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

From inns in the holy land to teahouses in the capital, from caravan campfires to aristocratic salons, people were whispering about the astonishing news.

Some say they witnessed a holy light guiding the witch to heaven, others say they received divine revelation from the goddess in a dream, and still others say that Yalan Garula left behind a sacred prophecy before she disappeared.

The source of the rumors was the spies that Neman Lomarin had placed in the Holy Land.

These highly trained intelligence agents are very professional, disseminating pre-set information to the right people at the right time and in the right place.

Some of them disguised themselves as devout pilgrims, some as merchants selling holy relics, and some even infiltrated the church's lower-level clerical staff.

"Truly worthy of the Lomarin family."

Chen Ming observed all of this from the Sky City through the Sky Eye satellite monitoring network and was sincerely impressed.

The depth, breadth, and sophistication of the intelligence network of the most powerful ducal family in the Kingdom of Alban are truly impressive.

However, the church quickly retaliated.

Despite the widespread rumors, the church leadership had to publicly acknowledge the conclusion that "Aylan Carola may have been summoned by the goddess"—after all, directly denying it would be tantamount to questioning an omnipotent goddess, which could affect the piety of believers and shake the foundation of the church.

But acknowledging this does not affect their core plan.

Just three days later, the church announced that, through “divine revelation,” a young nun named Windsor had been chosen as the temporary Arya Garula.

This Windsor was only sixteen years old, born into a devout noble family whose three generations had been staunch supporters of the Yarran faith. She was beautiful, dignified, and well-educated in theology; her only flaw was that she had never shown the special gift of hearing the voice of the goddess.

But it is not important.

"For them, whether or not they can hear the goddess's voice is completely irrelevant."

As Mirle watched Windsor's public unveiling ceremony from Sky City, she said bitterly, "No matter what kind of puppet it is, as long as the leader says she can hear the goddess's voice, the believers will take it as a fact."

Chen Ming nodded in understanding.

This is often how religious power operates: the truth itself is not important; what matters is who can define the truth. As long as one controls the narrative, even a wooden statue can be portrayed as a miracle.

“Anyway, the goddess won’t descend to earth to explain, and she doesn’t even care if her messenger is killed!” Miler continued, her tone laced with sarcasm. “So apart from Yalan Carola herself, no one can confirm her authenticity.”

At this point, she looked at Chen Ming with admiration in her eyes: "Luckily, you let me leave a message on the wall with lipstick. Without those words, you would probably be blamed for the murder of Yalan Garula."

Chen Ming smiled faintly: "It's just basic operation, don't worry about it."

……

Time, like sand in an hourglass, slips away swiftly.

Soon, the day of the religious trial arrived.

Of course, the official reason for the invitation remained high-sounding: "To commend the angel for his outstanding achievements in eliminating the demon race from the human world, a grand ceremony is being held in the holy land."

The invitation was written on parchment with gold foil stamping, and bore the joint seals of the leader of the Yarlung Tsangpo religion and monarchs of various countries. The wording was respectful and the etiquette was impeccable.

But everyone knew that this was a trial.

As the first rays of dawn pierced the clouds and shone upon the white buildings of the Holy Land of Fonvor, more than 100,000 people had already gathered in the square in front of the cathedral.

Believers flocked from all over the world, nobles arrived in magnificent carriages, knightly orders from various countries lined up in designated areas, and temple guards set up posts at every key location.

A peculiar mixture of smells filled the air—the sanctity of incense, the restlessness of sweat, the coldness of metal, and the murky odor unique to densely populated areas.

Then, he arrived.

A figure with six pairs of luminous wings descended from the sky, like a dazzling shooting star streaking across the morning sky. The wings were not physical objects, but were made of pure energy, each feather extending tens of meters, refracting rainbow-like colors in the morning light.

The light was so dazzling that it illuminated corners that even the sun itself couldn't reach—the shady areas of buildings, the dark side of people's hearts.

At that moment, all sounds in the square suddenly disappeared.

The high-ranking members of the Demon Clan and the Yalan Sect were initially worried that Chen Ming would see through the trap and not come to the appointment, but now that he has arrived as promised, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, the commander hidden in the shadows gave the order: Operation begin.

