World version update

Chapter 286 The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, the Underworld Legion Descends!
"The Council of the Dead?"

In a spacious and solemn office on the top floor of the union building, Lu Yan lightly tapped his fingertips on the smooth mahogany table, the deep sound echoing in the quiet air.

Elizabeth, standing at the head of the desk, wore a well-tailored black suit, her long silver hair neatly coiled behind her head.

Upon hearing this, he showed a hint of surprise, then immediately bowed slightly and respectfully replied:

"Your Majesty, the Council of the Dead is a rather secretive cult of evil gods that has long been active within the Kingdom of Victoria."

They worship a hidden being and possess a transcendent path centered on manipulating the dead and their souls, known as the Path of the Dead.

Lu Yan raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly.

"The path of the dead?"

"So, how does the strength of this so-called Council of the Dead compare to that of the Church of the Mother of All Beings?"

Upon hearing this, Elizabeth's lips curled into a slight smile:
"Your Majesty is joking. Although the Council of the Dead is a somewhat old evil god sect, its sphere of influence and power are basically limited to the Kingdom of Victoria, with only some sporadic infiltration in the surrounding kingdoms."

How can such strength be compared to the Church of All Beings, whose influence extends throughout the seven kingdoms?

The so-called Undying King behind the Council of the Dead is at most a hidden entity who has occupied a portion of the positions through some special means.

The Mother of All Beings is a powerful evil god second only to the seven righteous gods. If she hadn't made a mistake in the war of gods, she would very likely have successfully ascended to the throne and replaced one of the righteous gods.

The difference in strength between these two is like heaven and earth; they are incomparable.

After comparing their strengths, a sharp glint flashed in Elizabeth's pale purple eyes.

She leaned forward slightly and tentatively continued, "Your Majesty, why did you suddenly bring up this Council of the Dead? Could it be that this council has recently made some unsettling moves that have threatened Your Majesty's interests?"

"Hmm, there are a few clueless little bugs that seem to have caught a whiff of something and are trying to track Anna's movements." Lu Yan picked up the black tea on the table, took a sip, and spoke calmly, without hiding anything from Elizabeth.

Within the vast union system, very few people knew Anna's true identity and abilities, but Elizabeth, as the union president whom he had personally promoted, naturally had the right to know about Anna.

Since Anna was promoted to the eighth rank of Soul Reaper, she has begun to purge the workers from those scum who have deep-rooted bad habits and committed numerous evils.

She disguised the incident as a divine manifestation by infiltrating dreams to create visions of divine punishment, thereby spreading reverence among the lower classes and attempting to establish an order that transcends legal and moral constraints.

After all, in those chaotic, underworld areas, the law has little reach, and morality is a luxury.

Only by relying on the power of faith and fear can the most direct and effective deterrence be achieved.

As villains died mysteriously one by one, coupled with the deliberately orchestrated spread of dreams and the fermentation of public opinion, the lower classes indeed began to develop a fanatical worship of this holy spirit who brought down punishment.

As a result, Anna was able to amass a considerable amount of devout faith power in a very short period of time.

Originally, such a large-scale collection of faith would inevitably attract intervention or even suppression from the orthodox church.

However, Lu Yan's previous exchange with Saint Sheen made the higher-ups of the Steam Cult wary, and they chose to back down and tacitly approve of Anna's small actions among the working class.

At this stage, all these powers of faith are temporarily concentrated in Anna herself.

When the time is right, Anna will take the initiative to spread the name of the underworld and guide the faith of the Holy Spirit to its true destination. Then, this accumulated faith will flood into the divine court and the underworld like a floodgate being opened.

However, although the church has temporarily acquiesced to this matter, it is not the only force in this extraordinary world.

Therefore, Lu Yan had already made arrangements to have some wandering souls born in the underworld lurk in the shadows of various industrial zones.

In assisting Anna in spreading dreams, they were also responsible for monitoring any possible unusual movements. The spies planted by the Council of the Dead in the police station were the result of this surveillance.

Upon hearing Lu Yan mention Anna, Elizabeth immediately understood the seriousness of the situation.

Although she had little contact with Anna, she was deeply impressed by Anna's path to the underworld, especially after learning that Lu Yan had created it, which made her pay even more attention to it.

