Chapter 506: Zhou Zhang – I Understand
The fishmen exchanged words, revealing the events that unfolded within the Ocean Mother Nest - Cang Xu prayed and once again received divine favor. Using the divine spells granted by the divine blessing, he guided many fishmen to successfully convert, passing the saint beast's death trial!
Upon hearing this, Qi Ling froze in place, utterly stunned.
Jian Gui narrowed his eyes, his gaze turning inquisitive.
"How did he manage it? With the dual seals that Zhou Zhang placed upon him, how could he possibly wield divine magic?"
"Is it because this is the divine blessing of the Charming Blue Goddess, immune to the dual seals? Or has Xu Jia secretly broken the seal, and deceived me?"
Just as Jian Gui pondered, murmurs of doubt immediately rose from the surrounding believers.
These voices swelled rapidly, like an unending tidal wave crashing over Cang Xu at the center of the fishmen.
Cang Xu knew exactly what to do when faced with public suspicion at this moment.
In the next instant, he turned toward the golden altar and bowed to Zhou Zhang standing upon it.
Zhou Zhang stood on the altar, surveying the believers who had been teleported back. Her gaze lingered primarily on Cang Xu, but when she saw him bowing to her, the slight frown on her brow eased a little.
For Cang Xu was performing the ritual etiquette of the Charming Blue Church.
Cang Xu declared, “By the grace of our Lord, divine blessing has once more been bestowed upon me, granting me mastery over a series of divine spells capable of swiftly guiding others to conversion.”
"Though sealed, it is strange that within the Ocean Mother Nest, I can freely wield these divine spells. Yet the undead spells I once used remain beyond my reach."
Cang Xu spoke not only to Zhou Zhang but also to Jian Gui.
He continued, “This must be the Lord's will.”
“Under the divine favor's call, I have understood my own transgressions!”
"I was wrong! Before this, driven by personal greed, I used the banner of testing faith as a pretext, my true intent was to exact vengeance upon my enemies. Thus, I suggested sending the Da Ji Clan into the Ocean Mother Nest."
"This was wrong. Completely wrong. After receiving divine blessing, I deeply understood this truth."
"Therefore, to atone for my sins, I took direct action, devoting myself to converting the fishmen of the Da Ji Clan. I risked communicating with the saint beast, and only then did I manage to save some of my Lord's believers."
"Alas, time was too short. Had I been given sufficient time, I should have been able to save most of the fishmen."
"I am guilty! Please punish me, Lord Zhou Zhang."
“Everything is my fault.”
“Originally, all the fishmen of the Da Ji Clan should have become believers of our Lord.”
By the end of his words, Cang Xu was kneeling on both knees, nearly prostrating himself, and emitting a wail of anguish.
Were he not an undead being, his acting alone would have produced rivers of tears of remorse.
The surrounding believers fell into a profound silence.
They could all sense the genuine sorrow and remorse emanating from Cang Xu.
Some devout, even fanatical believers, empathizing deeply, chose to forgive him on the spot.
Yet the majority remained skeptical.
Qi Ling: ...
She stared intently at Cang Xu, her face showing not a shred of forgiveness.
By all logic, seeing her sworn enemy kneel and utter such agonized remorse should have filled her with joy.
Yet why did she crave nothing more than to beat him to death? To grind his bones to dust?
Zhou Zhang suddenly threw back her head and laughed, pointing at Cang Xu beneath the altar.
“Interesting,” she declared repeatedly. "This is fascinating. You are fascinating. Far more amusing than I ever imagined."
“Follow me.”
“We will talk privately.”
Though she spoke thus, Zhou Zhang extended a single hand. Her fingers curled, and a surge of water flowed, sweeping the kneeling Cang Xu directly toward her.
Inside the Deep Sea Monster Fish, the fishman youngster sat in the cockpit, watching the scene intently through the magic projection.
Zhou Zhang raised Cang Xu by his clothes and jumped up softly, reaching beyond the crowd and going toward a secluded area.
The two began to talk.
Cang Xu first informed Zhou Zhang that his clerical position had been elevated, from monk to missionary.
Unlike faith itself, such clerical ranks could be verified.
After confirming Cang Xu’s promotion to missionary, Zhou Zhang’s expression softened further.
Cang Xu then detailed a series of divine spells to Zhou Zhang, all except the Opportunistic Deception Spell.
Zhou Zhang's face flashed with astonishment, and she immediately pressed for detailed information about the divine spells.
Her reaction caught Cang Xu off guard.
“Your Lordship, is there... something wrong with these divine spells?” Cang Xu inquired.
Zhou Zhang stared intently at the old necromancer for several seconds, her gaze making Cang Xu visibly uneasy. Finally, she spoke: “Do you know that even I have not mastered these divine spells?”
Cang Xu was utterly astonished. “How could that be?”
He had always assumed the divine spells of the missionary series were commonplace. But now, even an archbishop like Zhou Zhang admitted she did not possess them. This proved these divine spells were exceptionally rare.
Zhou Zhang shook her head. "It's not just me. Even other bishops likely haven't mastered them. Truthfully, before you mentioned it, I'd only heard of isolated cases, and those weren't even from the Charming Blue Church."
