Chapter 621: The Mystical Realm
Firstly, developing the Gem Order, secretly developing believers; secondly, finding a suitable Holy Mother to truly be recognized by the world through the cycle of reincarnation; thirdly, exploring the secrets of that mystical Mansus Illusory Dream.
“An order is not a church. What a secret cult needs is not the faith of a massive number of followers, but a small number of elite believers. Secret cults are completely different from orthodox churches. Although the power of faith is important here, it is not the most important thing.
“The most important thing for a secret cult is action. Through various actions, holding rituals before the Inquisition discovers them, and relying on rituals in exchange for immense power.
“Playing with rituals, manipulating fate… I am the ancestor of that!”
Within the Gem Dreamscape, Ace sat high upon the throne at the mountain peak, speaking domineeringly.
As a clone, He was not an ordinary clone. Possessing the three laws of Dream, Fate, and Magic Net, He had infinite possibilities.
As for gems, they were actually just a means of encapsulating spell models. Believers were neither wizards nor Mages; they didn’t need to learn spell models, nor did they need to study mathematics.
Packaging the spell models like black boxes, making them directly usable, was sufficient.
This wasn’t difficult for Ace’s clone. He, along with Ace’s true body and all other clones, simultaneously shared Ace’s vast knowledge of spell models. If Ace’s true body wished, He could synchronize consciousness at any time, which is one consciousness manipulating countless bodies.
It’s just that this mode was somewhat cumbersome. As the distance increased, energy consumption also increased geometrically. Therefore, Ace’s true body did not maintain a state of synchronized consciousness most of the time.
Believers in the True Name World were equivalent to Junior or Intermediate Wizard Apprentices, Apostles were equivalent to Senior Wizard Apprentices, High Apostles were equivalent to Level 1, Foreseers were equivalent to Level 2, and Prophets were equivalent to Level 3.
Pseudonymous Ones were Level 4. The so-called pseudonym—the “pseudo” referred to the name of the Great Source of the True Name World. Recorded in the books of mystical power, it was borrowing the name of the Mansus.
This was also the reason why Ace was so interested in the Mansus Illusory Dream of this world. It was too unique. The Great Source of the world seemed to be a bizarre, real dreamscape. This was an immense supplement to Ace’s Law of Dreams.
Winter passed and spring came. In the blink of an eye, the accumulated snow across the entire Hall region had melted. The farmers near Roger Town also began their spring plowing. They were bound to the land; besides farming, there was no other way out.
John and Clyster each gave their parents ten silver coins to renovate the wooden cabins at home. This sum of money was enough to build a sturdy, warm, two-story wooden cabin with a large fireplace.
After doing all this, the two traveled together back to Hall City. That incident that happened in winter seemed to have been buried in the long night of the past; no one remembered that a group of gang members had once disappeared.
The two still had three gold coins in hand. They used two gold coins to buy a three-story apartment building in the Seventh District, converted the first floor of the apartment into a pharmacy, and used the remaining last gold coin to buy a batch of goods.
John was very familiar with this matter, and basically, there were no major problems. Even if there were, they were all successfully “overcome” by him relying on the power of the gems.
John’s Origin Crystal was Rationality. He currently possessed two intact gems. The first was the Gem of Wisdom. When this gem was activated, his thinking would become active and calm, and his memory would also be greatly enhanced.
The second was the Gem of Influence, capable of influencing the thinking of others to a certain extent, making them imperceptibly tend towards a direction beneficial to himself. This influence was not coercive and could not be twisted baselessly. In John’s words, “Only a win-win mindset can truly stimulate the power of the gem.”
Relying on these two gems, John mingled very comfortably in the Seventh District. His pharmacy also gradually saw a steady stream of customers and became very bustling.
John’s potions were all common potions, but their effects were much stronger than ordinary potions.
The storefront on the first floor of the apartment had a total of three rooms. Currently, only one was open, which was the pharmacy.
On the second floor, the intact ruby floated in Clyster’s hand, blooming with brilliant colors, sweeping over bottles after bottles of potions.
The Gem of Health could maintain the health of the body, strengthen bodily functions, and had relatively good effects on physical injuries.