With the Council of the Dead targeting Anna, her expression instantly turned serious, and she asked in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, the Steam Cult has always been hunting down members of the Council of the Dead."

Since they have come to us of their own accord, should we report this to the Steam Cult and use their power to wipe out these cultists in one fell swoop?
This would both eliminate the threat and show goodwill to the church.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yan merely glanced at Elizabeth indifferently, gently shook his head, and said in an unquestionable tone:
"There is no need to alarm the Steam Cult about this matter."

The Council of the Dead has its sights set on Anna simply because it covets the power of faith that gathers within her, viewing her as easy prey to be plundered.

If Lu Yan cannot resolve this matter on his own and instead seeks help from the Steam God Cult, he is undoubtedly exposing his true strength and weaknesses to the Steam God Cult and actively showing weakness.

The reason why the Steam Cult was willing to back down and tacitly approve of Anna's behavior was largely because they were wary of the possible Fengdu Emperor behind Lu Yan.

Once the Steam Cult discovers that Lu Yan even needs them to deal with a mere Council of the Dead, their fear will vanish.

The first to take action against the unions will undoubtedly be the Steam Cult.

A meaningful, cold smile curled at the corner of Lu Yan's lips. His gaze seemed to pierce through the office walls, looking towards the distant steam cathedral, a symbol of the majesty of the god of steam and machinery. His voice grew even deeper:

"Moreover, it's hard to say whether the Steam Cult is secretly guiding and probing behind this matter!"

Orank, cemetery area.

The city's outskirts are dotted with cold tombstones and the land of the sleeping dead. Its underground has long been hollowed out to form a vast underground city, which is the secret residence of the Council of the Dead.

At this moment, in the core area of ​​the underground city, in the vast space known as the Great Hall of the Tomb, pale green phosphorescent flames flickered in the grooves of the walls, illuminating countless neatly arranged skeletons and stone coffins.

In the center of the hall, a tall, middle-aged man shrouded in a wide black robe listened quietly to the report from the police detective who had just returned from the ground.

However, upon hearing the scout's report that the Holy Spirit was only Sequence Eight, the black-robed man's eyes did not reveal the expected surprise or greed. Instead, they showed more deep contemplation and doubt.

"Are you really sure," his voice was hoarse, like the cold wind in a tomb, "that so-called Holy Spirit is just a minor character at Sequence Eight?"

“Your Excellency, it is absolutely true!” The spy bowed hurriedly, assuring him urgently, “This information was obtained by me using the Whispering Eyes, directly from the remaining consciousness of the soulless corpse. There is absolutely no falsehood in it!”

Despite repeated assurances from his spies, the middle-aged man, referred to as the "deceased councilor," still appeared hesitant.

As one of the high-ranking members of the Council of the Dead, he had dealt with the Steam Cult for countless years and was extremely familiar with the way that massive church operated and its control.

If the cult of evil gods wanted to develop and spread its faith in the Kingdom of Victoria, it could either secretly operate in remote towns on the outskirts of the kingdom where the church was weak, or it could only spread its faith in an extremely secretive, one-way manner among certain nobles and wealthy merchants who sought forbidden power.

The industrial zone where the Orn Steelworks is located is the heart of the kingdom, a key area monitored and cared for by the Steam Cult. It has a large number of workers with great faith potential, but is therefore heavily guarded.

Someone who dares to so openly and brazenly spread heretical beliefs and create miracles in such a place should, in principle, have been purged by the rabid dogs of the Steam Cult's Inquisition, who have a keen sense of heresy, as soon as the idea first emerged.

But the so-called Holy Spirit Anna remained unharmed, and even caused such a commotion that the workers began to discuss it openly.

This reveals far too many abnormalities!
Although a Sequence 8 Soul Collector is indeed an excellent sacrifice containing pure souls and the power of faith for the Council of the Dead, the temptation is immense.

However, the deceased councilor's inherent caution and years of experience dealing with the Church of the True God allowed him to suppress his impulse.

He pondered for a moment, then finally made his decision, speaking solemnly:

"This matter will be put on hold for now."

The matter concerning the unusual attitude of the Steam Cult must be handled with caution. A decision should be made after the Speaker awakens from his slumber.

