I Am Overlord c1-962
Page 307
The angel started conducting an odd ceremony, and all the other angels started doing the same. Energies leaked out of their bodies and drifted toward the Tower of Light. Next, a four-winged angel flew out of the tower. He flew over and tied Xiang Shaoyun up with a radiant rope.
"As commanded by the high priest, take this devil to the Holy Land of Light for purification," said the four-winged angel before dragging Xiang Shaoyun into the Tower of Light.
Chapter 751: High Priest Angel
The Tower of Light looked like a shiny glass tower. In truth, it was more than it looked. Within the tower was a restricted space. After being brought inside the tower, Xiang Shaoyun found that there was actually a floating castle within the tower.
The castle was ancient and saintly. The walls were decorated with peculiar and ancient runes, and standing loftily before the tower were 13 statues. Of them, 12 were twelve-winged angels, while one was a tall and broad-shouldered human.
The human statue had a sword in hand, its head and chest raised high, exuding a heroic aura that looked disdainfully upon the world. Even though Xiang Shaoyun was restrained, he could still see his surroundings clearly. When he saw the human statue, he wondered inwardly, Is this the Envoy of Light?
The Envoy of Light was a great human that had established a good relationship with the angels. He also possessed the strength to place him on the apex of the dominion. Although it had been tens of thousands of years since his time, his exploits were still kept in the Dragon Phoenix Academy's records.
The ancient times were the dark times when the many races engaged in endless wars. During that time, the devils were incomparably prosperous, and had conquered numerous territories. The territory of the angels was also one of their targets to conquer.
Compared with the various races, the angels had rather poor reproduction rates. Because of that, they were disadvantaged in terms of number. As the massive amount of devils attacked them, they faced extinction.
Subsequently, the Envoy of Light rose and led the humans as they fought against the devils. After killing one devil expert after another, they were able to relieve the angels of their crisis, saving them from extinction.
Because of that, the Envoy of Light had an incredibly high status among the angels. Arriving inside the Tower of Light, Xiang Shaoyun finally realized that those stories were true history.
The four-winged angel brought Xiang Shaoyun into the massive castle.
Naturally, Xiang Shaoyun took the chance to study his surroundings. He discovered that the castle's interior was decorated with numerous radiant pearls that filled the castle with light. Right ahead of him was a wing-shaped rune, most likely a totem of the angels.
After pushing Xiang Shaoyun onto the floor, the four-winged angel knelt down on one knee and said, "High priest, the citizens have captured a human with devil blood coursing within him. The citizens requested that the gods purify him. We seek the high priest's judgment."
After saying that, a silhouette that wasn't too tall appeared ahead of them. His person was shrouded in light that hid his appearances. He was none other than the high priest of the angels.
The high priest spoke in an ethereal voice, "The gods will naturally listen to the petition of the citizens. Bring him outside the Tower of Light and purify him."
"Yes, high priest," the four-winged angel answered.
As the four-winged angel was about to bring Xiang Shaoyun away, he shouted, "High priest, I disagree with this judgment!"
"There is no place for you to speak here!" berated the four-winged angel.
"What do you disagree about?" asked the high priest.
"I am a Dragon Phoenix Academy disciple. Even if I have the power of darkness in me, that does not give you the right to punish me. According to the agreement, you can at most kick me out of the City of Light. Please uphold fairness!" argued Xiang Shaoyun.
He was right. The Dragon Phoenix Academy and the angels had such an agreement. Unless a disciple had actually harmed an angel, they had no right to punish the disciple.
"You have more than the power of darkness. Otherwise, how would a devil projection appear around you?" said the four-winged angel.
"I once went to the Devil Domain to hunt devils. My body was stained with the blood of the devils during that time. It's not weird for a devil projection to appear around me!" Xiang Shaoyun retorted.
He definitely didn't want to be purified, as it would probably be fatal. He had to convince the high priest to let him leave.
"You claim to not possess the blood of the devils? Sure, take the test one more time. Us angels will never accuse anyone wrongly," said the high priest.
It was unknown what he did, but the radiant pearls in the castle started shining with rays of light that landed on Xiang Shaoyun. Once again, the projection of a devil flickered into existence behind him. On top of that, there were even projections of ghostrunes around the devil.
When the high priest saw that, he was furious, "A direct descendant of the four paramount devil clans!"
Xiang Shaoyun paled. He knew the high priest had already ascertained his bloodline. He thought anxiously, It's over! It's over for real!
The angels and the devils were enemies. Their hatred toward the paramount devil clans was even greater. After all, the paramount clans had killed the most angels.
That was the reason for the high priest's anger after ascertaining Xiang Shaoyun's bloodline. The four-winged angel's handsome face warped with anger, and he leaked clear killing intent.
"I am human!" Xiang Shaoyun argued helplessly.
However, there was no denying the devil blood within his veins.
"Take him away. Put him at the spire to be purified by the three gods. Leave him there until every drop of devil blood within him is purified," commanded the high priest.
"Yes, high priest," the four-winged angel dragged Xiang Shaoyun out.
Xiang Shaoyun sank into panic. No matter how he tried, he couldn't break free from the rope around him.
