Chapter 303: Meeting Beneath the Sea Wave Cathedral

At dawn, in the basement of the Baiyam Sea Wave Cathedral.

Aen Kauteman, now fully redressed, stood authoritatively before the conference table, his loose Storm Cleric robe stretched by his bulging muscles, and the low pressure about him made it seem as if he could strike in a fit of rage at any moment.

At other positions around the table sat the gray‑haired Bishop Qiaogeli of the Baiyam Diocese, the Punisher Deacon Keluodova Luoye of the Luosi De Archipelago, the captains of the various Punisher squads, and other church deacons.

The first to speak was Punisher Deacon Keluodova Luoye; after scanning the room and observing everyone's reactions, he said:

"Your Excellency the Archbishop! Everyone, I am in charge of investigating the personnel and casualties in the Luen settlement area."

"The destroyed upscale villa district had few residents and little movement, so our investigation faced no real obstacles."

"The villa at the center of the destroyed area was a base of the Blood Pirate Crew in Baiyam, and it contained a participating extraordinary attribute, which we have recovered."

Keluodova paused, his complexion not good; this was a dereliction on their part, allowing pirates to establish a base in the most heavily monitored location.

He glanced anxiously toward the Sea King at the head of the table; seeing no displeasure, he breathed a sigh of relief and continued:

"The surrounding villas were normal; when the battle broke out, everyone inside had left for various reasons, thus avoiding danger."

"Hmm, this was probably some pre‑emptive preparation by the demigod of the Knowledge Church, though we don't know how, and it hasn't drawn the attention of the other demigod of the Rose School."

After Keluodova sat down, another Punisher squad captain rose to begin a new report:

"Your Excellency the Archbishop! Everyone, I investigated the battle that occurred yesterday evening near the dock warehouse district."

"According to our tracking and investigation, that spot was a base of the Golden Dream vessel, but it appears to have been discovered by the Blood Pirate Crew."

"Someone nearby saw the fourth sailor commander, 'Flame' Daniz, of the Iceberg, move toward that area; not long after he arrived, an explosion sounded and a house was ignited."

"Afterwards there seemed to be a chase, but strangely the trail cut off here; both mystical divination and tracking, as well as real‑world investigation, yielded no further information."

In less than half an hour, everyone recounted the information they had gathered; under the Sea King's low pressure, all were somewhat trembling.

After a moment of silence, Bishop Qiaogeli, who was in charge of the Sea Wave Cathedral, cleared his throat twice and said:

"Ahem! Apart from a few houses in the Baiyam city district destroyed by the 'Gun of No Darkness' fired by the Knowledge Church demigod, and streets ruined by a tornado, there was no major damage."

He then glanced at Sea King Aen Kauteman; the destroyed houses were empty, and the tornado that shifted the battlefield caused the greatest loss to Baiyam.

Seeing the Sea King offer no comment, he paused, then continued:

"After the battlefield was moved, I sensed another presence in the destroyed villa; he was well hidden, and I could only infer from wind‑borne messages that he headed to the sea battlefield."

Sea King Aen Kauteman gave a slight nod and said:

"It must be the Knowledge Church demigod; the earlier apparition was merely a paper‑made duplicate."

"A paper-made clone? How could it unleash such great power? Moreover, at the beginning of the battle, it hadn't even been noticed by the divination-skilled demigod of the Rose School?"

Punisher Deacon Keluodova Luoye of the Luosi De Archipelago raised his own question.

The Punisher Deacon opposite him, a reader of the Pathway, murmured:

"The fifth sequence of this pathway is called the Arcane Mentor; they wield wondrous, diverse, uniquely rare arcane arts, even capable of inventing their own strange yet effective spells."

"As a demigod, it is not surprising that he possesses enough knowledge to devise a technique that can create powerful duplicates."

The Sea King gave the Punisher Deacon a glance, then shifted the topic back to last night's issue:

"The demigod of the Rose School, our response, and even the later move of the Divine Scourge, were all accounted for in the Knowledge Church demigod's calculations."

He half‑closed his eyes, recalling the details of last night's battle, especially the performance of the Knowledge Church demigod who constantly shrouded himself in light.

After a brief pause, he continued:

"From the outset, his plan was to use the Storm Church's pressure to drive away the Rose School demigod."

【35】 "He seemed not to intend to kill the Rose School demigod, nor to strike with full force."

