Chapter 197: Divine Flame

Chapter 197: Divine Flame

After seeing Karl off, McGin gathered his belongings and strode towards the core of the inner city within the Phantom City.

Compared to the chaotic and dilapidated outer city, the inner city's architecture was much more orderly.

At least there were a few solid streets.

The houses on both sides of the street were uniform, with infants and children receiving instruction from pregnant women.

"Knock, knock..."

"Enter!"

McGin pushed open the door and bowed to the elderly man inside:

"Cloud Messenger!"

The Cloud Messenger,

One of the two Divine Messengers of the Phantom City.

The one McGin couldn't afford to have meet people at the moment.

"Hmm."

The hunched figure with white hair, the 'Cloud Messenger', sat cross-legged in front of a bonfire, his eyes filled with a mysterious light:

"Any matters?"

"We have a Divine Messenger who lost his Phantom City, and he wishes to meet you and the Mentor." McGin spoke up:

"I refused."

"A wise decision." The Cloud Messenger nodded:

"An outsider Divine Messenger..."

"The Phantom City is currently unable to accommodate guests, nor can it house a third Divine Messenger. It's best if he finds another place to stay."

"But, Cloud Messenger." McGin said:

"He seems quite interested in our Divine Gift, and I fear he won't leave anytime soon."

"Is that so?" The Cloud Messenger looked up:

"Every Phantom City has its own Divine Gift, from which one can gain insight into the Divine Path taught by the deities. However, a person's energy is limited, so few venture to learn the paths of other cities, unless they are similar..."

"It seems his previous Phantom City was also related to the power of thunder."

Between Phantom Cities, there was no issue with exchanging cultivation paths.

After all, in a world like this, everyone struggled to survive, and having someone become powerful was beneficial to all.

However, each Phantom City had its unique path, and relearning another city's path was too time-consuming.

So, typically, the paths of other Phantom Cities were only used as references.

"It seems so."

McGin nodded:

"Little John mentioned that when this person flew, there was a flash of electricity. Little John was the first to encounter the outsider Divine Messenger."

"The outsider Divine Messenger's name is Karl."

"Karl..." The Cloud Messenger slowly nodded, but instead of discussing further, he gazed into the bonfire before him:

"The Divine Flame is about to extinguish."

His voice carried a sense of foreboding, causing McGin's expression to darken.

"How much longer can it last?"

"Twenty years? No more than thirty."

A tense silence filled the room.

The foundation of the Phantom City was the mineral deposit, and its ability to protect humanity stemmed from the Divine Flame.

Mineral Deposit!

Divine Flame!

Divine Gift!

These three things were the blessings bestowed by the deities upon humanity.

Every Phantom City possessed them.

The Divine Stones within the mineral deposit could ward off abominations, the energy released by the burning Divine Flame could protect all life, and the path contained within the Divine Gift allowed people to cultivate and strengthen their chances of survival.

But if one day, the Divine Flame were to extinguish...

The Phantom City would be completely exposed to the endless abominations, and those within would lose their chance of survival.

Only the Divine Messengers

would have a chance to escape.

However, in this shattered world filled with abominations, even Divine Messengers who left their Phantom City would struggle to survive for long, and would need to find another city to seek refuge.

"It's been several days since we last extracted Divine Marrow from the mineral deposit."

The Cloud Messenger sighed:

"Without Divine Marrow as fuel, the Divine Flame will continue to weaken until it eventually goes out, and the Phantom City will be destroyed."

"Divine Messenger..." McGin's body tensed:

"Are you truly considering taking the Divine Flame to the Wood Nine Phantom City? The Mentor will never agree to that."

"The Wood Nine Phantom City has recently developed a new type of plant that bears fruit in just half a month, enough to sustain a person for an entire year." The Cloud Messenger's voice was heavy:

"Only there can we survive.

"But..." McGin's face showed his inner struggle:

"If we take the Divine Flame, everyone here will die."

"Die?" The Cloud Messenger chuckled:

"You should be accustomed to death by now. It's the fate of all, including you and me."

"If we take the Divine Flame now, we can still live in the Wood Nine Phantom City. If we leave in twenty years..."

"By then, people will still die, and we won't receive the same hospitality from the Wood Nine Phantom City."

McGin was speechless.

Indeed, no matter when they left, as long as they took the Divine Flame, the people of the Phantom City would die. It's just that the deaths would not be limited to the current generation.

"The Mentor will never agree."

"Hmph!"

The Cloud Messenger snorted:

"He still clings to that vague prophecy about the Void. In hundreds of years, has there ever been a true deity's descent?"

McGin shook his head.

