lucas, dressed in a black robe and cloak, leaped into the air again. He stood on the high platform once more, watching Nguyen Thanh An and Aldridge walking down from the sky, bathed in the glow of the sunset.
He immediately understood—Aldridge had recovered.
Only the God of Light could be so adept at using the element of light, and even wield it with such skill and flexibility.
But Lucas did not back down. His face, hidden beneath his cloak, was grim, and his voice was icy: "Dolores, Aldrich, you have gone too far in disturbing my cycle of reincarnation and the missionary work of the God of the Gospel!"
"Ha, I thought you'd be here when you saw me—"
Ruan Qingan paused, looking down at Lucas on the platform: "You'll be surprised that I'm still alive."
"..."
Upon hearing this, Lucas's hidden expression turned even more unpleasant.
Under the watchful eyes of the believers, Lucas lowered his voice and said, "I've been lenient enough with you, Dolores. Is this how you embarrass me by showing up here?"
"Tolerance? Sorry, I don't need it."
Ruan Qing'an chuckled lightly, a hint of mockery in his eyes.
She looked coldly at the common believers on the ground, a mocking smile on her face, and sneered: "Besides, why can't I come to preach to an evil god—the god of death and curses, right?"
The believers were stunned when they heard this.
This god... it doesn't sound like a good thing at all, but how could this be? Shouldn't the mission they're being taught be about the god of reincarnation and the gospel? How could it be such an evil god?!
When the topic turned to the power of faith, Lucas's expression suddenly darkened: "Dolores, what nonsense are you spouting!"
"I'm talking nonsense?"
Ruan Qing'an raised an eyebrow, his gaze falling on the believers, and suddenly said, "Judging by the time, your trick should be coming to an end soon, right?"
Seemingly realizing something, Lucas immediately reacted. He subconsciously raised his staff, preparing to silently recite the prayer of the God of Death and Curses again, but just as he raised it—"Did she let you move, huh?"
A beam of light shot out instantly, piercing through Lucas's arm and leaving a gaping, bloody hole!
Lucas froze, his hand holding the staff fell limply to his side, and the staff rolled twice on the platform. He instinctively clutched his injured arm and stared intently at Aldrich, as if he wanted to devour him alive.
But Aldridge's expression remained completely unchanged.
He gripped the golden longbow with his large hand, nocking the string with one hand. His posture seemed casual, yet it was tense, like a wild beast ready to pounce at any moment. The arrow of light gradually gathered on the bowstring, revealing his killing intent.
'It's him again! Why is it always him?!'
'They always come to get in my way, they're such a damn nuisance!'
Lucas dared not utter a sound lest he attract the attention of the believers; he could only roar and scream hysterically in his heart.
But soon, Lucas had no time to care about Aldridge's matter. Ruan Qing'an, who was standing to the side, had an increasingly obvious sarcasm in his eyes: "It's almost time, Your Excellency."
The next moment—
The believers, who had remained silent, began to look puzzled. Some even turned deathly pale as if their life force had been drained, and then collapsed heavily to the ground.
At a glance, a large area was already covered with them.
"Why...why?! Haven't I become younger? Why, ah—"
With a terrified scream, everyone noticed that a middle-aged man in the crowd was gradually aging, even more lifeless than he had originally appeared.
His face was as dry as withered tree bark, and he was on the verge of death.
It wasn't just this one person; the believers who had just received mysterious benefits such as strength, health, and rejuvenation from Lucas's prayers were now as if they had overdrawn their life force and were exhausted.
The vast wailing was like hell, utterly terrifying.
But surprisingly, none of the members of the Church of Light showed any surprise. They simply watched the believers' painful struggle with cold eyes—this was the price of gaining power, and they had long known it.
Compared to believing in the God of Light, which yields no power, believing in the so-called God of Death and Curses can make one stronger.
So... is there a problem with sacrificing some foolish believers?
Looking at the fallen civilians, Nguyen Thanh An watched helplessly as they grew weak from exhaustion, her eyes devoid of any sympathy: "The greedy will naturally pay the price."
"The God of Reincarnation and the Gospel is actually the God of Death and Curses. By what right does he bestow blessings upon you?"
"The so-called recovery of health and the gain of strength... all of this is just overdrawing your life force and making death come faster. It is a state similar to a final burst of energy before death."
"But you all take your last strength before death as a gift from life, and are grateful to him for giving you a faster death. This is truly an eye-opener for me."
Ruan Qingan curled the corners of his mouth, his drawn-out tone full of sarcasm.
\u0001
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