"Steady"

"???"

"What moved?"

"The statue, the statue moved!"

The middle-aged man's startled reaction made everyone jump.

It startled Sean, too.

He instinctively held his breath, tensed his muscles, and stood perfectly still.

Elvily and the others all turned to look at the statue.

"It didn't move, did it?"

"It did!"

The man was certain he hadn't imagined it. "It isn't moving now, but it definitely moved just a moment ago!"

The old man, Adev, furrowed his brow. "Kate, get a hold of yourself."

The man called Kate was still visibly agitated. "Teacher, please believe me. It just blinked!"

Adev watched the statue for a while, then shook his head and sighed. "Kate, we all know how much you admire Lord Black, but that's all in the past. We have to look ahead. You're a grown man in your fifties, for goodness' sake. Don't act like a child every time Lord Black comes up. You need to learn to be steady."

Everyone here revered Karl Black. Adev, too, longed for the Scholar Era. In those days, the Hall of Truth existed not only in the Void Arts Space but also in the real world. It had once been the empire's largest religious academy, having trained countless Archmages and occultists. Even the Holy See, which wielded the highest authority, had treated the Holy Temple with respect.

And that was without even mentioning Karl Black, the founder of the Holy Temple. It was no exaggeration to call him the spiritual leader of all witches.

If Black were still alive, who would dare call them heretics? Who would dare launch a Witch Hunt?

The power of someone above the tenth tier was no joke. He could wave a hand and reduce those Witch Hunters to ashes.

But there were no what-ifs.

Elvily and the others fell silent.

The already solemn atmosphere of the meeting grew even heavier with the mention of a name long gone.

Adev was the oldest person present, and he understood many things more clearly than these young people. Faith was all well and good, but there was no point taking things to extremes or deceiving oneself with unrealistic fantasies.

"As everyone knows, our situation is more difficult than ever. But no matter how difficult it gets, we must not give up."

Adev's deeply lined eyes were full of seriousness as he looked at them. "Without Lord Black, we'll have to rely on ourselves."

"We can admire him and honor his memory, but we mustn't live in the past."

"The dead are gone, and the living must carry on. We have to face reality. The crueler the world becomes, the more resilient we must be. What doesn't kill us will only make us stronger."

"We must carry on his legacy. If one Lord Black falls, thousands upon thousands of us will rise in his place!"

"Understood?"

"Understood!" everyone answered.

Sean: "?"

Wait, he didn't quite understand.

At first, listening to the old man talk about the Hall of Truth's past had seemed pretty nice. It sounded like he really had been powerful back then. Not just anyone could be called a spiritual leader. But as he listened, something started to feel off. How had he gone from being a powerhouse above the tenth tier one moment to being carried off the next?

Kate felt aggrieved. "I really did see the statue move. Why won't you believe me?"

"Even if it really did move, so what?" Adev rebuked him sternly. "A qualified witch should remain unfazed, with a will as unyielding as stone, even when facing the gallows."

This didn't just refer to a strong will, but also to control over one's magic. After all, the most basic way people used their own energy was through their emotions.

When someone was in a good mood, the people around them could feel it. Likewise, if someone was miserable, others could tell. The same went for so-called "bloodlust," "pressure," and "an aura of authority." These were all manifestations of energy released through one's state of mind. Ordinary people called it "presence."

So—

"Don't say it was only a statue that moved. Even if Lord Karl Black appeared before you in the flesh, you'd still have to show the proper composure!"

"The same goes for all of you."

Adev was not only Kate's teacher, but also an elder to the others. Since they were already on the subject, he might as well teach them a lesson. A witch's cultivation involved every aspect of life, and every little detail could affect how far they might go one day.

At every Dawn Meeting, he also led by example.

No matter how grim or oppressive the meeting's topic was, or how exciting and joyful, he always maintained a calm heart. After all, an elderly witch and respected senior was supposed to uphold a stern, dignified image in front of the younger generation.

"I believe that if Lord Black were still here, he would want to see you all acting maturely."

As he spoke, Adev rose and walked over to the towering statue. He gazed up at its indistinct face, memories rising in his aged eyes. Looking at the statue, he seemed to have returned to the prosperous Scholar Era.

Until the statue moved again.

The eyes that should have been gray-white stone suddenly became a pair of deep, pitch-black human eyes. With the faintest hint of grievance, they stared silently and fixedly at him.

Adev blurted out, "Oh, motherfucker!"

Everyone: "???"

Sean: "..."

So much for being steady?

Kate, whose agitation had only just begun to settle after Adev's lecture, flared up again. "It moved, it moved! It moved again! Did you see that?"

Of course they had.

Not only had they seen it, they had seen it clearly.

Everyone's gaze had followed Adev's movements to the statue. This time, Sean had moved on purpose—since he was already here, he might as well do something.

There were still things Sean hadn't figured out, but that didn't stop him from reminding these people that he wasn't dead yet!

The Hall of Truth had seven floors, each with an identical statue. The Scholar Era had ended centuries ago, and aside from allowing qualified witches to enter the Holy Temple, the statues had shown no other signs of life. Tonight was the first time!

"It really moved?!"

"I'm not seeing things, am I? Its eyes... they turned into human eyes?"

The crowd cried out in shock, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Elvily's lips parted slightly, her doe-like eyes wide, her delicate face full of astonishment.

"How is that possible?"

Karl Black had made these statues with his own hands, and they were connected to his soul. No one but Karl Black himself could control them—not even her mother, powerful as she was... Could that man really be alive?

"Lord Black, can you hear me?"

The Flame Crow Girl and the others were still reeling from the shock, but Kate was already so excited he could barely contain himself. Though he was an old man, he looked like a young fan meeting his idol, having completely forgotten what his teacher Adev had just said.

Even Adev himself had lost control of his emotions. His thick white beard trembled slightly, and his eyes had grown moist.

"Lord Black... is it really you?"