Traveling through the second dimension, the joy system encourages me to laugh heartily!

[Ding! Epona's favorability +5, current favorability 85!]

Chen Ming reached out and gently placed his hand on the girl's shoulder, softly but firmly stopping her from continuing to express her gratitude.

“Raise your head, Epona. Didn’t we already agree? I’ll share half of your mission! This isn’t just empty talk to comfort you; I will truly shoulder your responsibilities.”

Epona felt the warmth and strength coming from her shoulder and slowly raised her head as instructed.

Looking into Chen Ming's caring eyes, she felt a warmth in her heart, so she nodded vigorously and responded with a bright smile.

"Okay! I understand... Let's go then! The carriage is already waiting at the castle gate!"

After saying that, the girl mustered her courage, took two steps forward, and cautiously and tentatively reached out to gently take Chen Ming's arm.

Seeing that Chen Ming showed no objection or displeasure, she finally relaxed completely, her joy overflowing as if she had received the most precious permission, and happily led him toward the castle gate.

Parked here was a luxurious carriage, more than twice the size of an ordinary one. Its magnificent design and every detail showcased the dedication and skill of top craftsmen. The carriage was a perfect blend of dark, precious wood and polished metal components, with intricate and exquisite family crests and defensive magical runes carved into the walls…

Most striking of all was the creature pulling this enormous carriage—no ordinary horse. It was the size of a small war elephant, covered in thick, rock-like bluish-gray skin, its muscles bulging and radiating explosive power. A single, thick, sharp horn pointed forward from its head, and white mist carrying a faint sulfurous odor billowed from its nostrils.

Chen Ming, familiar with the original work, knew that the aristocratic class of this world had always attempted to tame some weaker demons—during periods of demonic activity and when the Demon King was active, the number of demons would surge, but even in times of peace, demons still existed. They were born with magical power and their physiques were far stronger and more robust than ordinary animals. Therefore, it was natural that some people would want to make effective use of them!

After thousands of years of failures and explorations, humanity has finally succeeded in taming some relatively weak and more stable monster species and has attempted to use them in fields such as transportation and warfare.

However, this was the first time Chen Ming had ever witnessed a tamed monster pulling a cart.

With his keen eyesight, he could tell at a glance that the energy and pulling power of this demonic rhinoceros far surpassed that of any fine horse. A carriage pulled by it could probably reach speeds several times faster than an ordinary horse-drawn carriage, and its stamina was exceptionally long.

As Epona led Chen Ming to Jin, the door of the carriage, pulled by a monster rhinoceros, was gently pushed open from the inside.

A middle-aged man dressed in fine clothes nimbly jumped out of the car. He was wearing a well-tailored marquis's uniform, and his chest was covered with medals symbolizing his status and achievements.

However, this very nobleman was now bowing deeply and respectfully to Chen Ming, his tone extremely humble.

"Your Excellency, congratulations on your successful campaign against the demons and your triumphant return! His Majesty the King has prepared the grandest celebration banquet for you..."

He paused briefly, then added in an even more respectful tone, "Furthermore, Lady Alangarula has sent a special message, extending a sincere invitation for you to visit the Sanctuary... I would be honored if you would do me the honor of traveling there in my humble carriage."

Chapter 242 Providing Intelligence.

Chen Ming recognized the nobleman as Marquis Glen Warren, whose personal martial arts skills were among the top in the world of World 1.

Of course, such strength is still no match for the demons who can easily destroy cities.

Simply put, they are ants.

So Chen Ming didn't say much to him, but simply nodded calmly, which was his way of responding to his invitation and respect.

He then said to Epona beside him, "Let's get in the car."

"Yes, Lord Chen Ming."

Epona obediently agreed, still holding his arm, and together they boarded the spacious and luxurious monster carriage.

The carriage interior was carpeted with thick, soft carpets, and the seats were plush couches upholstered in velvet. Fresh fruit and chilled wine were laid out on small, fixed tables inside. The carriage moved exceptionally smoothly, with almost no bumps to be felt; only the deep, powerful hoofbeats of the demonized rhinoceros outside indicated that they were moving forward.

Their first stop was not the king's victory celebration, but the sanctuary where Arlangalura resided, which Marquis Granwaren had just mentioned.

As far as Chen Ming knew, "Yalan Jialula" was not a personal name, but a noble name passed down through generations to refer to the highest-ranking priestess in the national bishopric [Yalan Religion], who was regarded as the representative of the gods on earth.

