Chapter 844: Bribing the Goddess

Pu La Meng died, again!

He lost all his years of luxurious gear in the last time; this time he infiltrated Gotham City, has few magical items on him, and didn't have time to maintain sufficient protective spells.

The only thing keeping him alive was the Ice Shield, but it shattered with a single slash like an eggshell.

The brain‑split crystal core inside the Heaven‑Supporting Colossus did not absorb a soul, indicating that Pu La Meng returned to his Soul Box to revive.

Lei En was not the slightest surprised.

Without destroying the Soul Box, killing a Lich is extremely difficult. However, each time a Lich revives its power regresses a notch; Pu La Meng died twice within three years, the Wizard's rank must have dropped at least two levels, and there may be memory loss, so killing him will become even easier in the future.

If Pu La Meng dies a few more times, he might fall below Holy Soul.

The battle ended in an instant.

The crowds on both sides of the bay were silent for a few seconds, then realized what had happened, instantly boiled over, and erupted in wave after wave of high‑spirited cheers.

A terrifying Holy Soul Lich was actually beheaded!

Everyone saw the entire process.

Those colossi!

In the sky projection, after zooming in and deliberately adjusting the angle, people could observe the Heaven‑Supporting Colossus more clearly.

Its towering, heavy armor structure, majestic and imposing paint scheme, the emanating magical fluctuations, and the massive great sword in its hand of unknown weight all displayed terrifying combat power.

One sword strike beheaded the Holy Soul Lich.

Moreover, there were seven more colossi of such strength!

The residents of Gotham were astonished, excitedly discussing with those beside them; they had never seen such powerful magical colossi.

They only felt the colossi were strong, but couldn't specify exactly what made them impressive, so they were just excited and amazed.

But for those in the know, such as KangJieladeGreatSage, numerous alchemists, Chief Vice President Bei Li Sa Liu*Ka Er of the Mechanical Guild and the mechanics, the moment the Heaven‑Supporting Colossus emerged, they already widened their eyes.

At this moment, Bei Li Sa Liu and A Ka Lan De's eyes were shining.

It was a fervent gaze.

They seemed to see the most marvelous rare treasure in the world, unwilling to move their eyes even for a second, unable to control their excitement, their hands unconsciously gripping tightly, trembling faintly.

"Saint Rank Mechanical Colossus…"

"Why are they so agile? And can maintain such speed?"

"The colossus's power is too strong! Wait, it seems there are two different energies, Arcane? Lightning? Such a heavy colossus looks nothing like a mechanical structure, yet reacts faster than a living person—what method is used to control its operation?"

"I really want to take it apart and see!"

Many alchemists skilled at crafting constructs, golems and puppets, as well as the mechanics, kept muttering these words.

Laypeople watch the spectacle; insiders see the intricacies.

The Heaven‑Supporting Colossus shocked them more than the God of Magic statue, as if a door to a new world opened before their eyes.

But after only a few glances, the colossi vanished.

"Where did they go?"

"They were probably teleported away."

The alchemists and mechanics looked around, and the projection showed no Heaven‑Supporting Colossus; a huge sense of loss arose, and they all turned toward Lei En on the steps.

Lei En immediately felt scorching gazes falling on him; of course he knew their thoughts and pretended not to know. The Heaven‑Supporting Colossus is tied to his secret, its manufacturing technique is top‑secret; even if he wanted to teach it, without the brain‑split crystal core, others couldn't learn it.

Others can be ignored, but two people must be paid attention to.

One is KangJieladeGreatSage, this highly esteemed Holy Soul Wizard; even though he is a member of the Naiser sect, he must be shown respect.

The other is Chief Vice President Bei Li Sa Liu of the Mechanical Guild; the Mechanical Guild has always taken great care of him, almost always granting his requests, so he must give them face.

Both appeared hesitant to speak.

If there weren't other Saint Rank elites present, the situation wouldn't be suitable for inquiry, but they have already begun asking questions.

Lei En chuckled inwardly; the bait had already been released, now waiting for the big fish to bite.

The sky projection switched to focus on himself.

He shouted loudly: "Citizens of Gotham, Pu La Meng has been beheaded. Under the magical radiance of the God of Magic, any evil god follower who infiltrates Gotham meets their own death. In the future, the Divine Statue will perform an irregular daily purification of evil; once an enemy is detected, the Holy Spear Knight Corps will instantly teleport to the scene to eliminate these evildoers."

