# Chapter 5: Right and Right (11400)
Three Realms Nine Heavens, Steel Continent, Shining Region Core Zone, Great Southern Heaven Star Cross Star Zone.
Within a cross-shaped habitable region formed by one thousand two hundred bright stars, there was an incomparably massive colossal construct racing across the silver Steel Continent.
It was a disc-shaped, constantly rotating mobile city that stirred up enormous storms around its perimeter. Its base maintained a certain distance from the Steel Continent, blue fluorescent patterns flickering as invisible force fields propelled it forward—this was less like walking and more like low-altitude flight.
Above the disc, there were semicircular giant nets woven from golden energy arcs. This was the sky-dome of this mobile city with a radius of seventy-six thousand five hundred kilometers. Visible within were thirty-five layers of light-curtain formations with different functions, maintaining the ecological stability of the internal micro-world.
[Glory World · Church Mobile City Anseno]
This was where the [Ash Church], and even before the Ash Church, numerous temples and divine headquarters from various godly eras had been located—an ancient city that had wandered the Steel Continent for over eighty thousand years. This city bore the blessings and benedictions of tens of thousands of deities throughout the ages. Every inch of its land, every speck of dust, had once been steeped in divine power, gaining the characteristic of immortality. The thirty-five layers of divine power formations had even withstood several accidental 'Starfall Rains' and hundreds of continuous stellar bombardments without the slightest change.
Countless airships could be seen docked at the ports on the periphery of the disc city, all bearing the flag of the Ash Church. Within the inner layers of the world were continuous agricultural zones, industrial zones, temple districts, and at the world's edge, a vast divine nanomachine ocean—this was the masterpiece of the 'God of Ten Thousand Machines' from ages past, a recyclable divine creation, commonly known as a 'Divine Artifact'.
Now, the God of Ten Thousand Machines had passed away fifty thousand years ago, but His creation still functioned normally. It was responsible for maintaining the entire mobile world, one reason why this ancient world-city could remain as pristine as when it was first forged after eighty thousand years. It was also the source of raw materials for all creations in the city's industrial furnaces.
Hundreds of billions of Light-Chasers could be seen living within this world, moving back and forth through various districts, working and living. Occasionally, they would take airships to other mobile cities for exchanges, visits, trade, and rest. Everyone moved with fire in their steps and firm purpose. In this world-city, no one appeared lost. Even rest was merely to recover energy, to restore their spirits more quickly for better work afterward. If faith could emit light, then this city would surely shine brighter than any star. It burned fiercely, driving this world toward the direction they desired.
At the center of this world stood an incomparably towering giant tower. Its peak even pierced through the thirty-five layers of divine power formations, standing outside the world barrier, between the true heavens and earth. This tower seemed forged from seamless white solid rock, flawless, without any cracks or disharmony visible. Few Light-Chasers came and went nearby, only a few individuals who were clearly high-ranking members of the Ash Church slowly approached this tower and entered it.
In the distant past, this tower had many names—the Immortal White Tower, the Sky-Piercing Tower, the Sun-Listening Tower, and so on. But now, after the Ash Church had collected all the remains of the deities and taken over this Glory World city, its name had changed to [Torch Tower]. Its function remained as before: it was the core hub of the entire world and the entire Church.
"First Throne, Grand Inquisitor Glorn has gone missing during a mission. The seventy-five elite Temple Guards accompanying him have also lost contact, without exception."
In an unremarkable office, a dignified, well-dressed woman wearing a triple-tiered crown sat in her seat, calmly gazing forward. Two inquisitors in black-and-red robes, with ordinary faces, slightly bowed their heads as they reported to her: "According to Think Tank analysis, the mission to persuade Alpha Falster should have failed. The Star Saint Carlis and Mycroft behind him are likely the reason for Glorn's failure."
