Chapter 196: Be a Bit More Willful

Her tone left no room for doubt, as if she had already arranged everything.

The members of the messenger team and other Supervision Bureau personnel were stunned; the Saintess had actually acted herself, even directly employing spatial Aberrant Arts to send Yue's team over?

Wasn't it said that this Saintess was in poor health, able to convalesce in the church for years?

Moreover, she seemed to know the Supervision Bureau's formations and equipment configurations like the back of her hand........

"Yes, yes! We will faithfully obey the Saintess's decree!"

The deputy commander was the first to react, immediately suppressing the turmoil in his heart, turning to issue a series of orders to his subordinates, who were completely stunned.

"Act according to the Saintess's instructions! Teams One and Two, assemble immediately and equip Rune weapons!"

Everyone in the Supervision Bureau sprang into action, their movements becoming more orderly and efficient.

The messenger team members, reverently, stole a glance at the Saintess who existed almost only in legend, then hurried to carry out the orders.

But he couldn't help but wonder more in his heart—could those rumors outside... not be baseless after all?

The squad leader is truly awesome.

After everyone in the Supervision Bureau acted in order, the Saintess quietly stepped back, leaving the venue for the Supervision Bureau personnel to take over.

She had just seen that, as her gaze swept across, several people panicked, flustered and chaotic.

She would actually affect them there.

After the heavy doors shut and the clamor was completely cut off, the corridor held only her, Qi Junyi, and Chi Jinan, who appeared like a ghost; the Saintess then raised her hand to press her temple.

Qi Junyi remained quietly behind her; unlike the others, he had never had much interaction with the Saintess before.

There are few people in his life who can inspire his awe, and the Saintess is one of them.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine."

The Saintess merely waved her hand, lowering her voice a few tones; unless you were very close, you could hardly hear her.

"Yue Chengzhang has already passed; whether the Min siblings succeed or not, at least their lives can be spared."

Fate is a thing that is profoundly mysterious.

They lacked the means to confirm whether the Fourth Calamity was completed, so they could only watch the situation unfold; if they truly could not survive the Seventh Calamity, they would have to resort to the final measure.

At least she will be alive until then.

She was born for this, wasn't she?

Her ice‑blue eyes lifted toward Qi Junyi; her gaze was clear, yet Qi Junyi could see no emotion within it.

"Whether the Min siblings succeed or not, the next turn is yours; are you prepared?"

To pass off a fake as real always demands a higher price.

Qi Junyi's body tensed; his stern face showed no change, yet deep in his eyes flickered a rather complex emotion.

It was reluctance, it was regret.

Qi Junyi lowered his head.

"Stand by at any moment, Your Majesty."

The Saintess merely nodded slightly, as if speaking to herself.

"If there are still attachments, settle them soon; don't leave regrets."

Qi Junyi gave no reply, only lowering his head further, his right fist pressed to the left side of his chest where his heart lay—a solemn Old World military salute.

At that moment, Chi Jinan stepped half a pace forward from the shadows, silent, his abyss‑like black eyes fixed on the Saintess.

"You also want to go?" the Saintess said, looking unsurprised.

Chi Jinan nodded; compared to his usual statue‑like self, now he was like a torch set alight.

"Fine, I'll send you over; have a good time," she replied bluntly, even adding a blessing at the end.

The Saintess slowly raised her hand, her fingertips tracing the air; a speck of silver‑blue spatial ripple unfurled before Chi Jinan.

Chi Jinan stepped into the spatial ripple without hesitation, his form vanishing instantly.

Qi Junyi watched the spatial ripple gradually return to normal, unable to suppress a twitch at the corner of his mouth.

"Actually, you don't have to 'play' so extravagantly........"

At this point, Qi Junyi also felt sorry for Yue Chengzhang; it seemed this kid had been kept in the dark the whole time and now had to endure another torment from Chi Jinan.

"Junior, travel safely."

The Saintess gently shook her head, "Your words can be even more willful without issue."

She looked out the window; unlike the cold severity of the Heresy Tribunal headquarters, the Supervision Bureau prioritized civilians, making enterprises near it especially safe.

Over time, the commercial street near the Supervision Bureau grew increasingly prosperous.

She loved the bustle; Tianmian City should indeed be like that.

Today was a good day, yet her words were unusually cold.

"Anyway, you have already decided to die for this world."

So be even more willful, and leave no regrets.

The Saintess gave the bustling street outside one last glance; the sun remained radiant, the market still noisy, and the phoenix‑tail butterfly perhaps continued its dance among some flowers.

For now, that's fine, quite good.

————————————————

"Bang!"

"Whoosh—!"

"Thud!"

Everyone fell scattered onto the cold floor, the metal floor riddled with several large pits from their impact.

They each used whatever means they had to slow their descent; fortunately, abundant debris cushioned the fall, preventing serious injury, though they were shaken, dizzy, feeling as if their organs had shifted.

"Cough cough....... Are you all okay?"

"....... I can't die." Qi Hengyu's voice came from beside, gritting his teeth, with pain.

"I'm fine......." Luo Jinyou's voice was somewhat weak.

Chen Mo Zhi didn't speak, but there came the rustling sound of him feeling for the medicine packet, and a faint intake of breath—he might have sustained a slight injury.

From Ying Duo's side came the sound of him patting dust off his body, plus a light clink of some metal part hitting the ground; it sounded like nothing serious.

Shen Zexi was the first to struggle to his feet, coughing out the dust in his mouth, not bothering to check his own injuries, he immediately picked up the fallen mineral lamp not far away and illuminated the surroundings.

Actually, the surroundings had already been somewhat lit up by Ying Duo's hair ahead of time; after the cold light of the mineral and the Ying Guang Lu of his hair intertwined, it formed an eerie light-and-shadow effect.

Everyone used this mixed light source to see clearly their surroundings.

This place was no longer a narrow mine shaft or tunnel, but a vast, suffocatingly large enclosed space.

They seemed to be inside a hemispherical underground Dome, with intricate energy conduits everywhere, and the ground was covered in dust that had accumulated over who knows how many years.

On the ground lay countless huge and strange mechanical device remnants, each showing signs of corrosion from long ages.

While treating his wound, Chen Mo Zhi couldn't help glancing at that lush green light source, his mouth twitching.

He really couldn't stand this green light—how could the others begin analyzing the matter without changing expression?