Chapter 300: The Invitation

In the depths of the royal palace in Orank, within a secluded chamber prepared exclusively for Lu Yan.

The air still retained a trace of chaotic Dao resonance from a recent ascension, faintly revealing the illusory image of an Imperial Aspect that fused the order of the Divine Court with the pollution of the Old Ones.

Even a mere lingering wisp of that aura distorted time and space within the chamber, twisting causality itself and rendering any form of deduction impossible.

At the center of the chamber, Lu Yan sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, his presence as calm and deep as an abyss, fully immersed in digesting the immense flow of information and insights brought by his recent advancement.

Although he had forcibly suppressed the contamination and chaos of the Old Ones at the final moment of forming his Aspect through the power of the Divine Court and the Netherworld, he still could not entirely sever the link to the Old Ones.

Yet for Lu Yan, such a connection wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

He was acutely aware that the awakening Seven True Gods would never permit an outsider like himself to touch the Old One’s corpse that lay above the stars. A storm was on the horizon.

At the same time, he knew that rushing to respond would be inferior to solidifying his foundation. Only by fully mastering his newfound power and converting it into true strength could he hold enough cards to confront the seven major Divine Churches.

The thick, rune-inscribed chamber door designed to isolate all interference slowly slid inward with a faint mechanical click, and a graceful, poised figure stepped inside.

It was Elizabeth. She wore a dark velvet gown that allowed for ease of movement without sacrificing its regal bearing. Her features remained as serene and beautiful as ever, but in the depths of her blue eyes, a trace of gravity could not be concealed.

Immediately upon Lu Yan’s advancement, he had issued her a command.

In response, Elizabeth—queen in name—mobilized all the royal and personal resources at her disposal to monitor the movements of the seven True God Churches.

In particular, the Steam Church, already based in Orank, had every move closely tracked by the intelligence arms of the royal family.

Her visit now clearly signified the arrival of significant news.

She stopped a few steps away from Lu Yan and offered a flawless courtly curtsy. Her soft yet clear voice rang out:

“Your Grace, according to intelligence returned by the royal spies, since yesterday all seven Divine Churches have shown unusual activity.

“They’ve been secretly gathering large numbers of core believers in their respective cathedrals to chant hymns day and night, seemingly conducting some large-scale ritual.

“Because these events involve each church’s innermost followers, defenses are extremely tight, and the exact nature of the ritual remains unknown.”

She paused, then added, “Additionally, just yesterday afternoon, Steam Church’s current Pope, Zieg III, mysteriously vanished for several hours.

“Based on observed energy fluctuations and changes in guard rotations around the Church’s inner sanctum, it is highly likely he entered the so-called ‘Secret Temple’—a place said to be accessible only to Popes and Sequence Two or higher clergy.”

“Secret Temple?”

Lu Yan slowly withdrew from his deep cultivation state. He opened his eyes—stars deep within his gaze flashing briefly with curiosity.

Much of his knowledge about this world came from data. When it came to these core divine secrets, especially locations tied to the gods themselves, he knew very little.

“Yes, the Secret Temple.”

Elizabeth nodded with solemn affirmation. Her voice grew more serious.

“According to ancient royal tomes, the Secret Temple is the dwelling and power center of the Angel Kings of the True God Churches.

“Their official doctrine claims that as the gods reside in the Star Realm to wage eternal war against the Outer Gods, only the Angel Kings—those of Sequence One—can carry fragments of divine will to represent the gods in the mortal world.”

She paused for a moment, a trace of subtle mockery flashing in her eyes.

“But this is merely a comforting tale for the faithful. In records passed down through the royal line, the so-called Angel Kings were once powerful hidden existences who vied against the gods for belief and divinity.

“They too wielded unique authority and power not inferior to the gods before their ascension.

“But ultimately, the Seven Gods triumphed and seized the thrones of divinity.

“Those defeated Angel Kings were not destroyed but forcibly assimilated, their wills erased, and their authority twisted. In the end, they became vessels for divine descent—a tool through which the gods manifest.”

As Elizabeth recounted these chilling secrets, her eyes inadvertently swept across the interior of the chamber.

In the next instant, her gaze froze as if captured by an invisible force—locked onto a corner of the room, atop a smooth obsidian pedestal used for placing objects.

Her pupils quivered violently.

There, on the mirror-like surface of the black pedestal, an object had appeared without a sound—a letter of pure platinum, glowing faintly with a mysterious aura.

“What is that?” Elizabeth’s voice rose in disbelief, tinged with a subtle trace of fear.

Only then did Lu Yan—who had been deep in contemplation over the Angel Kings—follow her gaze and notice the letter’s sudden appearance.

His brow arched imperceptibly, his expression remaining calm.

He extended a hand and made a gentle gesture. The platinum envelope floated lightly into his palm as if drawn by invisible threads.

It was cool to the touch. Neither gold nor jade, yet it carried the weight of some profound law.

No text adorned the front—only seven emblems rendered in shimmering golden thread, each symbolizing one of the seven Divine Churches.

Its luxurious design was utterly regal—yet imbued with an indescribable mystery and authority.

“Since my advancement, I’ve remained in this chamber, stabilizing my realm with divine sense spread across every corner. Not once have I slackened.” Lu Yan’s tone was low and thoughtful as he caressed the envelope’s surface.

