165: Since you have seen the Holy Light, why don't you worship it?

Boom!!!

A dull, thunderous sound caused the entire Oak Tree City to tremble.

Dust簌簌 fell from the dome of the Oak Tree Cathedral.

Celestine leaned against the Platinum Throne, feeling the undisguised Demonic Path aura from afar, as well as another aura of Holy Light that was pure to the extreme.

A hint of interest finally appeared on her beautiful, emotionless face.

“Then, I can speed up my progress,” she murmured softly.

...

At the same time, in the rich district.

Large areas of buildings had been completely reduced to ruins.

A terrifying humanoid figure, composed of countless dark spirals, hovered in mid-air, Li Ke a demon god extending its arm from the abyss.

Boom!!!

Hatties swung his hand forward fiercely.

The giant spiral humanoid swung in sync, and the terrifying Spiral Force tightly enveloped the tall platinum armor, savagely tearing it apart.

However, Tyr was burning with a blazing, dazzling Holy Light, having clearly activated the [Martyr’s Flame]!

He had offered his Soul, reason, and life entirely to the Holy Light.

Now, he was completely supported by that trace of divinity within him.

Hum...

Hum hum...

Six blazing white [Ring of Rejection] continuously circulated around Tyr.

Each halo represented an absolute force of resistance, firmly blocking Hatties’s power, which was enough to distort space.

Whenever Hatties forcefully shattered a few of the [Ring of Rejection] on him, a vast power would surge from deep within his Divine Soul, regenerating the halos.

But even so, his indestructible platinum armor was still emitting a groan of unbearable strain under the continuous crushing of the Spiral Force, gradually twisting and deforming.

“Is this divinity?”

Dark spirals rotated in Hatties’s eyes.

He took a step forward, his figure abruptly disappearing from his original spot.

The next moment, Hatties appeared silently behind Tyr.

His terrifying aura began to converge inward, and the terrifying spiral humanoid connecting heaven and earth slowly dissipated with it.

Meanwhile, Tyr’s massive body stood rigidly in place, unmoving.

At some point, a strangely shaped dagger, wrapped in a faint divinity, was already plunged into his chest.

It was precisely the [Divine Judgment Blade of the Court of Suffering]!

Li Ke had given this divine weapon to Hatties long ago after some research.

Although the divinity attached to the dagger was faint, its rank was the same as the trace of Holy Light divinity deep within Tyr’s Soul.

Furthermore, Tyr’s trace of divinity had already been mostly consumed.

As one diminished and the other grew, the two divinities collided and annihilated each other, rapidly dissipating.

“Hoo…”

The blazing white Holy Light in Tyr’s eyes visibly dimmed.

Gradually, they returned to being human eyes, slightly bewildered.

He stared blankly ahead, as if finally waking from a long dream, and a strong sense of sorrow began to well up in his eyes.

“Ayla…”

He uttered a name with his last ounce of strength.

Immediately, the vitality in his eyes completely dissipated.

“Today, my cultivation reaches Perfection, and I attain the White Bone Vajra…”

Just then, a chanting sound suddenly came from within Tyr’s body.

In the Void Realm next to him, white bone figures began to emerge, dancing a strange dance around him.

The color of Tyr’s corpse began to fade rapidly, as if turning into an ink wash painting.

Finally, he transformed into a giant holding a vajra, with a furious expression, and then, Li Ke a bubble, slowly disappeared from the air.

Hatties stood behind Tyr, watching him gradually disappear.

He squinted slightly, and his face, covered by a bloody vortex mask, turned towards the Oak Tree Cathedral.

...

At the same time, in Oak Tree City, countless believers draped in white cloth, Li Ke a tide drawn by a summons, emerged from every corner, forming pale streams of people that converged towards the cathedral.

“Life is Li Ke a festering sore, death Li Ke a blooming lotus; in the bitter sea of Reincarnation, white bones serve as rafts.”

“Anger, delusion, resentment, and poison all turn into phosphorescent flames; love and desire, though entangled, ultimately become dust.”

“All people in the world are greedy for pleasure and delight in misfortune, engaging in much killing and strife. This defiled world of five turbidities is a bitter sea of right and wrong…”

“Therefore, the holy fire descends from the heavens, burning away all worldly things…”

They continuously chanted, their voices spreading in all directions.

Facing the spreading wilting disease in the city, most people in the city were already wavering in their will.

Under the influence of the [Boddhisatva Heart Sound], more and more people rapidly converted into devout believers, joining the crowd one after another.

Streams of invisible Power Of Faith rose from them, all pouring into the cathedral.

“Hoo…”

Celestine slightly parted her cherry lips, inhaling strands of pure faith.

