Chapter 075 Holy Son – “It regretted it.” (01/13)
Actually, calling it turning to the enemy wasn’t quite accurate.
That day, as night fell, the original host had once again failed to advance to the next rank. Although the priests and priestesses around him said nothing and remained respectful and diligent as always, their disappointment and anxiety were palpable to anyone.
Time was truly running out.
The barrier that was built at the cost of the lives of countless Light Mages and their spirit beasts was gradually beginning to show cracks under the relentless, yearly attacks by the shadow beasts. The Light Mages tried countless methods to repair them, but all they could do was slow them down.
Everyone knew that the barrier really wouldn’t be able to protect them for much longer.
And yet, their Holy Son had not yet fully grown into his role.
This heavy burden weighed on the hearts of everyone in the Order, leaving them feeling suffocated. And it was at this very moment that the Dark God appeared before the original host.
In truth, no one had ever seen the Dark God before, and the original host had only seen a swirling shadowy cloud. Yet the moment he appeared before the original host, the latter was absolutely certain: this was the Dark God.
Deep down, the original host was terrified.
How could the Dark God appear here? Why did he appear here? Was he coming to harm him? Was he going to eliminate this vessel of Light? Had he actually breached their barrier? But no—that barrier couldn’t even hold back those shadow beasts; how could it possibly stop the Dark God?
The original host didn’t dare even breathe.
But surprisingly, the Dark God did nothing; he merely cast a fleeting glance at the original host, then simply vanished as if he’d never appeared at all.
Yet the original host found himself utterly captivated.
In the dead of night, when he drifted back into sleep, his mind was filled with that hazy mist. A vague, daring thought began to take shape in his mind.
Since the Dark God had already emerged from the Abyss, what was the point of holding out any longer?
The barrier had already begun to crack and wouldn’t hold much longer. They couldn’t even overcome the shadow beasts. How could they possibly stand a chance against the God of Darkness?
As long as the God of Light remained absent, their defeat was written in stone. After all, how could mere mortals compare to gods?
So, wouldn’t it be better to bow down and submit to the God of Darkness? At least that way, they could save themselves.
It must be said that when it came to swaying people’s hearts, the Dark God possessed a natural talent; his divine charm made him irresistible. Without even revealing his true form or uttering a single word, he had already made the original host submit from the depths of his soul.
But after that, the Dark God never appeared again.
And that simply wouldn’t do.
To retain his current status and privileges upon pledging allegiance to the Dark God, he must possess something unique, like being endorsed by the Dark God, earning his trust and assistance.
Therefore, he was determined to meet the Dark God. The original host was willing to demonstrate his sincerity that far.
What could demonstrate greater sincerity than sacrificing one’s own Light-elemental spirit beast?
The original host was already dissatisfied with his companion spirit beast, so he had no qualms about taking action.
At first, he went easy on it, afraid of being discovered, and dared only to meddle in minor ways, like controlling its food, drink, and supplements. But once he started becoming physical and vented his frustrations, the original host gradually became addicted to it.
Yet the companion spirit beast possessed its own pride; it would never let others discover its injuries, much less reveal the discord between itself and its contract holder.
It was currently the highest-ranked of all Light-element spirit beasts—and the only mid-tier Light-element spirit beast. It believed it was its duty to lead the others in defending against the shadow beasts, but precisely because of its contract holder’s negative influence, it was unable to fully unleash its power. This alone caused it great distress; how could it possibly expose the fact that it was at odds with its contract holder?
Wouldn’t that extinguish everyone’s hopes?
Precisely because of this, the Blessed Spirit Beast gradually stopped appearing in public. No one knew it was suffering.
Logically speaking, the Blessed Spirit Beast wasn’t easily injured, but since the harm came from its contract partner, it was utterly powerless to defend itself. In fact, the deep-seated aversion and resentment from its contract partner had already inflicted a certain measure of harm to it.
With the Blessed Beast being so “cooperative,” the original host naturally became even more ruthless.
He didn’t believe he was tormenting the Blessed Beast; instead, he justified his actions by claiming he was acting in the best interests of both himself and the Blessed Beast’s shared future. That these hardships were necessary to pledge allegiance to the Dark God. So what if the Blessed Beast suffered a little?
He was truly a despicable individual.
Once the memory transfer was complete, Shi Jingge slowly opened his eyes and immediately saw the Blessed Spirit Beast lying on the ground.
Having gone without food for a long time and without receiving any Spirit Stones or other nourishment, the Blessed Spirit Beast had reverted to its juvenile form to conserve energy.