The deceased councilor was unaware that his cautious response caused a group of people dozens of kilometers away, deep inside the Steam Cathedral, to frown in unison.

The Steam Cathedral, that magnificent building symbolizing the glory of machinery and steam, lies deep beneath which lies the headquarters of the fearsome Inquisition.

At this moment, in a judgment hall filled with sophisticated instruments and sacred runes, more than a dozen extraordinary individuals clad in heavy judgment knight armor and exuding powerful auras stood solemnly. Before them stood two elderly men draped in scarlet archbishop robes. All eyes were focused on a huge magical round mirror suspended in the center of the hall.

The mirror clearly reflected the conversation that had just taken place in the hall of the Council of the Dead in the underground of the Orank Cemetery.

The Steam Cult has controlled the Kingdom of Victoria for tens of thousands of years, and its deep roots and immense power are unimaginable.

The Council of the Dead is nothing more than a cult of evil gods that quietly emerged thousands of years ago.

Given the tight control the Steam Cult had over the entire kingdom, how could it possibly tolerate such a large-scale evil cult existing peacefully under its nose for thousands of years?
The reason for this is quite simple. Just as Lu Yan guessed, the Council of the Dead was largely a product of the Inquisition's deliberate indulgence and even secret cultivation.

Their purpose is twofold: firstly, to use these heretical sects as whetstones, and secondly, to refine the faith and fighting power of their own church members through conflict with them.

On the other hand, it was also so that when necessary, the name of judging the evil god sect could be used to openly and legitimately cleanse and purge certain forces or regions within the kingdom.

Since Saint Sheen brought back the contents of his conversation with Lu Yan, especially regarding the existence of the mysterious and unpredictable Emperor Fengdu, the high-ranking members of the Steam Cult instinctively felt fear and made the decision to temporarily back down and wait and see.

This, however, caused great dissatisfaction among the hardliners within the Inquisition.

The Inquisition is composed of the most fanatical, extreme, and utterly resistant members of the Steam Cult, who hold heretical beliefs to the extreme.

They could not tolerate the spread of any non-steam god's faith within the kingdom, especially after Anna openly manifested in the name of the Holy Spirit and quickly gathered believers, which made them extremely uneasy.

Ultimately, after some internal wrangling, the Inquisition decided to take a risk and test the depths of Lu Yan and the so-called Underworld.

Therefore, they secretly used some covert means to cleverly leak information about the Holy Spirit Anna to the Council of the Dead, attempting to use the Council of the Dead as a dirty knife to provoke Lu Yan.

"Hmph, although the Council of the Dead is just a bunch of small fry hiding their heads, the sleeping Speaker of the Council of the Dead and the Undying King behind them are old monsters who have existed for thousands of years. Their ranks are not low. They are barely enough to test the strength of the Underworld."

A burly knight of judgment, with a cross-shaped scar on his face, spoke in a deep, gruff voice, his tone filled with dissatisfaction with the deceased councilor's retreat at the last minute.

"However, these rats who have been hiding in the gutter for years are far too cautious. They even chose to let go of such a perfect opportunity."

"Shall we deliberately create some accidents, or leak more tempting information, to forcibly guide them and incite a conflict between the Holy Spirit and the Council of the Dead?"

Another Judgment Knight's eyes lit up with interest, clearly feeling it was a great pity to have missed such a good opportunity.

But his suggestion was immediately stopped by one of the cardinals.

“No.” The archbishop’s voice was old and dignified. “Our previous guidance was already very subtle; we cannot leave any more obvious traces.”

If the other side traces the source back to us and confirms that it was our Inquisition that was behind this, and if that Emperor Fengdu has truly descended, or possesses power beyond our comprehension...

The potential consequences are something no one can afford!

A brief silence and discussion fell over the hall.

Finally, the inquisitor, who had been sitting at the head of the table with his eyes closed, slowly opened them.

His gaze, like a burning furnace, swept across the entire room before he delivered his final, unequivocal statement:
"We will continue to monitor the movements of the Council of the Dead, but we will put aside any attempts to actively instigate conflict or conduct tests for the time being."

Be patient and wait for a more suitable opportunity before making a move.

"Yes, Your Honor."

