Chapter 306: line with translation of chapter title

The Light God Clan possesses a plane called the Light God Realm.

It is said that the mortal population of the Light Realm exceeds 1.5 billion, comparable to that of the Nawat Realm.

Yet out of those 1.5 billion mortals, fewer than 200 ultimately become Light Saints.

This shows that the Light Saints are geniuses among geniuses, the most capable group in the entire realm.

Whether personal talent or aptitude for magical cultivation, they are the absolute pinnacle of existence in the realm.

Now, such top-tier talents from the realm have arrived, a full nineteen of them.

In the underground secret chamber of the Naya Manor, Luosen sat in the seat of honor, his gaze sweeping over the eighteen saints brought back by Azuna.

Eighteen people, twelve male and six female, with an average soul strength of Legendary 4, varying in appearance but all possessing outstanding demeanor—clearly top-notch figures.

Laifu also continually sensed their soul fluctuations, quickly discerning each saint's thoughts.

By then, he basically had reached conclusions.

Among the eighteen, seventeen were determined to betray the Lord of Judgment.

But betraying the Lord of Judgment does not mean they must follow Luosen.

They are all proud and arrogant; if a better option exists, they would not become anyone's servant.

For now, they all hold a wait-and-see attitude.

Finally, there remains one special case.

Yet he remains steadfastly loyal to the Lord of Judgment, coming here merely to gather intelligence.

At the same time, the eighteen saints were all sizing up Luosen.

But they certainly lacked the ability to see through Luosen's condition, not even able to read his surface.

This was an extremely rare situation for them.

Thus, everyone felt uneasy.

Luosen spoke.

He first looked at the saint who intended to act as an insider.

She was a woman in her mid-twenties, her appearance and figure extremely alluring, a pair of blue-green eyes like autumn water, rippling with light.

"Miss Ge Liwen, if you have resolved to follow the Lord of Judgment, why come see me with Azuna?"

Ge Liwen's face always bore a hint of natural allure; hearing this, her expression stiffened and she immediately denied.

"No, Your Majesty, I have already decided to leave the Lord of Judgment."

Luosen gave a faint smile: "Very well, come over, kneel before me, and let me remove the Lord of Judgment's soul seal from you."

Ge Liwen showed a hint of hesitation, but under the saints' gaze she complied.

Luosen produced the Natural Scepter, quickly dispelled her judgment seal, then asked: "Now you are free—what will you choose?"

Ge Liwen's eyes were somewhat complex; she dared not meet Luosen's gaze, lowered her head and said: "I will steadfastly follow Your Majesty."

Luosen softly sighed: "Your soul tells me you still lean toward the Lord of Judgment. I do not know why, but I respect your choice."

"Azuna, we are engaged in a secret undertaking that must not be lightly disclosed; first, imprison her."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Azuna immediately carried it out.

Because of the Learned Circlet, his strength far surpassed Ge Liwen's, and he was very familiar with the methods of the Judgment Saints, so he easily subdued her.

Ge Liwen still unwilling, she shouted: "No, Your Majesty, I wish to follow you; please trust me!"

Luosen said nothing, but another female saint stepped forward from the crowd.

"Ge Liwen, stop lying; we all know your loyalty to Gefrei."

Gefrei is the divine name of the Lord of Judgment.

Having said that, the female saint stepped forward several steps, knelt before Luosen, and said: "Great Your Majesty, I, Xi De, wish to follow in your footsteps."

The saint named Xi De had fine features, smooth skin, was charming, and also a dignified, elegant middle-aged beauty.

However, although she said she wished to follow Luosen's path, her inner thought was to use him to regain freedom and then seize the chance to flee.

Everyone has their own aspirations; especially for such top-tier individuals, forcing them to follow will only bring backlash.

Thus Luosen said: "Miss Xi De, you need not force your feelings. I will remove your soul seal, but if you wish to leave, then leave."

Having spoken, without waiting for her reply, he helped her dispel the judgment seal.