“And yet… I never noticed this invitation appear?”

A flash of spiritual light filled his mind. Vast divine sense at the level of Nascent Soul surged into motion, reviewing every fragment of data from the past few hours.

He traced every fluctuation of energy, every speck of dust’s trajectory within the chamber.

Yet what caused his heart to sink was this: even with his current divine perception and power, he could not deduce how or when the invitation had come.

It was as if it had simply appeared out of nowhere—or had descended from another dimension, from an entirely different moment in time.

“A show of power from the Seven Churches?” Lu Yan’s eyes held a trace of amusement.

“I fear it’s more than mere show.”

Elizabeth’s gaze remained fixed on the letter in his hand, as if recalling something truly dreadful.

She forcibly suppressed the shock and the instinctive fear welling from her soul and spoke with slight tremor:

“Your Grace, according to ancient royal lore, there is record of such spontaneously appearing invitations.

“In the Black Night Goddess Church, there is a Zero-Rank Sealed Artifact listed as the highest taboo—it is called the Invitation to the Underworld Banquet.”

As her voice fell, a faintly dark aura stirred in the chamber. Wisps of whispering sound, like echoes from a mythical Netherworld, flickered with eerie deathly energy.

High-ranked Sealed Artifacts, by their very nature, carried innate danger. Just speaking their name could bring disaster to mortals.

But within this hidden sanctuary, the eerie manifestations vanished in the blink of an eye—distorted and obliterated by the Imperial Aspect and traces of the Old One’s aura.

Elizabeth didn’t seem to notice, and continued:

“According to records, whoever holds that artifact can ignore all distance, space, and supernatural defenses, and send an invitation to any creature whose True Name is known—summoning them to a banquet hosted by eerie beings in the long-vanished Realm of Death.

“The moment the invitation is received, an unbreakable law takes hold.

“No being—mortal or hidden existence—can defy it.

“If one fails to appear at the banquet after three days, their soul will be devoured by those ancient entities. Utter annihilation awaits.

“But the one who sends the invitation must also attend—facing their own tremendous risk.”

She took a deep breath and added:

“The Invitation has two law-like properties.

“The first is the compulsion—the inviolate rule that once invited, one must attend, or face destruction.

“The second is that no one can perceive how the Invitation arrives. No being can trace its origin or prevent its appearance.

“Some speculate it does not belong to this timeline, but comes from a higher dimension or an ancient era long gone.

“Others believe it represents a form of fixed causality—once the sender chooses a target, the result is set. No power, not even those who wield Hidden Authorities, can interfere with the cause once the effect is chosen.”

Her voice trembled slightly:

“The mysterious way this platinum invitation appeared… it’s too similar to the Underworld Banquet Invitation. It’s likely that the Seven Churches have somehow replicated or modified the rules of that artifact.

“But that artifact is the Black Night Church’s greatest taboo. To alter it would require the highest levels of divine authority.

“Yet the crest on this invitation doesn’t bear just the Black Night’s symbol—it bears all seven churches’ emblems.”

By now, Elizabeth’s voice had become a whisper—barely audible, saturated with dread.

Only one possible answer remained for who had the power to coordinate all seven churches and tamper with such a divine artifact.

She shivered and spoke the names that represented this world’s highest powers.

“The Seven Angel Kings… or even the awakening True Gods themselves!”

Elizabeth, though aware of the Netherworld and the name of the Emperor of Fengdu, had very limited information.

She had assumed that the current conflict involved only the Steam Church, and that Lu Yan would be able to handle it alone.

She had never imagined that the Seven Churches would act as one—that the Angel Kings and possibly the True Gods would personally intervene and even deploy a Zero-Rank Sealed Artifact.

Such tactics and the malice behind them filled her with bone-deep fear.

As Elizabeth spoke, Lu Yan could sense a strange karmic force locking onto him through the letter in his hand.

“Three days later… the Tower of Ascension, Steam Cathedral.”

The message stirred in his mind. If Lu Yan ignored this invitation, he would be subject to strange rules targeting him—rules that seemed to originate from the Old One’s corpse.

“All power in this world stems from the Old Ones. In their presence, ordinary rank and authority are meaningless.

“This is the truth behind the Zero-Rank Artifact: even those with supreme positions can be devoured by its rules.”

Lu Yan glanced down at the letter without even opening it.

He understood clearly—this was a test from the Angel Kings, meant to probe his capabilities.

“So the spectacle I arranged has already borne fruit. Even the Angel Kings now fear the Netherworld’s existence before the True Gods fully awaken.

“But this invitation… it’s too petty.”

He shook his head slightly.

Behind him, the majestic figure of the Emperor Aspect quietly emerged.

The supreme divine power—Manipulator of Fate—activated.

The Emperor’s hand, woven from the order of the Divine Court, formed a brush and descended slowly upon the invitation.

Rules twisted in reverse. The platinum envelope turned into regal black-gold. Words that seemed like Dao itself etched into its surface.

Then, in an act of preemptive causality, the invitation split into seven copies and vanished—each appearing within the Secret Temples of the Seven Divine Churches.

At the very moment they arrived, hands reached out to seize them, and holy text shimmered in divine light across the sacred halls:

“In the name of the Netherworld, we invite the Seven Angel Kings to the Hall of Yellow Springs for a formal discussion.”

(End of Chapter)