Driven by Marquis Glenwaren, the carriage traveled through a hidden passage in the city and finally arrived at an area shrouded in a special barrier.

Chen Ming and Epona were led by a taciturn priest into a magnificent and secluded hall. As soon as they stepped through the hall, an indescribable aura of mystery enveloped them.

Countless exquisite stained glass windows depicting scenes of divine kingdoms and stories of saints are inlaid in the dome and high windows, illuminated by the flickering flames in the ancient candlesticks on the walls, casting colorful and mesmerizing light and shadow, giving the entire space a dreamlike religious atmosphere.

What intrigued Chen Ming was a strange energy that could be described as "black radiance," like a living veil of mist, slowly flowing and lingering among the surrounding walls and pillars.

They don't completely block the view, but cleverly distort and weaken the light, keeping certain corners of the hall in a hazy gloom, adding a touch of mystery.

Is this the sacred land?

Just as Chen Ming and Epona were looking around, a figure appeared in the shadows at the end of the hall and slowly walked towards them.

The newcomer was dressed in a pure white, simple-style tunic, with a wide hood hanging down slightly, obscuring part of her face, but it was still possible to tell that she was a woman.

She had long, snow-white hair and a pair of bright red eyes that seemed to burn with flames, which stood out even in the dim light.

Although it was Chen Ming's first time meeting her, a single glance was enough for an incredibly clear thought to emerge in his mind—this highest-ranking priestess was completely imitating the goddess who had bestowed upon him six skills, from her appearance to her demeanor!

Upon closer inspection, her white hair was not naturally occurring but carefully dyed; her crimson eyes were not naturally heterochromatic but maintained through some kind of continuous magic; the style of her clothing, the makeup on her face, and even the shape of the sacred artifact she held... all of them were trying their best to replicate the image of the goddess in Chen Ming's memory.

In the language of the main world, this noble Lady Alangarula is cosplaying the goddess with utmost seriousness and dedication.

The fact that the other person could imitate the appearance of that mysterious goddess so vividly was not due to mere imagination or conjecture. Therefore, she must have seen the goddess in person to know her true appearance and temperament.

And that was indeed the case. As far as Chen Ming knew, in order to manage and guide this world that steadily produced faith more efficiently and in accordance with the "rules," the goddess did not choose to frequently unleash earth-shattering miracles—using the power of faith to avoid running out of money.

The goddess founded the Yalan religion in the distant past, using it as an extension and reach of herself on earth.

Her method of communicating with believers, especially with the highest spokesperson, was through "dreams".

Approximately every three months, the goddess's consciousness descends upon this world, meeting with the contemporary "Alangarula" in a dream. In this indirect form of descent, she can convey her will or offer some vague guidance.

This method consumes relatively little divine power and is less likely to directly disrupt the world's inherent operating trajectory, thus maximizing benefits.

In other words, the most crucial function of the highest priestess who inherits the name "Yalangarula" is to act as a "megaphone" and "representative" for the goddess's will to be projected onto human society.

They don't need to possess earth-shattering power, but they must be the most loyal and accurate messengers of the goddess's decrees. A goddess who can foresee the future can often subtly intervene and guide the direction of human society simply through carefully crafted "words," which is indeed an extremely effortless and efficient way to intervene.

Just as Chen Ming was thinking rapidly, Yalan Jialula walked steadily to him and Epona and stood in front of them.

She slightly raised her face, which was hidden by the shadow of her hood, and spoke in a specially trained voice that was both loud and somewhat infectious:

"Fortunately, two guardians of humanity in this era, a hero who will save the world and an angel who has descended to the mortal realm, have come to the Sanctuary..."

Almost as soon as she spoke, the miniature communicator hidden in Chen Ming's ear transmitted the calm analysis results from the artificial intelligence [Crimson]: "Master, the target's voice frequency, volume fluctuations, and pauses have all been deliberately modulated. It belongs to a 'persuasive' tone that has undergone long-term professional training, aiming to maximize the emotional engagement of the listener and establish trust and authority. Their body language has also been carefully designed and is highly coordinated with the voice pattern..."

Chen Ming understood.

While the ultimate goal of religion is undoubtedly to provide metaphysical spiritual comfort and a sense of belonging, in order to widely spread its doctrines or attract and solidify the beliefs of its followers, it is inevitable that some psychological and performance techniques will be used in the process.

Every word and action of this Alan Garula was meticulously crafted and carefully planned, demonstrating her cunning and scheming nature.

