Chapter 143: The Sacred Garment Trial

Darien's words struck like a resounding slap, awakening those Apocalypse Knight candidates whose hearts had faltered.

Indeed, hadn't they possessed this resolve before coming here? Since they had already made up their minds to become members of the Judgment Army, what was the point of hesitating over matters of human nature? The Judgment Legion was the dark blade of the divine; for divine might and for the Church, even the eradication of human nature could be endured without hesitation. If so, they should cast aside everything and strive for the ultimate form of the Apocalypse Knights—the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse!

To become a direct knight of the divine was an honor of supreme loftiness. For the sake of this glory, what was there that could not be sacrificed?

Having figured this out, this group of fanatics instantly erupted with unprecedented firmness, responding one after another to Darien's words with declarations of their willingness to sacrifice everything.

Observing this, Link said nothing more. He had revealed the existence of the Four Horsemen precisely to prepare these individuals mentally. Since his subordinates had already made up their minds, he, as their leader, would not obstruct them. He immediately initiated a new round of screening. This round involved the inheritance of the Apocalypse Knights' power—infusing the source of the Apocalypse Knights' power, the Dark Bloodline, into the bodies of these individuals.

This was a painful process. All the candidates displayed expressions of agony, and some even showed signs of rejection, proving that their minds and bodies were not fully prepared to plunge completely into the darkness, having arrived merely on a wave of youthful passion. The hall automatically severed the inheritance for them.

In the end, out of more than seventy people, fifty-one successfully completed the inheritance and acquired the Dark Bloodline. Their pupils turned a chilling silver-gray, and a dark power corresponding to the Holy Light radiated from their bodies.

This frigid dark power was entirely different from the soul-soothing nature of the Holy Light, making one feel quite uncomfortable. Link, however, showed no signs of discomfort. Firstly, given his cultivation, he was completely unfazed by this trace of dark power. Secondly, this dark power actually originated from the system within his body—or rather, from himself—so he would only feel a sense of familiarity rather than discomfort or aversion.

Link immediately smiled and nodded. "Very well, congratulations to you all. You are the first batch of Apocalypse Knights, the very first legion of the Judgment Army. I bestow upon you the name 'Black Blade Knights,' representing the Father's dark blade of judgment. May you not disgrace the reputation of the Black Blade Knights. Darien, you shall be the commander of the Black Blade Knights!"

"Understood, Archprelate. Your subordinates will never disgrace the name of the Black Blade Knights! All heretics shall tremble before the Black Blade Knights!" Darien Mograine accepted the command without hesitation. As soon as he finished speaking, the rest responded with frigid determination, leaving those who had failed the inheritance consumed by intense envy and desolation.

Naturally, Link would not leave the failures unattended; he used a gentle tone to comfort them and offer them hope, making them feel relieved and full of anticipation for the next trial. As for whether they would eventually attain the inheritance, it would depend on whether their inner resolve was sufficient next time.

From this moment on, the Judgment Legion took shape. The Black Blade Knights would march across the battlefield under the banner of the Judgment Army's First Legion in service of the Father God's Church, bringing judgment and despair to the enemy.

Three days later, the expeditionary force fighting abroad returned. Link personally hosted a welcome ceremony for the expeditionary force, leaving its members pleasantly surprised, deeply inspired, and moved. Although they had been away for months, the Archprelate had not forgotten them; he always remembered their dedication and hard work.

After commending each and every one of them, Link summoned Darien and other representatives of the Apocalypse Knights to meet with Uther and other representatives of the Paladins. The Apocalypse Knights and the Paladins were opposing classes belonging to the same Church. If the two sides were not made to understand each other early on, trouble would arise sooner or later. Even with shared faith, instinctive repulsion would still breed conflict.

Both sets of representatives were intelligent people and naturally understood Link's profound intentions. Therefore, upon meeting, although instinctive repulsion and aversion arose due to the forces of the Holy Light and the Dark Bloodline, they did not display any dissatisfaction because of it. Uther, looking at Darien—a former peer who had once wished to become a paladin alongside him—could not help but wear a complex expression as he said, "Lord Darien, you..."

Darien interrupted Uther, "Lord Uther, I understand what you mean, but this is my choice, and our choice. We Apocalypse Knights are different from you Paladins. We only spread darkness and despair to enemies and infidels. We are the dark blade of the Father, the symbol of judgment. We shall not walk in the light; we walk in the darkness, obedient to the Father and the Archprelate. You Paladins shall be the bright representatives of our Church, the heroes in the eyes of the people. As for us, we are the dark embodiment of our Church, never appearing in the light nor being revered by the people. We fight only for the Father and the Church!"

Hearing Darien's calm yet resounding words, Uther opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately uttered nothing. He nodded in silence, though the admiration in his eyes was visible to all. The other paladins also cast aside their prior displeasure, looking at the Apocalypse Knights with respectful gazes.

