Quadruple split.

Chapter 2650 The Conspiracy of a Stillbirth

If it weren't for the autumn plague...

If Xia Lian hadn't been seriously injured...

Misha County will not only continue to be devastated, but it is also uncertain whether he and Xia Lian will be able to return to the Holy Church Union alive.

Yu Chen stared wide-eyed at the serene and gentle dark goddess in front of her, unable to utter a single word for a moment.

Perhaps it was because of the 'favor' that connected the two of them, or perhaps it was Delia's calm and magnanimous eyes, but Yu Chen did not doubt that the other party was deceiving her. Instead, she subconsciously chose to believe and was shocked by the fact.

"Very good, it seems you don't think I'm lying."

Delia smiled, not surprised, and said softly, "So, you want me to explain everything to you properly from beginning to end?"

Yu Chen nodded slightly and said seriously, "If it won't be too troublesome, please be sure to let me know the whole story."

"Okay, then I'll give you a brief explanation."

Delia, who didn't care much about the passage of time in [Extreme Fantasy], smiled and explained gently: "First of all, the beginning of this matter should be that you, as the newly appointed saintess of the Dawn Cult, received a trivial task, which was to lead a team of paladins to investigate a certain monster that was active in the southern part of the City of Light at that time, right?"

Yu Chen nodded vigorously. Of course, she would not forget this point, because it was not only the first time she had left the City of Light since she entered the [Innocent Realm], but also the opportunity that led to her becoming acquainted with someone later during the mission.

That's the monster that caused a commotion near Saint Prey Town, whose appearance is exactly the same as Black Van in the game and Mo Tan in real life, practically a monster carved from the same mold.

"Could it be that!"

Yu Chen was startled by her own guess and exclaimed, "That monster is actually..."

"I'm sorry, my dear, that monster is just an ordinary monster. Of course, it may not be so ordinary, but in any case, its existence has nothing to do with some guys who only dare to cause trouble in the gutter."

Delia, who saw what Yu Chen was thinking, shook her head, then changed the subject and said lightly, "However... the fact that your Dawn Cult received the news and concluded that the monster incident was perfect for you, the newly appointed Holy Maiden, to boost your achievements is indeed because those people exerted influence in the shadows."

Yu Chen nodded, still a little shaken: "Then Sister Xia Lian..."

"Xia Lian's coming to find you is also part of their plan."

The Goddess of Darkness chuckled and said leisurely, "You can think of it this way: a group of people used information about tracking down a certain monster to give the Dawn Cult a good opportunity to send you out. Then, the same group of people found a way to inform the Dawn Cult that there was something fishy about your being sent out, and if it's not handled properly, it could lead to a crisis."

Yu Chen was stunned again, and asked in bewilderment, "Why is that?"

"Of course, it's to lure out Xia Lian Zhuye."

Delia answered without hesitation, saying calmly, "That little girl not only holds a very high position in the Dawn Sect, but also has considerable influence within the entire Holy Church Alliance. Moreover, her strength is equally trustworthy. Even if the Dawn Sect belatedly realizes that you might be being plotted against, they would never have imagined that you would become the 'bait' they used to lure out Xia Lian. Because in the eyes of countless people, the most famous legendary female violent maniac in the Holy Church Alliance is an absolute piranha. She may be able to swallow the bait, bite through the line, capsize the boat, and kill people, but probably no one would think that she is the big fish that has been targeted."

Yu Chen nodded, unconditionally agreeing with Delia's statement. The reason was simple: in most people's eyes, the name Xia Lian Zhu Ye was not very related to the identity of 'victim', but rather very much a match for the word 'perpetrator'.

Objectively speaking, within the worldview of the "Innocent Realm," legendary-level powerhouses are essentially an unsolvable existence, akin to nuclear deterrence. It is precisely because their combat power cannot be measured by common sense that many forces impose numerous restrictions on them. As a legendary-level powerhouse who has been renowned for a long time, is proficient in divine arts and physical techniques, and has virtually no weaknesses, the very idea that Xia Lian Zhu Ye, a favored one of the gods, would encounter danger is, in the eyes of many, a false proposition.

