Chapter Fifty-Three: The Duel Approaches

In simple terms, the three elders believed that, given their daughters’ personalities, it would be difficult for them to marry, so they eagerly sought out what they considered an excellent, and indeed truly worthy, husband. As the intended groom, Link need only nod or shake his head in response.

The elders made it clear they were offering a great beauty to him; to claim he felt nothing would be disingenuous. Yet, considering Reimu’s temperament, being close friends or even casual companions was feasible, but making her his wife would be courting hardship. Thus, Link ultimately declined their proposal, though he didn’t reject it outright. He merely said they were all still young and that it was too soon to discuss marriage, preferring to let things take their natural course.

Seeing this, the three elders did not press further. However, they did express that, should Link be able to enlist the Father God’s help in resolving the dark demon issue, they would wholeheartedly support the Church of the Father God.

This was Link’s greatest gain—more valuable than the combined support of other followers. Of the three elders, Elder Ling Shui and Elder Ling Wood were both peak third-tier mages, while Elder Ling Wind was an early fourth-tier mage. For the Church of the Father God, desperately lacking in magical talent, their addition was a tremendous boon.

More than their strength, it was their experience and wisdom that Link needed most. Though their church was secluded, the three had managed the Divine Spirit Church for decades and were certainly no mere figureheads. Their administrative abilities far surpassed the current leadership of the Father God’s Church, and crucially, their natures made them uninterested in power struggles, ensuring their arrival wouldn’t disrupt the existing order.

With these three holding the rear, no matter what occurred, internal chaos would be unlikely, allowing Link to focus his efforts on confronting external threats.

Of course, all this depended on the system providing something useful after its upgrade. If nothing happened, it would be a bitter disappointment.

Thinking this through, Link decided to find an opportunity to speak with Count Lothar. As a local lord, perhaps Count Lothar had alternative solutions. Just as any wise person wouldn’t put all their eggs in one basket, Link wouldn’t place all his hopes in the system.

The next day, the dueling tournament continued, and today proved far more exciting than yesterday. Several mid-sized churches took the stage, clashing with rival denominations.

The participants were mostly late first-tier to early second-tier, predominantly young talents and rising stars. Clearly, for these churches, the competition was not only about vying for interests—it was also a chance to temper their youthful prodigies.

Watching the young talents enter the arena, Link turned to Alia, Saga, and Aeolus and said, “Take a good look. Their ages aren’t far from yours. One day, they may be your rivals.”

The trio nodded solemnly, focusing their attention on the matches. They understood that only the finest young talents from each church could step onto this stage. As the Church of the Father God grew, these competitors would become their future adversaries.

Having set their expectations, Link said nothing more and turned his gaze back to the arena. For him, watching these matches was sufficient. With the system as his golden support, his progress far outpaced ordinary people—these rising stars couldn’t hope to be his rivals. Even now, he could stand among the ranks of mid-generation masters—granted, only within the Red Moon Province.

After a while, Link’s interest waned; after all, the contestants were all young, weak, inexperienced, and awkward in their skills. Compared to the combatants in the previous battle between the Church of the Father God and the Berserker Temple, these youths paled in comparison. Having recently sparred frequently with Altair, Link found it hard to feel any enthusiasm for these bouts.

When the matches finally concluded and Link was preparing to lead his group back to rest, Amon unexpectedly approached, accompanied by four young men and women.

These four were handsome and beautiful, brimming with spirit and confidence, exuding a subtle aura of dominance—as if they might as well have a banner reading “We’re amazing” plastered across their foreheads.

With such an obvious display, Link—no fool—immediately realized Amon had brought these people to deliver a show of force.

Earlier that noon, the duel rules between the Church of the Father God and the Church of the Star God had been set: a best-of-five format, with three victories required to win. Originally, Link preferred a best-of-three, but given the stakes—two churches dueling with apostasy arbitration involved—the assembled churches decided on the five-match format.

Count Lothar had no say in this; even had he wanted to secretly help Link, it wasn’t possible. The major denominations seemed intent on gauging the Church of the Father God’s strength, so the final rules were somewhat disadvantageous for Link’s side.

Amon, looking coldly at Link, said, “Neil Night, tomorrow afternoon it’s our turn to duel. You despicable apostate, the Church of the Star God will make you pay dearly.”

Link was undeterred and retorted with a cold sneer, “Father God above, Bishop Amon, I believe the ones paying the price tomorrow will be you. I doubt you and your little kittens and puppies here can defeat us.”

