Final Lord

Chapter 319 The Strategy of Killing Gods
Charlie slowly rose, the beaded curtain of his gilded crown swaying in the candlelight, casting dappled shadows. He walked to the Crimson Flame Sword Saint, his amber eyes gleaming with a profound light.

“Chiyan Qing,” Charlie’s voice was deep and magnetic, as mellow as aged wine, “that the destruction of the Dawn Empire is not a pipe dream.”

His slender fingers gently caressed the model of the Dawn Empire's territory on the sand table, his fingertips tracing the border lines.

“What we need to do is not confront the Dawn Empire head-on,” Charlie’s voice suddenly sharpened, “but rather, like a finely crafted dagger, strike its most vulnerable point.”

He turned and pointed to the center of the sand table, which symbolized the core area of ​​the Dawn Empire.

"The Dawn Empire has two gods—the God of the Morning Star and the God of the Rising Sun." Charlie's lips curled into a meaningful smile. "Interestingly, they both call themselves 'Lords of the Dawn.'"

The Crimson Flame Sword Saint frowned slightly, and seeing this, Charlie continued:
"These two religions have been locked in a fierce struggle for legitimacy for centuries," he said, gently tapping the edge of the sand table. "The fact that their two gods share the same name is merely a compromise they were forced to make in the end."

Charlie suddenly leaned forward, placing his hands on either side of the sand table, his gaze fixed intently on the Crimson Flame Sword Saint.

"Therefore, the Dawn Empire actually has two royal families, two courts, and even two completely independent aristocratic systems." His voice carried a hint of sarcasm. "On the surface, it is a powerful empire, but in reality, it is a patchwork of two kingdoms that distrust each other."

The flickering light from the gilded candlesticks cast shadows on Charlie's face, and his voice grew even lower:

"This balance, built on compromise, is as fragile as thin ice in winter." Charlie straightened up, his gilded cloak fluttering behind him. "If we cause a problem on one side, and tilt the fragile scales even slightly..."

With a gentle push of his finger, the model on the sand table symbolizing the Dawn Empire split in two.

"This seemingly powerful empire will crumble from within."

Chi Yan asked, puzzled, "That makes sense, but it's not easy to cause problems for either side. What does Your Majesty intend to do?"

Charlie's fingers lightly brushed against the gilded beaded curtain hanging from the crown, the soft rustling sound of his fingertips touching the gems like the prelude to a secret conspiracy.

He suddenly turned around, his gilded cloak drawing a sharp arc in the air, and pushed open the floor-to-ceiling window inlaid with stained glass.

The flames, like blood, dyed the entire council hall a dark red. The red magic lamps outside shone through the glass windows, casting dappled shadows on the floor like splattered blood.

Charlie stood at the boundary between light and shadow, half of his face shrouded in blood, the other half hidden in the shadows.

“Chiyan Qing,” Charlie turned around, his voice deep and magnetic. He slowly raised his left hand, the gilded bracer gleaming coldly in the twilight, “Do you still remember the theft of the Morning Star Church's sacred relic five years ago, a case that shocked the entire continent?”

His gilded wristband popped open, revealing a small box. He took out an antique ring from the box. The morning star stone set in the ring was now emitting an eerie black mist, which seemed to be alive as it moved across the surface of the gemstone.

When the ring was fully revealed to the Crimson Flame Sword Saint, the temperature in the entire council hall seemed to drop a few degrees.

"The Ring of Morning Star!" The Crimson Flame Sword Saint's pupils suddenly contracted to pinpoints, his voice trembling slightly with shock. "A legendary treasure of the Church of Morning Star! This ring is actually in His Majesty's hands!"

Charlie's lips curled into a meaningful smile as he gently twirled the ring between his fingers. Chi Yan could clearly see the exclusive emblem of the Archbishop of the Morning Star Church engraved on the inside of the ring, but what was even more unsettling was the layer of black mist enveloping the ring—it writhed like a living thing, completely isolating the ring from its original sacred aura.

“This ring,” Charlie’s voice was like a whisper, yet carried an undeniable power, “is the key for believers to connect with the Lord of the Morning Star.” He walked slowly toward Crimson Flame, each step as if treading on the strings of destiny.

"Believers' prayers fall into three categories: mundane daily prayers, prayers of gratitude in times of joy, and," he paused, a cold glint in his eyes, "desperate prayers in times of pain."