It's good enough that she doesn't provoke others; anyone who dares to provoke her is asking for trouble.

It was precisely for this reason that when the Dawn Sect realized that their precious new Holy Maiden, Chen Wangyu, whom they cherished dearly, might be in danger, the Dawn Sect did not hesitate at all. They immediately found Xia Lian, who was unharmed and was also Yu Chen's mentor, and asked her to go to Saint Prey Town to pick up Yu Chen, who had successfully completed her mission, and bring her back to the City of Light.

"Until this point, everything was still under their control."

Delia gracefully crossed her legs and said softly, "After that, if things go according to their plan, you and Xia Lian will soon be trapped in a bizarre and grand ceremony. At that time, the Holy Church Alliance will lower their guard because Xia Lian is by your side. By the time they realize what's happening, the entire Misha County will be drawn into that ritual and become an aid in taking your lives."

Yu Chen pursed her lips, her face somewhat pale, and asked, "Even with Sister Xia Lian's strength, you can't solve this?"

"can."

Delia gave an unexpected answer, but then added, "However, the price would be your death. Considering that people didn't know much about the otherworldly beings at the time, even Xia Lian might have been cursed to death in that ritual in order to protect you."

"...!"

Yu Chen subconsciously clenched her hands, feeling a wave of fear wash over her.

"If Xia Lian sacrifices herself, she should be able to save you."

Delia's tone remained calm as she slowly said, "However, we all know that even if Xia Lian Zhuye sacrificed herself to protect you out of emotion, for the Holy Alliance and the Dawn Cult, the fall of such a saintess, who was almost a totem, would be an extremely significant blow. And that is exactly what those hiding in the gutter are happy to see."

Yu Chen took a deep breath and asked seriously, "So... who exactly are they? I've never heard of anything like the Archbishop of the End before."

"Because that's not something a good kid like you should know. If I'm not mistaken, there are probably fewer than ten people in the Holy Church Alliance who know about those people's existence, but I can tell you that."

Delia smiled slightly and added, "Only if you're willing to listen."

Yu Chen nodded without hesitation: "I want to know what the background is of the Archbishop of the End that you mentioned almost killed Sister Xia Lian."

“They are traitors to God.” Delia didn’t keep them in suspense but gave the answer directly: “They are madmen who were corrupted by the former God-Slaying Society, who bypassed the divine punishment mechanism through certain means, betrayed us gods, and vowed to exterminate us gods. And every Grand Archbishop of the End has held a high position in the church in the past without exception.”

"Traitor to God..."

Yu Chen repeated in a low voice, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, "Is it... only possible for the Holy Church to unite?"

"You're very perceptive, kid."

Delia smiled slightly and said softly, "Whether it is an ordinary traitor or the most insane traitor, the Archbishop of the End, whose mind has been almost completely twisted, they are not unique to the Holy Church Alliance. For example, the Archbishop who tried to kill Xia Lian in Misha County was a traitor of the Dark Night Cult and once believed in my Knight Commander Gregory."

Yu Chen's body stiffened, and he looked at Delia in disbelief, saying in astonishment, "But I remember that the Dark Night Cult's Knight Commander Gregory was already..."

"He died at the hands of Luca Tefiro."

Delia nodded and sighed silently: "Margaret found his body and buried him outside a small chapel according to the highest standards of the Dark Cult. However, three years later, the chapel was destroyed overnight without warning. At the same time, all the clergy inside died, and Gregory's body also disappeared."

Yu Chen didn't know what expression she should make, so she just listened silently.

“A few years later, Margaret… who is another of my followers besides you, was attacked while leading a large-scale worship service. The attacker was none other than Gregory, who should have been in eternal sleep but had become the Archbishop of the Last Days.”