Chen Ming landed before the hundred marble steps leading to the Grand Cathedral. His feet touched the ground without making a sound, as if gravity had lost its hold on him, and his twelve wings of light slowly folded behind him.

The marble steps gleamed with a cold luster, and the white stone surface was carved with stories from the sacred texts of the Aryan religion.

However, at this moment, in Chen Ming's eyes, these long steps seemed like a pale carpet laid out for him by the demons and humans, leading to the judgment seat.

A strange silence filled the air. Not true silence, but a frozen congeal of a thousand emotions:

Fearful glances came from believers all around—they had been told that Chen Ming was actually a demon disguised as a savior, and that he brought not hope but calamity.

The excited eyes of knights from various countries were filled with anticipation—they had been promised that if they could slay the "fallen angel" in this battle, they would receive unparalleled glory and rewards.

Furthermore, the clergy held up placards with accusations written in blood-red ink.

The fallen angel is an illegal intruder, impersonating an apostle of Goddess, and must be judged!

This is our human world, not yours!

Get out!

……

The slogans read this, yet they all overlooked the consequences of this trial:

A visitor from another world possessing divine power.

Faced with a world he once saved, but which now betrays him,

Will they continue to maintain a mild stance?

Chen Ming looked around, his gaze calmly sweeping over the distorted faces, fanatical eyes, and trembling signs.

Then, he revealed an extremely subtle expression—an expression that mixed helplessness, amusement, and a hint of pity.

It's like someone looking at the goldfish in their fish tank, who suddenly gather together, assume a serious stance, and prepare to "judge" the owner who fed them.

If your pet goldfish were to judge you, you'd probably have this expression.

He shook his head and walked step by step up the marble steps toward the main entrance of the cathedral.

Unlike his previous stealthy infiltration, this time he walked openly and honestly, as if he were not heading to the trial ground, but returning home with a sense of openness and naturalness.

This unusual composure made the people around him feel uneasy.

The paladins and temple guards along the way gripped their weapons tightly in alarm.

The spear tips trembled slightly, the shields were raised to their most secure position in front of the chest, the archers' fingers were on the triggers, and the mages' incantations rolled on their tongues.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on that dazzling figure, not daring to let him out of sight for even a second.

It was as if this would protect them from the sudden, violent attacks of the fallen angels...

Chapter 333: Starting with Self-Destruction

Chen Ming ignored their nervousness and calmly walked into the cathedral.

Just then, an unusual surge of magical energy suddenly emerged from the corridor to his right.

That magic was pure and powerful, with a warm, sun-like quality—a unique power characteristic that only the brave could possess.

Chen Ming paused slightly and turned to look.

A figure strode out of the shadows, her long golden hair tied into a neat single ponytail that bounced on her shoulders with each step. She wore light silver-white armor, and the Holy Sword Radiant hung at her waist, its scabbard adorned with seven gems that emitted a faint glow in the dim light.

The newcomer was none other than the female warrior, Ebona.

Her expression was solemn. She didn't speak immediately, but quickly raised her right hand. Pale golden magic flowed from her fingertips, quickly forming a spherical transparent barrier that completely enveloped the corridor where the two of them were.

The moment the barrier was completed, all surrounding sounds vanished—the clamor of the outer court, the footsteps of the paladins, and the distant chanting of hymns were all shut out. Even the light seemed to soften and become more private, creating a temporary space that belonged only to the two of them.

Chen Ming looked around at the barrier, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.

The triple-layered magical barrier that prevents peeping, eavesdropping, and magic detection clearly shows that the hero's magical skills have improved again.

That said, the church really is incredibly powerful.

The boar nobles in the capital valued their lives highly and insisted that Epona stay near the capital to prevent a surprise attack from the demons.

Despite this, the church was able to command heroes to come to the Holy Land.

This proves that the authority of the church was higher than that of the swine nobles in the capital, and even higher than the royal power.

To the native inhabitants of this world, the Church was an organization that was powerful to this extent.

Of course, it was no match for Chen Ming.

He smiled at Epona and asked, "What's wrong?"

Epona's current level of affection for him has long since reached its maximum.

Because he liked long hair, Epona deliberately grew his hair long, dressed more femininely, and even studied makeup techniques...