Praying and meditating piously with the Origin Crystal, one could obtain mana. Entering the Pure White Dream, adventuring behind the Pure White Door of the Mansus, bringing wondrous items from the Endless Wilderness, returning to the woodland, and sacrificing the spoils to Ace at the Church of the Turning Wheel—as long as it was enough, one could obtain the desired gem.
Of course, not just any gem could be obtained. One could only obtain the gem phantoms displayed by one’s own Origin Crystal.
“Clyster, you’ve worked hard. Thanks to your Gem of Health, our potions are much more excellent than similar potions, especially the external injury medicine; it’s practically our signature.”
John ran up to the second floor with a thump thump thump and said to Clyster with a smile.
Clyster cast blessings on the last few bottles of potions, his gaze firm.
“Everything is for the Lord’s cause, for our Gem Order. John, your plan is correct. We shouldn’t rush to expand the order, but should concentrate our energy on making money. Money is the foundation of everything!”
John walked closer quickly, tightly grasped Clyster’s hand, and nodded fiercely: “You are absolutely right, but only half right. Money is half of the foundation; we still need the other half, and that is knowledge!
“Money is legs and hands; without it, we cannot move. Knowledge is the brain; without it, we are headless flies.”
Clyster looked at John admiringly. Worthy of being the Pope designated by the Lord, his line of thought was so clear and penetrating.
“John, I am not as good as you, but I am willing to become the Guardian of Truth, guarding our Gem Order. We are the hope of this order, and also the starting point of the Lord’s cause. You must be cautious when acting outside; your mind is the order’s greatest wealth.”
John nodded and said: “I closed the stall early today and have already hung the ‘closed’ sign. The knowledge we need is not just ordinary knowledge, but more importantly, occult knowledge. Mrs. Morton’s bookstore has another quota for recommending members, and I want to take you with me.
“This time you can display your power, the power to treat external injuries, as our pass to enter the mystical realm of Hall.”
The two walked one behind the other towards the Third District. It was already evening, the sky gray and dark. They had arrived at a secluded alley.
John wore a cat-face mask, Clyster wore a dog-face mask, and both wore gray hooded robes, obscuring their faces and figures.
The light and shadow here were gray and dark. John looked around for a moment, slowly approached a wall, gently tapped the fourth brick in the seventh column from the left, took a seal from his bosom, and pressed it.
Rumble!
That wall suddenly caved in, and a hole just large enough for a person to pass through while crouching appeared. John pulled Clyster, and the two crouched and crawled inside together.
After entering, the view suddenly opened up. Midday sunlight spilled down. A beautiful courtyard, a clear and exquisite artificial lake—it was as if they had intruded into a beautiful garden.
“You couldn’t tell from the outside at all that the inside is actually so large. And it’s daytime! It’s truly beautiful here.”
Clyster couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.
After a burst of white smoke, an old man appeared—neat and energetic, elegant in appearance. He wore a decent tailcoat, leaned on a cane, and bowed slightly to the two.
“Welcome to Morton Manor. This place was once cast with a spell by a great prophet. It can be said to be a small secret realm isolated from the world, so it looks much larger than the outside. As for the sunlight, it is just caused by a miraculous item.
“I am the butler of the manor. Are you also here to participate in this newcomer initiation forum? Please let me see your seal.”
John carefully took out the seal and handed it to the old man.
The old man took the seal, gently tapped it with his cane, a wave of light flickered, and he nodded.
“This is indeed the seal issued by the Madame. Welcome, the two of you.”
Following the old man across the small bridge over the artificial lake, the two quickly walked into the villa of the manor. Quite a few people had already gathered here. The mixed aromas of roast chicken, roast duck, sausage, whole suckling pig, foie gras, and red wine made people unconsciously secrete saliva.
Clyster swallowed his saliva, making a gulp sound. He was a bit hungry.
“This is a buffet reception. You two only need to pay five silver coins to enjoy the special delicacies cooked by Apostles. It is absolutely great value for money.”
Hearing it cost five silver coins, Clyster flinched for a moment. Just as he was about to refuse, John smilingly took ten silver coins from his pocket and handed them to the butler.
“Is it the delicacies of the Order of Supreme Taste? I wonder if five silver coins can buy a cup of the sweet divine brew from the Chalice of Hurtai?”
