The Genesis of All: Events Seventeen Years Ago

The sleeves of the White-Robed Archbishop's robe were inherently wide. Du Chen subtly lifted his left shoulder, tucking his hand partially into the voluminous fabric. Between his index and middle fingers, a Precious Lotus Scripture quietly nestled.

Through his Divine Sense, he instructed Dus, “Hide within the Precious Lotus Scripture! While the Cloud Banner is fully unfurled, seize the opportunity of any exposed seam to infiltrate their camp!”

“What for? To peek at those old hags bathing?! How disgusting! They're all perverts, I'm not going!” Dus snapped back with unreserved sarcasm.

“Dus… Fifth Brother, can't you just help me out?! I'm not asking you to do *that*!” Du Chen was helpless against Dus. That fellow was always unhurried, sluggish, making one itch to kick him twice. But, with his immortal Primordial Spirit and indestructible clones, even the Dragon God Pontiff couldn't kick him to death!

“Ah, now that's a good boy! You're using the formal ‘you’ now, much better!” Dus wriggled his way onto the Precious Lotus Scripture, replying via Divine Sense, “I get it. From the looks of it, these old hags won't be taking you today. Once they return to their camp, they'll definitely have to discuss what to do. At the very least, they'll curse you under their breath!”

“Exactly. At that time, I need you to tell me everything you hear and see! I need to know what truly happened to Francis back then!”

“If anything happens, call Fifth Brother, no problem! You, turn your back to the Pontiff. That old geezer is incredibly powerful; don't let him detect my departure!”

“One more thing to remember: the Divine Envoys aren't particularly strong; you could probably handle them one-on-one. But that Cloud Banner appears to be a Tenth-tier sacred artifact, unlike anything we've seen before. Pay attention, and if possible, gather some intelligence on it!” Du Chen used his body to shield the Pontiff's view, releasing Dus.

Having a clone truly was convenient!

Du Chen's gaze returned to his teacher. Seeing Zigurd struggling against the Cloud Banner, a faint sheen of sweat on his brow, the long-held guilt in his heart grew even heavier.

Though not truly intimate, Du Chen had to admit that while Zigurd was a bit stubborn and sometimes unreasonable, he was a genuinely good teacher!

“A teacher for a day is a father for life!” This was the first code of conduct Du Chen recited when he entered the Rogue Sect in his previous life!

Yet, for a Vanishing Snow Sword he didn't truly need, he had stolen his teacher's sacred artifact, causing him to lose to Galas, the Foremost Assassin under Heaven, and bringing a lifetime of prestige to shame!

Unconsciously, Du Chen's hand drifted to the Vanishing Snow Sword at his waist.

At that moment, the Pontiff felt the situation had become clear. Having weighed the pros and cons in his heart, he gently removed the Golden Circlet from his head and casually tossed it forth. “Divine Envoys, Brother Zigurd, why cause such disharmony! Heed the sincere advice of the Gods' Living Representative!”

The Golden Circlet floated lightly towards the entangled Cloud Banner and Thorned Water Ring. With a gentle tremor, it suddenly struck the white cloud. The cloud remained unharmed, but Zigurd's Thorned Water Ring was dislodged.

“His Majesty's Tenth-tier Golden Circlet of the Gods truly lives up to its formidable reputation!” Donna gasped, glaring furiously at the Pontiff.

Zigurd silently retrieved his Thorned Water Ring, his cold gaze fixed on Donna.

*Damn it, the Pontiff's headpiece is a Tenth-tier sacred artifact?! Blast it, I completely underestimated him… The Pontiff truly possesses an abundance of treasures!* Du Chen inwardly marveled, his hands itching once more! It was an involuntary, conditioned reflex!

The Pontiff spoke softly, “Divine Envoy Donna, your God and the Holy Church are one. And Zigurd is my brother! Why should matters between our two houses resort to weapons? The Gods' Living Representative states that Francis is, in fact, also a Divine Envoy…”

“What did you say?! How is that possible?!” Donna exclaimed, utterly astonished!

Du Chen cursed inwardly: *Pontiff, you old geezer, next you're supposed to say that if they want Francis, they should have their master come speak with Du Chen, the Divine. So they should hurry up and report this to their master, instead of fighting here! And Francis, your friend Du Chen, stop hiding and show yourself to me!* The Pontiff was simultaneously de-escalating the situation and pressuring “Du Chen, the Divine” to reveal himself sooner!