Therefore, Chen Ming was not worried that Epona would make a move against him.

Epona did not disappoint him, but said anxiously:

“I don’t want to hide anything from you, so I’m going to tell you everything I know—this morning, when I arrived at the Holy Land, I received accusations from the church’s higher-ups, saying that you are a heretic who betrayed the Goddess, a demon disguised as the savior, and that your real purpose is to plunge the world into chaos and destruction.”

Chen Ming raised an eyebrow but did not interrupt.

"Furthermore, they also told me that the invitation to the holy land today to 'praise the achievement of defeating the demons' was a lie. In reality, it was a religious inquisition trial. All the procedures had been arranged, and the witnesses, evidence, and even the verdict had been finalized."

Epona continued, her voice low, instinctively remaining alert even with the protective barrier in place:

“I also received orders from the church to keep an eye on you to prevent you from escaping; in case you try to escape, they have ordered me to stop you with all my might…”

Listening to the girl's honest words.

Chen Ming smiled.

It turns out that the demons not only wanted to orchestrate a siege by knightly orders from various countries, but also attempted to involve heroes in the siege.

In this way, whether the brave warrior wins or Chen Ming wins, the demon race will be able to get rid of a major threat.

Moreover, the victor will also lose a lot of physical strength and magic power in the fierce battle. At that time, the demons lurking in the shadows will suddenly appear and reap the rewards with ease!

As for the knightly orders of various countries, the more the better, as the souls of a large number of fallen soldiers can serve as nourishment for the resurrection of the Demon King.

This time, the demons are very clever, and their schemes are practically perfect.

It's a pity they can't see the favorability rating and don't know that the female hero has already been won over by Chen Ming!

Even if he doesn't explain, Epona will do everything in her power to help him, even if it means destroying the world—after all, in a future without Chen Ming, this world was destroyed by this female hero.

But Chen Ming still offered an explanation to ease Epona's psychological burden.

"Don't panic! The leader of the Yalan Cult was killed by the demons weeks ago. The one sitting on the throne now is a fake controlled by the demons, and all the trials and accusations today are traps set by the demons."

After hearing Chen Ming's explanation, Epona indeed relaxed and let out a big sigh of relief.

"So it was a conspiracy by the demons!"

Her voice regained its usual energy, even carrying a hint of joy, "Then I'm relieved. Now I can hold my head high and stand up for you!"

Seeing how easily she seemed to be fooled, Chen Ming couldn't help but chuckle: "Thank you for trusting me. But is it really okay to believe me so easily? What if I'm the one lying?"

Epona shook her head almost immediately, her golden ponytail drawing a firm arc in the air.

"You've saved me more than once. Without you, I would have suffered a mental breakdown long ago and wouldn't be able to continue fighting..."

At this point, Epona's eyes softened considerably. "Moreover, you took over my responsibilities, defeated five demons, and saved several towns and countless people. I have seen everything you have done. You are infinitely more trustworthy than those bigwigs in the Grand Cathedral who spout righteousness and morality but never personally go to the front lines."

She took a step forward, and the two were so close that they could feel each other's breath:

“Since you say the leader is a demon, then it must be true. I trust your judgment more than my own eyes.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Ming shrugged and pretended to be sad, saying, "So it's because everything I did was righteous? I thought you liked me and were willing to stand against the world for me."

He sighed dramatically, "Looks like I've been too narcissistic..."

"No, no!"

Epona practically screamed. Her face flushed instantly, from her cheeks to her ears, but her eyes remained fixed on Chen Ming without flinching.

"I like you!"

As expected of a hero, even her confession carried the courage of someone charging into battle. Her voice echoed within the barrier, each syllable as clear as the clinking of crystals:

“I’ve loved it for a long time! So… if you don’t believe me, I can tear down the Grand Cathedral right now and send all those religious inquisitors to hell!”

As she spoke, her right hand was already on the hilt of the holy sword, poised to draw it and fight at any moment. She looked both brave and adorable.

"Okay, okay, I believe you, I believe you."

Chen Ming raised his hands in surrender, his eyes full of smiles, "However, we'll have to wait for the other two demons to show up before we start dismantling the Great Cathedral!"