Xi De trembled, lifted her head to gaze at Luosen: "Your Majesty, do you truly wish to let me regain complete freedom?"

Luosen showed a gentle smile, meeting her gaze calmly: "As long as you turn away from the Lord of Judgment, you have already weakened the Light God Clan's strength."

"If I were to force you to serve me, what difference would there be between me and the Light God Clan?"

"So go, miss, pursue the freedom you seek in your heart."

Those words were truly frank; upon hearing them, the saints present felt their impression of Luosen markedly improve.

And Luosen had the confidence to say these words because, even without these saints' aid, he could still defeat the Light God Clan.

Since that is the case, there is naturally no need to keep a group of unwilling followers by his side.

Saint Xi De was also greatly shaken in heart, yet did not rise to leave, but asked: "Your Majesty, are you truly a mortal?"

"Of course I am a mortal."

"Yet your power far surpasses that of mortals."

"That is because I carry the arcane wisdom crystal of the Natural Empire."

Having said that, he raised his head to look at the saints.

"A single mortal's wisdom may indeed be inferior to that of mighty Void Gods and Demons, but the wisdom of countless mortals united can forge an inconceivable mighty force."

"With this force, I have slain several demons in direct combat, and I have also clashed head‑on with the so‑called Lord of Truth, De Rui Tan, and defeated him."

These words left all the saints present utterly astonished.

The disciples are highly sensitive to the messages of the Void God.

They know that De Rui Tan is a powerful god, and they also know that he has already returned to the De Rui Tan plane.

Now, De Rui Tan not only did not destroy the Natural Empire, but even allowed the opposing emperor to have spare strength to aid Nawate, which is enough to show that the Natural Empire indeed possesses the mighty power to oppose a powerful god.

De Rui Tan is also very likely truly not a match for this Natural Emperor before him, and is very likely actually severely wounded by him.

This Emperor certainly possesses terrifying power; otherwise he would not dare to come alone to the Nawate plane.

Azuna had personally felt Luosen's power and had long been resolved to follow him; at this moment he said, "Brothers and sisters, we may have some strength, we may have seen much of the world, but in this multiverse where the strong devour the weak, this bit of strength of ours is utterly insufficient to grant us true freedom."

"Only by pursuing the great, just and merciful can one possess a part of true freedom and dignity!"

"So, what are you hesitating for?!"

That's correct.

Heide took a deep breath: "I am willing to follow Your Majesty's footsteps."

This time, however, her resolve became firm.

Luosen's side had also long been prepared.

He once again held his palm aloft, using Elemental Projection Technique, and in front of all the disciples condensed a long string of Erudite magical artifacts, solidifying ten of them.

"These artifacts have grades, divided into seven levels, according to the color of the soul gems inlaid on them, corresponding to the seven colors red, orange, gold, green, cyan, blue, and purple."

"You are all exceptionally talented battle mages, so I initially bestowed upon each of you a level‑3 Erudite magical artifact."

"Because the soul gems are gold, those who receive the artifacts are also called Golden Erudites."

"Its strength is Legendary+3, soul amplification 300 times, and six high‑level phase‑shift abilities within the plane."

He placed the level‑3 Erudite headpiece on Heide's head, at the same time drawing a big pie.

"If it is level 7, then they are Purple‑Gold Erudites, possessing Legendary+7, soul amplification 1500 times, and eighteen high‑level phase‑shift abilities within the plane."

All the disciples originally thought the golden artifacts were already extremely powerful.

Now, upon hearing the performance of the purple‑gold artifacts, they all stared agape, unable to believe that such powerful artifacts existed in the world.

This is practically turning mortals into gods! They couldn't help but believe it, for Heide, who had been granted the golden artifact, showed a dream‑like expression on his face, obviously feeling the artifact's power.

In that moment, all the disciples felt a yearning. Luosen sensed it, and he swayed the string of Erudite magical artifacts in his hand; the soul gems swung left and right, displaying a dazzling, mesmerizing fiery gleam.

