Starting as a prodigy wanting milk? A world-destroying deception in the opposite direction.

The black fog gradually dissipated.

The sunlight shone again on the Qitian Palace Square, but it could not dispel the stench of blood in the air, nor the trauma in everyone's hearts.

The men in black robes retreated completely, leaving behind only a scene of devastation.

The square was littered with the corpses of men in black robes and the wounded healers and common people.

Many people held their deceased relatives and wept bitterly, their cries heart-wrenching.

The pallbearers supported each other, their faces filled with exhaustion and sorrow.

An old woman, holding her grandson who had been devoured by the filth of memories, collapsed to the ground, her cries hoarse and almost silent, her hands stroking the child's cold cheeks again and again.

The people spontaneously gathered around the place where Yun Tianhe sacrificed his life.

Their eyes were filled with sorrow, and some of them silently shed tears;

Some clenched their fists, their eyes revealing anger and resentment;

Some practitioners lit incense to calm the mind;

A makeshift altar gradually formed here, and many people knelt before it, praying silently.

Gu Qing stood in the center of the square, looking at the tragic scene before him, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

This grand ritual of appeasing the spirits ended like this.

Yun Tianhe sacrificed his life, Lu Renjia died in battle, dozens of spirit protectors were injured or killed, and countless civilians were killed or wounded. The losses from this natural disaster far exceeded expectations.

In the new team.

Zhao Huaijin's arm wound was still bleeding. He simply bandaged it with a strip of cloth. His face was pale, but he still stood up straight.

Li Qingyan had blood on the corner of his mouth and was breathing weakly, but he was still comforting the people around him;

Wu Xian, his eyes bloodshot, knelt beside Lu Renjia's body, tears streaming down his face.

Qi Xuejian and Chen Xi supported each other, their faces streaked with tears. Chen Xi's hands were still stained with Lu Renjia's blood, and she clenched her fists tightly.

Ye Zhi Qiu leaned against the corner of the wall, his chest heaving, his face as pale as paper, clearly seriously injured.

Han Yan stood beside him, tending to his wounds. A rare hint of concern appeared on her usually cold face as she moved gently, a stark contrast to her usual aloofness.

Shen Zhenglan walked to Shen Zhen's side. There was a deep wound on his arm that exposed the bone. The blood had already congealed. It was left from the battle with the masked man.

"Are you alright?" Shen Zhenglan asked, his gaze falling on Shen Zhen.

Shen Zhen shook his head, his gaze lingering on the wound on Shen Zhenglan's arm, his tone urgent:

"Father, you're injured!"

Shen Zhenglan waved his hand dismissively:

"I'm fine, this little injury will heal in a few days."

His gaze was fixed on the direction where Yun Tianhe had sacrificed himself, his eyes filled with complex emotions and deep regret.

When his wife sacrificed her life, it was just as tragic. He suppressed his surging emotions but didn't notice his eyes quietly reddening.

"But Senior Yun..." His expression somber.

"He paid the ultimate price to protect everyone; he is a true hero."

Where Lu Renjia fell, blood stained the ground red, and the short knife in his hand was still stuck in the soil, like an eternal monument.

Shen Zhen walked to Lu Renjia's side, squatted down, and paused for a moment with her hand hanging down in mid-air before gently closing his wide-open eyes, her heart filled with heaviness.

This usually quiet and reserved newcomer stepped forward at a critical moment and sacrificed his young life to protect his teammates.

He recalled Lu Renjia's resolute act of standing in front of Chen Xi, and his eyes welled up with tears.

The members of the Cleansing Evil Division gathered around and stood silently beside Lu Renjia's body, a somber atmosphere filling the air.

Even a tough guy like Coach Tie couldn't help but tear up at this moment, his voice choked with emotion:

"This kid usually seems quiet and reserved, but when it really matters, he's more of a man than anyone else."

They wrapped Lu Renjia's body in a white cloth, and Zhou Shi helped carry the stretcher, walking heavily towards the edge of the square.

