Chapter 874 - 228: Divine Position Advancement
Adis still hasn’t gone anywhere, kneeling by the statue, praying over and over again like the most devout and fanatical believer.
He doesn’t know what’s happening to him, just feeling he’s getting closer and closer to the presence in his heart, his spirit is approaching as if sublimating.
He sees the radiant and majestic figure among the stars, gazing at him across countless times and spaces.
He knows that figure is the one who bestowed his power, the Divine Spirit behind the All Beings Sect.
...
Gunfire erupts again on the streets of Du Lan, but this time, it’s initiated by the All Beings Sect, challenging the Black Rope Sect blockade at the street hub.
Yifa leads the Law Enforcement Team in a strong raid against the blockade, charging in with the blessing of white light, easily breaking through the Black Rope Sect’s defenses.
Although firearms are quite powerful, their scarcity, precious ammunition, and slow reload make hand-to-hand combat the primary fighting style in such battles, with firearms serving as support.
Before the casualties reached one-third, the Black Rope Sect believers at the blockade started retreating—not out of fear for their lives, but due to the overwhelming difference in power.
Yifa and others’ individual strengths provide a significant advantage in such small-scale battles.
After clearing the eastern blockade, Yifa immediately leads the team to the next blockade point.
With the blockade removed, the civilians of Du Lan can now come to the church, join the All Beings Sect, and become believers to cure the plague.
The ability of the Divine Position isn’t applicable everywhere; it can only be exercised in regions of All Beings Sect faith.
This is why Nobu and the others were cautious when first arriving in Du Lan—expanding faith on this land was their priority.
Once there are enough believers, Nobu, as the High Priest, can indirectly grant the Divine Position to believers below, equivalent to indirectly mobilizing faith.
Before Su Changxing set out, this system was only theoretical because he wasn’t sure whether faith could be consolidated without the statues absorbing it.
The reality proves it possible; Su Changxing can even receive the faith gathered from Du Lan, albeit at a conversion rate far lower than Maelon achieved with the statue, possibly less than 1%.
Compared to a true Divine Spirit, without the statue, his faith conversion rate is below 1%, but it’s still enough.
Some changes transpired unconsciously.
Su Changxing initially thought without the statue, even as the All Beings Sect expanded outward, he wouldn’t gain more faith.
The current situation differs significantly from the original expectation, and the difference is substantial.
From the faith growth, Su Changxing roughly deduces the situation on Mike’s side.
Initially, faith grows rapidly due to development in Maelon, but after reaching the peak, the rate slows until it hits a balance point.
When Nobu arrives in Du Lan, Su Changxing’s faith enters a slow growth phase, but even this slow growth is considerable since each increment in faith adds to the foundation of Su Changxing’s power pyramid.
During this process, Su Changxing discovers another will, positioned subtly between faith and the church.
He isn’t sure what it is; it might be his own will since his spirit is composed of countless selves, each polluted by the twisted will of the Evil God, making such a condition unsurprising.
Probably it just needs to be eradicated; the issue lies in how to eliminate it.
He hasn’t yet dealt with the portion of his spirit contaminated by the Evil God, only forcibly sealing it with faith.
Meanwhile, Adis leads a team to raid another blockade point, including Angisun, who recently became a believer of the All Beings Sect.
His Divine Position just advanced, acquiring more powerful abilities, so Nobu let him lead this battle.
This is normal in the All Beings Sect; receiving recognition from the Lord signifies a promotion in status.
But for Adis, directly receiving a blessing, it’s Nobu’s first time witnessing this, yet he harbors no suspicion.
Everything has proven Adis is a loyal believer; other matters are less consequential.
After another promotion in Divine Position, Adis becomes extraordinarily agile, able to dodge firearm shots in close combat.
Shadows spread across the walls as Adis suddenly appears among the crowd, wielding his longsword towards the surrounding Black Rope Sect believers.
No one inside the blockade points sensed Adis’s arrival, remaining in confusion even after he appeared.
Soon, the All Beings Sect’s Law Enforcement Team rushes in from outside, jointly besieging the Black Rope Sect believers within the blockade.
Meanwhile.
Angisun holds two firearms, shooting from a nearby building’s second floor, alternating shots across twenty meters or more with high frequency by reloading alternately, producing much more firepower than a single firearm due to his proficient marksmanship.
Upon strengthening, Adis finds dealing with these Black Rope Sect believers much easier.
One on seven or eight poses no issues, though not as extraordinary as Yifa, he’s undoubtedly a powerful human.
He can’t quite figure out this power’s origin, feeling like he’s breaking the chains binding his body, gaining more freedom.
His sword swings are rapid, managing five or six strikes per second, like winding a spring within his body, spinning swiftly.
Angisun sees Adis wreaking havoc among the crowd, as if suddenly transformed into someone else, even losing the slightly timid and cunning aura he originally bore.
Moreover, importantly, Angisun feels Adis differs from Yifa; while Yifa’s power feels upward and bright, Adis’s power seems downward and dark.
"Even power from a Divine Spirit shouldn’t be this variable."
Angisun possesses considerable knowledge, including aspects of the Ancient Church, generally distinctive, reflecting the Divine Spirit’s purer nature than ordinary humans.
For example, an upright and majestic Divine Spirit will typically have upward-oriented power, while a follower of an Evil God might bear a sinister nature.
Angisun doesn’t think much of it, instinctively sensing something amiss.