Shepherd Tantra

Chapter 1330 The Final Ascension Ceremony
Even Grandet had not anticipated that Aiwass's actions would be so drastic... and that his strength was so unfathomable.

Aiwas's actions were undoubtedly a miracle.

If there were still doubts or skepticism about his previous feats against the Celestials, or if people were unaware of the Celestials' true power... then the fact that he wiped out an enemy from an entire continent without causing any damage to buildings or the environment is undoubtedly something only a god could do.

The most terrifying thing is that... Aiwass didn't kill all the goblins.

Even among goblins, an extremely profit-driven race, not all are villains. There are a very few slave liberators who, like saints, sympathize with troll slaves, as well as an even smaller number of "Aivas worshippers," and some innocent infants.

These people, however, were all unharmed under that light.

If someone could indiscriminately kill everyone with boundless power with a mere wave of their hand, that would be the ultimate violence, a cataclysmic disaster. But if this person could kill anyone easily, yet also choose not to kill any of them, then that would truly demonstrate their mastery of such power.

That is God.

People immediately realized that Aiwass could discern the minds of these goblins, and even their good and evil—even though Aiwass didn't know them at all and had never even met them!
--what does that mean?
This means that those who worship God will be exempt from divine punishment! It means that no one can deceive Him with false piety!
This means that everyone must worship Him with all their heart!
If so, they can be spared divine punishment.

This is even more shocking than having all the goblins die as divine punishment.

Because of the existence of the Veil of Balance, divine beings above the level of Celestials cannot enter the material world. Moreover, the vast majority of Celestials and Pillar Gods do not pay much attention to the material world and hardly interfere with it at all.

Therefore, even after tens of thousands of years, in a considerable number of regions, people still question the existence of the Nine Pillars Gods... let alone the Celestial Authority and the Apostles.

However, Aiwass lives in the material world and is truly present among everyone.

And his actions proved one thing—he not only interferes in the material world, but he does so quite actively and radically!
No one even knows how the goblins offended Aiwass, who almost wiped out their entire race.

But under Aiwas's intimidation, the whole world became peaceful.

Even the former villains, after learning of this news, chose to turn over a new leaf; not a single newspaper dared to report negatively on Aiwas's behavior.

Every country, every language, every newspaper offered cautious—even enthusiastic—praise for Evans's actions.

To fill the gap in the motivation behind Aiwass's abrupt actions, media outlets from various countries have even dug up a whole host of other goblins' crimes to prove that this move truly reflects the will of the people and is a meritorious deed for generations to come!

After all, everyone is afraid that "Your Excellency the Sun" will come over and shine a bright light on them.

If this measure is only used to punish those who are disrespectful to the gods or who have committed heinous crimes, then it cannot be called a massacre, but only divine punishment—the result is that the people who are killed are condemned by everyone.

As for the trolls, they were naturally completely liberated under that "light of freedom".

The trolls' culture was so primitive that they began to worship Aiwass and even built temples and shrines for him.

Although trolls possess high theoretical intelligence, they have hardly ever practiced and are therefore unable to comprehend overly complex logic.

However, the troll wizards were clever, and they quickly devised a narrative that would be understandable to the rescued trolls and would also satisfy the "great god": The great god Aiwass released endless light, slaying the unclean and saving them. And those who survived in that light were cleansed by the holy light, their sins washed away, and everyone should get along well with one another.

Therefore, in the southern continent, a strange phenomenon even appeared that could be described as reversing the celestial order:
The troll slaves rescued by Aiwass harmoniously integrated with the surviving goblins, even helping these originally hostile races raise their children—similar to the giants in the north who coexisted with the dwarves, showing a subtle trend towards symbiosis.

None of the surviving goblins harbored hatred for Aiwass for destroying their homes and clans; instead, they began to worship him with fervor. As descendants of the beast lords, the trolls, who originally had no faith in the gods, also began to clumsily and immaturely imitate the "goblin priests" and started to believe in Aiwass.

In order to completely sever ties with those "sinners" of the past, the goblins even abandoned the name "goblin" and instead merged with the trolls, calling themselves "elf races." The southern continent and the Kingdom of Wanning also completely opened up sea routes.

—A new era has begun, and a new world order has been born.

And as the final act of a changing era...

