797
The Demon of Knowledge felt a flicker of amusement. Bethel's words reminded him of the Western Continent's Sermon Conference.
That name had been settled on a very, very long time ago. It was an event where the various sects and universities organized a nationwide advanced examination, displaying their respective expertise, giving the younger generation a chance to perform, and recruiting new talent. In modern terms, the Demon of Knowledge thought it should be called the national joint examination, or the Western Continent professional skills and knowledge competition for Beyonders below the demigod level.
As "Heavenly Mechanism," he had always attached considerable importance to such events. To secure his standing on the Western Continent, he always chose the best students and began training them far in advance, precisely to prevent them from failing to place high enough.
"To think you were someone who cared about such things."
The Demon of Knowledge was somewhat surprised. "If you return to Earth just like this, won't your mental state fluctuate? You don't have many anchors. You only have a few hundred descendants worldwide, to say nothing of how the stories about you were buried along with the history of the Fourth Epoch long ago. No one remembers you."
He thought for a moment, then looked at the distant red moon behind Bethel and added:
"Nor does anyone know how you held out."
Bethel gave a scoff of indeterminate meaning, assessing his own condition with a calm bordering on indifference:
"You're wrong. The moment I return to Earth should be the best mental state I've been in for over a thousand years.-Even the Mother Goddess of Depravity's ravings and temptations couldn't completely strip me of my will. If I went mad for lack of anchors, that would be far too laughable."
"As for the