Chapter 547 — Meeting the Elder & Past History

Faced with the vast expanse of buildings and listening to the noise that only intelligent life could possibly make, Liora instantly activated her abilities, concealing her aura as though slipping into a deeper dimension.

It was only after she confirmed that no one could discover her that she finally surveyed her surroundings.

Staring at the palaces that stretched endlessly, only separated by stone statues of humanoid figures, she knew she had come to the right place.

The force resisting the advance of the demons across the continent, as well as the invasion of the universe outside.

It was the Human Temple!

Just as she was preparing to investigate, the space a few hundred meters away from her cracked.

A door-shaped spatial rift opened, and two people stepped into the demi-plane.

No one paid them any attention, and they soon blended into the surrounding crowd.

The Human Temple’s demi-plane did not have a fixed point of entry but could be entered from anywhere under the right conditions.

Just as Liora had shattered the space to enter through its gaps, the members of the Human Temple could open them by utilizing certain methods.

Liora nodded secretly before she took action.

Her figure blurred momentarily. Moments later, she appeared in a relatively remote alleyway thousands of meters away.

Finding a lone person, she knocked him unconscious and searched his soul, scanning for his memories.

Information regarding the demi-plane poured into her mind.

Although the man was not a high-ranking member and had no access to the temple’s greatest secrets, the information he possessed was enough for now.

"According to this man, the Human Temple has been preparing to expand their territory. Various members from all over the continent have been summoned over—not only those of the younger generation."

Having eliminated its main enemies and showcased its might once again, it was natural that the Human Temple would expand.

This was the opinion of not only its own members but also of the outsiders.

However, Liora did not hold the same view.

"There’s no way that activating the Human Emperor Sword has no major drawbacks. Unless the Human Emperor is alive, or another Rank 11 Awakener is in charge, it would have never displayed such power on its own."

If either of these were true, the Human Temple wouldn’t have refrained from taking action for so long.

The natives of this world might not have realized this loophole, partly due to their inexperience with such methods, and partly because they didn’t realize that the Human Emperor Sword had sacrificed the Devils in order to strengthen itself.

Liora looked thoughtful for a while.

Then, after erasing the man’s memories, she turned around and walked deeper into the temple.

--

The structure of the demi-plane was revealed to Liora in the memories she had plundered.

Even though she lost her way a couple of times, she could always knock another person out and search through their memories for further instructions.

After doing this again and again, Liora finally made her way to her final destination.

Glancing at the golden palace that was several times more majestic than those before it, she moved into a deeper space and stepped inside.

Walking past several corridors and bypassing several formations, Liora finally arrived in a secret chamber.

As soon as she stepped into the room, the door behind her closed on its own initiative.

Liora did not pay attention to it, however.

She simply lifted her head and glanced at the center of the chamber, where a person was currently kneeling in front of a stone statue.

Only their back could be seen from her point of view, accompanied by the long white hair flowing down their shoulders.

The woman appeared to be praying.

Yet Liora realized that even though this might be true, there was also another purpose behind her being here at this moment.

Indeed. The moment she finished her prayer, the woman rose to her feet and opened her mouth.

"People have heard of the ancient legends and know that humans were not always the leaders in this world. Once, in the distant past, they lived like livestock under the rule of the demons.", the woman spoke.

In the view of ordinary people, there was no one else in the room. However, the identity of the person she was addressing was relatively obvious.

She continued:

"Although many people among these humans chose to resist, they were few and far between. Of these, less than a dozen managed to survive that era."

The Elder paused briefly. Recalling the death of her companions only a few days ago, she knew that this was no longer true.

By now, she was the only one remaining.

She didn’t correct herself, however, but continued her speech, as though she was telling a tale.

"Even those who chose to resist at that time simply did it out of hatred or enmity toward the demons."

"At that point, there was no concept of the human race."

"Just like a human would not think of apes as their companions, the same was true for members of different tribes."

Liora did not interrupt the Elder. While observing the chamber, and particularly the stone statue where faith was gathering at a speed visible to the naked eye, she listened attentively to her next words.

"All these changed when ’he’ appeared."

"He was the first one to take up arms against demons, not out of hatred or for survival, but with the ambition of one day freeing all of humanity."

As she spoke, the Elder stared toward the stone statue with nostalgia and admiration, as though lost in her distant memories.

"Most people would have collapsed under the burden of such an ambition. But he, with his talent and determination, managed to succeed."

"In just the span of a few centuries, the demons were forced back."

"The Gods, once indifferent and aloof, were forced to coexist with humanity and provide our tribes with their help. Although the situation has become slightly more complicated in the years since his disappearance, the result remains the same."

"The human race still stands strong."

The Elder’s voice trailed off near the end.

Her grip on the golden scepter tightened as she gradually turned around to face her.

Her cloudy, aged eyes met those of Liora. For a brief moment, they seemed to regain their vitality.

"That’s why I can’t allow you to cause any more chaos. I can’t let his efforts be wasted."

"Whether for him, my companions, or for humanity’s sake, I shall do everything in my power to stop you."

The moment these words fell, the Elder waved her scepter.

Golden patterns formed along the floor and walls of the chamber, writhing as though they had come to life.

They didn’t contain themselves within the room. Soon, they spread throughout the golden palace and then the demi-plane beyond it.

At the same time, the Elder struck.