The Evil God Summoned by the Saintess-Chapter 70 - 68: I Just Want to Kill Them All! (Third Update)
The surrounding environment gradually turned desolate.
Hilia sensed a faint yet persistent pollution in the air.
There was also a strange fluctuation, similar to Demonic Qi pollution, making people feel very uncomfortable.
That was Deathly Miasma.
Such peculiar fluctuations only appeared in places where mass deaths had occurred, or where High-tier beings perished unexpectedly, their resentful souls refusing to dissipate for ages.
Quite a few plants thrived in these special environments, like the Undying Tree, Ghost Fruit, and so on.
Hilia didn’t fly ahead of the others. She followed unhurriedly behind, listening to their deliberately disguised conversation.
When she felt the Deathly Miasma and pollution intensifying, she observed everyone’s expression, but none appeared uncomfortable—it was as if they’d long grown used to it.
"Even if they’re not heretics, anyone living near Dusk Town must have become used to pollution and Deathly Miasma by now, right?"
Hilia mused to herself.
But, with long-term exposure to pollution in Dusk Town, can people really live there?
"Are you going to Dusk Town?" Hilia asked Beck.
"No, Twilight Tomb isn’t near Dusk Town," Beck shook his head.
Fei Qi chuckled, "That’s a cemetery—who would build their town right next to a graveyard?"
Hilia didn’t say anything and was about to look up how the residents of Dusk Town survived, but when she tapped her wristband, she realized she already had no signal.
The girl rubbed her brow, feeling very much in pain.
"Why does this crappy network never work anywhere..."
Rose saw it and shook his head too.
"Back in my time, except for a few uninhabited areas, everywhere had network access. Even in the uninhabited zone, you could broadcast a distress signal on a special frequency to the Star Spirit Tree."
Hilia asked curiously, "The books say that before you started the God War, you burned the Star Spirit Tree. If the Star Spirit Tree is the root of the Magic Network, wouldn’t burning it cut off the entire world from the network?"
"The Star Spirit Tree only played a supporting role. In areas without signal, it gave people a slim hope for rescue. But seriously, who would use the Star Spirit Tree as the actual medium for the network?"
Rose smiled, "If burning the Star Spirit Tree meant the whole world lost contact, wouldn’t that be funny?"
"Uh..."
Hilia stayed silent. After all, the Star Spirit Network was named after using the Star Spirit Tree as its source.
"The Star Spirit Tree... isn’t that easy to burn..."
Hilia’s voice lacked conviction as she said it.
Because Rose had done so before.
"By the way, Mr. Rose, why did you burn the Star Spirit Tree? It was perfectly fine..."
Rose replied blandly, "Burning the Star Spirit Tree was a prerequisite for starting the God War. Back then, the Star Spirit Tree had been drained of too much power and was close to withering. Rather burn it and let it be reborn."
"The Star Spirit Tree was drained of its power?"
"Yes. Ordinary people can’t absorb its power, but the Gods can. They shamelessly drew energy from the Star Spirit Tree to strengthen themselves, turning its color from gold to crimson. The Abyss first began appearing during this transformation."
"What?"
Hilia’s body jolted.
"The Abyss is related to the Star Spirit Tree?"
"It’s the pollution you mentioned—that’s what relates to the Star Spirit Tree," Rose corrected. Then he added, "But that was a thousand years ago. The current pollution has nothing whatsoever to do with the Star Spirit Tree."
"I see."
Hilia felt she’d gained yet another piece of unfathomable knowledge.
"The Star Spirit Tree is still distant from you. For now, basic understanding is enough. When you have the strength for a Star Spirit Tree expedition someday, then you’ll get to see it for yourself."
"I’d like to see what the root of the Star Spirit Network looks like too."
Hilia looked up at the sky.
In the sky, she could vaguely make out a glimmer of golden branches.
The Star Spirit Tree stood at the center of Starfall Continent—no matter where you were, you could see it.
The place was occupied by the Elf Race, and the Star Spirit Network was maintained by them, too.
Chatting with Rose about history all along the way, it wasn’t long before Hilia saw the crowd up ahead stop in their tracks.
"We’re at the edge of Twilight Tomb," Beck said. "But we won’t go in yet. We’ll wait for the Holy Court’s team to come out first, then go in."
Beck and the others dismounted and, as if well-accustomed, found a spot of empty ground and started a fire.
By now, it was nearly noon—time for lunch.
Hilia looked ahead.
Despite the sunny weather, a layer of gray mist shrouded the way forward. Everything was blurred; she could only make out a few crooked gravestones scattered around.
Like some chaotic grave pit.
"Hey, Mire Brothers, come have a seat. Quit gawking, nothing interesting to see," Beck called.
Hilia walked over, sat down at a distance, and responded perfunctorily. She stayed that way until a sound drifted from the direction of Twilight Tomb.
She saw a group stride out from the heart of the cemetery, full of vigor. The one in front wore clerical attire and chatted, laughing with his companion.
"They’re really people from the Holy Court."
Hilia was shocked.
Weren’t these people from the Dusk Sect? How did they know the Holy Court was sending a mission?
Plus, what exactly was the Holy Court doing here?
Certainly not sending a ’clean-up crew’ against the Dusk Sect, right?
As soon as Hilia had this thought, she saw Beck stand up and greet them.
"Hey, Priest Wagner, congratulations!"
"And you are?" The priest called Wagner paused, scanning Beck’s group with mild confusion.
"I’m Suna’s hound—the leader of the Dusk Investigation Team, here at Lady Suna’s order to investigate Twilight Tomb. You may not know me, but I’ve long heard of your great name. With you watching over Dawn City, no heretic can cause any trouble!"
As he spoke, Beck warmly shook Wagner’s hand.
Feeling the hard object in his palm, Wagner smiled. "Ah, Suna’s Dusk Investigation Team. I’ve heard of you all—an excellent squad. We’ve already cleared out the heretics and dangerous Demons from Twilight Tomb, you can go in without worry."
As he talked, Wagner’s gaze swept across everyone’s faces, lingering at last on Hilia, with a flash of pity and mockery in his eyes.
"Is this your newest member?" he asked, looking at Hilia.
Beck nodded enthusiastically.
"Very good, very good. Work hard with the Dusk Investigation Team. If you have nothing else, come to the Dawn Divine Hall for prayer—let the God’s teachings and guidance illuminate you."
Hilia listened to Wagner’s words, dazed for a moment.
She scrutinized him and confirmed Wagner was no imposter. He didn’t conceal his Holy Word Skill; that suffocating sacred Magic Power was obvious.
Overflowing sacred Magic Power—and that look, the kind that takes heretic bribes, helps heretics, then sells them out without the slightest hesitation—made Hilia’s chest feel unbearably stifled.
Her fist slowly clenched.
She squeezed out a reluctant smile. "Thank you, Priest. Did you go to purge heretics just now?"
"Yes, we just eliminated a batch of Dusk Sect strongholds that had started up again. As long as I’m the presiding priest here, the Dusk Sect won’t dare stir up anything near Dawn City."
He spoke righteously—if Hilia hadn’t known in advance that Beck’s people were from the Dusk Sect, she might have believed him.
Hilia’s fist clenched tighter.
Rage shot from her body to her mind, and a reckless idea surfaced—
Kill all of them!
Her Magic Power started to stir restlessly.