July 31st.

The last celestial official of the Ring of Life ceremony has finally arrived.

This time is completely different from any previous one—

The day before the ceremony began, Aiwas, who had returned to Wanning for two days, received a letter delivered by Isabel.

The letter came from the Irisland and was signed by several former dukes of the Irisland.

The first letter respectfully greeted him and informed him that for the common good of the extraordinary beings on the Path of Beauty, they wanted to initiate the Ring of the Tail ritual to bring down the Celestial Deity, but wanted to ask Aiwass if he agreed to this—if he agreed, did they need to hold the ritual at a specific time, and did they need to leave the Celestial Deity until Aiwass personally dealt with Him; if he disagreed, they would immediately abandon the matter; or if they were required to bring down other Celestial Deities instead, they would obey the order.

The second letter was a private letter written by Aiwass's maternal grandfather, "Bingxin Gong".

The letter praised Aiwass's execution of the goblins with considerable delight—after all, Iris herself had almost been buried by the goblins' plot—while subtly mentioning that Aiwass needed to remain calm and self-disciplined, and not act too frequently. It then specifically stated that Aiwass did not need to agree to this out of consideration for him; he would stand completely by Aiwass's side regardless.

This level of deterrence already makes it a true world king.

Aiwas naturally had no objection to this.

After he signed his consent, allowing and demanding that they immediately begin the Ring of Reunion ceremony, and granting him the right to dispose of the Celestials himself... but remembering to ensure the safety of civilians...

Just one day later, the final round of the ring-joining ceremony officially began.

It is said that the evacuation was carried out very well. Not a single civilian was in the inner circle of the ceremony.

Based on Aiwass's understanding of the Celestial Master from his interactions with Him, that Celestial Master was clearly not the type to be afraid of death.

He probably looks forward to unexpected fun more than being dragged down by others.

If one can pass the Celestial Master's "exam" with a perfect score, He might very well hand over the Celestial Master's fragments to a successor He is satisfied with.

This is probably why those great artists decided to bring down Xitiansi.

Because the Celestial Master is probably the most friendly and gentle Celestial Master on the Path of Beauty. He is also the only Celestial Master who might be able to resolve issues peacefully.

However, Aiwass was also prepared.

He mentioned it to Isabel—if something went wrong in Iris Country, Isabel could send someone to the Fairy Kingdom. If she didn't know who to ask, Merlin could go instead.

The Fairy Kingdom is currently holding its once-in-a-century grand banquet, and the Celestial Master and the Fairy Queen have always been at odds.

Because Xi Tiansi is actually a rebellious demon.

He is the fairy who did not obey the rule of the Fairy King and Fairy Queen, and did not choose to enter "planned death" like a falling leaf, but chose to "become an adult".

This is why the personality of the Playful Celestial is so similar to that of a fairy—he is clearly more intelligent and mature than a fairy, having lost that unbridled imagination and instead pursuing "drama." Because the Playful Celestial is an "old child," he doesn't have enough fear of death.

But if the "hero" that Iris Flower herself put forward fails to pass even this level of test... then let the Fairy Queen take action.

The Fairy Queen is a genuine Celestial-level powerhouse—she also possesses a Celestial Fragment, just like Aiwas in his current situation. They both possess Celestial Fragments, but haven't entered the Source River to reshape their bodies, thus preventing them from crossing the Barrier of Balance again. Aiwas is unable to cross because he hasn't become a Phantom Demon, while the Fairy King and Fairy Queen's Celestial Fragments exist only in the gap between reality and the Dream World—the Fairy Kingdom—passed down through generations with their "crowns," never truly entering the Dream World.

The Fairy Queen's power should be comparable to that of Aiwass.

They have all completely surpassed the Eternal Pope; they are no longer at the level of "the strongest person in the world," but rather at the level of "true gods on earth."

In other circumstances, it would be impossible to persuade the Fairy Queen. Her capriciousness is beyond mortal imagination; she is the true embodiment of the concepts of "childlike innocence" and "fantasy."

But this is only possible in one special case—that is, when the Descendant of Heaven is the Descendant of the Playful Heaven.

It doesn't matter if the Celestial Queen takes away the Celestial Fragment.

All Aiwas wanted was to end this cycle of ouroboros.

