93: Cathedral of the Abyss

After successfully infiltrating the Night Shadow Church, relying on the intelligence from the defecting Demons, they found the hiding places of some Night Shadow high-ranking officials and converted them into supporters of the Abyss.

With most of the church members purged, the Night Shadow Church in Hua Lai City existed in name only.

According to church members, the Night Shadow Church was originally a native religious group of the Dier Kingdom.

In all towns within the Dier Kingdom, the Night Shadow Church had more or less of a presence.

And the Night Shadow Temple located in the capital city served as the core hub of the entire church, controlling the operations of all branches.

After learning this intelligence, the Archbishop did not rashly take aggressive measures but chose to maintain the status quo.

If the Night Shadow Church members collectively defected, it would inevitably attract the attention of their headquarters and also raise the vigilance of other denominations towards the Abyss Church.

Taking down the Night Shadow Church was merely for their intelligence network; maintaining the status quo was the best option.

As for stationing in Hua Lai City, it should be done in a dignified manner.

The Night Shadow Church had a relatively large influence in Hua Lai City and even the entire Dier Kingdom; leaving secular matters to them would yield better results.

The next day, the Abyss Church entered Hua Lai City with great fanfare.

The city guards had already received instructions and allowed them to pass without hindrance.

Accompanied by loud horn blasts, a magnificent team of Gryphon Knights strode proudly into the city from the North City Gate.

The Gryphons were massive, imposing like walking mountains, their sharp claws comparable to millstones, their wings spread wide enough to cover the sky and sun, each flap generating strong airflow.

When the magnificent team of Gryphon Knights entered from the North City Gate, it caused a great sensation.

"This... what kind of monster is this? How can a lion and an eagle give birth to such a colossal creature?"

On the streets, the people whispered to each other, their faces filled with fear and curiosity.

"Old Bro, do you know what kind of monster this is? It looks like a hybrid of a lion and an eagle?"

"Shh—be quiet! Don't provoke them! Such a giant beast could blow you away to the horizon with a single breath!"

The old man beside him hurriedly pulled his companion, his eyes full of awe.

...

Ordinary people had never seen such a setup.

The Gryphons, which in their eyes were like primeval beasts, were now obediently submitting to humans, willing to become mounts!

This undoubtedly instantly labeled the Abyss Church as having "terrifying strength" in their hearts.

The grandeur of this team far surpassed that of the guardian Knights of other churches in Hua Lai City, causing exclamations and commotion wherever they went.

Such a mighty and imposing army was unique in Hua Lai City.

Putting everything else aside, just based on their appearance, they were more than a notch stronger than the guardian Knights of other churches.

Having received notification in advance, the city guards had cleared the main roads within the city early to welcome this special team.

Despite this, due to the large size of the team and the relatively narrow streets, it took the Abyss Church a full half-day to travel from the North City Gate to the South City District.

What? You ask why they didn't just enter from the South City Gate?

Abandoning such a good advertising effect?

Walking this path, at least half the city's population saw our powerful Abyss Church!

Under the covert operations of the Night Shadow Church, the officials of Hua Lai City gave the Abyss Church the green light.

Not only did they cooperate all the way, but with a grand wave of their hand, they also allocated a large piece of prime land in the bustling South City District as the site for their temple.

The Church of Craftsmen and Hammers undertook the construction of the grand cathedral, and with the blessing of divine magic, the construction project of the church rapidly commenced.

In just two days, a magnificent Abyss Grand Cathedral rose from the ground.

The cathedral adopted a black Gothic architectural style, incorporating strange Abyss elements, making it appear mysterious and eerie.

On the towering spires reaching into the clouds, various forms of Demons were carved, their twisted faces seemingly narrating the terror of the Abyss.

On the surface of the spires, faint Abyss magic patterns shimmered, emitting a faint blue light.

Looking up from below, a strong visual impact surged forth, giving a sense of soaring towards the sky while also making one feel as if they were falling into an endless Abyss.

Above the cathedral's main gate hung the holy emblem of the Abyss Church.

A vertical pupil was in the center, with a constantly rotating vortex in the iris, causing dizziness after staring for a moment.

A purple ring surrounded the vertical pupil, engraved with mysterious runes, faintly emitting an evil and enticing aura.

This unique holy emblem not only adorned the cathedral but was also painted on the clothing and armor of monks and guardian Knights, becoming a distinct symbol of the Abyss Church.

Inside the temple, a colossal statue of the Lord of the Abyss stood tall.

The statue was sculpted based on Ye Chen, who sat on a throne made of obsidian, the surface of the throne covered with twisted Demon faces, as if struggling in pain.

Ye Chen tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest, a playful smile on his lips, his handsome face revealing a hint of wickedness.

Unlike the solemn and dignified statues of other denominations, this statue of the Lord of the Abyss was full of a cynical temperament.

And the Archbishop was very satisfied with this, as in his opinion, this was the most authentic appearance of the Lord of the Abyss.

He is the personification of chaos, the embodiment of eternal Darkness, and the dark side of all things in the world.

Subsequently, the Archbishop personally took up the pen and wrote the holy scripture, doctrines, and hymns of the Abyss Church, completing the elements required for a complete church one by one.

After everything was ready, the Abyss Church officially launched its plan to recruit believers.

To attract the public, the Archbishop held a grand seven-day celebration in the cathedral.

During the celebration, melodious hymns echoed inside and outside the cathedral, and free "holy communion" was available for people to enjoy.

The public was already full of curiosity about this powerful emerging church, and now with free food, their enthusiasm was even higher.

The officials of Hua Lai City also showed their support, with people coming daily to listen to the doctrines, adding a touch of solemnity to the celebration.

On the third day of the celebration, the Archbishop dropped a bombshell—because the Tax Official of Hua Lai City had devout faith and generously donated one hundred thousand gold coins as "offerings" to the church, he was specially granted eternal life and transcendent power!

This was naturally a play directed and performed by the Archbishop himself, as for the Tax Official...

He had long since become a loyal believer of the Abyss.

Upon hearing this, the people present immediately erupted in an uproar.

In their understanding, eternal life had always been the privilege of gods, and transcendent power was exclusively for the upper class.

Just as everyone was shocked, a "blessing ceremony" officially began.

Under the Archbishop's guidance, the Tax Official was bathed in holy light, accompanied by mysterious chanting, a dazzling divine light descended from the sky.

The figure of the Tax Official slowly rose in the divine light, and when the light dissipated, he had actually mastered the power of Darkness.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, he casually condensed a Dark magic orb, which whistled towards a rock over half a meter high, instantly shattering it.

This scene completely ignited the atmosphere, the people looking at the Tax Official, who had just been an ordinary person, their eyes full of envy and longing.

Even if eternal life was not possible, if they could change their destiny and become transcendent beings through this, it would be a great opportunity!

Just one hundred thousand gold coins...

For ordinary people, they couldn't earn that much gold in a lifetime.

But the Archbishop's performance was not over yet.

To further demonstrate the marvel of "eternal life", a guardian Knight stepped forward, his longsword unsheathed, the cold light glinting.

The Tax Official confidently closed his eyes, spread his arms, and calmly accepted this fatal blow.

The Knight cleanly swung the sword, and the Tax Official's head instantly flew off.

Blood spurted out, and the people who were feasting wildly at the scene were first struck by a deathly silence, followed by gasps and commotion...