A Ring That Won't Come Off!

"..."

"..."

A burst of light flashed for a moment, then vanished without a trace. The ancient ring lost its luster and rested quietly on Kang De's ring finger, as if the previous scene had been nothing but an illusion.

The atmosphere suddenly became very awkward.

What should I say?

--The thing I, Kang De, like to do most is to say NO to my self-righteous father-in-law!

Forget it, that's too ironic.

Kang De thought for a moment, then made a small joke, "May I ask, Your Majesty the Sun God, Sura, are you a male god or a female god?"

The Grand Duke then came to his senses and subconsciously replied, "Sunlight shines upon the world, nurturing plants, blowing forth the torrents of elements, giving birth to all things. The sun is the source of power, life, and even energy, nourishing the world like a mother. Her Majesty Sura is naturally a benevolent, loving, and magnanimous goddess..."

I understand the logic, but why does it work on the ring finger but not the other fingers?

Did Dairila really not do anything to this?

Kang De looked at the ring on his hand with a puzzled expression, then reached out to take it off.

Take it off...

Take it off...

I can't lift it.

His smile gradually faded from awkwardness, and he even tried to pull it off, but the ring seemed to be rooted to the spot; no matter how hard he pulled, he couldn't get it off, it wouldn't budge.

Kang De exclaimed, "We've been scammed!"

"Don't talk nonsense!"

Everyone in the room seemed to wake from a dream, and they all crowded around. Kang De's hand was grabbed by one hand after another, each person wanting to take off the ring as soon as possible, with different motives and forces.

After trying it a few times, no one could do it.

The Sword Saint Cascading Snow's eyes were solemn. He pushed aside the crowd, grabbed the ring on Kang De's finger, and a wisp of Dou Qi seeped out, attempting to shrink Kang De's finger slightly with frost and use the melting snow as lubricant to pull the thing off in one fell swoop. However, the next moment, the ring's light surged, and the intense sunlight melted the frost, shattering the wisp of frost Dou Qi and even causing the Sword Saint's hand to swing aside.

The Grand Duke was filled with shock and rage. "This was indeed the Phoenix King's conspiracy! How despicable..."

But he only got halfway through his sentence before giving Kang De a subtle look. If the Phoenix King really had tampered with it, what was her motive? Why did it have to be worn on the ring finger to activate, and why couldn't it be removed? If she wanted to restrain or harm someone, it should have taken effect immediately regardless of which finger it was worn on...

As he was lost in thought, Tina took Kang De's hand and asked, "Does it hurt?"

Those deep blue eyes revealed only worry and unease as they stared intently at Kang De, their gaze pure and full of concern, devoid of any other impurities.

Kang De felt a slight tremor in his heart. He shook his head and looked at the ring on his hand. With the combined power of Phoenix Vision and the Power of the Fire Thief, he felt no malice from the ring. The light, as bright as a star, quietly lingered on his finger, and a warm power flowed around him, enveloping and protecting him.

The Sword Saint Cascading Snow twirled his fingers and said, "This might not be an elf conspiracy... Even the elves don't have the ability to usurp the Sun God's artifact, not even the Phoenix King could do it. Besides, the light just now was a sign that the Proof of Stellar Authority recognized the wearer. Kang De, can you wield its power?"

Kang De for a moment, then nodded.

He gently pulled away from Tina, then raised his hand. The surging Vulcan light of the sun within the ring resonated with his soul. He could feel the warmth and intensity of that light, both loving and stern, capable of warming the world and nurturing all things, as well as dispelling darkness and burning away evil.

With a thought, the ring instantly emitted a dazzling light, making the room bright and airy.

Then it disappeared.

Everyone held their breath and waited for a moment. The Sword Saint blinked and asked, "Is it over?"

Kang De withdrew his hand. "I can control the duration, and I can control the brightness of the light. If I want, this ring can burst forth with an extremely intense and dazzling light, enough to blind any gold digger in the world."

"... That's it?"

"... Isn't that amazing?"

"What a load of rubbish! This is the Sun God Ring, a divine artifact! The Sun Knight who wears it can receive Sura's protection and blessing, summon the power of the sun, wield the ceaseless fire of the sun, and cleanse all darkness and evil. And all you can do is cast a Flash Spell?"

"It's not my fault. There were no instructions, and no Ringwraith girls in there. Besides, Flash, Flash Spell is powerful enough! I know a super powerful mage who only learned Flash Spell in his spellbook. He can kill people, orcs, wizards, and Balrogs like it's nothing."

"Is that a mage!?"

"Okay, stop arguing."

The Grand Duke pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "In the history of the Church of the Sun, there has never been a precedent of a non-believer obtaining the recognition of the Proof of Stellar Authority. He has not received training and education from the Church, so of course he cannot exert the power of this ring. We are not experts in this field, and this situation is unheard of, so we need the Church's help."

His gaze fell on the ring on Kang De's hand. "Perhaps only the Church can give us the answer. We need to assess its harm and risks, and find a way to remove it."

