Sitting in her hotel room, Dorothy seriously examined the neat sentences gradually appearing on the ""wen hai hang zhi"" before her. Listening to Beverly introduce the situation in Buserite from afar, she couldn't help but lightly touch her chin.
'Buserite... a chaotic area with mixed populations, numerous forces, and constant disputes? It seems even more chaotic than Adus... If I travel there in the future, it might be even more troublesome.'
Dorothy thought this to herself, then picked up her pen again and wrote her reply on the page.
"Regarding Buserite, I generally understand. I have another question for you. Do you know about a place called Heopolis?"
Dorothy wrote this and waited for a while before receiving Beverly's reply.
"Heopolis... That sounds like a place name from the First Dynasty. This is probably related to what you're looking for in Buserite. As far as I know, Buserite was once the core area of the First Dynasty, burying many of its deep secrets. If you want to excavate there extensively, you might need to be careful of the Undead Lords underground."
"Undead Lords?" Looking at the new term that appeared in Beverly's reply, Dorothy asked curiously, and the other party immediately answered.
"Those are the existing undead of the ancient pharaohs from the First Dynasty. The First Dynasty was maintained by faith in the Judge of Heaven, revering the Judge of Heaven as the supreme king and centering around the Judge of Heaven's main priestly system. Internally, it was divided into many different kingdoms. These kingdoms were widely distributed with North Wu as the center, encompassing South Wu and the current Main Continent. The rulers of these kingdoms were called pharaohs, and the pharaohs of the largest kingdoms were granted the title of sage by the Judge of Heaven's priestly system, thus they were also called'Sage Kings'.
"These pharaohs with the title of Sage King were all among the most powerful Extraordinaries in the First Dynasty, the main force protecting its existence. When the First Dynasty was entirely destroyed by a mysterious event, some of these Sage Kings did not perish with the entire dynasty but used certain means to become powerful Undead Lords and continue to exist in the tombs beneath the Yellow Sand, where they remain to this day."
Beverly's sentences gradually reappeared before Dorothy's eyes, appearing on the page. Looking at this newly emerged content, Dorothy couldn't help but furrow her brows slightly.
'Undead Lords... Isn't that the same kind of existence as Hafdar? So he was one of the Sage Kings of the First Dynasty in his lifetime. No wonder he had such powerful strength and an Extraordinary item like the Golden Scepter... He had a quite high status in the First Dynasty.'
Dorothy thought this to herself. After finishing her thoughts, she picked up her pen again and wrote on the page.
"Do you know anything more about these Undead Lords?"
"More information... I'm afraid I don't know that clearly. Although these Undead Lords are all very powerful and have strength that many large societies fear, they have been very low-key for thousands of years, almost only appearing in the ancient ruins underground in North Wu, rarely showing themselves actively, and having very little influence on the world after the Second Epoch. Some say they have been sleeping in ancient tombs, while others say they have been secretly plotting something big. In short, no one can say for sure."
"Those who have the most frequent contact with them are the various treasure-hunting societies. When they excavate ancient tombs, they often accidentally intrude into the territories of these Undead Lords and then have some degree of contact with them or their power. Therefore, they should know more or less about them. However, since the outcomes of most of these contacts are death or a life worse than death, even these treasure-hunting societies may not be able to obtain more information in the end. But if you truly want to know more about them, these treasure-hunting societies are still the best choice."
Beverly suggested this to Dorothy on the page. Looking at the sentences Beverly had written, Dorothy nodded silently, then wrote her reply.
"I understand. I will pay attention to collecting information in this regard. Thank you for the reminder."
Afterward, Dorothy chatted with her clockwork neighbor for a few more sentences, then said goodbye and closed the ""wen hai hang zhi"". After finishing the chat, she stretched deeply.
"Hmm... I have to travel far again... No, I'm already traveling far, but the next place I'm going is even further..."
After stretching, Dorothy began to rub her shoulders. At this moment, she was planning her next itinerary in her mind.
