Master the Abyss, starting from an apprentice priest.

Chapter 654 The Promise of Salvation — (6k5)

The "divinely bestowed task"—the "distorted gospel"—that was revealed by the Great Sun in the "Divine Revelation" ritual has been fully displayed on the panel.

That finally confirmed Luo Xiu's suspicions, which he had long suspected—"First Cardinal" Finlake was indeed the true Fallen One in the Holy See, and it was almost certain that he was the one who placed the curse on Pope Lorend!

The only point of doubt before was that Finlake alone could not have cast a curse on Pope Lorend. Luo Xiu suspected that he had an accomplice of the same high rank—and that was solved too, it was the "demon" seen in the revelation—a "primordial demon"!
To be honest, confirming that "Fenlake is the Fallen Saint" was only an expected result—the "Primal Demon" attached to Fenlake that I saw in the "Revelation" was the most important discovery and the biggest gain of this trip!

Because Luo Xiu knew that even if the great seal placed on the "Sevenfold Abyss" was loosened, a demon of the rank of "Primordial Demon" would never be able to break out of the great seal now.

Because the Great Seal is more about the blockade completed by these extremely high-ranking demons. In other words, they are both the "sealed ones" and the foundation upon which the Great Seal can be maintained.

The highest level of demons discovered so far that naturally broke free from the Great Seal is only the "Progenitor" level. For example, the Progenitor Demon, "Eying Evil King" Tantagross, whom Franya and her companions discovered early on within the Dark Principality, is the only known demon that broke free of its seal through its own power.

Another known "Progenitor" level demon, Fafnir Ramziaz, the Devouring Dragon, is a demon that remains on the earth, outside the "Great Seal," and is therefore an outsider. This is an extremely rare and special case; apart from the Devouring Dragon, no other "Progenitor" level demon has been found remaining on the earth.

Luo Xiu currently possesses these, and his most intuitive guess regarding the demon he saw in the revelation of the "Divine Revelation" ritual is the same as the origin of Fafnir Ramziaz, the "Devouring Dragon"—

A demon of such a rank as the "Primordial Demon" could not possibly have broken free from the Great Seal on its own initiative. Rather, it must have been summoned by the apostles of destiny from the Abyss on Earth, or it may have been lingering on Earth all along!

Those capable of summoning demons are either higher-ranking demons or sufficiently powerful Abyss Apostles.

Luo Xiu had seen the technique of higher-ranking demons summoning demons before, from the "Devouring Dragon." It was a technique for demons to summon and command their minions, but it could only be used by higher-ranking demons to "summon" lower-ranking demons.

For example, the "Primordial Demon" can only summon the "True Primordial Demon"—like the "Primordial Demon" that Luo Xiu saw in the revelation, which is already the pinnacle of the demon hierarchy and cannot be summoned through rituals performed by other demons.

Therefore, the summoning can only be performed by the apostles of the [Abyss] destiny—such as Luo Xiu, an [Abyss] apostle who walks on the earth, performing the ritual summoning.

However, Luo Xiu also knew that summoning a demon of the rank of "Primordial Demon" required at least seven levels of destiny and a considerable price to pay—as for a stable summon, it required at least the rank of "Demigod"!
Moreover, even if we take a step back, at least on the continent of Fanor, there is no third person with the [Abyss] destiny who is different from Luo Xiu and Indis. Luo Xiu is quite certain of this.

Demons can easily hide, but those who attain sainthood cannot—to advance the [Abyss] Destiny to the seventh level is an extremely dark, blasphemous, and bloody path. If someone were to actually advance to the seventh level of the [Abyss] Destiny on the continent of Fanor, the resulting terror should have been discovered long ago.

Unless they were apostles who had advanced to the seventh level of the Abyss during the "Age of Gods," their lifespans could not withstand such a long span of time. They either turned into dust of history long ago, or became something else due to special reasons, such as becoming new demons.

Therefore, the "primordial demon" seen in the revelation could not have come from "summoning".

It can only come from "stagnation"—He has been stagnant from the very beginning, from the "age of gods" to the present!
In other words, the "first cardinal" Finlake, whom He has always relied on, is His "container," and not even the source.

"..."

Suddenly, Luo Xiu had a very dangerous and terrifying thought.

—The source of that "Primal Demon" is far older than the birth of the "First Cardinal" Finlake. It comes from the entire "Saint Leron" family, from the first apostle of [Radiance], and from the first "Saint Leron"!
Even the reason why the “primordial demon” seen was like a demon but not a demon, like an angel but not an angel, is because it was originally an angel!
—He was the first angel of "Saint Lelangen", but fell into demonic ways. The great seal of the "Seven Abysses" did not anchor Him, but instead caused Him to remain on the earth, where He has been dormant until now.
Such a thing didn't happen in my previous life!
Luo Xiu recalled—Logically speaking, if the angel contracted by Finlake Saint Leron, the "First Cardinal" of the Holy Court, was actually a "demon," then he couldn't possibly have been unaware of such a significant matter, let alone been completely oblivious to it.