"Bastard! Release me!" Xiang Shaoyun roared and activated Yun Flame, trying to burn the rope apart.
"Shut up!" berated the four-winged angel as he struck Xiang Shaoyun's nape, knocking him out.
The angel was far stronger than Xiang Shaoyun. Thus, striking him unconscious was as easy as lifting a finger. And just like that, Xiang Shaoyun was brought to the Tower of Light's spire and was confined there.
"Evil devil, accept the purification of the three gods. May the gods bless us from the devils' harm!" said the four-winged angel as he made an odd gesture toward the suns in the sky.
The angels in the city also started chanting, "Evil devil, accept the purification of the three gods. May the gods bless us from the devils' harm!"
Xiang Shaoyun was quickly tied up atop the spire. Before the eyes of all the angels, he was subjected to the purification punishment of the angels.
Chapter 752: Purification Punishment
The purification punishment was a way for the angels to punish criminals. There were different levels to the same punishment. A lighter version of this punishment would be to purify the criminal with the regular power of light. The heavier version was to tie someone to the top of the tower and purify them over a long period of time, just like what Xiang Shaoyun was currently being subjected to. The former rarely caused death, while the latter was fatal.
The so-called gods were the three suns in the sky. Their sunshine contained the power of purification, and so did the tower. When the two sources of power were combined, all evils could be purified.
A devil's devilish energy and evil blood would wither away under such punishment, with death being the only result. It was obvious the high priest intended to purify Xiang Shaoyun to death.
When Xiang Shaoyun jolted awake, he found himself held in place by rays of light. No matter how he struggled, he couldn't break free. He could see the many angels around the tower pointing and talking about him, their eyes brimming with hostility.
"Damn it! Release me!" Xiang Shaoyun howled.
He erupted in strength, trying to shake off his bindings. But the more he struggled, the stronger the bindings grew. He had no way of freeing himself. At the same time, the tower also rippled with a radiance that sent waves of light energy into his body.
"Ahhhh!"
The light energy carried with it the power of purification. Xiang Shaoyun's bloodline and devilish energy were weakened as an intense pain assaulted him, causing him to wail in pain.
The white sunlight also shone upon him, intensifying the power of light around him. Instantly, the light energy invaded his entire body. His consciousness blurred from all the pain. The devil blood within his veins was forced to withdraw, and the speed of his blood circulation dropped.
If this continued, his blood circulation would eventually stop completely, resulting in his death as his body stopped functioning. However, when the light energy was about to penetrate his bones, his innate lightning power erupted, blocking the invasion of light.
The lightning power was the most destructive of powers, and even the invading light energy was scattered, failing to purify his bones. The counterattack allowed Xiang Shaoyun to regain a momentary clarity of mind. Only then did he realize how close to death he was.
He calmed his mind and stopped struggling. Instead, he activated his cultivation method and circulated the light energy into his light star. The invading power was the power of light, while the trait of purification originated from the profundity of light.
First, he had to absorb the power, and then he needed to comprehend the profundity of light. Only then would he stand a chance of freeing himself.
As Xiang Shaoyun started circulating the light energy into his light star, the purification of his body dropped in speed, giving the lightning energy the chance to counterattack. With the absorption of the invading light energy, his blood circulation also recovered.
However, the light energy coming from the three suns and the one tower was too powerful. It invaded his body unendingly, and it did not seem likely that he would be able to absorb everything they were throwing his way.
Left with no choice, he started using the other energies in his body to withstand the light energy while increasing his comprehension speed.
Calm down, calm down. I will definitely last long enough to comprehend the profundity of light, Xiang Shaoyun told himself.
Apart from absorbing the light energy, he was also chanting the Desolation mantra, trying his very best to comprehend the profundity of light.
While Xiang Shaoyun tried painstakingly to survive, the overseer stationed in the City of Light found out what was happening. Arriving before the tower, he overheard the conversations of the angels. Realizing how bad Xiang Shaoyun's situation was, he decided to negotiate for a release.
However, he also knew how much the angels hated the devils. He did not dare to remain there any longer. He eventually decided to return and report to the academy's higher-ups.
Previously, Xiao Wei was the elder in charge of guarding Xiang Shaoyun in secret. However, he did not enter the City of Light with Xiang Shaoyun. He knew how kind the angels in the City of Light were, and he did not think that there would be any danger in the city.
That was why he had remained in the academy to cultivate in peace. Little did he expect that in his absence, Xiang Shaoyun would be subjected to the angels' purification punishment. When he heard that, his heart nearly popped out of his mouth from the shock.
"That kid has devil blood within him? W-What should I do about this?" he panicked.
The moment he was informed, he rushed toward the meeting hall. But before he could reach it, someone came and notified him to negotiate with the angels about Xiang Shaoyun. He was also prohibited from using violence. His face turned ghastly. If violence was prohibited, how was he supposed to save Xiang Shaoyun?
How many secrets does that kid have? Xiao Wei cursed inwardly as he rushed toward the City of Light.
When he arrived, he brought the overseer and headed toward the tower. Sure enough, Xiang Shaoyun could be seen on top of the tower. He was completely shrouded in the power of light, his vitality extremely weak.