The Ash Church was an organization initially formed after the Age of Gods, when many churches that had lost their deities gathered to collect and bury the divine remains and resist Chaos. Its core decision-making body, the 'Throne Elder Council', was originally composed of the former popes, divine sons, holy sees, and patriarchs of various churches. The so-called First Throne was the nominal leader of the entire Throne Elder Council, a position rotated among the leaders of different churches.
Of course, after fifty thousand years, the First Throne had become a position of genuine authority, one that only the strongest could hold as the actual leader. The current First Throne of the Ash Church was Mara Moniga, a legendary expert from the former Star Sea and Exploration God lineage, who had served as the Church's leader for one hundred and fifty-two years.
"Failed, then."
The First Throne's voice was very calm. She lowered her head, continuing to manipulate the light screen and review numerous documents. Because the Ash Church advocated frugality, starting thirty-four thousand years ago, the various sanctuaries had ceased to be office areas for the Thrones and had become public spaces. Even the First Throne was no exception, handling official business and cultivation in an office on approximately the three thousand six hundredth floor of Torch Tower. Mara did not seem angered by the mission's failure: "This is normal. Carlis and Mycroft were originally Grand Scholars of the City of Knowledge, with Ultimate-rank strength. They have also awakened the power of Star Saints. Ordinary legends probably couldn't defeat them. If they acted, Glorn's failure is very normal."
"But this way, the two of them have also exposed their whereabouts—Glorn should have left a marker during his tracking, right?"
"Yes."
The lead middle-aged inquisitor replied firmly: "Throne, should we dispatch several legendary experts to persuade them? Following the trail now might still be in time."
Mara did not respond immediately. She concentrated on reviewing a few documents, then said: "No need. I sensed that Glorn's candle flame hasn't gone out yet. He's not dead, and the Temple Guards aren't dead either. They've probably been captured."
"Since our fellow believers aren't in mortal danger, there's no need to take such a big risk, weakening the defensive strength of other regions to capture two Star Saints who can hide among the stars—not to mention they already have legendary-level strength, and who knows if they've improved further recently. The Twilight Zone has been increasingly active, Chaos monsters are noticeably increasing. We don't have the spare strength."
Saying this, the female Throne sighed. She raised her head, looking again at the two serious inquisitors: "Let it be. At least we've proven that Alpha is more important than we thought. Those two Star Saints are watching him, and his daughter is also a Star Saint... He might have some instinctive ability to attract and identify Star Saints. It would be best if he could join us, but if not, it's not urgent."
"As for Glorn, I'll send someone later to try negotiating with them. We can drop the pursuit of them and let them release our fellow believers to come home. After all, the conflict isn't too deep yet. Since they don't want to live as Star Saints, as long as they don't interfere with our 'Path of Fire Transmission' plan, let them live in the Twilight Zone."
As for the Shining Region, that was impossible. The more stars a Star Saint had, the more their power would increase. They might not pursue them, but they couldn't allow them to live freely within their sphere of influence, enjoying the endless radiance of the Shining Region that they had fought so hard to maintain.
Mara and the inquisitors were unaware of the true situation afterward. They hadn't received Glorn's message about 'discovering the Crystal Obelisk' and thought he had simply been caught when Carlis and Mycroft noticed him tracking them.
Soon, the two inquisitors left—this mission had been personally ordered by the First Throne, so naturally, it required a personal report. Otherwise, they could have simply connected through the light screen network. First Throne Mara Moniga remained sitting in her plain seat, cultivating her power while handling official business.
But after a long while, this woman, over two hundred years old, who had dedicated most of her life to the Church while maintaining a youthful appearance, wearily raised her hand, rubbed her forehead, and sighed softly.
"Ah... When will all Light-Chasers unite with one heart, strive to pioneer, and contribute their strength for the future of our world, for the tomorrow of our civilization..."
The legendary expert's tone was close to a groaning prayer. She closed her eyes, her voice full of deep helplessness: "Is it really right to hide the fact that 'the world is about to be destroyed' and the flame is about to go out from the entire Ten Thousand Nations Alliance?"