Could it be because of the *Abyssal Codex*...? Luo Xiu also knew that the many differences between his current life and his past life, and the trajectory of his destiny, stemmed from the fact that the true *Abyssal Codex* had been lost within the Abyss. Was it because of the loss of the *Abyssal Codex* that the Great Seal had been broken long, long ago, causing the angel to fall into demonhood?

So the time when the "Abyss Codex" that I obtained, and the real "Abyss Codex" that is now gone, may actually happen much earlier than when I came to this world!
"..."

Luo Xiu had already thought of these things.

He had a vague feeling that what he was about to face might not be as simple as a fallen "First Cardinal" Finlake and a primordial demon... If the primordial demon's fall had been so long as to be an exaggerated span, He was fully capable of turning the entire Saint Leron family into a den of demons!
In that case… besides “First Cardinal” Finlake, the other “Second Cardinal” Yazler is also unreliable. He is also a cardinal from the Saint-Larren family, and the Saint-Larren family even has a bishop at the “cardinal” level and an Eternal Knight.

There are four saints with "sevenfold destiny" in total, from the Saint Lelangen family. If that holy family is really and completely controlled by the primordial demon, then this originally holy power will become the darkest and most dangerous enemy that the current "Holy Court" will face.

"—Cough, cough!"

As Luo Xiu thought of this, a violent and unusual feeling of nausea surged up from his stomach.

At this moment, the revelation of "divine radiance" finally ended. The scene that Luo Xiu "saw" suddenly shattered at a certain moment, and the hissing, laughing, shrieking and wailing sounds that he heard suddenly became huge.

Luo Xiu coughed violently a few times, and it wasn't until the ceremony ended that he suddenly felt a severe discomfort coming from his body.

He knew that this was the backlash of overexertion and weakness he had suffered from the completion of such a high-level "divine revelation" ritual—in a sense, this was also the "price"—the price of receiving direct revelation from the Great Sun.

It was as if a heavy iron hammer was pounding his head, plunging his consciousness into a deep daze; or as if his body had fallen into an icy abyss from which he could not rise, making him feel a bone-chilling cold, as if he would shatter like ice at any moment.

The "revelation" received from the Great Sun Moment—that is, in fact, clearly and directly presenting a corner of calamity and blasphemy to the ritual officiant.

It was as if Luo Xiu had faced true blasphemy directly—that filthy aura made even Luo Xiu feel uncomfortable, reminding him of the discomfort he felt when he was browsing the Abyss Codex when he was still at a lower level.

However, his extremely high "resistance" allowed him to quickly recover from that uncomfortable state.

He then redirected his spiritual focus, returning himself to a state of calm and clarity. Next, he gently raised his head, looked at Frania and Monine, and said:
"He has... given me revelation."

“Our ‘First Cardinal’… Cardinal Finlake Saint-Léron, his whereabouts…”

"..."

At the same time, Luo Xiu was observing the reactions on the faces of Franya and Monine.

They should be able to accept the fact that "First Cardinal" Finlake has fallen, at least their expressions are now devout and resolute, and their spirituality is firm and stable.

Luo Xiu was confident enough that when they heard what he was about to tell them, they would not waver—they would remain devout and holy enough, and on the contrary, that would only strengthen their faith and devotion.

“‘First Cardinal’ Finlake, his current whereabouts are around the city of Augustus. It is a city not far from the imperial capital, Augustus, an important hub city of the Norlan Empire, the birthplace of Cardinal Finlake, and the place of his baptism.”

“But… I must tell you that Cardinal Finlake is no longer the holy Finlake you know. He… he has been tainted by the Nothingness and the Abyss. In the moment when the Great Sun revealed its holy image to me, I saw the 'demon'.”

"..."

"..."

When Luo Xiu reached this point, he said nothing more. He simply stared intently into the eyes of Franya and Monine, watching their eyes first show urgency and anxiety, then doubt and confusion upon hearing the answer, and finally sorrow and anger.

silence.

There was a long silence.

Luo Xiu could imagine that Franya and Monine would be shocked and angry by such news, and that it would always take time—Luo Xiu waited, waiting for their response.

"what do you mean……"

After a long silence, Franya spoke first.

Her voice trembled slightly, but she still suppressed the various emotions surging and bursting forth from the depths of her heart, and asked Luo Xiu as if seeking confirmation one last time—

“You mean… our 'First Cardinal' Finlake Saint-Léon… has… fallen…”

"So... the reason why His Holiness the Pope suddenly lost his spirituality during the battle with 'the wicked mistress' Arivia... the traitor who cursed His Holiness the Pope was... Finlake..."

