A moment ago.
"Did we... survive?"
One by one, the people rose in confusion from their homes, the streets, and the collapsed ruins. Li Rong'en picked up his spear and heavy shield, the history professor grabbed the book he had compiled, and the old lady carefully bandaged Li Xiaotong's wounds. Then, they looked around in bewilderment, seeing the lifeless bodies of their friends and family that had not yet awakened, witnessing the order that had been maintained for eight days come crashing down. A surge of intense sorrow washed over them.
"Son of God!"
Someone pointed toward Saint Luo Square, and countless gazes turned that way. There, in the very center of the square, the cross had vanished without a trace!
"It's... already morning."
The history professor tightened his grip on the book, his heart suddenly racing as he looked up. He and the others saw a chaotic, terrifying storm; they watched as the storm dissipated and saw the six beings that had reaped their lives now transformed into corpses!
They saw a figure bearing a massive cross, wings fluttering like dawn's glow, standing in the light—the angel bathed in pure white!
"It is... the Son of God."
Someone suddenly burst into tears.
The history professor trembled and began to chant:
"On the ninth day, the day after darkness, under the light of dawn, He transformed into an angel, flapping His wings, standing in the morning glow."
"Dawn has arrived."
Under the clouds and the morning sun, the angel was both majestic and compassionate, and one after another, the people knelt amid the ruins.
The six divine corpses fell from the sky, the sound awakening the entire Great City.
"Is He... dead?"
A bewildered child asked, a chill creeping into his heart. The female headmaster of the Thought Hall looked horrified, while Lu Sangdou remained calm, gazing at the god above with fascination.
In the Great City, powerful figures felt a chill run down their spines. Lu Fenghua's eyes widened, and Lu Saleng suddenly stood up. They all stared, gazing upon that cloud and the angel basking in the dawn's light!
He stood in the sky, the morning glow swirling, forming a massive seat of light upon which He sat, overlooking the entire outer third ring, His voice low and solemn.
"On the ninth day."
"I have been reborn, standing in the light of dawn. The fire has burned away; the tribulations are at an end."
"I bore the sins of the cross, and henceforth all the sins of this world shall be upon me. I grant redemption to every lost lamb, that all who seek salvation may bow within that order."
Millions in the outer third ring listened quietly to His words.
He spread His wings wide:
"I am not an angel; I am the end of suffering on the cross. All suffering must cease here."
He closed His eyes, transforming into a formless, uncertain chaos:
"I am the observer of this world, contemplating the history of the past and the illusions of the future. I perceive all possibilities and impossibilities, existence and nonexistence."
"All things sprout, flourish, grow, and then wither before my eyes."
"I am the source of all mist; those who are lost should be guided by me."
"I see the order, and then this order truly manifests. Countless possibilities converge into one, and I am here; when the mist dissipates, order will arise on its own!"
The formless chaos suddenly transformed into a majestic deity, seated upon the morning glow, His voice rising suddenly:
"My name!"
That elevated voice abruptly ceased, as if waiting for a response, waiting for the faithful to chant!
Hundreds of millions of people, each reborn from death, having endured ultimate suffering to attain redemption, prostrated on the ground.
Their thoughts were interconnected by the power of faith; their minds resonated through the strength of belief, speaking in unison!
"You are the end of suffering on the cross!"
"You are the source of the mist!"
"You are the formless chaos!"
"You are the observer of reality!"
"You are the establisher of order!"
"You are..."
At this moment, hundreds of millions were fervently sincere:
"You are the shepherd of every lost lamb. You stand there, gathering all; this is the origin!"
The god in the sky rose from His seat of light, hands outstretched, one eye open and the other closed, half of His body collapsing into formless chaos, all mist, while the other half basked in light!
He proclaimed!
"This is who I am."
The legend was growing; the name of the god had been established, and the wind was rising!
This wind that rose from the outer third ring would eventually sweep through the Great City, then blow toward the entire world!
Saint Luo Square subtly twisted; the orphanage director, slumped there, saw an old acquaintance walking out from the spatial rift, filled with excitement and joy.
"I am now a god!" The director of the giant statue laughed loudly, his laughter gradually fading as he noticed many prostrate people staring at him.
He suddenly felt a sense of foreboding, raised his head, and saw the towering figure above.
The towering figure tore apart the last veil and spoke in a low voice:
"Heretics pushed me onto the cross, attempting to occupy my body with an evil god."
"I have killed the evil god."
He waved his hand, and the illusion of the crocodile-headed true god, disintegrating and collapsing, was formed by the mist.
He looked down, gazing at the sweaty orphanage director, observing the newly emerged pseudo-god in confusion.
"Another evil god has been born after my birth; let His blood wash over Him, let Him begin, but He shall never end!"
Chen, the End of Suffering on the Cross, the Formless Chaos, the Source of Mist, the True Shepherd, gently lowered His palm, and black flames descended from the heavens, accompanied by filthy shadows and rifts in the void, transforming into a spear!