It resembled a half-grown lion cub, except for a pair of pronged horns on its head, which looked somewhat like deer antlers, and a pair of small, feathered wings that laid against its back. It also had a coat of long, pure white fur with a golden sheen, as if it was made of light. Though it appeared somewhat dull at the moment, one could easily imagine just how beautiful it must be in a healthy state.1I have decided that the author is describing a Chinese Bixie, thus small wording adjustments have been made (small kitten < Lion cub, thin translucent wings < feathered wings) A Bixie (辟邪), Bixie is a mythical beast in ancient Chinese mythology. It is a transliteration of the ancient Indian Sanskrit word meaning “great lion”. In ancient times, the image of the mythical beast was often used on textiles, military flags, belt grooves, seal knobs, bell knobs, etc. Stone statues of the mythical beast were often found in front of tombs in the Southern Dynasties. According to the “Book of Han, Biographies of the Western Regions” and the “Qing Palace Animal Manual”, the Bixie (Taoba) resembles a deer with a long tail and two antlers. According to the Cihai dictionary, the Bixie is characterized by its lion-like appearance with wings. The book “Horned Divine Beasts of the Han Dynasty” records that the physical characteristics of the Bixie in the Han Dynasty are: it has horns, a lion-like body, many wings, an open mouth, a raised head, a long beard, and a mane on its face. [15] — Baidu
It had been lying there resting, but upon sensing Shi Jingge’s gaze, it looked over warily, its body tensing up.
Perhaps because it was still in its fledgling form, it looked like a wide-eyed little cub, appearing completely non-aggressive; though how quickly it averted its gaze and the tension in its body gave it away.
Shi Jingge mimicked the original host, letting out a cold laugh, and even raised his foot to kick the Blessed Beast as he walked past it.
The Blessed Beast glared fiercely at it, its gaze filled with both anger and sorrow. It was tense, bracing for the pain, but it never came.
Shi Jingge just missed. Then he carelessly stepped right over it.
“What bad luck!”
It heard its contract partner’s voice, thick with disgust, but fortunately, he was too lazy to walk back. He simply made his way to the bed, and rustling sounds followed. He must have been changing clothes. Soon, the noise ceased.
It waited quietly for a moment; when there was still no sound, it cautiously lifted its head and took a glance. The human was already lying in bed and appeared to be asleep.
It slowly exhaled a heavy sigh, its eyes once again filling with a deep sorrow, with a faint flicker of anger smoldering within.
…Was this truly the contract partner it had chosen?
Just then, a sudden noise startled it. Its body stiffened, and it dared not move, afraid of waking the sleeping human.
Then the distinct sound of something hitting the floor reached its ears. Thud.
And just like that, an autumn-orange sphere rolled right between its paws.
Its eyes fixed intently on the fruit as a wave of hunger washed over it. When was the last time it had eaten? A few days ago? It couldn’t remember.
But this fruit looked so delicious. Had Shi Jingge accidentally knocked it off the nightstand while tossing and turning?
If it ate it, would he notice? But that sweet, fragrant scent was tempting. It was too hungry to care anymore.
Its breathing slowly grew more ragged. It lightly licked its lips as if to calm its turmoil.
No further sound.
The human remained completely still. His breathing was steady; it seemed he had already fallen asleep.
The Blessed Spirit Beast quietly stood up and cautiously craned its neck to look. Seeing that the human had turned onto his side, it finally felt a little at ease.
It carefully edged toward the fruit, centimeter by centimeter, not daring to make a sound. Finally, its paw was just within reach of the fruit. In that moment, it snatched the fruit up in a flash, then cautiously glanced over at Shi Jingge.
Thankfully, he was still in the same position. It hadn’t been discovered. This realization put its mind at ease. It slowly exhaled, picked up the fruit protectively, and crept back to its spot.
The fruit’s fragrance wafted straight into its nostrils, making its heart flutter with anticipation. The pangs of hunger kept driving it on; even as it repeatedly urged itself to slow down, to be quiet so as not to wake Shi Jingge, nothing helped.
It took an almost greedy bite out of the fruit. The sweet aroma nearly sent it into a sugar-induced daze. Yet the crisp-crunch of that single moment made it feel as if it were walking on thin ice. It held itself rigidly for a long while; only after hearing no sound did it finally relax.
It felt a wave of poignant sorrow.
A legendary Blessed Beast—the only one in this world, no less—not wounded in battle against a shadow beast, not defeated by one, but hurt like this by its own contract partner. Who would believe it if it were told?
