Chapter 205

Flying dust blanketed the entire training ground. The silver sword, carrying a chilling killing intent, reflected sharply in Ye Zheng’s eyes. She was somewhat surprised, Bai Muqing had actually chosen close-quarters combat.

Bai Muqing’s vision relied on her ability. Its strength lay in an extremely wide field of view, but its weakness was that its detail capture was inferior compared to normal sight. Drawing her sword for close combat wasn’t an advantageous choice for her.

Ye Zheng flipped her wrist and drew her golden sword to block. A clear, ringing clang echoed out as the two blades collided, and their gazes locked onto each other.

Bai Muqing’s eyes had always been devoid of emotion, like an endless snowfield. While the two held their swords locked in a contest of strength, Ye Zheng looked into the other party’s eyes and asked with curiosity, “Why did you suddenly start using a sword?”

“A sword is a knight’s glory.”

Bai Muqing’s reply was concise. Suddenly, Ye Zheng felt a strong wave of dizziness crash over her, accompanied by a sharp ringing in her ears. Her grip loosened for just a moment, and the opponent’s silver sword seized that instant to press forward, striking her weapon out of her hand.

Ye Zheng retreated quickly, dodging the flash of silver light. She lifted her hand to the side, and the threads of water wrapped around her wrist and her sword tightened abruptly, dragging the hilt straight back into her grasp.

This was her first true, official exchange of blows with Bai Muqing. Bai Muqing’s 【Divine Domain】 was an ability that imposed an absolute, ruling authority within a defined range. From their earlier clash, it was clear that the closer one moved toward Bai Muqing herself, the stronger and more oppressive her control became, reaching the point where it could directly interfere with and influence the opponent’s body and even their mind.

Ye Zheng understood now why Bai Muqing trained so rigorously in close-quarters combat. The nearer one closed in on the enemy, the more dangerous the situation became, yet at the same time, it allowed her to push her ability to its absolute limits and fullest potential.

As for why she had chosen the sword as her weapon, it was likely exactly as Bai Muqing had said, “A sword is a knight’s glory.” Even though swordsmanship was no longer the primary standard used to measure a knight’s strength after abilities had emerged and taken precedence, that sense of tradition and honor tied to the blade had never truly disappeared. Since Bai Muqing had chosen the path of a knight, she would hold herself to those strict ideals and demand that she embody the knightly code without compromise.

Ye Zheng’s eyes curved slightly, a soft, knowing smile forming. Bai Muqing was also using this sparring match as a way to push beyond her own limits and test the boundaries of her strength. Ye Zheng found that she genuinely liked this kind of fight.

At the center of the training ground, the two figures moved in constant motion, drawing near and pulling apart in rapid succession. At times they clashed head-on, and at others they circled at a distance. The sharp flashes of sword light intertwined with the swirling sand and scattered stones lifted by their abilities, creating a chaotic rhythm that never seemed to settle.

They continued like this until the sun had climbed high into the sky. Only then did the two of them gradually come to a stop, as if by unspoken agreement. Ye Zheng bent down, picked up the sword that had fallen onto the ground, slid it back into its sheath, and then held out a handkerchief to Bai Muqing so she could wipe away the sweat on her face. Even in winter, it was still easy to catch a cold; no matter how strong an ability user’s body might be, it wasn’t something they could afford to take lightly or ignore.

“Ye Zheng, you’re stronger than me. I hope that in our next spar, I can push you to use your full strength.”

Bai Muqing took the handkerchief and suddenly spoke.

Her 【Divine Domain】 allowed her to perceive the flow of energy within others. During this period, Ye Zheng’s ability had increased at a startling rate. She didn’t know the exact reason, but from their clash just now, it seemed that Ye Zheng had gained a second ability besides 【Stream】.

Although dual-ability users were rare within the empire, Bai Muqing had encountered quite a few before. However, Ye Zheng’s second ability was clearly no ordinary one. When she tried to use 【Divine Domain】 to probe further, a chill rising from the depths of her heart abruptly stopped her.