"These artifacts are the crystallization of the Natural Empire's magical wisdom."

"If one achieves merit for the empire, the empire also has a very strict promotion system to ensure that all contributions to the empire are not wasted."

This so‑called promotion system is merely something Luosen hastily modified based on the promotion system of the mages within the Natural Empire.

He looked toward Azuna: "Azuna mage, you have exceeded the mission requirements, proving your loyalty and ability through your actions."

"According to the empire's promotion system, I will promote you from a level‑4 Green Erudite to a level‑5 Azure Erudite."

With those words, Luosen handed over the Azure Erudite magical artifact: "Exchange your Green Erudite artifact for this."

Azuna was overjoyed, immediately surrendered his own Erudite magical artifact, and received a higher‑level one in return.

After re‑equipping it, he attained Legendary 10 soul strength and a thousandfold soul amplification, instantly feeling his power become extraordinarily formidable.

This performance was watched by the Judgment disciples, each feeling a fiery enthusiasm in their hearts.

The Judgment Lord certainly does not enjoy such treatment; that fellow is utterly unjust, often disappearing for days, and cannot be compared to this Natural Emperor who personally braves the battlefield's peril.

Moreover, they all know that behind this emperor lies a mortal empire with a population of six hundred million, whose magical achievements are so high that the interior must be extremely prosperous and wealthy, and its power must have reached an inconceivable level.

Being fellow mortals, joining such a great mortal empire, becoming one of its members and fighting side by side with other mortal mages, the sense of honor and accomplishment is far beyond what serving the Void God could ever compare to.

Even Ge Liwen, who firmly followed the Judgment Lord, felt a noticeable wavering in her heart.

In her eyes, this Emperor's majesty, ability, and even wealth far surpassed those of the Judgment Lord, Geoffrey.

Ge Liwen discovered that she could hardly find any meaning in pursuing Geoffrey.

Thus, the remaining disciples unhesitatingly chose to follow Luosen, and they likewise all received the Golden Erudite headpiece.

After gaining +3 Legendary levels, the strongest disciple had already reached Legendary 11, the weakest had reached Legendary 6, their power had obviously increased by a great margin compared to before, and this power belonged entirely to them, requiring no bestowal from others.

This independent, self‑reliant power is completely different from the former power that relied on others' breath.

Luosen clearly felt that, after his manipulations, the disciples' resolve to follow him had become very firm.

It can be said that they have all become disciples of this emperor of his.

Only Ge Liwen remained.

As for this disciple, Luosen actually had an attitude of whether it mattered or not.

But since they had come, it would be a pity to just let them go, so he intended to continue employing a few minor tactics.

He reached out and said, "Everyone, please sit; let us discuss our future plans properly."

After everyone had seated themselves, Luosen again glanced at Ge Liwen with a rather indifferent attitude.

"Oh, right, Miss Ge Liwen, I have no choice but to wrong you for a few days."

Concerning her own fate, Ge Liwen naturally cared deeply: "Wrong me for a few days? Then what, are you going to kill me?"

Luosen shook his head: "Kill you? Certainly not."

He gazed over all the disciples and said solemnly, "You are all the most outstanding mortals; in a plane of several billion people, fewer than three hundred appear, the elite among elites, the masterpiece of the Creator."

"To destroy them so simply would be a great desecration of the Creator."

"The Natural Empire respects life, possessing many laws that protect the right to life. Even I, as emperor, have no right to arbitrarily deprive others of their lives."

"So I only intend to restrict your freedom for a few days; after we defeat those false light demons, you may go wherever you wish."

These words again made all the disciples feel deeply moved, sensing that this emperor's majesty was truly magnificent, and feeling even more that the distant Natural Empire was a mortal divine realm where one could feel utterly at peace, giving rise in their hearts to a strong yearning.

Ge Liwen, however, was utterly bewildered, for she discovered that she could not bring herself to hate this opponent; not only did she feel no hatred, but she even arose with many feelings of reverence.

She also did not have a feeling arise in her heart.

