Sanctuary Paradise

Chapter 895 The Nun's Request

"Lord Ash, this is all I know. Is there anything else you wish to ask?"

Under the campfire, the blindfolded nun asked softly, while Xin Lailai, sitting opposite her, lowered her head, a thoughtful look in her eyes.

Ao Huo, Ashes, Blessing, Lord of Cinder...

After asking the blindfolded nun, he learned a lot about the world.

First up is Wang Huo.

As the origin of the Ash World, the origin of this thing is unknown, but one thing is certain: the King Fire mentioned by the other party is most likely to be deeply related to the 'World Will' and 'World Core' of the Ash World.

Even the so-called 'King Fire' may very well be some kind of wondrous object born from these two sources; otherwise, it could not possibly possess such incredible power.

Secondly, there is the concept of 'Ash People', or rather, the reason why the 'Ash World' has become what it is today.

According to the blindfolded nun, due to the pollution brought by the Abyss, the entire Ash World has fallen into a curse that prevents the bodies and souls from ever dying. Under such circumstances, the only thing that can provide protection and liberation is the Kingfire itself.

They may receive the blessing and enjoy the protection of the royal fire; or they may be unable to bear the weight of the royal fire and be burned into nothingness.

Normally, once someone accepts the power of the Kingfire, there are only two possible outcomes, but the existence of 'Ashes' defies this logic.

Due to the curse of the abyss, they cannot find true peace until their will is worn away, but because they do not belong to this world, they cannot be truly burned to ashes by the royal fire.

This is the fundamental reason for the birth of 'Ash', and also the biggest reason why the former 'World of Kingfire' has become the current 'World of Ash'—that is, 'Ash' cannot truly die.

Because of Wang Huo's existence, under normal circumstances, this world should not contain those wandering souls and zombies who have lost their will but are incredibly powerful.

After all, given the circumstances of this world, anyone with a decent amount of strength will generally receive the blessing of the King's Fire. And once someone receives the blessing of the King's Fire, even if their will eventually fails to hold on, they will not be transformed into a wandering soul or a living corpse driven by instinct due to the curse of the abyss.

However, the existence of 'Ash' breaks this balance. Because 'Ash' cannot truly die, it means that from the very beginning, it can only meet the end of its will over a long period of time, and become a living corpse or a wandering soul.

Since those who can enter this world and become 'Ashes' are almost all powerful beings with exceptionally strong soul power, once they reach the end of their will, the wandering souls and zombies they transform into will also be exceptionally powerful. They may even occasionally regenerate new wills over long periods of time and return to the identity of 'Ashes'.

While theoretically this would be more suitable for cultivating true powerhouses, everything has its limits. The overall strength of the wandering souls and the undead is constantly increasing, while the number of native powerhouses is constantly decreasing. As one side gains and the other loses, this world gradually transforms from the original 'World of Kingfire' into the 'World of Ashes'.

It can be said that after clarifying the situation, the first thing that came to Xin Lailai's mind was not anything else, but a statement of absolute certainty:
This world is beyond saving.

Perhaps in the beginning, there were indeed living beings in this world... that is, the original inhabitants who had not been transformed into wandering spirits. However, after being washed away by the long years, in the Ash Realm today, apart from the original inhabitants who have been transformed into wandering spirits and the Ash People who repeat the cycle of life and death, the remaining people who still retain their own will are probably too few to count on two hands.

In this situation, even if a new Lord of Cinder were to be born, it would be nothing more than a struggle to survive... no, it should be said that from the moment the last Lord of Cinder, as the other party claims, decided to awaken the sleeping Ashes around the world and let the Ashes inherit the 'Lordfire,' it was already a struggle that could not even be considered a mere eke out of existence.

Of course, this has nothing to do with them, or rather, compared to the past events of this world, they are more concerned with a few other things:
1. According to the blindfolded nun's description, this world has an extremely strict screening mechanism for outsiders. Combined with their previous speculations, it seems highly likely that Amu and the Deathbringers did not enter the Ashes Realm.