Although this way the world wouldn't be thrown into turmoil and could continue to enjoy peace, the Church had also lost much potential assistance, forced to walk alone... Take those two Star Saints, for example. If they knew the truth of this world, would they still be fleeing like this?
But fleeing was fine too. At least they wouldn't have to make sacrifices. It was better that the masses didn't know, so they could still enjoy peace.
Sacrificing oneself to save the world... Besides us, who else could do such a thing?
Contemplating this question, Mara now had nothing but bitter smiles and deep helplessness.
If the entire Three Realms Nine Heavens, all nations and races, were told that this world was about to be destroyed, to return to the darkness of extinction, how much chaos would arise in this vast world? Would they unite and strive to overcome the crisis, or fall into complete despair, planning one final carnival before the end? Honestly, no one could hold optimistic views about such matters. Light-Chasers were not a race with great awareness. Most of them lived their entire lives within mobile world-cities, with narrow horizons, like insects hiding in shells. They preferred comfortable steel shells over changing the world.
One must understand that not everyone facing disaster is willing to sacrifice for the 'greater collective'. The vast majority of intelligent life always cares more about their own survival—if they truly couldn't live on, rather than sacrifice, they would prefer to enjoy one last moment of pleasure and depart without regrets.
To put it selfishly, but also very normally—most intelligent life would think that if the world were about to be destroyed and saving it required their own lives, then it would be better to let the whole world be destroyed together.
And this statement, this thought, was actually not wrong. After all, the most important thing for intelligent life is the self. If the world's destruction means 'I' die, and the world not being destroyed also means 'I' die, then why should others' happiness be built on one's own sacrifice? Why can't everyone just die together?
[Since I'm not happy, then I'll make sure no one else is happy either. Sacrifice, nobility—in the end, it's just building everyone's happiness on the death of one sacrificial offering.]
[Why must it be me who sacrifices and not someone else? If this is so-called bad luck, then I say 'No'! No reason at all—I just resent it, I'm unwilling, I don't want to do it.]
[This world has never given me anything. I came alone, I'll die alone. I won't pay a single price for it.]
[Let everyone die together, returning to the silent underworld together—that would be a pleasure too.]
This thought was undoubtedly 'correct', truly in line with 'life instinct'. It was a fierce instinct to struggle and resist against this unfriendly world, society, and even fate that insisted on making one suffer and die. No one could force others to sacrifice, not even gods!
But this thought, this mindset, was also cowardly.
"Why must sacrifice be necessary to save the world? Isn't that strange? Can't we transform this world so that everyone can live peacefully without sacrifice?"
"I'm not happy—why must I make others unhappy instead of striving to make myself happy? Out of ten thousand people, nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine won't step forward, staying in their comfort zones. But there will always be one person willing to step up, not forced, but actively fighting against this fate!"
"Yes, the world we live in is so full of suffering. For example, it's like a vicious beast guarding a strategic pass in a treacherous land, demanding that the tribe select one person to feed it before the tribe can safely pass through—but why must one person be sacrificed? Why can't everyone pick up weapons together and eliminate this vicious beast?"
"I am willing to go to the darkest place, become light, burn to ash, and illuminate every shadow."
Recalling the words of successive Ash Church Thrones, their speeches and vows, Mara closed her eyes.
Of course, the latter's choice—'fighting the vicious beast'—would certainly lead to more deaths, even severely weakening or destroying the entire tribe. But regarding death, for this Three Realms Nine Heavens, for all who were destined to die, the difference between deaths lay in the mindset.
The 'sacrifice' spoken of by the former was a forced act. Their anger and resentment, their hatred and grief, their desire to drag others down and have everyone die with them—this was the natural right of life, not to be refuted by anyone with 'morality' or 'righteous cause'!
But ah, the 'sacrifice' spoken of by the latter wasn't really 'sacrifice' or 'death' at all. They simply chose to step forward, to swing their blades at heaven, earth, and fate, to fight against all this suffering and torment, and in the end, they lost by a narrow margin.