Although everyone could not hide their regret, they could all sense that the sudden appearance of the underworld and the rise of the Holy Spirit were full of strangeness, and they were eager to uncover the truth.

But under the presiding judge's orders, he could only suppress his impulse and reluctantly accept the decision.

However, at the very moment that the Inquisition decided to postpone its actions, a strange incident occurred in the underground tomb of the Council of the Dead in the Orank Cemetery!
Without warning, the air in the center of the cemetery hall shattered like fragile glass, and a dark, deep spatial rift suddenly opened.

The next second, a figure clad in black armor and holding shackles stepped out from the crack and appeared in the tomb.

The extraordinary fluctuations emanating from its body were crystal clear, clearly reaching the level of Sequence Six.

"Ok?"

The deceased councilor, who had just made a cautious decision, suddenly narrowed his eyes and went into a state of high alert, with dense death energy surging around him.

He abruptly turned his head, glanced at the equally dumbfounded police detective beside him, and slapped the detective hard across the face, yelling, "Idiot! You don't even realize you've been tracked to your hideout!"

However, after cursing, the deceased councilor, though wary, did not show much worry. Instead, a sinister smile appeared on his lips as he stared coldly at the suddenly appearing ghost soldiers.

"Heh, a mere Sequence Six dares to be so arrogant, directly forcing his way into the Great Tomb Hall of my Council of the Dead?"

"It seems our Council of the Dead has been dormant for too long, to the point that even the most insignificant Tom, Dick, and Harry thinks they can come and bully us at will!"

As he spoke, the deceased councilor's body surged with black energy, preparing to personally make this arrogant intruder understand the terror of the Tomb of the Dead.

However, his movements suddenly froze.

Because right after the first Yin soldier appeared, more spatial rifts, like a spider web, were forcibly torn open one after another throughout the hall.

Immediately afterwards, one after another, Yin soldiers dressed in the same style of Nether Armor and wielding the same standard weapons, with their auras also stable at Sequence Six, emerged like a tide, appearing neatly and uniformly in the hall.

One, ten, a hundred, a thousand...

In the blink of an eye, thousands of Sequence Six Yin Soldiers densely filled the entire magnificent tomb hall. Their movements were uniform and silent, and their cold gazes were all locked on the deceased councilor in the center of the hall and the trembling spy.

Each of the Yin soldiers emanated a stable and powerful Sequence 6 extraordinary fluctuation.

This scene caused the sneer on the face of the deceased councilor, who had just been carrying a hint of contempt and confidence, to freeze completely, replaced by an uncontrollable, deep-seated fear.

Sequence Six! Thousands of Sequence Sixes!

He knew better than anyone what this meant.

In this mysterious world, extraordinary characteristics are limited, and the law of aggregation determines the rarity of those with high sequences.

A school of extraordinary learning that has dozens of extraordinary individuals at Sequence Six or above can already be considered a large school.

Even the seven major righteous churches with profound foundations, although they claim to have hundreds of millions of believers, only have a few thousand superhumans within their churches who truly possess power at Sequence Six or above. This is determined by the rules of the superhuman path itself.

What appeared before him at this moment were merely the soldiers sent by the other side, yet their numbers were comparable to the extraordinary combat power of a top-tier orthodox church.

How can this be?

Meanwhile, in the Inquisition, deep beneath the Steam Cathedral, many powerful members of the Church who had witnessed this earth-shattering event through the magical round mirror also fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief and emotion.

Looking at the Yin army legion that descended without warning across the void in the mirror, thousands of Sequence Six auras carried the pressure of the Divine Court and the Underworld. Even across the vast space and the mirror, they felt a suffocating pressure.

Although the individual ranks of these ghost soldiers were not top-tier in the eyes of these Judgment Knights and Cardinals, their sheer number was terrifying, completely violating the rules of the extraordinary world.

Besides these numerous ghostly soldiers, they could also sense even more powerful auras on the other side of the dark rift, which could descend at any moment.

Such a terrifying army is enough to easily overturn a major battle, or even destroy a medium-sized kingdom.

"This...this is the power of the Underworld?"

A knight in judgment muttered to himself in a daze, his voice filled with unprecedented horror and solemnity.

The previous probing and calculations began to waver at this moment.

(End of this chapter)