Storm of Gods

Chapter 143 Inner Demon
Misty Continent, Dipo City, Lighthouse No. 108.

Bati has always faced everything about himself with equanimity. As a lowly Ratna, he was born with sin, and redemption was his greatest wish. Living like an animal was only natural to him.

My only hope is to free my sister from all of this.

Yesterday, I had a terrifying dream. The Misty Continent wasn't the only one, and Dipo City wasn't the only one. There really was a Pure Land of Bliss outside. What was even more terrifying was that he was actually called "Sir".

Mr. Lion...

That is the name used between the chief deity and the Buddha.

Is this the power of evil?
Barty spent the whole night trying to deny it all. He was just a lowly Ratna, unworthy of any respect. His life was to guard this lighthouse until his sins were redeemed, which was already a gift from the Trinity. All other temptations were harbingers of his downfall!

On the simple stone bed, Bati tossed and turned, every sound in his mind so clear, his continued excitement suppressing even his delirium.

Hallucination? Temptation? Why could he feel the genuine equality from others, as naturally as breathing?

Because of a dream, an evil thought arose in his mind...

. . .

Sundays in Montcarette are indeed quite pleasant; even slaves do not perform strenuous labor on this day, in order to praise the blessings of Mother Earth.

Li Xin hailed an open carriage, haggled with the driver, and got a 20% discount before heading to the Holy Grace Academy to praise the Earth Mother Goddess.

The Church was filled with joy on the eve of the weekend. The enthusiastic nature of the Herdans made their leisure time full of fun. Music and dance parties, fine wine and beautiful women, hormones were flying. Last night must have been very fun. The Church was unusually quiet in the morning.

Walking along the path of the Holy Zeal Academy, admiring the exotic scenery, the breeze carried a refreshing scent of grass. Thinking about life in the dungeon felt like it was just yesterday. Sigh, I miss Aunt Fei and Xueyin a little. I wonder how Aunt Fei is doing, and if Xueyin is still tormented by homework. With Casey taking care of her, she should be doing well.

Upon arriving at the Saint Zeal Academy's team base, Simmons was spotted from afar, accompanied by Celia. This dashing young lady from the George family was a bit different today, sporting exquisite makeup and an expression of anticipation and excitement. Simmons noticed her too, but he had no interest in paying attention and couldn't quite grasp the situation.

Seeing her cousin's respect for the secret chef—arriving early and greeting him at the door—Celtis was even more convinced of her own thoughts. Despite Simmons's easygoing nature and the perception that the eldest son of the George family had no ambition, her brother was no different from the others. Deep down, he was extremely proud, just in different ways.

The George family used to be in charge of the kingdom's intelligence department. Later, due to various changes, their power was divided and balanced, and that's how it ended up like this. But their ability to make a living has not diminished. Even though the George family has declined quite a bit now, they still have some capabilities in intelligence.

Celia put in some effort to find out what was going on and learned that Li Xin was previously a member of the Black Rose at the Tianjing Order Academy. She didn't know why he suddenly came to Heldan. And what had happened in Tianjing recently?
Could the deaths of an earl and his heir, the Archbishop of the Moon Goddess, and the captain of the Tenth Night Patrol be related to this man named Li Xin?

Simmons may seem enthusiastic, but he's actually cold on the inside. He doesn't accept or approve of people easily, so he only has a few true friends. It's impossible that he hooked up with Li Xin during those few days in Tianjing. Moreover, Lancer and the others said they didn't interact much at the time, so they must have known each other before. That makes things simple: there's only one experience she doesn't know about.

If that's the case, Li Xin's identity is obvious. But even so, why is Simmons so polite, even showing a bit of awe? That's strange.

During his time in Heldan, this man named Li Xin was indeed a cook, and a rather well-known one at that. He invented two strange dishes using very cheap ingredients: chicken and pork.

Such contrasting information, when put together, only proves one thing: Li Xin is very likely a master in the secret fortress, a master even more powerful than Simmons!

