Published: February 11, 2025
Ye Zhongming was surprised, not because he didn't want the Holy Maiden to return with him or that there was something he didn't want her to see, but rather due to the level of danger involved.
Behind them was a ninth-level life form, along with its countless subordinates. Even with Ye Zhongming, the Xia Bai Squad, Yangos, and the war rat legion, they would still be considered insignificant in its presence. That ninth-level life could probably wave its hand and reduce them to ashes.
In this situation, it seemed unreasonable for the Holy Maiden to want to accompany Ye Zhongming to the Sanctuary. Ye Zhongming wasn't narcissistic enough to believe that the current queen of the Temple of Dawn had feelings for him and wanted to share life and death; she must have other motives worth pondering.
"You want to go see the Gate of Blessing, right?" The Holy Maiden's gaze swept past the small town that would soon be abandoned after its final flurry of activity, landing on an unknown distance.
Ye Zhongming nodded, not denying it.
"When I was very young, I, and even other people from the Sanctuary, were instilled with the belief that everything we have comes from the grace of the gods, and the evidence of the gods' existence is the Gate of Blessing."
Ye Zhongming was mildly surprised; he hadn’t expected the Holy Maiden to say such things, but he refrained from offering any opinions.
Since deciding to become the queen of the Temple of Dawn, the Holy Maiden's style had changed significantly. Although she still wore the previous white robe, she had added some other colors to it, especially the golden threads, which were used extensively.
When there was no ceremony, the scepter was also put away, replaced by a crystalline magic orb. Inside, some misty liquid swirled, looking as if it was a world unto itself.
"Many years ago, I saw the Gate of Blessing work its miracles. It truly made some incredible things happen, which made me steadfast in my faith. But I don't know when it all changed."
Something different sparkled in the Holy Maiden's beautiful eyes.
"It seems like the Gate of Blessing has become a mere decoration. Each pilgrimage gathering is just me or the Holy Father emitting Holy Light. Although it looks magnificent and has decent effects, many people understand that it's not normal. It should be the time for the Gate of Blessing to show its miracles, but…it has turned into the most ordinary act of worship."
The Holy Maiden gestured as if trying to push something away.
"That is not what I yearn for, nor is it my faith, and certainly not the faith of the people in the Sanctuary."
"So you want to see what has happened there?" Ye Zhongming asked.
Nodding, the Holy Maiden replied, "I know it's dangerous to go with you. That beast is chasing us closely, but I also want to see what has happened at the Gate of Blessing. Over the years... what has the Holy Father done to it?"
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After passing through the border town, Ye Zhongming saw the prosperity belonging to the Temple of Dawn. This prosperity was different from that of Earth before the apocalypse; it was filled with antiquity and tranquility. The cobbled streets were scattered with debris left behind by people who had departed, and occasionally, unattended poultry searched for food, exercising their almost lost predatory instincts.
Once in a while, he could see a few hunched old people wandering these streets, looking around in confusion before sighing and shaking their heads.
They chose to stay and accepted their fate, entrusting their lives and deaths to their lifelong faith.
In some remote villages near the forest, traces of monsters had appeared. They shifted from cautious approaches to habitual patterns, having realized that the human settlements were deserted and could enter and exit freely. They moved around the houses, looking for the leftovers of human meals.
From time to time, a few monsters could be seen tearing apart and devouring human corpses. Without social behaviors or sufficient force, humans had become the food of monsters.