Calamity Dragon, Starting with the Cultivation of Knight Families

Chapter 312 A Misérable World: The Mad Priest and the Prelude to the Arrival of the Star Empire

The sky was so bright in the early morning.

But at this moment, Thrall's heart was filled with endless darkness and despair.

"Old thing!"

"This is no longer the era when clergy could act like tyrants!"

"Is the money ready? Remember, you only have three days left!"

"If you, old man, still can't scrape together the money, humph! You can forget about opening this monastery."

"Of course, if you're willing to sell some of the children from the monastery to us, then that's a different story! Haha~"

"Once you old codger figure this out, forget about opening a monastery; we'll send you tons of children in the future. Don't you love raising kids? We can let you raise as many as you want. Haha."

"."

Watching the gang members leave, the older children around Thrall looked at the old priest Thrall with concern.

"Lord Sal...we...shouldn't we run away?"

"They are the biggest gang in our West District, the Canglang Gang."

"They've done all sorts of evil things, we...we..."

The dozen or so children, now mostly teenagers, were the last helpers in the entire monastery.

Whether it was taking care of other children or helping the monastery to beg and work in other places.

They are all needed.

As for nuns?

Long after Thrall's Lord's fall, all the nuns either fled or...
In short, their fate was extremely tragic.

The fate of the royal family in this country is even more complicated.

In short, after the old gods fell and new gods appeared, this country could no longer be considered a normal country.

Many nobles, and even mid-to-high-level superhumans, were almost entirely captured and wiped out by the minions of the evil new god.

What will be the fate of those arrested?

Of course, the euphemism was that they were sent to the world of the Holy Titans to serve the gods.

But what actually happened remains unknown.

It has been three years since the world of Loren fell.

For the gods, it might just be a blink of an eye.

But for Sal, the old priest of the small town who was only a low-level transcendent from the start, it had been a long time.

The old order has completely collapsed, and the new order is still in a state of chaos.

There are many believers in new gods and alien gods.

However, most of them were originally from the lower class in the old world.

These people included street thugs and gangsters who worked specifically for slave traders.

In short, after the entire world of Loren was completely overrun, and a large number of hunters from otherworldly deities captured almost all the mid-to-high-level superhumans.

The world order was completely thrown into chaos.

This is a huge mess.

It even became more chaotic because of the so-called will of the gods.

To put it in terms of the so-called declaration of the Titans to all living beings in this world.

Probably.

The sacred Titans, the great gods, are willing to give every lowly life in this world a chance.

A life-changing opportunity.

That is, to make everyone fight each other for power and for everything!
The victor in this great war known as the World War, and even the first to establish or rule a new kingdom of no fewer than fifty great cities, will have the opportunity to meet the great gods, the supreme rulers of this world.

They might even gain the qualification to become gods and travel to other prosperous worlds!
The only way out for this world is to please the gods and the great ruler of the world.

Therefore, it is easy to imagine how chaotic the world was after such an order was issued.

Without the interference of alien gods or the minions of new gods, everyone has an equal opportunity to reignite the largest-scale power struggle in this world.

Even after that, the so-called great gods blocked all paths after advancing to the intermediate level.

All living beings can only fight at a lower level of strength.

In this way, even ordinary people would have the potential to compete for power in such a system.

confusion!

Unprecedented chaos.

Putting aside everything else, just consider what Sal knows.

In the past three years, many districts of this city, which originally belonged to the principality of the duchy, have seen their power rise only to be quickly destroyed by other forces.

The pace of change is faster than we imagined.

The so-called Canglang Gang is just the largest gang that emerged half a year ago and now occupies most of the western district of the capital.

They charged exorbitant protection fees, participated in the slave trade, and even operated various industries that were previously considered shady or illegal.

In short, with a style of doing things without any moral constraints, its pace of exaggeration is extremely fast.

In fact, many young people in this district have joined this gang.

This is an era of cannibalism, and also an era of decadence.

Will a chosen one emerge?
No one knows, but in the short term, both the main city of this principality and other surrounding cities, towns and villages have been divided and occupied by various forces.

In short, the situation was more chaotic than ever before.