Cang Xu was dumbfounded.
“Hearing about it is nothing compared to witnessing it firsthand.”
Zhou Zhang led Cang Xu back to the gathering place of the believers. There, she casually selected a believer and commanded Cang Xu: “Come, perform a divine spell before me.”
Divine spell - Missionary Mark.
Cang Xu first imprinted his mark upon the Charming Blue believer before him.
Zhou Zhang's expression remained calm.
This spell was standard issue for the masses. Future believer advancements would include credit for the imprint's originator.
Divine spell - Soul Link.
Zhou Zhang watched the soul chain connecting Cang Xu and the Charming Blue believer, her eyes suddenly flashing with sharp brilliance.
Divine spell - Spiritual Sound Sermon.
After Cang Xu cast the spell, Zhou Zhang raised her hand to signal a pause, then carefully inquired about the Charming Blue believer's experience.
The Charming Blue believer replied that he had gained extensive knowledge of Charming Blue doctrine, though he had studied these teachings before. Yet receiving this information now brought insights and realizations he hadn't possessed previously.
Zhou Zhang nodded slightly, then signaled Cang Xu to continue.
Divine spell - Spiritual Navigation.
This time, Zhou Zhang's expression was no longer serene.
Her understanding of clerical cultivation ran far deeper than that of Cang Xu or the fishman youngster.
“The Spiritual Navigation divine spell directly channels the believer's spiritual energy toward our Lord.”
“Normally, achieving this step solely through the believer's own efforts is no easy feat. Often, divine statues must provide coordinates to accurately guide the direction of faith.”
“This is precisely why major denominations establish churches, altars, and statues across the world—to facilitate this process.”
"Occasionally, statues or churches may even lose connection with the deity itself. This causes accumulated faith to stagnate, unable to ascend upward."
“But with Spiritual Navigation, believers no longer require statues or altars as intermediaries. They can offer their entire devotion instantly.”
“Though I wonder what the loss rate might be?”
“No, the true significance of this divine spell lies in its precision.”
"Many evil and demonic deities disguise altars or tamper with statues to intercept faith mid-transmission. This spell effectively prevents such interference."
“This spell is incredibly practical!”
Zhou Zhang's mind churned with thoughts, his emotions running high.
Cang Xu continued casting the divine spell.
Divine spell - Synchronized Conversion!
Witnessing this, Zhou Zhang felt a tidal wave of shock surge through her. She could no longer maintain her composure, her face betraying palpable astonishment.
“There exists such a divine spell!”
“It's incredible! With this spell, one could practically mass-produce believers.”
“With such divine power, how could our Lord ever lack believers?”
“This will surely bring our Lord to prominence!”
Amateurs watched for spectacle; experts observed the essence.
The shock Zhou Zhang felt far surpassed that of Cang Xu and the fishman youngster. The latter two were laymen, utterly unaware of the profound significance of these divine spells.
Under the spell's influence, the Charming Blue believer trembled with excitement.
Though pain coursed through him, tears streamed down his face as he choked out, “Never before have I felt my Lord's true intent and grace so profoundly!”
“Lord Xu Jia, your devotion to our Lord surpasses even mine!”
“Though you are an undead, you command my deepest respect.”
Cang Xu gave him a slight nod, then frowned in puzzlement. “This is odd. Why isn't the effect of this divine spell as pronounced in the Mother Nest?”
“Is that so?” Zhou Zhang snapped back to attention.
Though faith remained unfathomable, Zhou Zhang could discern from the Charming Blue believer's expression and words, combined with her vast experience as an archbishop, that the believer's devotion had surged dramatically in a short time.
"It is the soul that undergoes transformation... thus, when the divine spell is performed upon a believer, they will feel an intense, heart-wrenching agony emanating from within their very being!"
Zhou Zhang performed divine spells, observing both the Charming Blue believer and Cang Xu from every angle.
As a saint level archbishop of the Charming Blue Church, she had long understood the profound mysteries of the soul.
After completing his proselytizing divine magic, Cang Xu let his hands fall naturally at his sides. He looked at Zhou Zhang with reverence, quietly awaiting her judgment.
Zhou Zhang scrutinized Cang Xu once more, her gaze having undergone a complete transformation.
Where before it had been filled with interest and a desire to explore, now she looked at him as if he were a peerless treasure.
Zhou Zhang dismissed the Charming Blue believers who had served as test subjects, then led Cang Xu to a secluded corner for private conversation: “Xu Jia, I now fully understand why our Lord bestowed divine blessing upon you and granted you these unique divine spells.”
Cang Xu immediately inquired.
Zhou Zhang replied, "When you wield these divine spells, have you noticed how intensely they drain your spirit and soul? This depletion far surpasses the consumption of divine power."
Cang Xu nodded urgently.
Zhou Zhang continued, “These are divine spells refined by our Lord, or perhaps by some believer within our church.”
“In essence, they align more closely with necromancy magic, spells that target the soul itself.”
“In truth, you could potentially cast them using undead magic power, though the effects would be drastically diminished.”