As for the Griffin, despite its reluctance, it carried Lilith away from the Edmonds family. However, compared to Tan You, Lilith’s treatment was abysmal. There was no way the Griffin would ever serve as her mount.
It carried Lilith all the way out of the Imperial City, only to encounter an unexpected situation upon reaching their temporary camp. The Griffin’s claws went slack, and Lilith slammed onto the ground, the impact jarring her awake.
The Griffin couldn’t be bothered with Lilith now. It stared in astonishment at the dozen or so new people in their camp. "Why are there so many of you? Who are you?"
’I was only gone for a trip to the Edmonds’ estate, and now the camp is full of people?’ The Griffin extended its senses and was shocked. ’And they’re all Dark Element users?’
"Yes, we are all Dark Element Mages." An elderly man in the lead bowed slightly. "Greetings, Lord Holy Beast. We have been searching for you for years. We never expected to find you just outside the Imperial City."
"If the Divine had not sent down an oracle, we would never have known where to find you."
The Griffin was baffled. "Are oracles that easy to come by? Where did you receive it?"
The elderly man’s expression grew solemn. "Our Dark Divine Hall may have fallen into decline, but it possesses a supreme treasure capable of reversing one’s elemental affinity. It is by relying on this treasure that Davidson was able to become the Saint Heir of the Divine Hall of Light."
Davidson stepped out from behind the old man and bowed to the Holy Beasts. "Greetings, my lords. Despite the cover of an invisibility cloak, I was still able to see Lady Adina. Her face is virtually identical to Lilith’s."
If the Davidson Tan You had seen during the day was a beacon of light and holiness, the man standing before them now was shrouded in danger and mystery. He was like a specter hidden in the night, wreathed in a dense aura of the Dark Element.
The Dark Unicorn, ever the wisest among them, pondered for a long moment. "The invisibility cloak is another of the Dark Divine Hall’s supreme treasures. Only the Divine can see through it. You’re saying the Divine is in the Divine Hall of Light?"
Davidson nodded. "Yes. After I became the Saint Heir, I was granted access to the forbidden grounds of the Divine Hall of Light. It was only after I became a Five-star Mage that I received the first oracle."
"The Divine is sealed deep within the forbidden grounds of the Divine Hall of Light, under countless layers of intricate Arrays. Unfortunately, my aptitude is poor, and I have no talent for Magic Arrays. Over the years, I’ve learned very little about them."
"After Adina set foot in the Divine Hall of Light, I received the second oracle from the Divine. It said that Adina would bring immense change to the entire world and that I was to cooperate with Lady Adina in all things."
The Dark Unicorn fell silent for a long while. "Adina is indeed an expert in Magic Arrays. She’s incredibly talented with them. If not for her, we would still be slumbering in the Mist Forest."
The Saber-toothed Tiger, ever impatient, spoke up. "The God of Light’s seal... can Adina really handle that? It’s not that I don’t have faith in her, but her power level is just too low. What if she runs into danger..."
The Two-headed Netherworld Snake hissed, "She values her life more than anyone. She won’t make a move unless she’s absolutely certain of the outcome. We’ve been her companions for years; don’t you understand her personality by now?"
"That’s precisely why I’m worried," the Raven croaked, pacing back and forth on a branch. "There’s nothing we can do now but let Adina take this risk, and her health is already so poor... If she really does manage to break the Magic Array, the God of Light is bound to react. When that happens..."
"...can her frail body take it?"
A hush fell over the group. It was obvious they all knew that the task Tan You was undertaking was incredibly dangerous. How could it possibly be accomplished with ease?
"AHEM." Davidson cleared his throat. "My lords, you seem to be forgetting that Lady Adina is a Mage of the Undead System. As long as she has enough Mana, she can command an endless army of Undead to fight for her."
"And the Divine Hall of Light, if nothing else, has no shortage of Undead below the rank of Mage Saint."
The Holy Beasts’ frayed nerves calmed ever so slightly. Still, Tan You’s long-standing image of being delicate and frail was deeply ingrained in their minds. So while the beasts were no longer as anxious, they were far from completely reassured.
The Raven flapped its wings. "When you think about it, there are ways to strategize. Adina has plenty of powerful items on her. As long as she has a sufficient supply of Mana, her combat power is immense. After all, the dead always outnumber the living in this world, and she can even summon Undead Magic Beasts."
Otherwise, how could a mere Five-star Mage like her have the confidence to come and go from the Mist Forest as she pleased?
The Dark Unicorn mulled it over and finally instructed Davidson, "When you see Adina, tell her to be careful."
Davidson bowed. "Understood. And we’ll need to keep a close watch on Lilith."
The Dark Unicorn opened its mouth and expelled a ball of Dark Element energy. The ball grew larger and larger until it formed a transparent, person-sized sphere. Lilith, who had since regained consciousness, was now trapped within it, unable to move.
The Raven remarked, "Our leader always has the best ideas. Who has the energy to watch her all day? It’s better to just lock her up."
Davidson lowered his gaze and smiled, bowing to the group once more. "I must be heading back to the Divine Hall of Light. Any further delay, and I’ll miss tomorrow’s morning service."
The Dark Unicorn nodded. "Go on, then. Be careful."
Tan You had no idea that the Dark Unicorn and the others had just rendezvoused with core members of the Dark Divine Hall. She was currently cramming the Divine Hall of Light’s codex, as she was scheduled to enter the forbidden grounds after today’s morning service.
Even though she had already memorized the entire morning service procedure over the past week, there was no harm in reviewing it one more time. Letting her guard down now would be foolish; Tan You was accustomed to making thorough preparations.
「Early in the morning」
Tan You, her head spinning from memorizing doctrine, tossed the codex aside. "This thing is like a beggar’s rags—long, stinky, and reeking of decay."
"Do you think anyone in the Divine Hall of Light actually follows all these rules to the letter?"
The Beauty System wagged its tail. "This system thinks not. For example, there’s a rule stating that the Saintess or Saint Heir must remain pure in body and mind, dedicating their entire lives to serving the God of Light. A great many of them have failed to do so."
"Many Saintesses, or even candidates for the position, become little more than playthings for high-ranking Mages or the church’s upper echelons after entering the Divine Hall."
Tan You understood, her face scrunching up in disgust.
"It’s strange, though. I never found any sort of codex for the Dark Divine Hall among Sean’s inheritance. I guess the Dark Element really does embrace everything. It’s much more liberating."
The Beauty System replied, "This system has looked into it. The old Dark Divine Hall didn’t have all the rigid rules and restrictions of the Divine Hall of Light. Its core tenet was simply ’do no evil.’ As for other regulations and laws, there were practically none."