She continued speaking in her magnetic and captivating voice:

"I have taken the liberty of inviting you two to the Holy Land in the hope that I may provide you with some information that could be of help on your arduous journey ahead."

As she finished speaking, the flames in the ancient candlesticks on the walls of the hall went out all at once, as if extinguished by an invisible hand.

Darkness instantly enveloped the entire hall.

Almost the instant the light disappeared, objects began to faintly glow in the area along the walls of the hall that had been obscured by the flowing "black radiance." The eerie black energy receded like a tide, revealing what had always been beneath.

Light emanated from the eight oddly shaped stone statues arranged at equal intervals.

These stone statues have bizarre and unusual shapes, as if they were the product of a twisted fusion of snakes, pigs, herring beetles and other creatures with human forms, full of unnatural blasphemousness.

...Moreover, it is noteworthy that only two of the statues emitted a light of a completely different color from the other six. The other six emitted a faint, unsettling green fluorescence, while the two statues representing the "pig" and the "hercules" emitted an ominous, dark red light, like congealed blood.

This could not possibly be a coincidence.

Of the eight stone statues, only the statues corresponding to the "Pig" demons who were completely annihilated by [Crimson] with hydrogen bombs and the "Houndworm" demons who were killed by Chen Ming with his sword emitted red light. This was clearly a direct indication of a state—red light meant death!

It is precisely because these mysterious stone statues have some kind of supernatural connection with the life and death status of the distant demon race.

Therefore, even if Chen Ming did not send anyone to inform the capital of the results of the battle, the king and his core noble class would know immediately that he had successfully killed a demon.

Overjoyed, they couldn't wait to hold a grand celebration banquet for him.

"As you two can see, there are eight demons who are causing havoc in the world..."

Alan Garula's voice rang out in the darkness, calmly stating, "Two have already been defeated. Your next mission is to eliminate the remaining six demons entrenched in various locations one by one. At the same time, you also need to stop their blasphemous actions aimed at resurrecting the Demon King."

She paused slightly, then stepped forward and solemnly handed Chen Ming a stack of documents written on some kind of tough parchment that had been prepared beforehand.

"By carefully observing the unique physical characteristics of the remaining six demon statues and combining them with the ancient texts hidden within the [Yalan Cult], we have roughly deduced the possible racial classifications of these demons and the abilities they might possess based on their racial characteristics. All these speculations and analyses have been recorded in detail in this document, and we hope they will provide some inspiration for your battle."

Then, Yalan Jialula's tone became even more solemn: "Furthermore, we have also ascertained the specific methods by which the demons resurrect the Demon King. They need to kill a massive number of humans and collect their soul energy in order to finally condense and nurture the so-called 'Fruit of Life.' And the intensity of soul energy varies greatly between individuals."

At this point, she turned her gaze to the hero, Epona:

"For example, Lord Ebona, the radiance of your soul is incredibly powerful. The energy of your soul alone is enough to nurture a single Fruit of Life... However, for ordinary people, it would take at least 50,000 souls to barely condense one fruit... Therefore, the larger and denser the population of a city, the more likely it is to become a priority target for demons..."

Yalangalura's tone was more serious than ever before: "This intelligence is crucial, but it also carries enormous risks. I implore you both to keep it a secret and never reveal it to the public. Otherwise, this country may descend into chaos and perish, a process that will result in the deaths of countless people. It's even possible that the Fruit of Life will spontaneously form without the demons needing to intervene..."

Upon hearing her say that it would take the souls of 50,000 people to condense into a single Fruit of Life, the hero Ebona was immediately astonished.

Chen Ming, who was familiar with the original work, was not surprised at all, and he could fully understand why this information had to be strictly blocked.

—Simply consider the demon race's logic to understand: to efficiently collect 50,000 souls, painstakingly attacking scattered villages with only a couple hundred people is inefficient and highly likely to expose them. Targeting large cities with tens of thousands of people is the fastest and most efficient choice.

For example, Chen Ming's hillside manor is located in the prosperous commercial city of Murdoch, or the capital of various countries.

Then, what would happen if this information were released?

Panic will spread like a plague, people will realize that living in larger cities is more dangerous, and they will begin to flee big cities frantically, causing all economic and political centers to grind to a halt. The chaos will completely destroy the country...

Furthermore, the reason why the king and the high-ranking nobles insisted on leaving the hero Ebona to guard the capital was because they knew deep down that the capital, the most densely populated city, was the most lucrative "prey" in the eyes of the demons.

