Chapter 132: The Way Out

In truth, compared to ordinary beings, Holy Spirits possess a deeper understanding of the True God and, consequently, hold a more profound sense of reverence. In their eyes, there is only one True God—the supreme entity who created all things. Above the True God, there is nothing; below the True God dwell the Ancient Holy Spirits. Unlike mortals, who require grandiose, earth-shaking spectacles to recognize a "miracle," the Holy Spirits understand that the act of bestowing life and soul—a feat that touches the very rules of the world—is no less astonishing than any so-called "miracle."

Because of this, Alice felt not only gratitude toward Link but also a newfound respect. Although her expression remained stoic, her eyes betrayed her thoughts.

Link noticed this and suppressed a smile, maintaining his priestly facade. Fearing that the news might cause unnecessary trouble, he spoke with profound gravity: "Miss Alice, the Father God does not wish for his affairs to become public. He has departed from this world, and this realm has formed a new set of rules that do not include his presence. He does not wish to disrupt these rules. The future belongs to the creatures created by the Father God to forge for themselves. Although he chose me as his representative to spread his doctrine, it is merely to teach the ways of survival to all living things; he does not wish to interfere excessively with the world. Thus, the great Father God does not want his story to be spread. You understand what I mean, don't you?"

Alice was slightly startled, then a flicker of realization crossed her eyes, and she nodded. "Rest assured, Archbishop Neil. I will not speak of the True God. Besides, apart from Yuuka, there is no one else here for me to talk to, so you may put your mind at ease."

Link nodded with satisfaction. He was not worried that Alice might be lying to him. Like Remilia Scarlet, the Holy Spirit he had met before, Alice lacked guile—one might even say she was devoid of it. Holy Spirits were not as mysterious as the world imagined; they might be intelligent, but those like Alice, who lived in seclusion and rarely interacted with others, were far inferior to humans in the arts of deception. They could even be described as innocent. Even when their temperament was cold and indifferent, they would inadvertently reveal their inner thoughts.

Just as now, Alice’s failure to hide her reverence for the True God had allowed Link to successfully bluff her. However, while she was reverent, it was clear she had no intention of becoming a follower of the Father God. Though Link was slightly disappointed, he did not force the issue; his understanding of Holy Spirits was still too shallow, and even if he wanted to convert them, he would first need to possess strength that could rival theirs.

Alice then led Link to find Yuuka. She expressed her intention to tell Yuuka about the True God, as the situation with Suigintou could not be kept hidden. Link did not object, though he was worried that Yuuka might spread the news. He only felt relieved after Alice explained that Yuuka had almost no friends and had spent the last millennium keeping company only with the sunflowers surrounding the mansion.

Most importantly, having lived for so long, Yuuka was even more aware of the True God, and thus even more reverent.

Persuading Yuuka to help was not as difficult as expected. Originally, Yuuka had been reluctant, but once Alice revealed the matter of the True God and she saw Suigintou, Yuuka changed her mind. She immediately summoned Link before her and, for the first time, looked at him with a direct, focused gaze. "You are Neil Night, the man Alice says is under the protection of the True God?"

"The Father God is above. I am his representative in this world, and under his guidance, I have founded the Church of the Father God to spread his teachings," Link replied in a non-committal manner.

"Is that so?" Yuuka looked at Link intensely, then suddenly reached out with her right hand and gripped his shoulder. Link immediately felt a tremendous pressure.

But that was all. Yuuka had no malicious intent; she simply stared at him. Link felt that Yuuka seemed to be performing an act of goodwill, so he did not panic. After a moment, he asked, "Lady Yuuka, may I ask what you are doing?"

Yuuka remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "Checking your body. If the True God truly protects you, he must have bestowed power upon you, and I can sense whether there is power in your body granted by the True God."

Link’s heart skipped a beat. Suppressing his anxiety, he asked, "And, Lady Yuuka, did you find anything?"

Yuuka looked at him deeply, then withdrew her hand. "You do not possess the divine authority of the Ancient Holy Spirits, but there is indeed an aura of divine power within you. It is incredibly pure, superior even to the Ancient Holy Spirits. You must truly have received the favor of the True God." As she said this, she looked up at the sky, speaking in a tone that was both wistful and nostalgic. "Ten thousand years. The True God has returned to this world. For what purpose?" She shook her head and looked back at Link. "I understand. I will help you leave this realm."

Link was shocked, delighted, and suspicious all at once, breaking into a cold sweat. He had been genuinely nervous when Yuuka said she could check for divine power, and he only felt relieved when she confirmed it. He was overjoyed that she was willing to help, but he was also confused as to why his body contained such power. Could it be that the power provided by the True God System was of the same origin as what Yuuka called the "power of the True God"? Or perhaps the system itself was created by the True God?