Now only the Celestial Master of the Path of Beauty and the Celestial Master of the Path of Balance remain.

Shang Tiansi could die at any time, because "death" was the price he paid for becoming Tiansi.

Being killed during the Ouroboros ritual might not be entirely a bad thing.

Although they would lose the Celestial Fragments they already possessed, they would still have died as Celestials. In terms of rebirth, their status would certainly be different from that of ordinary Phantom Demons.

Take, for example, the Fallen Celestial. After his rebirth in the distant future, he can cleanse his soul and completely correct the nature influenced by the fragments of the Celestial. As for an apostle like Shang Tiansi, who would have almost no chance of becoming a Celestial on his own, dying as a Celestial would be enough to completely change his identity and qualifications.

Once he is "released from prison," there will be a real possibility that he will be able to compete again for the position of Celestial Master, or even for the position of Pillar God!
The same applies to Xi Tiansi.

Although he will lose the concept of "directing and acting", after His rebirth, He may be able to gain a new concept that is broader in scope and more in line with His abilities!
After all, by then, if the world still exists, there should be several more Source Rivers. With more than just the current nine Source Rivers to choose from, there will certainly be even more Celestial Fragments to select from.

And on the evening of July 31st.

Aiwass finally began the final promotion ceremony.

He warned everyone he knew not to try to enter tonight's ascension ceremony—though Aiwass didn't know how the Void would hinder him, he chose to trust Galatea.

Aiwas stood alone directly beneath the new palace in Wanning.

This is the land of Aiwass. It is also the point where his miracles converge, the place where his power is greatest.

By leveraging this "qualification for miracles," Aiwass was able to draw upon even more power from the ritual.

Just like a mortgage loan—

Aiwas stood alone in the empty basement, his eyes closed.

At his specific request, the place was left unfurnished, just like a bare, unfinished house.

As Aiwas meditated, layers upon layers of illusions appeared around him.

It looked like something leaping out of the sea, or like stars falling from the sky.

All of this seemed like an illusion, but the "ink" splashed by these illusions left complex marks on the ground and walls.

Those were layers upon layers of magic arrays.

It tells the secret of the sun's fall, outlines the birth and death of scales and wings, and curses death while praising life.

It was not only to protect Aiwass, but also to experiment with Aiwass's newly developed rituals.

If viewed from directly above, they can be seen to faintly form a nine-pointed star pattern.

Each point of the nine-pointed star is outlined with a symbolic representation of a pillar god.

"I……"

Aiwas fell silent as soon as he spoke.

After a long time.

Aiwass spoke slowly and solemnly: "I beg myself."

"I beg... the Miracle of Aiwass."

"In the name of the Ascension III and the Spiral VIII."

As Aiwas chanted, the runes on the ground representing the Candle Master and the Serpent Father suddenly lit up with red and purple light.

I praise the birds, and I praise the sun. I praise the urn, and I praise the coffin.

"I praise the fish! I praise the 90,000 years of solitude, I praise the upside-down golden apple, I praise the broken wings and the collapsed tower."

The magic circle on the ground began to slowly rotate.

They emitted a deep blue light, but were then twisted into a deep red by Aiwass, within which a faint purple glow emanated.

“I praise the gates of light, the eyes of darkness! I praise the first, the second, and the third, and I am not afraid to be the fourth.”

"I declare: the snake's body is entwined around my heart, and my heart burns like fire."

"I swear: I have grown wings and scales—"

As Aiwas chanted, surging magical power roared and surged, rising and disappearing like the tide within the completely sealed basement.

Just seeing this surge of magical energy is enough to drive a novice mage mad. If it were to explode here, it could blow half of Wanning to smithereens... and this is merely an advancement ritual that even a novice can initiate on their own.

Aiwas, however, remained unharmed as the tides rose and fell, filling and activating every inch of the magic circle.

Aiwas's voice grew intermittent and indistinct amidst the increasingly violent and visible magical storm, like a cell phone with a poor signal: "The time for miracles has come, has come, has come—"

As the tide of magic reached its peak, Aiwass's voice suddenly became clear: "All beings are immortal..."

"—The sun never sets."

As soon as he finished speaking, he slowly closed his eyes and lowered his head, standing silently in the center of the magic circle like a puppet.

(End of this chapter)