The corners of the butler’s mouth curled up slightly. Taking the ten silver coins, he raised his cane slightly and said: “You are an expert. As long as one participates in the buffet reception, everyone can drink a cup of the divine brew from the Chalice, but only this one cup, haha.”
John also laughed happily, his voice hearty behind the cat-face mask: “Then we must participate. Thank you.”
Following the old man to the edge of the hall, two alluring maidservants wearing red robes with bizarre patterns tattooed on their backs were waiting here.
They brought out two fist-sized brass chalices. Inside the chalices was a purely red, viscous liquid, emitting a charming, mellow aroma.
John and Clyster held their cups and walked next to some delicacies. Clyster said in a low voice: “Ten silver coins for two people, equivalent to a tracker’s salary for a year. It’s too expensive.”
John shook his head, smiled, and said: “Not expensive, not expensive. Just the contents of this cup are worth this price, and it’s priceless and unavailable, very scarce.”
“What is this thing? I smelled it; it’s just wine. Even the most expensive wine…”
Before Clyster could finish, he was stopped by John’s sharp gaze.
“Before drinking it, do not comment casually,” John’s voice was pressed extremely low. “You won’t be disappointed. This is the Drink of Life that can increase lifespan. One cup can increase lifespan by one year; it is extremely precious. But one can drink at most ten cups; any more is ineffective.
“The Order of Supreme Taste is a secret cult with great influence in the mystical realm of Hall. Do not speak nonsense.”
After speaking, John pressed a protruding button on the lower half of his cat-face mask, exposing his mouth, and downed it in one gulp.
“No wonder you wanted to make this kind of movable mask.”
Clyster also pressed his mask, detached the lower half, exposed his mouth, and gulped it down.
A stream of heat erupted in Clyster’s stomach and intestines, then spread to his whole body. He felt more energetic. The Gem of Health hidden deep within his eternal dreamscape flickered at this moment. He concentrated his will, secretly activated the Gem of Health, and keenly perceived that his condition had become better than in the past.
The two subsequently began to hold plates and taste the delicacies, drinking fine wine. Unsurprisingly, these were delicacies made by Apostles, giving them great enjoyment.
The vast majority of people present wore various disguises. Some people appeared to be wearing no disguise at all, but actually, their appearance, height, and gender could all be fake.
The sky of Hall City was still ruled by the Churches of the Twenty Lords of Time. The Inquisition under the churches and the Suppression Bureau subordinate to the city hall were pervasive and extremely cruel; no carelessness was tolerated.
By six o’clock in the evening, the reception ended. Clyster saw a gorgeously dressed, plump, and elegant noblewoman walk onto the stage and clap her hands.
With a bizarre fluctuation, the delicacies in the hall disappeared, leaving only some tables and chairs. The crowd took their seats one after another.
“This person on the stage is Mrs. Morton. She runs Morton’s Bookstore. On the surface, it’s a secondhand bookstore; in reality, it’s a general store focusing on occult books, while also holding other mystical items. If we want any mystical items or want to sell any mystical items in the future, her place is an excellent channel.”
John said softly. The seal he already had was actually taken during the chaos when his former teacher was arrested and killed; strictly speaking, it was his teacher’s seal.
But the rule here was to recognize the seal. As long as one obtained a seal and passed the Spiritual Trial, one could inherit the seal and become a member.
The Spiritual Trial was actually displaying one’s heterogeneous power, which is mystical power not belonging to the church system. As long as one possessed heterogeneous power and a heterogeneous pursuit, they were naturally a member of the mystical realm.
Mrs. Morton welcomed everyone with a slow tone. She didn’t beat around the bush, pointing straight to the main topic.
“Another five years have passed. According to the agreement between my late husband and the various cults, this year is the time for new members to join. Our rules remain the same. Please display your heterogeneous power. The Hall Mystical Council will decide whether to absorb you based on everyone’s performance.”
John gave Clyster a push and whispered in his ear: “Remember what we discussed. You are an Apostle of the emerging Gem Cult, possessing relatively strong abilities to treat external injuries.”
Newcomers went on stage one by one to display their own heterogeneous power. The council members hidden in the crowd quietly gave scores; some were happy, some were worried.