Kang De suggested, "Or perhaps we should ask Dai... the Phoenix King?"

"Let's not," Tina said softly. "After all, I don't think the elves are capable of tampering with Her Majesty Sura's artifacts. "Besides, Her Majesty Dairila returned the Proof of Stellar Authority to Kang De, but Kang De is wearing it on his ring finger and can't take it off. If the Phoenix King sees it, she'll misunderstand, don't you think?"

"..."

Kang De gazed at the beautiful face so close to his own. The girl spoke softly and gently, her features exquisite. He felt that what she said made a lot of sense, and he couldn't help but nod in agreement.

It was already late at night, but the two incidents at the Maple Leaf Palace were enough to awaken anyone extraordinary. The Grand Duke issued a secret decree, and Goth's invitation was sent to the Sunlight Sanctuary in Danfeng Lucerne.

Before long, Sura's shepherds arrived at the Maple Leaf Palace.

Dressed in a yellow priestly robe and holding a heavy scroll, he was a kind-looking, burly middle-aged man. What impressed Kang De most was the heavy mace hanging at the side of the bishop's waist.

The hammer body radiates intense Flame Element, and the hammerhead is an iron ball studded with many spikes, like a radiant sun.

He asked Tina in a low voice, "Is this a militant?"

Tina replied softly, "That's how the pastors of the Church of the Sun are..."

I understand.

The priests of this world, at least the priests of the Church of the Sun God, are depicted in a style as hardcore as the elves.

The fake priest, dressed in flimsy clothes, wielding a meaningless staff, shaking his large, useless chest, heals, heals, heals, and heals again. He's a burden to the team, a victim of ranged attacks, and an experience pack for melee combat. He has the wrong equipment and a weak will. His greatest role is to provide benefits and take the blame.

A true priest wears heavy armor, wields a mace, is skilled in cleaving, excels in fierce charges, crushes heretics, exorcises evil spirits with spells, uses force to deliver all beings, and uses magic to liberate the souls of the dead; he is proficient in both magic and martial arts.

"Not all sun priests are like that," Tina said, glancing behind the bishop with considerable disappointment. "I thought my older sister would come."

Tina's eldest sister joined the Church of the Sun at a young age.

"This is truly... amazing."

The Grand Duke explained the situation to the Bishop, and Kang De exchanged a few pleasantries with him. Peila had already noticed the ball of light in Kang De's hand. After confirming the authenticity of the Proof of Stellar Authority and conducting a careful examination and sensing, the Bishop couldn't help but utter such a sigh.

Reknos asked, "Your Excellency, what exactly is going on?"

"I have never seen such a precedent before, Your Excellency. The Proof of Stellar Authority has been lost for a long time, and records about it only exist in ancient books. I need to consult the relevant records to answer your questions and handle this situation, but I can promise you now..."

Bishop Peila smiled and said, "This is undoubtedly the grace of my God. Her light shines upon His Highness Kang De as a reward for his courage, mercy, merit, and dedication. I cannot imagine any other reason why the Proof of Stellar Authority would choose a foreigner who does not serve the sun. Only divine favor and grace can explain this. Congratulations, His Highness Kang De."

His smile was warm and peaceful, like a gentle breeze. The divine ring was worn on the hands of a non-believer from another land, yet the bishop showed no sign of dissatisfaction or jealousy.

Kang De nodded to him. "Thank you... So, you don't intend to take the ring back?"

The bishop laughed and said, "What God has given you, how can we take it back?"

"... They probably won't let me join, will they?"

To be honest, I'm already one of Brother Tu's people.

"If you are willing to learn about the glory of Sura, we would be honored and welcome you. You don't have to join; faith is simply a path of light, and you are already on that path."

The bishop replied, "The sun's light nourishes the world, giving strength to the weak and healing to the wounded. Sura teaches us to uphold hope, and when necessary, to take up arms to drive out violence, punish evil, protect the virtuous, and protect the innocent. This is exactly what you are doing. For this, you are pleasing to Sura and are a practitioner of her merciful will. What does it matter whether you join the church or not?"

Kang De paused for a moment, then chuckled, "You guys are quite open-minded."

"Look at the flowers and grass outside, the solid stones, the innocent creatures. They exist, but they have no thoughts, no understanding, no knowledge of Sura's name, and no appreciation of her love. Yet, even so, the sun's rays still shine upon them every day, nourishing and warming them. Sura loved them all equally. Have you ever seen a blade of grass lose the sunlight because it didn't join the church?"

The bishop laughed too, "If they are like this, what about you? Sura favors you, Your Highness Kang De, simply because you have followed her path. Please continue to do the right thing; she will always be watching you."

Kang De shook hands with the bishop; the hand was warm, rough, and strong.

"Your Highness can sleep soundly tonight. As for the ring being unable to be removed... I will consult the classics for precedents and solutions, if you insist."

Bishop Peila stood up. "As for how to use this ring... I will discuss it with my colleagues and grant you permission to receive various training courses from the Church of the Sun. I will try my best to get it for you; there shouldn't be any problem."