2. Although the blindfolded nun did not mention the actual time span that this world has experienced since the first Lord of Cinder, based on the information she provided, at least 100,000 years have passed since the Ash World was invaded by the Abyss. If the Ash World was invaded by the Abyss at the end of the White Night Era, it means that the time flow difference between this world and the outside world is at least a hundred times.

3. Although the blindfolded nun described the Royal Fire as something that had always protected the Ash World, based on what they had seen from the outside world and their experiences in this world, the Royal Fire she spoke of was likely already closely intertwined with the corruption of the Abyss, transforming into some kind of abnormal characteristic. In fact, from a restrictive perspective, compared to the so-called Abyss curse, the blessing rules brought by the Royal Fire were the biggest obstacle for them to leave this world.

"So, does that mean it would be more advantageous for us if the King's Fire were to go out...?"

Xin Lailai murmured to herself, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her eyes.

Extinguish the royal fire.

No matter how you look at it, this is the only option left for them.

Once the suppression of the blessing rules brought by Wang Huo is gone, they can immediately return to their full strength. And once they regain their strength, with their abilities, they should have no problem escaping this world, if not fighting against the corruption of the abyss.

The key is——

'Hmm... if this nun objects, it might be difficult for us to reach Wang Huo on our own.'

'Yes, that is indeed a problem. According to her, the Fire-Given Sister exists solely to guide the Lord of Cinder to appear. If she finds out we intend to extinguish the Lord's Flame, it could cause quite a bit of trouble…'

Xin Lailai pondered, glancing up at the blindfolded nun who was quietly watching them, a deep glint in her eyes.

According to the other party's description, in order to come into contact with the Lordfire, one must seize the Lord Souls of the five previous Lords of Cinder, including the short old man who spoke with them earlier... who is Rudolfs, as mentioned by the blindfolded nun, and become the new Lord of Cinder. Only in this way can the gate to the Beginning be opened and the Lordfire's true form be accessed.

To achieve this, one must possess immense power. After all, for the people of the Ashes, strength is more important than morality or character in determining whether someone is qualified to succeed as Lord of Cinder.

To gain sufficient power, the blindfolded nun's ability to convert soul points into nourishment for their growth is indispensable. Furthermore, according to her account, the Fire-Giver Sister's power is also essential for opening the gate to the Primordial Land. Therefore—

"There's no other way, Lai Lai, hurry up! Use your sweet talk to completely deceive this girl! Make her believe that we genuinely want to pass on the torch... oh, no... to be on the safe side, it's best to convince her to be completely devoted to us no matter what we plan to do to her!"

Inside the soul space, Ling Yuzi's eyes lit up, as if he had found something interesting, and he excitedly urged her on. Xin Lailai listened to the other party's description, and her eyes twitched slightly. For a moment, she didn't know what to say.

— God, to be so fooled that you're completely devoted to them no matter what they do to each other, is that something that can be done just by deceiving people? This is practically brainwashing!

'Ugh, Lai Lai, you're such a pervert! All they asked you to do was ask you to scam this girl, and you immediately thought of brainwashing her!'

"...Your tone doesn't sound like you think this kind of thing is perverted at all."

Xin Lailai mentally complained, pressing her temples with a slight sense of helplessness. Just then, the blindfolded nun's gentle voice suddenly rang in her ears: "Lord Ash, if you have no other questions, then may I ask for your permission?"

ask?

Upon hearing this, Xin Lailai snapped out of her daze, looked at the blindfolded nun in front of her, lowered her eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, and then nodded gently.

Seeing this, the blindfolded nun in front of her pursed her lips slightly, a hint of hesitation on her face. But then, as if she had thought of something, her expression gradually hardened. She turned to face Xin Lailai, clasped her hands in front of her, and spoke in a calm yet powerful voice:

"Lord Ash, please become the Lord of Cinder, and then... extinguish the Lordfire."