Why had it chosen such a contract partner in the first place?
Could it really be that it… had chosen the wrong person? It slowly finished eating the fruit; perhaps because it was so hungry, even such a small thing was enough to satisfy its hunger.
It laid down again, returning to its meditation, and recalled the moment it had awakened from its shell.
It had crawled out of the eggshell and, even from a distance, felt a powerful pull. It knew that its contract partner, with whom it shared a deep connection, had appeared. Though its movements were still unsteady, its heart had already raced toward that person.
Its contract partner could lead it beyond this bleak world of spirits. But… It raised its eyes to gaze at the human’s profile, filled with both anger and sorrow; the remorse it had been suppressing could no longer be held back… It truly regretted it.
This person was not meant to be its contract partner.
Shi Jingge heard the sound of it eating the fruit and finally let out a slight sigh of relief; he’d been worried about what to do if the Blessed Spirit Beast refused to eat it.
Thankfully, it did eat. That fruit wasn’t an ordinary orange; it was a radiant fruit he’d exchanged with the system. It was said to contain the power of light, capable of nourishing the Blessed Spirit Beast’s body. However, since it contained a high concentration of energy and couldn’t process impurities, the first time one consumed it, one had to fast for a long period to cleanse impurities from the body and purify the spirit.
This was practically a tailor-made treasure for the Blessed Spirit Beast!
So Shi Jingge went ahead and used one of his “golden fingers” to exchange for a flawless-grade Radiant Fruit.
As a surprise addition, the System granted him a complementary gift: for the next month, he would receive one low-grade Radiant Fruit every day to help improve the Sacred Spirit Beast’s constitution.
Moreover, because it contained a significant amount of energy, eating just one would keep him from feeling hungry for an entire day much like a legendary fasting pill. The room was completely silent.
Shi Jingge guessed that the Blessed Spirit Beast must have fallen asleep as well; after all, it was still somewhat weak.
Shi Jingge made the most of his time, beginning to familiarize himself with this vessel and this world.
He could sense a mysterious power within this body—though faint, it was undeniably real.
That power moved in response to his thoughts, which struck him as somewhat novel. He had never encountered such a mysterious force before, but at that moment, it felt strangely familiar. These powers were far too weak; if only they were a little stronger, Shi Jingge thought vaguely to himself. He was starting to feel a bit sleepy. Just a moment ago, he hadn’t felt the slightest hint of drowsiness.
Now, however, he was so drowsy that his consciousness was growing hazy. Yet, in this misty state, he seemed to see many things: vast, lush grasslands teeming with all manner of adorable spirit beasts running together and bringing warmth and hope; next came a beautiful forest of flowers, where buds that had been closed now were competing in their display, and translucent little fairies fluttered out from among them, singing joyful little tunes and scattering happiness far and wide; then came towering mountains, where different races dwelled, each with its own unique characteristics. Perhaps the only thing they had in common was their wings. Beautiful winged creatures standing in rows, like resolute knights…
In his ears, he seemed to hear a voice calling out. It was so close, yet so far away.
In this dream, he seemed to resonate with this land in some way, and a force spread throughout his body.
Meanwhile, the sleeping Blessed Beast on the ground seemed to sense something intuitively; a warm energy enveloped it, causing it to involuntarily stretch its limbs, as if wanting to bathe every part of its body in that warmth.
When Shi Jingge opened his eyes once more, dawn had already broken.
He instinctively manipulated the Light Power within him, only to discover that the energy seemed slightly stronger than it had been the day before.
Before Shi Jingge had time to ponder this, sounds drifted in from outside.
“Your Grace, the Holy Son,” a cool, clear voice rang out, “please allow your Sacred Servants to assist you with your ablutions.”
Shi Jingge nodded. “Come in.”
At that moment, the Blessed Spirit Beast instinctively hid itself away.
The door swung open, and more than a dozen Sacred Attendants filed in one after another. They all kept their heads bowed, never daring to look at Shi Jingge for fear of offending the Holy Son, and each carried items in their hands.
Soon, the Sacred Attendants came to a halt and stood motionless to one side; only the Chief Sacred Attendant, who led them, was authorized to personally serve the Holy Son.
“Your Grace, the Holy Son,” the Chief Holy Attendant said as he approached Shi Jingge, “please allow me to attend to you.”
Shi Jingge nodded; the corners of his mouth twitched, but in the end, he said nothing.
