Chapter 527: Myself from Another World Line
The night had fallen, and the obscure night sky was devoid of stars and moon, like an eternal darkness descending upon the land, threatening to devour every colorful thing.
Around the hospital camp stood four statues-a valiant general, an elegant middle-aged scholar, a kind elder, and a pure maiden. The statues seemed to form a boundary between light and darkness, with an abyssal darkness outside and the bright, bustling camp buildings inside.
In the office at the top of the hospital, she observed as the disciples below began their nightly Carnival-bloody Deathmatches, procreation, storytelling, games, and entertainment. Not only the disciples of the Four Pillars Cult but even the captured Tribulation Fire sorcerers, who once practiced abstinence, quickly assimilated without the slightest resistance.
No one found it strange, as other Four Pillars disciples were followers of other Demi-Gods just days, months, or years ago. Once they lost their Demi-God, they were instantly drawn to the Four Pillars, abandoning untouchable ideals and readily embracing a life of indulgence.
Let alone these ascetic Tribulation Fire sorcerers, who were the most prone to fall. They believed they were resisting desire and Tribulation Fire through sheer willpower, unaware that this resistance was itself an influence of the Tribulation Fire. The more they drew from it, the deeper they became infected, gradually transforming into tireless, selfless, and desireless beings.
However, saying “infected by Tribulation Fire” would clearly provoke resentment. Instead, framing it as “resisting Tribulation Fire to maintain will” gained the disciples’ support. Among the various cults of the Land of Senlo, the Tribulation Fire Temple differed from others by not demanding its disciples’ wholehearted devotion. Instead, it required them to be wary of Tribulation Fire, to resist and examine it, making it the cult with the strongest cohesion and a formidable competitor in the divine wars.
Yet, she glanced at the Flaming White Tiger on her shoulder and the other slumbering Demi-Gods in the office.
Losing Demi-Gods meant losing everything.
In this long night, one could only rely on two things for protection: ideals and desires-or perhaps, these two were essentially one and the same.