And all members of the Ash Church, at least those living in this Glory World · Church City Anseno, were beings who dared to swing their blades at heaven, earth, and fate... Of course, as a large organization, they inevitably had dark, gloomy, unspeakable places filled with blood and ugliness.
But at least, Mara believed, all this was unavoidable—sacrifices that had to be made because the Church wasn't strong enough, and choices that were helpless but necessary.
"In the lower layers of the Twilight Zone, all the stars that were easy to pull and not easily noticed have long been pulled toward the 'Shadow Star Track', transferred through subspace to the Shining Region. Now, we either transfer stars that are easier to pull but more easily noticed by other forces, or we increase our efforts to go higher and pull stars from the 'First Ladder' region."
The Ash Church had maintained this world's flame for fifty thousand years without being discovered. Besides strict internal secrecy systems and various restriction measures, they had also chosen to pull inconspicuous stars that were not easily noticed as missing. But now, all suitable stars had been emptied. The Twilight Zone was already riddled with holes. If they wanted to continue extending the world's lifespan, the Church would have to pay a greater price or attract more attention.
This choice was not easy. Even if everyone was prepared, the Church's strength couldn't be wasted so futilely—but if people discovered the migration of stars and thus learned the truth that the world was about to be destroyed, chaos would certainly follow.
Shaking her head, opening her eyes, First Throne Mara Moniga abandoned this line of thought. She lowered her head again to handle official business in this cramped office. Both the Church and she had many matters to deal with. The affairs of Carlis, Mycroft, and Alpha were merely a small interlude. Unable to persuade and lacking the strength to capture, they could only be ignored, allowing these people who desired freedom to live freely.
But neither the First Throne nor the entire Ash Church could have imagined that.
The 'small interlude' in their eyes was tens of thousands of times more powerful than the 'worst possibility' they had imagined.
Fifteen days later, a heavy news spread throughout the entire Shining Region's nations.
[Ash Church affiliated, Forging World · Military Industrial City Falaming, attacked by unknown individuals. The sensory time of the entire city's eleven billion seven hundred ninety million people, and even the entire world, was stopped. After recovery, the Ash Church's government hub in this city was destroyed. Fortunately, no one was killed, only a large amount of classified information was lost.]
This was news circulating among many world-cities. It sounded like a force or expert hostile to the Church deliberately humiliating them and trying to find materials to use as dirt—after all, the Ash Church had a large following, many enemies, and many people they had offended. Such incidents were not uncommon, and there had been many attacks on the Ash Church throughout history.
But for the Church, the destruction of the government hub in Military Industrial City Falaming was a trivial matter—more important was that their secret base, located in a mountain range near Falaming's cruise route, had been completely destroyed. The internal number 'Eleven' mysterious ancient obelisk had been breached by the enemy, and the ancient expert codenamed 'Flower of Elements' had been awakened and had left!
"No one died—the staff at the 'Star Nest Base', including the legendary expert guarding the base, 'Star-Striker Danor', were all placed in a 'light bubble' to sleep. When our support force arrived, the light bubble happened to break. No casualties... But Obelisk Eleven has completely lost its function. That ancient expert has left. We no longer have the energy to maintain the 'Shadow Star Track' in the northwest region of the Shining Zone."
"No fellow believers sacrificed—this is good and proves that the attackers are not indiscriminate killers or enemies of order... But how did they know about the Star Nest Base? This matter should have been top secret."
"Awakening an ancient expert... What do they intend to do?"
At the Throne Assembly in Torch Tower, Mara and the other Thrones held a brief and rapid discussion. But no matter how they thought, they couldn't guess the attackers' motives. In response, the Church could only helplessly repair the government hub of Military Industrial City Falaming, strengthen the defenses of several other Star Nest Bases, assign more legendary experts for defense, and accelerate the migration of stars to compensate for the loss of the northwest Shadow Star Track's function.
