Alien Hotel.

Chapter 675 Good Things Are Happening

Hearing what the black-haired girl said, even Baili Qing's expression changed, and she awkwardly looked away: "...That's all in the past."

“Yes, back then you were just a young dragon,” the black-haired girl still had that faint smile on her face, “Although you always had a stern face back then, your personality was better than it is now.”

Bai Liqing turned her head and looked at the "director" of the border region who had the appearance of a young girl but had actually lived for a long time. She looked at the light gray, blinking eyes on the other person's face.

After a long while, she sighed softly: "Snow, get off 'red' face."

"Oh."

Baili Xue agreed, and her light gray eyes swayed and floated to the side. Her red lips, which had been tightly closed, seemed to twitch slightly. Then she turned her head slightly to "look" at Baili Xue, who was floating in mid-air: "...Is it interesting?"

“It was an accident,” Baili Xue said. “It’s your fault for having such a low body temperature, like the steel around you.”

Hong didn't speak for a moment, but closed her eyes and continued to "observe" the pair of translucent eyes floating in the air for a while, until the latter gradually decreased in height and finally touched the ground. Only then did she turn to look at Baili Qing: "When did she start to have this change?"

Baili Qing knew what the other person was talking about: "After the first contact with Yu Sheng - humanity gradually awakened, and the degree of loss of control decreased rapidly."

Hong frowned slightly, looking thoughtful: "It's related to that 'Yu Sheng' again..."

“The inanimate objects affected by him will show signs of life, the phantoms will gradually develop humanity, and the immortal dark angels will die and then be ‘reborn’ in a new form. According to my analysis, this should be some kind of power that interferes with the boundary between life and death,” Baili Qing said slowly. “But his ability to ‘open the gate’ seems to be something from a completely different system. If I had to say, those ‘gates’ feel more like ‘boundary bridges’ to me… Of course, that’s just a feeling. I don’t have any evidence yet, and I can’t explain this matter theoretically.”

"The boundary between life and death, and the 'Boundary Bridge,' the power of two systems..." Hong stroked her chin, then suddenly looked down at Baili Xue, who was secretly moving on the ground trying to hide. "And you? Have you noticed the changes happening to yourself?"

Baili Xue instinctively scrambled up the wall beside her, saying as she moved, "Change? What change? I feel great..."

A nearly transparent block of ice blocked her path. Countless mirrors, each at an angle, then appeared on the surface of the ice. Baili Xue's floating eyes were then imprisoned in the endlessly looping mirror space, trembling and remaining in the layers of reflections.

The ice shattered, and the mirrored space vanished.

Baili Xue quickly retreated.

“Okay, sister means I’ve changed recently—but I don’t feel much of a difference. I feel like I’ve always been this way,” her voice echoed in Hong and Baili Qing’s minds, tinged with a hint of honesty. “It’s just that sometimes when I think back to the past… I feel like I used to be a bit muddled, and many of the things I did were just instincts. But now it’s more like… more like…”

She seemed unable to find the right words to describe it, until Hong suddenly spoke up: "Have you finally figured it out?"

Baili Xue: "Probably?"

“…Interesting,” Hong said softly, “looking” into Baili Xue’s eyes. On her lifeless, pale face, her smile seemed much more genuine. “If only you had been this well-behaved when you first appeared.”

Layers of mirrors appeared in the air. The black-haired girl smiled and sighed, slowly retreating into the mirror. Her figure gradually disappeared into the overlapping and concealing mirror space: "Then, I won't disturb you sisters any longer—I still have many things to deal with before the coordinates in the distance are lit up."

The mirrored space vanished silently.

Baili Xue's ethereal eyes lingered on the ground for a while longer, until she was certain Hong Zhen had left, before finally floating up again, swaying back and forth in the air, looking very angry: "I don't like this vampire! I don't like this vampire! I..."

Baili Qing raised her eyebrows, seemingly in a good mood: "Okay, okay, I understand. And then?"

"...That's all. I was just saying, don't tell her."

……

Deep within the Dark Current Starfield lies a sacred realm.

Beneath the vast sky, temples stand in rows, and amidst the mountains, lush vegetation thrives. The meticulously crafted and stunning scenery is bathed in the morning glow, adorning the terraces and windows of every sanctuary.

This is a beautiful sight that the savage inhabitants and lowly slaves living in other parts of the Darkstream Starfield cannot imagine.

In this vast, dim nebula, in this lawless star sector divided and ruled by warlords, bandits, and military giants, there are countless industrial planets that are severely polluted, depleted and barren planets that have been drained of their resources, and war-torn planets that have been repeatedly burned by war—toxic atmospheres, industrial pollution, resource scarcity, and endless war are the norm in this star sector.