Thinking of this, Link felt he might have discovered the origin of the True God System, though he lacked sufficient evidence to be certain. This was not the time to ponder it. He smiled and thanked Yuuka gratefully, "Thank you for your help, Lady Yuuka. We will never forget this immense kindness..."

"Listen to me first," Yuuka interrupted, her tone flat. "My ability to help you leave does not mean you will be able to do so smoothly. The only ones who truly have a chance to leave this place are you and the other male human. Even the beast that came with you cannot leave."

Link’s expression stiffened, and he frowned. "What do you mean? Could you be more specific?"

Yuuka said indifferently, "The ones who can truly let you leave are not others, but the two human females among you who possess the Yin-Yang Orbs and the Dream Seal. It was those two items that brought you here, so naturally, they can send you back."

"So it was those two items," Link nodded in realization, then asked, puzzled, "We have studied them for a long time, but we couldn't trigger the effect that brought us here. What should we do?"

"I know how to activate those holy artifacts, and I will help you. However, you can only pass through the portal once you have obtained the Holy Source Power. Furthermore, during the activation, those two human females cannot move, nor can they pass through the channel. Only by meeting this condition can you return. Among you, you and the other human male have the potential to obtain the Holy Source Power, but your pet cannot."

Link frowned deeply. He understood what obtaining the Holy Source Power meant—it meant reaching the Seventh Rank. Both he and Altair could indeed reach it; he was already at the Sixth Rank, and Altair was at the late Fifth Rank. With diligent cultivation, at their age, the Seventh Rank was not a dream. But the problem was that the Seventh Rank could not be achieved in a short time. And if Reimu and the others could not leave, what was the point? He could not bring himself to be so heartless as to abandon them.

Yuuka seemed to see through Link’s thoughts and said calmly, "I have already told you the method. If you want to leave, come find me. I have no interest in managing others, but as a human favored by the True God, I can give you a hand and help you obtain the Holy Source Power." With that, Yuuka turned and drifted away, disappearing into the flower field in the blink of an eye.

Alice and Suigintou then approached. Seeing Link’s troubled expression, Suigintou asked with concern, "Father, please do not be sad. Even if you cannot leave, I will always stay by your side."

Link forced a smile, reached out to pat Suigintou’s head to show he was fine, and then said to Alice, "Miss Alice, thank you for your help."

Alice shook her head. "No, I didn’t actually help much. Mr. Neil, you are favored by the True God; even without my intervention, Lady Yuuka would not have ignored you. I am just sorry that the method we found puts you in such a difficult position..."

Link sighed and told Alice and Suigintou that he needed to discuss this with the others before taking his leave. As he walked away, Suigintou was held in Alice’s arms, her eyes filled with reluctance. Because she was being held by her "mother," she couldn't follow him, and as Link disappeared from view, she could not help but look dejected.

Alice keenly noticed that Suigintou’s feelings for Link seemed deeper than her own, which made her feel a bit jealous. However, she said nothing, instead falling into deep thought, lost in her own mind.

On the other side, Link found the others who had just woken up. After he relayed Yuuka’s words, the group’s expressions turned grim. But soon, Lin Xi said, "Since that’s the case, Neil, you should go back first!"

Link frowned. "You mean you want me to abandon you?"

"Of course not. But since we cannot leave now, and the other party clearly wants to help you alone, you should go back. The Church of the Father God cannot function without you. We have been here for a while, and it’s been nearly half a month since we left the City of Divine Grace. Who knows what might happen to the church if we delay any longer? You must return first." After analyzing the pros and cons, Lin Xi smiled. "Besides, staying here might be an opportunity for us. How could we have ever encountered such mysterious and powerful beings as Yuuka Kazami and Alice Margatroid? Since they are likely Holy Spirits, staying here might give us a chance to receive their guidance. You said you did Alice a great favor, didn't you? If you ask, surely she would help us with our cultivation? For beings like them, even a little guidance could be of immense benefit to us!"

Altair added, "That’s right, Archbishop. Staying here might bring us unexpected benefits. And if I can quickly reach the Seventh Rank, I can return to find you soon. As for High Priestess Reimu and Miss Lin Xi, they have already gained the attention of Lady Yuuka—if it weren't for them, we wouldn't have been able to stay here. Since Lady Yuuka now sees you in a different light, she clearly won’t make things difficult for them. You also mentioned that you have a favor to ask of Miss Alice; I believe that even if we leave, she will take good care of High Priestess Reimu, Miss Lin Xi, and Phantom."

Finally, although Reimu did not speak at length like Lin Xi and Altair and was quite resentful about staying, she also urged Link to leave first, saying that if Link did not return in time, the "three old hags"—the three Cardinals—would become anxious, and she did not want to see that happen.