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A distant time

Hidden in the folds of that ancient, tree-like epic

Record all dreams and hopes

Whether it is the whim of the gods

Or the inevitable path of the world

Awaken before the gates of the divine heaven open

Creatures who fight each other

Let us communicate now

For only love can create this beautiful world

The pure and sweet children's choir, singing melodious and fresh hymns, accompanied by the tidal waves of organ music reverberating in the sky, created a mesmerizing musical space in the newly completed plaza in front of the Radiant Temple. Not a single person among the tens of thousands of listeners in the square was untouched by the music. They were all intoxicated with the bright songs, their faces full of happy smiles, and many were streaming with tears without even noticing.

Only after the singing faded did sporadic applause begin to rise, and as people gradually snapped back to reality, they joined in, eventually erupting into a sea of enthusiastic clapping, cheers, and praise that engulfed the entire city.

However, in a dimly lit tavern not far from the square, two figures huddled in the shadows, their eyes gleaming with venomous hatred as they watched the festive scene unfold.

They were not followers of a dark deity but devout believers of the Light God. One of them clutched a silver badge representing faith in the Light God tightly in his hand, emitting a faint white light that only followers of the Light God could produce. The other was muttering prayers to the Light God, a purely subconscious behavior cultivated through decades of uninterrupted prayer.

The loud hymns and the joy of the believers should have been proof of the light shining upon the world. However, the scene was somewhat different. This was not a district of the Radiant Temple, nor even human-controlled territory, but the former capital of the Holy Os Kingdom, now part of the Great Fontainebleau Territory, the “Snow Moon City,” a true orc territory.

The newly constructed grand temple and the choir performing in front of it did not belong to the Radiant Temple of humans but to a newly rising light church, the “Heaven of Saint Love.” This religious group had risen in just three years, advocating “forbearance, charity, and love,” which essentially meant advising people to abandon resistance and accept orc rule. As a result, it received covert support from the orc regime and developed rapidly even outside the Fontainebleau Territory. Normally, with its deep roots and millennia of operation, the Radiant Temple had never been a laughing matter. In the past, other light-faith churches had risen but quickly collapsed under the pressure of the Radiant Temple. However, due to the great war between humans and orcs, the Radiant Temple's forces were almost uprooted, allowing this most contrary-to-the-light-god-doctrine “Heaven of Saint Love” to flourish. Their temples now almost covered all human dioceses occupied by orcs.

In addition to the support of the orcs, this religious group also possessed formidable strength.

The leader of the church, the “Light Goddess,” was Jin Luosha, a beautiful human girl of only thirteen. Legend had it that she was a messenger blessed by the Light God himself, and though still a child, she possessed the immense power to cast tenth-level magic and divine spells. When she sang, the light of heaven would descend upon the earth, enveloping all listeners in divine grace. She could even use the “Great Resurrection,” a spell that only the successive Popes of the Radiant Temple could perform. Unlike the Radiant Temple, which kept this resurrection miracle a secret, the “Light Goddess” Jin Luosha spent half of each year touring various places, widely performing divine spells to heal the sick and injured. Every month, she would perform the “Great Resurrection” several times. Each time, a beautiful six-winged seraph would descend from heaven to assist her. This was not an illusion but a real entity, which naturally convinced all observers and made them devout followers. Even those who were initially resistant to the “Heaven of Saint Love” found it difficult to discern whether it truly followed the will of the Light God, making it hard to openly denounce it.

In addition to the powerful appeal of the “Light Goddess,” the “Heaven of Saint Love” also boasted another awe-inspiring force: the “Holy Grail Angelic Knights,” a group of one hundred humans who could wield the “Saint Ice Thorn Aura.” The Radiant Temple had always regarded the “Holy Grail Knights” as divine emissaries and guardians sent by the Light God to protect the human world, almost on par with the four grand prelates. Now, when people saw that the Radiant Temple had never had more than twelve Holy Grail Knights, but the “Heaven of Saint Love” suddenly boasted one hundred, they couldn't help but doubt whether the “Heaven of Saint Love” was the church favored by the Light God. Of course, while the Holy Grail Knights of the Radiant Temple were almost all Sword Empresses, the one hundred “Holy Grail Angelic Knights” here were all at the lowest level of Sword Master, a distinction lost on most people.

The faith in the Light God, after a thousand years of refinement, had taken deep root among humans. Even in regions where the faith in the Light God was weaker, millions of believers still existed, their devotion unwavering despite the lack of direct control by the Radiant Temple. In the Western Mainland, almost seven or eight in ten people were followers of the Light God. Among them, at least one or two were devout believers willing to dedicate all their wealth to the Light God. Above them were fanatics ready to sacrifice their lives for the Light God and ascetics who renounced all desires to follow the strictest commandments of the Light God. Such a vast force of faith was indestructible by any power.

But faith, unlike power, is a chaotic and unpredictable force. People's devotion is to the Light God, not the Radiant Temple. With the loss of so much territory to the orcs, the Radiant Temple's ability to maintain its spiritual authority now hangs in the balance.