Charlie held the ring up to his eyes, and the black mist churned even more violently under his gaze: "We can intercept the first two prayers, allowing only the emotions of despair and anguish to reach the throne of the Morning Star God."

His voice grew softer, yet more dangerous, "When a god receives only the negative emotions of his believers day after day, he becomes immersed in their curses and wails, growing weaker and weaker." Fine beads of sweat appeared on the Crimson Sword Saint's forehead; he understood what this meant. Bathed in the crimson twilight, Charlie's figure appeared exceptionally tall, and his final words echoed in the council chamber like the tolling of a judgment bell:

"The foundation of the church comes from the grace of God, but it can also collapse when God weakens. The strongest fortress of faith often begins to crumble from the first crack in the throne."

If the Lord of the Morning Star encounters problems, the Church of the Morning Star will inevitably decline. The Church of the Rising Sun will not let this opportunity pass.

The chaotic era I've been longing for will arrive. And only in such chaos will our Duchy of the Stag have the opportunity to rise.

The Crimson Flame Sword Saint's pupils contracted sharply, and his fingers trembled involuntarily. The flickering candlelight in the council chamber cast a distorted and menacing shadow upon him. A chill ran down his spine and up to the back of his neck—this young stag king before him was plotting a god-slaying scheme!

“Your Majesty!” Chi Yan’s voice was hoarse as if it had been sanded, “Mortals dare to plot against the gods, this…this is simply…” His Adam’s apple bobbed with difficulty, and the Chi Yan Heavy Sword on his back trembled uneasily.

Charlie chuckled softly, his fingertips gently caressing the swirling black mist on the Morning Star Ring.

“It’s certainly not easy.” His amber eyes gleamed dangerously in the candlelight. “It definitely requires meeting many stringent conditions.”

He walked slowly to the gilded window, the firelight casting a crimson glow on his silhouette. "Firstly," Charlie held up a long, slender finger, "only the cries of the Morning Star's followers in their despair can penetrate the barriers of the divine realm."

Secondly, the Lord of the Morning Star will continually send down divine pronouncements, guiding the Church to find those suffering sheep.

"Besides that, there are all sorts of minor problems."

Cold sweat seeped from the gaps in the Crimson Flame Sword Saint's armor as he saw Charlie suddenly turn around, his crown gleaming!
"But all of this—" the Bucks King's voice suddenly rose, its thunderous roar like a divine pronouncement, "has been deciphered by me!"

He opened his arms as if to embrace the entire heavens: "The Church of Evil Spirits deceives the heavens with blasphemous rituals, weaving a web of lies with forbidden magic!" Charlie's voice was filled with almost fanatical excitement, "And the million citizens of the Duchy of the Stag—are all followers of the Morning Star God!"

The gilded crown flashed with blinding light in the lightning: "Every fervent prayer they utter in their moments of agony will become a poisoned blade piercing the gods!"

The Crimson Flame Sword Saint staggered back a step, his gaze falling on the ring in Charlie's hand that was shrouded in an eerie black mist—five years!
King Charles had been plotting this for five years, and the two major churches of the Dawn Empire were still unaware of this quietly approaching feast of god-killing!
"Chi Yanqing, do you know that I'm only a little bit away from success?"

Charlie said quietly:
"Unfortunately, I was unlucky. At the moment of success, my plan was discovered."

The Crimson Flame Sword Saint's Adam's apple bobbed slightly.
"Is it...Wei Yi?"

“No.” Charlie shook his head. “It’s Kate Gru, the brother of Wey Gru. He is a member of the Mother of Abundance.”

"The Mother of Abundance?!" The Crimson Flame Sword Saint was utterly astonished: "Why would a follower of the Mother of Abundance appear within the territory of our Stag Kingdom? There shouldn't be any humans among the followers of the Mother of Abundance."

“I’m curious about this question too,” Charlie sighed softly, “but I no longer have the chance to reveal the answer.”

Charlie's gaze turned to the palace, and he said softly, "What happened tonight needs to be explained. I know what you're worried about. You're worried that my association with a cult has led the Duchy of Sturgeons to ruin."

You can rest assured about that.

The most important precondition for my deal with the evil cult was that the evil cult must not erode my country.

Everything I do is for the sake of tearing open the curtain and paving the way for my country. How could I possibly put the cart before the horse?

(End of this chapter)