'Right now... I should go back to Tivian first, say hello to my brother before leaving again. Also, my Spirituality is not enough in several key areas, so I need to spend some money to buy a batch of secret transmissions to replenish it. Going to such a distant place, I must replenish my Spirituality to a sufficient level.
'Also, I need to find a way to further collect information about Heopolis and those Undead Lords... Beverly suggested I find large treasure-hunting societies to ask... But I don't know any large treasure-hunting societies, I only know Garib from the Hai Sha Society, but he's already in prison so I can't ask him.
'Right, if I remember correctly, Shadi seemed to have been a treasure hunter before. If I ask him, maybe I can get some information... Anyway, I can try later...'
Dorothy thought this to herself. After roughly determining her next itinerary, she put away the Guide Key and ""wen hai hang zhi"" on the table, preparing to leave immediately with Neff after resting for a while longer, ending this trip to Faloro.
...
The sky was clear and sunny, and the sun was bright. Deep bell sounds echoed through the cluster of spired buildings, intertwined with threads of chanting. These sounds drifted through the magnificent and grand buildings, extending all the way into a small garden.
In the garden, densely shaded by trees and with fresh grass, out-of-season flowers from various seasons bloomed profusely. Birds sang and flew through the trees, and small animals like squirrels and rabbits played in the grass. The fountain in the center of the garden made a gurgling sound, and the surroundings were a scene of peace and harmony.
In a certain pavilion in this garden, a young Sister in a white Sister's habit with platinum long hair stood there. Although the surrounding scenery was calm and peaceful, her expression was somewhat nervous. She stood in place, occasionally turning her head to look around, as if waiting for something.
"Sister Vanya..."
Just as the Sister was waiting hesitantly, a distortion of light and shadow appeared before her, and then the image of a Sister with a translucent body appeared before her eyes. The Sister couldn't help but be slightly startled after seeing her, then immediately spoke after a slight bow.
"Sister Evi, you've arrived... May I ask if Captain Amanda has not yet arrived?" Vanya asked Evi this way, and Evi replied to her with a slight smile.
"Captain has arrived, look behind you."
Hearing Evi's words, Vanya was slightly startled in her heart, then turned around. Then she saw a mature beauty with golden waist-length hair, wearing a simple light-colored long dress, and with an impressive figure, slowly walking on the cobblestone path in the grass, slowly approaching the pavilion where Vanya was. Vanya was slightly startled after seeing her, then immediately bowed and said.
"Holy peace, Captain Amanda."
"No need for formalities, Sister Vanya." Facing the hastily bowing Vanya, the mature beauty walked onto the pavilion while nodding and speaking softly. After hearing her words, Vanya raised her head again and looked at the woman before her.
When she first arrived at Holy Mountain, Vanya had seen the person before her, but that was in the magnificent and huge chapel, and she was at the far end. At that time, she saw the woman in a luxurious and complex Scarlet long robe, wearing a crown, solemn and dignified, before the altar.
She soon learned that this was one of the seven Cardinals at the upper level of the entire Shining Light Church, Saint Amanda, one of the existing living saints, her protector in the Church all along, and the greatest strength she could rely on in this huge, complex, and perilous Church.
Listening to Amanda's words, Vanya raised her head again and respectfully said to Amanda before her.
"I have been waiting for Captain here, preparing to wait for Captain's arrival and listen to the movement to actively welcome you... I didn't expect you to just come like this." Vanya said this. At this time, Amanda before her had a very different appearance and temperament compared to when she first saw her. Before, she was very solemn and majestic, but now she looked more approachable, which caught Vanya off guard.
"Those formalities are too ostentatious, not only troublesome but also wasteful. Unless it's a necessary occasion, I try not to do them. Moreover, this garden can be considered my private place. Continuing to wear that troublesome outfit is asking for trouble..."
Amanda said with a calm expression as she looked around the surroundings, then she spoke again.
"Alright, sit down, it's inconvenient to talk standing."
While saying this, Amanda sat on the stone chair in the pavilion and also gestured for Vanya to sit down. Vanya hesitated slightly after seeing this, then also sat down not far from Amanda, but her sitting posture was stiff and unnatural.