Indeed, the Pontiff uttered words Du Chen had already anticipated, though his tone was far more formal, far more sacred! “…Brother Zigurd, wouldn't you agree?”

Zigurd also declared, “Whatever ‘Du Chen, the Divine’ may be, it has nothing to do with me, Zigurd. But I will never allow my student to be unjustly seized!”

Donna's expression flickered with uncertainty. The Pontiff added, “The Divine Envoys can rest assured; Francis will remain within the Eye of Heaven Forest! We can slowly deliberate a solution.” *He won't escape. Just drag this out for now. If I, the Pontiff, discover that ‘Du Chen, the Divine’ is a fake, or his strength is insufficient, then betraying Francis will be effortless!*

Du Chen rubbed his nose, thinking, *The Pontiff is indeed not easy to fool! He's more cunning and devious than any of my previous adversaries! It seems ‘Du Chen, the Divine’ really needs to make an appearance!*

Donna glanced at the Pontiff, nodded, and departed with her three sisters.

Du Chen and Zigurd returned to the Chariot of the Gods. Before Zigurd could even ask why the Divine Envoys had tried to seize Du Chen, the Pontiff spoke, “My brother, do not ask me. I have indeed told you many falsehoods in the past, but this time, even I, your elder brother, am genuinely perplexed!” He still maintained an “open and frank” demeanor towards Zigurd.

Zigurd then looked towards Du Chen.

Du Chen shook his head with a bitter smile. “Teacher, you know my mother passed away fourteen years ago, and my father… I know nothing about him either!”

“Then what *is* going on?” Zigurd frowned. “It seems Francis's transformation from an imbecile into one with a Heaven-Bestowed Hydro-Body has greatly incensed that God!”

The Pontiff closed his eyes slightly. “My brother, your elder brother has indeed gained some insight… Francis, to tell you the truth, after you joined the Holy Church, the Enforcement Temple thoroughly investigated your past…”

“I completely understand!” Du Chen chimed in, smiling cooperatively.

“Precisely because the Enforcement Temple investigated, and because the Holy Church is quite familiar with the movements of the Divine Envoys, I can guarantee that from your one-month celebration—that is, from the moment your father, Arges, returned from his expedition to McAllen and first laid eyes on you—you have never had any contact with the Divine Envoys! Therefore, whatever the Divine Envoys are involved in must have transpired seventeen years ago, around the time of your birth!”

“Seventeen years ago!?” Zigurd exclaimed in sudden realization. “That was precisely when Roland was forced by the Divine Envoys to seal his sword!”

The Pontiff nodded. “Concurrently, that was also when the great upheaval occurred in Reno, and Alonso went mad!” He glanced at Aliza. “It was also when people discovered fragments of Ben, the Blade of Heaven's sacred artifact, in the Renault Empire, concluding he had died heroically in fierce combat! And when his only son, Aliza, first appeared on the slave market transaction records!”

Du Chen listened, utterly bewildered, and forced a bitter smile. “It seems some truly significant events transpired seventeen years ago, didn't they?!”

Zigurd looked at the Pontiff. “Speak, then. The information held by your Enforcement Temple far surpasses what I know!”

“But those secrets are Crystal-tier, known only to clergy of the Godfather rank or higher… Heh heh, Godfather Yakun recently died in battle while apprehending Constantine. Now, only eight Godfathers remain. Francis, kneel!”

The Pontiff vaguely sensed immense benefits could be unearthed from this matter. Thus, he unhesitatingly commanded Du Chen to prostrate himself on the Chariot of the Gods according to Holy Church rites. Placing a hand on Du Chen's forehead, golden light suffusing his form, he intoned, “For a thousand years, my Holy Church has had nine great Godfathers, each with their duties, assisting the Gods' Living Representative in spreading divine grace. Now, Godfather Yakun has unfortunately died, and the gods mourn the loss of a Divine Servant! Francis, are you willing to take Godfather Yakun's place and spread the divine light!?”

*Francis, I am telling you now: when immense benefit is at stake, I am absolutely willing to offer a price that satisfies you. Therefore, let me meet ‘Du Chen, the Divine’ as soon as possible! Otherwise, just as I can elevate you, I can just as easily cast you down!* *Just a Godfather's position, after all…*

Du Chen naturally understood the Pontiff's intent, yet he still felt a secret delight—*Godfather Francis! That sounded damn impressive!* Reciprocating the kindness, Du Chen respectfully declared, “By His Majesty's divine grace, Francis will devote all his efforts to aiding His Majesty in spreading the divine light!” Then, he joyfully lifted his head, like a child who had received a precious treasure. “I, I shall write to my family about this at once!” *Alright, you'll meet Du Chen, the Divine, soon enough!*

The Pontiff and Du Chen exchanged a smile; everything was unspoken.