The Chief Attendant combed Shi Jingge’s hair and dressed him. “Your Grace, the Grand Elder and the Third Elder are waiting for you in the Meeting Hall.” After a pause, he instinctively lowered his voice. “The Grand Elder requests that you bring your companion with you.”
“I understand,” Shi Jingge replied coldly after a long silence.
The Chief Sacred Attendant bowed to Shi Jingge, then led the rest of the Sacred Attendants away.
The Blessed Spirit Beast emerged from its hiding place and cautiously approached Shi Jingge’s side. Shi Jingge raised his foot to kick it but, for some reason, stopped himself. “Consider yourself lucky,” Shi Jingge said coldly. “The Elders wish to see you. Do you understand?
The Blessed Spirit Beast hesitantly nodded. This person hadn’t discovered the matter of the fruit.
That was actually a good thing.
The Blessed Spirit Beast assumed its full form: a nearly fully grown lion, its body slender and elongated, exuding an air of majesty. Its pure white fur shimmered with a golden glow; paired with its imposing presence and slightly spread wings, it was truly a sight to behold.
Shi Jingge’s eyes flickered, and he led the way out.
The Blessed Spirit Beast watched his back as he walked away, then slowly followed.
……Should I reveal what he’s done?
As they walked out, they occasionally encountered people from the Order. They would all stop to bow and make way for the Holy Son and his companion spirit beast. Their gazes, filled with hope, anticipation, trust, and adoration, made the Blessed Spirit Beast hesitate time and time again.
It and its Contracted One were their last hope. Even though that hope was extremely small, and even though they already had a vague suspicion in their hearts, having that was still better than having it shattered.
In front of others, Shi Jingge never did anything to it. So when the Priestesses offered it food and Light Stones, strangely enough, it wasn’t hungry anymore.
“Take those away,” Shi Jingge said calmly. “It won’t eat any of this.”
Immediately, an attendant removed the food. The Spirit Beast felt a mix of anger and resignation, but could only console itself with the fact that, fortunately, it wasn’t hungry.
However, it secretly hid a light stone under its paw; though it felt a bit awkward, there was nothing else it could do.
Shi Jingge took the Blessed Spirit Beast to meet the Grand Elder and the Third Elder. Although they were called Elders, both were still relatively young. At that moment, their faces bore signs of fatigue, but upon seeing that Shi Jingge and the Blessed Spirit Beast were well, their expressions brightened somewhat.
“Second Elder, we must go to the Heart of the Barrier,” the Grand Elder said, looking at Shi Jingge with a pleading gaze. “We don’t have much time left.”
“Rest assured,” the Third Elder added, “even if it costs me my life, I’ll do everything in my power to secure more time for the Holy Son.”
The two spoke in turn, each trying to reassure Shi Jingge.
Then, the First Elder changed the subject. “But morale is low right now. There’s a lot of discontent, and everyone is living in constant fear. Only you can put an end to these rumors and restore peace of mind to the people. Only you, our hope, our Light, the Holy Son. We hope you will accompany the Third Elder to the center of the barrier. Let the world see that our Holy Son will forever protect this land!”
Shi Jingge’s expression darkened. Avoiding the Elders’ gaze, he said stiffly, “I still need time to cultivate. I’ve recently gained some insight; I feel I’m not far from reaching the Second Tier.
How many times had he said these words over the past few years? Yet, had he ever truly succeeded?
The two Elders knew Shi Jingge was reluctant, but this time, their stance was unwavering.
They really didn’t have that much time left to wait around anymore.
“The barrier was created through the sacrifices of many Light Mages; it’s imbued with a dense concentration of Light Energy, which will undoubtedly be of great assistance to Your Holiness’ endeavors,” the Grand Elder said kindly. “Within the Sanctuary, we’ve held back the Holy Son’s natural talent and spiritual energy. It is our own failure.
The Third Elder gave a self-deprecating laugh. “We truly lack the strength to offer Your Holiness any assistance, and for that, we are deeply ashamed. However, the barrier retains a profound concentration of Light Energy, as well as the hope and trust left behind by countless Light Mages. We believe that Your Holiness will surely gain something there!”
With things having been put this way, did Shi Jingge still have a chance to refuse?
Besides, he had no intention of refusing in the first place.
But given the original host’s character, he had to maintain the proper demeanor. He remained silent for quite a while before asking, somewhat reluctantly, “Must I go?”