"If the Holy Spear Knight Corps cannot handle it, there are the Heaven‑Supporting Colossi!"

"They are magical colossi I created; you have already witnessed their power, even a Holy Soul Lich cannot escape death."

Hundreds of thousands nodded slightly, thinking that those were the Heaven‑Supporting Colossi.

The alchemists and the mechanics also firmly memorized the name.

Lei En's voice rang everywhere: "The God of Magic's magical radiance can illuminate three hundred li; within this range, unless authorized by me, no one can teleport in."

"Although the Divine Statue cannot provide a solid shield, we have Electric Light Cannons covering the whole city, the Holy Spear Knight Corps, and the Heaven‑Supporting Colossi!"

"Finally, there is me!"

"No one can think of breaking into Gotham City unless they step over my corpse."

"I can assure everyone, Gotham City is the safest city on the New Continent! Moreover, it is safer than any city on the Old Continent!"

Everyone listened attentively to Lei En's resonant and powerful speech.

Facts are the best proof; Lei En's words contain no falsehood.

When his words fell, hundreds of thousands of Gotham's residents erupted in a tsunami of cheers, clapping fervently until their palms turned red.

"Gotham City is number one in the world!"

"Long live Chairman Lei En!"

Rows of orderly shouts rose gradually, soaring into the clouds; the entire city's residents joined, sincerely supporting Lei En, shouting hoarsely on the streets.

In the plaza before the temple, the guests also felt a sudden enlightenment.

Lei En abandoned building the Fu Kong Cheng, installing the Iola Core onto the God of Magic statue; originally it was undoubtedly a blood loss, but by combining VijesCui's magical torchlight, a Ten-ring Spell, the sealed space was expanded to dozens of times that of a conventional Fu Kong Cheng, abandoning the protective shield and magical barrier, using Electric Light Cannons and Heaven‑Supporting Colossi as defensive means, turning offense into defense, thereby maximally ensuring Gotham's safety.

The God of Magic statue performs a daily purification of evil, making it almost impossible for any evil god follower to infiltrate Gotham City thereafter.

The magical torchlight also has a calming effect, reducing the chance of a Blood Soul Curse flare‑up.

Is there a second city in the world that has no evil‑god followers yet can suppress the Blood Soul Curse? Even the imperial capital Nuosiruier cannot achieve it; who knows how many evil‑god followers lurk, breeding like rats in nests, impossible to eradicate.

Gotham City is indeed safer than cities on the Old Continent!

From today onward, as long as the God of Magic statue stands, Gotham City will never be breached; it will become the bridgehead for all wise races to reclaim the New Continent, an absolutely secure base!

By contrast, Albert Bay's massive wall appears too rigid and inefficient.

Even a Fu Kong Cheng cannot guarantee Gotham's completeness; at most it can ensure the Fu Kong Cheng's own safety and protect the interests of a small handful of people.

An Iola Core exchanged for a city's future, even the chance to retake the entire New Continent, Lei En's deal may not lose.

It could even be a blood profit!

It also pleased the God of Magic.

The Iola Core can be remade when depleted; it's out of reach for others, but not difficult for Lei En, and he is still young, so there's no hurry.

Suddenly, the Holy Soul Wizards and numerous guests changed their minds; Lei En's puzzling actions now had reasonable explanations.

This guy is too clever!

The Holy Soul Wizards and guests were full of admiration, sincerely admiring Lei En's decisiveness, and they began clapping along with the crowd.

Anxiwodasi lightly clapped a few times.

His gaze swept over the other Holy Soul Wizards, and he silently sighed, "You only saw Lei En on the second layer, but you don't know he's actually on the fifth…"

Flattering the God of Magic is Lei En's true purpose.

Anxiwodasi recalled the words Lei En once bribed him with: "Everyone has their own weaknesses and price, Holy Soul Wizards are no exception."

Now it seems the deity is the same.

The deity's weakness is the power of faith; this statue is the price Lei En offered the God of Magic, and what he seeks is the entire Empire!

Two years ago, when Lei En confided his ambition to overthrow the Supreme Council and ascend the imperial throne, Anxiwodasi mistakenly thought Lei En had already received the God of Magic's permission, which is why he dared such audacity; now, in hindsight, he realizes he was deliberately misled by Lei En.