After all, they didn't even know who the enemy was. Besides passive defense, how could they take further action?
—Hopefully, the enemy would calm down for a while. This was the most genuine thought of all Church high-level members.
But soon, one bad news after another came in succession.
First, the border colonies of the Twilight Zone suffered the largest Chaos monster invasion in five thousand years, and it was unprecedentedly fast—in less than half a month, hundreds of mobile city colonies were surrounded, seventeen mobile cities lost contact, suspected to have fallen, and hundreds of billions of Light-Chasers died. The Chaos tide continued advancing deeper into the Twilight Zone, about to attack the 'West Gate Star Chain Star Zone', where there were even more mobile city colonies, the core of order in the southwestern Twilight Zone, and a border defense line very close to the Shining Region.
Then, because the Church had not made much of a move after the recent attack but had instead continuously retreated, many other forces interpreted this as a sign that 'the Church has begun to weaken'. Many nations and forces in the Ten Thousand Nations Alliance began casting different glances at the Ash Church. They had long felt that such an ultra-large religious organization passed down from the Age of Gods was suspicious—now that there wasn't even half a god left, what was the Church needed for? Especially since they controlled so many Divine Artifacts, which were blessings belonging to all Light-Chasers—how could the Church alone possess them!
But the most chilling thing was not these—some mobile cities at the edge of the Shining Zone began forging thick defensive formations around their worlds, preparing to completely isolate themselves from the outside for hundreds of years. Facing the approaching Chaos tide, they did not plan to fight or help their compatriots, but intended to retreat into their shells, letting Chaos wreak havoc, and then leave. After all, not many Chaos monsters could breach the specially thickened barriers of a world-city, and world-cities were self-sufficient, not really needing external communication.
What did the suffering of the Twilight Zone have to do with them? The Chaos minions couldn't last long in the Shining Zone anyway. Endure a little, and it would be fine.
In a short time, the invasion of Chaos, the indifference of compatriots, the change in allies' attitudes, and the veiled peeping simultaneously threatened the entire Light-Chaser civilization circle, threatened the Ash Church. Soon, the reason why this Chaos cluster had advanced so rapidly was found—it was precisely because the Twilight Zone, due to the Church's removal of stars, had been continuously shrinking over the past fifty thousand years, so that it could no longer provide a buffer for the Shining Region, allowing monsters to advance unchecked.
The era began to race amid turmoil. Everything stable began to waver under the passage of time.
But even under the cover of the major news of the large-scale Chaos invasion, one shocking event after another kept occurring—according to rumors, explorers had discovered, at the edges or core of the Twilight Zone, one magnificent Crystal Obelisk after another hidden within mountains, suspected to be ruins from the Age of Gods. They appeared accompanied by large-scale starquakes and heaven-and-earth-shaking radiance, standing tall between heaven and earth.
At the same time, the Church, which had fully concentrated its defenses, felt panic—the fifteen Star Nest Bases they had heavily guarded and fully prepared for were being breached one after another. Counting the initial Base Eleven, a total of eight ancient experts from the obelisks had been rescued, causing the Shadow Star Track to lose its energy source. This was already half the number. Even if the other half of the Star Track continued to pull stars, they could no longer maintain the flame of the Shining Region.
Even more than the Church's panic, even the Ten Thousand Nations Alliance, this behemoth, began to slowly notice that the territory of the Shining Region seemed to have shrunk by a negligible amount during this time, and that there was indeed a force of unknown origin acting within their territories.
They were few in number but powerful. These experts, who did not belong to this era, were passing hastily through this world, walking on trajectories that did not intersect with anything in the Three Realms Nine Heavens.
"So, Eagle, what do you think of the beings in this world?"
On the Steel Continent, in the Twilight Zone, a small team of different races and forms—some carbon-based humanoids, some silicon-based iron spheres—looking quite strange, were rapidly flying through a mountain range, seemingly searching for something. During this process, a silver-haired, red-eyed, slightly dark-skinned woman, as if wanting to chat, pulled aside a expressionless golden-haired youth and forcibly started a conversation.