“Your Holiness,” the Grand Elder said, looking at him with a sense of guilt, “everyone in the Sanctuary is weak, and our companion spirit beasts are merely first- and second-tier creatures. How could we possibly enlighten you? For now, our only option is to draw upon the glory of our ancestors to lend you a helping hand.”
Shi Jingge clenched his jaw. “I’ll go.”
“Your Holiness’ profound sense of duty is truly a blessing for the Sanctuary!” the Grand Elder and the Third Elder exclaimed in unison.
Shi Jingge turned and walked away, his expression unusually grim.
The Blessed Spirit Beast hurried to follow, but after taking just a few steps, it turned back to glance at the Grand Elder and the Third Elder. Both wore expressions tinged with bitterness.
Seeing this, a pang of bitterness welled up in the Blessed Spirit Beast’s heart as well.
It wasn’t until Shi Jingge and the Blessed Spirit Beast had disappeared from sight that the Grand Elder and the Third Elder sighed in unison.
The Third Elder rubbed his forehead and whispered, “Why did the Blessed Spirit Beast choose him?”
The First Elder gave a wry smile. “I’d like to know that myself.”
Over the past decade or so, they had truly come to see the truth: no matter how much they tried to deceive themselves, reality was…
The two sighed in unison.
“The previous Holy Son said he placed his hopes in him,” the Grand Elder said, looking at the Third Elder. “Even if we don’t believe in him, we must believe the previous Holy Son.”
The Third Elder nodded, his posture heavy with resignation.
But was Shi Jingge truly their hope? Could they really trust him? Given all these incidents, and judging by the look on his face just now, could they truly rely on him?
The Third Elder dared not think any further; he closed his eyes and exhaled a long, heavy breath. “I’ll do my best to buy us time.”
Even if it meant risking his life.
“My companion spirit beast feels the same way.”
After a long moment, the Grand Elder said softly, “So do we.”
This “we,” of course, referred to him and his companion spirit beast.
Even if the ultimate outcome remains unchanged, they would die on the path of protecting this land. Even if they could buy just one second, they would still give their lives.
The Blessed Spirit Beast was actually a little afraid.
It could sense that its contract partner was furious, a rage unlike any it had felt before, like a deep, dark spring where one could only see what floated on the surface, yet could not fathom how deep the waters truly ran.
It even wanted to turn and run away, to tell the Grand Elder and the Third Elder everything.
But soon, it abandoned that thought.
What good would it do to tell those Light Mages about these matters?
Besides, it was a sixth-tier Light-elemental Spirit Beast—a Blessed Spirit Beast.
It was its duty to protect this land. It would be heading to the barrier very soon.
Once inside the barrier, even if it meant sacrificing itself for the power of light, repairing some of the cracks, maintaining the barrier, and buying this land a little more time, it would still have fulfilled its mission.
With that thought, the Blessed Spirit Beast’s fear vanished. Although the aversion, loathing, and harm it received from its contract partner were a source of immense suffering, it would soon be free from that pain forever. Wasn’t that a good thing?
But to the Blessed Spirit Beast’s surprise, Shi Jingge didn’t actually lash out at it!
It was only as the beast stepped through the doorway that an object was hurled at it; though it struck its body, it didn’t hurt.
It rolled down with a tumbling sound, a vaguely familiar sound. The Blessed Spirit Beast looked closely and saw that it was that orange fruit!
“Get out!” a hoarse voice rang out.
The Blessed Spirit Beast snatched the fruit at lightning speed, transformed into its juvenile form, and hid off to the side.
Amid the silence, only Shi Jingge’s heavy breathing could be heard.
The Blessed Spirit Beast silently glanced over. Seeing him lying on the bed, his chest heaving violently, it knew he was still very angry.
…Does he really not want to go to the barrier that much?
It was unclear how much time had passed, but just as the Blessed Spirit Beast was drifting off to sleep, it faintly heard some muffled sobs.
“You don’t trust me that much…? Why won’t you give me some time? Soon… it’ll be sorted out soon…! It’s not my fault! Why won’t anyone believe me…?” The voice carried a faint undertone of grief and indignation; even its pitch had changed.
The Blessed Spirit Beast didn’t move, merely thinking dazedly, Who would believe you? You’re so villainous. Even I, as your companion spirit beast, am unwilling to believe you. Who else would be willing to trust you? You’re just too wicked.
The next day, Shi Jingge, accompanied by the Blessed Spirit Beast, numerous attendants, and Knights of the Order, followed the Third Elder and his companion spirit beast as the grand procession left the Sanctuary and set off for the barrier.
