Chapter 659: Is Xu Jingming an Obstacle? Hold Him Down!

Crackling—

Muffled thunder rumbled as Xu Jingming, wreathed in golden lightning, moved like a phantom through the crowd.

The blood-god envoys, their faces twisted in fury, crumbled before him like fragile dolls.

Whether struck by lightning or pierced by spears, they died instantly.

Of course,

he didn't just kill blood-god envoys.

If he encountered ordinary members of the Celestial Mandate Cult, he killed them too.

"Save me! I don't want to die!"

"Holy Maiden! Why won't you help us?"

"Grand Hierophant, I don't want to die! Save me!"

"..."

On the blood-slicked square, countless cries of despair rose up.

Some of the Holy Church's faithful noticed the Grand Hierophant on the podium.

Under the threat of death, they begged him for help.

But the Grand Hierophant, who once spoke of redemption with kindness and harmony,

stood motionless on the podium, watching them die with cold indifference.

"These are all Holy Church believers—how can the Grand Hierophant do nothing?"

Xu Jingming, casually slaying another blood-god envoy, couldn't help but mutter in disbelief.

America's Holy Church always portrayed itself as the savior destined to purge all ferocious beasts from Blue Star.

Yet when real action was needed, they showed terrifying coldness.

"Kathleen still has a shred of goodness—I wonder if she'll keep it." Eva whispered in her mind.

"I think it'll be hard." Xu Jingming shook his head.

Kathleen's childish idealism and kindness stemmed from her long isolation in the Arctic North, with little human contact.

And from years of immersion in American-style values.

But as her experience grew, she'd eventually see that the Light God was nothing but a fabrication.

The Holy Church's founding purpose was merely to consolidate power and make adepts gather resources for the elite.

When she discovered the truth, Kathleen—as a beneficiary of the system—would likely join them.

Of course,

in a world teeming with terrifying ferocious beasts,

selfishness isn't particularly shameful.

The one thing the Holy Church shouldn't have done

was disguise their actions as salvation for the common people while caring only for their own interests.

That's what they call "wanting it both ways."

Other guilds and legions simply exchanged services: you fight for me, I give you resources.

Unlike the Holy Church, which tricks people into serving them under the name of the Light God.

When ordinary people were in danger, this eighth-rank Grand Master merely watched coldly.

"Is that so? I don't think so."

Eva, keenly sensing the fury in Kathleen's eyes, chuckled.

"Oh? Let's make a bet.

I bet Kathleen will keep enjoying her position in the Holy Church after she discovers the truth.

I bet she will."

Xu Jingming smiled in reply.

He felt the day Kathleen uncovered the truth was drawing near.

After all, she already sensed something off about America's propaganda against Da Xia.

Once she realized the Holy Church wasn't what she imagined, it wouldn't take long.

She might even now harbor strong resentment toward this cold Grand Hierophant.

"Fine."

Eva nodded without hesitation:

"If you lose, you must take me to the places I want to visit.

If I lose, I'll get you an SSS-grade heavenly treasure."

Her database listed several locations capable of producing SSS-grade heavenly treasures.

With enough travel, she'd find at least one.

"No problem." Xu Jingming, wreathed in golden lightning, smiled.

Eva, this artificial intelligence, perhaps because she'd been locked in Mo Daguan too long,

kept dreaming of traveling the world, seeing its cultures and landscapes.

As Xu Jingming predicted, Kathleen was already seething with resentment toward Grand Hierophant Parker.

Especially after seeing Xu Jingming slaughter enemies in the crowd while she stood idle, her chest tightened with frustration.

"Am I, the Holy Church's Holy Maiden, really less capable than Xu Jingming—a mere outsider—in protecting believers?"

Kathleen bit her crimson lips, her beautiful eyes blazing with fierce unwillingness.

After this was over, she'd strip Parker of his position.

For such a man to hold the title of Grand Hierophant was a disgrace to the Holy Church!

Unlike Kathleen, Tian Jian, who had remained motionless in the crowd, wore an expression of grim certainty.

"Of course—the Church people are still as cowardly as ever."

Tian Jian shook his head.

Clearly, he had thoroughly investigated the Holy Church beforehand.

"But you—surprised me."

Tian Jian regarded Xu Jingming with keen interest as he cut through the crowd.

Da Xia people never worshipped gods.

Of the nearly twenty thousand faithful attending the Holy Church's ceremony, fewer than ten were from Da Xia.

He expected Xu Jingming to flee the moment Celestial Mandate Cult members appeared.

Instead, he'd eagerly begun slaughtering them.

"Come to think of it, this guy always loved killing our people back in Da Xia."

As if Xu Jingming weren't killing Celestial Mandate Cultists, Tian Jian showed intense interest—and murderous intent—toward him!

"Lord, the Mo Ben elites are almost here.

But we're still short a thousand souls for the blood sacrifice—what do we do?"

A frantic voice echoed through their psychic link.

"What happened?"

Tian Jian frowned.

A blood sacrifice required at least four thousand lives.

Before acting, they'd planned meticulously:

they'd evacuate before Mo Ben's elites arrived.

Yet with less than twenty seconds left before Mo Ben's arrival, they should've already gathered enough blood.

"It's Xu Jingming—he's killing too fast." Someone replied helplessly.

Before the operation, they never imagined Xu Jingming would intervene.

"So it's because of him."

Tian Jian relaxed, immediately ordering: "Rei Kesi, stop Xu Jingming. Make him cease his attacks."

Rei Kesi was a seventh-rank peak Archbishop—and a blood-god envoy!

In his liberated state, he could even challenge an eighth-rank Grand Master.

He was perfect for restraining Xu Jingming and completing the final blood count.

"And if you kill Xu Jingming,

upon returning to the Cult, I'll immediately arrange a high-rank purification ritual for you."

Tian Jian's pale, handsome face curled into a bloodthirsty smile.

Though he didn't believe Rei Kesi could kill Xu Jingming—after all, Xu Jingming bore a high-grade protective talisman capable of deflecting mortal danger—

even wounding him would be excellent.

"High-rank purification ritual?!"

In the crowd, a man battling the Holy Church's guard captain suddenly brightened.

If he underwent another purification ritual, he might break through from seventh-rank peak to eighth-rank!

"Xu Jingming!!"

Rei Kesi roared inwardly, immediately commanding via psychic link:

"Kohl, go restrain Xu Jingming—draw him toward me. I'll strike when the moment comes."

He naturally knew that Xu Jingming possessed a high-grade protective talisman, but such talismans were not without ways to bypass them.

The protective talisman detects life-or-death crises, but when multiple attackers strike at once, there is a chance it may fail to register the threat.

All it takes is for another seventh-rank master to engage Xu Jingming in combat, while he waits for an opening to strike—there would then be a certain probability of a successful ambush.

"Although the chance the talisman fails to detect it is small, what if it does?"

"What if I succeed? Xu Jingming, your life will be mine!"

Lei Kesi's eyes burned with savage, bloodthirsty fury.