"'Master, it seems he is really not a match for this mortal emperor.'"

This left her feeling full of regret.

She was ultimately not an ordinary person, but an outstanding elite of this plane.

Such a person would never cling to reason.

A negative emotion flashed in her heart, and her thought changed.

With a 'plop~', she knelt on the ground: 'Your Majesty, I have realized my mistake and am willing to follow your footsteps.'

Hearing this, Xide immediately said: 'Hmph~ definitely lying.'

Azuna also whispered a reminder: 'Your Majesty, Ge Liwen is very fawning and may not be trustworthy.'

The other holy disciples mostly thought similarly and spoke up to advise.

Ge Liwen felt extremely uneasy, not knowing what fate awaited her.

At this moment, Luosen smiled slightly.

'Light Devils are best at disguise; being briefly deceived by them is understandable.'

'Since Miss Ge Liwen has corrected her mistake, come forward, wear this Golden Learned Artifact, and let us discuss the anti‑demon plan together.'

Everyone has sensibility and rationality.

Under normal circumstances, upon reaching the level of holy disciple, sensibility is very low and rationality very high.

But Luosen saw clearly that this Ge Liwen was an exception.

Yet she remained highly sensuous, even occupying the dominant position in her thinking.

For such a person, treating her kindly yields loyalty far greater than that of other holy disciples.

His words, upon reaching Ge Liwen's ears, let her breathe a great sigh of relief.

She crawled a few steps to Luosen, lowered her head, and allowed him to place the Dharma artifact on her head.

The Dharma artifact took effect, and she instantly felt her soul become unbelievably strong; shocked, she involuntarily lifted her gaze to Luosen.

But she saw this unfathomable emperor looking at her with a gentle, encouraging gaze.

Their eyes met, and Ge Liwen felt a warm current surge into her heart, instantly clearing all her anxiety and confusion.

At a single glance, her dependence on her former master Gao Fulei almost entirely shifted to Luosen.

Unable to restrain herself, she grasped Luosen's hand, eagerly kissed the back of his hand, and, using the soul‑language, swore excitedly: 'Your Majesty, I will never betray you; I am willing to do anything for you.'

Luosen raised his hand and patted her head, like an elder comforting a mischievous junior: 'I trust your loyalty; now, go find a seat and sit down.'

Ge Liwen grew more excited: 'No, let me sit at your feet and listen to your teachings.'

This behavior made the other holy disciples unhappy.

'You are fawning before the emperor; how are the others to conduct themselves?'

Xide snapped: 'Ge Liwen, why do you always pull this trick?'

The other holy disciples also frowned, feeling that Ge Liwen's loyalty was over‑the‑top.

Rosen Ziran naturally knew how to coordinate relations with his subordinates.

He pointed to an empty seat and said solemnly: 'Miss Ge Liwen, I treat every holy disciple's personality equally; I regard you all as loyal comrades—do not reduce yourself to a slave.'

'Your Majesty, but I am willing to do so.'

Muttering softly, Ge Liwen obediently followed Luosen's order.

Seeing her appearance, Luosen understood that this woman had completely transformed; he guessed she would truly be willing to do anything.

He thought to himself: 'This kind of personality is interesting; when I have free time, I'll have fun with her.'

As for now, of course the important matter comes first.

After everyone was seated, Luosen began the main topic: 'The first step of the plan is to reveal the true nature of the Light Devils to the people of the Sky Republic, thereby clarifying the identity of the enemy.'

'I need you to list all the past crimes of the Holy Light Disciples, speak everything you know, compile it into a book, publish it in newspapers, and distribute it nationwide.'

Since the holy disciples have completely defected, they will certainly hesitate no longer.

Azuna took notes while the other holy disciples spoke in turn, exposing one by one the evil deeds of the Light Divine Clan in Nawategan.

While those former holy disciples were doing this, the Judge Master Gao Fulei finally noticed the changes in the mortal world.

He was flustered and immediately went to find the Moon Lord.

(End of chapter)