As they set out, the streets and alleys were packed with people, all chanting “Holy Son” in unison with such devotion and trust that the surge of heartfelt emotion even startled Shi Jingge.
He couldn’t help but glance toward the crowd.
Immediately, someone shouted out, “Holy Son! The Holy Son is looking this way!”
“The Holy Son is looking at me!”
“Nonsense! The Holy Son is clearly looking at me!”
“Your Lightness… thank you for all you’ve done—!”
“Your Holiness! Your Holiness!”
There were no particularly eloquent words, only one simple yet fervent cry after another, “Your Holiness.”
In the gazes they cast upon him, their emotions were nearly overflowing. Shi Jingge’s fingers trembled slightly, unable to stop.
At that moment, the Blessed Spirit Beast almost thought it was hallucinating. So it watched Shi Jingge quietly, watching his shanking fingers, before finally confirming that it hadn’t been hallucinating after all.
Was he moved? Was he touched?
No way.
The Blessed Beast forced itself to look away. If it didn’t harbor any hope, it wouldn’t be disappointed. Hadn’t it been disappointed so many times before? Wasn’t that enough?
But this was the contract partner it had chosen. Anyone capable of forming a bond with it must surely be a gentle, kind person whose heart was aligned with the light. Perhaps the cries of humanity could truly awaken his gentleness and kindness.
Stop daydreaming. Is it really that hard to admit you were blind and chose the wrong contract partner? I thought you’d admitted that long ago—I never expected you’d still be clinging to such a foolish notion.
At that moment, the Blessed Spirit Beast felt as if it were splitting in two. Inside its mind, two little Blessed Spirit Beasts were voicing their own opinions, arguing with each other, neither able to persuade the other.
But in the end, the second little Blessed Spirit Beast won the argument. It let out a mighty roar and devoured the first little Blessed Spirit Beast in one gulp, further solidifying the Blessed Spirit Beast’s resolve.
Still, it couldn’t help but steal a glance at Shi Jingge.
His fingers had stopped trembling.
The noise outside remained deafening; everyone calling out to him sounded so devout, yet none of it could shake his resolve.
Thinking back on his earlier indecision and hesitation, it realized just how foolish it’d been.
The teleportation array transported them to Seven-Star Valley near the barrier. The area was desolate; as far as the eye could see, there was nothing but rolling yellow sand. At this point, they were still about a day’s journey from the barrier’s location.
Along the way, the group rested and readied themselves. Attendants brought food—likely stored in advance in their spatial rings—and it all looked incredibly delicious.
The two best portions were reserved for the Holy Son and the Blessed Spirit Beast.
The Blessed Spirit Beast was getting a bit hungry, but before the food could even be placed before it, it heard Shi Jingge’s say, “It won’t eat this.” Shi Jingge’s tone was calm. “This food is merely filling. It lacks the vitality of light and isn’t suitable for it. I’ve prepared food for it.”
The attendant suddenly realized what was happening and hurriedly withdrew, his eyes brimming with admiration and respect.
The Holy Son personally prepared food for his companion spirit beast; this clearly showed how close their bond is. Those who previously spread rumors claiming the Holy Son and his companion spirit beast had a strained relationship—their consciences must be utterly corrupt!
Although a Sacred Attendant wasn’t supposed to openly discuss His Holiness’ affairs, how could he stand by silently while His Holiness was slandered by those people? If he hadn’t encountered this himself, it would have been one thing, but since he had, he simply had to clear His Grace’s name!
This Sacred Attendant shared the story with his companions, and their reactions mirrored his own. They were proud and confident, believing that with such a devoted Grace, they would surely be able to defeat those shadow beasts!
When word of this reached the Third Elder’s ears, he immediately lost his appetite. He asked casually, as if out of mere curiosity, “What has His Holiness prepared for the Blessed Beast?”
It seemed like nothing more than simple curiosity.
The Sacred Attendants shook their heads in unison, indicating they didn’t know. Since it was food prepared personally by the Holy Son for the Blessed Beast, it must be a closely guarded secret—how could they possibly peek?
The Third Elder felt somewhat uneasy.
He’d never heard of the Holy Son preparing meals, let alone—where in the world could one find food imbued with the power of Light? Although the Holy Son had a high potential, capable of reaching the sixth rank, he was currently only a first-rank Light Mage!
What could a first-rank Light Mage possibly do?
The Third Elder clenched his teeth, wanting to take a peek, but after taking just two steps, he stopped. The Holy Son had already clashed with him and the First Elder yesterday. If he went over now, what would his actions imply to the Holy Son? He couldn’t go.