"Not good."
Regarding Mycroft, the reincarnation of the Steel Serpent of their home world, Eagle replied calmly. Recalling his recent travels across the Three Realms Nine Heavens, he couldn't help but shake his head: "Most people live very numbly. I really didn't expect that the safe Ash Church squad I encountered when I awakened were the most spirited, most energetic, and most faithful group."
"As for the others, how should I put it? They're like... 'living corpses' chasing the sun."
Hearing this, not only Mycroft, but even the other experts in the team—those who had fought and sacrificed alongside Joshua against the Evil God cluster in the former Starfall Star River Alliance and had now been resurrected—couldn't help but nod slightly in agreement. Living corpses chasing the sun? A very apt metaphor. This was exactly what they had witnessed in recent days.
"Yes." Mycroft sighed. She had once been a Steel Serpent, mother of all things, who had witnessed a great civilization rise, develop, expand, and grow upon her. Her feelings could only be deeper than Eagle's: "An oppressive world, dangerous stars, long migrations and pursuits, endless escape and submission. All intelligent life hides in steel shells called world-cities, letting their bodies barely survive and their minds gradually decay."
"Moreover, many mobile cities have stopped communicating with each other—they are self-sufficient, not relying on others, even completely rejecting all foreign trade. They thus self-isolate in their small comfort zones, trying to ignore the uncertain stars in the sky and focus on enjoying their hundred-year lives... All civilizations in this world have long begun to decay. Mobile cities are like moving coffins, and those living inside are nothing but corpses that only know how to 'live'."
A hundred thousand years was enough to erode all glory and faith. One must understand that both Carlis and Mycroft, as well as all the experts who awakened after Eagle, had seen some mobile cities whose internal civilizations had degenerated to the medieval level. In those mobile cities named 'Barbarian Worlds', civilization had regressed to primitive times due to war, plague, or dangerous technological research. The methods of controlling the mobile city were held by the descendants of former high-level members, becoming various mysterious and majestic 'Divine Rituals'. They enjoyed all wealth and honor, using resources to exchange for advanced technology and comfort from other mobile cities while suppressing the lower-level masses.
Not only that, perhaps because they had reached their limit and couldn't go beyond the sky and into the void outside the world, the civilizations in this world found it very difficult to develop further technology, even falling into a wrong path. Light-Chaser technological progress had stagnated for tens of thousands of years. They still hadn't even regained the technological level of the Age of Gods.
"Does such a civilization and world still have a future?"
A Demon Lord sighed like this. He was a legendary Bone Demon from a certain abyss in the Multiverse Star River, who had once had a brief and warm exchange with the legendary expert Loranda and the Succubus Lord Beseka from Mycroft civilization. Since then, he had led his tribe to join the Starfall Alliance and, during the final battle, went with Joshua to the distant void to confront the Evil God cluster.
The Bone Demon King's question was met with silence at first. Everyone's hearts were filled with disdain. After all, they came from the most glorious, most passionate era of Multiverse Star River civilization. Even knowing they had slept for a hundred and twenty thousand years, they still believed that all things in the world should strive and fight like them. But in reality, what they saw was a gradually dying, aging, civilization on the verge of destruction—Light-Chasers had been chasing light for so long that they had completely lost their direction.
Even Alpha, as a member of the Light-Chasers, lowered his head in shame. He had followed Carlis on expeditions in his youth and lived in the best environment of the City of Knowledge in his middle age, basically never deeply understanding the conditions within many mobile cities... The stench of decay didn't disgust him; it only filled him with deep confusion and sorrow.
But there was still someone who had a different opinion.
"There is still a future."