Few places in the Dark Current Starfield can be described as "habitable"—it is precisely in this context that the "Holy Realm" seems so... true to its name. The main council hall of the Supreme Temple is located atop the highest mountain on the planet. The entire hall is almost an "open structure" in appearance. One hundred and twenty solemn pillars stand around the plaza-like hall, with towering and open archways between the pillars. There is no roof above the hall, only a layer of hazy radiance covering the air. This radiance hangs down along the pillars, encircling the entire building like a holy veil, blocking the mountain winds outside.

In this way, the priests standing in the council chamber of the High Temple could look down at the earth below and the distant sea of ​​clouds at any time, and feel the control the Hermitage had over the entire planet.

Undoubtedly, living in such a "man-made paradise," it is easy for people to compare themselves to gods.

But even the "priests" who live in the temples in the mountains are not always in the mood to appreciate the beautiful scenery around them—at least the one in the wheelchair is not.

Grendel lowered his head slightly. Although he tried his best to maintain his usual dignity and pride, and although he carefully arranged his clothes and the magnificent crown symbolizing the "Great Sage," an indescribable awkwardness and embarrassment still weighed heavily on his heart, making it difficult for him to even maintain a normal breathing rhythm.

The wheelchair, manufactured with cutting-edge technology, makes almost no sound when in use. Its advanced intelligent and comfort systems cause no physical discomfort. Both legs have been amputated below the knees, and the stimulants and nerve implants have resolved the agonizing phantom pain. But these things do not bring any psychological comfort to this great sage. Instead, they seem to be constantly reminding him of his failure, his incompleteness, and the indelible shame he bears on his "path to holiness."

Even the sound of the wind blowing through the valley sounded to him like some kind of sharp, grating mockery.

Although in fact no one here mentions his affairs at all—the Holy See has summoned great sages and living saints to discuss important matters, and everyone’s attention is focused on more pressing issues.

However, Grendel could still occasionally sense the gazes falling on him, even though the owners of those gazes would quickly look away.

Whether those gazes were mocking, pitying, or had some other intention, they were all unbearable to him.

"Gorendall," just then, a gentle voice suddenly came from not far away, miraculously sweeping away the irritation and resentment in Gorendall's heart, "Do you have something to say?"

Gorrendel looked up in alarm—he saw the Holy See standing not far away, watching him.

He was a tall, blond man with a gentle smile. His powerful spiritual energy made him seem to be surrounded by a halo. His age was hard to discern, and his appearance seemed to be constantly changing. People who looked into his eyes could hardly remember his appearance or voice. But when he spoke, his voice, like magic, trembled with gentle spiritual energy, and his noble will could be directly imprinted on people's hearts.

The great sages stood in a circle before the throne, while two living saints, their faces obscured by psychic power, stood on either side of it. All eyes were now on Gorendall.

“I…” Grendel opened his mouth, his earlier lapse in concentration now filled with shame and embarrassment, “I just…”

“Contemplation and reflection are good qualities, there’s no need to be afraid,” the blond man said softly. “However, we should focus on the Gates of Eden and the Dark Angels now. Also, Grendel, don’t dwell too much on your temporary distress—the path of holiness is a sublime one, and the sacrifices you make and the suffering you endure for the greater cause are, in a higher dimension, also part of the path to perfection.”

Grendel paused for a moment, then hurriedly lowered his head: "Thank you for your inspiration."

He felt much better and had a sudden realization.

After encountering that strange "doll" and losing the ability to stand and walk due to the curse, he was still retained as the "Great Sage," allowed to live in the temple, and could attend meetings there. This once puzzled him, but now he understands.

These are all tests on the path to sainthood.

It is a temporary hardship that must be endured in order to achieve the final "perfection".

Grendel breathed a sigh of relief, feeling much more comfortable even in his wheelchair.

Standing on the temple steps, the "Holy Throne" calmly swept his gaze over the many figures before him. His gaze lingered briefly on Gorrendel once more, a gentle smile playing on his lips.

“We have come to a critical crossroads,” he continued gently. “Despite some recent disruptions, the light at the end of the tunnel has appeared—the warriors sent to the border have successfully brought back that crucial final piece of the puzzle.”

"Angel Catalyst - a fragment from the collapsed Boundary Bridge, more suitable as fuel for the 'Gate of Eden' than the Shadowless Skeleton."

"They are now on their way back."

Grendel looked up abruptly. Faced with this exciting news, he was stunned for a moment before finally breaking into a long-lost smile.

Ah, after so much bad luck, something good is finally happening.

(End of this chapter)