"?!!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Xin Lailai, who was pondering how to deceive the other party, was stunned. She then suddenly raised her head, her face full of astonishment.

"what did you just say?"

"Please extinguish the royal fire... and end all of this."

A firm voice, trembling slightly, fell as the blindfolded nun gripped her robes tightly and answered in as calm a voice as possible, as if she were engaged in some intense inner struggle.

"Lord Ash, you must have noticed it too... that inherited fire that brings blessings and protection is no longer a salvation and hope for this world, but a different kind of curse and prison."

"I know this request is incredibly selfish, but even so, Lord Ash... I implore you, please end all of this."

A slightly trembling voice fell, and as the nun spoke, the short old man on the upper throne slowly opened his eyes. Together with the disheartened brother who was also looking over, they silently looked at the black-haired youth and the blindfolded nun gathered around the campfire.

Xin Lailai, staring at this scene that was completely beyond her expectations, fell silent. She gazed at the blindfolded nun before her for a long while before nodding and saying in a deep voice:

"it is good."

The calm and authoritative reply caused the blindfolded nun to catch her breath. She raised her head and looked at Xin Lailai in front of her, as if she wanted to remember this scene firmly in her mind.

"Lord Ash, you really..."

"Just like you said, I really don't have much interest in continuing the King's Flame. I was even thinking about how to trick you into taking me to extinguish the King's Flame. But... since you have the same idea, there's no need to make things so complicated."

As her calm voice faded, Xin Lailai glanced at the short old man and the dejected man watching them from above, then asked the blindfolded nun in front of her:

"More than anything, I'm curious about what you just said. Is it really okay for them to hear it?"

they?

Upon hearing this, the blindfolded nun was taken aback at first, but then realized the implied meaning behind Xin Lailai's words.

"Um, Lord Ash, you wouldn't...?"

"Heh... No need to be so hostile, Ashbringer. If you really become the Lord of Cinder, it's your freedom to do whatever you want."

Before the blindfolded nun could finish speaking, the short old man on the throne gave a weak laugh, glanced deeply at the blindfolded nun, then fixed his gaze on Xin Lailai and said:

"However, if you really want to do this, it's best not to let too many people know about this idea. After all... not every ashes is like you, a soul that longs to be filled with darkness."

After saying that, the short old man closed his eyes again and entered a state of rest, while the dejected man beside him sighed and said:

"Well... I'm pretty much the same as this guy. In fact, I'm quite surprised to hear such comments."

"But what does this have to do with a loser like me? Rather, if the idea of ​​that Fire-Giver Woman were to become a reality, it would be a relief for someone like me."

"Besides, if you're worried, you can take the Firebearer with you. Anyway, as long as she's not here, none of us can leave this sacrificial site. Come to think of it, this might be a very fitting ending for losers, hehe..."

"..."

As the dejected murmur faded, Xin Lailai stared at the short old man and the disheartened man before her for a long while before finally withdrawing her gaze and abandoning her plan to kill them here.

Seeing this, the blindfolded nun breathed a slight sigh of relief, slowly lowering her hands that were tightly clenched in front of her chest. She then said to Xin Lailai with some guilt:
"I apologize, Lord Ash, for my oversight. However, please rest assured that Lord Rudolfs and Mr. Hochlinton are both people who have long been disillusioned with the Blessing, so I hope you will not mind their presence."

"Ah."

Xin Lailai nodded as she spoke, without saying anything more, and got up to walk towards the exit of the sacrificial site.

That question was just a precaution. Since Rudolfs and Brother Disheart had no animosity towards each other, he naturally had no interest in doing something that might offend the blindfolded nun.

Now that the general direction is clear, his side naturally...

"Please wait a moment, Lord Ash."

……

(End of this chapter)