The speaker was Eagle. The restored young pope turned back, looking toward the direction of the mobile city they had passed earlier. His face showed a kindness that didn't match his youthful appearance, and a deep-rooted 'firm belief'. He said softly, whether answering the Bone Demon King or himself: "Don't mock these fallen ones, my friends. Our civilization outside this world in the multiverse has probably also spent a long time. Will they be destroyed, or will they fall just the same? We don't know about this. I even hold a pessimistic view—that our descendants, having lost us former leaders, might have fallen even faster than the Light-Chasers."
"But this doesn't mean there is no hope for the future. Even facing the endless Evil God cluster, didn't we dare to charge forward? This is just degeneration. Trust the heart of life. I firmly believe that whether it's the Light-Chasers or our long-departed descendants, they will regain glory and brilliance in the future. Even if they have sunk to the bottom, they will one day embrace hope again—haven't we fought until now and been resurrected from death precisely for this?"
This time, silence fell again. But compared to the previous gloom, the silence among the group now seemed much more uplifting.
"As expected of someone who was pope..."
Mycroft muttered softly, shaking her head, and looked ahead again.
And Carlis, who had not spoken at all, only firmly gazing at her goal and moving forward steadfastly, finally spoke at this moment.
"Yes. We still have to continue fighting. There are more old friends to awaken."
Her voice was a bit hoarse and low, but finally returned to firmness: "Let's continue moving forward."
Three Realms Nine Heavens, Steel Continent, Shining Region Core Zone, Great Southern Heaven Star Cross Star Zone.
Glory World · Church City Anseno.
In the central plaza of this incomparably massive mobile city stood a stone tablet inscribed with many proverbs like songs. The words on the tablet would appear and disappear automatically, and everyone saw something different... It was said that no one had ever seen the same proverb. It seemed the tablet reflected the viewer's heart and then gave 'advice'.
Today, First Throne Mara Moniga was not handling official business in her office. She had gone out in plain clothes like an ordinary person, walking and relaxing around the plaza to relieve stress—Ash Church members who recognized her did not disturb her, because they knew this was one of the rare times their leader stopped working, which happened only a few times a year from beginning to end.
She walked, emptying her mind, no longer thinking about how to save the world, how to maintain the Shadow Star Track, or what to do if another Star Nest Base was breached—she briefly forgot her responsibilities, allowing herself to breathe freely.
Soon, whether deliberately or by chance, Mara arrived before the proverb tablet. As a legendary expert, she could naturally see that this was a 'Divine Artifact' left by a deceased deity. This 'Divine Artifact' had no other use but to resonate with the human heart, like cheering oneself on, strengthening the viewer's faith.
Although it had no combat power at all, it was one of the most valued Divine Artifacts of the entire Ash Church. It was placed in the center of the world-city's plaza precisely so that more people could see it.
And at this moment, Mara raised her head to look at the tablet—she saw the words appearing on it.
[If you begin to doubt your faith, the sky and earth will both shake]
[To explain the meaning of the future, all the strong are troubled by this]
[Stronger, stronger, even stronger than stronger]
[The day you give up is the day you die. Move forward firmly, never stop]
[The path of the strong is to turn your back on the masses and show your fangs to fate]
"Ah."
Seeing the words revealed on the tablet, gazing at the 'proverb' that others might see but could not understand, directed only at one person, Mara's feigned expressionless face finally cracked. She let out a long sigh and closed her eyes: "Have I also begun to doubt my faith recently?"
"Where is the future? Even if I have reached the legendary limit and can control stars, can I really change this Three Realms Nine Heavens that is about to be destroyed? Even if I become stronger, stronger, it's still hopeless, isn't it?"
The mysterious strong attackers everywhere, destroying Star Nest Bases and the Shadow Star Track that pulled stars, this unknown force had undone tens of thousands of years of the Ash Church's hard work in a short time. Facing such a heavy blow, even as the legendary limit, one of the strongest in the Three Realms Nine Heavens, the head of the Church, the Star Track Determiner, Mara Moniga felt powerless. It was as if fate was mercilessly mocking her and all who had struggled in the Ash Church, saying that her efforts were completely meaningless.