"A paper duplicate? Then how could it unleash such power? Moreover, during the initial battle it wasn't detected as a problem by the Rose School demigod skilled in divination?"

"Perhaps he has other hidden motives."

Bishop Qiaogeli, his voice full of anger, took over the Sea King's words.

"This is a provocation from the Knowledge Church!"

Keluodova furrowed his brows and said in an unfriendly tone.

As his words fell, the atmosphere in the conference room instantly grew heavy and angry.

Aen Kauteman's deep‑blue eyes swept over everyone present, then he gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head and said:

"This may be a continuation of the Blood‑Flesh Tree incident from a few days ago."

"Merging these two incidents, I will personally take charge; we must uncover the truth hidden behind them. The ocean forever belongs to the storm!"

"Yes, Your Excellency the Bishop!"

"The ocean forever belongs to the storm!"

Keluodova, the other Punisher deacons, and the squad captains all responded in unison.

After all the Punisher deacons and squad captains left, Aen Kauteman's expression grew solemn as he looked at the now‑gray‑haired Bishop Qiaogeli, a hint of gloom in his deep‑blue eyes.

The vigorous old Bishop Qiaogeli now wore a trace of fatigue, and, slightly puzzled, looked toward Sea King Aen Kauteman, awaiting his words.

After a moment of silence, Aen Kauteman spoke in a voice that revealed no discernible emotion:

"Last night's battle saw, besides the Divine Scourge Si'e A, an angel intervene—an angel wielding storm‑domain abilities!"

Bishop Qiaogeli furrowed his brows, his voice heavy with doubt and anger, and said:

"The Knowledge Church demigod, attempting to claim authority over the storm?"

Aen Kauteman shook his head slightly:

"It may not be the Knowledge Church demigod, but it is certainly connected to the Knowledge Church!"

"You've been keeping a close watch on those coming to and from Baiyam lately; I have a feeling this matter is not yet over."

Baiyam, inside a luxurious seaside hotel.

Rekton reclined in an armchair by the window, quietly observing the sun rising over the sea.

The Book of Catastrophe—its queen surely retains the appropriate means; its attributes aren't easily obtained, so I could just give the book to Sasilier. I have no particular need for the catastrophe's traits; to me it's merely an optional collectible.

I still need a third‑tier attribute or seal, to trade for Mr. Huang's Church Insightful one's attribute. A saint is not easy to kill; perhaps I should head to the Southern Continent soon.

Lost in thought, his inspiration was suddenly sparked; as he looked up, he saw a writhing, twisted mass resembling aquatic plants with limbs spilling out from the ceiling.

This time the messenger lady did not display the elegant image of a lady carrying a long skirt that she had before; she tossed down a letter and hurried away.

An invisible gust of wind blew the letter that had fallen from the sky into Rekton's hand; a flash of purple light flickered in his eyes as he stared fixedly at the place where the messenger had departed.

After a moment, he withdrew his gaze, lowered his head to examine the letter in his hand, and sighed.

"This messenger's condition is not good; does Mr. Prax have to change messengers again? Being his messenger is also a high-ranking occupation!"

He casually unfolded the letter and began reading it carefully.

Good morning, Mr. Tains!

I'm sorry it took so long to reply; I think you may have guessed, but things are not going well for me in the South Continent.

Within the Spirit Sect, few people approve of my ideas; before, everyone could still keep things in check, but as I expressed my desire to leave the Spirit Sect, various problems have come one after another.

Outside the Spirit Sect, I have also been suppressed because my actions have touched the interests of multiple parties.

I think I need some cooperation; I need reliable allies.

I also need to stay in the South Continent to stabilize the situation, so I can only send two trustworthy people to find you to discuss cooperation matters.

They have already set out; you only need to confirm the meeting place within these two days, and they will arrive soon.

This is the summoning incantation of his messenger:

The spirit that roams the upper realms, an absolutely benevolent creature, the contract partner of Phoenix Aegis.

I intend to let them stay at sea for a while, hoping you will get along well.

Your friend, Prax Aegis.

After reading the letter, Rekton casually shook the paper twice.

With a whoosh, a cluster of crimson flames sprang up on the paper, which quickly turned to ash in Rekton's hand, and with a gentle breeze, dissipated into the air.

Letting them stay at sea for a while should be to avoid possible incoming danger; it seems Mr. Prax's situation in the South Continent is not good either!

(End of chapter)