Chapter 556
These memories were almost untouchable for Xia'er—Sada'na could actually peer back into Xia'er’s memories and issue her a warning...
It was as if merely looking at it would make it aware of you... almost divine.
Could it be that Sada'na truly was a god?
No... if I were a god, and felt such intense hatred towards an ordinary person, I would crush them without a second thought.
Sada'na was definitely not a deity, but rather a more powerful being from another realm—at least that was evident from the indifferent attitudes of the Pure White Knight and the Dark Worm towards Sada'na.
Since I can't eavesdrop on the conversation between her and Keleisi, I can directly observe the changes in Keleisi after her talk with Sada'na.
Xia'er’s fingers reached out to touch the azure orb—
The orb exploded, enveloping Xia'er in a dazzling blue light.
...
“Boss, I’ve placed the items here.”
Lucy's voice echoed in Xia'er’s mind, and she followed the main perspective to look ahead.
It seemed to be a massive round conference table—generally, the upper echelons of Ansu were quite averse to round tables that could imply a lack of status differentiation; round tables only occasionally appeared in female-led tea gatherings.
“Thanks~” Keleisi, from the main perspective, spoke up, smiling as she expressed her gratitude to Lucy. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Keleisi waved to Lucy, “Wait a moment, Director Lucy, come here for a second.”
“Is there something you need?” Lucy, not daring to be slow, hurried over to Keleisi’s side, slightly bending down to inquire.
“How’s your relationship with Xia'er? I’ve noticed you running over to her quite often.” Keleisi asked, patting Lucy on the shoulder with a smile.
Keleisi’s question made Lucy break into a cold sweat. She swallowed hard and replied, “Uh... really? It’s just that Miss Xia'er’s amusement park project is about to take off, so I often go over to consult on some details...”
The more Lucy explained, the more it felt like she was drawing attention to herself.
“Hahaha, why are you so nervous? Stand tall, you’re a director now,” Keleisi said, giving Lucy’s shoulder another pat, smiling. “Keep up the good relationship; who knows, you might end up being the bridge between the group and Miss Xia'er. Alright, go on and get back to work.”
“Okay... sure.” Lucy, puzzled by Keleisi’s meaning, left the conference room in a daze.
Once Lucy left and closed the door, Keleisi’s smile faded, and her fingers lightly tapped on the round table in front of her.
She opened the briefing in her hand and looked at its contents.
The briefing contained a lengthy investigation report and a sketch, depicting none other than Tara.
The report described how, before the merger of the sects, this archbishop of the Holy Arrival sect had been serving beside an ordinary girl named Xia'er...
[In addition to Archbishop Tara, there was also a mysterious cardinal who had been secretly protecting the girl named Xia'er.]
[This girl is not simple... If it weren’t for the church merger and the exposure of Archbishop Tara’s information, I wouldn’t have realized that an archbishop of the Holy Arrival sect had been right under my nose.]
[Could she be Sada'na? That transcendent being walking in the realm of reality? No matter how I think about it, that girl is extraordinary.]
[After all, they’re all from the Holy Arrival sect; helping out a bit wouldn’t hurt. Who knows, it might even prompt Sada'na to complete the transaction early and grant me the “uniqueness.”]
Putting away the briefing, Keleisi stood up.
Xia'er could vaguely hear Keleisi’s thoughts, and she focused intently on listening.
[But it’s strange... If she is Sada'na, she herself initiated the church merger, gathering the faith in one place... Why would she still want to make a deal with me to help?]
[Anyway, if the transaction can be completed early, that’s good for me... I might not even have to exert much effort.]
[Though she gave me the ritual, I can’t verify if it’s correct... I don’t even know when the next communication will be... ]
Xia'er sensed Keleisi’s thoughts and words, feeling a bit surprised.
Sada'na also wanted to promote the church merger? Even went so far as to strike a deal with Keleisi for that purpose?
But before Keleisi acted, the simulated version of myself had already merged the Savior Goddess Church and the Holy Arrival sect? Keleisi didn’t notice anything unusual, and even Sada'na thought this was just Keleisi’s doing?
Otherworldly beings can at most locate reality; they cannot directly peer into it... Everything developing so smoothly might be due to such a misunderstanding...
But how did Sada'na discover me?
The faith gathered in one place...
Did Sada'na realize she hadn’t correctly “received” the faith?
Xia'er could faintly sense why Sada'na was so furious.
Because of the church merger, the issue of mutual compromise and adaptation, the Savior and Holy Arrival sects reached a consensus: to maintain faith in the goddess, avoiding the use of specific terms like “Sada'na,” which were exclusive to the Holy Arrival sect, and returning to the prayer habits before the schism.
Another crucial point was that, without the need for hiding and secret control, they returned to orthodoxy... The “Sada'na Mark,” which was used to control the believers in a more sinister manner, had been eliminated...
Was this the reason why faith didn’t flow correctly to Sada'na?
[Let’s try the ritual she gave me again...]
Suddenly, the scene before Xia'er began to collapse and tear apart, as if a world was being violently ripped open, revealing the vast starry sea and countless orbs behind it.
Those orbs burst one by one, their scattered light rushing towards Xia'er like waves, and among the golden, shimmering brilliance, there was an indistinct presence charging directly at her, filling her entire field of vision—
Sada'na seemed to have completely pinpointed Xia'er, trying to stop her from continuing to pry.
...
“Ugh... cough cough...”
Xia'er suddenly opened her eyes. The moment her vision returned, she saw Aivina reaching out her right hand towards her, quickly severing the nerve strands connected to her eyeball.
The nerve strands that had originally penetrated Xia'er’s eye and reached her brain surged out wildly, and at that moment, Xia'er felt as if she were bleeding tears. Her vision went dark until something cool and mint-scented flowed past her eyes, slowly restoring her sight.
“Xia'er! Are you okay?”
Aivina’s anxious voice rang above her, and Xia'er’s vision gradually focused, looking at Aivina in front of her.
“I’m fine...”
Supported by Aivina, Xia'er stood up again and glanced at the table.
Keleisi’s brain had completely burned out, leaving only a half-empty skull without eyeballs, those hollow eyes staring at Xia'er, sending chills down her spine.
Even in a dream, as long as that red crystal was present, could Sada'na break through the crystal to cause destruction...?
However, this soul link had indeed provided Xia'er with a wealth of information and clarified Keleisi’s reasons for secretly helping her.
The deal she struck with Sada'na seemed to be predicated on the church merger... Compared to the original members of the Holy Arrival sect, a fourth-tier individual from outside the sect was indeed a good choice for a contractor.
Sada'na probably had no idea what the Dedun Group was, just as the Dark Worm was unaware of the Savior Goddess Church and the Holy Arrival sect.
Keleisi believed she was merely making a deal with some transcendent being, while Sada'na wanted to use Keleisi to facilitate the church merger. However, their communication was quite difficult due to the barrier of the other realm.
What remained unclear was what Sada'na intended to achieve with the church merger.
‘You can never replace me’...
Xia'er’s mind echoed with Sada'na’s last frenzied murmur.
Could it be that she thought my alteration of the church’s faith direction was to redirect faith towards myself, completely replacing her?
How could that be possible... I was merely masquerading as the Mother Goddess, getting some high-ranking individuals to work for me, and later planning to establish a sub-church to directly control the church’s upper echelons...
Uh...
It seems there is indeed a hint of replacement in that...
Now, Xia'er understood why she had provoked the other party...
But the other party’s frenzied demeanor didn’t seem conducive to normal communication.
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