Tan You’s respectful attitude put the members of the Dark Divine Hall in good spirits. The Raven even flew onto her shoulder. "And me! Adina, you can’t forget about me."
"I know, I won’t forget." Tan You tilted her head and rubbed her cheek against the Raven’s sleek, glossy feathers. "This is wonderful. Everyone can finally walk under the sun. From now on, we’re free."
"Yes, we’re free!" Davidson said softly. "We’re finally free!"
The Dark God looked at his followers, then at the ravaged Divine Hall of Light. With a sudden wave of his hand, the already crumbling structure collapsed into a pile of rubble before everyone’s eyes.
Tan You clapped. She ripped off the white robe she was wearing—Lilith’s—revealing a black Mage’s robe underneath. "So satisfying!"
The Dark God chuckled. "I must be going. It is time to settle some old scores."
Before Tan You could say anything, all the members of the Dark Divine Hall knelt down in unison. What could Tan You do? She could only follow suit. And considering he had just gifted her a surge of Magic Power, her bow was exceptionally sincere.
’Can you believe it? That single wave of Divine Power from the Dark God just boosted me straight to a Seven-star Mage! Of course, I’ll still need to cultivate it carefully, but a free power-up is always the sweetest.’
The Dark God’s figure quickly vanished from sight. Only then did the members of the Dark Divine Hall help each other to their feet. Tan You looked at everyone, then at herself, and suddenly broke into a smile. "I never expected we would all meet like this. I was wondering why I felt such a sense of closeness when I met Davidson."
"Your Highness, the Saintess, your talent is extraordinary," the Great Elder said with a nod. "Even with the Divine Artifact to conceal it, the Undead System and the Dark Element are naturally drawn to one another."
Tan You raised a slight eyebrow. "Great Elder, you can just call me Adina. There’s no need for such formalities between us. Let’s all be more direct."
"Good. Adina, I like that attitude," a man in the group said with a sinister chuckle. "We’re all straightforward people here and have no patience for that nonsense."
Tan You smiled too. "So, what’s the plan now? Rebuild the Divine Hall?"
"But of course," the Great Elder clapped his hands. "Now that our Divine has returned, as His most faithful followers, rebuilding the Divine Hall is our utmost priority."
Tan You understood. "I probably can’t help with that. I need to train."
The Great Elder had also noticed the irrepressible fluctuations of Magic Power around Tan You. "Adina, go and train. We will handle these matters. Now that you are a Divine Favored, your training will be much smoother in the future."
"And you deserve all of it. What you did was too dangerous."
Tan You smiled. "Everyone sacrificed a lot. I was just lucky enough to have some talent with Magic Arrays. This is everyone’s victory, not just the result of my efforts alone."
"Great Elder, where is our Divine Hall’s new base located? I plan to bring my followers over."
The Great Elder glanced over at the dumbfounded members of the Edmonds family, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. "Let Davidson go pick them up. I’ll have someone escort you back to train?"
"I’d appreciate that. I really don’t feel well right now." Tan You was frank. "I’m usually very careful when I train. After jumping two levels at once, I feel like my veins are about to burst."
The Great Elder checked Tan You’s condition and then breathed a sigh of relief. "It’s just that your body hasn’t yet adapted to such immense Magic Power. Once you completely convert this Divine Power into your own, you won’t feel this way anymore."
"For now, just focus on your training. We will handle everything else."
Tan You understood the Great Elder’s meaning. She raised a slight eyebrow, then suddenly took out the magic staff she had used during the battle. Inlaid on the staff were nine Level 9 Magic Beast Crystal Cores. She deftly pried off one of the cores and held it out separately from the staff.
"’This is the magic staff and Magic Beast Crystal Cores that Dennis and Danit gave to Lilith. I was just borrowing them. This extra core can be considered interest. Please help me return it all to them."
"Also, Lilith is a member of the Divine Hall of Light, after all. Send her back. She’s not on our side."
As Tan You spoke, she glanced at the bubble floating at the edge of the battlefield, which of course contained Lilith in her pajamas. Tan You shot her a mocking look, then looked away as if it had nothing to do with her.
The Great Elder nodded slightly, understanding that Tan You’s words were her way of cutting ties with the Edmonds family. Not only did he understand, but the members of the Edmonds family understood as well.
Dumont took two steps forward, no longer caring that the Mages from the Divine Hall of Light were still present. He said anxiously, "Adina, must you be so distant? That was a gift from your brothers..."
"They didn’t give it to me. They gave it to Lilith. It just happened to end up in my hands," Tan You interrupted Dumont. "Lilith and I really do look alike, don’t we? We ate at the same table, and none of you could tell the difference."
The Griffin protested, "You don’t look alike at all!"
The Raven said, "You can still tell the difference. Adina’s complexion is a little paler."
Tan You silenced the two creatures. "It’s been over a decade since we’ve seen each other. Don’t you dare talk to me about family."
"When I was on my deathbed, what you and Catherine said at my bedside... we both know perfectly well what it was. Do you want me to say it out loud in front of everyone?"
Dumont froze, his expression changing rapidly. "You heard everything? You were delirious with fever back then..."
"I heard it. You said that if I had just died then, it would have saved a lot of trouble," Tan You said, her expression serene. "I knew right then that in your hearts, my existence didn’t matter. What you’ve always cared about is your reputation, and only after that, your children. Like Lilith, for instance."
Catherine glared at Tan You. She wasn’t a complete fool. "When did you awaken your talent? Before you left the Imperial City?"
"Of course," Tan You was being remarkably frank now. "I’ve known for a long time that I awakened the Undead System talent. I bet you didn’t know, did you? The Edmonds family has had Mages of the Undead System in its ancestry. It’s just that during the conflict between Light and Dark, our ancestors intentionally hid this fact."
"So you knew you had awakened the Undead System talent, and that’s why you insisted on going to Kandapes?" Dumont’s mind was racing now. "You just wanted to get away from us?"
"Yes, I just wanted to get away from you," Tan You said with a light chuckle. "I knew perfectly well you were biased. In fact, I knew Lilith had the Light Element talent long before you did."
"She was doted on in the family since she was a child, and on top of that, she had the Light Element talent. When that time came, what chance would I have had? No one was looking out for me, so of course, I had to make plans for myself."