Hundreds of years ago, one of the Divine Messengers of this Phantom City made a prophecy, foretelling the arrival of a deity to save humanity.

And the result?

Hundreds of years later, the Divine Flame grew weaker, the Phantom City shrank, and the mineral deposit became increasingly barren.

The deity never appeared.

McKin knew that this prophecy was likely just a psychological comfort given by his predecessors to keep people's spirits up.

Alas.

His mentor, however, believed it without a doubt.

Thunder!

In the void, invisible forces collided, and a flash of lightning appeared, instantly illuminating the entire Mind Sea.

The Thundergod's Wrath spell circuit instantly reacted, as if coming to life, and opened its mouth towards the lightning.

In an instant, it devoured the lightning.

The Thundergod's Wrath spell circuit also underwent some hopeful changes, seemingly growing stronger.

"Huff..."

Karl opened his eyes and exhaled, "Thunder God!"

"Is this truly the power of a deity?"

The moment he touched the stele, the divine gift, he felt the profound insight from the ethereal realm.

An insight related to thunder.

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It was as if someone had forcefully implanted knowledge into his mind, and his understanding of thunder magic instantly skyrocketed.

The parts of the Thunder God's Wings that he couldn't comprehend before had become clear.

And even...

Thousand Buddha Hands—Thunder Lord Seal!

With a hand seal, a translucent Buddha appeared behind him, and as Karl pushed his hands forward, a blinding bolt of lightning shot out, reaching a hundred meters away.

"Boom!"

A hill was instantly flattened, and smoke and dust rose, enveloping the surroundings.

Karl's eyes lit up.

"Hah!"

With a low shout, his disciple's muscles rippled, and a tentacle emerged, writhing and reaching out.

Then,

The tentacle transformed into an arm.

At the same time, the translucent Buddha behind him also changed, and hundreds of arms stretched out, each forming a hand seal.

Thunder Lord Seal!

Heavenly Thunder Seal!

Thunder Seal!

...

"Boom!"

Thick lightning erupted from the hundreds of hand seals, blasting towards the ruins ahead, and the ground was instantly torn apart.

It was like a minor earthquake.

"Huff..."

Karl's forehead was covered in sweat, but his face was filled with joy.

"Hundred Hands Realm!"

"Although it's just a Thunder Hand Seal, and I borrowed the power of the Great Abyssal Squid's bloodline, it's indeed the Hundred Hands Realm!"

This strike.

Already possessed the power of a Second Rank!

"With this breakthrough, as long as I become more skilled and familiar, the Thousand Buddha Hands can officially advance to the Hundred Hands Realm, not limited to just Thunder Hand Seals."

"According to my guess, when the Thousand Buddha Hands reach the Hundred Hands Realm, my chances of advancing to a Holy Knight will also greatly increase."

Half a month later.

Karl reappeared near the Phantom City.

The magic carpet hovered quietly, and Little John, with his slender figure, stood on it, whispering something.

"Bowen Messenger returned once, but it seems he had an argument with Cloud Messenger, and both of them disappeared."

"As for the Divine Marrow you asked for, I inquired, but no one is selling it right now. There was some in the past, but it seems the mineral excavation hasn't been going well..."

"Lulu has started learning the cultivation technique, and I even got a Meatworm from her."

He hee-hee'd foolishly, completely forgetting that the Nest of Meat Bugs was originally his.

"John."

Karl stroked his chin, deep in thought:

"Do you have some special expectation for the Divine Messengers?"

"Of course!" John replied, as if it were the most natural thing in the world:

"In the ancient records from long ago, people lived in a world without danger, a world of peace and harmony. The rivers flowed with nectar, the trees bore fruit that never ran out, and you could eat whatever you wanted. Even the places they slept in were luxurious houses."

"In the legends, that place was called the God Realm, and the Divine Messengers would take obedient children to live in the God Realm."

Ugh...

Child!

The place you're in right now is the God Realm."

Karl shook his head lightly, pointing to the Phantom City below, or rather, the mineral vein surrounding it.

"Look at that vein, what does it look like to you?"

"A pie?"

"... Karl sighed:

"Doesn't it look like a part of a corpse?"

John shook his head:

"I don't see it."

"Forget it." Karl chuckled, seeing no need to argue with a child, and asked directly:

"Is McGin still unwilling to let me enter the Inner City?"

"Yes."

"What about contacting other Divine Gifts?"

"The Divine Gifts are in the Inner City."

John pursed his lips:

"But Uncle McGin can introduce you to a distant Phantom City, saying you can go there to stay, as this city can't support three Divine Messengers."

"... Karl narrowed his eyes:

"Strange."

"Forget it, have you seen Bowen Messenger, or can you find something he's touched, preferably his clothing?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end