Foreign Land Reclamation By a Vegetable-growing Skeleton

Chapter 692: Chapter 389: The Way to Replace the Master God_1
 

The City of Light, home of the curia, a city entirely composed of the disciples, worshippers, and various institutions of the Church. Despite its population of only a hundred thousand, it remains the Holy Land in the hearts of all Disciples of Light across the entire plane of existence.

Anthony had control over the Eastern and Western Diocese, with the ability to mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops, outnumbering the total population of the City of Light. However, he had no desire to conquer the city.

Firstly, the City of Light is viewed as a sacred place by the followers. Any attack on it, regardless of the reasons, would provoke their hostility.

Secondly, the city is a vast fortress. It is built into the side of a mountain, with essential facilities constructed directly into the hollowed-out mountainside. The city features the Wall of Sighs, dozens of Soul Towers, and numerous Towers of Holy Light.

These types of Holy Light Towers can release columns of light similar to the Holy Light Flash, only with several times the power, an attack human forces cannot withstand.

To assault this city would inevitably result in heavy losses, with no guaranteed success.

Anthony would never engage in such folly. As long as he maintains control over the Eastern and Western Diocese, he has countless strategies to isolate the City of Light.

Through means of restricting materials, personnel, transportation, communication, public opinion, etc., he can weaken the city, bleeding it dry until it turns into a ghost town.

When the population leaves, who would remain to defend the empty city?

But…

Anthony pointed towards the distant mountains and said to everyone, “When I used to burn religious texts, I came across records claiming that the City of Light was established to suppress the King of Terror. I found it ridiculous. What kind of King or Prince of Terror could possibly be more terrifying than our Majesty? It must be the fanciful writing of some Bard. But look at it now.”

Everyone, despite being dozens of kilometers away, could feel the terrifying aura emanating from the City of Light. This aura was palpable, and even those without heightened perception abilities could sense it clearly. It was as if someone were casting a Fear Technique with a wide range.

All the snakes, insects, rodents, and ants nearby had disappeared. The ground was carpeted with insect corpses, while larger animals were nowhere to be seen, likely frightened away.

“Isn’t this just a Fear Technique? What King of Terror? Are there people jumping out from the city?” Durken asked.

“No, not at all. In fact, the people outside the city have all been called in, and now close to seven hundred thousand people are crowding the City of Light.” Anthony said anxiously. He then asked, “Where are Harvey and Lord Feiti? Why are only a few of you with Lord Anthony?”

The only ones by Ange’s side was Negris, Durken, and the Great Sage. This was evidently insufficient to launch an offensive on the City of Light.

“They’re dealing with the Sorrow Angels. You sounded so desperate, so we came here first. Can’t you yell for something other than help?” Negris responded disdainfully.

Anthony scratched his nose, grinning awkwardly, “I’ve only called for what I couldn’t handle myself.”

Then he quickly changed the subject: “Let’s put that aside for now; what do we do now? I’m worried about the hundreds of thousands of people inside the city.”

There are one hundred thousand permanent residents in the City of Light, but as a Holy City, its boundaries do not end at its walls but keep expanding outwards.

At the foot of the mountain and on the plains, there are at least twenty-odd towns and settlements of various sizes. Many devout followers had come here from afar for a pilgrimage, inadvertently forming various settlements and towns.

There are a variety of merchants, mercenaries, and delegations to meet the needs of the several hundred thousand residents, forming a vast network of towns populated by seven to eight hundred thousand people.

Majority of them had been summoned into the city, then the city gates were closed, and the terrifying aura started to spread. If they could sense this aura from such a distance, wouldn’t it scare many people to death inside the city?

The Great Sage suddenly said, “This method seems somewhat like a sacrificial ritual – gathering a bunch of people together to consume their flesh and souls.”

“It does, but does the Church of Light have such means? Even if they scare every person in the city to death, what good would that do?” Durken asked, bewildered.

“Let’s ask,” Negris suggested.

Anthony was stunned for a moment. Ask? Ask who? He was the one who knew the Church of Light best amongst them. Should they ask him? But he didn’t know either.

Ange then reached into the shadow on the ground and pulled up the God of Shadows.

The God of Shadows looked rather languid. Its shadow-crossing ability tries to avoid the shadows of powerful beings as it can’t control their shadows; instead, they could control it. Ange grabbed it and simply stuffed it into his own shadow, rendering it immobile.

Ange’s formidable spiritual power locked the God of Shadows in the shadow firmly like a lock.

“You’re suggesting that the God of Arbitration’s trump card is this? The Fear Sacrifice? What is he trying to do?” Negris asked.

The God of Shadows shook its head, “Give me the Blank God Statue. If I can’t separate from the Light, I dare not answer any of your questions.”

“Light and Darkness combined. By that, do you mean that you share a divinity with Lord Light? Hence, the Blank God Statue is so important to you? With an independent divinity, you could become an independent deity? I get it now. There’s quite a lot at stake for you.”

The God of Shadows hesitated for a moment before it gritted its teeth determinedly, “I could submit to Lord Anthony and become a subordinate deity.”

“Gosh, that’s too much information… Oh well, so be it. Tell me about your ability. Can you only cross through shadows?” Negris couldn’t help but ask.

Anthony could no longer hold back and dragged it away, gripping it by the neck, “Lord Nage, do you think this is an interview? People are about to die.”

Nobody could defeat Negris, who was in vain trying to swing his little paws about as he was forcefully dragged aside.

Ange took out the Blank God Statue, and his Faith Elemental Force surged into it. After a few cycles, the statue was filled with Ange’s power.

Replacing the god statue’s power with his own, Ange could manipulate it no matter whose consciousness it accepted.

The God of Shadows blundered eagerly into the statue. The once pure and flawless Blank God Statue started to cloud.

Before long, the God of Shadows took control of the statue, and a more substantial shadow emerged, wrapping the statue in it.

A quick check of its status later, the God of Shadows sighed deeply, “I never dreamt of being able to exist in this independent form.”

“Enough with the chatter, get to the point. What is the God of Arbitration up to?” Anthony urged.@@novelbin@@

The God of Shadows replied, “For years, no matter what happened, the God of Arbitration has never interfered. The only time he took action was during the Hemel insect plague hundreds of years ago. Do you know why? He has been looking for a way to replace the Master God, and now, he’s found it.”

“The Master God? The Trinity Lord Divinity? The one from Heaven? That’s bad!”

As soon as he said that, Ange immediately opened the gate to Heaven and stepped through it.