But the day of giving up is also the day hope dissipates!
Clenching her fists, even facing such despair, Mara opened her eyes again!
Even if the road ahead was dim, even if mocked by fate, as the leader of the Ash Church, she would still walk forward firmly—because this was the path of the strong, this was the 'fate' she had chosen to fight!
"The fate of the world's destruction... I will never accept it! All members of the Ash Church, all fellow believers, have not sacrificed until now for 'giving up'!"
Destroyed bases could be rebuilt. Lost ancient expert energy sources could be replaced by themselves—although the Church wasn't strong enough for that yet, at least they could temporarily maintain things. Then they could gather all the strong of the Three Realms Nine Heavens, reveal the truth of the world. Even if the vast majority gave up, there would always be someone willing to help!
Re-solidifying her determination, Mara turned decisively. She had to go back to work, to continue cultivation. For others, no matter how much they pushed themselves, rest, sleep, and even eating were necessary. But for transcendent strong, working three hundred sixty-five days, twenty-four hours, every second without stopping was very normal. When they pushed themselves and fought hard, they were absolutely more terrifying than any ordinary person.
But halfway, Mara suddenly turned her head with a serious expression, looking at the 'sky-dome' of the world-city, which was empty except for defensive formations.
"Enemy attack! Highest alert! Enter full war readiness!"
She immediately shouted, her grand voice spreading throughout the entire world—and at that instant, the bustling crowd around her, all the people working, resting, walking on the roads, all Ash Church members, immediately entered combat readiness. They began running rapidly, using spells or various transcendent techniques, rushing toward their pre-designated workstations!
Outside the world, a small team stood above the mobile city. They looked down at this world and watched with surprised expressions as, in just over ten seconds, the [Glory World Anseno], which had been in a dormant state, awakened directly, transforming into an incomparably massive war fortress city! Countless formations, countless giant divine light arrays emerged from every corner of this disc-shaped city. The vast divine nanomachine sea condensed in the first instant, forming a slowly moving, aiming ultra-giant wave cannon muzzle, pointing in their direction.
"This spirit and energy are completely different from other mobile cities—these Ash Church members are truly filled with determination and faith. It's just like us facing the Evil God army back then."
A strong member of the team sighed. Carlis, at the forefront, looked down at all this. Facing the ordinary people and transcendent beings below who showed no panic or wavering even under sudden attack, she couldn't help but feel a daze. Their faith and will were so firm, so united, that even facing the oppressive momentum of many legendary experts from afar, they showed no signs of collapse.
This feeling... was something she hadn't felt for a very long time, not since being with that guy... As expected of life born from his world. Even at the end of degeneration, there were still people unwilling to give up hope?
But emotion, nostalgia, appreciation, and even self-doubt were just momentary sparks, igniting and extinguishing.
The former Steel Serpent reaffirmed her faith—they had their faith, and she had her own wishes. They wanted to maintain the world; she wanted to revive Joshua. The conflicts between all things in this world rarely had much contradiction of 'right and wrong'. More often, it was a struggle between 'right' and 'right'!
"But without a doubt, I am more right than you."
The significance of Joshua's existence to this multiverse, even a fraction, was something you could not compare to. I don't need your forgiveness. No matter how many times I repeat it, I will do the same.
She said this, thought this, and then the strong woman who had diligently cultivated for a long time and gained the power of the former Steel Serpent raised her hand. An incomparably massive serpent-shaped drill began to condense around Carlis's arm, growing larger, until finally, it was like a drill-shaped continent, a coiled giant serpent held up by a single person.
The enormous drill descended, aimed at the mobile city below. The silver-haired woman's gaze was as cold as the abyss.
"Hand over all the Star Saints."
Making the massive drill in her hand begin to rotate, emitting a roar that made the atmosphere tremble, surrounded by raging stellar-level storms, Carlis said coldly: "Otherwise, I'll smash your world."