Chapter Thirty-Three: In Praise of the Sun

Ash truly hadn’t anticipated that, after sixty minutes had passed in game time, he could still gain extra benefits from his time advantage—at least by using the matchstick to trigger the follower effect, thus averting a battle that might have ended in total annihilation.

“Tell me, what is your choice!”

The Six-Eyed Preacher, suddenly lucid, fixed Ash with the mesmerizing gaze of that six-eyed mask, his voice low and full of awe-inspiring authority. There was no denying the sinister allure of his appearance, coupled with the seemingly solemn aura of a true zealot—it could easily sway the hearts of others. Yet Ash rejected him without hesitation.

He had fought tooth and nail for a perfect evaluation; anything that might jeopardize his assessment was out of the question. Besides, the preacher was still bound as his follower—what could he do even if Ash refused? Not only was he unable to harm Ash, he was obliged to help find the Six-Eyed Prophet.

“I regret your decision,” the preacher said, his mask’s eyes blinking madly. But the faint, majestic aura from the matchstick’s flame left him powerless to resist—he could only suppress his agitation, waiting for the effect to fade.

This abrupt confrontation left the others baffled. When Ash explained, Thorn, the captive, sighed, “So the Six-Eyed Prophet really did betray his faith…”

“You know the Prophet? Well, that makes sense—you even had the blueprint of the Solar Temple, so you couldn’t possibly be unaware of him.”

Time was pressing, and Ash had no patience for old secrets. He promptly ordered Thorn to lead the party, following the blueprint, to the resting place of the two sages.

With her fate tightly held, Thorn had no choice. The aftermath of the fire sacrifice had emptied the temple—on their way, the group glimpsed through a side window seven sword-bearing knights, kneeling silently before the solar idol. Ash and Deepening Wine immediately realized: when the temple’s main gate was breached, those seven black-armored knights would awaken.

“Black Knights…”

Thorn saw the scene as well, and she knew the true identity of those seven. Unlike the patrolling guards outside, the Black Knights were the true elite of the Solar Empire—each a master of arms, able to withstand the ravages of time, briefly resisting the restrictions with soul flame and unleashing overwhelming strength. Thorn doubted the three cannons could eliminate all seven.

Science and technology might bring explosive progress, but one must never underestimate the power of personal growth. Every evolution of life brings qualitative change. Though the Black Knights were diminished and suppressed, they could easily withstand a direct hit from a heavy cannon. If these seven fought with full force, alongside the remaining guards, victory was far from certain.

“It seems the Giant Tree Institute is destined for decline,” Thorn mused, her thoughts shifting. “Should I remain here at all?”

…

After just two minutes of exploration, the group reached the resting place of the Solar High Priest and the Six-Eyed Prophet—the “Candle Chamber.”

Almost every Solar Temple was equipped with a Candle Chamber, burning with the great flame, to collect, store, and spread the power of faith. This particular chamber was vast, for it once served as the resting place for numerous imperial champions. When the apocalypse loomed and the forbidden zone trembled, the chamber’s special candle flames would ignite spontaneously, returning to the minds of the champions, rekindling their soul flames, and effecting resurrection.

But most of those champions perished in the fire sacrifice, and their corresponding special candle cores were burned away, leaving only endless white wax piled in the chamber, as though one stood in a frozen ocean of time.

[Hint: Awakening the Solar High Priest and the Six-Eyed Prophet will help you complete the assessment!]

The sudden prompt made Ash and Deepening Wine exchange nods—their path was correct. But how to awaken the two sages? Ash immediately thought of the matchstick, but to be safe, he first asked the Six-Eyed Preacher.

“After betraying his faith, the Prophet received a portion of the Lord of Flame’s great fire. Only that fire can ignite the candle and awaken him—the same goes for the High Priest.”

The preacher, as a follower, could not defy Ash’s will, and his answer confirmed that the matchstick needed to be used here. The two sages sat opposite each other, with only a single half-burned candle between them.

This time, Deepening Wine used the matchstick. With a swipe through the air, it flared with gentle light; a spark dropped from the flame, igniting the candle. In a blink, the flame consumed the wax entirely, splitting into two, each entering the brow of a sage.

[Hint: You have successfully awakened the Solar High Priest and the Six-Eyed Prophet!]
[Hint: You have gained their favor.]

As Deepening Wine received the prompt, so did Ash. Everyone held their breath, watching as the two sages slowly opened their eyes, clarity dispelling the chaos within.