How could Celia not be excited? "Simmons, you guys are way too early."

“I’m used to going to bed early and waking up early,” Simmons laughed. “Everything is ready.”

Li Xin nodded. "Good morning, Miss Celia."

“Mr. Li Xin, there’s no need to be so polite. We’ll be fighting together from now on, so just call me Celia,” Celia said with a slight smile, her voice elegant.

"Then you can just call me Li Xin," Li Xin said with a smile. He felt a sense of familiarity with Celia, as her interactions with everyone else here were quite different. He could sense the modern aura emanating from Celia.

Although it was just a simple feeling of liking, Simmons' eyes did flicker.

“Celtis is a genius spirit binder in our family. She possesses the family’s divine relics. The family has higher expectations for her than for me. She has already reached the level where she can wield the power of magic rings.” Simmons did not hold back his praise.

Celia was speechless. Had her brother gone mad? What kind of introduction was this? Revealing all their secrets? Did they not want to live a normal life? Her ability to cast spells was the trump card of the Holy Zeal Academy.

"Oh, that's great, let's go in," Li Xin said.

Li Xin and Simmons went in. Celia gritted her teeth and said, "Fine, very well. I'll see what tricks these two with such high standards can pull off."

Simmons closed the base's gate, and the three entered a very special enclosed room inside. Various weapons and armors hung on the walls, and the Gate of Truth on the ground was ready. Unlike the single-person one, this Gate of Truth was larger and more complex, requiring more psionic energy. Several array nodes were filled with glittering psionic crystals, which made Li Xin a little envious. One of these could be sold for a lot of money.

Celia had been observing Li Xin, and she caught the moment his eyes lit up. She had good eyesight; this spirit energy crystal was indeed of extraordinary origin. However, it was from the George family's collection. Not only could it replenish the energy of the formation, but it also possessed extremely strong stability. The energy output of some low-quality spirit energy crystals fluctuated greatly, which would increase the difficulty of control. If not handled properly, it could even cause fluctuations in the formation, which would be very dangerous for the trial participants in the sacred land.

Besides the formation, a skilled spirit binder is also needed. Even the best ship needs an excellent captain, and she is the best captain in the George family. Celia began a final check of the Gate of Truth to ensure that everything was in perfect order.

Li Xin put down the long bag he was carrying, which contained his belongings: a small harp, lira, and some miscellaneous items, as well as Luo Jin's long sword.

“Brother Li, the Sacred Land is quite dangerous. If an extremely unpredictable situation arises, Celia will forcibly take us away from the Sacred Land. At that time, we just need to cooperate and absolutely must not resist.” Simmons was playing it safe. As he spoke, he took off an exquisite breastplate with intricate runes on it. Simmons naturally used the most comfortable ones, all of which were masterpieces tailored by masters. Although Li Xin might not need it with his strength, he still intended to be polite. Just as he looked up, he saw Celia nodding at him.

Simmons turned his head and saw that Li Xin was already fully armed, with a breastplate, arm guards, leg guards, and even a crown, as if he wanted to arm himself to the teeth. However, the crown was a bit too big, so Li Xin reluctantly took it off. "Simmons, is it okay if I borrow a set?"

The brother and sister looked at each other in bewilderment. They had already put them on, so why would they take them off? Celia suddenly wondered if her expectations had been a bit too hasty.
“Your Heldan heads are too big. Next time, get one that fits my head shape,” Li Xin said.

Simmons pursed his lips. "Okay."

Li Xin looked at the rune-covered protective gear. It was very light yet sturdy. He tapped it and heard a dull sound, indicating good toughness. It must be a good item, or at least very valuable. Since he didn't want to miss out, Li Xin planned to borrow a set from Simmons later. Who knows when he might be able to enter the Holy Land on his own?

Simmons tucked a Demon-Sealing Spear into his pocket, and Li Xin, under Celia's astonished gaze, shoved two more into her hands. He only reluctantly put down the third one because it was getting in the way.

(End of this chapter)