The Evil God Summoned by the Saintess

Inside a spacious room, built entirely of metal, the metal is covered with dense array runes.

Hilia could tell that these runes were all anti-explosion runes, designed to prevent outside explosions from affecting the interior.

Of course, in this case, it’s to prevent explosions inside from impacting the outside world.

At the center of the huge room, in the core of the array, inside a transparent airtight glass container taller than Hilia, gray-black pollution was surging.

The room was filled with strange instruments Hilia couldn’t name, and quite a few people were watching data projected onto light screens by the instruments.

Shuoen said, "This is Test Site One. We’re testing why the Purification Skill causes chaotic magic power and pollution to grow so violent."

Hilia stepped forward to observe, feeling the wild magic power emanating from inside.

This array, aside from anti-explosion, was constantly channeling Purification Skill, keeping the chaotic magic power and pollution inside in a frenzied state.

Hilia felt a bit weird—it was almost like doing some kind of experiment on a creature.

After taking it all in, Shuoen led them to another room.

"This is Test Site Two. It’s used to test the separation of chaotic magic power, mysterious power, and pollution."

Then came the third room, which had one extra: a small demon locked up together in a transparent, sealed cage.

"This is Test Site Three, where we study the differences between the corrosion and pollution that mysterious power inflicts on living creatures."

The fourth, the fifth...

Arriving at the fifth test site, Hilia couldn’t help but say, "Grandpa Shuoen, I didn’t come here just to tour the test sites. I want to experience unprocessed chaotic pollution—do you have any?"

Shuoen frowned, "Why do you want to see that?"

Hilia rubbed her forehead, "That’s exactly why I came here, Grandpa Shuoen."

Blake chuckled, "Let her see it. Who knows, maybe she’ll pull off some surprise."

Melina said, "Hilia, don’t bother. There’s not much difference between unseparated chaos and pollution and what you’ve already seen."

Hilia replied seriously, "There’s a big difference. Special pollution, chaotic magic power, and mysterious power only exist as they do in Golden Apple Stone Forest when they’re mixed. Separating them out to study individually might be the wrong direction—we wouldn’t learn anything meaningful."

Hilia’s words made Shuoen’s expression sour, and Melina said, "Mr. Shuoen has been researching here for ages. He’s tried everything. The only reason he’s working with separation now is because nothing else worked."

Shuoen’s face softened a little.

Though the details weren’t entirely as Melina said, the deviations weren’t major.

Shuoen said, "Since you want to see it, go ahead. Take a look and then leave. You’re not a researcher, so don’t wander around here for no reason."

"Okay."

Soon, everyone arrived at a room with nothing but a protective array.

There was another ball of chaotic pollution trapped here, and the glass that held it was covered in arrays.

Hilia walked forward, wanting to reach her hand out, but hesitated and didn’t proceed.

She stared at the pollution inside; her Mage’s Hand had quietly slipped in, carefully sensing the pollution and chaotic magic power, and the familiar "mysterious power."

"The ’mysterious power’ they’re talking about really is the ’divine power’ Lord Rose mentioned," Hilia said to Rose.

Rose nodded, "Divine power, yes. Divine power, demonic qi, magic power—when magic power and demonic qi are stirred up by divine power and mixed, it becomes this mess, virtually impossible to purify, almost no weak points."

"So that’s why it’s impossible to purify it with Purification Skill."

Hilia spoke with disappointment.

Originally, she’d hoped to create a special Purification Skill to cleanse pollution and make everyone’s actions easier.

But first Melina said Purification Skill couldn’t be used, then Rose confirmed it was nearly unpurifiable.

Her little scheme had fallen through.

Frustrating!

At least, general scroll ink isn’t only used to draw Purification Skill; most magic scrolls can be drawn with it.

If that doesn’t work, draw a defense scroll.

Anyway, this stuff could always come in handy.

If nobody buys it, I’ll use it myself.

"There is a way," Rose smiled gently.

Hilia’s hope was rekindled, "Really?"

"Complete purification is pretty hard, but you don’t really need to fully purify it. Just create a zone unaffected by it, so you can safely deal with heretics—that’s possible."

In situations where Purification Skill couldn’t be used against heretics, Hilia hadn’t done it herself, but she knew from Holy Court records what to expect.

They lose all reason, attack with zero restraint;

They’re saturated with pollution, and the slightest slip means being invaded by pollution;

They’re utterly fearless, often using swarming tactics to stack up bodies and drown their enemies.

Only by weakening the power heretics gain from pollution with Purification Skill can you make things easy for yourself.

Just like Hilia’s approach over the last while.

Heretics swarm in like zombies?

No problem—activate Purification Skill and they’ll all melt away!

Especially against the Polar Blood Alliance types, who use divine power pollution to forcibly raise heretics to Tier Three—it’s the ultimate counter.

"To reach that level, what you need isn’t Purification Skill, it’s a special wind spell—Wind Domain."

"Wind Domain?"

Hilia pondered for a moment—she’d never heard of such a spell.

Another lost spell.

"Wind Domain is a Tier Four spell."

Hilia: "..."

"But it can be simplified. The simplified Wind Domain needs to be used together with two other Tier Three spells—[Holy Dispelling] and [Shadow Binding]—to isolate the pollution."

"After isolating it, though chaotic magic power and divine power still exist, you can now actually use Purification Skill without worrying about demonic qi pollution triggering a magic power riot."

Hilia thought it over, and quickly summoned up info on [Holy Dispelling] and [Shadow Binding]. Those two spells—a Tier Three holy spell and a dark element spell—were basically opposites. Holy Dispelling could dispel Shadow Binding, and Shadow Binding could restrain the effects of Holy Dispelling. Which worked depended on which was cast first.

Add those two to the wind spell [Wind Domain]... Hilia couldn’t for the life of her figure out how these three spells could create a combined domain to seal the pollution outside.

Still, she chose to trust Rose.

"If Lord Rose says it’s possible, then it must be. If it doesn’t work, it’s because I messed up somewhere."

Listening alone she couldn’t grasp it, but just like the [Super Invincible I Love You] combo skill she’d used before, just listing five spells, Hilia couldn’t even figure out how those spells could create a magical reaction.

Rose chuckled softly, "Magic is a mysterious world. Any two unrelated spells might cause a wondrous interaction. For example, the advanced spell [Ice Shield Skill] comes from the basic spell [Ice Wall], and that’s also the result of a magical interaction derived step by step. Many high-tier spells are like that."