Chen Xiang felt a slight tremor in his heart.

The red moon is not a moon; it is the sun, it is a corpse.

He had more questions but chose not to ask, as too many inquiries might reveal his uncertainty...

At this moment, *Prophet* let out a sigh:

"Alright, back to the main topic. The nine Old Council members correspond to the nine Old Rulers. *Mentor*, which Old Ruler do you choose to represent?"

After a pause, he continued:

"Upon choosing, you will inherit the apostles, messengers, and sparks belonging to that lineage."

*Emperor* then reminded him:

"Don't underestimate the subordinates; each apostle has over a dozen messengers, and each messenger has over a dozen sparks. With the amplification of the *Sun*, each spark is equivalent to a hundred devout believers, a messenger equals a thousand, and an apostle is worth ten thousand!"

Chen Xiang was somewhat confused—devout believers? What was that?

To avoid exposing his ignorance, he remained silent, calmly stroking his staff, causing fragments of time to scatter.

Nearby, *Prophet* smiled:

"*Mentor*, you must be wondering why the believers only provide faith for their worshippers; what does the faith from apostles, messengers, and sparks have to do with you?"

Taking the cue, Chen Xiang replied:

"I do have that question; please enlighten me, *Prophet*."

*Prophet* waved a hand and continued explaining:

"The Rulers do not require faith, so the faith directed at them will be transferred to us…"

Pausing, he slapped his forehead:

"Got sidetracked. *Mentor*, you should choose which Old Ruler you wish to serve."

*Emperor* spoke up:

"Of the nine Old Rulers, my authority corresponds to the *Ruler of Destruction*, the Titan of Destruction associated with the Lord of the Abyss."

*Prophet* smiled:

"I represent the *Ruler of Forbidden Knowledge*, the Titan corresponding to the Lord of Knowledge."

*Primordial* succinctly stated:

"I represent the *Ruler of Death*, the Titan associated with the Slumbering Lord of Hell... Although He has betrayed the *Greatest One*, His status has not yet been stripped by the *Great Emperor Titan*."

Hearing the phrase *Great Emperor Titan* for the first time made Chen Xiang shiver; an overwhelming sense of unreality and haziness washed over him, as if he were back in a dream...

But he quickly snapped back to reality, suppressing the tumultuous emotions:

"Choosing an Old Ruler? I was summoned by the sun; can I choose Him?"

The three council members exchanged glances.

"Choosing the *Sun*, the Lord of Dusk? That is certainly possible..."*Emperor* remarked casually.

"The Lord of Dusk corresponds to the *Outer God* associated with the sun and the god of war's wrath. Hmm, I can pass on the chairman's lineage to you, but that doesn't mean you become the chairman."

"Of course."Chen Xiang smiled.

*Prophet* then reminded him:

"*Mentor*, you need to think carefully. The chairman is dead, and among his fourteen apostles, only one remains…"

"It's alright; I can accept that."Chen Xiang remained resolute. Wei Qingqiu was part of the chairman's lineage, and he was also part of it, making it easier for him to manage...

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Seeing this, *Prophet* did not push further, only saying softly:

"One last thing: we haven't disclosed the deaths of the members and the chairman to the others to prevent unrest. After you accept the chairman's lineage, you will need to masquerade as Dusk among his people."

*Primordial* tapped the table, his aged voice resonating:

"What *Prophet* said is correct, but there's one point: the relics left by the previous chairman have been used to fish for information; his death has circulated in a small circle, and the apostles from the chairman's lineage probably know about it."

Chen Xiang immediately followed up with a question:

"Fishing? What does that mean?"

*Primordial* cleared his throat:

"This matter is under my responsibility; it pertains to a grand plan of mine, and it's currently not convenient to disclose specifics. The situation is quite complicated; we're using the chairman's relics to bait *Great City*, while they think they are using the relics to lure us…"

After a moment's thought, he continued:

"In short, that's how it is. The visualization of the Lord of Dusk is among the relics, an important part of my plan… So, at the next meeting, I'll bring the visualization for you to copy, then return it."

Hmm?

Chen Xiang felt a jolt; something seemed off. He casually asked:

"Oh? Isn't the previous chairman's relics already being used for fishing? Can't we just retrieve them directly?"