No one could foresee the end of this chaotic era in the short term.

"Run away?"

Sal looked very weary.

Where can one escape to in this era?
Not to mention that there are about fifty or sixty children in the monastery who are unable to take care of themselves.

Relying on this group of teenagers around me?

There is no escape.

It's unavoidable.

Currently, the only solution is to pay the full amount required by the Canglang Gang.

Of course, he could also choose another method.

However, this contradicts his beliefs and his lifelong principles.

He looked at the group of teenagers who were staring at him blankly.

Thinking of the many young children still inside the monastery.

Finally, the old priest turned to the children and comforted them:

"Do not worry."

“We don’t need to go anywhere. I’ll handle this.”

"Alright, boys, get back to work, or your brothers and sisters will go hungry again today."

Hearing the old priest suddenly smile and speak.

These children seemed to have found a pillar of support, and their fear immediately lessened.

Finally, as the children gradually dispersed...

At this moment, the only one remaining in front of the old priest was the last child.

The child is already fifteen years old.

He was one of the oldest children in the entire monastery.

He was different from the other children.

At least in terms of personality and way of doing things.

"Lord Sal, can you tell me exactly how you intend to handle this matter?"

Ed had a deep scar on his face, and he looked at the old priest with a solemn expression, clearly not someone who could be easily fooled.

Looking at Ed in front of him.

Sal's expression showed both sighing and melancholy.

He reached out and touched the head of the child, who was almost as tall as him, and the child didn't flinch.

At this point, Sal finally said:
"As expected, in the end, we still had to do it this way."

“Ed, my child, you are the smartest of all the children. I know I can’t hide it from you, but I don’t want to hide it from you either.”

"That's all."

As the old priest spoke, watching Ed's eyes gradually brighten as he listened to his words, he said:

“Go, Ed, my child, and call upon the little hyenas you know.”

"After tonight, I think the Canglang Gang will leave this place."

The old priest didn't speak too bluntly.

But Ed knew.

The old priest is finally about to break his vow.

Although the old priest was old, over seventy years old, he looked harmless.

But Ed knew that the old priest wasn't what those around him perceived him to be; he was merely an ascetic within the church. An ascetic, indeed.

It refers to those who, before the world was overthrown, worshipped gods but did not possess extraordinary talents, yet became priests.

The only reason these people can become priests is because they are devout enough.

The worldly splendor and all its hustle and bustle are of no importance to them.

The important thing is to strive to spread the faith in the gods and practice their teachings.

Thus, as long as they die of old age, they can enter the divine kingdom and become legendary supplicants.

Is the old priest considered an ascetic?

Maybe.

At least, before the world collapsed, or after the gods fell, he never displayed any extraordinary power.

But in fact, he is not, or rather, not the ascetic as commonly perceived.

Because Ed had secretly witnessed the old priest healing a sick child in the monastery in his bedroom.

The cured children were euphemistically attributed to methods such as herbal remedies.

But what about reality?

It is extraordinary power.

The old priest also possessed extraordinary powers.

"Understood, Lord Sal!"

"I'm going right now!"

Ed didn't say anything unnecessary; the taciturn Ed immediately and solemnly strode towards the street outside the monastery.

The so-called Hyena Gang.

In fact, it was just the same gang from the West District that had been wiped out by the Canglang Gang.

Where is Ed?
He had secretly joined the Hyena Gang, though only as an outer member.

But it was precisely because of this that the old priest's monastery barely survived the most difficult time.

The old priest upheld the doctrines of the gods throughout his life.

Do not participate in fighting, do not kill, and persuade people to do good.

But in the end...

Even though the gods are dead, he still upholds the doctrine.

The fact that he was able to uphold the doctrine through the most chaotic three years can be said to be entirely due to the old priest's unwavering faith throughout the first half of his life.

but now.

The Azure Wolf Gang has driven the old priest to the brink of despair.

Faced with the choice between saving the poor orphans, taking lives, or continuing to cultivate one's own doctrines and beliefs in solitude.

Ultimately, the choice made by the old priest was different from that of three years ago.

This time, the old priest is truly planning to break his vow!
'Lord Sal, your perseverance is futile!'