"Xiang Shaoyun!" Xiao Wei shouted as he nearly charged right to the top of the tower.
Xiang Shaoyun was someone he thought highly of. Moreover, Xiang Shaoyun was a youth the gravekeeper elder had taken a liking to. Just that alone made it worth risking his life to rescue Xiang Shaoyun.
But the overseer stopped him and said, "Elder Xiao, please be calm. Otherwise, something bad will really happen."
"The angels are going overboard! Our disciples should be handled by us! How can they exact punishment independently?" Xiao Wei snapped.
Fortunately, he was speaking through voice transmission. If the angels heard him, more trouble would come.
"I'll call for their envoy first," said the overseer. Facing the Tower of Light, he said, "Great envoy of angels, a Dragon Phoenix Academy elder is requesting a meeting."
The four-winged angel appeared and shouted, "Humans, I know what you're here for, but that devil can't be spared. The high priest has commanded that he has to be purified for 49 days. If he can survive that long, we will allow you to take him away."
He then turned and entered the tower again, not even giving Xiao Wei and the overseer a chance to talk.
Chapter 753: There Is Hope
It took all of Xiao Wei's patience to not flare up immediately after hearing what the four-winged angel said. He had always known the angels as a friendly and kind race, but the rudeness of this four-winged angel completely changed his impression. Now, he found the angels annoying.
Unfortunately, he did not dare to fall out with the angels as the academy had commanded him to solve the problem without violence.
"A purification of 49 days? Th-This kid is dead!" said the overseer.
"We need to report this to the academy, and the grand elders will decide. We can't allow this kid to die," said Xiao Wei as he prepared to return to the academy.
"Elder Xiao, I don't think we should alarm the grand elders about this, or our relationship with the angels will be thoroughly severed. You know very well how much the angels hate the devils," advised the overseer.
This overseer was stationed here all year long, and he knew the angels well. They were as stubborn as mules and would not easily change their mind. That was even more so since it was without a doubt that Xiang Shaoyun had devil blood within him. The angels would never spare him.
Even if the academy's higher-ups were here, the angels would not back off. Besides, the angels had no lack of experts either. The academy might not necessarily emerge victorious in the event of a conflict between the two. Xiao Wei knew this as well, but this was too important. He had to report it.
"Xiang Shaoyun, stay alive no matter what! I will come back to save you!" said Xiao Wei through voice transmission before leaving hastily.
Xiang Shaoyun heard the message, but he couldn't muster a reply in his current state. His entire body was filled with the power of light. He couldn't talk, couldn't move, and couldn't even transmit a message to update Xiao Wei on his current status.
Initially, he could still refine the light energy invading his body. But the quantity of light energy around him was too great, and not even his cultivation method could instantly refine all of it. Thus, the purification effect was able to deal enough damage to make him lose control over his own body.
He used his innate lightning power, vicious gold power, Yun Flame, and other powers to resist the purification. However, all the powers in him were no match for the three suns and the tower. In fact, they were suffering defeat after defeat. If this continued, he wouldn't last more than three days.
Xiang Shaoyun naturally didn't want to die just like that. But he couldn't think of a way to block the power of light all around him. In his current situation, he couldn't even focus on comprehending the profundity of light.
He needed to stay calm during
the comprehension process, but he was unable to do so with death so near. A large amount of light energy had also invaded his head, forcing the Nether Soul Domain to draw inward again and again.
It was only a matter of time before the Nether Soul Domain was fully purified. As for the few surviving ghostrunes, they would also be forced out of the domain. If they left here, the angels would most certainly hunt them down.
On the other hand, Xiang Shaoyun's filthless soul was completely unaffected by the purification power. Like the power of light, his soul was completely pure. Thus, it would not be purified.
That was why Xiang Shaoyun was still able to maintain his clarity of mind.
If this continues, I'm dead for sure. Is there no other way to save myself? Xiang Shaoyun asked himself repeatedly.
His greatest trump card right now was the chakram, but he was completely bound and couldn't even use it. In other words, there was no way he could utilize this trump card right now. While he was feeling completely helpless, the light energy finally penetrated his astral cosmos sea.
Something odd happened.
After entering the astral cosmos sea, instead of causing any harm, the light energy was fully assimilated by the nine-colored fog. Noticing that, Xiang Shaoyun was overjoyed, The nine-colored fog can fuse with the light energy? I'm saved!
He drew a large amount of the light energy into his astral cosmos sea without wasting any time. Sure enough, after entering his astral cosmos sea, the light energy became a part of the nine-colored fog. Due to the sheer amount of light energy, the fusion wasn't instantaneous.
However, the light energy couldn't do anything to the astral cosmos sea either. Instead, all the excess light energy was directed to a certain corner and left to accumulate.
Xiang Shaoyun's joy intensified at that discovery, The astral cosmos sea indeed has a secret. Power of purification, come in!
He opened the entrance to his astral cosmos sea wide, directing the light energy inside. At the discovery of an entrance, the light energy poured in, allowing him to relax his entire body. Even so, his crisis still remained unsolved.