Chapter 1421

Xilian led Star through the gate, arriving at the open space inside Aohema City, where only the figures of Laigushi, Aglaea, and Xiadie appeared.

""'Eternal Holy City'... how can its eternity reach what is described in the Psalms?"

Laigushi lowered his head, looking down at the injured Aglaea fallen on the ground, and threw out a question that seemed utterly unrelated to her.

""The Cloud Stone Heavenly Palace has fallen into ruin; many mortals have died in vain because of your stubborn resistance." Laigushi looked at the girl resolutely standing before Aglaea, seemingly finding this scene very interesting, "It's time to see the cost of refusal. Now, answer my question again."

""Where is KefaLe's fire seed?"

【"Do you think razing the Holy City will let you find it? I see… you'll only end up covered in dust for nothing." Aglaea endured the pain, forcing a smile at the corner of her mouth, "Don't forget, by the Law… you cannot kill the golden heir of the prophecy."】

Laigushi shook their head: "I never denied that. So I can only hope that the devout citizens of Aohema will, amid your wails, offer me an answer."

【"Next, I will cut open your chests and baptize people with scalding gold blood; please allow me to apologize first—starting with you, the blind Goldweave lady."】

Xiedie glanced back at Aglaea: "Leave this to me, Lady Aglaea, go quickly…"

【"……"】

Aglaea calmly shook her head, pressed her hand to the wound in her lower abdomen, and spoke slowly: "No, Saint. The one who should stay is me."

【"What……"】

【"His plot will not succeed, for 'Romance' will fulfill its promise, weaving an indestructible battle robe for Wenhuoluos… its name is 'Unity'. You must withdraw intact, bring my death tidings to the still-fighting warriors, and continue onward with them."】

【"Just as Caesar ignited the torch of resistance with his death, my departure will keep this flame unextinguished." Aglaea's voice was soft, like a sigh, "Guard it well, carry it toward the future… entrust it to our Savior."】

——

Spirit Cage

【"Laigushi——!!"】

"You bastard, what kind of envoy are you, sob… don't kill Aglaea!"

【"The last bath in warm, blazing gold…… could this lifetime be my own blood? I don't want that——!!"】

Xia Dou almost let out a sharp explosive sound, slamming a fist hard into the sofa, denting the soft cushion with a depression that took a while to rebound.

"Boss Bai, it's too hateful!"

【"Hmm, it seems even without the Black Tide, Laigushi still has other means to deal with the golden heirs." Bai Yuewei, having just finished exercising, rubbed his head with a towel, "The Ultimate Pact prevents it from killing the prophesied golden heirs, but it can have others do the killing. Moreover, being unable to act against the prophesied golden heirs also means that ordinary people of Wenhuoluos and common golden heirs will be easily eliminated by Laigushi."】

"Huh? It can still be like that?!"

"To Laigushi, everyone in Wenhuoluos is merely data under its control—life doesn't even apply, let alone cruelty. Rather than say 'kill,' it's more like 'erasing' a piece of data that bothers it."

Bai Yuewei draped the towel over his shoulder, "Compared to Aglaea, I'm more concerned about Caesar's death…… she was actually assassinated?"

"Caesar sacrificed five hundred golden heirs in one breath! It must have stirred up Aohema's populace—five hundred people! Although it was to complete the Law's ritual, that's excessively many……"

"What about Haseyin? Could she also have become disloyal to Caesar over this?" Bai Yuewei frowned slightly, a hint of confusion in his eyes, "Given her skill, personally guarding Caesar, who else could lay a hand on him?"

——

【"Fifty years later, Laigushi again led troops to attack Aohema. He stormed the Holy City alone, destroying the Yunshi Heavenly Palace, which the world calls the 'Third Siege of Aohema'."】

【"In this battle, ninety thousand able-bodied youths died heroically for Aohema, including their fearless leader—Aglaea."】

"In Xilian's account, these youths included not only mountain folk but also Vanguard people, and even the Purifiers chose to stand with the Fire Pursuit team, jointly resisting Laigushi's threat."

Xing arrived outside Aohema's city gate, where countless people were seeing off Xiedie.

【"Go forward. When the ice melts and snow thaws, flowers will bloom, and you will find me."】

Xilian brought Xing to the high platform, where Ti Bao, Ti Ning were having the final discussion with Sai Feier.

【"According to your meaning, the Snail Dwelling Princess… will never return, right?" Sai Feier gritted her teeth, each word seeming to be squeezed out of her throat, "She… just left like that?"】

【"Little Die has made up her mind; *we* cannot betray her awakening." Ti Bao said.】

【"But what's the difference between waiting to die in Aohema and going to Stikokisia to die?" Sai Feier insisted, "I oppose relocation. Aohema has the protection of the Dawn Machinery; it's no safer than that dead city."】

Ti Bao shook her head: "There's no such thing as 'relocation' in Little Die's plan."

【"…Huh?"】

【"Just as you said, Aohema is humanity's sanctuary; *we* never intended to move everyone to Stikokisia…… to prepare the final trump card for the Savior, Little Die, me, and Haseyin three of us are enough."】

【"Ah?" Sai Feier's voice already held a faint sob, "What trump card is so divine that you three demigods must sacrifice yourselves?"】

【"We must pave the road for the future, ensuring that when the Savior returns, they can safely reach the site of the Recreation of the World. Stikokisia is a city-state where death and the sea converge. There, by combining the powers of 'Ocean' and 'Gateways,' *we* can create a current leading to the heart of the Creation Vortex……"】

【"And the Demigod of Death will forever guard this secret passage until Xing returns."】

——

Death God

【"This Fire Pursuit Journey, though lacking the Black Tide, is still terribly tragic."】

What surprised Jing Le Chunshui was that even the Purifiers from the previous cycle had joined the Fire Pursuit this time, showing that the best way to unite everyone is to establish a common enemy.