"at last,"

Alan Garula added, "The latter part of this document contains detailed records of the battles fought by the previous generation of heroes and their companions against the demons that plagued the land hundreds of years ago. It includes some battle details, lessons learned, and analysis of the opponents' abilities, which we hope will be helpful in your upcoming battles."

After explaining everything, Alan Garula seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and gave Chen Ming and Epona a blessing smile.

As she smiled, the candlesticks in the hall seemed to receive a silent command, and they all lit up automatically again, dispelling the darkness and restoring the mysterious atmosphere of dappled light and shadow.

Chen Ming accepted the heavy stack of documents and nodded sincerely: "Thank you very much for providing this valuable intelligence. It is crucial to our next operation. Please rest assured, I will wipe out the remaining demons without exception..."

Although he had read the original work and knew a great deal about this world, most of it was only mentioned in passing. Therefore, this detailed information was still useful and could fill in any gaps in his knowledge.

Then Chen Ming changed the subject: "By the way, next time you meet the goddess in your dream, please be sure to pass on a message to her for me: 'Chen Ming will surely repay your expectations, therefore I hope the goddess will favor and protect me.'... Please."

To put it more bluntly, this means: "I will fulfill your request, so just wait patiently and don't cause any trouble."

I believe the goddess will understand what he means.

Yalangalula paused slightly upon hearing this, then regained her composure and nodded in response, "Yes, I have noted it down. I will certainly report this to the Goddess of White Asia—Lady Vinus—on your behalf."

After speaking, she bowed and saw the guest off in the unique manner of the Yalan religion.

Seeing this, Chen Ming and Epona returned the greeting in the same manner, then turned and left the Sanctuary...

Chapter 243 The Goddess's Support.

The two boarded a carriage and passed through a secluded passageway, eventually merging back into the bustling main road of the capital.

Outside the car window, the sun shone brightly, and crowds thronged the streets. The cries of vendors, the rumble of wheels, and the laughter of the people instantly pulled the two from the mysterious and tranquil atmosphere of the sacred realm back to the bustling world of everyday life.

Epona took a deep breath of the fresh, vibrant air, turned her head, and looked at Chen Ming beside her with her crimson eyes, saying:

"I never imagined the capital city had such a place, and that it would hold so much crucial information about the demons. If we had known this sooner, perhaps we could have proactively searched for the demons instead of passively waiting for them to appear and cause disaster before trying to remedy the situation..."

Chen Ming understood her feelings and agreed:

"Indeed, obtaining intelligence earlier gives us more initiative. However, I believe the Yalan Church and the kingdom's higher-ups must have their reasons and considerations for choosing to conceal information—"

He paused, then pointed out the window. “Look at this bustling street. If information like ‘the demons need 50,000 human souls to condense the fruit’ and ‘the big cities are the primary target’ were leaked, even if it’s just a baseless rumor, it would be enough to instantly destroy this fragile prosperity. So, it’s understandable that they are so cautious.”

Epona followed Chen Ming's finger and looked out the window. As she watched the ordinary smiles on the faces of the people struggling to make a living, the slight dissatisfaction in her eyes was quickly replaced by a heavier sense of responsibility.

The girl raised her small fist and clenched it in front of her chest, cheering herself on:

"You're right! Lady Alangarula works so hard to keep the secret and maintain the surface of peace to protect more people from the torment of panic. We must also step up our efforts! We must do everything in our power to prevent the resurrection of evil beings like the Demon King, who represent the end of the world!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Ming smiled gently and approvingly, and nodded slightly to her.

The girl before him, though burdened with the heavy title of "hero," always maintained a pure sense of justice and responsibility, which brought him some comfort.

However, amidst this relief, Chen Ming recalled the future he knew—a despairing ending that the goddess had glimpsed through her precognitive abilities.

After successfully killing the Demon King, Epona will fall into complete madness due to the backlash from the full eruption of the hero's power, or for some deeper unknown reason, and will eventually transform into a world-destroying calamity that is even more destructive than the Demon King.

This future reveals another cruel truth: the Demon King's successful resurrection through the hands of the demon race seems to be a "preordained" and inevitable event.

Only in this way can the subsequent plot of Epona slaying the Demon King and then going mad follow.

Do not……

Chen Ming silently denied this seemingly predetermined fate in his heart.

It's too early to accept your fate...

If the future were truly predetermined and unchangeable, then Chen Ming, as a 'variable', would never have come into this world.