In the world of Collow, if there was one last lighthouse in the darkness, one last recognized holy land in the hearts of the secular countries, and one last pure land in the endless Chaos, then there was no doubt that it was Sanctum.
Since the ancient giant Lockmarton shattered the earth and turned Collow into five continents floating in the Sea of Carnos, the evil forces of Chaos and darkness had been nibbling away at the Kingdom of Order. The floating continents were undulating in the primordial magic energy, and the Chaos and magic energy scoured everything on those continents day after day.
The Kanaan mysterious realm was completely swallowed by the Chaos thousands of years ago. When the last lighthouse of Order on that continent went out, the power of the Kingdom of Order could no longer recapture the land there, and the land of Order fell forever.
The other continents were also swaying in the Chaos, facing the fate of being swallowed at any time.
But only Sanctum, the land floating in the center of the void, had been shrouded in light for thousands of years without the slightest haze.
Until recently, the light of Asurmen suddenly dimmed.
Looking from the endless darkness of the void, Sanctum was like a well-shaped inverted cone. It had an almost perfect outline: a perfectly round edge, a symmetrical base of the inverted cone along the central axis, and a flat terrain that gradually bulged towards the middle of the continent, which made it as perfect as an artificial creation. It was no wonder that some scholars speculated that Sanctum was originally a long nail made by the goddess of creation, which was once nailed into Lockmarton's forehead. On the inverted cone base of Sanctum, there were countless faint lights that were constantly wandering. These lights were attached to the crystalline substance poking out between the soil and rocks, surging as if they were real. Scholars speculated that these lights formed a huge primordial rune, which was the embodiment of the power of the goddess of creation. Since ancient times, countless famous occultists had risked their lives to come under the base of Sanctum, looked up, and studied the lights wandering under Sanctum, trying to pry into the secrets of the world's origin power. A few of them really understood a little bit, and so they became the most powerful sages and teachers in the history of Collow. But most of them were swallowed by the Sea of Carnos, and not even their bones were left.
But now, these constantly wandering lights had weakened to an unprecedented extent. Even though there was still a glimmer, compared to the heyday of the Sanctuary-realm, it was like the light of a firefly.
There was still a thin layer of light curtain in the sky above the Sanctuary, but this light curtain was also so thin that it made the people of the Sanctuary tremble with fear.
In the center of the Sanctum, on the high ground guarded by Fidelinopolis, the crystal mountain of Asurmen pointed straight to the sky. This magnificent "mountain" composed of a large number of white crystal pillars emitted a faint light in the night sky as if it was using its last strength to support the thin barrier in the sky. But anyone in Sanctum could see that this great sacred mountain was declining.
Pope Auguste VII stood on the high platform of the Basilica Icon, looking at the Light of Asurmen close at hand. This palace located on the side of God, the innermost floor of Fidelinopolis was the highest temple of the goddess of creation, the closest place that the mortals of Collow could reach to the gods. The palace, which was decorated with white boulders and gold paint, had two towers that formed a door-like structure, meaning that this door led to the mysterious realm of God. The platform of the Basilica Icon was located at the top of the connecting corridor between the two towers, a place that only the pope and the bishops could approach. Standing on this high platform, one could directly bathe in the purest and greatest light of Asurmen. Auguste VII would come here to meditate for an hour every day to think about the balance and future of the entire world, to plan the affairs of the Sanctum, and to make major decisions that would affect the life and death of countless people.
But today, he could no longer enter this state of meditation. The weak light of Asurmen shone on his face, but it only brought a chill to the old man.
The old pope tightened his thick and gorgeous golden robe. He looked at the top of the crystal mountain of Asurmen, where there was a shocking crack. Electric arcs and haze were constantly spewing out of the crack, weakening the power of the sacred mountain every second.
In fact, the crack had mostly healed. The ancient divine power of Asurmen seemed to have the power to repair itself. But the old pope could see that the speed of its repair was far slower than the speed of the weakening of the barrier. Sanctum would probably be swallowed by the Chaos before the crack completely healed.
"Your Holiness, there is still no news from the investigation team of Calaxus," a high-ranking bishop came up behind Auguste VII and said softly, interrupting the old pope's thoughts.
Auguste VII turned around slightly. "Is the next group of investigators ready?"