Even Sykes’s SSS-Class 【Destruction】 didn’t carry such an overwhelming pressure.

Noticing Bai Muqing’s tightly pressed lips, a trace of helpless amusement flickered in Ye Zheng’s eyes. She said, “Alright. Next time, let’s switch to a more open field.”

It wasn’t that she was looking down on Bai Muqing. She still couldn’t fully control 【Mother of All Things】. For now, she could use 【Stream】 to carry the immense power of 【Mother of All Things】 and command the life activity in any place the water flowed, but she couldn’t control it with fine precision. It was too easy to cause irreversible damage.

The two walked side by side toward the base cafeteria and chatted for a while. Bai Muqing soon relaxed, a faint smile appearing on her face like thin snow beneath the winter sun.

After finishing lunch, the two returned to their respective places. Ye Zheng headed back to the Papal Palace, quietly thinking along the way that once the church’s finances became more abundant, she had to remember to improve everyone’s cafeteria meals.

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『Reminder: The manga has updated!』

The moment Ye Zheng returned to the Papal Palace and settled into the high-backed chair, the system’s voice rang out. She pulled out her phone and checked the newest manga update.

As soon as she opened it, Pei Xi’s face filled the entire screen. Ever since he’d fled to the Western District, Ye Zheng hadn’t received any reports about them from the church. The only way she could track his movements now was through the manga itself.

As she read through Pei Xi’s latest experiences, she saw that he had actually sneaked into Sela’s territory and, by sheer coincidence, run into Lu Qi, who was in the middle of escaping. The four of them ended up alerting the guards by accident. After a fierce battle, they managed to break free and escape Sela’s territory together.

There were also scenes involving her and Sykes. It turned out that Sykes’s real birthday fell on the exact same day as hers. Ye Zheng’s mood turned strangely sour, like stepping on something filthy while walking down the street.

Ye Zheng rested her forehead against one hand, her dark eyes flickering with shifting light.

Sela definitely wouldn’t let Pei Xi off. Now that she was operating in the Western District, capturing someone would likely be even more efficient than the church itself.

After a brief moment of thought, Ye Zheng picked up a pen and began writing a secret letter.

She wanted to secretly help the Cloud Soarers team escape Sela’s pursuit.

In the original plot, Sela had been nothing more than a lone wolf with limited power, just a minor obstacle along the protagonist team’s path. But now, she could easily become a source of major trouble for the group.

Ye Zheng needed the Cloud Soarers team to be present, just as they had been in the original storyline.

Even if Pei Xi might end up bringing her trouble, there were still certain mysteries, such as the divine blood and the divine sword in his possession, that required him to appear and provide new clues.

In the original plot, it had been perfectly natural for Pei Xi to attend his teammate Ye Zheng’s coming-of-age ceremony. But now, Pei Xi had absolutely no reason to show up at Pope Ye Zheng’s birthday celebration. Ye Zheng’s pen paused briefly before she finally set it down.

She believed in the pull of the plot. Pei Xi would definitely find a reason to appear at the coming-of-age ceremony.

Ye Zheng lowered her gaze to the golden sword in Pei Xi’s hand on the screen. It looked far heavier than those forged by the royal family. She had once held its hilt herself, and it had been impossibly heavy, to the point that she couldn’t even draw it.

The coming-of-age ceremony would be held on a grand and lively scale. On that day, as the Papess, she would preach and pray in the square before the imperial palace. For this occasion, the Upper District would open a limited number of entry slots to residents from the Lower and Middle Districts. The entire empire would take part in the grand celebration.

That day would be the perfect opportunity for Pei Xi and the others to sneak into the Upper District and the imperial palace.

“He’ll definitely show up at the palace carrying the divine sword.”

『But wouldn’t sneaking into the palace basically be throwing themselves straight into a trap?』

The system couldn’t stop itself from asking. Ye Zheng had been issuing arrest warrants for them this entire time, so why would they be foolish enough to break into her celebration?