The tip of one lotus petal on the illusory white bone lotus platform beneath her actually showed a hint of a pale, almost tangible texture.

“Indeed, the evil demon has already infiltrated the interior of the cathedral.”

Just then, in the corridor of the cathedral hall, an old figure in an old gray Cultivator robe slowly emerged; it was Cultivator A'duo.

And from the other entrances of the cathedral, figures in gray Cultivator robes also emerged.

Several Cultivators who had been living deep within the cathedral had all appeared.

“The loss of Power Of Faith, did you think we wouldn’t notice?”

The Cultivators, with serious expressions, quietly surrounded Celestine.

“Venerable A'duo, you are too attached to external appearances.”

Above the main hall, Celestine’s compassionate and ethereal voice was heard.

A pure Holy Light slowly lit up in her hand, actually stirring the vast Power Of Faith accumulated for a thousand years deep within the cathedral, echoing it from afar.

“Venerable, what do you consider Holy Light to be?”

“Holy Light is the radiance of our Lord! Evil demon, how dare you speak of Holy Light?!”

Cultivator A'duo’s voice suppressed a towering rage.

“Tell me! How did you deceive the Holy Light and steal the Power Of Faith?”

A compassionate smile appeared on Celestine’s face.

“Venerable’s understanding of Holy Light is too narrow.”

“Holy Light exists within all things.”

“Faith is Holy Light, Soul is Holy Light, the body is Holy Light…”

“White bones, too, are Holy Light…”

“I am Holy Light itself, why would I need to deceive?”

The moment her words fell, the white bone lotus platform beneath Celestine suddenly burst into brilliant light!

The light was even purer and more sacred than the Holy Light in the main hall!

Beneath the lotus platform, countless eerie skeletons were piled up Li Ke mountains, quietly burning with pure white flames, emitting a terrifying aura that purified everything.

“Listen, the true voice of Holy Light…”

Outside the Oak Tree Cathedral, at some unknown point, it had been surrounded by dense crowds of White Bone Gospel Society believers.

They continuously chanted scriptures, their voices penetrating the walls and echoing into the interior of the cathedral.

“Bodhi is not a tree; only withered bones can attest to true Suchness…”

“The clear mirror is not a stand; only still water reflects the great expanse…”

The faces of the Cultivators changed drastically.

Dazzling Holy Light illuminated their bodies one after another, and they continuously recited prayers, their aura fluctuating violently, seemingly struggling fiercely against some invisible force.

Meanwhile, Celestine, with a compassionate expression, sat cross-legged Li Ke a Boddhisatva at the very top of the main hall.

With one hand forming the Precious Vase Mudra and the other holding a flower, she began to chant with a compassionate and majestic voice.

“Where the Heart Sound reaches, all beings return to dust…”

“White bones as form, Boddhisatvas naturally manifest solemnity…”

Boom!

Above the cathedral, the illusory divine statue, formed by countless gathered incense and faith, actually performed the exact same actions as Celestine!

Outside the cathedral, countless believers also performed the same actions!

At this moment, their bodies burst into flames, transforming into clusters of white bone holy fire!

The chanting grew grander and more sacred, as if coming from beyond the heavens…

Meanwhile, the Holy Light around the Cultivators flickered unsteadily, Li Ke candles in the wind.

Pfft…

Suddenly, white flames began to burn on the body of the outermost Cultivator.

The prayer he was reciting inexplicably turned into scripture.

Then, it was the second, the third…

More and more Cultivators began to burn with white bone holy fire, and their mouths began to recite the same scripture.

Finally, when all the gathered believers outside the cathedral had completely burned away, transforming into wisps of pure incense and fully merging into the divine statue above, the chanting in the main hall slowly subsided, and everything returned to dead silence.

From the very top, Celestine’s compassionate and ethereal voice was heard.

“Boddhisatva asks the Venerables, what is Holy Light?”

Below, the Cultivators replied in unison, “Li Ke a dream, Li Ke dew, and Li Ke lightning…”

“Li Ke spirit, Li Ke flesh, Li Ke white bones…”

Celestine’s face showed a compassionate smile, “Since you have seen Holy Light, why do you not bow?”

All the Cultivators devoutly knelt towards Celestine.

“Good.”

“You shall be my White Bone Arhats.”

Celestine raised her delicate hand, and a scroll flew out of thin air, slowly unfolding in mid-air.

All the Cultivators’ flesh and blood instantly peeled away, transforming into white bone forms burning with holy fire, and were all sucked into the scroll.

In the painting, they assumed various poses, some lying, some sitting, some laughing heartily, all lifelike…