The high-ranking bishop frowned. He wanted to say something but hesitated. At last, he said, "Your Holiness, the barrier is weakening, and the high-ranking clergy are working day and night to keep the Light of Order from going out. The manpower we have transferred from various continents is just enough to maintain the daily operation of Asurmen. In this case, we really can't form another team."
"Manpower can be squeezed out." The old pope's tone was still calm and gentle. His long eyebrows drooped down from both sides, making him look kind and benevolent. However, those who knew him well knew that this old man was actually unusually stubborn. "Send the backup magic stones into the furnace, and we'll be able to free up an investigation team."
"Your Holiness, is the Ansu Continent really that important?" The high-ranking bishop could not help but ask. In his opinion, the old pope's decision was too hasty and lacked a reliable and credible reason. This style of acting based on feelings was completely unlike the old wise man's style. "Now we are facing a huge crisis. In this case, wasting a little more energy means ten times more danger."
"Asurmen has given us instructions," the old pope said, pointing to the crystal sacred mountain in front of him. "There is a light on the Ansu Continent. This light has awakened several halls in Asurmen. This is a signal from the sacred mountain. It wants to repair itself. It needs the light on the Ansu Continent. No matter what it is, we must find it and bring it back."
The old pope turned his head slightly and glanced at the high-ranking bishop. "In this situation, being trapped will only lead to a predestined end. Fighting to the death may bring hope. In the past, we should not act recklessly, but now, we can only hope for the blessing of God. "
The first part of the old pope's words did not move the high-ranking bishop, but the latter part left him speechless. The high-ranking bishop could only nod. "I will give the order. The second group of investigators will set off as soon as possible."
The old pope lowered his eyebrows and changed the topic. "How is the situation on the continent?"
"Most of the information has been cut off. The storm of Chaos has blocked most of the routes and magic net signals. At present, we only know that this situation is happening simultaneously on all continents. Every kingdom of Order is being attacked, and there is the shadow of the Cult of Armageddon among them."
"The Cult of Armageddon?"
"Those madmen will not let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Your Holiness," the high-ranking bishop replied with his head bowed. "The stronger the power of Chaos, the stronger their power will be. Moreover, all countries are tired of dealing with the storm, and it is easier for those fanatics to take advantage of the loopholes. The secular kingdoms are not as united as Sanctum. They are vulnerable in the face of internal threats. "
"The secular kingdoms have the power of the secular kingdoms, and Sanctum has the responsibility of Sanctum. Now we must focus on this storm of Chaos, and we can only trust the rulers of those kingdoms." The old pope sighed. "I am only worried about the upcoming ignition ceremony. It is now the seventh year of the war. The fire-bearers of all countries should have been exhausted, and the new heir must be responsible for lighting up the Sunscorch Tower next year. But we have encountered this situation. This is a critical juncture, Verrol. I always have an ominous feeling. During this period of time when the eyes and ears of Sanctum are obscured, the world is rapidly tilting toward darkness. Many things are beyond our imagination and control."
The high-ranking bishop was silent for a moment. Obviously, it was a difficult question to answer. In the end, he could only comfort Verrol. "The Light of Asurmen will be lit up again. At that time, the dark clouds will disperse, and Order will return to Sanctum."
"Verrol, I hope it is as you said. If there is nothing else, you are dismissed, "the high-ranking bishop said.
Auguste VII turned around after a moment of silence. He looked at the sacred crystal mountain of Asurmen and said to the empty air, "Prepare the door. Let's go to the Astrological Hall."
The empty air suddenly rippled, and then a figure in a white robe appeared, shrouded in a layer of blue light. She was vaguely a woman, but her face was so blurred that it was almost impossible to distinguish her face. This was the gatekeeper of Asurmen, the noble sacrifice, and the ancient spirit that had become one with the sacred crystal mountain.
Auguste VII knew that this gatekeeper was almost as old as the history of the church. Popes had changed countless times, but this gatekeeper was the only one who had remained the same.
Even as the pope, Auguste VII could not understand the secrets of this gatekeeper. Apart from leading the way and opening the door, the gatekeeper never communicated with anyone. Auguste VII was not even sure if this ancient spirit was really a human.
The gatekeeper nodded wordlessly. Behind her, a door of light opened out of thin air.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