Basically, this high priest of the Church of the Sun believed that there was nothing wrong with the Proof of Stellar Authority, and that choosing Kang De was a blessing from the goddess. As for why it could only be worn on the ring finger and could not be taken off once worn, he was not entirely sure and would have to go back and consult the scriptures and discuss it with his colleagues.

After all, the Sun Knights of the past were recognized by the Proof of Stellar Authority, so they didn't have to worry about so many trivial matters, not only caring about which finger to remove, but also complaining that it couldn't be taken off—this is the love of the gods, who would take it off!

"Your Highness, if you have some free time, you may visit the Sunshine Sanctuary."

His Excellency the bishop took his leave.

Kang De watched him mount his white horse and depart, escorted by court guards and church guards, and remarked, "Everything about Goth is so different."

The Grand Duke stood beside him. "What's different?"

Kang De said, "The pastors of the church are generous, enlightened, and understanding; the rulers are easily swayed and soft-hearted; the princesses are innocent, lovely, beautiful, and kind... In short, the styles are very different."

Reknos was silent for a moment, then sighed softly.

"The church's pastors are enlightened and magnanimous, and they strictly follow divine decrees. They protect the weak and sweep away darkness for Sura. Therefore, when the elves invaded, the priests of the Church of the Sun stepped forward and fought bravely, suffering heavy casualties and being severely damaged."

"As the ruler, I am soft-hearted, sentimental, and indecisive. Therefore, I cannot suppress the nobles internally, nor can I unite with other countries externally. As a result, my country was invaded and bullied by the Twilight Moon, and it almost perished."

"My daughter is so innocent and adorable, that's why she was easily gored Cathay a wild boar..."

"--Hello!"

"Look, we uphold the teachings of our ancestors, the Church follows the teachings of the Sun God, we are upright, kind, we do not do evil, we do not deceive, so others deceive us, commit evil on our land, cause our people to bleed, and cause our warriors to sacrifice. Without you, Goth would have perished, and those cruel and cunning hyenas would have swarmed up and torn apart Goth's body, spreading suffering..."

The Grand Duke turned to Kang De: "Even tonight's events show that the enemy continues to trample on our dignity with impunity... I swore to live my life with integrity and justice, without distortion or corruption, to prove to history, the world, and myself that even in upright conduct, one can still bring happiness to the people and strength to the nation..."

"But I almost lost my country; I almost ruined everything."

"My lifelong best friend, the one who watched me make a vow, the one who fought alongside me for decades, parted ways with me tonight, no longer believing in my dreams and ideals. In fact, I have also wavered."

"My daughter was even gored by a wild boar from Cathay."

"--Do you have to keep emphasizing this point?"

The Grand Duke remained silent for a long time, then said softly, "Kang De, you say, justice, principles, goodness, honesty... are these useful? Then why is the ruler of the human world an emperor who rules through intrigue, checks and balances, and power struggles? Why is the world's overlord an elf who plunders through finance, military might, and magic? Why is it that warriors shed blood while commoners suffer, and this has been the case throughout history?"

Kang De remained silent.

He couldn't answer either.

Just as he never understood why the world order was dominated by the descendants of robbers, murderers, and swindlers, who rose to power through enslavement, plunder, and slaughter, accumulating wealth and gaining hegemony, donning elegant robes, and controlling the world's discourse, repeating the cycle of plunder, fraud, and exploitation, hypocrisy, double standards, and brutality, using finance to reap the world's profits, building technological Bulwark, and seizing and maintaining interests with iron and fire...

But... things are different now, aren't they?

"But you, haven't you, not lost your country?"

The Grand Duke's body trembled.

Kang De said softly, "Isn't this me? Aren't I here? The bishop said it was God's arrangement. Whether it is or not, I don't know, but I am here so that a nation that upholds justice and goodness will not be destroyed by those who seize and plunder. The world will also see that diligence, order, and integrity can also make a nation strong."

"The Empire can no longer maintain its rule through power struggles and deceit. The Elven expansion will be halted, and the world will become what the Lightbringers desire. I want to do that."

Reknos was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Hmph, that sounds nice, but you're exactly like me when I was young—equally foolish, equally arrogant, spouting unrealistic and distant dreams while ignoring the difficulties at hand, talking only of lofty ideals but never of wishes that can be fulfilled immediately..."

"--Oh, I'll have your daughter."

"Hello!"

They turned the tide and launched an offensive.

What started as a heartfelt and idealistic conversation between father-in-law and son-in-law ultimately devolved into the father-in-law's angry outburst.

The Duke, who had been gazing at the moon at a 45-degree angle and sighing with emotion, immediately changed his expression, jumping up and down and glaring at Kang De, as if to say, "You little brat, don't even think about getting away with this."

But the next moment, a beautiful figure came from behind, her delicate arms embracing Kang De's. The girl breathed softly and said, "What were you saying to your father, Kang De? It's very late."

Tina said softly, "Let's go back, it's time to sleep."

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PS1: Time to sleep...