Pinned to the ground of Saint Luo Square by the divine spear, the giant statue director bled profusely, his confusion evident:
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"I... I clearly became a god."
The people surged toward him, bathing in that blood.
"This is the first!" Li Rong'en raised his spear high, transforming in the divine blood, roaring, "But absolutely not the last!"
Five days later.
"End of suffering, source of mist, formless chaos, true shepherd."
Lu Fenghua looked extremely weary:
"I've done my best to seal off His message, to prevent it from spreading further, to avoid Him becoming stronger, but ultimately, there will be omissions."
After a pause, the lord of the Great City continued with concern:
"All six outer god churches are demanding answers. It is said that the outer gods are enraged at Great-Grandfather. What should we do?"
The Elder with the异瞳 (Different Eyes) slowly opened his eyes:
"I have received news that many true gods in the spirit realm have already gathered, currently investigating the cause of the death of that void true god."
After another pause, he added:
"The great Death Sovereign has already issued a decree. Divine punishment is coming; let us continue to fully seal off the news of this true shepherd, to avoid excessive legend strength making Him stronger."
Lu Fenghua nodded wearily:
"I know, and I am strictly enforcing it. Currently, His name is only circulating in the outer third ring. We can no longer enter the outer third ring, Great-Grandfather. Why don't you take action? A new taboo should be easily killed by you."
The Elder shook his head:
"The 【Reality Vortex】 that the true shepherd has obtained is exceedingly strange; even the great Death Sovereign cannot see through it. When He closes His eyes, all acts of violence are ineffective against Him; I cannot kill Him either."
A moment ago.
"Did we... survive?"
The crowd emerged, dazed, from their homes, the streets, and the collapsed ruins. Li Rong'en picked up a long spear and a heavy shield, while the history professor clutched the book he had compiled. A kind woman carefully bandaged Li Xiaotong's wounds. Then they looked around in confusion, seeing the unmoving, rigid bodies of their loved ones, realizing that the order maintained for eight days had shattered, and a wave of profound sorrow surged within them.
"Child of God!"
Someone pointed toward Saint Ro Square, and countless gazes turned in that direction. There, in the center of the square, the cross had vanished without a trace!
"It's... already morning."
The history professor clenched his book, feeling an unexpected tremor in his heart as he suddenly looked up. He and the others saw a chaotic, terrifying storm, watched as it dissipated, and witnessed the six divine beings that had once harvested their lives transform into corpses!
They saw,
An angel, bearing a massive cross, wings stirring the morning glow, standing in the light, enveloped in pure white!
"It is... the Child of God."
Someone suddenly wept bitterly.
The history professor stammered, praising, "On the ninth day, after the day of darkness, under the dawn's light, He transformed into an angel, flapping His wings, standing in the morning glow."
"It is the dawn that has arrived."
Beneath the clouds and the rising sun, the angel was both majestic and compassionate. One by one, the people knelt amidst the ruins.
The six divine corpses fell from the sky, the sound of their descent awakening the entire Great City.
"Are they dead?"
A child asked in confusion, a chill rushing through his heart. The female lead of the think tank appeared horrified, while Lu Saleng remained the calmest, gazing in fascination at the deity above.
In the Great City, powerful figures felt a chill run down their spines. Lu Fenghua's eyes widened, and Lu Saleng suddenly stood up. They all gazed, looked,
Gazing and looking at the clouds, at the angel bathed in dawn's light!
He stood above, the morning glow swirling, gathering into a grand seat of clouds, overlooking the entire outer third ring, his voice slow and solemn.
"On the ninth day."
"I have been reborn, standing in the light of dawn; the fire has burned away, and the calamity has ended."
"I bore the cross of sin, and thus the sins of this world rest upon me. I grant every lost lamb salvation; may all who seek redemption worship within that order."
Millions in the outer third ring listened quietly to His words.
He spread His wings wide:
"I am not an angel; I am the end of suffering on the cross. All suffering ends with me."
He closed His eyes, transforming into a formless, indistinct chaos:
"I am the silent observer of this world, contemplating the past's history and the future's illusion. I comprehend all possibilities and impossibilities, existence and non-existence."
"All things sprout, thrive, grow, and then wither in my eyes."
"I am the source of all mists; the lost must be guided by me."
"I see order, and thus, that order truly comes to pass. All possibilities converge into one; here I stand, when the mists dissipate, order will arise!"
The nebulous chaos suddenly solidified into a majestic deity, seated upon the morning glow, his voice rising sharply:
"My name!"
That elevated voice abruptly halted, seemingly awaiting a response, waiting for the chanting of the faithful!
Millions, countless beings who had died and reborn, who had endured ultimate suffering and found redemption, knelt on the ground.
Their thoughts connected through the power of faith, their minds resonating through the power of faith, they spoke in unison!
"You are the end of suffering on the cross!"
"You are the source of the mists!"
"You are the indistinct chaos!"
"You are the observer of reality!"
"You are the establisher of order!"
"You are..."
In this moment, millions were utterly devout:
"You are the shepherd of all lost lambs. You stand there, you gather all, this is the original source!"
