The deepest part of the Cathedral of Serenity's cliff in Winter County.
Aaron, who had been directly teleported here from the Holy Hall by Pope Dabomachie, paused slightly, his ever-burning dark golden pupils reflecting a dark plain filled with Moonflowers, Night-scented Grass, and Deep Sleep Flowers.
If not for the towering palace at the very center and the Crimson Moon, Aaron would have almost thought he had unknowingly returned to the Evernight Goddess's Divine Kingdom.
"This should be the entrance to the Fourth Epoch's 'Deep Gloom Divine Kingdom.' Even though the Divine Kingdom has moved to the Astral World, the remaining power still created this special place."
Looking at this scene, so different from the snow-covered Cathedral of Serenity, Aaron's fingertips traced the air, and black threads gently swayed, carrying a terrifying aura capable of instantly putting ordinary demigods into eternal slumber.
This was the product of residual divine power and solidified faith, of extremely high Beyonder characteristic, and also the essence of the power at the core of the Sealed Artifacts behind the Chanis Gate in the basements of most Church of the Evernight Goddess cathedrals.
However, compared to the residual divine power here, ordinary churches outside the diocese headquarters only contained solidified divine aura and faith as their Sealed Artifact core, capable of suppressing Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts at most, but unable to withstand the backlash of Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts.
The Eye of Order, interwoven with laws, analyzed this unique power system. Aaron nodded with interest; although he was still some distance from Sequence 0, the essence of the Nation of Disorder was now sufficient to satisfy this characteristic.
With some thoughts, Aaron began to survey his surroundings. A serene Darkness, a Darkness devoid of any sound, replaced everything.
In the Darkness, where the Moonflowers bloomed silently, bodies dressed in archbishop robes lay, their faces pale but serene, as if they had not died but were merely in slumber.
They lay with their eyes closed in relaxation, a faint smile seemingly on their lips, and around them stood numerous gravestones, each inscribed with the same word:
"Guardian."
Examining these bodies, which, though they had lost their Beyonder characteristics, still retained divine remnants, Aaron had no doubt that if any unapproved person intruded here, they would certainly be met with counterattacks from these "Guardians."
Pope Dabomachie, who had been quietly hidden in the Darkness, her indifferent gaze flickered slightly, and her gentle yet authoritative voice rang out:
"From the Age of Obscurity to the present, all loyal followers of the Goddess, as long as their bodies remain, will forever sleep here, enjoying the peace of their souls in the Lord's Divine Kingdom…"
Amidst the rather religious chanting, the Pope passed through the gravestones and arrived at a pair of double doors embedded in the void at the deepest part of the dark plain.
Following Dabomachie's steps closely, Aaron examined the extraordinarily heavy double doors, which were inscribed with seven Dark Holy Emblems, suspecting that this might have been the original blueprint when the Chanis Gate was first constructed.
Without giving Aaron more time to think, as if merely keeping these doors manifested consumed a great deal of power, Dabomachie pushed open the doors without hesitation.
A chilling but not bone-piercing aura diffused, and all the spirits on the dark plain seemed to resonate, with ethereal prayers and praises gradually growing louder.
As an Angel who had fully digested the potion and was only a ritual away from advancing to Sequence 1, Aaron also felt as if his Spirit Body was being cleansed at this moment, his spirituality flowing out naturally and soothingly.
Although it was only for an instant, Aaron instantly became clear, realizing that he was already in a dream.
This special sensation instantly reminded him of the Specter Empire, sealed by the Evernight Goddess in the core area of the Sea of Ruins, in the interstice where dreams and reality converged.
Compared to the instability caused by the conflicting divine power remnants in the Sea of Ruins, the seal at the entrance of the "Deep Gloom Divine Kingdom" was undoubtedly stronger and more concealed.
Feeling that his connection with the Nation of Disorder, though obstructed, was not greatly affected, Aaron's expression remained unchanged, finding that his current location was almost identical to the palace where the Evernight Goddess had appeared in the Astral World.
But his attention was no longer here; his gaze was fixed on the five towering altars at the center of the palace, where the extremely dense aura of tranquility even gave Aaron the illusion of facing the waters of the River of Eternal Darkness.
Ignoring Aaron, whose gaze was fixed, Dabomachie, who had removed her triple crown and let her black hair fall smoothly, showed no papal pretense. She devoutly knelt on the ground and drew a Crimson Moon over her chest.
Only after this "Servant of Concealment" rose again did Aaron slowly speak:
"Are these all the Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts under the Church's control?"
Nodding calmly, Dabomachie slightly raised her palm, and words condensed from starlight appeared on the surface of the five altars.
"0-11"
"Crown of Bloodlust": A Sealed Artifact formed by the solidified Beyonder characteristic of a Deep Abyss Pathway Sequence 2 "Bloody Archduke" after being eroded by high-level corruption. It has an extreme craving for flesh and blood, is extremely dangerous and unusable, and is recommended for permanent sealing…
"0-21"
"Ring of Mysteries": A relic left after the third Evernight Pope fell during the War of Four Emperors. After gaining recognition, short-term wear can grant the authority of a "Servant of Concealment." Moderate danger…
Note: Archbishops or Senior Deacons above Evernight Pathway Sequence 3 can apply to use it!
"0-24"… "0-27"… "0-32"…
Aaron's gaze swept from high to low across the altars, and his expression immediately turned strange, finding it hard to believe that the Church of the Evernight Goddess's foundation was only this much.
Even adding the two Angels, the Divine General Vessel "Mother of the Sky" remaining in Backlund, the Moon Pathway Uniqueness held by the Goddess, and the 0-08 taken by Ince Zangwill, the number of existences above the Angelic Beyonder characteristic barely reached ten.
The Church of the Evernight Goddess was not like the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery, which only rose in the Fourth Epoch. As an ancient organization that experienced the great catastrophe after the demise of the ancient gods, having only this level of foundation was rather perplexing.
Noticing the doubt in Aaron's eyes, Dabomachie explained in a calm tone:
"This is not everything. Some Sealed Artifacts that contain Outer Deity corruption reaching Grade 0 Sealed Artifact level, but do not possess Angelic characteristics themselves, are not suitable to remain in reality."
"Furthermore, the top-ranked 0-03 'Crimson Moon' and 0-09 'Prince of Abolition Scale' are personally held by the Goddess!"
Aaron raised an eyebrow, somewhat understanding but also surprised that the Moon Pathway Uniqueness ranked so high. Thinking of the 0-05 Magic Wishing Lamp, he had an idea and asked cautiously:
"Then what is 0-04?"
Dabomachie's eyes shifted slightly, and she answered concisely:
"The Black Emperor Pathway's Uniqueness, and it is not under the control of the Orthodox Churches."
Understanding the hint, Aaron nodded. As for 0-09, he could guess its essence was a "Prince of Abolition" characteristic without explanation. He just didn't know how the Goddess managed to snatch this Roselle legacy from the encirclement of the two true gods of Steam and Sun, and Adam.
But Aaron felt that this characteristic should have been "borrowed" by Adam long ago, used to fuel George III's ambition to advance to a "Black Emperor," fulfilling his anticipated world trend.