The sanctuaries of the Holy Justice Citadel, also called the Sanctuaries of Potential, are far beyond the reach of ordinary disciples or even high-ranking priests. These were sacred areas where the Cardinal Spirit Temple cultivated its most exceptional talents.
Legendary King Rank architects tailored each sanctuary to suit the nature, race, and elemental resonance of its chosen disciples.
Only those with the potential to ascend to the Legendary Lord rank or beyond could earn the right to train within these otherworldly environments.
These sanctuaries were not merely training halls—they were sacred cultivation ecosystems, each suffused with holy intent and secret mechanisms laid down according to the ancient teaching of the Temple.
Among the Sanctuaries of the Potential was a sanctuary explicitly designed for the Human Race Talents—the Sanctuary of Sacred Concord.
Here, immense cathedral-like spires rose toward an ever-shifting celestial dome, where halos of radiant law light danced amidst a sky filled with shifting golden clouds.
The floor was made of silver stone veined with luminous orichalcum lines forming intricate circuits of runes across the massive expanse.
Ethereal choirs echoed faintly through the blessed winds, and marble statues of old humans stood like silent sentinels along the edge of the sanctuary, exuding solemnity and sacredness.
At the heart of this grand sanctuary lay the Altar of Anointment, a pristine circular platform floating above a sea of holy water. Runes pulsed softly beneath the floor, breathing in and out with mystical rhythm.
At this moment, a human Archbishop, robed in rich cardinal red, his white beard bound by golden thread, stood at the edge of the altar. He was also the overseer of the Sanctuary of the Sacred Concord.
The Archbishop’s aged yet radiant eyes gazed at the figure in the center of the altar with pride and acknowledgment.
There knelt a gorgeous human woman, clad in bishop robes of immaculate ivory and adorned with a flowing silver manteletta that shimmered with soft starlight. Her presence exuded both purity and hidden strength.
Her head was bowed, covered by a silver skull cap, symbolizing submission to divine will. In her delicate hands, she held a majestic white-gold monstrance, adorned with intricate carvings and set with multicolored gems that shimmered like captured starlight.
The Archbishop’s voice echoed solemnly, his expression grave yet awed,
"Lord Bishop Alice, you are about to break into the Legendary King Rank, and you’ll become an Archbishop like me.
"You have achieved so much within 2500 years after your ascension from the lower plains. You are the pride of our Sanctuary of Sacred Concord, and our human race!"
The Lord Bishop Alice seemed to be extremely humble as she respectfully replied while shaking her head, "It’s all thanks to Lord Archbishop’s teaching and God’s favor. I’m but a humble servant of the supreme God!"
The Archbishop nodded in approval as he liked Alice’s attitude, and continued, "Today I summoned you to the Altar of Anointment because you have been selected to become a Faery Human! I have personally recommended you, and the higher-ups have approved of it because of your talent and devotion.
"Just like me, they all believed that once you become a Faery Human after going through the ’Holy Bloodline Pool’, your potential will rise even further, and you’ll become a Legendary King within the next thousand years!"
’Finally, about damn time!’ Alice’s heart raced in excitement the moment she heard the Archbishop’s words, and it became very hard for her to hide her true nature.
But she has been doing it for a long time; she quickly suppressed her honest thoughts and appeared moved to tears. She prostrated herself and was about to sing praises of the Holy Justice God and Cardinal Spirit Temple higher-ups, when...
"RUMBLE...."
The tranquil sanctity of the Holy Justice Citadel was shattered in an instant!
The Altar of Anointment started to tremble violently, while the sea of the holy water began to stir and waves rose.
"W-what is happening!?" The Archbishop was flabbergasted, something like has never happened before, and he glanced at Alice, who was equally bewildered.
A strange thought appeared in his head, ’Could it be because we angered God by anointing her?!’
Alice was fuming inside as well, as she knew too well just how delusional these followers of the Holy Justice God were, and they took everything as a sign of sorts. They were zealous, and if they thought the reason behind this sudden disturbance was her, everything she had worked for would vanish with a puff of smoke.
While Alice was facing a massive crisis for no good reason, the entire Holy Justice Citadel was in chaos.
At this moment, without warning, the brilliant golden light that bathed the colossal realm of the Holy Justice Citadel dimmed... then extinguished entirely. The sacred luminance, once thought to be everlasting, turned pitch black—consumed by an overwhelming shadow that blotted out every trace of warmth and light.
An unnatural tremor coursed through the very foundations of the citadel, like a slumbering beast stirred to rage.
CRRRAAAACK!!
The sudden, deafening sound echoed across the citadel, and the source of this sound was at the heart of the citadel, where the most significant and holiest statue of the Holy Justice God stood—tall, regal, carved from priceless crystal.
A jagged fracture raced down the statue’s stern, benevolent face. Gasps and screams erupted across the halls.
Devout worshipers, startled to their core, immediately fell to their knees, prostrating themselves on the shimmering marble floor. Tears streamed from their eyes as they cried out in unison:
"Mercy, O Lord of Scales!"
"Forgive us, O Divine Arbiter!"
"We are unworthy!"
Chants of repentance mixed with panicked wailing echoed from every corridor. The sacred relics that adorned the halls began to rattle violently, and some cracked outright, while ethereal scrolls of the temple spontaneously combusted into white flame before vanishing into ash.
In the Sanctum of Command, alarmed paladins clad in radiant plate scrambled for direction, their once-proud discipline faltering in the wake of a calamity they could neither see nor understand. Holy sigils engraved on their armor dimmed to gray, some even flickering like dying embers.
High-ranking officials poured out from every corner of the Cardinal Spirit Temple—Archbishops, Lord Bishops, Noble Bishops, Noble Priests, Lord Priests, Divine Justiciars, and Priest-Knights—all shouting questions and orders. But no answers came.
The mystical voices of prayers, once omnipresent within these sacred walls, were gone.
Worse, faith—the very power their spells and blessings relied upon—was faltering. Holy light refused to gather. Divine prayers fell silent.
Their connection to the Supreme God’s blessing had vanished.
At that moment, above them, the great statue groaned again. Another crack split across its chest!
Some screamed in horror as the Sword of Judgment, held in the statue’s left hand, crumbled into dust!