The deity rose from the cloud seat, arms outstretched, one eye opened, one eye closed, half of His body collapsing into indistinct chaos and all mists, the imposing cross behind Him, while the other half bathed in light!
He recited:
"This is me."
The legend grew, the name of God was set, and the wind began to rise!
This wind, rising from the outer third ring, would ultimately sweep through the Great City and then blow across the entire world!
Saint Ro Square twisted slightly, and the head of the orphanage, sitting limply, saw familiar figures stepping through the rifts in space, filled with exhilaration and joy.
"I have become God!" The headmaster of the orphanage laughed, his laughter gradually fading as he noticed many prostrate people gazing at him.
He suddenly felt something and raised his head, gazing at the towering figure in the sky.
The towering figure tore away the last veil and spoke in a deep voice:
"Heretics pushed me onto the cross, attempting to seize my body with an evil god."
"I have slain the evil god."
He waved his hand, and the phantom of the crocodile-headed true god, separated and disintegrating, formed amidst the mist.
He looked down, gazing at the perspiring headmaster of the orphanage, observing the bewildered new pseudo-deity.
"Another evil god is born after my birth, bathe in His blood, let Him begin, but it will never end with Him!"
Chen, the one who bears the cross as the end of suffering, the indistinct chaos, the source of mists, the true shepherd, gently and slowly lowered his palm, as dark flames fell from the heavens, accompanied by filthy shadows and rifts of void, transforming into a spear!
Pinned to Saint Ro Square by the divine spear, the headmaster of the orphanage bled profusely, bewildered and confused:
"I... I clearly became a god."
People surged toward him, bathing in that blood.
"This is the first!" Li Rong'en raised his spear high, transforming amidst the divine blood, roaring with rage: "But absolutely not the last!"
Five days later.
"The end of suffering, source of mists, indistinct chaos, true shepherd."
Lu Fenghua looked extremely fatigued:
"The only good news is that before becoming a taboo, the true shepherd underwent the White Ritual, and fundamentally could not even step into the extraordinary. Otherwise..."
He paused, this lord of the Great City felt a pang of fear:
"I cannot imagine how fast he would grow stronger. I fear that in less than a thousand years, he will become one of the top five taboos. You seemed to mention divine punishment earlier?"
The Elder with different eyes nodded slightly:
"The divine punishment of the Great Lord of Death is about to descend, but due to the curse of Emperor Titan, His divine punishment may not necessarily kill the True Shepherd, but at the very least, it can exile him to the void of eternal silence."
Lu Fenghua sighed in relief:
"That's good."
The Elder turned his pocket watch and transformed back into the appearance of an eleven or twelve-year-old boy, becoming him.
The boy stretched lazily:
"Alright, I'm going back to the sixth ring; it's safest to monitor the true shepherd's family."
"Understood, Grandpa."
Lu Saleng left the inner third ring and headed directly to the sixth ring but then instantly arrived at the ninth ring.
He appeared in a room in a grand hotel, where a young man slowly opened his eyes from sleep.
"Are you here?"
Lu Saleng nodded slightly:
"Have you obtained the Councilor's Token?"
"Not yet. I asked Lu Sangdou, but he doesn't have the Councilor's Token. That token has always been with the Original Fear."
Chen Xiang's expression tightened:
"Since the Death Oracle sealed the Great City, I cannot leave, and Original Fear cannot enter. I cannot contact him."
Five days ago, after everything had unfolded, a divine oracle from the Lord of Death descended from the heavens, sealing the entire Great City. Outsiders could not enter, and insiders could not leave.
The purpose was simple: to confine the True Shepherd here.
The Great City also urgently divided the outer third ring, sealing all information from the outer third ring to prevent the citizens of the middle third and inner third rings from uttering the name of the True Shepherd.
The more people who knew and uttered the name, the stronger the reality loophole that Chen Xiang could utilize—the ability of Observation would become stronger.
This eerie, almost conceptual ability surpassed most powers of outer gods, making all deities wary.
"The situation is very bad now. The divine punishment of the Lord of Death is about to descend. Even if you do not die, you will be exiled to the void of eternal silence. Have you thought about how to deal with it? Do you want me to help you leave the Great City temporarily?"
After a pause, Lu Saleng added:
"Although the Great City is currently sealed by the divine oracle of death, I have ways to help you escape, even if it requires some cost."
"It's useless."
Chen Xiang shook his head: "Right now, all the gods' gazes are fixed on me; it's pointless to go anywhere. I need to disappear aboveboard. This so-called divine punishment is the best opportunity, isn't it?"
Lu Saleng's expression changed slightly:
"What do you mean? You want to use this divine punishment to disappear from the gods' sight? No, that's too risky and dangerous! If you are truly exiled to the void of eternal silence, even I will find it hard to escape!"
"Right now, I certainly cannot."
Chen Xiang smiled, his gaze deep, voice low:
"But what if I break through the limits? What if I accept the blessings of the various rulers and the greatest one?"