They?
Up ahead?
Waiting for Eve?
Lin Gui's flying vessel was currently heading toward the Fifth Node.
It was the lake he had passed when he first entered the Wall of Sighs.
Were the people Eve said would take her away right there?
Lin Gui instinctively glanced at Eve with his Eyes of the Netherworld.
At her heart, that soul thread that had always pointed upward was now strangely pulled horizontal.
Its direction was precisely the Fifth Node.
It was the soul thread connected to the Hall of Heroic Spirits.
Through it, Eve could use the power of the Hall of Heroic Spirits.
And the Holy Church of Light could use it to locate Eve's position.
It wasn't that Lin Gui hadn't thought about using Soul Attachment to sever this connection.
But every attempt had ended in failure.
This soul thread wasn't just composed of soul energy.
The main connection should be divine power.
It was a power that Lin Gui still couldn't understand.
He controlled the flying vessel, flying steadily toward the Fifth Node.
He could see the reluctance in Eve.
Her arms wrapped around his waist were a bit tighter than usual.
It wasn't that he didn't have the ability to take Eve and flee, bypassing these people.
With the flying vessel and his Shroud of the Gloomy Night, even if the enemy could lock onto Eve's position, Lin Gui was confident he could lead them in circles like a group of fools who would never catch him.
But he didn't do so.
Because the connection to the Hall of Heroic Spirits filled the heart-soul gap in Eve's chest that determined her life.
If the Holy Church of Light unilaterally severed the connection, Eve would lose her life in an instant.
Eve had never been free.
The flying vessel continued to cut through the mist.
Lin Gui stopped when they neared the lake.
He put the flying vessel into his storage space in the void.
Then he took out his staff and floated close to the ground with Eve.
...
Lin Gui rode his staff, taking Eve slowly through the mist.
The surrounding trees grew sparser.
Faint light began to filter through ahead.
Finally, sunlight completely illuminated the entire forest.
They flew out of the mist.
Then, Lin Gui stopped.
Outside the exit was an open meadow.
At the end of the meadow was that familiar lake, its surface shimmering with light.
And on the meadow stood dozens of people in formation.
They were dressed in uniform white armor, with a golden sunburst crest engraved on their chests.
Disciplinary Knights.
They stood in two neat rows, extending from the edge of the mist all the way to the lakeshore.
Every one of them stood in silence, hands on their sword pommels, gazes looking straight ahead.
Those gazes were now all fixed on the person behind Lin Gui... on Eve.
And at the very front of the formation stood an old man in white robes.
His mage robes were embroidered with complex golden patterns, and a large sunburst pendant hung from his chest.
The mana fluctuations radiating from him were extremely powerful—at least on the same level as Freya.
Behind the old man, two knights were jointly carrying a set of neatly folded garments.
A long white dress with golden patterns, intricate lace, and a belt inlaid with gems.
Just looking at that outfit, one could feel an overwhelming aura of expense.
Lin Gui stopped his staff.
Eve jumped down from behind him.
Then she stood up and walked toward the Holy Church Mage.
In that instant, she changed.
It wasn't a change in appearance; it was her temperament, her eyes, and the aura the entire person radiated.
She closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, the warmth was gone from those purple eyes.
The girl who had just been hugging Lin Gui's waist and pressing her face against his back now stood there with her back perfectly straight.
Her face was expressionless.
There was no warmth in those purple eyes, only a faint, aloof, and condescending indifference.
Holy, elegant, inviolable, and mysterious.
She was like a divine statue that had descended to the mortal realm.
The two knights carrying the Holy Saintess attire walked up to her and knelt on one knee.
They bowed their heads, holding the clothes high above their heads with both hands.
Eve reached out and took them.
Then, she raised her other hand.
A white light glowed from her fingertips.
In the next second, the coarse cloth clothes on her body disappeared.
They were replaced by the holy white dress.
The hem of the dress fell, spreading out over the grass.
The sunlight fell on the golden patterns, reflecting a dazzling light.
She stood there like the center of the entire world.
The old man stepped forward and bowed slightly.
"Lady Saintess."
His voice was deep and filled with respect.
"This subordinate has been ordered by the Pope to welcome your return."
"The Hero's Expedition is about to begin."
He paused.
"Please follow us back to Dawn."
Eve looked at him, her purple eyes devoid of emotion.
"Has this Dark Tide begun?"
The old man nodded.
"It has. It began not long ago."
"The Council used the Omniscient Astrolabe to lock onto the location where it will erupt."
Eve looked at him.
"Where?"
The old man's gaze lingered on her face for a moment.
Then, he said softly, "The borderlands, the Withered Rift."
"The predicted direction is northwest."
He paused. "The first city-state to be affected is... the Carter Royal Capital."
Eve's expression finally changed.
Those eyes, which had been consistently indifferent, widened slightly.
Her pupils contracted.
She stared at the old man, her lips trembling slightly.
The old man looked at her, his aged face showing no emotion.
"It was the Carter Royal Capital's disrespect toward the Holy Church of Light that caused the God to send down an erroneous omen."
He spoke softly.
"This impending destruction is entirely the fault of the Carter Royal Capital."
"Therefore, Lady Saintess, rest assured. This matter is not your fault."
Eve didn't speak. She just stood there, looking at the old man.
After a long time, the old man spoke again.
"Lady Saintess, please set out."
"The path of the Dark Tide is unpredictable. If it turns toward the Blackwater Corridor, we might have to take a long detour to reach Dawn."
"That might cause us to miss the launch of the Hero's Expedition."
Eve stood in a daze.
Then, she gave a soft sigh and turned around.
She looked toward Lin Gui.
Lin Gui stood there, equally shocked by the news that the Dark Tide would originate in the Carter Royal Capital.
His brow was deeply furrowed on his pale face.
Eve looked at him, an apology in her eyes.
"Mr. Lin Gui..."
Her voice was very light.
"Thank you for looking after me along the way."
"I was very happy."
She paused. "Really happy."
Then she turned and walked toward the formation of Disciplinary Knights.
The old man stepped aside, clearing the path.
The formation automatically parted to take her into their protection.
"Let's go."
Eve's voice came from within the formation—calm, indifferent, and without a single ripple.
The Disciplinary Knights began to move.
The white formation slowly distanced itself along the lakeshore.
Lin Gui watched them leave in silence.
He didn't look away until those white figures were hidden by the trees along the lake.
He sat on his staff and floated away toward the distance.
And just behind him, in a patch of hidden grass, a knight who had stayed behind slowly raised his head.
He moved in a low crouch, his footsteps as light as if he were walking on clouds.
The dagger at his waist was already drawn half an inch from its sheath.
His gaze was locked onto the silhouette that was gradually drifting away.
Rate on N.U.
