In Colo, the Holy Realm was without a doubt the core and sacred land of the Creation Goddess's faith. Almost everything in this land served religious belief—the Grand Cathedral was the religious, cultural, and administrative center of every city; the church was the source of all education; the clergy were responsible for managing the entire Holy Realm; and the religious buildings were the grandest and most complex facilities in the Order State.
Beneath Luan's Grand Cathedral was not merely a basement, but an enormous facility that could be called an Underground Palace.
Led by the priest, everyone arrived at the entrance to the Underground Palace behind the assembly hall. They then followed a broad stone ramp downward, reaching the underground section of the Grand Cathedral several minutes later. Hao Ren saw a straight, spacious corridor stretching ahead. Many branching paths and room entrances could be seen on either side. Although sunlight could not reach this underground world, pale milky crystals emitting a faint glow were embedded in the walls at regular intervals, keeping the place from sinking into darkness—it was even much brighter down here than in the aboveground section of the church.
An unimaginable number of survivors had gathered almost entirely in the Underground Palace. Refugees wrapped in clothing and blankets could be seen everywhere in the underground corridors, huddled together with their families and wearing frightened, uneasy expressions. Small piles of luggage lay beside them. Most people had only a few bags and small cases with them, while quite a few had nothing at all. Clearly, they had evacuated here in a rush.
When they saw people descending from the surface entrance, many refugees immediately raised their heads. They looked curiously at Hao Ren and the others, their eyes filled with confusion and tension. Even the innocent children