Ye Zheng smiled, not a trace of warmth in it, her dark eyes deep and impossible to read. She said, “Pei Xi already knows I used a fake sword to deceive the world. At this point, he and I are absolute enemies.”

“However, the gap in strength between us is far too wide. If he wants to expose the truth about the God’s Chosen, his words alone don’t carry nearly enough weight.”

The system immediately understood.

『I get it.』

『I just ran a data analysis. The probability that Pei Xi will choose to reveal the truth to the emperor is 55%.』

“Too low.”

Ye Zheng didn’t know what kind of logic the system used for its analysis, but to her, the probability was practically close to one hundred percent. After all, the emperor had already planted people inside the Cloud Soarers team, keeping close to Pei Xi at all times.

Even if Pei Xi had no intention of seeking help from the emperor, the emperor would quietly steer him down that path.

The system’s voice carried a faint hint of concern.

『Aren’t you afraid your fake God’s Chosen identity will be exposed?』

The system had watched Ye Zheng climb step by step to her current position. It knew exactly how hard it had been for her to reach where she stood now, like balancing at the very top of a fragile, teetering pyramid.

Once the real divine sword appeared before the public, it would seriously threaten Pope Ye Zheng’s legitimacy. The church still wasn’t fully under her control, and plenty of people with disloyal intentions were already stirring in the shadows. The system didn’t dare imagine just how dire Ye Zheng’s situation would become.

『Maybe you should stop Pei Xi from entering the Upper District…』

“System, you understand the pull of the plot better than I do.”

“Besides…”

Ye Zheng slid her fingertip across the phone screen. A horrifying scene abruptly came into view: the sky looked almost torn apart, countless monsters bared their claws and fangs, and crowds of people were fleeing in panic in every direction.

This was the latest spoiler.

“Time waits for no one.”

Before that world-destroying disaster arrived, she had to uncover the secrets behind the Demonic dragon and the divine sword, even if it meant risking everything she’d built.

✧✧✧✧✧

One week later.

The broad, spotless streets of the Upper District usually welcomed a calm, unhurried flow of people. Today, however, the streets were jammed with surging crowds, making the atmosphere unusually lively.

Today was His Holiness the Papess’s birthday celebration, as well as her cherished coming-of-age ceremony. She’d generously invited citizens from across the empire to take part in the festivities and bask in the gospel. It was a rare occasion of celebration for the empire in recent months.

A group of tightly bundled young men listened as a middle-aged person beside them went on and on, boasting about how he’d secured one of the precious entry slots. Their expressions couldn’t hide their impatience and discomfort. Pei Xi quickly came up with an excuse and led his teammates out of the Lower District queue.

The Upper District couldn’t possibly open its gates to everyone. Even for a one-day event, the church had set a quota for each district and then fairly allocated the slots through a drawing.

Pei Xi cast a glance at his teammate Roy. Their slots hadn’t come from luck, of course; Roy had secured them.

Roy refused to tell them how he’d gotten the slots, but regardless of the method, they’d finally entered the Upper District according to plan.

Pei Xi subconsciously pressed down on the sword hidden beneath his cloak. His gaze shifted toward the resplendent palace in the distance, his solemn expression laced with conflicted emotions.

“Let’s go. We’ll follow the crowd to the imperial palace.”

A moment later, Pei Xi spoke in a low voice and took the lead, heading toward the imperial palace.

Bang!

Brilliant fireworks burst in the sky, scattering colorful streamers across the streets of the Upper District. At the same time, a loud boom erupted from a certain shelter in the Lower District. A solid wall collapsed with a crash. Amid the churning smoke and dust, a figure slowly stepped out. Golden pupils fixed on a distant point.

Inside the Papal Palace, Ye Zheng set the ornate triple crown upon her head. She walked to the window and, as if sensing something, looked into the distance.

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Authors Note  

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Many adults have been asking about Ye Zheng’s birthday. To keep things in sync with reality, I’m planning to set it on the day the chapter where Zheng kills Sykes is released. It should be sometime this week?