The Third Elder let out a deep sigh, and his appetite vanished instantly. At that moment, only one thought remained in his mind: Why on earth did the Blessed Beast choose him?
The Blessed Beast couldn’t even be bothered to get angry anymore. Where in this world could there possibly be food imbued with the Power of Light? Even Light Stones were rare these days, and the Power of Light stored within them was astonishingly scarce, let alone food.
This human was just finding new ways to torment it. Oh well, it wasn’t the first time it had gone hungry; it didn’t matter.
Just then, the Blessed Spirit Beast heard the sound of Shi Jingge approaching.
He placed an orange in front of it. “Eat this.” His voice was calm, and his gaze seemed to carry a hint of warmth.
For a fleeting moment, the Blessed Spirit Beast felt a pang of sadness, but it quickly hardened its heart again. How could a single fruit possibly fill its stomach?
This was just for show. With so many people watching, he had no choice but to put on a performance. What a farce!
Yet, to its astonishment, the fruit possessed an unexpectedly delightful aroma. That sweet fragrance was unlike any other; just the scent alone was soothing, and it made the Holy Spirit Beast feel a surge of energy.
Might as well eat it.
The Spirit Beast spitefully clicked its teeth, took a bite out of the fruit, and the sweet juice that gushed out flowed down its throat, leaving it utterly delighted.
Delicious!
Although it wouldn’t fill its stomach, it was undeniably delicious.
That sensation spread from its mouth to every fiber of its being, causing even the Light energy within its body to expand, as if singing with joy. All that resentment, anger, and sense of injustice seemed to be soothed in that very moment, as if it were bathed in Holy Light.
The Blessed Spirit Beast devoured the fruit in a flash; perhaps because it was so delicious, it no longer felt hungry at all.
It shot a quick glance at Shi Jingge. Shi Jingge was eating the food the Sacred Attendant had given him and hadn’t touched a single bite of the fruit.
Was this fruit meant only for it? Why wasn’t he eating something so delicious?
This thought left the Blessed Spirit Beast dumbfounded; it shook its head vigorously, as if trying to cast those thoughts aside entirely.
Perhaps Shi Jingge had never tasted it before, so he didn’t know how delicious the fruit was.
Or maybe the Blessed Spirit Beast found it delicious, but Shi Jingge didn’t. After all, having gone so long without food, the Blessed Spirit Beast naturally considered this single fruit the most delicious thing in the world.
As it pondered this, the Blessed Spirit Beast’s spirits sank once more.
…When would they reach the barrier?
At this moment, it seemed only the barrier could give the Blessed Spirit Beast a sense of belonging. Soon, the group set off again; this time, they wouldn’t stop until they reached it.
As they passed through the Seven-Star Valley, a hint of green gradually appeared, and the closer they got to the barrier, the more green there was.
Perhaps because of the dense light energy at the barrier, the area around it was filled with birdsong and the fragrance of flowers, brimming with spring vitality. It was truly a wonderful sight.
That light energy also made the Blessed Spirit Beast feel at ease.
Several barracks had been built near the barrier, and when they spotted them, the people who had been guarding the area came forward to greet them.
However, none of them looked very happy.
“What’s wrong?” the Third Elder asked immediately.
The leading figure was the Fourth Elder. He gave a wry smile, exchanged a glance with the Third Elder, and then led his men to greet the Holy Son.
Shi Jingge spoke in a flat tone, “Is there something going on that even I am not worthy of knowing?”
That remark was indeed a heavy blow.
The Fourth Elder couldn’t possibly respond to that; naturally, he apologized repeatedly before finally sighing softly. “The crack in the barrier has grown larger again. We sense that, before long, a small hole may appear.”
Everyone held their breath, staring at the Fourth Elder in disbelief.
…This was truly a bolt from the blue!
What did a hole mean? It meant the barrier was no longer impenetrable!
It meant dark energy could seep through the opening. It meant even letting the tiniest shadow beasts sneak in, and it meant shadow beasts could hurl the black liquid formed from their corpses right inside!
Moreover, once the barrier actually developed a breach, it wouldn’t be long before it crumbled to pieces entirely.
They had only just arrived near the barrier when they were stunned into silence by the Fourth Elder’s devastating news. Amid the silence, the Fourth Elder pulled himself together and, acting as if nothing were wrong, began arranging accommodations for everyone.