Shen Zhenglan patted Shen Zhen on the shoulder and sighed:

"In war, there will always be sacrifices."

All we can do is safeguard the peace they earned with their lives, and ensure their deaths were not in vain.

Shen Xuan broke free from the hands of the Jingxie Division members, ran quickly to Shen Zhen's side, and tightly grabbed his arm. Her face was pale with fright, and her voice was trembling with tears.

"Brother, will such scary things happen again? I'm so scared..."

Shen Zhen watched her younger sister's trembling figure, her heart tightening. She grasped her sister's hand in return, her voice firm:

"Don't be afraid, I will protect you, protect everyone, and prevent such a tragedy from happening again."

Emperor Feng Hongyi walked to Gu Qing's side, his expression grave:

"Gu Tianguan, this natural disaster has caused heavy losses."

The temple needs to be rebuilt as soon as possible. We urge the temple and the royal family to join forces to appease the people and clean up the battlefield.

"That's only right." Gu Qing nodded, his voice echoing throughout every corner of the square.

"All those in the temple, heed my command!"

Zhen Nian Tang was responsible for cleaning up the remaining filth and treating the wounded;

The Exorcism Division is responsible for tracking down the black-robed men and finding out their background;

The Imperial Ceremonial Office was responsible for recording the names of the victims and comforting their families; the Heavenly Palace and the Divine Grace Treasury assisted the Imperial Family in rebuilding the lives of the people and maintaining order.

Everyone accepted the order and began to get busy.

The people emerged from the formation, looking at the devastation everywhere. Their faces were filled with fear and grief, but even more so with relief at surviving the catastrophe.

They spontaneously joined the cleanup effort.

Some carried the wounded to receive treatment, while others collected the bodies of the dead. Cries, sighs, and busy figures intertwined, creating a tragic scene.

Shen Zhen gazed in the direction the black-robed men had retreated, gripped the Nen Ruler in his hand, and felt the increasingly refined Nen power within his body.

In this battle, he performed to the best of his ability and also realized his own shortcomings.

Faced with powerful heretics and bizarre mutants, his strength was far from sufficient.

He must become stronger.

Only in this way can we protect those we want to protect, uncover the truth behind our mother's sacrifice, and prevent tragedies like those of Lu Renjia and Yun Tianhe from happening again.

And in the darkness of the distance.

The black-robed figures who had retreated from Qitian Palace were gathering in an abandoned ruin.

The masked man at the head stood in the center, looked around at the crowd, and then said:

"Although we have lost many faithful believers today, it is a good thing for them, as they have all followed God and gained eternal life."

The men in black robes immediately erupted in cheers, shouting in unison:

"Follow the divine child, and you will gain eternal life!"

The sound echoed through the abandoned ruins, lingering for a long time.

The masked man at the head nodded in satisfaction and continued:

"However, our plans cannot be halted by this small setback."

But the heretics in the temple are certainly on high alert right now, so we need to avoid their sharp edge and wait for the right opportunity.

Next, we must readjust our strategy and wait for the opportune moment to launch a full-scale offensive, so that God's glory may truly shine upon this land.

The men in black robes responded in unison once more, their voices filled with fervor.

The masked man at the head waved his hand, signaling everyone to step back:

"Alright, you can all disperse now. God will call you back if needed."

The people in black robes around them bowed and then transformed into streaks of black shadows, quickly disappearing into every corner of the ruins.

Only the masked leader stood alone. He removed his mask, revealing a handsome yet cold face, and muttered to himself:

"Yun Tianhe is indeed a remarkable person, but unfortunately, he chose the wrong path."

A smile played at the corners of his lips:

"Although we have lost many believers, we have basically achieved our goal, and this game has only just begun."

Then, he vanished into the depths of the ruins in a flash.

The reconstruction of the capital city proceeded in an orderly manner; damaged houses were repaired, the deceased were buried, and the injured received medical treatment.

However, this is only a temporary calm.

The threat of heresy hangs like a sword of Damocles, and the shadow of God's wrath still looms large and has not yet dissipated.