“Hmph, sharp-tongued. We’ll see soon enough,” Amon replied icily, signaling his companions to display their strength. They understood, instantly channeling their battle energy or magic, revealing their power without reservation.

The onlookers were shocked—all four possessed at least mid-second-tier strength, with the strongest nearing the second-tier peak, able to barely join the ranks of mid-generation masters.

Their sudden display radiated the sort of unrestrained dominance usually seen only from seventh-tier experts, intimidating many members of smaller churches. The elders of the crowd watched Amon with envy and jealousy—such was the depth of a major church, casually bringing forth a group of young talents who could rival the mid-generation masters. By contrast, the smaller churches had few reserves and lived in constant scarcity.

Yet, faced with this show of force, Link and his group remained unafraid. Link and Reimu, unsurprisingly, were stronger than their opponents. Alia, though weaker, trusted that with Link beside her, she had nothing to fear. Saga and Aeolus stepped forward, matching their rivals, though they couldn’t display their strength openly due to their Nine Yang Divine Skill training, making them appear less imposing and more like they were stubbornly holding their ground.

For a moment, the crowd doubted the Church of the Father God even more. Amon, satisfied with his side’s momentum, departed with his group, and Link, unconcerned, led his companions away.

Word of the incident spread quickly, and nearly everyone believed the Church of the Father God was certain to lose. The odds for the two churches shifted: Star God Church at 1.1 to 1, while the Church of the Father God soared to 50 to 1. All bets were placed on the Star God Church, even those who originally wagered on the Father God switched their tickets.

Learning this, Link immediately sought out Elder Ling Wind, and together they bet three thousand Sola on the Father God Church’s victory—Link regretted not bringing more money, as he only had a thousand with him. The Divine Spirit Church, being a secluded sect, could only muster two thousand Sola in cash.

Link wanted to borrow from Count Lothar, but the count was swamped with official duties, and with various factions watching the city lord’s mansion, a visit would be far too conspicuous. Even if he wished to see Count Lothar, he’d have to wait until after tomorrow’s duel.

“What a shame, such a wasted opportunity for a windfall,” Link sighed helplessly.

Amid Link’s endless regret, the long-awaited All Gods Festival finally arrived. On this day, Link and his companions, as duel participants, were placed in prominent front-row seats so they could enter the arena at any moment.

Once the Church of the Father God had taken their seats, many people turned their attention toward them. As a rising church, their ascent was nothing short of miraculous: defeating the War God Church and the Berserker Temple as a fledgling sect, then being protected by three major churches afterward—no matter how one looked at it, their story brimmed with legend.

Now, with many curious about the Church of the Father God but lacking opportunities to learn more, Link and his group finally appeared in public, immediately drawing countless gazes.

Seeing that the Church of the Father God consisted of just five people, none older than seventeen, many were astonished and shook their heads, losing confidence in the church. Even those who once hoped for an underdog miracle abandoned their expectations; with such a lineup, not only the mighty Star God Church but even mid-sized churches could defeat them.

Some factions who had considered forging ties with the Church of the Father God now dismissed the idea. For them to accept the Star God Church’s challenge with such limited strength seemed reckless. It appeared that their previous victories had made them arrogant. This time, the Star God Church came prepared, the stakes were high, and if the Church of the Father God lost, they would likely fall into obscurity, becoming a ninth-rate church. Who would bother negotiating with such a group? Better to let them fade away.

Link could easily guess others’ thoughts, but this was precisely the effect he wanted. Let everyone underestimate them; when they staged their reversal, it would be as sensational as another miracle.

Now, with the Divine Spirit Church’s support, Link had full confidence in their overall strength. With Count Lothar backing them, he was unconcerned about their foundation. His goal had shifted from becoming a major church in Red Moon Province to joining the ranks of its top denominations.

To achieve this, Link needed to increase the Father God Church’s prestige, at least to establish a powerful image in the eyes of all. This duel was the perfect opportunity.

Some might think Link’s high-profile approach was reckless, but he would say: only those who dare win. When lacking strength, humility is wise; but with such formidable power, pretending to be timid is truly foolish.

To accomplish great things, one must have boldness and a fighting spirit.

In calm anticipation, the moment for the Church of the Father God’s duel with the Star God Church finally arrived. Link looked at his companions and, in a steady, quiet voice, said, “Alright, let’s go. Today, let them see that our Church of the Father God is far more than a newly risen small sect!”

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