As the Holy Son, Shi Jingge was the one everyone had to protect, so his quarters were located right in the center, inhabited only by him and the Blessed Beast.
As for the others, they would have to share quarters with the others, even the Third Elder. There simply weren’t enough rooms here.
The Blessed Spirit Beast was reeling from the news and felt extremely uneasy. It paced restlessly back and forth until a blanket came sailing down and smacked it squarely on the head.
“If you don’t want to stay, then get the hell out!”
The implied threat was so heavy that the Blessed Spirit Beast didn’t even dare to remove the blanket; it simply laid down silently.
Its mind was completely filled with thoughts of the barrier; it simply couldn’t fall asleep.
Just then, it heard the steady sound of breathing coming from the bed.
How could he—How could he sleep so soundly?
The Spirit Beast was overcome with grief and indignation. It felt that the last shred of hope and expectation it had for its contract holder had been completely shattered.
It had been blind to choose the wrong one. It regretted it.
Truly regretted it.
The Blessed Spirit Beast closed its eyes, filled with sorrow and grief; it buried its head in its paws, shielding itself completely. It didn’t know how much time had passed, but everything around it had fallen silent, broken only by the occasional rustle of the wind.
And just then, a sound came from the bed.
Had he woken up? The Blessed Spirit Beast thought numbly; at this point, nothing Shi Jingge did could stir any emotion in it.
It didn’t want to pay attention to Shi Jingge.
But it was so quiet around it that the rustling sounds from the bed seemed to pierce its ears.
It heard the sound of Shi Jingge getting out of bed; he took a couple of steps, then seemed to stop.
Then it felt the blanket on top of it shift slightly. It hadn’t moved since Shi Jingge had thrown the blanket over it, so the blanket had only partially covered it.
Now, Shi Jingge shifted the blanket and tucked in the corners, ensuring it was wrapped up tightly.
Then, Shi Jingge stroked a horn. Its horns were sensitive. God only knew how it managed to stay still.
“You’ve been through so much,” Shi Jingge said softly. “I’m sorry. It’s my fault. But I… I had no other choice. I’m sorry. I had no choice but to… do this…”
He took a deep breath and exhaled heavily; the sound reached the Blessed Beast’s ears, sending a shiver through its very soul.
As a companion spirit beast, it could sense the pain, guilt, and sorrow emanating from its contract partner.
If you know you’re sorry to me, if you’re in so much pain, guilt, and sorrow, why did you still have to do this? the Blessed Spirit Beast thought, feeling somewhat bewildered.
Unable to make sense of it, it hoped Shi Jingge would say something to resolve its confusion.
But Shi Jingge didn’t say another word.
He simply stepped carefully around it and walked out.
The Blessed Spirit Beast opened its eyes and watched his retreating figure; in that instant, it felt as though it had glimpsed a hint of resolve.
This version of Shi Jingge was very different from the one it had seen earlier that day.
…What on earth was he going to do?
The Blessed Spirit Beast didn’t know, but it wanted to find out. It took a deep breath, and its form slowly shrank, transforming into its juvenile form.
Earlier, because it had been so upset, it had remained in its larger form the whole time.
Didn’t Shi Jingge hate seeing it in that larger form? Why hadn’t he ordered it to transform into its juvenile form?
The Holy Spirit Beast clenched its teeth and cautiously made its way outside.
Once out of the room, it looked around—there wasn’t a soul in sight—but without hesitation, it headed straight toward the barrier.
It knew that Shi Jingge must be there and could only be there.
But Shi Jingge… What was he doing there?
Hadn’t he shown absolutely no interest in that place earlier that evening?
——————————————————
Author’s Note:
Now—
The Elders: Why did the Blessed Beast choose Shi Jingge?
Later—
The Elders: The Blessed Light is eternal!
Shiotamari: My apologies for the delay, a good coworker of mine was diagnosed with late stage cancer and was given 3-6 more months. This hit my coworkers and I hard. We decided to make a care basket for them before they go down to their sisters… I spent the last week and a half crocheting the biggest fluffiest blanket I could in that timeframe… as I was otherwise occupied translating this slipped my mind. I will try to make up for it with a double post here soon if it works with my team!
Edit: Krone
Proofread: Choux_choux
![The Return of The Lord God[quick wear]](https://i2.wp.com/knoxt.space/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/007S8ZIlly1ghl04hyuxyj30hs0owwgu.jpg?resize=85,105 "The Return of The Lord God[quick wear]")
Lunari00 On DSMC Chapter 92.1