Now regret is useless; he agreed and took the money…

Anxiwodasi's mood is complicated.

He glanced at Lei En on the steps, and Lei En returned the gaze, lightly nodding in respect; the instant their eyes met, they understood each other's thoughts.

To outsiders, the master and student merely exchanged a greeting.

Only Anxiwodasi knows that this moment decides the Empire and the billions of its people's future, as Lei En has offered a price to the God of Magic, awaiting His response.

Will the God of Magic respond?

Anxiwodasi feels uneasy; the last time he felt so anxious was over a thousand years ago, on the eve of breaking through the Holy Soul Wizard.

Deep down, he hopes the God of Magic will refuse.

Without the God of Magic's support, Lei En's plan is almost impossible to succeed. Thus, he has already collected the 50 million Gold Shields, the Supreme Council remains untoppled, and the Empire stays as it is.

Crack crack…

Reporters frantically pressed their camera shutters, the flash flashing nonstop for a second.

Lei En continued his speech, announcing that the temple beneath the God of Magic statue would be named the "Temple of Wisdom", built to spread the goddess's light of wisdom, and henceforth will be free to the public, open to all races and beliefs during its opening period.

The Temple of Wisdom will display a series of the goddess's miracles and doctrines, and the temple will also become the world's largest library, befitting its name "Wisdom".

This grand Library of Wisdom will collect all knowledge in the world—magic, alchemy, machinery, languages, arts, history, architecture, geography, and so on—without limits on type, industry, script, or medium; any knowledge qualifies for the collection.

Currently, the library holds over one million volumes and various collections.

It is also freely open to the public for reading.

Lei En also promised that behind the Temple of Wisdom, the towering structure under construction is a Magic Academy, dedicated to training spellcasters, including Wizards, mages, and warlocks.

The academy embraces all school doctrines.

All official residents of Gotham City are eligible to apply, regardless of race, age, or gender; passing a talent test grants entry to the Magic Academy. The academy is completely free, providing lodging and meals, and will allocate scholarships and resources based on exam results.

Hundreds of thousands went crazy, especially ordinary Gotham City residents, including elves and dwarves; who wouldn't want to become a spellcaster?

A saying from the Third Epoch has been passed down to today:

I want to be a mage, even if I'm the clumsiest mage; as long as I'm a mage, that's enough!

That saying still applies; spellcasters remain the most powerful and noble transcendent profession in the world, coveted by countless people who lack the chance.

And Lei En has opened the gates of magic to everyone.

The Saint Rank elites in the square were all astonished; this is another grand undertaking, requiring countless funds and manpower to build such a Magic Academy.

How rich is he really?

Anxiwodasi, however, heard more; the Temple of Wisdom, the grand Library, the Magic Academy—these are transactions between Lei En and the God of Magic, each layer adding on. Every announcement he made benefits the goddess's faith and doctrine propagation, increasing His divine power.

Lei En stopped his speech, receiving the crowd's cheers.

Above the sky, that heart‑pounding aura still brewed, as if it could descend at any moment.

Anxiwodasi gazed at the heavens, his eyes piercing the void, faintly seeing the God of Magic's mysterious silhouette and the outline of His divine kingdom behind.

Will He respond?

Can Lei En's offered price move Him?

Before the thought settled, a booming sound suddenly erupted from the sky, like a bolt from a clear sky.

Everyone looked up and saw a massive hole opening in the high sky, hundreds of meters across; behind the void was a gorgeous passage of rainbow‑like magical energy leading to the distant depths of the void, revealing a dreamlike magical architecture.

That is the God of Magic's divine kingdom!

A majestic aura radiated outward, quieting the heavens and earth within hundreds of miles instantly. The statue on Truth Island responded, its eyes glowing with divine light, the torch's flame swelling a hundredfold, emitting a blaze of ten thousand rays.

Beyond the range, the world seemed to fall into darkness; within this radiant domain, the statue became the supreme sole ruler, making people's souls tremble.

Many devout believers knelt on the spot, praying loudly to the statue.

The God of Magic is about to descend!

Anxiwodasi's face turned pale with shock; when he turned his head, he saw Lei En give him a faint smile, a victorious smile.

(End of chapter)