Those present were all members of secret cults, as well as a very small number of nature faith practitioners. The power of many of them lacked distinctive features, and their levels were too weak.
The so-called nature faith, also called the Mansus Faith, believes that the Mansus Illusory Dream is the path to the depths of the Great Source. They do not believe in the so-called orthodox Lords of Time, believing that the Lords of Time only obtained a portion of authority. Even less do they believe in Named Ones, believing that Named Ones and Pseudonymous Ones are inferior to Lords of Time, merely being “those who have attained.”
As for the Lords of the secret cults—not recognized by the authorities and hiding everywhere—they are even less the cup of tea for nature faith practitioners. Nature faith practitioners only believe in the Mansus. They wander all night in the dreamscape of the Mansus. Some become completely lost in it, some are captured and converted by some Lords, and still others obtain true name bestowals from the Mansus, completely embarking on the path of independent faith.
“Power of the Lantern aspect, very blazing. This radiance feels like it’s burning a bit excessively.”
“Gone astray, or rather his Lord…”
“Pending, next.”
“Moth aspect? Very deceptive. Not bad, not bad. Grant a seal.”
It was soon Clyster’s turn. He stepped onto the stage, bowed thirty degrees to everyone present, then turned and bowed to Mrs. Morton before speaking: “I am an Apostle from the Gem Order, possessing the power to treat external injuries. I wonder if you can provide me with an injured animal here.”
Mrs. Morton gave a charming smile, her voice melodious.
“Since it is treatment, of course a person is best. Why use an animal?”
She clapped her hands. A waiter quickly stepped forward, holding a longsword, and handed it directly to Clyster.
“Use the longsword to stab me directly. Create the most severe injury within your treatment range.”
This waiter’s voice was calm like iron and stone, devoid of any fireworks or emotion.
Clyster took the longsword. The hilt was pure gold, inlaid with several gems. The blade was like a mountain peak, bearing faint mist-like patterns, the edge sharp, cold light fully exposed.
Clyster, who didn’t quite know adjectives, couldn’t help but say: “Good sword!”
He didn’t understand swordsmanship, and had hardly learned any martial arts techniques. But regarding the use of a sword, he understood that thrusting damage is the most severe.
Without hesitation, he stabbed toward a non-lethal part of the other party. The right side of the chest cavity, without the heart, was instantly pierced through by the longsword. In a split second, blood flowed freely.
Clyster twisted forcefully, severely damaging the wound further, then pulled the precious sword out and dropped it onto the stage with a clang.
He raised his right hand high. A mass of fiery red emerged; it was exactly the intact Gem of Health. The gem bloomed with blazing red light, transforming into a directional beam of light that struck directly at the wound of the waiter, whose chest was already soaked in fresh blood.
The mana in the air pulsed. The crowd’s cheeks were reflected bright red by that fiery red light. They didn’t feel scorching heat, only traces of warmth.
The waiter felt his wound seem incredibly itchy. Clyster’s voice transmitted bg over: “It might be a bit itchy. You must endure it; do not touch the light beam. It will be healed very quickly.”
This kind of itch came quickly and went quickly. The feeling of powerlessness in the lungs’ breathing quickly disappeared. When the light beam disappeared, the injury on the waiter’s chest and back was completely gone.
“How do you feel?”
Mrs. Morton asked curiously.
“Honored Madame, I feel much better, just a bit tired. The oppression in breathing is gone, the bleeding has also stopped; it’s just that the place where I was injured is a bit itchy.”
Clyster said somewhat wearily: “Itching is a normal phenomenon. This happens when the body recovers too quickly. Additionally, I must tell you that rapid treatment and recovery will consume your body’s life potential. You need to rest more and supplement more nutrients this month.
“My ability is basically just this. I can treat external injuries and can remove minor toxins.
“As long as the head isn’t chopped off, the heart crushed, or a limb severed for more than half an hour, I can treat it.”
“An amazing ability.” Mrs. Morton gave the highest evaluation to the newcomer. She smiled and said: “I think you must join the council. I wonder if you have any interest in conducting a regular business at our manor? My butler can discuss it with you.”
The secret voting by the council members also quickly produced a result. Clyster successfully joined the council, becoming an ordinary member of the Hall Mystical Council.
(Chapter finished)
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