"What the great sun reveals to you in a moment, and what it wants to tell us, is this... this..."

"..."

As she continued speaking, Frania's words became increasingly disorganized, and it became increasingly difficult to articulate what she was trying to express.

The deepest and most complex emotions that rose within her ultimately occupied her mind at this moment.

Luo Xiu could sense that she seemed to be trying her best to deny something, but she couldn't—or rather, Franya had long suspected that Finlake might have a problem, but this time, she could no longer escape and had to face the real truth.

“...This is no small matter, Luo Xiu.”

Beside Frania, Monine, the "Supreme Sword," also showed intense shock when she heard from Luo Xiu that Finlake might have fallen, but it didn't last long; she remained rationally clear-headed.

“Although His Highness and I are willing to believe in you unconditionally, Your Excellency Finlake, the First Cardinal, you should know that you are the pillar that allowed the Holy See to continue to exist after the fall of Pope Lawrence.”

“Now, you tell us that the revelation the Great Sun Fleet gave you is that Cardinal Finlake has fallen, that he is a traitor among us, and even… a demon. Rosh, you know, if this is true, then we…” “In the name of Rosh Carlos, I swear to the Great Sun Fleet that there is no pretense in my emotions, no falsehood in my words.”

“If I deceive in this way, mislead in this way, establish parole in this way, or lead to blasphemy in this way, I will be punished by the heavens, I will be cut off from the path of ascension, and I will suffer the evil of being rejected by the seven luminaries.”

"Thus proves that my mind is pure and clear—what I see is what I say, and what I say is what I see, and there are no other three."

"..."

On the altar, before the sacred statue of "The Fleeting Sun," Luo Xiu gently raised his right hand, grasping the sacred, gleaming golden scepter, and swore an oath under the witness of the Fleeting Sun—

Golden, transparent chains gradually appeared on Luo Xiu's scepter, arms, neck, and body. The chains emitted a dazzling light, but soon became blurry, dim, and eventually disappeared.

In such a sacred realm, even saints of the "Sevenfold Destiny" can no longer disobey such a vow. It is not merely symbolic, but truly and undeniably "watched" by the Great Sun, whose sublime divinity will serve as witness to the vow.

Although Luo Xiu's real name is not "Luo Xiu Carlos"... the actual "oath" only points to an empty shell with a name, but such a ritual can indeed make Monine and Franya believe, believe in anything they say afterward.

"That's enough to prove what I've said."

Luo Xiu's gaze remained fixed on Monine's eyes, and in her pupils he saw the unbreakable trust and the deep, real sorrow hidden beneath.

"...That's enough, Luo Xiu."

Monigne said in a deep voice:
“We believe in you. Now that the Great Sun has given us such a revelation, we… Cardinal Finlake, are our enemies from this moment on.”

“Tell us more details about what you saw in the ‘Divine Revelation’. I want to know why Finlake betrayed us, what he was planning, and… what we should do next.”

……

Afterwards, Luo Xiu described to Franya and Monine the scene he had seen in the "Divine Revelation" where the "First Cardinal" Finlake was entangled by the [Void] Serpent and possessed by the demon.

The scene clearly showed Finlake, with the help of the "Primal Demon," performing some kind of [Void] ritual. However, Luo Xiu didn't understand it—in his previous life, although he had also played with [Void], he hadn't played it much. For players, [Void] was a popular destiny path, but not a dominant one.

Its biggest use among players is for creating fun—like using the [Void] ability to visualize short films and then inviting friends to experience them together. But frankly, it's completely useless when it comes to strength. As a seasoned strength-focused player, Luo Xiu hasn't really delved too much into how to play [Void].

But Monine seemed to know about the ritual—she told Rosh that it might be the "Snake Meal of Metamorphosis"—a secret ritual of a certain esoteric religious order that worshipped "nothingness." It was probably about raising a transcendent being destined for "nothingness" and then holding a ritual to let a "snake" devour him, consuming all the spirituality of "nothingness."

The purpose was not to kill this transcendent being of the "nothingness," but merely to devour his "nothingness" spirit. The originally abundant "nothingness" spirit was suddenly emptied, and this sense of "nothingness" intoxicated the esoteric practitioners of this tantric order. This intoxication was the basis for them to obtain a purer "nothingness."

Although Monigne, Franya, and Luo Xiu all agree that this ritual is simply insane... if Finlake is indeed performing such a ritual, then perhaps it does have a clear purpose—he wants to completely separate the [nothingness] from himself.