*Primordial* chuckled:

"The plan is still in its early stages; the relics have fallen into the hands of a civilian. I can quietly retrieve them before the next meeting."

Chen Xiang felt a chill run down his spine.

Huh???

He suddenly felt guilty; the box he had in his possession... it wasn't a secret??

Had he been under the watchful eye of some important figures this whole time?!

No, *Primordial* shouldn't have scrutinized him closely; otherwise, he would definitely know that he had opened the box... There was still a chance to remedy it!

At once, Chen Xiang decisively said:

"I understand. Thank you all for clarifying things for me."

The three council members nodded, each rising gracefully:

"Then... let's begin."

Chen Xiang was momentarily stunned, instinctively rising to his feet as *Primordial* began a low prayer:

"Great Lord of Dusk, your earthly representative has arrived. By your great stature, grant us your blessings…"

The hall trembled slightly, and in the center of the dark table, a hazy light began to form, floating gently toward Chen Xiang.

In the instant the light entered his body, his vision suddenly blurred, as if swept away by a dream. The surroundings faded, replaced by a massive, radiant sun!

But this glorious sun began to collapse, shrinking until it transformed into a dark red moon.

The red moon trembled gently, a weak voice emerging:

"Blessings… fall."

"Father, I miss you."

The voice echoed in Chen Xiang's ears, and the illusion dissipated, returning him to the hall.

*Primordial* smiled and spoke:

"*Mentor*, after receiving the blessing, you can selectively listen to the prayers of your apostles, messengers, and sparks. Their faith will also be bestowed upon you.

Oh, and don't forget to address the significant matters submitted by the apostles. Generally, these are rare and won't take much of your time…"

Before he could finish, the hall trembled again.

No, it wasn't the hall shaking; it was the red moon, a remnant of the sun and the corpse of Dusk, quivering slightly!

The tremor lasted only a few breaths, but the three council members changed color simultaneously.

*Primordial* was utterly astonished:

"This… this is the *remnant of the sun* awakening?! How can this happen now? Every awakening costs it dearly… Why?!"

*Emperor* suddenly turned to Chen Xiang:

"Could it be… because of the blessing given to the *Mentor*?"

*Primordial* and *Prophet* turned their gazes toward him as well. The latter murmured:

"Indeed, it must be… *Mentor*, I'm quite curious about who you truly are. Bestowing a blessing has stirred the *remnant of the sun*… Don't worry, I'm just curious and won't pry."

Chen Xiang remained silent, enveloped by a sudden, intense sorrow.

After a while, he forced himself to calm down and softly asked:

"By the way, how did the *Sun*, that is, the Lord of Dusk, pass away?"

"I don't know."

*Primordial* replied somberly:

"Actually, the *Old Council* and this hall were both crafted by Him. In the year 99 of the Divine Calendar, He suffered heavy injuries, collapsing from the sun into the red moon, which now hangs in the night sky. Since then, the dual suns have turned into dual moons for ninety-nine years…"

Pausing, *Primordial* continued with a heavy heart:

"But He was merely gravely injured. It wasn't until eighteen years ago, for reasons unknown, that He completely perished, leaving only this remnant…"

Chen Xiang felt a jolt in his heart:

"Eighteen… years ago?!"

"Yes."

*Primordial* sighed:

"To be precise, it was April 4th of the year 1500 in the Divine Calendar."

A suffocating feeling wrapped around Chen Xiang.

His birthday is April 4th, 1500.

……

Because of the new member welcome, the hour-long meeting ended abruptly.

The three council members left one by one, disappearing into the void.

Chen Xiang was the last to go, but instead of immediately communicating with the Dusk Order to return, he hesitated for a moment and walked to the hall's grand door.

After standing at the door for a long time, he grasped his staff and slowly pushed open the door, revealing a dark red earth beneath a brilliantly bright starry sky, with Earth directly overhead…

He stepped out of the hall, feeling as if he were suspended in a vacuum, but a mysterious mist enveloped him, providing safety.

Chen Xiang crouched down, gently touching the dark red soil. An inexplicable sense of sorrow weighed heavily on him…

Following his instincts, he softly spoke:

"When I reclaim all my powers…"

"When I return…"

"You will be by my side."

The red moon trembled, as if it were crying.

The sound of weeping pierced through the otherwise silent vacuum, faint yet filled with both sadness and joy.

The entire Earth heard the cry.