The Solar High Priest, clad in a white robe edged with gold and embroidered with sun motifs, was the first to rise. He gazed at the group, and with only a glance, deduced their situation. This aged, declining man did not immediately thank Deepening Wine for awakening him, but asked directly, “Has the Solar Staircase consumed the great flame and ascended to its mother form?”

Only Thorn knew the answer, and her denial made the High Priest exhale deeply, “At least there is still room for maneuver.”

The plainly dressed Prophet withdrew his gaze from the preacher and turned to the High Priest with a smile. “I have a feeling that our lifelong wish may succeed.”

“It’s still only a possibility,” the High Priest replied, his eyes drifting over the bloodvine artifacts held by Ash and company, sighing with obscure meaning. “Alas, the spatial fissures caused by the collision of the imperial world and others allow passage only out, not in. As the apocalypse nears, isolated islands form, severing us from other worlds. It becomes impossible to combine their strengths. Had we thought of this sooner, we might have cultivated bloodvine in this way and avoided such a dire state.”

“It’s not too late now!” The Prophet was more optimistic, quickly seeing through the cultivation method devised by Qiaomu and marveling at the ingenuity. He was certain that all was not lost. “As long as the Lord of Flame’s fire endures, we must not give up. Brave young ones, may I observe your bloodvine up close?”

[Hint: The Six-Eyed Prophet requests to examine the “Bloodvine Bracelet (Perfect Form)”!]

Ash, Deepening Wine, and Little Bob produced their bloodvine artifacts. After careful examination by the two sages, they reached a thrilling conclusion.

“A truly ingenious idea, flawless technique. Dividing the bloodvine into three attributes hasn’t triggered collapse—it even allows for recombination! If only there were more time, these two vines, infused with special bloodlines, might break the final barrier. As for this necklace, its life potential is lacking; unless it merges with a similar bloodline and is infused with like energy, it still cannot compete with the Solar Staircase.”

Hearing the Prophet’s sigh, Ash immediately explained the existence of the Gardener Symbiont and that Qiaomu’s avatar possessed a bloodvine artifact with the intelligence attribute in perfect form.

“Excellent!”

With a hearty shout, the High Priest’s deeply furrowed brow relaxed. “If that’s so, by burning our souls and borrowing the power of the great flame, we might truly fulfill our life’s unfinished work. Sadly, this portion of the Lord of Flame’s fire was used to awaken us, consuming much divine power. If only we had another, I would be fully confident.”

[Hint: The Solar High Priest needs a matchstick to increase the main quest completion rate.]

Ash, without hesitation, produced his last matchstick.

“Praise the sun!” The High Priest exclaimed, sensing the unfamiliar aura of the Lord of Flame from the matchstick. “So this is the great fire of a new world! Though faint, it still carries the awe-inspiring power to move the heart. Wonderful, truly wonderful—I finally have a chance to fulfill my lifelong wish!”

“Better to act than to marvel—let’s advance these two bloodvines further,” said the Prophet, his composure unfazed by the High Priest’s excitement. “These vines have the energy reserves to break the barrier, but rapid transformations have drained their life potential. They need your help.”

“A minor matter. Follow me.”

Returning the bloodvine necklace to Little Bob, the High Priest took up the bloodvine bracelet and ring, and led the group out of the Candle Chamber to the main hall.

By then, the temple doors showed signs of breach. The High Priest, face unmoved, stood beneath the solar idol amid the thunder of cannons. He slowly raised his arms in a gesture of embracing the sky; the two bloodvine artifacts floated before him. Flames appeared in his hands, spreading through the air and descending upon the seven kneeling black knights.

“In the name of the Lord of Flame, by the power of fire, return—break through the night to seek the sun, you knights of darkness!”

With solemnity, the High Priest declared his oath. At that moment, the seven knights awoke amid the firelight, drew their swords across their chests, and raised their heads high, shouting in unison—

“Praise the sun!”

Their resounding voices shook the hall, stirring the idol to respond. The idol, mirroring the High Priest’s gesture, lowered divine light onto the seven knights, illuminating them and empowering the bloodvine artifacts.

[Hint: Your “Bloodvine Bracelet” has advanced from “Perfect Form” to “Ultimate Form,” completing the fourth stage of the main quest “Bloom.”]
[Hint: You have received the final stage of the main quest “Bloom”: Devour the Solar Staircase to achieve the ultimate transformation.]