Cecia was stunned for a moment.
She looked at Vesper, suddenly not knowing what to say.
Vesper truly felt that this was simply how things were supposed to be.
Cecia remained silent for a moment, and in the end, she could only sigh softly.
Trying to change something someone had firmly believed in and abided by all their life was not something that could be done in just a sentence or two.
Just then, Vesper behind her suddenly tugged at Cecia's sleeve.
“This is what being a Saintess is like.”
Vesper said:
“The bishop once said that since we have received God's grace and gained strength by trusting in the Lord, we should guard our hearts through the strength He provides and walk the path of the righteous, so that our deeds are worthy of the grace we have received.”
Cecia was suddenly taken aback.
Looking at Vesper's expression, she suddenly realized that the Miss Saintess before her possessed such devout faith.
Her tone was serious.
These were the rules she had understood since childhood.
“...”
For a moment, Cecia didn't know how to respond and could only answer with silence.
Fortunately, Vesper did not seem keen on continuing this topic, as if she had suddenly remembered something else.
“To use your words... has the King of Dawn and Dusk stabilized now?”
“What do you mean?”
Cecia instinctively wanted to avoid this topic.
But then again, the Abyss Cult had also worshipped the Shadow of the Sun in the past, and the Shadow of the Sun had benefited more or less from the cult's grace.
Based on the knowledge Cecia brought from her past life, traitors like the King of Dawn and Dusk who joined a team only to go independent usually did not meet a good end.
But Vesper's response caught Cecia somewhat by surprise.
“Everyone throughout the entire Abyss Cult knows that the Shadow of the Sun went independent. Some harsh voices even say: ‘Her greatest sin is not leaving the Abyss, but taking the power she obtained from the Abyss for herself, and letting the people of the world call her a god.’
“But it doesn't matter. The people who say those things are quite narrow-minded; they merely mistake the cult's gains and losses for the Lord's. The Lord never cares if there is one more god in the world, nor will He collect on the grace He has already bestowed as if it were a debt.”
“The Lord doesn't care.”
The Lord doesn't care.
These words were truly cold and indifferent.
It was as if the other deities of the world were of no consequence; only the Abyss was eternal.
“Whether it is Apep, the God of Chaos who betrayed the Abyss, the King of Dawn and Dusk who went independent, or the Silent Goddess, whose powers were ninety percent lost after being purged by the Emperor and is now waiting to be resurrected in the Abyss...
“In my view, they all once prospered, were once great, and were once glorious. Yet, there is always a twilight of the gods, always a day when gods fall. Only the Abyss has never changed.
“You can absolutely talk to me about anything in this world. I am far easier to talk to than that fragile and nasty Saintess from the Church of the Holy Light.
“So, is the King of Dawn and Dusk stable now? If not, it will have a major impact on your soul, your rank, and your cultivation.”
For some reason, Vesper was so insecure.
At the slightest hint of resistance or reluctance to answer from Cecia, Vesper looked ready to tear her heart out just to show her.
She had openly told Cecia all those pieces of secret knowledge and even her grudge with the Saintess of the Church of the Holy Light.
Were these things really okay to be told to someone else?
Ultimately, Cecia was moved by Vesper's words, and in her ears, the whisper of the 【King of Dawn and Dusk】 from yesterday seemed to echo once more: “That girl is trustworthy.”
The Abyss Cult was truly terrifying, to think it could make someone let down their guard so quickly and reveal their deepest secrets.
“The King of Dawn and Dusk is not yet stable.”
“Have you communicated with Him? About His background, about everything regarding Him?”
“No, He is still too weak and has no time to respond to me. He only manages to blurt out a word or two occasionally.” Cecia scratched her head and continued, “Oh, and He also said that the burning of the shadow requires more spirit and flame.”
“I think I know some of the inside story. I swear as the Saintess of the Abyss that I will not deceive Nightingale.”
Cecia watched as Vesper swore, placing her right hand over her heart.
“Alright, alright, I already believe you. Please, go ahead.”
“First, let me ask you a few questions. Are you sure it is the burning of the shadow?”
“Yes.”
“Not the corona?”
“No.”
“Exactly the shadow?”
“Exactly.”
“I know some rumors about the King of Dawn and Dusk, but not the exact details. Based on some things the bishop told me, I have formed the following conjectures.
“First, the King of Dawn and Dusk is, in essence, still the ashes of the sun, still the shadow of the sun, and has not undergone Ascension merely because He inherited the authorities of the sun and the Great Yin. He has not fully inherited what the sun left behind.
“Second, He still does not understand what He currently is. In ancient times, He was the ashes of the sun. After joining the Abyss Cult, during those silent nights, He found the authority of the moon from within the shadows and embraced His own shadow, transforming from a false god into the Moon Goddess, becoming the Shadow of the Sun—the legendary Great Yin. Later, after the sun perished, He received the grace of the Abyss, molded the sun's physical remains, and forcibly ascended to godhood through the authority of the moon, taking the divine seat of the Blazing Sun, yet lacking its complete authority.
“Although He barely manages to drive the movement of the great celestial body, His true essence is still ashes, still a shadow, still the Moon Goddess.
“Looking at it this way, it is not that the King of Dawn and Dusk lacks sufficient spirit and flame, but rather that the authority truly belonging to the sun is not in His possession.”
Cecia swallowed hard.
What Vesper said was spot-on.
The true authority of the Blazing Sun was indeed on her.
However, the King of Dawn and Dusk was currently unstable. Cecia could only keep throwing firewood inside to maintain the sun's movement, which was not a long-term solution.
The second option was to ascend to godhood herself. This method was obviously a pipe dream. She was currently just an ordinary person struggling through her Rank One Spirit Realm Excursion. Although it would solve the problem once and for all, it was absolutely not something she could accomplish right now.
The third option was to find some way to fill this vacancy.
The fourth option was the hands-off approach: give up all the authority on herself to the King of Dawn and Dusk and completely wash her hands of it.
However, it was clear that this last method would not satisfy everyone.
First, after the King of Dawn and Dusk ascended to become the true sun, His essence would change, and He might no longer be Himself.
Currently, He was barely holding on simply to keep the world running and the elements in motion.
But if one day the King of Dawn and Dusk could no longer hold on, what on earth would happen to this world?
“Potato, you've really done me a massive favor,” Cecia murmured to herself. “At least now I know which direction to take in the future.”
Vesper smiled faintly. “I'm so glad I could help you.”
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