Perhaps he wants to regain the purity of [Radiance]? But the means to achieve this "purity" rely on [Nothingness].

But a roundabout way to save the country is still a way to save the country—if the ritual succeeds, Finlayk will be able to remove his own "nothingness" and return to the single destiny of only "glory," and then he will be able to try and usurp the godhood of "glory" again.

That was also the scene that Luo Xiu saw later in the second revelation of the "Divine Radiance Prophecy"—

As stated in the divinely granted quest "The Twisted Gospel," "He will be tainted with the divinity of martyrs, and plot to seize the divine status of radiance... A twisted demigod will be born in blasphemy"—this likely refers to the result and process of Finlake's usurpation and ascension to demigodhood!

The Finlake seen in the picture has probably only succeeded in part—the spiritual aura emanating from him is far from the "true divinity" that Luo Xiu once felt from Pope Lorend—but that is enough. Compared to the Finlake of the past, he has indeed broken through the bottleneck.

Luo Xiu then recounted to Monine and Franya the final scene of the impending destruction of the "City of Agus" that he had seen in the "Divine Revelation".

That was actually the objective of the mission given by the "Divine Revelation": to prevent the destruction of the city of Argus. However, Luo Xiu had not yet told Franya, Monine, and the others about the rank of the demon possessing Finlake that he had seen in the "Divine Revelation."

First, they might have some doubts about their ability to "recognize the Primal Demon's rank." Moreover, Luo Xiu also has his own plans regarding that Primal Demon—which is related to the "Holy Abyss," the "Crimson Tide," and the "Abyss Hanging Upside Down." Telling Franya and Monine now would affect this part of his plans.

However, against a "First Cardinal" and a "Primal Demon," the combination of himself, Frania and Monine, the angels he could summon, and Quesanx, who held the rank of "Demon God," was already enough to suppress Finlayk and the Primal Demon in terms of combat power.

While talking to Franya and Monine, Luo Xiu was also thinking about other things.

"Then... Luo Xiu."

Finally, after calming herself down and clearing her thoughts, Franya said to Luo Xiu:
“You said… what the ‘Divine Revelation’ revealed was that Finlake and that demon were about to sacrifice the entire city of Argus. Then… we, as saints of the Holy Court, and I am the inheritor of the Pope’s will, must stop this foreseeable disaster, stop Finlake’s actions.”

"And...we must bring Finlake back, back to the Holy See, so that the Sun may descend upon him and judge him. I must know...the reason for Finlake's fall, his betrayal...there must be a reason."

"..."

"As Your Highness has said, Luo Xiu."

Monine nodded, looked at Luo Xiu, and said:

“We must head to the city of Argus to find and stop Finlake. Since the calamity will manifest in only fourteen days, it means we don’t have much time left… We will set off tomorrow.”

“You… Luo Xiu, we need your power. I know that you will receive the emperor’s title in six days, but I beg you… to go to the city of Agus immediately after you receive the title.”

“We will not take any action until you arrive; we will only investigate. Once you arrive, we should be able to locate Finlake, and then we will act together.”

"..."

What Monine said was also what Luo Xiu planned.

The revelation of the Great Sun in an instant would not give Finlake an exact location, but only let Luo Xiu know that he was in and around the city of Agus. Monine and Franya would go and find out the specific information first, so that Luo Xiu would not need to investigate in detail again when he went there later.

This wouldn't arouse suspicion from the Supreme Being. Once Monine and Franya arrive in Argus City, he probably won't come to the Holy Court again. What the Supreme Being does to the Holy Court, and what the other saints in the Holy Court are going to do, is none of his concern; it won't affect his plans.

"it is good."

Luo Xiu nodded solemnly and said:
"I will go to the city of Agus after the investiture ceremony is over."

“Until then… Your Highness, and you, please take care of yourselves. And please remember… Cardinal Finlake is no longer the Cardinal Finlake he once was. He has become very dangerous. You must protect yourselves.”

"..."

"We will, Luo Xiu."

A forced smile appeared on Monigne's face.

She wanted to reassure Luo Xiu, but the atmosphere became noticeably more oppressive and heavy than before.

"...Well then, I'm leaving."

Luo Xiu bid a final farewell to Franya and Monine, saying:

"As I came here... well, it's my duty. I need to say my final farewells to the Pope, and then I'll return to Austin Estate."

"..."

"Well then, goodbye, Luo Xiu."

Monine and Franja bid farewell to Luo Xiu.

Then, they watched as Luo Xiu solemnly and respectfully performed the holy ceremony for them one last time, before turning away somewhat hesitantly and watching him leave the sanctuary step by step.

His back looked so heavy.

So heavy... it was as if he were carrying something heavier than the entire "Holy Court" on his back.

……

(End of this chapter)