In this world, there were heroes of the light, and there were heroes of the shadows. Being a hero of the light was not difficult; the truly difficult thing was willingly choosing to be the unknown hero behind the scenes.

Having nipped the potential conflict between the Paladins and the Apocalypse Knights in the bud, Link summoned Saga, Aioros, and Aioria to the woods behind the monastery. As the three strongest Saints currently, Link needed to let them know certain things, the first of which was Asmita becoming a Gold Saint.

Upon learning that someone had actually beaten them to become a Gold Saint, all three were startled and felt a sense of grievance. After all, they had strived with all their might, only to be beaten to the punch by a stranger they had never even met. How could they accept this?

Link was well-prepared for this reaction and repeated the words he had used earlier to appease the Saint candidates, calming their disgruntled hearts. Then, with a smile, Link announced that the Father God was extremely satisfied with their performance and had bestowed another Gold Cloth upon the three of them. However, Gold Cloths possessed spirits, and there was only one. To win the Gold Cloth, they would have to demonstrate the corresponding standard of strength.

Upon hearing this, all three became eager for a trial. Without wasting words, Link immediately produced the Gemini Gold Cloth.

Seeing the brilliantly gleaming Gold Cloth, the three youths, who had already witnessed many grand spectacles, wore looks of astonishment, their eyes filled with shock that quickly transformed into yearning. They all yearned to gain the recognition of the Cloth and become one of the twelve exclusive Gold Saints.

"I'll go first!" Seizing the initiative before his older brother and Saga could react, Aioria rushed forward, reaching out to touch the Gold Cloth.

However, before his hand even made contact, a powerful bolt of golden electricity surged forth, shocking Aioria until he twitched like an epileptic seizure patient, before ultimately blasting him backward to crash into a distant tree trunk. His hair stood completely on end like an explosion, and wisps of gray smoke drifted from his mouth.

Seeing this, Saga and Aioros felt their scalps tingle, thinking to themselves that the Gold Cloth truly lived up to its reputation and hit ruthlessly. Would someone be shocked mentally disabled looking like that?

For a moment, neither of them dared to step forward rashly, fearing they would follow in the footsteps of that reckless kid Aioria.

Seeing their hesitation, Link spoke up, "Aioros, since your younger brother has already tried, you should go next."

Hearing this, although Aioros's heart was filled with bitter smiles, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and step up. Secretly circulating his Cosmo, he walked slowly toward the Gemini Cloth, and after hesitating for a few seconds, resolutely extended his right hand.

As a result, Aioros met the exact same fate as Aioria. However, because he was prepared and possessed greater strength, he endured much longer. Yet, when the Gemini Gold Cloth erupted with its second wave of power, he too was blasted away.

This left only Saga, filling him with secret astonishment at the formidable power of the Gold Cloth. Leaving aside Aioria, Aioros was a Saint whose strength was right on par with his own; having already comprehended the Sixth Sense and reached the mid-stage of the Sixth Sense, his combat power at the early sixth-tier was not far behind Saga's late-stage Sixth Sense and late-tier sixth-tier might. Under such circumstances, Aioros had managed to last less than a minute before being blown away. How long could he, Saga, possibly endure?

One minute? Two minutes? Or five minutes? Would he still end up blasted away in the end?

So what if he was? As a mere Saint, one must possess a heart that fears nothing. It was merely a Gold Cloth; magnificent though it was, it was still just a warrior's raiment. If one were to fear a mere piece of armor, what qualification did one have to become the strongest Gold Saint?

Thinking of this, Saga's gaze turned cold. He circulated his Cosmo, strode forward, and without a moment's hesitation, reached out both hands toward the Gemini Cloth simultaneously.

Instantly, the same phenomenon as before repeated itself. Intense electrical currents coursed through Saga's entire body, drawing a muffled grunt from him. Yet his expression did not change in the slightest; he stubbornly refused to release his grip, even attempting to use his own Cosmo to suppress the power of the Gemini Cloth.

Watching from the side, Link nodded inwardly. Saga had made significant progress over the past few months, but more important than raw strength was the maturation of his mindset. Previously, while powerful, he had lacked a certain aggressiveness. Now, however, it was different. Even when facing formidable opponents, he would figure out ways to seize the initiative, capture the advantage, and suppress his adversary rather than waiting passively for an attack before counterattacking.

Moreover, according to Count Lothar, he had been imparting various experiences to Saga over the past few months, leading to remarkable improvements in military command and strategic thinking. Saga had also developed his own personal convictions—though somewhat dramatic, they suited Link's taste and met the dual-natured requirements of the Gemini constellation: to be as warm as a spring breeze toward one's own people, but as cold as the harsh winter toward enemies.

As far as the Gemini Cloth was concerned, Saga was undoubtedly the most suitable candidate.

Nevertheless, the Gemini Cloth still required Saga to undergo the trial; that was something even Link could not alter. Therefore, for the sake of fairness, Link had allowed his three strongest Saints to undergo the trial together. Right now, it seemed Saga was still the most likely to succeed.