On the day of the festival, Li Yuan arrived early at the Imperial Inquisition’s temporary base.
The empty wooden crates in the warehouse had been moved to the corners, and the hand-drawn map was spread across the central table, surrounded by several sheets of parchment covered in notes.
Baron and Vina were already fully geared. Eight Adjudicators were lined up in two rows at the back of the warehouse, performing final equipment checks. Seeing Li Yuan push open the door, Baron strode forward and handed him a list.
“Sir, we are all ready. We await your command.”
Li Yuan took the list, scanned it, and nodded. “Once the festival begins, act as soon as you see the target appear. Reveal your identities immediately and take her away in the name of an investigation. We’ll see how the temple reacts.”
“And if they refuse to release her?” Baron asked.
“That would be for the best,” Li Yuan replied, handing the list back. “If the temple openly defies an Imperial investigation in front of the city’s believers, it’s as good as admitting there’s something wrong with the festival. You only need to bring the conflict into the open. I will handle the rest.”
Vina walked over, her short sword already hanging at her waist and the Inquisition emblem on her shoulder polished to a shine. “Sir, if all their high-level guards press in at once, our people might not be able to hold them off.”
“Just focus on your tasks and ensure no large-scale conflict breaks out. If a situation arises that you cannot handle, I will intervene.”
He spoke calmly, as if stating a self-evident fact. Vina glanced at him but didn't press further, simply nodding in agreement.
Baron folded the list and tucked it inside his breastplate, then turned to clap his hands for the Adjudicators’ attention. “Did everyone hear that? Follow the plan we set last night. Let’s go.”
The group answered in unison and filed out one by one.
The festival was scheduled to begin at noon, but by eight or nine in the morning, the Central Plaza was already packed. Believers from within the city wore their finest robes, while pilgrims from afar carried travel bags and copies of the 《Holy Scripture of Light》, forming long, winding queues at the edge of the plaza.
Li Yuan stood on the second-floor balcony of a merchant house on the east side of the plaza, overlooking the growing crowd. He had specifically chosen this spot last night—neither too close nor too far from the main temple, it provided a clear view of the ritual stage and most of the plaza without drawing attention.
He released his Divine Sense, silently blanketing the entire plaza. The presence of tens of thousands of believers felt like a vast ocean in his perception, with faith constantly being generated and gathered. Deep within the main temple, the auras of the High Priest and five clerics were clustered together, clearly making final preparations.
Time quickly approached noon.
The temple doors slowly swung open. Two rows of guards in silver light armor filed out first, lining up on either side of the ritual stage.
They were followed by the five clerics, each holding a staff tipped with a holy light crystal, looking exceptionally holy and dignified.
The High Priest made his entrance last.
He wore a brand-new white robe embroidered with intricate holy crest patterns in gold thread. Upon his head was a high crown set with a holy light crystal, making him look like the God of Light’s spokesperson on earth.
The moment he stepped onto the high stage, the clamor of the plaza died down instantly. The believers bowed their heads, hands over their chests, and leaned toward the stage in respect.
The High Priest stood still and raised both hands high.
“Children of the God of Light—”
His voice, deep and solemn, echoed across the entire plaza through amplification magic.
“Today, we gather here to listen to the divine oracles. May the grace of the God of Light be bestowed equally upon every pious soul!”
“May the God of Light protect us!” tens of thousands of believers responded in unison. The sound rolled over the stage like a thunderous wave, causing the candle flames on the altar to flicker.
What followed was a series of collective rituals—hymns, rites of worship, and the offering of flowers and tributes in turn. The process lasted about an hour.
The believers remained intensely devout; many kept their foreheads pressed against the ground for a long time after kneeling. Even the pilgrims on the outskirts who couldn't squeeze in followed the rhythm of the prayers on the stage. The religious fervor of the entire plaza was being slowly drawn out.
Li Yuan noticed that during these collective rituals, the vow power stored in the various branch temples began to flow slowly. It no longer remained stagnant in the containers and formations but was being drawn by something, quietly converging toward the high stage of the main temple.
The real movement behind the festival was beginning.
The High Priest raised his hands again, and the prayers in the plaza gradually subsided.
“The divine oracles are about to descend,” he said with a practiced solemnity. “Let the spokesperson ascend the stage.”
Two priestesses in white robes walked out from the side hall, supporting a girl draped in a white cloak between them. The hood of the cloak obscured most of her face—it was Ramina.
Her steps were slow and mechanical, unlike the movements of a normal person.
The believers in the plaza fell to their knees. Everyone pressed their foreheads to the ground, palms facing upward on the stone tiles. This was the standard posture for listening to divine oracles—one of awe, submission, and total vulnerability.
Ramina was guided to the center of the stage and placed in a high-backed chair that had been prepared. The High Priest stepped to the side, pressed his palms together, closed his eyes, and his lips began to move silently.
A soft white light emanated from Ramina. Her head bowed slowly, the shadow of the hood completely hiding her features. Her lips began to twitch as if she were whispering something. The High Priest leaned in, bringing his ear close to her mouth and nodding frequently with a focused, grave expression.
The believers in the plaza pressed their foreheads even lower, but what Li Yuan saw was entirely different.
The vow power gathered from the various temples was surging toward the top of the stage at an incredible speed. It circled above Ramina’s head for about two breaths before violently pouring into her body—like a floodgate opening. The massive influx of vow power washed through her every meridian, crushing her original soul presence into a corner of her consciousness.
At this moment, the original soul within Ramina had been replaced by a white orb of light. It rapidly absorbed the incoming faith within the girl’s body. With every passing breath, the density of the light orb increased, while Ramina’s own soul was pushed further and further away.
Just as the absorption rate of the light orb reached its peak, two sharp metallic clangs rang out from either side of the stage.
Baron and Vina leaped onto the ritual stage simultaneously.
Baron’s longsword was unsheathed, its blade glowing with a layer of pale gold mana—the 【Mage-Breaker Slash】 was primed and ready. Vina held her short sword across her chest, the tip pointed directly at the five clerics on the stage. Her left hand held the Inquisition emblem high, its golden light particularly piercing in the midday sun.
“Imperial Inquisition! This is official business!” Vina’s voice was clear and sharp, cutting through the murmurs of the plaza. “We suspect the temple is committing illegal acts under the guise of this festival. By Imperial decree, we are taking the spokesperson, Ramina, into custody for investigation immediately!”
The believers in the plaza looked at each other in confusion. A few people in the front row looked up, their faces blank with bewilderment. Someone in the back stood up to see what was happening, only to be pushed back down by those in front.
The High Priest spun around, a brief flash of panic appearing on his face—the specific look of shock and alarm that comes from being interrupted mid-process.
He cast a quick glance at Ramina. The girl remained seated in the chair with her head bowed, the white light around her slightly dimmer than before. The process of the light orb absorbing the vow power had clearly stuttered for a moment. Although it resumed immediately, the rate was significantly slower than before the interruption.
He then turned back to the two intruders, his shock suppressed and replaced by a boiling rage.
“Guards!” His voice was much louder than when he was reciting the prayers. “Seize these two who dare profane the divine oracles!”
The guards lined up on the sides of the stage moved instantly. Over a dozen silver-armored guards rushed up from both sides. Simultaneously, the five clerics raised their staves, the holy light crystals at the tips glowing with a blinding white light.
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