'Gods are long dead! He is dead! Just like mortals who are subject to death!'

Even recalling the hysterical outburst Ed yelled at him six months ago...

At this moment, Sal felt as if everything was right in front of him.

If I hadn't chosen to persevere back then.

Perhaps the situation would be different now?
Ed's two close friends won't die either?
It can be said.

At the time, Ed thought the old priest was cold and heartless.

For his faith, for his God.

He was able to give up everything in the world, even to stand by and watch the children in the monastery die.
But only Thrall himself knew.

At that time, even if he intervened, it wouldn't have changed anything.

After all, Thrall was just a third-tier priest.

Although they are already among the top extraordinary individuals in the world today.

But such extraordinary individuals were not uncommon in the early stages of the world's chaos.

Unfortunately, in the end, many of these third-tier superhumans perished.

This includes the lower-ranking priests who abandoned their faith from the beginning.

They had all died in gang wars time and time again.

A third-tier superhuman who failed to advance to the middle tier is not considered weak.

However, it is still impossible to completely ignore the siege by ordinary people.

Not to mention, there are far more low-level superhumans in this world than mid- to high-level superhumans.

It's not too difficult for first and second-tier superhumans to gather together and kill a third-tier superhuman, as long as there are enough of them.

With the fall of three tiers, new third-tier transcendents will naturally emerge.

Although at this stage, cultivation in this world is more difficult than before due to the Titans, and even the path to transcendence requires higher qualifications than before.

While it's impossible for mid-level professionals to emerge, the path to extraordinary achievements hasn't been completely blocked.

Therefore, putting everything else aside, there are still quite a few third-tier extraordinary individuals today.

Just like the Wolf Gang that destroyed the Hyena Gang, there were three third-level superhumans on the surface.

Three third-ranked individuals?

This is indeed a formidable force.

However, compared to the old priest, a veteran third-tier official, he is actually nothing.

But what good would killing them do?
Does this mean the world will never descend into chaos?

how can that be possible.

The old priest had never competed or fought for power, and had never even considered becoming the ruler of any force.

So killing these people wouldn't help; it would only bring more trouble upon yourself.

Unless the old priest himself joins in this game of pleasing the Titans.

otherwise
If the old priest had a choice, he would rather die than join this game of pleasing the 'evil god'.

But reality has already left us with no other choice.

"My lord, please forgive me!"

The old priest gazed at the sky, his eyes filled with a sense of vicissitude.

As he turned around, he slowly untied his priest's robe.

He finally gave up on his insistence!
But what is the price of the collapse of faith and perseverance?

------

That night.

Amidst a burst of angry shouts, the Wolf Gang's headquarters in the West District was attacked.

When Ed arrived with the remnants of the Hyena Gang, they were all speechless with shock.

Because right now, right before their eyes.

The old priest still smiled kindly, just as Ed usually did.

But behind him, the entire square was littered with the corpses of the Canglang Gang members!
All three of the three third-tier leaders of the Canglang Gang are dead.

Along with them were more than a hundred first- or second-tier extraordinary beings.

At this moment, all the ordinary members of the Canglang Gang in the square were so frightened that they had dropped their weapons and knelt on the ground.

They were all trembling so badly they didn't dare to breathe.

"this!!!"

Needless to say, Ed was terrified.

At this moment, the thirty-odd remaining members of the Hyena Gang who had come with Ed were too frightened to move.

"My Lord is merciful."

“Ed, my child, the souls of these heretics have already gone to repent before our Lord!”

"From now on, everything here is in your hands."

"If you encounter any trouble, just tell me, and my Lord will protect you."

"."

The old priest was still smiling as he spoke to Ed.

But Ed knew that the old priest he knew was dead!
And it was from this moment on, after dawn.

Everyone in the West District soon learned a shocking fact.

That means there is no longer a Canglang Gang in the West District; there is only an entity called the 'Savior Gang'.

The leader was none other than the unknown young man, 'Ed', who probably possessed peak third-tier strength.

Meanwhile, the old priest was still diligently caring for the helpless children in his monastery.

He smiled as he watched the children playing happily in the backyard; everything seemed so harmonious.

(End of this chapter)