"Sister Vanya, you've been living here for a while now, how do you feel?" After sitting down, Amanda asked softly to Vanya, and Vanya immediately replied after hearing her.
"I feel very good, Captain. Holy Mountain is a place that every Lord's follower dreams of coming to for pilgrimage, and I am naturally no exception. The magnificence, grandeur, and solemnity here... have greatly shocked me. I am honored to be able to live here for such a long time."
"Heh... Shock is not a good enough word to describe it. I heard from Evi that you've been a bit cautious these past few days, and you've been nervous a lot of the time." Hearing Vanya's reply, Amanda smiled slightly, then continued to speak. After hearing Amanda's words, Vanya couldn't help but be startled, and then replied.
"Uh... I'm sorry, Captain, because this is my first time at Holy Mountain, and I don't fully understand the rules here, so I've been overly careful a lot of the time. I'm afraid of doing something wrong accidentally..."
Vanya said this. Hearing her words, Amanda nodded slightly, then continued to speak.
"This is a normal phenomenon, but in fact, you don't have to be so reserved. Those who need to be careful at all times are usually low-level clergy from outside. With your status, most people here are not qualified to criticize you. You can be much more relaxed."
"Mm... I understand, Captain, thank you for the suggestion." Hearing Amanda's words, Vanya nodded and said, and then Amanda continued to speak.
"By the way, I heard that your rituals are almost complete. How do you feel now?"
"Yes... I completed the purification ritual yesterday. As for the current situation... I'm still feeling a little uncomfortable." Vanya replied seriously to Amanda. Hearing her words, Amanda also replied as expected.
"The purification ritual requires soaking the entire body in holy healing water. All organs in the body will be affected, so it's normal to have some aftereffects. It will be fine in a few days... But since you're here today, I can help you a little. Put out your hand."
"Mm..."
Hearing Amanda's words, Vanya did not dare to delay. She extended her hand and placed it in front of Amanda. After Amanda reached out and lightly touched it, Vanya immediately felt a warm current spread throughout her body from the place where Amanda touched her. Her body felt refreshed inside and out.
During this process, Amanda's eyebrows subtly raised almost imperceptibly, then quickly returned to normal.
After the comfortable warm current in her body disappeared, all the discomfort in Vanya's body that had resulted from the previous ritual immediately vanished. Feeling all this, Vanya couldn't help but smile and say to Amanda.
"Thank you, Captain, I am now completely free of any discomfort! I have never felt so comfortable in my life."
"That's good if you're not uncomfortable..." With a similar smile, Amanda released Vanya's hand. After looking at the white-robed Sister before her, she continued to speak.
"You have completed all the previous rituals, and now you are only one step away from the Crimson Tier. However, this is also the most difficult step. I asked you to come here today specifically to tell you about the last stage of your ritual."
"The last stage of the ritual... Could Captain please tell me exactly what it is?"
"The Holy Mother's Path, also known as the Path of Redemption, therefore the last stage of the ritual is also related to redemption. I will speak directly, you need to relieve one hundred thousand people to officially step onto the Crimson Tier."
Amanda said seriously to Vanya. Hearing her words, Vanya couldn't help but be startled, then blurted out.
"Relieve... one hundred thousand people? Do I really need that many...?"
"Yes... To redeem all beings, one must first redeem those before them, acting personally. Helping one hundred thousand people escape suffering is the price you need to pay to obtain Scarlet power." Amanda said this, then looked at the stunned Vanya before her, and continued to speak.
"Relieving one hundred thousand people, this goal seems unattainable, but in fact, it is not that terrifying. So-called relief can be helping the sick get rid of illness, giving food to the hungry, or helping disaster victims escape disaster.
"Although it is shameful, I have to admit that since the founding of the saint church thousands of years ago, various disasters have never truly subsided, and countless people are still suffering and waiting for relief, far more than those who provide relief.
"Especially in the peripheral areas affected by the saint church, where war, famine, and epidemics are rampant... In those places, it is easy to find many suffering people."