Zigurd suddenly added, “Just let him be the Deacon Godfather of the Shadow Temple; don't assign him any other duties! Brother Sama, don't involve my student in your messy affairs!”

*That old man! A Deacon Godfather of the Shadow Temple—that sounds like an obscure, honorary position that can't see the light of day…*

“Very well, let it be so! Godfather Francis, you can now inquire about all matters at the Crystal Temple!” the Pontiff chuckled.

“Crystal Temple? Your Majesty, might Mars, the Battle God accompany me to the Crystal Temple? I'm not yet familiar with the way…” Du Chen sheepishly smiled, feigning innocence.

…

Indeed, one reason for calling upon Mas was Du Chen's unfamiliarity with the path, but more importantly… that fellow was prone to spilling more secrets! And he truly possessed the talent of a bard…

Mas proved worthy of Du Chen's estimation. Upon receiving the command, he cheerfully led Du Chen deep into the Pontiff's “mobile palace.” After negotiating with several black-robed elders and gaining their approval, he ushered Du Chen into a makeshift temple.

“Is this the Crystal Temple?” Du Chen gazed at the Grand Hall, filled with thousands of statues, and gasped in astonishment! The hall was divided into five tiers. Starting from the entrance, the first tier enshrined some seven to eight hundred small divine statues, all carved from brass.

The second tier held about a hundred silver statues.

The third tier, unlike the previous statues, was not enshrined on a single row of grand altars. Instead, each of the twenty to thirty rare statues had its own shrine, all crafted from pure gold!

The statues on the fourth tier were sculpted entirely from precious magic beast crystal cores, and their shrines were no exception! This tier had even fewer statues, with only nine positions. Oddly, according to the Holy Church's Code, the central position among the enshrined shrines was the most revered, yet the very center of the fourth tier's nine spots held only a shrine, with no statue!

The fifth tier held only a single statue, crafted from an unknown material, its entire form dazzling with brilliant light, obscuring its features. Yet, only one deity could be enshrined in this highest position: the legendary Grand Speaker of the Holy Alliance, the Divine Emperor, Prince, who was said to have seen the end of the Battle God's Path, mere half-step away from eternal life and immortality!

Mas chuckled, “Surprised, aren't you? This is merely a makeshift temple accompanying the Pontiff on his expeditions. You haven't seen the true temple on the Holy Mountain yet; that one nearly scared me out of my wits back then!”

Inside the temple, Mas incongruously burst into laughter several times. “This isn't the Crystal Temple, but the Enshrinement Temple! However, the things you need to know begin here, from a very, very long time ago…”

As Mas spoke, Du Chen's keen eyes were carefully surveying the numerous divine statues. After first noticing the empty central spot on the fourth tier, he then discovered several other empty spaces below it, wondering what they signified!

Soon, Du Chen spotted an exceedingly familiar statue in the middle of the second tier…

Clad in full battle armor, his body consumed by raging flames, a spear piercing his chest, yet still standing firm with his sword, unyielding—it was none other than Ancestor Saint Kaine, Sigurd!

Needless to say, the tiers of this temple represented status. The Grand Matriarchs had said that Sigurd's military rank back then was Commander-in-Chief of the Cavalry and Lieutenant-General of the Third Star in the Einz War Zone! Therefore, the first and second tiers of this temple must represent ranks like Brigadier General, Major General, and Lieutenant General, with Sigurd and a few others at their head.

The third tier, then, should be for Generals. As for the fourth tier, it must house the ancestors of the five Godslayer families—the Grand Marshals of the Holy Alliance!

“Hey, Francis, pay attention!” Mas said, slightly displeased to see Du Chen's focus on the statues.

Du Chen chuckled, joking, “Didn't you say ‘a very, very long time ago’? That probably means a long story. I'll listen carefully once you get to the main point!”

Mas rolled his eyes. “A very, very long time ago *is* the main point! Francis… Your Holiness, Godfather! Blast it, first tell me, what year is this?!”

“Godslayer Era 1279!” Du Chen said, puzzled by his question.

Mas nodded. “Then, the story begins one thousand two hundred and seventy-nine years ago…”