Delia narrowed her eyes, a naked disgust flashing in them, and said coldly, "Gregory is a fanatic, with an irrational and unimaginable obsession with me, the goddess of darkness. This obsession has never been a good thing for Margaret, whom I favor. So... although he could restrain that disgusting desire back then, after completely betraying me and becoming the Archbishop of the End representing [Darkness], he clearly has no intention of continuing to suppress it."

Although Yu Chen didn't know Saint Margaret, she had heard Xia Lian talk about her deeds before, so she became nervous and hurriedly asked, "And then?"

“Don’t worry, child, Margaret is not harmed. Gregory was too impulsive. He knew perfectly well how foolish it was to oppose the chosen one in a large chapel, yet he was blinded by desire.”

Delia smiled and said softly, "Margaret fought bravely with the elite of the Inquisition and defeated Gregory and his army before dawn. Although the former knight commander eventually escaped, Margaret left a mark on him, a mark he was unaware of, so that she could track his movements in the future."

Yu Chen breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, saying, "That's good."

“This is not the attitude a Dawn Saintess should have, child, but as another Dark Saintess, you certainly have reason to be happy for Maggie’s safety.”

Delia winked slyly, then continued, "A few months ago, Margaret discovered that Gregory had appeared within the Holy Church Alliance's territory, so she sent people from the Inquisition to investigate. They eventually found that the entire Misha County had been included in a large-scale sacrificial ceremony, and after that... you know what happened next."

Yu Chen nodded with lingering fear, then hesitated and asked, "So the reason why that Knight Commander Gregory... I mean, the Archbishop of the End didn't ultimately take action was because of the plague caused by Wen Qiu?"

"And I."

Delia calmly gazed at Yu Chen and added, "That sudden plague delayed Xia Lian and your journey, and also made Gregory feel uneasy. However, this was not enough to make him give up his plan. It wasn't until I personally intervened and Xia Lian, who was in charge of the divine magic array, was severely injured by the backlash that the man who no longer believed in me gave up his plan. As for my loss, the mark that Margaret left in Gregory's body was discovered, and since then, it has been impossible to track that guy down."

Yu Chen nodded gently, then lowered her eyes and fell silent.

"Please don't misunderstand, child. As I just said, this is not to exonerate me or that girl."

Delia chuckled softly and said earnestly, "The natural disasters that girl unleashed devastated that land, and Xia Lian Zhuye, whom I severely injured, was originally the only possibility to nip that disaster in the bud. I don't care about these sins, nor have I ever minded bearing those tragedies defined by others. Although this may seem somewhat cold-blooded, I don't intend to pretend to be a kind deity. So all I can tell you is... God doesn't care."

Yu Chen raised his eyes and met Delia's gaze, which was sincere in both expression and look. He nodded and said, "I understand."

“Very well, after all, this is the explanation you requested. It would be a real shame if people misunderstood me as defending myself.”

Delia smiled and then said leisurely, "Well then, now that I've satisfied your curiosity, let's change the subject a bit. Do you know why I was able to appear here, in this prayer room filled with the power of the Paxcy God?"

Yu Chen didn't shake her head to indicate that she had no idea, but after a moment's thought, she speculated, "Is it because of the relationship between dawn and darkness?"

“Yes, you are really smart, or at least not as stupid as those who don’t like to think in front of God. That’s a valuable quality.”

Delia nodded with satisfaction and explained, "Light and shadow complement each other and contrast with each other. This is a fundamental theorem and a definition at the level of rules. So no matter how dissatisfied Paksi and I are, we cannot deny that we can gain advantages and benefits from each other in the places where the other's influence is strongest."

"Uh... so you can even appear at the Dawn Chapel?"

"Of course, as long as you are the 'beacon', that's enough."

"..."

"So, you want to become stronger, right?"

"..."

"After all, the Dawn Cult has so many rules. If you don't get stronger, you won't be able to find that kid named Black Van."

"..."

"I can help you."

Chapter 2641: The End